For the ages

by BL-lover23

The mouth of the tiger on his neck slowly dripped blood as the knife carved along. Something gently touched his cheek and his eyes immediately snapped up. He inhaled sharply, eyes widening. Gold met Rusty Red. (“You’ll come find me, right?”) Bajitora Omegaverse

14. Chapter 14: those summer days

I remember the day we met, when shooting stars painted the dark sky

Into my memory forever more

The most important things need no words

A gift left from those summer days

Shimmering right in front of me

Kenshi Yonezu - Spirits of the sea (english translation)

"search more thoroughly, his bod- he could not just have disappeared into thin air. and why has the duke not yet returned? he should have been here by now" with the back of her hand she wiped the sweat from her forehead, hoping to calm her racing heart as she frantically continued the search. Her eyes darted to the direction of the castle gates every minute waiting for the call that a black-clad steed to make its way through.

"Ma'am…" her ear remained half-heartedly on the young, nervous maid a month into her apprenticeship, her weary mind too preoccupied with the storm that was coming. "the men… most of them refused to be the bearer of the harrowing news. Some have even resigned from their post" She stopped dead in her tracks, her wide eyes scouring for a possible ruse in the girl's face. "They resigned?" she echoed, disbelief coloring every syllable as they ushered through the path.

The proud men the Northlands prided themselves with… she prided herself with. Every foreign merchant that dared speak out of turn had received a tongue-lashing for even a glare at the men whose ancestors had built this country with their blood and bone. And here were the remains of their legacy.

Something akin to shame burned in her gut. She prided herself on her northborn blood, her heritage, and her district, for the ancestors who'd risked their lives to carry the bodies of their passed packmates home even if that meant meeting the sword themselves.

The Carrier of Mortals would be ashamed of them.

The one that preceeded him must be glad to not call them his worshippers anymore. Spineless, shameful cowards were what was left of them. They'd disgraced The Brother's honor so easily.

…And failed their warden.

To think that the person she'd looked down upon had upheld the Northland's virtues with such grace in the Battle of the Wall where his own life had been at stake for the very same people that so easily turned their backs on him. It was disgraceful.

And worst of all. "..Then the duke has not been informed yet?"

"I believe your grandson volunteered shortly after the news had hit the barracks of the trainees, Ma'am" The maid rushed behind her tree after tree passing them in a blur. The sky was darkening. They did not have much time. "what information has spread so far?" she asked carefully. So far only a handful of people had been inside the warden's quarters.

And of those even lesser had been witness to the incident in the hallway. It had been a blurr of information when the first of her appointed maids had rushed her from the wine cellar. It had taken running up all flights of stairs for the puzzle pieces to fit. The duchess had been in some sort of altercation with a staffmember the duke had dismissed weeks prior.

"so far most only now that the duchess has vanished, though the questions surrounding his disappearance grow by the hour. As do the possible falsehoods"

Some claimed the duchess had been about to murder him. Some claimed the possibility of an affair. The latter she had immediatly prohibited. These fools weren't even aware how close to death they were by even entertaining the notion out loud.

She'd considered the omega many terrible things before but an adulterer she did not. And the reaction the child had was not that of someone whose affair had been exposed. It had been one of utter terror. She'd seen it before. In girls she'd shared her school days with. In her omega neighbor that had left to live with their uncle after their parents death only to appear tattered and bruised in the markets.

The helplessness as one's power was stripped from them as everyone found fault in you but not the perpetrator. Always the scapegoat to another's crime. It was revolting, wasn't it? Back then she'd sworn to herself to be better, to be righteous in the name of the weaker.

But she had been no better than them. The maids and footmen followed mostly her lead. She should have punished them the moment the first rumor was sung. Yet she had turned her cheek the other way, deliberately deaf to the growing whispers. They were harmless words she told herself. The duchess did not care what his lesser thought of him. She had not seen him as someone who'd stoop to such emotion, too prideful, too carefree.

But that hadn't been true, had it? She'd refused to see him as human. The city's wall had to come down for her to realize it. He was perhaps a year younger than her granddaughter. How many years seperated them? When had she grown so bitter as to belittle a child.

a sad testament to a wasted life The words rung true.

She took a deep breath. Right before he'd barricaded himself in his tower for the impossible Lord Sato had relied on her when he'd given the order to send for the Lord of the Castle. Time had been of the essence if they were to be successful in their already hopeless pursuit. "is it true what they say? that the duchess-"

"do not speak of it" she quickly cut in, flares of panic and adrenaline still coursing through her body at the images of the balcony, the child leaning back—

"We have to find him" whatever it was that remained of him. She closed her eyes for a moment, dispelling the flashes in her mind's eye. What had occurred still had her shaken, wondering whether her mind had conjured it up to save her from a mental rupture.

The sound of quick feet crunching through the thick snow had them both pause as they turned to her grandson's fellow trainee running up to them, lost for breath when he held his knees. ".. The-" he choked out before a final heave of air "..The commander has returned, Ma'am"

Her knees weakened, her hand clutching the shoulder of the young apprentice to steady herself as the two youngsters stared at her in fear waiting for comfort that would not arrive.

And for the first time since she'd been introduced to The Path of The Six Gods as a young lass she prayed to a deity from a distant District she'd aided in burning the last Connection to "…May The Foe have mercy on our souls"

Everything hurt.

He rubbed his eyes and found himself in a heap of tree branches and snow. That explained it.

With far too clumsy fingers he felt the pull of the small branches in his hair.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and turned to look at his back. He'd had a dream of something sprouting between his shoulder blades and lifting him high up into the white sky.

He gazed at the darkening clouds above. And then back down at himself and the snow surrounding him. He must still be dreaming, he figured as he removed parts of the broken branches from the tangled, wet mess on his head. To his dismay he only made it worse before he gave up the endeavor.

He'd thought for sure he would plummet to the snowy ground beneath. He blinked… Right, he'd fallen, hadn't he?

You didn't fall, you jumped- remember? He flinched as the memory flooded back in.

You promised, and then you broke it.

The fall, the sharp wind caressing his cheek as he cascaded to the earth beneath.

The odd itch in his back that had turned excruciating the faster he'd accelerated to his demise.

Then everything had spun into an odd sensation.. almost dreamlike…

Before he'd met the ground he had been high up in the sky again, almost touching the clouds he had only ever dreamed of before. They must have caught him after all. what a pretty dream..

Had he truly…died?

It felt strange. Was this what his mind had decided to fare with his willful descent to his demise? Touching the heavens, as if he snorted. It would be blasphemous to consider him a candidate for the heavens.

No, He belonged to the pits beneath.

A whine brought him out of his musings, his eyes snapping down to meet… an ensemble of snouts. He staggered tumbling deeper into his nest of aching branches and leaves with an unbecoming shriek.

The whines turned more distressed and the hysterical side of his brain thought That is my line. If anything it should be him in distress right now in the face of.. (red, red, red eyes - his heart squeezed)

Wolves..?

Had he seen correctly? His eyes blinked out of his blurry vision to meet one (this was not fur-) snout tilting over him with downturned eyes as his gaze trailed to the rest of its frame of.. Powder blue fire-

What the fuck? He distantly thought as he sluggishly straightened, looking at the rest of the pack and… yep, not one of them sported proper grey, brown, or even white fur. No they all had to be glimmering with brilliant azure flames and ruby eyes. (was he truly starved of all rationality to conjure a mixture of his affinity and Family Crest into a pack of living breathing overgrown dogs)

Not to mention, they almost looked as if the beasts were concerned for him…

But that…-

If this truly was death, then he did not like it one bit. who'd choose death to be a snow-filled forest with a pack of fiery wolves to greet you. when he'd imagined death he'd thought of something far more hellish for the likes of him. but considering his dislike for the colder seasons, this might as well be the hell he was rightfully punished with.

Even if the burning wolves were a sore thumb in the picture. At least hellfire would have been quick, this snowy- branch mess was anything but, he surmised mournfully, getting up on wobbly legs.

To the dogs' utter dismay, it seemed. "Shush, you lot." he chastised their yowling. This was odd enough as it was. He had no desire to add arguing with imaginary wolves to the list.

He hissed when the ice stung his bare feet cursing this frozen hell once more for not having the decency to let him at least have shoes. You took those off yourself, his mind supplied.

..Why was he like this? he bemoaned. that must be the infamous trying personality he'd been berated for. He froze.

…by whom? He tilted his head trying to remember. He… he was forgetting again, wasn't he?

Loneliness must have caught up to him.

A bark made him jump and his head whirled back to the expectant eyes following his every step like a pack of ducklings. "don't you have somewhere to be..?" He crouched down with a sigh of exasperation. That somehow seemed to be what they'd been waiting for as they immediately began to muzzle him like a swarm of bees to a flower. For a moment he thought he'd light up like a firework surrounded by the very existent flames of fire that covered them.

Yet it did not feel like that. It was as if he was back in front of the hearth waiting for its heat to seep through his body. Only this was so much warmer. "You're much sweeter than you look" he chuckled his fingers running through the many furs. "and convenient.. much better than a blanket" he suddenly yawned at the thought of curling up in his bed.

It was getting late, wasn't it?

He looked to the ground scournfully, before noticing something in the glimmering snow. Hesitantly, he crouched down to muster the ice flowers, Chi-uyu must have enchanted them. he ignored the voice in his head telling him that this far out Chi-uy- could not have possibly gone, to do such a whimsical thing.

He froze… who was Chi--y-? his head whipped back to the flowers with despair, a memory of a blurry face and sharp eyes forming before slipping beneath the frosty mist.

Oh. The sick feeling returned once more. The calm he'd been feeling turned to lead in his lungs. By now all of Omamori must have found out what had happened. What had happened?! he couldn't, why wouldn't he rememb-

and Baji-

He must surely be angry at him. Kazutora had broken his promise. Just the thought of that blazing gaze directed at him made his eyes sting again. He didn't think he could bear it for even a moment.

Kazutora didn't want to be outside anymore. It was time he went back to warm his fingers. Yes that was what he needed. maybe crawl into bed and rest his restless mind.

"..Back, yeah I'll just go back, it's fine" he whispered.

Just as he turned, the hair on his neck raised.

You jumped remember—

He took his time as he leisurely made his way through the icy glaze. The long string of his earring dancing with his lazy movements. A field of snowflakes pelted right past him. He grinned. It had been getting boring. "I was afraid you'd be a no-show, Your Majesty ~"

A growl met him as an obsidian mask with azure blue lining came into view. "Oops, it is former majesty now, right?"

"Leave."

"Rude.. I just got here" he pouted. "Is that how you greet an old friend?"

"I was never your friend. Leave before I forget myself"

"Funny you say that considering you did.." he cackled wiping away his fake tears. For someone with a lack of humor, he sure had a funny bone. "Ahhh.. Even if it ain't mutual I'm happy to see you"

"I will not humor the game you are playing, child. You will not pass"

He rolled his eyes, scratching his nose unbothered. "I don't think you have a choice, old man"

That finally made him falter. "How can you stop me and… save the little kitty at the same time?" He looked behind himself in false concern. "Freezing cold, ain't it? Those little puppies of yours cannot shield him much longer yet here you are wasting precious time" He clicked his tongue in judgment.

The air grew thick with pressure as a sharp blade met his neck. "He should have let you die that day" The words were spit out like venom. "You're despicable, Shuji"

He made a face "I thought we weren't close and here you go calling me by my first name"

The wolf mask glinted with contempt at the ink on his hands. "You play at being god now?"

His face soured at that. "Tick tick, you're rather away from where you should be. Time is running out for your kitty"

"Tch. Whatever you try to achieve, it will fail"

In the wind, a despairing cry reverberated. It came from neither of them. He smiled gleefully "Then I'll just do it again" But the masked deity was long gone, the only reminder of him was the thin line of red against his throat. He rubbed at the sore spot, the trail of blood smearing his skin.

A new skip to his steps formed. He could always count on dear, old Kazutora to help him out.

You jumped remember—

remember

remember

remember

He gasped. A sharp stab of pain zipped through his left eye. How had he forgotten?

He had to get back now, his body urged him.

The wolves began to growl in warning as something approached. But Kazutora was already off. His feet moved before his mind had time to catch up. Leave, leave, leave. Now-

A sense of dread fell over him. How had he not noticed before? The wolves moved but before they could reach him they extinguished into nothing. Kazutora's heart plummeted to his stomach as they turned into nothing.

With staggering breaths, he didn't wait and ran along the edges of the forest, his feet numbing with every step he took. Cold, it was so cold.

The sweet voice that had lulled him into flying- stupid, stupid, why had he listened?

"Ka" he flinched. It was too late, Oh gods-

"zu" and picked up the pace. A fatal mistake.

"toRAAAA~" The shrill sound was right by his heart.

"Look at what you did to me!"A guttural shriek erupted from all directions as the color drained from his face. His next step missed and he sprawled to the floor. no, no, no, No, NO!

He was imagining things in the falling snow. This was not real, this was not real, thiswasnotrealthiswas-

He stubbornly stumbled back to his feet. It was difficult, he had long stopped feeling his toes, but still, every step managed to be agonizing.

"You think the Northlands can hide you?" the voice taunted against the back of his neck. He flinched and fell again, this time his arms and elbows took the brunt of it.

