While Amu was traveling through the icy north with Nagi and Tadase, there was much activity in the mansion. Su, Ran, and Miki were busy taking care of little Aruto.

In the nursery, Aruto lay in his crib, waving his little hands at a fabric bird that Ran was swinging in front of him. "Well, are you going to catch it today, little man?" she asked with a smile.

Aruto giggled with joy and kicked his feet excitedly. Su entered with a basket of fresh laundry. "You're spoiling him, Ran," she said with a chuckle, starting to fold the tiny onesies.

"He's so cute. Besides, who knows what he's inherited from his parents. Maybe one day he'll be as quick as Ikuto."

Miki, who had just entered, raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Quick, maybe. But I hope he doesn't get us into as much trouble." She had somewhat recovered emotionally and didn't want to leave her friends to handle everything alone, especially since they had always done it together before.

Suddenly, they heard a fluttering sound at the window. All three turned around at once. A small bird with bright blue feathers sat on the windowsill, curiously looking inside.

"Oh, look!" Su exclaimed excitedly. "What a pretty little guy."

Before anyone could say anything, the bird fluttered through the small crack in the window and landed directly on Aruto's crib. The little one stared wide-eyed at the bird and began laughing loudly.

The bird continued to flutter around, landing on a shelf, knocking over a vase, and then flying in a wide arc around the room. Miki ran after it, trying to catch it with her hands.

"Stop!" she called out, even though she knew it was pointless. Meanwhile, Ran had managed to catch the vase just in time, preventing it from breaking.

The bird eventually landed on the table where Su had just stacked the laundry and pulled a few of the folded onesies down.

Su sighed and briefly thought about how she could get the bird back outside. She went to the kitchen and returned with a small piece of bread. She broke it into smaller pieces and threw them to the bird to catch its attention. As the bird followed the trail and ate the bread, she continued the trail and opened the window. The other two watched anxiously, holding their breath so as not to startle the bird. Finally, it flew out the window, and Su quickly closed it behind it.

"What a troublemaker," Ran muttered, picking up the onesies from the floor.

But Aruto seemed to have found all of it very amusing. He was still laughing and kicking his legs excitedly.

"At least someone had fun," Miki said dryly, sitting back down next to him.

A short while later, as Ran sat on the couch with a book, Su brought out a small drum. "I wonder if he likes music? Let's see if we can entertain him."

Miki immediately agreed and sat down with a small flute. Ran sighed, closed her book, and joined them. Together, they played a simple melody, and Aruto was completely enthralled.

"Look at that," Miki whispered. "He's trying to clap along."

Ran smiled. "Amu did tell us that Ikuto likes playing the violin. Maybe he takes after him when it comes to music."

"True, but she likes singing too," Su added as she continued playing. "I just hope everything is okay and no more tragedies happen." The green-haired girl sighed but continued playing for Aruto.

"I wonder if they've run into Ikuto by now," Ran mused aloud. After all, it had been quite some time since he was taken by Dia.

"I hope not. I can't imagine that would have been a very positive encounter," Miki murmured, glancing briefly out the window.

Finally, Yoru came in carrying a tray. "I thought you might like some tea," he said, glancing at Aruto, who seemed very happy. "Amu is really lucky we were able to replicate that pump from her world, or else it would have been difficult to feed Aruto while she's traveling."

Leaving her child so young and alone was, in Yoru's opinion, more than just unusual and strange, but he also knew Amu had no other choice.

"I just hope it lasts until they get back," Miki said, also looking at the crib and then taking a cup of tea after Yoru sat next to her and placed the tray on the table. She smiled and thanked him.

"How are you holding up? Isn't it too much?"

The girls paused, and for a moment, a heavy tension filled the room. It was as if no one wanted to be the first to admit that things were far from okay.

Miki finally sighed. "We're all still struggling with it. The images, the dreams..." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and a shadow passed over her face.

"It often seems like everything is back to normal," Ran added, brushing a strand of hair from her face, "but it's not. Not after such a short time."

Su placed her hands on the drum and nodded slowly. "We're strong," she said, her voice firmer. "But sitting around moping isn't going to help us. Somehow, we have to keep going, right?"

Yoru sighed and leaned back on the couch. "I feel the same way," he admitted. "I... I still haven't processed that evening. It's a mystery to me how Amu and Nagi manage to seem so normal again so quickly."

"Maybe they're not," Su said thoughtfully. "You know, I think Amu has so much going on in her head that she can't allow herself to let go. She's empathetic and a loving, emotional girl. All of this hasn't just passed her by, even if it might seem like it."

Ran nodded in agreement. "She's probably just focusing on the positive feelings. Or forcing herself to. I just hope it doesn't all catch up with her eventually."

