Naegi hadn't thought this moment would really happen. Even when Kyoko had pulled out the last of his trip tickets and demanded it, he hadn't believed that Junko would allow it. She'd kept him alive for reasons he still didn't understand, she'd refused to tell their friends about his survival, she'd taunted him with having to watch the trial alone — he knew she had to be planning something terrible. Of course she wouldn't let Kyoko find a way to wriggle around it. He'd been sure that Junko would reject the suggestion out of hand.

Instead, she'd sent him through the trap door in her control room, pointing him towards a hidden elevator with a grin.

It could have taken him anywhere, could have trapped him inside, could have plummeted down to his death — but the elevator hadn't done any of that. It had taken him down to a storage area that connected to the mirror-encrusted grounds from the last trial.

But even as he'd sped across the room in a beeline for the large main elevator, he'd still expected her to try to stop him. Surely the elevator wouldn't open, or would be programmed not to approach the new trial grounds, or would do something to force him back into Junko's clutches —

And then the doors had opened on the trial ground, and he'd seen his friends. Kyoko, steely-eyed and determined… Jill, sharp-edged glare above her gleaming scissors… Sakura, braced for fierce defense… and Byakuya.

Byakuya, pale but proud, shaking but still standing, and here, here in the same room with him for the first time in what felt like a century.

And Naegi hadn't been able to stop the smile from spreading across his face. Even knowing the danger wasn't over, even knowing that Junko still had plans to hurt them all, he couldn't help but smile when he saw the man he loved.

Rolling through the dark stretch of space between them had taken an eternity, since he couldn't work out how to make the chair move faster when he couldn't see the controls. He'd just kept his gaze fixed on the narrow beam of light illuminating his lover's face, aiming for that above anything else… until he'd finally reached him.

Even then, it had seemed impossible. Even with Byakuya standing inches away, close enough to touch, he hadn't dared to believe it could happen. Wasn't this how Junko had operated all through the killing game — giving them a chance at something positive only to snatch it away? It had to be another twist of cruelty, another path to lead them to unexpected pain.

"I'm sorry."

The words slipped out before he even knew what he was apologizing for — the nightmare that had led them to this moment, the new horrors that would follow it, or some entanglement of the two.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I just wanted you to be okay — I wanted everyone to be okay!"

His voice could barely pierce the room around them, let alone carry the conviction he'd wanted to convey. He'd needed to say this, to make sure Byakuya knew this, and if he didn't speak now then he might not get another chance. They could be torn apart again at any moment.

But then Byakuya had reached out to touch Naegi's hand. He'd touched his hand, and nothing had stopped him. The familiar weight pressed against Naegi's wrist, and nothing came between them but the bandages twisting around injured fingers.

Warmth spread through Naegi's veins, blooming outward from the point where Byakuya's hand pressed against his own. His heart had lost its place in the center of his body, had relocated to the tiny stretch of skin that had taken on the core of his world.

"Can you —"

Forgive me? Remember me? Stay with me?

He hardly knew what he'd meant to ask — but the question vanished from his mind when Byakuya pushed against his wrist until his hand flipped over. "Uh, what —"

Byakuya's fingers settled on his pulse point… and Naegi's voice died away as he understood some part of what had to be going through his lover's mind. For nearly two full days, Byakuya had believed that Naegi was dead. He'd been forced to watch as Naegi had been thrown into one of Junko's executions, each of which she'd carefully designed to torment the audience as much as the victim. So many of their friends had already been lost to those executions… of course he wouldn't have believed Naegi could somehow be the exception.

But even as Naegi realized the reason behind his boyfriend's shaking touch, Byakuya's expression changed. His eyes widened, new brightness gleaming through his hollow gaze. The lines of his jaw softened, no longer trying to force back an unbearable grief. He stared down at Naegi, and for the first time it felt like Byakuya was looking at him.

"You're alive… you're alive."

And with those words, Byakuya — the heir who had been proud and clever and brilliant since he'd first introduced himself, who despised any show of weakness, who refused to accept anything but the best — Byakuya fell to his knees, pressed his forehead into Naegi's hand, and wept.

And a cold knot of guilt coiled tight in the center of Naegi's chest. It grew worse with every tear slid down Byakuya's face, every sob that wracked his shoulders, every physical embodiment of what grief had done to the one person Naegi had never wanted to hurt.

"I love you… I love you so much."

But not enough to protect him. Not enough to make this nightmare better. No matter how much he'd tried to help, all he'd done was cause more pain.

"I love you, Byakuya."

And this time, he would make sure he acted like he meant it. This time, he wouldn't let Junko trick him into betraying his loyalty. He'd hurt Byakuya so many times… but he wouldn't do so again.

His new resolve gave him strength beyond anything that medicine or rest had been able to provide, and he raised his eyes from his boyfriend to smile at the rest of his friends.

And he found himself facing three cold glares. Fury roiled from Sakura as she clutched at her podium, as though forcing herself to obey the rule not to leave her place in the circle. Jill's scissors flashed from hand to hand, so fast that he couldn't tell how many spun through her fingers. And Kyoko… his best friend, the woman who'd been at his side through the entire Tragedy, the smartest person he'd ever met… Kyoko stared at him like she didn't even recognize him.

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, expression emotionless and unreadable in spite of all his memories of her. "So, Naegi… care to explain why you aren't dead?"