"Tsk. A little snow is all it takes?" He swallowed and remained mute, repeating the same three words in his mind do not speak.

As long as he didn't react, everything would be alright. Carefully, he crawled forward, dragging his limbs to follow his instructions, and fervently shut his eyes.

"You cannot escape me" he knew that. He knew that, but- Don't look. Don't look. Don't look, he pleaded with himself, but as always the most useless thing to Kazutora was his damn self.

"I tried to help you" don't answer. Ignore it.

"and what did I get in thanks?" stop. Stop. Stopstop

Something swung and—

crack!

"A blow to the head!" a sickening crunch reached his ears. The dull thud of a blunt object hitting a skull over and over again echoed through the wind.

He didn't mean to— he whimpered, his mouth measly opened, the words as unwanted as they'd been unbidden "..-sorry. I'm sorry"

The pressure dropped instinctively, ants crawled underneath his skin.

"…You're sorry?" He whimpered in answer. Regretting his words immediately. Answering only made it more vicious. "A measly sorry? You think that absolves the sins you committed, sinner?" He shook his head, staring at the ground. Of course not.

"ANSWER ME!" it howled into his ear, jostling his whole body with the force of it. He stumbled further, and his face hit the cold snow in blind panic.

"n-no" he was sorry, he didn't mean to. It was all his fault. sorry, sorry, sorrysorrysorrysorry-

"YOU KILLED ME after I so graciously helped you escape-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" he choked out between gasps. Again and again. he couldn't stop it.

"I only wanted to reunite with my family, my siblings buT YOU WOULD KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT" his breath hitched, hands clawing into his arms. SorRY soRRYsorrysorrysorry

"Unloved and Unwanted, your mother killed herself so she wouldn't have to be with a monster like you.." He tried covering his ears, knowing how futile it was. It never helped. 'please stop. stop .stop'

"They all know how filthy you are. Father, Mother, Junpeke, dear Nanny, too" he whimpered at the mention of her "I noticed too late and what did become of me? You're no good. Everything you touch is tainted by evil. Even your husband's seeing you for what you are and he is disgusted" it purred as it patted against the undone buttons of the early afternoon.

Bile rose up his throat. He wanted to throw up.

"He might have been charmed by your body once.. but that has faded, too. Do you really think he'll keep you around after that?" it tapped the last button before trailing up to his scent gland. "You let another touch you.. no matter how much you tell yourself you've changed, you haven't really. Have you? You couldn't help yourself, it just happened-"

Kazutora whined in protest, sniveling "No- no that's not what happened—"

"your husband discarded you already. There is nothing left for you" It whispered in faux comfort "If not even your parents could love you, how could anybody else?" Something touched his head in mockery of a pat, his whole body shuddered against it. The fight slowly draining out of him. His eyes trailed back south with sudden distress. He just wanted to go back-

"I'm the only one that cares for you. I protected you, when no one did, remember? You killed me, but I didn't abandon you" It shushed his whimper, turning his head away from the path Kazutora's gaze had chased.

"B-but-"

"It's better to go first than be left behind, remember?" it looked at him imploringly with sudden kindness. Kazutora nodded in a daze. It was right. Why had he struggled to begin with..?

There was nothing…

..nothing waiting for him, but…

But—

You'll have to wait for me! He jerked away at the demand.

Right- he tried to straighten himself. He'd given his word, "No, I-I can't just leave. I promised I'd stay. I have to go back-" the words spilled from his lips as he backed away, turning to make it back to the path that would bring him home—

"No?"

The hand in his hair grew into a claw, pulling him up with a cry of pain "You dare defy me still?"

"I-I didn-" he pleaded. He just wanted to go back. Back to Ba—

"Do you want him dead?" the accusation left him paralyzed. "No! p-pl" He barely choked out.

"You'll kill him just like you killed me" Several strands of his hair got ripped out by its forceful grip, Kazutora tried to cower away in denial. "You hurt everyone that ever dared to show an ounce of kindness to you"

His lips trembled, unable to utter a word against the harsh truth. his father was right. he needed to be punished. He was no good. nogoodnogoodnogood-!

"that's the only thing you're capable of"

He closed his eyes in resignation. But that was not enough for the entity as its lips touched his ear.

A loud screech pressed against his eardrums, making him recoil in pain "Look at me!"

When his eyes opened, instead of the usual short hair, with blood dripping from the fractured skull, his gaze found… longer hair framing the sharp features of-

No. He stilled. Rusted red eyes and sharp teeth greeted him. His gaze trailed down to the Blood steadily dripped down a pair of ashen lips. Kazutora's mouth opened, but no words left him, his throat closing shut. No.. not him, too. Never him. Please anyone but him- "…tora"

The inhumane scream that left him echoed through the forest with the carcass of every nightmare that ever haunted him when his— corpse called Kazutora's name. Nononononoonno not him-

His own nails dug into the skin of his scalp as he them dragged down as if it could spare him from the sin he'll inevitably commit.

But it will be him. Who else but him?

He ripped himself off, stumbling a few steps back, nausea cursing up his throat. He couldn't bear to look.

Kazutora jerkily shot his head downwards in hopes of ridding himself of the image of his betrayed eyes but instead came face to face with blood steadily coloring the white linen shirt crimson. The omega watched it slowly turn into a puddle around them in horror.

Then fell back to his knees, his hands shakily moving towards him. Trying to do something to combat the gushing blood slipping beneath his fingers. Kazutora pressed against the wide, deep (what had he done, what had he done—) gash. It was so much blood. Too much of it. He'll die, he realized, crimson still oozing into a well beneath them.

Keisuke will die. He had to get help. He had to-

Kazutora's hands and mind were stilled at the warmth of the sudden touch.

Keisuke didn't mind neither his tears nor the tremble of his body, gently cradling Kazutora's cheek. "It's alright, love"

"..I-It's not. It's not alright! Don't say that-" when I did this to you.

when I—

"You'll kill me" he interrupted so softly. Kazutora wanted to cry. I know In the back of his mind, he'd always known.

It was inescapable.

Kazutora was a murderer. "D-don't" his voice cracked into a sob.

"It's okay, I'll forgive you"

Kazutora rejected the caress and pushed him away, his body convulsing. Before he knew it his head turned downwards, as his empty stomach protested up to his throat.

He was left retching as the last of the acidic taste splattered into the previously white curtain of snow.

Tears streamed down his face. He'd killed him. He'd killed the only person he- he gagged again, stomach contorting viciously.

"..I'm sorry" he wept "Keisuke, I'm sorry-" babbling hysterically.

"you know what you need to do to make it up to me, don't you?" he could feel the soft touch on his chin, lifting his face back to meet the too-kind gaze he had no right to. Slowly, he rubbed his mouth raw with the back of his sleeve, disgusted with himself. He knew.

"..I do" his throat was raw.

He stood up. Kazutora needed to leave. He couldn't do this. He'd tried so hard.. but he was no good, was he? His steps quickened in the wrong direction, the dense forest surrounding him turning thicker with the growing tree tops above. He could hear the drum of his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

His eyes blurred… unseeing.

he had to go- he stumbled forward, his leg twisted in a tree trunk. The pain didn't register. He got up. He needed to leave, leave, leave.

He had to-

"Run" it purred.

And Kazutora ran.

The young trainee would not open his mouth. "I asked you something. Answer me."

"I- I was not told. Please, Commander. We must return to the castle. I am unaware of the proper situation myself. I would not dare repeat words that might turn out to be baseless rumors" was what he'd been told.

The journey had been a blur. He only remembered Chifuyu stopping him from melting the boy's head off for his unwillingness to explain properly as they rushed back. Calm. Remain calm.

Kazutora did not need to be exposed to the alpha's stress. Whatever it was, that was ailing him, Baji had no desire to make it worse.

Only when their feet had touched the grounds of the castle once more did the words tumble out of the boy again. Like a dam that had burst when Chifuyu had asked him to elaborate on what he'd been told so far

"From what we heard in the barracks- H- his grace had barricaded himself in his chambers. By the time Lord Sato was able to open the door his grace was already on the balcony- they said he" Baji picked him up by the throat, dangling him up as his own body abandoned all clarity in the face of utter despair. His next words were almost a whisper as he searched the boy's face for an answer he did not need to hear. For he had felt it, hadn't he? "They said what?"

The child's face turned to the side, not out of fear but.. somberness.

The feeling that spread through his body had been a familiar one. One, he prayed to never feel again. "…They declared the duchess tipped over the balcony fence, Commander"

The boy hesitated "They said he's gone" Baji's fingers numbed as the boy dropped like a sack of flour to the ground.

"gone?" his voice echoed quietly, as if sounding it out would declare it less of a reality.

Kazutora… was gone?

He heard the howl of a grieving animal in the distance before he discovered it was the hopeless cries of his own alpha thundering in his ears.

The child continued to speak but Baji did not hear him.

His mind circled their last interaction just this morning. They had only talked this morning. Nothing had seemed amiss. What had slipped through his mind, What had he said to bring Kazutora to that point?

Baji hadn't even apologized properly. He hadn't even given him his earring back. Baji'd just gotten him back. He wasn't allowed to just—

Had it been truly inevitable? Baji had refused Kazutora's insistence on cutting his own life short because of a mindset that was drilled into him from an early life.

Kazutora was more than what haunted him. Baji had so desperately tried to make him see that. But like a terminal disease, the decay had poisoned his soul long before Baji had entered his life.

The toxins the omega had been filled with had only accelerated the process. Had it been futile from the very beginning?

Had Baji been more cruel to him by chaining him to life rather than letting him go? Was this all he'd been for Kazutora in the end.. A source of suffering?

Baji didn't know… He would never know.

His feet moved by their own accord as he stoically walked passed both of them. Ignoring everything in his wake, he went past the entrance, the foyer, and flights of stairs that led to familiar halls he'd only stepped out of a few hours ago. The very same halls he'd left a breathing, living Kazutora in.

A part of him still expected to enter the room and find a familiar sleepy lump glaring at him, like a cat being grumpily woken from his nap only to curse him out for disturbing him twice in one day.

And Baji would take it in a stride as he'd done all previous nights before, never truly tiring of his wife's words even if they stung like a sore at times.

Everything was better than this.

The bleak room had been robbed of all life. The vanity was overturned, most of the hinges broken off forcefully. The mirror shattered on the floor. The bed lay empty of any occupant. The blanket strewed to the floor so not even an illusion of it was possible. The alpha's steps echoed loudly through the room as he stepped on the very shards of what had been.

It was too quiet.

Why do you always have to be too late?

The fearful notes of rotten lemons grew sharper as he made his way past the bed with a deep-rooted ache in his chest, waiting desperately for Kazutora to pop out of hiding with a "gotcha! Who knew you'd be such a wimp" if only to put an end to this cruel prank. Kazutora always had a penchant for going too far and punching far too low beneath the belt.

He'd take it over everything. If bringing Baji to his knees like a weeping child was needed to satisfy his vindictive appetite than he'd gladly place himself on the chopping block.

But nobody jumped out of a hidden crevice. Nobody came out to mock him for his sorry display.

No one was there. No one would ever be.

Why didn't you take me with you? I waited and waited and you didn't come..

"I know" he opened the balcony to the cool wind greeting him. "you never liked waiting.." Baji'd never really taken the time to appreciate this bit of construction in the castle. It was neither too big nor small. The perfect size to house at large a group of three.

The perfect size to fall to one's death.

He was distantly aware of a door opening and closing with the swift fragrance of mint but paid it no mind.

It wasn't all too difficult to spot the hastily discarded robe. His eyes stung for a moment, his mind helplessly circling back to the omega's hatred for the harsh winter.

He'll be cold, the idiot, didn't he see how freezing it would be if he went outside like that without covering up properly.

"He'll catch a cold" he voiced before he caught himself. He quickly used his thumb and forefinger to dispel the mist in his eyes.

His Lieutenant remained thankfully quiet. He didn't think he could stomach a conversation right now.

I will leave and you can do nothing to stop it.

Nightmares had a cruel way of becoming reality. He crouched down to grab what remained of his bonded. The bitter cold had almost dispelled all scent off it. It was hardly fair, but he could not oppose the breeze. And it was just like Kazutora to spite him like this. He clicked his tongue.

No decency for the living and their grief whatsoever.

Barely three steps and he'd made it to the ledge. He traced the thick stone fence. It took too much effort for a fall from this railing to be accidental. The stone was high, reaching his upper torso. "Three steps…" he reminded himself.

"..Huh?"

"..Is that enough time for an end to be decided?" The robe pressed against his body like a solemn verdict. The answer was right there,

and Kazutora decided long ago, long before they'd even met perhaps… it had only been Baji who had remained deaf to it.

He gazed at the ground. The mist clouded any sighting of the earth beneath. Perhaps he should be grateful to be spared the image. But gratitude had long since been traded for more explosive alternatives, but even those failed him now.

Perhaps Kazutora had taken it all with him when he'd—

Cling!

The small bell against his sheath chimed. His gaze remained on the mist below. The alpha should applaud him. He always had a talent for reducing Baji to nothing.

"Baji-san…" If it had been different circumstances he might have been astonished by his Lieutenant's lack of proper words but right now he struggled to feel anything but the crippling sensation threatening to swallow him whole.

But he couldn't let it claim him just yet.

It was the end of January now. He'd gotten him back for barely five months. He couldn't even have been granted half a year with him.