Yoru fell silent, but he felt a knot tighten in his chest. "Maybe. But... how long can we all keep holding on? How long until we..." He stopped and shook his head.

"We'll make it through," Su interrupted with a determined smile, even though her eyes spoke of a different truth. "For Amu. For Aruto. And for ourselves."

The three girls nodded together, and for a moment, it felt like they were all carrying the burden together, even though deep down, they knew the scars from that night would never truly leave them.

"This whole drama didn't need to happen..." Yoru sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

"True, but each of them was very present in a different part of her life, and each in their own way. I can imagine how quickly feelings can become independent," Ran said, hoping he would learn to understand Amu more and judge her less.

"And now she's playing with two of them..."

"Don't say that... she's not like that, and you know it," Miki unconsciously grabbed his hand and looked at him intently. "Try at least to put yourself in her shoes."

"I can't. I just can't understand how someone can love multiple people at once. It doesn't make sense," he shook his head and sighed, his fingers intertwining with Miki's. The girl blushed slightly but remained focused on the topic.

"She was deeply hurt and disappointed by her first love which she thought to be the true one, and Nagi was there to catch her. Then Ikuto came along, convinced she belonged to him. That they came from another life."

"And then those memories suddenly return, and her first love undergoes a complete transformation and makes a huge effort for her," Ran joined in the conversation and took a sip of tea.

"It's all a bit crazy and strange, but I can understand the situation," Su said, glancing at Aruto, who seemed to be taking a nap. He looked peaceful.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm trying to be less judgmental when it comes to her. After all, Ikuto would want that..." Yoru ran his free hand through his hair and sighed.

The royal city Lunor was still divided. Despite the royal couple's explanations, the people remained torn and doubted them, because Ikuto didn't seem evil to them, even though he had been portrayed as the devil himself. Moreover, Amu insisted the child was Ikuto's, which he eventually acknowledged. So why did the royal family want to push a false heir onto them?

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! We have to find them before they turn against us!" Mizue wrinkled her nose and paced angrily in the royal hall.

"Mizue, we can't just storm in there blindly. You saw how strong he is," Yui rubbed his forehead in frustration. It was nerve-wracking keeping his wife reasonable.

"We've hit him, he's weakened!"

"We don't know that for sure. He kept flying undeterred."

"That useless son of ours just let himself be kidnapped. He could have at least been used as leverage for the girl," she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"She wouldn't have come back here for him anyway. After everything you made him do."

"Me? I thought it was in both our interests!"

"I was never power-hungry. You were. I only stand by you because I love you. I wish our son had a better life and I would have liked to show him more love," Yui sighed. At one point, he had been forced to choose between Tadase and Mizue. Since he loved his wife deeply, he decided, with a heavy heart, to dance to her whims and adapt his behavior toward Tadase accordingly.

Mizue raised an eyebrow and stared at him in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head. "Whatever. She would have returned—she loves him. Didn't you see how happy she was at the wedding? But it doesn't matter now; they're both gone." She sank into a chair, resting her face in her hand.

"We have other problems right now anyway. Have you forgotten the reports about the small independent states being taken over? Someone is currently on a conquest spree. We need to prepare for that."

"It would be much easier to resist if we had the girl back in our control."

"She hasn't even developed her abilities yet. She would be of no use to us right now."

She sighed in frustration. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. Even the child had just been born and was currently useless. Amu's child would only become a practical secret weapon in the future. Who could have predicted that someone else would suddenly appear and start claiming the kingdoms?

"If we manage to capture her, we could use her to blackmail Ikuto into fighting for us..."

"You've seen that we're no match for him. We lost the battle against him; you have to accept that."

The brunette stomped her foot angrily. "Why was she even connected to him? He was isolated as a child, alone in that castle in the forest. And she—she never even left the castle. She was head over heels in love with Tadase. I don't understand how this could happen."

"Your coercion made him push her away, made him cold. Your orders forced him to do terrible things, driving her away from him." He shrugged. It had always surprised him that Amu had clung to his son for so long. He had expected her to feel hurt and give up much earlier. He glanced briefly at his right hand, which had delivered countless blows to Tadase, and sighed in regret. "And yet he has a good heart…" He had often seen through Tadase's lies meant to protect Amu and could see the goodness in his eyes.

"A good heart gets you nowhere." She shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"If that's how you see it, then so be it, my love."

When had she become so cold? She had once been a simple girl who appreciated kindness and gentleness. She hadn't come from a noble family, yet from the moment he first saw her carefree smile, he had fallen hopelessly in love. His parents had initially opposed the match since she was just a commoner, but ultimately, they had valued his happiness and lovingly accepted her into the family.

