CHAPTER 1

Felt had always known somewhere deep in the back of his mind that it was wrong to ignore Viese's feelings. However, he had always seen her as a sister, wherever he went she generally wanted to follow. He was never particularly interested in becoming an alchemist, he'd always found adventure far more appealing. So when he was called to journey to Belkhyde to save Eden, a small part of him had hoped to never return, this part only grew as he discovered new and exciting things about the other land.

So was it such a sin that only two short weeks after saving the world and returning home, he was preparing to leave forever?

Felt normally wouldn't have left in the dead of night, but Viese had finally shattered any notion of any other option earlier that week:

He was in the kitchen of their workshop, having just finished cleaning the plates from their earlier meal, when Viese had entered looking anxious about something.

"What's wrong?" The question escaped his mouth before he could even register the words.

"I-its just..." She trailed off uncertainly. Felt looked at her expectantly, an eyebrow raised in concern and curiosity.

"Felt... I need you to just hear me out, okay?" Felt opened his mouth to respond, but instead nodded.

"Do you remember when you left for Belkhyde and I gave you the share ring, and how when we were connected by it I wrote to you everyday? A-and how when I came to find you when you went missing, and everything else in between from when we were kids until now?" Viese paused, looking into Felt's eyes, as if searching for something. "Ever since we were little, I always admired you, and as we grew up together that admiration only got stronger. The point is, I've always been in love with you." She finished her confession huskily, her face leaning close to his, her eyes beginning to close and her lips moving to claim his own.

Viese's lips met his own, as she desperately tried to convey her feelings to him in this action. Felt was frozen in sheer disgust, Viese was like a sister to him, how could she betray his trust in her? How could she ruin their unspoken bond by dumping this on him? For what felt like centuries, Viese continued her assault on his mouth, her tongue licking his bottom lip, asking permission for entrance. This was when Felt pulled away.

"F-felt?" Viese whimpered out. Was that lust in her voice he was hearing? Did she expect him to kiss her back tenfold what she did? Did she expect him to take her like in one of those trashy novels he'd found whilst snooping through her bag one day? He looked into Viese's eyes for a few moments, hurt and anger apparent in his cerulean orbs, that said more to her than any words ever could. Felt knew then that he had to go.

He'd locked his door that night, only unlocking it to let Iris in. Iris had taken to sleeping in his room while he was in Belkhyde, and since she was only a small child, he'd seen no issue with her sleeping with him. The moon had been full that night, its pale rays filtering through his parted curtains, illuminating the room. He did not sleep that night, content to listen to Iris's breathing as she slept beside him. 'Besides,' he'd joked good-naturedly to himself. 'Iris is a blanket hog.'

However, the night ran long and Felt found himself longing for the wisdom of the Azure Azoth, Elusmus. Over the course of his journey, Elusmus had grown to be like a wise older brother to him, the father figure he had so secretly yearned for all his life. Though they had only been together for a year or so, he had grown to love the Azoth like it was the father he never had. Without Elusmus, Felt was lost, a rowboat adrift in a great ocean rocked by a violent storm and Felt had fallen and was sinking into the ocean of uncertainty. It was not fair, Felt had finally, finally gained what he'd never let anyone know he'd always wanted-only for it to be torn away so soon. how much wisdom could Elusmus have imparted for the betterment of the world? But more importantly, to him? It was selfish and he knew that, but he was entitled to that much right? He had been an orphan all his life, he'd only ever had Viese, and to a lesser extent-his teacher Kreuz. It was not the same, and it wasn't fair.

As he reflected on this, tears began to spring from his eyes, and it was not long before choked sobs began to wrack his body. He only hoped he didn't wake Iris. But that night, under the full moon's impassive gaze, Felt Blanchimont, hero of both Eden and Belkhyde, cried himself to sleep.

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