His back hit the railing as he slid down to sit on the floor, his flesh covered in age-old defeat. History always found a way to repeat itself, whether he was turning nine high off the grief of losing his first love in the wake of his destruction clutching a letter that would not be read or twenty-two holding the garment of a ghost to his chest until his knuckles turned white. It wouldn't lessen the weight pressing down against his bones. Then again it shouldn't surprise him. It hadn't in X999 so why would it now? "Leave, Chifuyu"

A hesitant nod, light blue eyes trailing towards the railing then back to him before following his demand "I will be right outside" and left.

"He thinks you're going to follow my lead" He could feel the familiar weight of honeyed lemon skin embracing him from behind with a curious smile. "are you?"

"Scared I'll steal your thunder?" He bit out.

"As if. You'd be labeled nothing but a copy-cat" the words were scoffed against his cheek. "and you're more of a puppy anyways"

"A puppy? Really now?" he glared at nothing, refusing to meet the smug gaze. "Aren't you? The way you've been eagerly abiding by the rules like a lapdog almost had me fooled.."

"Watch it or I'm gonna wipe that smug grin right out of your face" he snapped.

"Oh? But that would require a backbone, wouldn't it? You seemed to have disposed of yours" the omega delicately whispered curling his finger around an ink-colored strand of hair.

A profanity of curses left his lips before he tiredly wiped a hand over his face. What was he even doing right now? "Whatever.. Are you done?"

"This is what I mean" Kazutora sighed in disappointment "Not an ounce of fight in you-"

"And whose fucking fault is that?!" Baji burst out, his patience turned to cinders "You yap about me giving up? You?! As if you have a mouth to speak with when it was you that gave up! You broke your promise and di-…" he broke off, physically unable to mouth the word.

"You… broke your promise first if memory serves right"

"Yeah?" It was Baji's time to scoff as he brushed right over the accusation, too livid at the audacity "What memory, huh?! Your amnesic, scatter-brained ass couldn't even hold on to memory if it meant saving your life"

"Perhaps that's why I didn't" the omega rolled his eyes with a pout "I was never trying to save my life so of course I wouldn't hold onto such trivial things"

"Oh, woe is you. How could I forget?! Gods forbid you won't be selfish for one moment in your fucking life!"

"Selfish?" the omega spluttered, the conclusion Baji had come to alien to him.

"Yes! Selfish. If you'd thought for even one fucking moment about anyone else but yourself, you wouldn't have-" he stopped himself.

"Anyone else? Even in my final moments, I'm supposed to gift my mind to another-" the omega cut in "Who was I supposed to think of-"

"Me" The omega's mouth clicked shut "You should have used that redundant brain cell in your skull and thought of me" his words echoed hollow in the loneliness and for a moment he'd wondered if even the mirage had deserted him after his pointless outburst. It would hardly be the first time.

"I was afraid.." the omega trembled. And Baji's gaze snapped forward where Kazutora kneeled in front of him. His mouth was on the verge of backtracking don't be afraid of me. Please not you "I was afraid you'd eroded all your edges. But you're still there, lawbreaking, terrorizing, Bloody Hallow Baji Keisuke" The omega's face became visible once more and he saw a helpless grin "The sharp edges, ugly temper and all" he giggled "Thank the gods, the pathetic self-pity you've been parading was turning out to be your most unattractive feature and I've seen your handwriting"

Baji's anger evaporated for a single, aching heartbeat before reality caught up to him and blazed anew "You're unfuckingbelievable.. Instead of using your mouth at any time to say that you rather tossed yourself out of a balcony to your death-" he choked off, nauseous.

"Aren't you boosting your ego too much? As if I'd end my life solely because of your incompetence to catch a hint. After all, I didn't fancy you for your intellect. You not understanding was hardly a surprise" he teased. But Baji couldn't even focus on the dig at his intelligence or the fact that this was the first time the omega had unpromptedly admitted to any sort of inkling towards him. Not when…

He clutched the omega's hand, knowing how fruitless it was. Not when this was his reality… again.

"What am I supposed to do now?" He helplessly asked, his voice cracking as he watched the omega turn more translucent, terrified of the possibility of never seeing him again.

The omega's eyes glint amber in the darkening sky as if the answer should be obvious. His free hand covered Baji's steel grip. "What else is there left?" nothing. "press on."

"No-"

"You must"

"I won't," he repeated with broken defiance. He heard his tongue click as a forehead rested against his. "always so thick-headed" he heard him chuckling. "You have.. your whole life ahead of you. This." he whispered "This will be nothing but a short memory in due time. Everything out there in the vast world is still waiting for you-"

Baji looked at him, utterly broken. Even in Baji's fabricated delusion, not even the mirage of him could fathom Baji ever…"You were everything"

Kazutora remained silent as they stared at one another. He was almost gone now. His lips trembled suddenly in a bout of genuine apology as the last husk of him disappeared "I'm sorry"

"No, you're not" Baji finally replied long after the mirage had departed. No one was there to listen as he remained stuck in time, waiting for a sweet voice that would never reach his ears again.

He closed his eyes again. What was the point?

press on. The back of his mind itched with something. Kazutora had asked him for something, hadn't he? preserve at least a little of my pride. A dignified burial for his body. Baji hadn't liked the meaning of the words yesterday and he didn't like it now. But Kazutora had given him no choice in the matter as always.

I'm tired, Keisuke. I don't wish to fight anymore.

"..what an idiot" he mumbled with a tired chest "didn't you know that I would have fought all your battles for you?" but no one answered him this time.

In another life, his devotion might have been enough to make him stay. He rubbed the silky texture between his fingers. In another life, the world would have been kinder to him and treated him with the warmth he'd so desperately craved. Even if it couldn't be this one. Funny how the alpha's affinity for fire was the hottest of its kind. Yet it hadn't been enough to shelter Kazutora from the storm.

Slowly he got back up.

He shouldn't keep the dead waiting, huh? He'd made him wait enough in his life, he did not need to continue this tradition in his death as well. "Where is his body, Chifuyu?"

The Beta startled out of his thoughts when the balcony door opened abruptly, his own mind still anxiously waiting for the alpha to burst. It was disturbing to see him with detached calm. He'd expected him to turn the castle into a blood-soaked cemetery for everyone involved. But the alpha had walked past the terrified staff members without a glance as Chifuyu had followed him down the path of familiar halls.

And now he looked at him with the same indifference one held when asking for the training statistics of the recruits and not for the remains of their wife. "He.. Arisu, I mean- he told me he'd bring someone who had proper knowledge of the situation. He'd said he'd bring them by the office, I'll go check-" he hurried to the door, still blabbering-

when the door suddenly burst open. Almost slamming into his stunned face with the frantic appearance of the only other man who dared to spring up on them like this. "Where the hell have you guys been?! I called for you more than an hour ago-"

"Not know, Ryusei" he tried but the other steamrolled past him towards Baji-san. "Time's of the essence and the the two of you are twiddling your thumbs. We have no—"

Chifuyu couldn't hold in his frustration and the tattooed man's clear lack of tact and pulled him harshly back. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he burst out before his voice turned into a sharp whisper "Baji-san is in no state to humor your careless antics"

"I should be asking you! Why are you so hellbent on obstructing the search for his wife?!"

"…what?" Chifuyu choked out, horrified for utterly different reasons. "His body has not been recovered?"

"You don't know" Ryusei realized, his frantic expression melting into unsettling solemnity.

"What do we not know?" The alpha cut in like glass.

"Come with me I'll tell you on the way to the lab"

Chifuyu'd never seen Ryusei rush so quickly since he's first received his leg injury. For a moment both of them were too stunned to move before the urgency in his demeanor had them follow his lead. "His body, why has it not been recovered?" he asked again in a hushed whisper when he'd finally caught up.

"…there is none" Chifuyu took a sharp breath. Even if all of his body had shattered upon impact, his body could not have simply turned to- the thick layer of snow would have prevented it, he told himself. "what do you mean by that? His body could not have simply evaporated-"

"He never made contact with the ground beneath" The southerner sounded almost annoyed which couldn't possibly be for only one of them was speaking in riddles and it wasn't Chifuyu.

"…what?" his sanity declined the longer Ryusei refused to elaborate properly. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if Baji-san ripped his head of right then and there.

" I need you to be on board with whatever I'm about to say. No judgment?" Ryusei reflected the words Chifuyu had not so long ago asked of him as if the idiot's life wasn't on the line for his outlandish behavior. Yet still-

"Yes, of course" He was even more on edge than he'd had been before. But he'd never deny Ryusei like this. But before the other had a chance to elaborate a frantic staff member appeared running towards them, his eyes unseeing. The blonde drew his sword before he could think better of it. The effects of an ambush still too fresh on his mind to react calmly.

His sword grazed the boy's neck and only then did he come to a stop. "..wings, there were wings of pearl white and gold strewn above us" The flinch Ryusei tried to cover up was not lost on him. But Chifuyu shelved it back for later inspection as his mind dissected the words. "did a beast breach the Borderlands and reach the castle?" his eyes remained at the potential threat but his words were directed at Ryusei.

"no, no no!" the crazed man burst out like Chifuyu had wronged his family "There was no creature! The duchess himself had bone and feathers sprouting from his back-"

Silence reigned.

.

.

"…are you out of your mind?" Chifuyu's finally breathed out, his stomach grew tight with apprehension. The man had not blinked once in his retelling, it was an eerie sight to behold. His strained nerves were on edge just holding his bottomless gaze.

"His grace had been high up in the sky!" a slew of mumblings followed, 'kingdom' then some more gibberish "—disappeared into the heavens! majestic, it was utterly maj-" he sounded bewitched by his own frantic words.

Chifuyu quickly grew tired of the crap and rolled his eyes before putting his sword back into his sheath. The man needed a healer for his mind. Perhaps the gruesome sight of death had turned him manic.

"—was beautiful. nothing a mere mortal like me should have been allowed to witness!" The young worker had not been much of a believer in the faith of the gods. But right then, he'd understood. A deity had resided among them. And they'd failed to keep their duty to him. he had to repent for his sins before The Foe could punish him. How could the others remain still so blind to it when the truth had been right before them!

"We should get somebody to take him to a healer" The Lieutenant dismissed him, but could he not see? The miracle that had occured in front of them?!

"Chifuyu. He is telling the truth" The blonde's head snapped to Ryusei who looked at him stoically. They both stared at one another, his mind trying to find rationale only to come up blank.

Nonetheless, Chifuyu was damned if he believed that. The Southerner had once made him believe that he'd been born from a serpent just to pull his leg. But there was a time and place for a prank and this was neither. "you mean to say, that the duchess fell from the balcony only to turn into a bird?" Chifuyu asked with a thin-veiled threat, wondering wether Kazutora-san was gone at all. Perhaps both Southeners had made an alliance to pull out all the stops in pranking Baji-san and him and gotten the rest of the staff involved. He ignored the voice that told him, Kazutora-san was in no state for such jokes, least of all with the same Beta, that had accused him of possible treason right after he'd risked his life for them.

Ryusei opened his mouth to speak but the lunatic's movements were quicker.

"No, no, no! Not a bird!" he urged, his eyes glazed like he was still living in the vivid memory of it "..an angel"

"When did this happen?" Baji-san suddenly spoke in a strange tone. Chifuyu bit back the words he'd wanted to bring down on the crazed man for continuing to utter such nonsense, his floored expression instead whipping back to his superior.

"you cannot put faith into such ridicule Baji-san. He is from the same ensemble of staff that proclaimed your wife kidnapped by an intruder some months ago only for him to have been wandering the halls, remember?" he argued. He remembered the irritation he'd felt for every single one of them for overblowing the situation and causing such unnecessary strife for some juicy gossip.

The familiar silhouette of the Headmistress now too rushed forward and bowed deeply before them. Chifuyu blinked and realized that they'd grown an audience of many more people standing further back with ashen faces. "not an hour ago, my Lord"

"You vouch for this story as well?" Chifuyu was lost for words. Had everybody gone mad? Had the person responsible for poisoning Kazutora-san laced something into the very castle walls they occupied? Had they been placed under a group hallucination?

Hell, had it not been Chifuyu with the concussion?! How was everybody else acting like they collectively stood in the vicinity of a blast to claim such outlandish fables.

"…Indeed, I was there myself" Chifuyu closed his eyes and grit his teeth, trying to shake off the frustration. so be it. He should have insisted on staying home and saved himself the further brain damage.

It was late evening now. The sun had long since departed. Ryusei had mentioned that they had no time to lose. Loathe he was to admit, he could break his head about the bird or angel thing later.

Whatever it was that had them all collaborate on the same story, even compromising Ryusei of all people possibly shed some hope onto the matter. Perhaps the situation wasn't as dire as it had made itself out to be.

This castle had once been up in arms about a kidnapping that had never occurred. Who was to say they were not once again crying wolf? Kazutora-san was surely idling about and might as well show up to another search party being organized for him. Right now he'd prefer that outcome over anything else.

It was slim and possibly foolish. But he believed their nonsense when he came face to face with the omega's corpse at this point. Fucking angel sprouting wing bullshit "okay-" he never got to finish.