If he had known back then that her newfound power would one day corrupt her, he might have tried to bury those feelings.

Amu and the others finally reached the top after waiting a while, hoping to avoid running into Dia. The sight before them made Amu's lips turn downward. Several harpies lay motionless on the ground.

"So that's why she's here..." Amu quickly realized that Dia was there as part of her plan to conquer everything, and it seemed she was succeeding.

The girl knelt beside one of the harpies and cautiously checked for a pulse. Her eyes widened. It wasn't too late.

"Amu, this is dangerous… they don't know gratitude or loyalty to their saviors," Nagi muttered worriedly, keeping an eye on the surroundings. Perhaps this was just a trap.

"I can't just ignore this!" Her gaze turned serious as she shook her head. Slowly, her hands hovered over the harpy's body, glowing a soft blue. Her own pulse quickened. She hoped her healing magic would be enough—she hadn't had much opportunity to practice. Of course, that was a good thing, as it meant there hadn't been many injuries.

Suddenly, an odd feeling overcame her, and her eyes briefly darted toward the forest. But she forced herself to concentrate entirely on the healing and ignored it.

/It can't be… can it? But why...? We we even waited quite some time../

Deeper in the forest, hidden in the shadow of an ancient tree, a figure leaned casually against the trunk, arms crossed as they silently observed the scene. Hidden enough to remain unseen, yet close enough to follow their every move. A soft sigh escaped the man's lips before he closed his eyes.

This undoubtedly counted as "interfering."

Ikuto opened his eyes, dark and void, as he raised his right hand and stretched it out in front of him. His fingers curled slowly, forming an invisible grip as if holding something only he could see. At first, the movement was gentle, almost hesitant, but it grew increasingly firm and forceful.

At the same time, Amu gasped. A sharp pain shot through her chest, so intense it stole her breath. Her knees trembled, but she forced herself to stay upright. One hand clutched at her chest, her nails digging deep into the fabric of her dress.

"Amu!" Tadase called out in alarm, rushing forward to grab her shoulders and steady her. His eyes were wide with worry and panic. "What's happening to you? What's wrong?"

"Stay calm, Tadase!" Nagi shouted, though he too looked pale, his hands clenched into fists. He knelt beside Amu, trying to stabilize her. "Amu, what's going on? You were fine just a moment ago..."

Amu's breathing came in ragged gasps, sweat beading on her forehead. "My heart… it feels like it's... being crushed..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tadase frantically looked around, searching for any threat, anything that could explain this sudden turn. "There's nothing here—no attack, no enemy—nothing!"

Nagi also scanned their surroundings desperately but saw no one. Was Ikuto here? Had he fallen so far that he would do this to her? His breathing quickened, and sweat dripped from his brow.

Ikuto tightened his grip, his eyes gleaming cold and distant. The invisible threads of his blood magic wrapped around Amu's heart like a steel trap, causing it to falter and struggle against the suffocating pressure.

"Stop..." Amu whispered, barely audible, as her knees gave out. She didn't want any conflict between them and ikuto. Tadase held her tightly, his eyes filled with desperation. "We have to do something!"

Easier said than done. If the source was nearby, it had to be in the forest—but the forest was vast. They'd never find it in time.

Amu trembled as she raised her hand, her fingers clutching Tadase's sleeve. "I can do this… stay calm…" Her voice was barely a whisper. Tadase clenched his fists, his eyes twitching slightly. How was he supposed to stay calm at a sight like this?

Her voice broke off, but Tadase and Nagi could see the tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's him, isn't it? That's why she doesn't want us to intervene…" Tadase hissed angrily through gritted teeth.

The purple-haired boy continued frantically scanning the forest with his eyes. If he was truly lost, they had to find him and put an end to this.

Ikuto, hidden in the shadows, felt a flicker of hesitation. Something within him faltered. His grip loosened for the briefest moment, just enough for Amu to take a deep breath.

"Come on, Ikuto…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Tadase and Nagi exchanged surprised glances.

Ikuto gritted his teeth and tightened his grip again. He remained motionless in the shadows of the forest. His hand maintained its invisible hold, and the blood in Amu's body felt like strings he was forced to play. Dia's control compelled him to pull the threads tighter and tighter. Despite the emptiness within him, a flicker of regret stirred.

Amu's breathing grew shallower, and her lips began to turn blue. Tadase held her desperately, his eyes darting around the area. "He has to be here somewhere!" he growled.

Nagi knelt beside Amu, his voice calm but tense. "Amu, hang on!"

She nodded weakly, her trembling hand moving to her chest. "He's fighting… I know he's fighting…" Her words broke into a painful gasp as the pressure on her heart increased.

Ikuto tightened his grip involuntarily, his gaze vacant, but his hand trembled. The threads of his blood magic, controlling Amu's life force, grew tauter. Every second brought him closer to her heart—too close.

For a fleeting moment, Ikuto's hand hesitated again. A tiny crack in the control, a spark of his old self, flickered to life. The blood magic slackened, just enough for Amu to take another deep breath.

"Do you hear that?" Tadase gripped Amu's shoulders, his eyes blazing with fury and despair. "That's not fighting—he's killing you! You can't save him, Amu!"

Nagi growled softly, his gaze sharp as it searched the forest. "If we don't stop him, he'll kill her—whether he wants to or not."

But before either of them could act, Ikuto's grip tightened again. The blood in Amu's veins seemed to rebel against her, pooling and hardening. A stabbing pain coursed through her body as her heart threatened to burst under the invisible pressure.

"Amu!" Tadase and Nagi cried out in unison, their voices filled with panic.

But Amu weakly raised her hand, a final gesture of trust. "Don't… go after him… please…"

Ikuto clenched his teeth, his own hand now trembling violently. A single drop of blood trickled from his nose as the internal battle, barely conscious to him, began to overwhelm him.

The control faltered for yet another moment—just long enough for Amu to take a deep breath and a short break. But Dia's spell would not tolerate any wavering. A sharp pain shot through Ikuto's head, and his grip tightened once more.

"That's it… I'm going," Nagi said, casting a final glance at Amu, hoping it wouldn't be the last time he saw her alive.

"Wait… take her… I can speed up with my wind magic. I'm faster…" He didn't want to leave Amu, but his chances were clearly better.

Nagi nodded and took Amu, who was breathing more and more faintly. "Hurry… please…" His gaze was pleading.

As if he needed to be told. The next moment, Tadase made a sweeping gesture, and with greatly increased speed, he disappeared into the forest. He didn't blink even once, ensuring he wouldn't accidentally miss Ikuto hiding in the shadows.

Ikuto remained focused on Amu, his grip tightening further. His eyes were empty, devoid of any light.

"Ikuto!" Tadase had indeed found him and immediately tried to draw his attention. "Stop this!" He panted slightly, having given everything to find him as quickly as possible. In the next moment, he raised his hand, but before he could even summon his wind blades, he realized he could no longer control his body.

"What could a runt like you possibly do?" Ikuto's voice was colder than ever. Tadase bit his lip. Was this it? Was it really over? There he stood, right in front of him, and he could do nothing while Amu's life hung by a thread.

"You don't want to hurt her… I know that… we all know that…"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow skeptically, looking down at Tadase with disdain.

"But that's exactly what you're doing. God, Ikuto… you're killing her. Come to your senses… please…" Tadase hated himself for being so powerless against Ikuto's blood magic, forced to rely only on his words. "Even now, she trusts you and doesn't want us to hurt you…" He paused briefly. "As if we even could…" A desperate sigh escaped his lips.

"I don't know that woman. She's a nuisance and must be disposed of."

"You don't know her?!" Tadase gritted his teeth, fury boiling inside him. Even as he struggled with all his might to move, it was useless. Ikuto's blood magic held him firmly, and every attempt to control his body only met greater resistance. An icy pain coursed through Tadase's limbs as he fought against the invisible force. "You don't know what you're doing!"

Ikuto didn't respond, his eyes vacant, as if he didn't even perceive Tadase. His grip on Amu's life was strong, unyielding. He couldn't let her go. Tadase's words bounced off him like insignificant flies falling into darkness.

"Ikuto!" Tadase screamed again, but his voice was stifled by the blood magic, the pain almost deafening him. "You've never hurt anyone… not truly!"

For a moment, something flickered in Ikuto's eyes—a spark that briefly broke through the coldness in his gaze. But the moment vanished as quickly as it came, and his grip on Amu tightened once more. "You have no idea…" Ikuto's voice was hollow, and the glimmer of humanity he once had disappeared.

"Ikuto... please!" Tadase whispered, his voice almost desperate as he tried to reach him through the magic. "You can't do this. You don't want to kill her!"

But Ikuto only looked at him as if he were a stranger with no claim to his attention. "I have to..." he muttered, more to himself than to Tadase. "It's too late."

The blood magic around Amu's heart tightened further, and her breaths grew shallower. Tadase could do nothing; his arms were paralyzed, control completely out of his reach. He felt the ground beneath him slipping away, his scream for salvation suffocating in his throat.

"Tadase doesn't seem to be making it… damn it…" Nagi bit his lip nervously as Amu's condition worsened. He knew that even if he found him, Ikuto would just control him too.