Suddenly the crazed boy sprung up frantically whispering over and over "We've forsaken salvation" and grabbed Chifuyu's sword out of its sheath. The blonde tried to stop him but to no avail "Let The Foe bear this sin of mine" and warm blood sprayed against Chifuyu as the lunatic cut his own throat.

Nobody spoke as the body flopped to the ground, blood continued gushing from the entry wound and seeped into the floor bed beneath.

Chifuyu patiently counted to ten to not lose it as the blood dripped down his nose and lips. Just as he reached seven a snort from Baji-san ripped them all out of their trance, his face unaffected by the gruesome display while Chifuyu still grappled with what just occurred "a smart boy for his age"

"huh?"

"This is nothing compared to what I will do to the rest of them" From the corner of his eye Chifuyu numbly could make out the trembling forms in the group of onlookers. He wrinkled his nose at the taste of familiar iron.

"There is something else, my Lord." The Headmistress suddenly butted in. Courageous on any other day. Right now though it was suicidal.

Chifuyu quickly stepped in before the heavy smoke in the air that had formed since the lunatic had begun his spiel could turn into an inferno. "Miss Chiyo. Unless it has anything to do with Kazutora-san's current whereabouts, we cannot waste more of our time"

"But the assail-"

"It will have to wait," he said in a warning tone as he nodded at Ryusei, dismissing her harshly. "Let's go to your lab immediately"

The other Beta quickly moved, both Commander and Lieutenant behind him as they left the terrified staff in their wake for more pressing issues. Baji turned around one last time to glare at her and the entourage cowering behind them before he nodded at the cooling corpse on the ground. "Pray to your god of choice for mercy. You won't be receiving it from me once I return"

"I tried to locate him through several spells"

"and what."

"All the ones used for close range found nothing. It seems the duchess is not in the immediate radius of the castle grounds" Ryusei replied quickly ushering them inside.

In his tower they found mayhem. Scrolls and books lay strewn all over, worse than the last time Chifuyu had visited.

And in the mids of it a great map of the whole northlands sat, covering almost the whole floor while a small chain with a glowing, purple gemstone attached to as it hovering over the map. The mage rushed over and muttered a few colorful curses under his breath.

As soon as he'd finished the stone stopped glowing and fell in a soft thud with nothing more to show for. More curses in a different dialect followed before long he'd switched to a different language.

The blonde was afraid he knew the answer, but he still had to ask "What is the situation?"

"I have tried every location spell from here to the Fifth cohort and nothing" Chifuyu made a face but nodded, it made sense to focus southward. If the omega was truly no longer in the castle or city for that matter, he could only move southward.

Only white death awaited above the Northland's capital for those unfamiliar with the terrain. If it was perhaps an abduction then they too would move quickly to the border connected to Fifth in hopes of a hefty ransom. It would perhaps also explain the collective hallucination most of the staff seemed to have been victim to. Somebody might have used the right moment to cast the spell to abduct the weakened omega.

He assumed nobody of that calibre would try and find refuge in another northern city. Kazutora-san's very distinct appearance was a beacon in the night. Even in a place as grand as District 1. Male omegas were rare to come by. And this one happened to be known throughout the whole Northlands after his heroic actions in the foiled attempt to storm the city. That was all any folks spoke about these days.

His own mother had gushed about it in her last letter. The tiger-tattooed duchess with golden stripes in his hair who'd managed to outshine his husband in his own home district.

He was pretty sure more civilians would be able to fish him out in a crowd than they could Baji-san at this point. No northerner would overlook him if he were to appear in the most dingiest of villages.

His eyes turned higher to the edge of the map past the Pine Lake and wall above. The Borderlands were out of the question to even consider. No one would survive in that place. Not even a northerner worth their salt had ever returned. Whoever entered that cursed place was doomed to find their death there.

Chifuyu hesitated "Ryusei, you're certain the tale is true? That you're not under the influence of a spell or illusion or perhaps the same toxins that Kazutora-san had been exposed to?" he tried once more.

"I swear it on the little counsilor's life. No judgment, remember?"

Chifuyu cursed and nodded reluctantly "…Fine, okay" as Ryusei gave him a nod in thanks. No more arguments were exchanged about the probability of the situation or its incline to insanity.

"The spells I have used until now are spells for general usage, when officials search for a missing party let's say. But now that you're here-" Ryusei gave Baji-san an expectant look and quickly took out a gilded knife from one of his drawers" -we can use my preferred search method. Blood magic"

Absolutely not, Chifuyu's knee-jerk reaction had the words at the cusp of his tongue, the repercussions it had on both caster and user too risky but

No judgment- so he bit them back. "as you know for Blood magic to work, there needs to be some form of strong bond for it to work and what is stronger than a mating bond-"

"He doesn't have it" Baji interrupted him. Ryusei blinked several times trying to reconcile reality with the bombshell of information his commander just dropped on them. He laughed weakly, thinking it a bad joke to lighten the mood which looking back made no sense, but what else was he.. "..come again?"

"I didn't claim him" The alpha didn't explain further, his expression closed off.

Ryusei's head turned to Chifuyu to ask if this was a fluke or a prank, maybe even expecting a similar shock only to be met with the blonde's unwillingness to meet his eyes.

Ah. So he'd known, he concluded.. "o-okay" he swallowed, dizzy by the revelations he'd bore witness to in the span of a single day "That isn't ideal. Would have been great to know beforehand, but you're still close, right?" he hesitated, his smile straining "…right?"

Silence blanketed the room. Ryusei looked at the alpha with waning confidence, wondering how this was the same Baji Keisuke that had threatened him with murder for breathing wrong just this morning.

Baji turned his attention to the map. He'd liked to think that they had at least formed a semblance of companionship over the last couple of months. But then again, would he be here if that were the case?

Baji didn't know. He simply didn't know anymore.

"They are." Chifuyu cut in leaving no room for argument. Ryusei sighed in acceptance, far less confident than when they'd entered. "Do you have anything, an item, something that is dear to him?" A part of him dreaded another negation to his question. They'd be grasping at straws if that were to be the case.

"His earring!" Both of their heads whipped to Chifuyu in surprise, who looked ready to burst right as he used Ryusei's favorite jacket to wipe the excess blood from his face before throwing it into the trash. Ryusei blinked a couple of times before remembering Chifuyu had indeed said something "Earring? The one with the bell he used to wear?" He prodded to be sure and received a nod from the blonde. "Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't he wearing it currently?" He cursed himself, frustrated for not remembering whether there had been an earring when he'd watched his plummet or whether he'd imagined the ring of a bell. It had all been too quick. He'd been there one moment and gone the next. He'd slipped right through Ryusei's fingers.

And Ryusei couldn't shake the thought he'd guided the omega to the plank with his insensitive behavior of the prior weeks. Chifuyu deflated like a balloon "Ah yeah.."

'…my hero' the words had chilled him to his very bone. His eyes wandered back to the alpha wondering whether he knew who the omega could have possibly meant by those words. But by his current state he didn't think he'd receive an answer of substance. Chifuyu had been right. The alpha was truly not in his right mind. But considering everything, Ryusei wasn't sure any of them were.

"Actually…" Baji unclasped his sword from his side, to show the handle where something climpered against it as he held it out. And lo and behold a familiar piece of jewelry was intricately tied to it. "he lent it to me a while ago" so shameless, after everything he'd just said, too! Ryusei's spirits lifted. He was pretty sure he remembered the bell climpering throughout their expedition as well, a shit-eating grin formed on his face.

"Look at you Commander, having a keepsake of your wife with you. If I was a lesser man, I'd be teasing you for it" Ryousei couldn't help it, the alpha had looked rather distraught at the whole situation. The reveal of the lack of bitemark, was like an accidental nail to the coffin. He was glad that he hadn't misinterpreted their relationship entirely. For a moment he'd feared he'd gotten it all wrong.

But it seems the duke and duchess just were two more victims of the typical symptoms of the 'I don't think he likes me like I do' disease Chifuyu complained about in his many novels.

Kind of refreshing to know his Commander wasn't immune to the cliches of romantic novellas, either, Ryusei mused as he eagerly ran to pick up the chain he'd thrown just moments prior and resumed his place in front of the map "C'mon Loverboy don't hold out for my sake and take out the earring" He patted the space in front of him for the alpha to sit in.

Not even half a moment later his Commander was crouched in front of him with the earring in hand to give it to him, no comment or threat for the new nickname. It was almost cute "Actually you should be the one to hold it- here let me" he connected the chain to the earring before laying it back in his hand. This might just work "do as I did before and move it around the map. When it tries to move to a certain point, don't fight and let it lead you. I'll take care of the spell"

"Just make sure you're not thinking about a lot of things at once" should be easy for you, Baji could hear Kazutora's voice snark at him and almost smiled.

"I'll guide you. try to imagine Kazutora-san. The chain might show you something, if it happens your first instinct might be to open your eyes, but try to keep them closed. The longer you're connected the more accurate the location will be"

"Got it. Start already" he demanded.

"Yeah. Yeah," and Baji closed his eyes.

At first, he could still hear the soft mutterings of Ryusei's spell, the pendant began to glow first purple before it turned blue as the magic connected to his. It seeped into his skin and his senses before he was suddenly plunged through sky and earth, the map beneath him gone.

He felt the sudden drop of gravity as his feet met the harsh frost. The fierce winds biting at his skin were the first thing he could discern, the next was the darkness surrounding him, the only lightsource coming from the milky moon, hidden between the high trees.

He lost that thought as the purpose for this came to the forefront of his mind. He was here to find Kazutora, the rest was not important. He tried to move forward, but with the first step he felt the crunch of leaves before his eyes finally got used to the change in light.. or lack of it. A forest…

And he was right in the mids of it-

But why was he being shown this, shouldn't he be seeing Kazutora? What use was a forest if he wasn't here?

He tried to walk further forward but something tugged at his senses, keeping him in place. 'let it lead you' Ryusei's words echoed to him.

Baji closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.

For long seconds nothing happened and he'd wondered if he'd imagined the magnetic pull after all. Then he heard it.

A whimper.

His head snapped around to the steepening path of the forestfloor where not even the moon was longer visible.

His mind was slowly exiting his body as his instinct flipped over like an electric current had zapped through his skin, his senses sharpening. He could barely see a thing before, but suddenly that seemed to be secondary as his body turned towards the direction. First slowly. That had to be, him, it had to be Kazutora-

His mouth ached in an familiar way as his teeth scraped against his lips. Every hair on his neck rose in anticipation his eyes darting towards any sudden sound of movement.

"-rry"

His legs moved before he was able to finish his thought as his alpha took over. Omega, he needs us. we have to—

Branches and tree slopes flashed past him, the sensation of 'find him' eclipsing any rationale thought. Another whimper rushed through his eardumps this time more distinct as he came to a screeching halt.

His ears registered the sound of those helpless little sounds. I'll find you, just wait for me-

His eye flew to every spot, frantically looking for something and then —

his mind turned to static.

His eyes had almost flewn right over- a small figure huddled so tightly into itself, rocking back and forth, eyes glassy and unseeing as it repeated the same words.

"'msorry, I'm sorry-" and the splinters in Baji's chest scratched against his ribcage.

Oh, Kazutora..

Baji's legs fell forward in broken relief and despair, his arms immediately trying to gather him in his hold. But his hands went right through him. The cold stone of his utter uselessness nestled into his gut. He was forced to watch the omega's whole body shiver with the freezing temperatures and terror he could feel in his own soul. He had the power to help him. His fire would keep him warm. And yet here he was unable to relieve him of his suffering.

Kazutora's torn clothes were unfit for the weather never mind the place he was in. And it showed on his face. His cheeks were pale, his lips and fingers an equal shade of purplish blue. What the fuck had brought him here, so far away from any civilization? There was no light from any direction to indicate any village or town nearby, he realized with growing trepidation.

Kazutora didn't have a lot of time before the cold would claim him he realized. It was a miracle it hadn't yet. He must have been here for hours while Baji had swallowed in self-pity. He looked at his own shaking hands and clenched them. Kazutora had to live. The omega was trying his best to uphold his end of the promise. Baji would see to it that he kept his side of it, too.

"..Kazutora" he tried. The omega didn't react at all, just continued to repeat the same apology over and over. It was a sobering sight.

"'tora, I know you're afraid, but I need you to be brave right now. I am coming okay? Just stay put" Kazutora's breath hitched and he stopped his rambling, confused his unfocused eyes darting in every direction. The alpha didn't know whether he could hear him but Baji couldn't afford to doubt it. There was no room for error "Make sure you don't fall asleep even if you want to. You have to hold out 'til I'm there, okay? I'm coming to get you"

Finally, the gaze landed on him and a terrified sniffle shuddered through his frame. "..you'll find me..?"

"Always-" a shudder of relief and equal parts breathlessness washed over him. Kazutora still trusted Baji to find him. "I'll always find you. I promised, right?"

He didn't receive another answer. What happened next to quick for his mind to comprehend.

A dark shadow covered the already dim light of the moon. The alpha's heartbeat quickened in a way he'd long forgotten, the hairs on his arms raised.

Whatever it had been had his nerves on edge, he didn't dare to move. It confused him, the chill in his spine so unfamiliar as his limbs started to shake. And then it hit him.

He'd become prey. Stupidly he turned towards it. Like a lamb readying itself for its inevitable slaughter instead of seeking shelter.