"It's never too late, Ikuto… she belongs to you..." Tears streamed down his cheeks. "She loves you so much… What about your son?" He was now mumbling incoherently. The person before him was unrecognizable. Even though he had only spent one day with Ikuto, he knew him to be a selfless person. His eyes had been warm and kind, yet always filled with so much pain—nothing like the void standing before him now.

Ikuto felt almost nothing. Only that small spark kept trying to fight, to light up, but it was repeatedly overwhelmed by the darkness.

His gaze fell on a sharp stone on the ground. The moment was imperceptible, but it was enough. Tadase felt his body compelled by an invisible force to pick up the stone. Like a puppet on strings, his hand closed around the jagged rock, and his body moved forward without his consent.

Tadase stared at Ikuto as the realization hit him. The struggle within him was so palpable it felt almost physical. Yet his movements, against his will, continued. Confusion and horror reflected in his eyes.

"This can't be happening! Fight it! Snap out of it, damn it!" Tadase could barely hold back his desperate scream. The pain, anger, and helplessness all gathered in his voice, but it was like speaking to a wall. Ikuto, showing no emotion now, empty and cold in his existence, did not respond.

Tadase wanted to resist, to fight, but his body wouldn't obey. Control had fully shifted to Ikuto. With trembling hands, he held the stone, its sharp point aimed at the blue-haired man.

He struggled against the paralyzing grip of Ikuto's control. He could feel the cold presence of the blood magic within his body, the compulsion to move forward, closer to Ikuto, to raise the stone in his hand. But something inside him resisted. He knew what Ikuto intended, and the thought tormented him more than anything else.

"Ikuto..." Tadase gasped, his heart heavy with despair and rage. "What are you doing... you're trying to sacrifice yourself!"

Ikuto didn't respond, his eyes blank, cold, like those of a dead man. But Tadase could see a flicker of pain within him—a tiny spark desperately resisting the darkness's command.

"You can't do this!" Tadase shouted, his voice cutting through the magical haze that enveloped him. "This isn't the way! You'll destroy us all… you'll destroy Amu!"

The thought of what this meant for Amu nearly suffocated Tadase. He knew she'd lose more than just Ikuto. She would lose herself, crushed by the burden he was placing on her. He could barely imagine what she would feel if Ikuto sacrificed himself to save her.

"She needs you!" Tadase whispered, his words strained and laced with pain. "She loves you, Ikuto! What do you think she'll go through if you… if you just throw yourself away?"

But Ikuto didn't react. No glance, no sound, only the cold, deadly silence. Tadase felt the stone in his hand, controlled by Ikuto's blood magic, inching closer to the blue-haired man. Every step he took felt like a betrayal of Amu and everything he had ever felt for her. But the compulsion was too strong.

"Why... why are you doing this?" Tadase stammered, a final desperate attempt to reach the man before him. "You haven't lost yet. You still have a chance..."

Ikuto looked up, but his eyes were void, as if he had no words left to respond. A faint, almost painful twitch crossed his face, and yet it was a sign of resistance against what controlled him.

"Ikuto..." Tadase whispered as he realized what he was doing. "You'll drag us all into the abyss. But you… you'll lose Amu if you do this. She'll never recover..."

His body trembled as the control over his arm intensified. The stone inched closer to Ikuto, and Tadase couldn't stop his hand from guiding the weapon of death.

And then something happened that took Tadase's breath away. The tiny spark within Ikuto still glimmered—the spark of humanity, of a life still fighting. Ikuto began to breathe, weakly, and the look in his eyes shifted for a moment. There was no anger, no hate. Only the pain of a man who knew he had to do the unthinkable to save those he loved.

"I... I'm sorry..." Ikuto murmured weakly, his voice barely audible but filled with all the despair and pain he felt for them all.

"Ikuto... no..." Tadase whispered desperately as the stone reached its mark. It was too late. The stone pierced Ikuto's chest, and life seemed to drain from him as the control over Tadase vanished. The pain in Ikuto's eyes, the expression of ultimate sacrifice, hit Tadase like a blow.

"You made your choice..." Tadase murmured, finally feeling the grip of the blood magic release. He fell to the ground, unable to move, staring silently at the dying Ikuto. "You shouldn't have..."

Ikuto sank to the ground, his eyes still fixed on Tadase, who was trapped in the finality of the moment. The darkness that had controlled Ikuto dissipated, but the emptiness he left behind was crushing.

Ikuto's arms went limp. No fight, no life, nothing more than the empty shell of a man who had sacrificed himself for the sake of those he loved.

Tadase couldn't believe what had happened. He had killed Ikuto—but it had been Ikuto who had driven him to do it with that final act of desperation.