"Don't interfere, beloved" a throaty voice so full of ill intent- no.. evil spoke right into his ear before he could understand what was happening-

Something rammed against the side of his head with a blood-curdling puncture of utter agony.

An arrow gored his temple and came out the other. Dead, he was dead—

His eyes ripped open, his heart thudding a mile a minute, breathing harshly. It took him too many seconds to gather himself and recognize the chaos surrounding him.

"-Baji-san! Are you okay? Why is his nose bleeding?! That shouldn't be happening!" only now did the voices talking over one another replace the ringing in his head.

"I don't know! This has never happened before, as soon as the chain landed on the spot, what the fuck-" Ryusei sounded equally freaked out which was rare.

"…I'm fine.. stop your squabbling.." he waved Chifuyu's fretting hands away. He could feel his own hands shaking when he tried wiping the blood from his nostrils. Whatever it was had managed to attack him not only mentally but also physically, huh?

He looked at the blood on his sleeve. He'd been a hunter for so long, he'd forgotten what it was like to be the hunted. He narrowed his eyes as he clutched his hand into a fist, to stop the trembling, his eyes landing on the spot the golden bell had fallen on.

Whatever had managed to harm him, was after Kazutora.

He stood and made for the door ignoring the protests behind him "Ready the horses. My wife is waiting"

"Why are you not moving?! We are almost at the door-"

"..I have to stay put" he could barely feel his body anymore. The cold had numbed all of the feeling in his limbs. The sun had risen a while ago and He felt so tired, but he didn't dare close his eyes. He was told to stay awake.

"you actually believe somebody is coming for you?!"

No, he didn't. But he'd asked him to stay put, so he would. Who had? the question resounded in the emptiness of his mind. But he didn't know. He never knew anymore.

"Continuously you are pushed to suffer" Both he and the black mass snapped to attention at the echo of a rough voice.

For a bitter moment, Kazutora's heart had quickened but as fast as it had come the bubbling hope crashed when he didn't meet the gaze he was looking for.

There was no face, he noted. Instead, a hooded figure with a wolf mask observed them, his arms crossed over his chest. No skin was visible, so he wasn't sure whether he was in the presence of a human or not. This strange forest could be tricking him with anything. The demon next to him could very well be the mastermind conjuring this illusion for him.

But by its reaction, it too seemed caught off guard by the newcomer. So if it wasn't an illusion, the next question would be why was he here?

He'd never seen this masked man before in his life. He was so sure of it. Like you had been sure of Baji, right?

It was not the same- his gaze turned back to the enigma. He couldn't put his finger on it. But somehow he managed to look more pitiful than Kazutora. It was an irrational thought, nothing indicated any emotional reaction to have come forth and it wasn't as if Kazutora was able to see the face hidden behind the ominous mask.

"Don't interfere!" Kazutora clutched his ears at the screeching voice.

"You're angry" the newcomer stated calmly.

"Shut up! Shut up and leave!-"

"… as you have every right to be"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Leave and don't interfere! The doors- we are not too far away now-" the tendrils burst once more, its shadows flickering. Kazutora blinked. For a moment he could have sworn he'd seen-

"I can't allow you to do that" It was said in genuine apology.

"I don't listen to the likes of you. Your name holds no power. The years have weakened you"

"you forget yourself, my --. Have patience, it is too early for what you have in mind. Let the door rest. It is not yours to open"

"No- no, I will not wait any longer. I have done my waiting- The trespasser arrived to-"

'run while he's distracted' The voice in Kazutora's mind resounded his eyes met the blazing ruby eyes shining through the wolf mask. he inhaled sharply. his eyes shone just like- 'leave south now, princess. he'll will meet you on the path. You did well.'

His stray thought was abandoned for the words compelling him as if a command had taken hold of him as he bolted into a full-on sprint.

"What did you- You thick-headed imbecile! How dare you!" and the voice was gone again.

"What did you do..?" It fell to its knees in defeat mumbling "I just wanted…"

"What had to be done"

"Your blessing won't save them.. I will rip them open, no matter the cost"

"It won't undo what happened"

"I will burn this world. And if you wish to stand in my way, then you can burn with it, Carrier"

"You can cease the teary masquerade now. He cannot hear you this far out"

"Tch" It rose as if it never had fallen in anguish to begin with with a mocking tone "your blessing only extends so far, hm~"

"You will fail"

"No, I won't"

South, he repeated to himself as he darted past the trees. He didn't think he'd ever run this fast.

It didn't take long for the newfound energy to desert him, as he turned to a stumble, before that too became a limp. Not long after his steps turned heavier, shuffling from one aching foot to the other. it became more and more difficult to take one step over the other.

His eyelids grew heavier.

Just a moment, he'd close them for just—

His eyes snapped open, he wasn't supposed to sleep. He slapped his palms to his cheeks to shake off the exhaustion.

Suddenly staying conscious was a different beast entirely as his shoulder ckecked into a tree. It was ironic, that he'd wished for demon to leave and now he'd rather have it here to keep him awake with its company.

Well, it was his own fault, he supposed. He breathed out. Puffs of white smoke flowed from his lips and he watched them disappear.

He could make out the crunch, a stick snapping in half. Something was here. A few more steps followed.

Slowly, his face turned to meet the silver, icy gaze of a predator twice his size. From the corner of his eyes he could detect the spotted white-greyish fur distinct to a certain wild animal familiar to the terrain. Funny, after having seen them in drawings he'd never imagined them to be so much bigger- maybe twice his size.

The snow leopard's snout tilted curiously his gaze never leaving the omega's as he seized him up. Goosebumps erupted against his skin at the deep growl that followed. By the sound of it, he was hungry and Kazutora had just become his meal for the day.

The tattoo on his neck burned.

Tigers were the kings of the jungle. But this was no jungle. and Kazutora was no tiger.

He was going to be mauled, his heart raced at the realization. What a gruesome way to meet his end.

I know you're afraid, but I need you to be brave right now. I am coming, okay?

Adrenalin was a funny thing. One moment you think your body has reached its limit, unable to move. Then adrenaline pumps you full of deceitful energy once again.

He didn't know how or when but suddenly the only thing registering was his own labored breathing as he dashed, the blood lust permeating right behind him as the animal remained hot on his tail. But he had no thought to look back and check how much distance remained between them. One moment of hesitation and there would be no second.

He ran solely towards the light at the end of the path, hoping that the better light meant a path into a village or-

He stumbled as the ground beneath him suddenly vanished, Air painfully rushing past him as the world turned on its head. For a moment he'd thought the leopard had caught up to him but the sensation was wrong.

First his arms, then his hand and quickly after his stomach and legs hit stone and ice and the distant thought reached him that he'd fallen down a ravine as down turned up and up turned down. His hand tried to hold onto anything solid only for the thick branch he'd grasped in blind panic to not withstand the sudden pressure and snap, falling right alongside him down to the unending abyss beneath.

His body finally hit the ice one final time as his body skidded to a stop in the middle of the icy bed, the thick branch that had failed him coming to a stop close by. His ribs ached as his lungs spasmed for air. For a moment the only thing registering was his own labored breathing.

His head was still spinning when he tried to raise it. Something warm trickled down his arms as he blearily stared at the damage. At least he had not reinjured his hand he noted as he tried get up on shaky legs only to fall on his knees as soon as he tried. Dull pain shocked through his body at the sensation of his kneecaps meeting the hard icebed now, too.

He mourned the softness of the snow the forest had been blessed with as his eyes trailed up the valley he'd just accidentally dropped from. Once more his gaze fell on the bloodthirsty leopard who'd mustered the distance between them before it too decided the risk was worth the reward as the animal began to climb down the slope in a graceful stride.

Kazutora crawled towards the branch as if it would be of any use to him at the face of razor-sharp teeth ready to maul the flesh off his bone.

And he could only wait. He didn't have enough delusion to believe he'd have a chance at outrunning or fighting it now.

The leopard quickly made its way down and before he knew it it took its first step onto the frozen lake.

Well. He was fucked. That's what he gets for listening to imaginary demons in the first place, he thought hysterically.

But then something odd occurred. The wild beast mustered him curiously as if waiting for him to make the first move, which would not be unfounded if it weren't for the fact that unlike what he expected from the animal, it didn't even attempt to circle him to ensure he had no escape route to flee from him.

It was as if he was expecting Kazutora to continue their game of cat and mouse. which was—

…Ah.

That little- "Hey you dumb fuck demon! Fuck you and your damn door!" He started laughing, the leopard was not even trying to attempt to hunt him any longer as it cowered away from him.

His laughter turned manical if not outright deranged. He used the tree branch as a cane to prop himself up into a standing position, shuffling most of his weight on it as he limped towards the wild animal, the blood from his arm trickling down the bark. And once more, it stepped back intead of lunging at the smell of blood in its vicinity.

"Come here kitty, have some of my bones. There isn't a lot of meat there, but it's winter and you gotta be starvin' right?"

And just as he'd expected, instead of coming closer, the snow leopard backed further away with a whine. "You realized" came the screech from behind him.

"Look who decided to come back" he turned towards the source of his grievances with a lopsided smile.

"you stopped"

"Hmm. I did. Maybe you shouldn't have picked the crazy person for the job. We are not the most reliable"

His head whirled to the side as he held his cheek. He blinked at the small streaks of blood against his skin. it had hit him "after everything I did for you-"

"Mhm..no" Kazutora interrupted, tasting the blood on his tongue.

"…No?"

It forewent another humanoid appearance and slowly transformed into a grotesque version of black tendrils held together by bleeding human body parts. The usual fear that came with facing it was strangely absent Kazutors didn't feel anything as he looked at it, he waited for a posible delay in his body's reaction due to the fatique.

But nothing.

Oh? "I think half of my blood vessels froze. My blood is not pumping the slush hard enough to feel fear, honestly I feel like I took a swig of that ale again..Mhm, should have brought that with me" He felt dizzy as he spoke. He didn't think he had much more in him.

"you-"

"Shushhh… my body is shutting down I think.. my bad? for not giving you the reaction you deserve. Where did'cha friend go? he was so much nicer than you" he slurred, trying to blink the wonky vision away.

"I killed him" Kazutora had not expected it to answer and smiled, calling the bluff. "Liar, liar. Pants on fire~"

"You learned?" He began tapping on the ground beneath him as if he was playing a tune but before he could be questioned he finally found what he'd been looking for as the tendrils sucked in a breath "What are you doing-"

He looked at the monster that had plagued him for far too long and grinned brightly. "Let's not meet again"

And with one hard crack! of the staff, the ice beneath him ripped apart with a sudden splurge "NO-"

And he went beneath the icy waves.

He could feel the last of his energy leave all at once as the icy water filled his lungs and his surroundings got darker. He watched the last bit of light flickering through the crack of the ice.

Only darkness met him beneath. A spike of terror coiled through him at the thought of it. The dark was scary.

In vain his left hand reached upward to grasp at the last flicker of light as if it could save him from the shadows' capture.

It's cold, it's so scary, please-

More water filled his throat in his wayward struggle for the unattainable. Slowly his eyes closed for the last time, as his body grew slack and ultimately submitted to its fate.

It was a deserved ending for a wretched being like him. He'd die as he lived. A coward. Never to run but always to flee, right?

A flash of dark hair appeared in his mind's eye and sadness filled his hollowed chest. For a moment he wished he could have spent at least one more minute with him. One more moment to hear his voice. One more moment to feel his warmth. One last moment to gaze into his eyes.

Ah… there was no reason to be upset. He was never meant for this world.

He was never meant for something as bright as Baji Keisuke.

.

.

.

Above the surface right where the ice had split apart someone sat with his back to the oncoming entourage, humming a weary hymn with a devious smile. Poor little tiger "always falling for the most base of trickery~"

The gallops came to a standstill as the dark figure quickly jumped down, his gait purposeful as he closed the distance between them with urgency searching for- his grin grew wider. "You're late"

"Who are you?" the demand came harshly.

He shrugged. "Where is he?" he watched as his head turned left and right and even up. He could not help the laugh "You're looking in the wrong direction, beloved" he replied with glee his gaze turning to the still-open crack in the lake.

Finally, the pinched red gaze followed his in confusion right in time for the last airpocket to burst up. The alpha's expression contorted into horror as the realization finally registered. "no-"

His eyes memorized every little movement on his face to cherish the sheer helplessness in the lines of his skin, dark rings under his eyes for the sure sleepless and stressful nights of the last weeks. Good. If he could not have the doors then this was an adequate compensation. It was hightime he be relieved of his arrogance.

His form slowly ceased as the life beneath him faded in tandem. He would never tire of the despair in front of him and even if he knew the other had no ear left to spare for him he just could not help himself. "I shall see you in hell, beloved"

X1012

Kazutora was falling.

The mouth of the tiger on his neck slowly dripped blood as the knife carved along. Yet a tight grip enclosed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

His eyes fluttered open to a very strong hand encircling his wrist. The distinctive smell of pine and smoke hit his nose.

Something gently touched his cheek and his eyes immediately snapped up. Dark long hair in a ponytail. Just a few strands were out of place. He fought the urge to tuck them behind the stranger's ear. Thick eyebrows were furrowed in bewilderment. He inhaled sharply, eyes widening.

Gold met Rusty Red for the first time in fifteen years. ("You'll come find me, right?")

His knees buckled beneath him.

And Kazutora was falling.