"Ikuto..." Tadase murmured, overwhelmed by the tragedy. "What have you done..."

Ikuto was dead—that was all Tadase knew in that moment. And it was all he would carry in his heart forever.

"And how am I supposed to face her now..." his voice was nothing more than a soft whimper in the wind. "How can you be so selfless and selfish at the same time..." He shook his head. If Amu's survival required her to hate him now, he would pay that price.

"Amu..." He pulled himself up with effort and returned to the others. His heart was filled with fear. What if it was too late? What if everything had been in vain? He swallowed hard before taking the final step out of the forest—a step that felt like carrying tons of lead.

He quickly assessed the situation. Nagi was calm. Amu seemed to be out of danger. He stood next to Nagi, his eyes empty yet full of sorrow.

Nagi kept his gaze on Amu at first. "It stopped. You did it?" Only when he noticed Amu's eyes widening the moment they opened did he turn to look at Tadase, who was covered in blood and a shadow of his former self.

"Tadase... what... what happened?" Amu felt her heart clench sharply, worse than the endless minutes Ikuto had put her through before.

Tadase stood there, completely exhausted and covered in blood, his eyes empty, as if he had lost everything that had once meant something to him. The pain and guilt that boiled within him were clearly visible in his features, and he couldn't even bring himself to look Amu directly in the eyes. The memory of Ikuto, who had sacrificed himself to save Amu's life, weighed heavily on him.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Tadase murmured in a hoarse voice. "I couldn't... I couldn't stop him..." The words came out haltingly, almost like a confession of his inability to change the course of fate.

Amu's heart tightened even more at his words. Her gaze flicked to Nagi, who also seemed shocked but had a quiet sadness in his eyes that he couldn't hide. Nagi, usually so calm and composed, had withdrawn in that moment, seeming to feel the pain of both Tadase and Amu.

"What do you mean... how... you couldn't stop him?" Amu whispered the question, as if afraid to hear the answer. Her eyes searched for answers, but the silence that hung over the group was suffocating.

"He... he's dead," Tadase said it so quietly, as if he couldn't even believe the words himself. "I couldn't do anything, he was too strong, and then... I... he wanted it to end this way." His voice broke, and he lowered his gaze.

Amu felt the air around her grow heavy. The pain in her heart was so intense that she could hardly breathe. She feared, in that moment, that all of this was just a nightmare, one from which she would never wake up.

"Ikuto wanted to sacrifice himself so that you would survive..." Nagi said quietly, his voice a little shaky. "He wanted you to live, Amu..." He hadn't been there, but he knew Ikuto well enough to imagine it.

Amu closed her eyes for a moment and held her breath. It felt like the world around her had stopped spinning. A part of her wanted to believe it wasn't true, that it simply couldn't be true, but the other part knew that there might be no coming back from this.

Nagi looked at her with compassion, but even he knew that words couldn't do anything in that moment.

Tadase stood next to her, guilty and empty, unable to offer comfort. What could he say? What could he do to heal a wound that severe. "Amu, I... I did my best..." His voice sounded hollow as he turned to her.

She looked at him, her gaze contemptuous, as she slowly got up. The pain from Ikuto's attack was still very much present, but her emotional pain completely overshadowed it. "How could you do this? Just a few minutes ago, I was lying here in pain, and I still asked you not to do anything to him!" Her voice grew louder with each word as she walked toward the blonde.

"I... I thought you knew me... you would know that you should never even consider something like this..." Her voice broke under all the pain as she deep down still hoped that this was just a terrible joke and Ikuto would appear any moment.

She now stood in front of him, but he still avoided her gaze, causing her to angrily drum her hands repeatedly against his chest. "Why didn't you stop it?" She shook her head at the sight of all the blood on Tadase. "Why did you do it?! You could've just knocked him out..."

Tadase felt all the hatred she was directing at him and swallowed. He couldn't say a word, even though he hadn't done it willingly.

Nagi gently placed a hand on Amu. "Calm down, Amu..." However, the pink-haired girl slapped his hand away and hissed at him angrily. "Don't touch me! You're just as guilty, why didn't you go for him?" She was convinced that Tadase would resort to such methods much quicker when it came to Ikuto than Nagi would, since Nagi and Ikuto were, after all, friends.

"It wouldn't have changed anything, Amu!" Nagi's voice was gradually getting louder. He understood her pain, but Tadase was already suffering enough—why did she have to tear him apart now?

"Oh, so now you're suddenly on the same side? Would you have done the same?" Disgust reflected in her eyes for both of them.

"Dammit, Tadase, say something! Or do you just want to accept all of this?!" The purple-haired boy shook his friend by the shoulders.