X1011

The door to his room shut.

He rubbed at the sore, raw skin of his wrists as he shakily crawled into his childhood bed. And just like back then he forced himself to eliminate the images threatening to overtake his mind.

His body should be the sole casualty wrecked from the carnage of his sire for this night at least. Let the rest of him be in peace.

He bit his lip until it bled as his body trembled through the terror still clinging to his skin and bones.

He'd have to endure it for just a little bit longer. It was all for a good reason, wasn't it? This was all going to be worth it someday. His pain. His suffering. All of it would be a distant memory one day…

His suffering would be worth it. It had to be, yet why couldn't he stop-

X1010

falling.

The cloak safely hid his face from passerbys as he moved through the streets that once upon a time bustled with laughter and life.

But there was none of that now in Valhalla's plaza As he tilted his head, an elderly woman and what surely was her granddaughter foolishly placing their offerings at the feet of a marbled statue for a god that would not answer their prayers. It was fitting that the Isles had chosen to place their faith into the Enemy of all. Ally to none.

Not even the place of their origin was deserving of their protection.

In the world, his sire invisioned there would no longer be a dwelling for the celestial if the latest whispers of the war room were to believed. With every day that the rebellion proceeded, a bit more of his rationality chipped away.

His vision turned back to the headless as the pair left. Just like their predecessors would the gods of the above and beneath be discarded for a more dedicated deity?

He walked until he was in front of the sculpture and crouched down, taking the flower the girl had placed and held it to his nose. It was wasted in a place like this.

The fragrance of the star-shaped flower was subtle yet sweet even as the abrupt current surged past him.

X1009

The ink of his pen hastily scratched against the parachment paper, the candle was almost a mere puddle of wax now as early twilight shone through the curtains, its last fire flickering. He'd rather still be asleep yet time was of the essence.

The message needed to reach the mainland before the potential southern alliance could bear fruit.

He hadn't expected the serpents to consider the offer let alone entertain it. The guild had nothing to gain in meddling in a kingdom's war it had no association to.

The quicker the alliance was neutralized the better, he judged as he quickly folded the paper and slipped it into the folds of his light tunic. The girl on the boat wouldn't wait.

Damn, Yotsuya Kaidan and its unpredictable grandmaster. Poison was difficult to combat en masse. The casualties would be devastating if they were unable to combat its source, it would set his plans back for years.

He could only pray Toman's recently appointed General would not treat the issue lightly as the door creaked open.

They had a war to win.

X1008

Kazutora blinked, the door behind him shut.

An uproar echoed through the chamber, old, dusty Alphas and Betas yelling over one another "He must be a fraud! The child has been declared dead for the better half of the decade-"

"The claim for the rebellion has been made null with this revelation!"

"The Isles will be ruined-"

But he paid them no mind as he finally met his sire's waiting gaze. As always there was no emotion reflected in those cold irises. "I have returned to you, Father"

But Kazutora didn't flinch staring right back and bowed before the corners of the alpha's lips lifted into the ghost of a familiar, cruel smile. "so you have, child"

X1007

"childish-" It had awakened his dormant curiosity he admitted, the intrigue of it.

Monickers were feared by the very Alphas and Betas visiting the establishment that daredn't even whisper them for fear of possibly summoning their wrath. The invincible crown prince chosen by the gods and his menacing commanders cursed the Isles with defeat after defeat.. It tickled something in him.

Something he had no true name for but it called him all the same and Kazutora entertained the notion, perhaps he ought to stretch his legs and join the fray, eh? He bit back his grin as he gazed upon the roof at the silly notion "Have you heard? Lord Yashida's last remaining heir was killed by-"

Kazutora burst into laughter.

X1006

The laughter of beautifully painted omegas and their drunk patrons echoed as somebody stumbled against him "Oh my, are you lost, kid? The pleasure street is no place for you"

He looked around in confusion at the unfamiliar buildings. "I guess I am"

"…you ought to return home to your parents before you strike the wrong person's fancy."

"I don't have anyone to return to"

She tried one last time to dissuade him from the decision he'd already made "This is a place where dreams die, kid"

X1005

He woke up with thunder beating in his chest. He'd had the awful dream again. He was all alone again.

His head whipped over for the reassurance of the only constant in his sorry life-

His stomach plummeted, the shack he'd invited him to was deserted of his very existence. Only Kazutora's belongings had remained.

The tattoo he'd inked into his skin after Kazutora had so painstakingly begged him to throbbed with the familiar sting of abandonment.

It was like he never existed at all.

X1004

"What a sorry existence, did'ya croak?" Kazutora blinked up at the gangly passerby before he closed his eyes again. "The middle of the road aint that comfy~"

The teen not much older than him sat right in front of him. "What a boring way to spend the day"

"…leave me alone"

"Nah"

X1003

"You must leave the Holy Grounds soon"

"..but why?"

"We've taught you all you need. They need you"

"I don't need them"

X1002

"The sharp winter cold will make way for blossoms of spring" The black fur glistened like steel in the reflection of the light, its snout bumping his collarbone with care. "This sorrow in you will pass, too one day"

He had no faith in its empty words. "Liar, Liar pants on fire~"

X1001

Smoke filled his lungs. "Can it be undone?"

"The dead remain dead for a reason"

"It's not fair- I didn't mean to kill him-"

X1000

"…I will kill you all if you will not let me leave"

"This mountain is your home"

"This shithole isn't my home!"

X999

Thunder roared above, caught in the tiger's den and his eyes finally widened at the crimson around him, an animalistic scream tearing through the clearing of a vast mountain.

He'd killed him, no, no, no, no- Mister Shinichiro, he'd killed him and now he was-

X998

Dead, what Kazutora wouldn't give to be dead.

September 16, X997

"move Dead-last, I don't got all day"

His eyes snapped open with a gasp to the colorful world of a buzzing street market. For a moment he turned around himself in confusion as a shiver rocked through his body. It had been so cold-

"Did you hit your head again?" dizzy, his head whipped towards the fellow child who sported blatant impatience and irritation. But something about this was wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here. But the less he could figure out why that thought had formed at all.

"..My head hurts, Junpeke"

"Hah? You're so annoying. Whatever, I'm leaving" his friend rolled his eyes as he made to turn away from him altogether.

Suddenly a flood of memories rushed back to him. Today had been important. And Kazutora had been so very nervous about it, hadn't he?

Right. Right! He jumped in excitement. His Nanny told him that today was a special day. A fortune teller had told her he would meet an old friend, which was silly. The only friend he had was Junpeke and he wasn't old at all, speaking off..

"wait Junpeke! I'm not so fast!"

"I can't wait for you all day- and you're supposed to walk behind me anyway. Omegas don't walk next to alphas. You should have understood that by now. You need to learn or I'm not gonna take you as my wife"

Kazutora's smile strained. he hated it when Junpeke spoke of such things. he didn't wanna marry him. the thought alone upset his stomach "w-we didn't even present properly yet.."

"so what? The only thing missing are the cycles. the whole district knows that you're an omega, just like everybody knows you're an airhead."

"I'm not!" he argued, but Junpeke didn't care. He never cared about the hurtful things he said even if he brought Kazutora close to tears. "You are, that's why Lord Hanemiya doesn't bother with you-" he felt his eyes sting at the reminder.

"This place sucks" a sudden whirl of wind appeared in front of him. His bangs flew with the sudden burst of air as a boy not much taller than him jumped between them and before he could even blink-

Junpeke lay sprawled on the ground.

And Time stopped. Wild dark hair ruffled with the wind as the newcomer's fist was still raised to the sky. Kazutora's eyes widened as a puzzle piece clicked back into place. Odd, he felt so very odd.

It might have been eons as he stared in awe at the unknown boy, who had not even noticed him yet. It irked him suddenly, his mood souring. Why didn't the boy take note of him? Only when a pained groan from the ground alerted him did he blink and time restarted again.

Almost immediately Kazutora was brought back to reality. This kid had kicked Junpeke to the ground. Guilt washed over him for even thinking of such weird things when his friend was in pain "Hey!"

He stomped over to the boy before he could think better of it. He hoped the loudness of his voice hid the nervousness he felt for approaching him. This was the first time he'd confronted anyone.

But the boy did not react already well into his second swing at Junpeke's other cheek.

"stop it!" Only when Kazutora grabbed his arm mid-punch did the boy finally register that there was a second person in his vicinity. His back straightened as that rustic brown gaze befell him. He swallowed down the dense phenomenon of suffocation as the boy mustered him from head to toe. The intensity of the burning gaze and what was for sure irritation had him tripping over his own feet. Kazutora wanted to do nothing more than tilt his head or run away. He didn't know. The boy was too much.

The glare quickly turned oddly mystified "You're amazing" and Kazutora dropped his hold on him, baffled at the sudden switch of emotions.

He couldn't contemplate that thought for long before the wind was knocked out of him and he, too found himself kissing the cobblestone floor. His cheek throbbed with a familiar sting and the taste of blood in his mouth as he tried to regain his bearings. Distantly, as the ringing subsided he could hear fearful footsteps of someone running off. For a moment he thought, the foreign boy had bolted after realizing what he had done only for that idea to be dashed as quickly.

"then you're my opponent now!"

Kazutora blinked at the grinning boy before his eyes narrowed in realization. He'd hit him… He'd just punched Kazutora in the face- what was wrong with him!

Before he could yell the boy was already speaking again looking behind himself "Would you look at that your stupid friend abandoned you"

The words died in his throat as Kazutora's head whirled to the spot Junpeke had just lay in to find it deserted.

A pit in his stomach formed as he learned that the boy was right. Junpeke had abandoned him. He hadn't even tried to help Kazutora at all. His teeth clenched in frustration as he stared at the ground with unshed tears.

"This island is nothing but a prissy bunch of sheep running when the wolf comes" the boy smugly declared before turning to him curiously. Kazutora wanted to hit him "say do your friends always abandon you like this?"

"You've got it wrong!" He yelled in a fit of rage before he knew it he was already up and punching the other in retaliation. His knuckles hurt painfully, he'd definitely done it wrong. But somehow it felt good as well. He could feel himself almost smile, his breath still heavy. The situation didn't feel as frustrating anymore and anyway, the strange boy had asked for it with his rude behavior.

He couldn't hold onto that thought for long before another punch landed on his other cheek. His head snapped to the opposite side with the force of it.

The boy was grinning all the wider when his eyes trailed back to him. All sharp canines now. Kazutora could feel goosebumps littering his skin in anticipation at the challenge "Careful. Your true face is showing, kitty"

That's it, Kazutora saw red and immediately charged at the asshole, tackling him to the ground. "I'm not!"

"Eh?" The boy smugly replied "You're not what?"

"a.. a kitty!" he yelled in indignation with a kick the boy quickly dodged with another cocky grin "Coulda fooled me" and went for his own attack that Kazutora barely got away from.

"What are you, if not a kitty" the boy asked with genuine curiosity that made him stumble. Nobody asked him for his opinion before. For a moment he was stumped.

Kazutora remembered how the boy had called himself a wolf as his eyes zeroed in on the stitched emblem on his tailored shirt. Somehow it fit the boy as he thought back on the matching pair of teeth. But it didn't fit Kazutora. He frowned.

"A tiger. I am a tiger" he announced with an upturned nose like the adults did when answering obvious questions because he was mature now. He was seven after all and at seven he could not be childish like this stupid asshole. "Oh~ I like it, although you're more of a little cub right now, aren't you?"

The smile slipped from his face as his blood boiled once more. He was going to make this boy eat dirt if it was the last thing he did.

He charged at him with an angry roar. The sun stood high in the sky as merciless kicks and scratches were exchanged, no decorum for etiquette to spare as a battle for the ages ensued. No surface had been left unscratched or hair unpulled. It was anything but dignified or graceful. It was wonderful, it was—

—

—

—

a mistake.

He groaned. Everything hurt. His face ached more than ever. He was going to be in a lot of trouble he thought distantly, but that wasn't important.

What was though was the fact that Kazutora had not won. Worse even, he pursed his lips, his eyes stinging with bitter defeat.

Of course, Kazutora lost miserably. He was anything but a fighter and the dark-haired boy was clearly much more skilled than anyone Kazutora had met so far. It had been an unfair setup from the beginning he thought spitefully.

He sat there on the dusty ground, the new clothes Nanny had made him wear for the special occasion now ruined. This was his worst birthday yet, he thought holding his throbbing cheek. He blinked his eyes several times to force his tear ducts to remain put. He was not going to lose and cry. He wasn't. That's what sore losers did and Kazutora wasn't one.

"You suck at fighting, and you're dumb, too-" Kazutora glared at the boy with a scorching side-eye for kicking him with words, too when he was still down from the boy's fists. "but somehow I can't hate a guy who gets beaten up to protect his friends even if they're a pathetic lump of sheep. But you're no sheep"

Kazutora's thoughts halted stupidified, he couldn't even react as the boy crouches down in front of him "Let's be friends, you and me…"

A warm breeze rustled between them, their hair dancing with the falling leaves and Kazutora couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from him. "with no interest" he tagged on and nothing short of awestruck, Kazutora's head nodded in agreement before he could even understand what he was doing.

Truthfully, it sounded like a terrible idea that was bound to spell trouble. But as if pulled by a string he didn't want this moment to end just yet.