"I don't deserve any better… If only I had been stronger…" He clenched his fists and looked down, trying to suppress his tears. "I wish it had been me instead of him…" he finally muttered, barely audible.

"I wish that too…" Amu turned around before she collapsed onto her knees in despair.

"Amu… take that back… he didn't deserve that…" Nagi shook his head in disbelief and stepped in front of Tadase. He placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders and looked into his eyes. They were empty and broken. He immediately realized that if things continued like this, Tadase wouldn't be around much longer.

"Amu… do you really want to lose him too…?"

"Let him go to hell… my life has no meaning anymore, thanks to him…" She sobbed bitterly, overwhelmed by all these heavy emotions and not in a clear state of mind.

"Are you deliberately ignoring everything that's been said, or are you really this stupid?" Nagi was gradually growing angry at Amu. Yes, her world was falling apart, but she was destroying Tadase's soul, and she didn't care at all.

"Enough, Nagi… it's my fault… I deserve it…"

Nagi was in despair with both of them, and he didn't even have time to deal with his own grief and pain. He was affected by everything with Ikuto as well. Finally, he slapped Tadase. "If she doesn't understand it otherwise, then say it clearly, damn it!"

He looked at Amu and snorted angrily. "'He wanted it this way'… 'He sacrificed himself'... add one and one together, you're not that stupid!" But Amu ignored him, lost in herself.

"What's the point, Nagi… it's over… everything is over…"

"Maybe it will stop her from feeling betrayed by you… by us, because I'm supporting you…"

Tadase hadn't seen it like this before. It was okay if she hated him. He was weak and deserved nothing else, after all, he couldn't prevent anything. But the feeling of being betrayed by them would weigh heavily on her shoulders as well.

"Amu…" He knelt hesitantly beside her. "I really tried… I didn't want this to happen. There was this small, weak spark in him that kept wanting to stop hurting you, but it kept getting weaker, and Ikuto had made a decision." He paused briefly, but as expected, she didn't even glance at him. "From the beginning, he had taken control of my blood. I could only stand there and talk to him, but once the decision was made, he made my body act for him… he forced me to pick up a sharp stone… forced my body to approach him. I tried so hard to regain control, but I couldn't… I tried reasoning with him. I told him what this would do to you… but for him, there was only one way for you to live…"

Finally, she looked at him, but only for a brief moment. She tried to process the information, trying to make sense of her actions and words from earlier.

"I know… it won't change anything… I know it doesn't mean anything… but here…" He took her delicate hands and placed the stone in them, then gently guided her hands to hold it towards him. He had already anticipated how she would feel, as he felt the same way, which is why he had brought the stone. "At least you can avenge him," his voice was calm and serious.

"Tadase! Stop!" Nagi was horrified, but still felt that he didn't have the right to intervene.

Amu stared at the stone in her hands, unable to grasp the situation. Her fingers trembled, and her nails dug unconsciously into her skin. "And what's supposed to come from this?" she finally asked, her voice soft and choked with tears. "Do you want me to hate you? To punish you?"

Tadase briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't want anything from you, Amu. Nothing, except that you… let it out. I know it won't change anything. But if I'm the reason you've lost everything… then let me carry your anger."

Her hand began to shake, the stone in her fist almost too heavy to hold. "You… you're so pathetic," she whispered. "Do you think this makes anything better? Do you think this brings him back?"

Tadase flinched slightly, but remained kneeling in front of her. "No. It won't bring him back. It doesn't make anything better. But it's all I have left to give you."

"You're a coward," Amu hissed, as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. "You just give up. You leave me with this pain alone, just like he did…"

Her voice cracked, and she dropped the stone, which fell to the floor with a dull thud. She held her head in her hands. "It hurts so much…" she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "It hurts so much that I don't even know what I feel anymore…"

Tadase lowered his gaze, unable to find a response.

"And you just want to die?" she continued, her voice choked. "You want me to hate you so you can finally let everything go?" She shook her head. "This is so typical of you, Tadase. It's always about how you feel. But what am I supposed to do now?"

Nagi stepped forward, his voice quiet but insistent: "Amu… stop! You know that's not true!"

Amu looked at him, her eyes full of rage and despair. "I've lost everything, Nagi. Everything. What's left for me?"

"We're still here," Nagi said calmly but firmly. "I know you hate us. That you blame us. But we're still here, Amu. And if you lose us too…" He fell silent, his gaze turning to Tadase, who could barely keep himself upright. "Then you'll truly have nothing left."

Amu let out a bitter laugh, her eyes sparkling with suppressed tears. "Oh, you're staying, are you? You're staying?" She pointed at Tadase, her voice full of mockery. "He'll end his life at the next opportunity, won't he?"