The thought of never seeing the boy again was somehow the most terrifying thing imaginable. It made no sense. Kazutora didn't even know his name-

But one thought would not shake him. Maybe this birthday wasn't so bad after all.

Kazutora's lips formed into a small smile as the boy averted his eyes sheepishly "Oops I forgot, but my name is-"

"BAJI KEISUKE!" the sharp toothed boy flinched cursing under his breath. Kazutora's back straightened, too, holding his breath "You better not have started another brawl!"

A dark-haired woman who looked shockingly similar to the boy in front of him stomped up to them with a frown as she looked at them.

Just as she was about to speak, another voice echoed "Young master! I was looking everywhere for you!" His disheveled Nanny ran up to them, holding her chest as she breathed heavily.

"You know better than to just run off. Your father-" he flinched at the reminder, which unbeknownst to him did not go unnoticed by the tall intimidating woman, who was holding the boy, (no his friend, his new friend he'd made all by himself- he thought with a preen) in a death grip.

"I apologize sincerely. It seems my son here-"

"Oh! A friend, I didn't realize!"

"Ah, let's start from the beginning. My name is Baji Ryoko, me and my son Keisuke are here for vacation-"

"Oh my goodness, where are my manners?" His nanny bowed "You are the duchess of the northlands, I hadn't realized. It is an honor to meet you, your grace!"

"No need for formalities. I assume this young man is-"

"Hanemiya Kazutora, the son of the current Duke of our beloved isles" the woman recited.

"Mom, can we go play?!" the boy, no his name was Baji Keisuke quickly got out of her hold as if it was the norm, his feet excitedly jumping up and down.

It infected Kazutora as well. Both of the boys were now filled with anticipation as they stared between the two women.

"..I don't know, your father, young master.." the boy deflated.

"Ah, it shouldn't be too much trouble, no? My Keisuke is an excellent fighter. And they'd stay within our field of vision, so there should be no issue for a small walk around the stalls"

Ryoko knew it was underhanded since the poor woman would have trouble refusing somebody leagues above her status. But the boys looked too happy at the prospect of spending time together and at the end of the day, she was only a mother.

"Yes, thank you! We'll make sure to stay close! C'mon, let's go on a rampage,'tora!"

Golden eyes twinkled in the sunlight as he let himself be pulled along "Okay!"

The boys seemed to have lost all interest in the adults as they ran off to one of the stalls. The governess looked at the northern duchess in concern, her lips hesitantly repeating "…rampage?"

Her lips thinned, her eyes not meeting the waiting gaze of the southern woman, and cleared her throat "Uh… were you two visiting the plaza for the festival as well then?"

"Indeed, your grace." The southern Beta furrowed her brows at the abrupt change in topic "Since the sudden departure of the late duchess, I thought it a good idea, to bring the young lord outside for his birthday to distract him a bit with one of his companions, but somehow he must've left early.."

"Oh, I hadn't realized it was his birthday, if his father wishes him at home to celebrate, I have no issue-"

The governess's expression became pinched "No, nothing like that, your grace. You do not need worry, the duke has his own matters to attend to"

That sounded rather sad, she thought.

"Wah~ this looks so cool!" Kazutora held the sparkling light to his face "How did you do that?"

"Hihi" Baji smugly showed his hand as fire erupted from it again "I have Mana! My Mom says mine is special because I have a Fire affinity.. whatever that means" By the end his other hand was scratching his head in embarrassment at the mesmerized expression on the smaller boy.

"So cool~ I want to learn that, too. Can you teach me?"

"Sure let's go, but first we need some firecrackers!"

In the end, Kazutora was unable to learn anything. Baji sucked as a teacher and his own nature wasn't even remotely Fire, it seemed. But blowing up the Crackers had been a lot of fun.

They even accidentally lit a carriage on fire after losing both women in the crowd, which Nanny and Baji's mother didn't find funny at all when they'd found them with ruse-covered hair. But thankfully Nanny didn't tell Father so Kazutora didn't have to get in trouble.

In the late afternoon, Kazutora halted at a stall containing jewelry, fascinated by the pretty adornments. All the pretty omegas wore stuff like this. The one chiming when the breeze was especially pretty. It felt like he was listening to a lullaby he forgot the words to…

"Huhhh? what are you looking at 'tora?"

He blinked, for a moment he thought the small bell had called out to him "Mhm.. nothin' let's go to the stall with the bearded man over there. It has steamed buns shaped like bunnies"

And off he went, Baji kept staring at the jewelry, before whispering something to his mom who bit back her smile. Then he was gone as well, he didn't play about animals after all, with the other boy none the wiser.

But when the time for goodbyes had arrived, Kazutora had felt the rush of upset overwhelm him. He didn't want this day to end yet. But that was silly and Father would be angry if he acted like a Baby and cried.

So he bit his lip and held on to Nanny's skirt as they said their farewells. He felt terribly distraught as his hand fell back to his side.

The idea of never seeing Baji Keisuke again paralyzing.

"Mom, mom! Can we come back tomorrow? I have to show 'tora loads of stuff I brought with me! you're not allowed to say no!" Baji jumped up and down as he tugged at his mom's arm with a vengeance.

Kazutora felt a rush of happiness. Baji also wanted to see him again. But he was scared the boy's mother would get angry if he continued, so he could do nothing but nervously watch on.

Baji's mother only sighed before looking at Nanny and him as she addressed her son. "Do you even know if he is available tomorrow? You can't just make plans without asking first"

Kazutora immediately looked at Nanny in anticipation, praying she would let him. "..the young master has lessons in the morning, but he is free from noon until early evening if that is fine with her grace?"

"Lovely, then I let my Carriage pick the both of you up for a visit" she replied like it hadn't been her intention from the very beginning.

Kazutora was so excited, giddy he turned to Baji who was already grinning at him with all of his sharp teeth out.

Baji's mother crouched down to look at him, which startled him terribly. He thought he had been good today, but now he didn't feel too sure about that anymore as her heavy gaze met his.

"I heard it is your birthday today, little man?" He nodded stiffly, he tried to hide the blush that crept up his cheeks behind Nanny's skirt.

"IT IS?! why didn't you tell me Kazutora!" Baji gasped in betrayal behind her. He apologetically looked at him before his attention was brought back to the woman in front of him as she got something out of her purse, shushing her son.

"It isn't much, since it was last notice, but I thought you'd appreciate a sweet ending to your day" She held out a small yellow tart with a gentle smile on her face. His eyes started sparkling his eyes stuck to the dessert. He only ever saw those in the shop windows.

He carefully took it from her. "..all of it is for me?"

She just grinned at him before giving in to the urge and ruffling his hair. "It sure is. You better eat it fast"

"yes! Thank you, your grace" he bowed as he'd been taught and could hear the duchess coo.

"We've spent half a day together. Call me Aunty at least. All my son's friends do"

He nodded at her abashedly, too shy to actually say it. "Well then we should be off, are you sure you don't want our carriage to drop you off?"

"Indeed, our own carriage is just up the road. We shall see you tomorrow" his nanny took his hand and curtsied before they began their walk back. He could hear a shout of his name and turned around a last time to see Baji waving at him. "See you tomorrow 'tora!"

"See you, Kei" he timidly replied with a small raise of a hand. Baji's grin just grew bigger as they too began to head home.

Almost every day after had been spent similarly. A wolf and a tiger glued to each other's side in their endless adventures.

What had begun with Baji finding the oddest and most questionable things to spend their time with had quickly morphed into Kazutora exploring the most dangerous of spaces with a more hesitant Baji at his back, who somehow couldn't bring himself to curb the boy's sudden penchant to let loose even if it meant potentially dying in the process.

Somehow he doubted the southern boy even learned to fear for his own safety. He might be like a cat, but he didn't think nine lives were transferable.

"Look this place is so cool!"

"I don't know if we should be here, 'tora. It's dangerous"

"Don't be a scaredy cat. If anything attacks you can just punch it, right?"

Baji now convinced, nodded in quick agreement. Kazutora was right. Baji was super-duper strong "As long as I'm here, nothing will happen. I'll protect you"

That seemed to have been the wrong thing to say which he didn't understand at all "Hah?! I don't need your protection! I'm not a weakling"

"I didn't say you were" Baji frowned, confused.

"O-oh.. I guess then it's fine, but then I'll protect you, too- eeek" The boy's declaration ended in a screech as he lost his footing tumbling down the tunnel.

"-tora!" Baji jumped in right after him. They fell in a heap on the soft earth below. "you okay?!"

"y-yeah.. You're heavy"

The boy quickly stumbled to get up "My bad" and held out a hand to Kazutora, who uneasily took it. "sorry Kei, because of me we got stuck in this-"

"Woah! Look" Kazutora finally looked up to golden crystals lighting up the path in some sort of pattern-

He knew that pattern! He'd seen it in one of the library books "Cassiopeia!"

"huh?"

"It's the constellation of the Southern Queen and there-" Baji quickly lost what the golden-eyed boy was rambling about, just nodding along as he pointed at the glowing crystals as they strolled down the glowing path.

When the golden-eyed boy suddenly stopped and tilted his head towards a constellation level with them "..I don't know this one" and walked closer.

Baji felt a shudder as they neared it. "Be careful. Who knows what might hide there-"

"Look there's an inscription"

The northerners squinted at the engraved scribbling. "What does it say?"

But Kazutora wasn't listening as he stared at the words.

When my flesh and bone were turned to dust and the darkness welcomed me.

Let me rest in their embrace and let my -- be the last air that I take

No hell will keep me. I will return from the dust.

For I cannot bear to depart from my --.

My -- -- --. My --

"Earth to Kazutora!" Something hit him over the head. He whipped his head to glare at the culprit. "Don't ignore me!"

"Can't you wait?!" Kazutora tried to hit him back but the other boy averted his punch and held onto his wrist. "So what's it say?"

Kazutora pursed his lips in annoyance unable to shake his grip "so?"

"a vow! Now let me go-eek" The alpha boy let him go and Kazutora stumbled back from the force he'd used to pull away from his hold. "a vow?"

Kazutora wanted to deck him "Yeah, A vow to return from the afterlife"

"Lame"

"Why is it lame?"

"Nobody returns from the dead"

"They say the gods did" Kazutora whispered.

"Who believes in that crap? And even if- they're supposed to be gods. Only the living die"

"Don't be rude!" Kzutora reprimanded before his mind wandered back to the inscription "I thought it was romantic.. so does it mean you wouldn't then?"

"wouldn't what?"

"return from the dead for the person you like"

"What a stupid question. I wouldn't die in the first place"

"You don't decide when you die"

"Who says?"

Kazutora spluttered "Everyone! You can't intervene with Fate!"

Baji only rolled his eyes. But Kazutora held onto his sleeve before he could walk any further "So would you?"

"why is it so important to you? Would you?" he asked right back.

Kazutora's cheeks colored and he averted his gaze, letting go of Baji's sleeve "..you're right. It's stupid, let's just forget it-"

He tried to leave but the alpha boy stopped him with an irritated grunt "Would it kill ya to be honest? This is important to you, right? So don't just brush it off"

"…"

Baji sighed "I would" Kazutora's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "I'd return for you"

Kazutora's cheeks colored a cherry red as he pushed the alpha in a knee-jerk reaction "w-what?! Who said anything about returning for me? It's about the person you like-"

"Same thing" Baji replied unbothered as Kazutora almost hit his head on a crystal at his words. "But you have to as well" the dark-haired boy suddenly demanded.

"huh-"

"Let's make a vow"

"But shouldn't you make vows only with people you're very close to-"

"We're close, so stop yapping and read the scribbles on the wall, so I can repeat them, too"

"O-okay.." Kazutora answered shakily, still in disbelief as he read out each sentence, pausing so the alpha could recite them. He'd expected him to blow it off and say it was too bothersome at some point but Baji didn't. Dutifully replying the words of the ancient vow back to him.

They stared at each other for a bit after but then "That's it? I thought there'd be a cool explosion or somethin'"

"Are you dumb? Bad things only follow when you won't keep your word"

"Well then you better not die and leave me hanging"

"Maybe it will be the other way around!" Kazutora burst out before his own words struck a terrified cord in him clutching Baji's arm "I take it back. You're not allowed to die, Kei- I don't care about coming back. I don't want you to die at all-"

Baji's free hand found his head and patted him "I told ya. I don't plan on dying" as he reminded him. "Okay.. I hold you to it" he sniffed.

"Are you the ones I'm meant to take out?" they jumped as a very tall man with short cropped hair appeared through the dim light of the tunnel.

"Hah?" Baji immediately placed himself in front of Kazutora. "Who the fuck are you?"

"A mercenary" the man replied with indifference, his eyebrow arching as he mustered them. As he tilted his head a symbol seemed to have shaven into the side of it. It had an eerie likeliness to Toman's flag only this one was much rounder "You are sticking to this appearance?"

Both of them looked at each other in confusion before they shrugged. The older man sighed "Next time make sure to conceal your Mana reserves as well. This high of a level won't mask you even in the best of illusions. But whatever, money is money"

"Hey Kazutora think we can take this guy?" Baji suddenly piped up with a wide grin, his blood boiling with excitement.

"Uh, sure- wait, don't just run off!" Too late, the alpha was already off fist first. Kazutora quickly followed, he wasn't going to leave the first person who liked him behind and grinned as well.