Tadase flinched, and his gaze dropped in shame.

"How am I supposed to trust you anymore?" Amu continued, her voice growing louder. "You say you'll stay, Nagi, but what does that even mean? He stays too, only to eventually sneak away quietly because he can't bear his guilt anymore. And me? I stay here, alone, with all this pain!"

"That's not true, Amu!" Nagi's voice cut through her desperate words with a force that made her pause for a moment. "Tadase is still here, just like I am. And we're not going anywhere, no matter how much you hate us!"

Amu shook her head, unable to accept the words. "You just don't understand... I don't have anyone anymore. Not really. All that's left is a pile of broken promises and guilt."

"We understand, Amu," Nagi said softly, his tone almost pleading now. "But you have to give us a chance to stay here. And Tadase... he didn't sneak away. He's still here, even though it's tearing him apart. He's still here with you."

Amu fell silent, the anger in her eyes slowly replaced by sadness, tears flowing uncontrollably down her face. "I don't want this anymore... I can't handle it all anymore."

Tadase hesitantly knelt beside her, his voice quiet. "And I can't bear to see you suffer like this. But I'll stay, Amu. No matter how hard it gets."

Nagi placed a hand on Tadase's shoulder, looking down at Amu, and spoke with a determined voice: "If we're going to get through this, we have to stick together. You can hate us, Amu. You can accuse us. But we won't leave you alone."

Finally, Amu embraced Tadase in pain. She knew she had been unfair. Since his declaration, she had known that Tadase wasn't to blame and couldn't have done anything differently. So, it wouldn't have made a difference if Nagi had left, as he too would have been under Ikuto's blood magic. She had spoken words so cruel that they could never be taken back. She sobbed uncontrollably into his chest, but he dared not wrap his arms around her.

Tadase had suffered unbearably even before returning to her, and she had only kicked him further. She had destroyed him, and now that realization painfully dawned on her.

The wind blew softly through the forest, a sad rustling in the trees that seemed to echo in the stillness. The world seemed to stand still, as if mourning Ikuto's loss. Nothing felt real anymore.

But the pain over Ikuto was still too overwhelming for her to think clearly. Her hands trembled incessantly, and a lump in her throat made it hard to breathe. The loss was crushing, but the anger within her was also growing.

"Tadase..." Her voice was fragile. "Take me to him. To Ikuto. I need... I need to see him. Please."

Tadase only had a broken look in his eyes as he nodded, unsure whether he could truly grant her wish. He knew how much it hurt, but he had nothing else to offer. The words he wanted to speak stuck in his throat as he set about leading her to the place she sought.

But when they reached the ground where Ikuto had fallen, her hope was brutally shattered. Amu stumbled forward, her eyes wide open as she desperately searched for him, for the body, for anything that might still connect her to him. But all she found was the ground, soaked in blood.

No Ikuto. No body. Only the blood still pooling in the dark cracks of the forest floor.

Her throat constricted as her heart threatened to shatter into a thousand pieces. "No..." she whispered, her voice scratching like a scream stuck in her throat. "He can't just... just be gone!"

She stared at the ground, the blood that had soaked into the roots and stones. The thought that she couldn't even say goodbye one last time seemed to suffocate her. Grief surged through her, drowning out every other emotion.

Suddenly, a spark of hope overcame her. Had he somehow survived? She looked at Tadase.

"Are you really sure he's dead?"

The blonde stared blankly at the blood-soaked spot. The images played in his mind, and he nodded silently.

Amu swallowed hard, and the spark was extinguished in sorrow.

"Dia must have taken him. She took everything. She didn't even leave his body with me!" The words came out like a desperate scream from her throat as her anger and grief combined into a storm of hopelessness.

With a sudden movement, she stood up, her fists clenched, and the pain, the anger, the fear—everything erupted in a deafening scream.

"DIA!" Her cry echoed through the forest, a desperate call that shattered the silence as she let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. "Give him back! You've taken enough! You didn't just destroy him, you took him from me! Give him back!"

Her voice was hollow, expressionless, as if she were about to lose her mind in that moment. She wasn't sure if she spoke those words out of pain or anger, but she didn't care. She felt like she was in a nightmare, trapped in a world that had taken everything from her.

"You've had enough!" she screamed again, her tears dripping onto the ground, mixing with the blood. "You've had enough, Dia! Don't take his remains too!"

Amu felt like she was sinking into a pit of grief and rage, unable to find an escape. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, she didn't know if she could still breathe. She had lost Ikuto. And now, she didn't even want to believe that he was truly gone—that he wasn't even a body she could hold in her arms anymore.