.

.

.

"You're cool. The first guy I couldn't beat after Mikey. My name's Baji Keisuke and that behind me is Kazutora" They'd lost but somehow the man looked more disturbed than either of them.

"you're not with the Black Dragons, are you?"

"Nope," Baji popped the p. Another irritated sigh left the man as he palmed his face "Why didn't you say anything?"

"you looked like a fun guy to beat" Baji shrugged. The tall man suddenly burst into laughter with disbelief. He'd assumed his targets had coated themselves in a disguise. It had been the mana level. It was unnaturally high for both of these kids. Not even full-grown adults had the means to reach this much of a potency and here he found two the size of an infant that had made him work for his still non-existent reward "name's Hishi Kensho. I came here to take care of two former spies. Sorry for the mix-up. I cannot believe I wasted time fighting toddlers"

"Who are you calling toddler, motherfucker-"

"Kei, don't be rude." Kensho turned to the more timid one. It was refreshing that at least one of them seemed to have learned some manners "He clearly never had a mother if he walks around with his hair like that" never-fucking mind.

"Can you teach us how to fight?" Baji asked eagerly. If he learned the man's tricks he might be able to beat Mikey when he went back to Central.

"Hell no, I have a job to do" He got up and patted the dirt from his pants.

"Wait!" He turned to look at the wide-eyed boy "We'll show you where the spies are if you teach us!" Kensho blinked at the kid before a smile grew on his face. It seemed the soft-looking one was the more devious one. "you know where they are and only mention so now?"

"Kei wanted to spend time with you" The boy pouted and demanded again "so teach us." These kids…

"Fine then. But I won't go easy on you" He went into a fighting stance as the boys charged at him again, reevaluating the choices that brought him here where a fetus had taken pulled one over him.

The powdery sand was a soft balm for their aching feet. They'd spent the whole day finding the most outrageous of places to terrorize.

There had been more than one incident where they had been forced to hide from the city's authority (namely Lord Hanemiya's unskilled men) hence the aching feet. Kazutora had insisted that he was done for if his father found out which was kind of ridiculous considering his own Ma was much much scarier.

But he guessed it was because said Ma was playing extra nice with the golden-eyed boy much like she did with Haru. The favoritism stunk.

"..You think anybody knows it was us?" Kazutora's expression was troubled, his eyes darting toward any person who came too close when they passed them.

"The fire? Nah" Baji's eyes were stuck on the worsening frown. "Besides this was hardly the worst thing we did this week alone"

That made the boy shrink further into himself forcing Baji's own mood to sour "What's gotten your panties in such a twist? Nobody got hurt"

"..yet" He'd almost overheard the whisper. "…Nobody got hurt yet"

Baji's stomach churned at the ominous words, terrified of the possible answer. "…what's that supposed to mean?"

He watched with bated breath as the other suddenly shook his head and met his eyes with a beaming smile that looked both strained and unnatural. "I was just joking~"

Baji's frown deepened not amused by his antics at all "That wasn't funny. Your jokes are terrible"

"They're not" Kazutora defended.

"Just awful actually"

"Mean!" Kazutora shoved him into the sand lightheartedly "Hey-" and lost his balance when Baji tripped him in his own descent. It quickly dissolved into both of them laughing and rolling in the sand trying to force the other down.

"I win-" Kazutora grinned triumphantly when he finally managed to roll on top.

"No, the fuck you did" Baji argued but before he could pull him back down a notch he paused as Kazutora's eyes were stuck on something ahead, his smile melting off his face. Baji followed his gaze to an unassuming family of three playing in the shallow water. It wasn't anything special, both parents were holding one hand of the toddler each as they swung him playfully.

For a moment the only sound they could hear was the high-pitched squeals of the swinging child.

Baji's eyes turned back to the omega with furrowed brows. He couldn't decipher Kazutora's unsettling expression at all. He looked like he'd bitten into a bitter lemon as he glared at the three that were walking further and further along the shore. "Kazutora…are yo-"

"Baji, it's only you and your mom here, right? did your father stay back home?" Kazutora cut him off, the sudden change in the subject had him blinking for several moments before he gathered his own thoughts again "He's dead"

"Oh." Kazutora looked genuinely taken aback, as if the option had never crossed his mind. "so it's only you and your mother then?"

Baji considered the thought "No, not really"

"Huh?"

"It ain't just me and my Ma only is what I mean" he elaborated with a scratch of his scalp "There is Mikey, and Haru. We were raised together since we were in swaddles. And there is Em-"

Kazutora tilted his head, completely lost "..who..? Mickey?"

"Mikey" he corrected "he's been calling himself that since he's got a surprise sister"

Kazutora looked at him as if he'd grown a second head "surprise sister..? I don't think I understand"

"yeah, Emma. She always asks to play dolls which is kinda annoying. She only likes doing omega things-"

Kazutora's eyes widened "Omega?" he didn't know why the thought upset him so much.

"Yeah, Haru, too. But at least he likes to play cool games-" Baji had no business being friends with so many omegas. Would that mean, he'd forget all about Kazutora when he went back home? And he couldn't help but be stuck on the fact that Baji knew this Haru and Emma for much longer than he did Kazutora. His face soured, suddenly no longer interested in the topic "I don't care"

"Huh?" Baji looked dumbfounded "Then why did you ask about my family-"

"Family?" he hissed. "But you only mentioned all the great friends you had"

"I just told you we grew up together" he insisted "Ma and Mikey's mom go way back and Haru's awful brother is really good friends with Mikey's lame brother."

Kazutora waited for him to elaborate "We spend the second half of every year together in Central"

"Ah.." that made more sense. Suddenly he felt embarrassed by his reaction. "But does that count?"

"Why wouldn't it?"

"You don't have the same parents"

"So what? I get to decide who I consider pack, even if Mikey and Haru are really annoying" Baji gritted his teeth as their names left his lips. He still had to get back at them for the shitty prank they pulled before he'd left"

"You consider them pack even though they are annoying?"

"Yeah, Shin said that was what having siblings was all about" he sighed with annoyance "At least Emma and Senju aren't as irritating"

"Who's Senju?"

"Haru's younger sister. She's tolerable even if she did punch me that one time for no reason.." he grumbled.

"Ah.. so both Mikey and Haru have a younger sister and an older brother, huh?" Kazutora concluded.

"Huh.. guess you're right"

Kazutora began to count his eyes widening "Doesn't that mean you have six siblings?"

"No-"

"But three plus three-"

"I'd rather die than consider slimy Takeomi as my brother. Haru and Senju can keep that shitty brother to themselves. I prefer Aunty Sakura"

"You're just making rules up as you go!" Kazutora accused.

"I ain't. I told you I decide who's family and who isn't. And Mikey's mom is much nicer than my own Mom"

"So you have seven people including Aunty Ryouko"

"I guess I do" Baji shrugged. Kazutora didn't understand at all how he could be so nonchalant about it. He was bursting with the ugly feeling of envy. "You've got such a big family it's not fair"

Kazutora hadn't even been able to get his own parents to care about him and Baji was so very liked he could even pick and choose who was worthy of being his family. "I only got my father and he doesn't like me"

"That's stupid" Kazutora's head snapped up to the northerner to glare at him "you said he was smart, but he sound's like an idiot. Who wouldn't like you?" The words were spoken with so much sincerity Kazutora immediately averted his gaze in embarrassment mumbling into his palm "only you think that.."

"and only my opinion matters" he replied smugly. Kazutora rolled his eyes, his finger drawing swirls into the sand as the conversation lulled for a moment before he got the courage to speak again "do you think.."

"Hm?" Baji blinked away from his minutely slumber, funny Kazutora hadn't even noticed he'd closed his eyes. He swallowed, Baji had told him to speak up when it was important to him, so he tried again "Do you think there is a chance that I will have that one day, too? A big family like yours?"

Baji snapped out of his drowsy state, beaming "You're with me now, aren't you? And you call my mom Aunty anyway. I'll give you the biggest family you could ask for"

"Will that make us siblings, too?" Kazutora wondered aloud.

"Hell no!" Kazutora jumped at the sudden outburst before his face fell at the reaction of the alpha. The northerner looked at him with disgust and Kazutora suddenly wanted to cry. "You can't be my sibling-"

The golden-eyed boy's heart sank at the cruel words and quickly got up and he forcefully wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Eh? Where are you going, 'tora-"

"You're stupid, I don't like you anymore" He cut him off, stomping away.

It had been two days and Baji wanted to die. Kazutora again hadn't arrived at their meeting spot.

He knew the boy was upset. But he didn't understand why!

He muffled his frustration into the cushions of the sofa as a shadow cast over him "Still moping, eh?"

"go away, Ma" he grumbled.

"okay.. then that means I will have to entertain our guests at tea all by my lonesome" she bemoaned dramatically. Baji raised his head in suspicion. His mom didn't have any friends in the Isles for her to call guests over. "Who..?"

A maid stepped into the door "The young Lord and his governess have arrived"

Baji was off the couch and out the door before the maid had gotten the chance to finish, his bad mood vanished as the other boy came into view.

… right before it came crashing down again as slightly red-rimmed eyes caught his gaze, promptly narrowed in anger, and turned to the side with an upturned nose and a hmph.

Baji was ready to tear his hair out as they all sat at the table. Kazutora had made it a point to sit as far from him as possible and only answered when Baji's mom asked him something.

Baji's sanity was hanging by a threat. "We didn't get up too much yesterday. Was there anything you did, Kazutora-kun?"

"Mhm.. I invited a friend over-" The table shook with the force of Baji's palm hitting the smooth wood. "Who allowed you to invite strangers into your home?!" Kazutora had not once offered him an invitation to his home but here he was letting every idiot enter the house where his nest was. He was so angry he didn't notice the second before his outburst Kazutora's Nanny giving her ward an exasperated stare or his mother's far too amused one.

Kazutora's expression turned dismissive as he addressed him for the first time in two fucking days! "I don't have to ask for your permission"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!" Kazutora's volume began to match Baji's as his frustration, too rose to the occasion. "Besides, we're not family!"

Baji narrowed his eyes "Is this what it's about?! I told you I'd give you a big family" He could hear both women choke on their teas but paid them no mind, his blazing irises glaring holes through the other boy.

"No!" Kazutora denied, his face splotchy like it only ever got when he was angry and miserable "You said we couldn't be-"

"I said no to being siblings!" Baji could hear his mom cackle.

"It's the same thing!"

"No, it's not!" Baji insisted almost climbing on top of the table. Why did he insist on being siblings anyway?!

"Because you let everyone else be!" Kazutora burst out and it took him a moment to even catch that he'd asked the question out loud as the omega's face crumbled "but not me..why..?"

Kazutora was so dense sometimes. Wasn't obvious?

"Well duh, you'll be my wife" He could hear his mother howling in laughter, saying something about having to tell this to Sakurako. He rolled his eyes only focused on Kazutora's continuously darkening cheeks as he spluttered wide-eyed, looking to the others for aid only to find one adult almost falling off the table in laughter while the other looked at both of them in concern but otherwise remained dutifully out of it. "..s-stop joking around"

"I'm not joking-"

"Yes, you are-"

"No, I am not"

"Yes, you-"

They'd made up afterward. Kazutora had made sure not to mention pack or family again in case the other boy began speaking nonsense again.

Nanny later had tried to explain something about alphas and omegas to him, which he didn't really get, because Baji was nothing like the alphas Nanny described, so she just gave up and settled him for bed.

"Eh, Kei- I don't think that's a good idea-"

Three weeks into the trip, Baji was yet on another mission to let his ideas bear fruition."Mom, why can't Kazutora come with us to Central? He can go to the academy with me!"

"Keisuke.."

"We have so many rooms in our city house, he can sleep there or better yet he can go with me to the dormitory, we can share. And Kazutora said that the lessons he has here are really boring"

Kazutora hid behind Keisuke. Ryouko felt all the worse for being the bad guy.

"You don't get to decide that, kid. His family lives here and I don't think his father would be too fond of the idea of letting his omegan child stay in the capital" Kazutora flinched which both of them immediately caught on to.

"But his father won't care Mom! Kazutora says his dad doesn't like him and that he is really mean whenever he is with him, so why can't we take him with us?" Keisuke gripped his hand tightly in reassurance.

Her heart sank heavy at that, she had a feeling, that something was going on, but she had hoped for once her gut was wrong.

A butler came into the room. "Your grace, the horses are readied for the excursion of the young masters" Keisuke immediately dropped everything and ran out the door tugging Kazutora along with newfound enthusiasm, their conversation left in the dust.

"This kid.. Alright prepare some snacks and tea in the garden for them , I shall be out shortly as well. I'll just have to draw up a letter first" It was high time she finally met the Duke of these isles in person.

"As you wish, your grace"

In the coming years she'd come to regret that letter. If back then she had just taken the children and escaped District 4 right then, would the war have been prevented? Or would she have just kick-started it sooner?

A few days later she received an agreement, but instead of here in her summer quarters as she'd intended in her invitation, Lord Hanemiya requested a luncheon held in the Hanemiya residence.

Not one to be impolite, she agreed, and before the week was up, both she and her son were getting out of their carriage to be greeted by none other than the Duke himself.

The moment she saw him, her hackles rose. Nothing seemed off in his appearance. A straight-laced man, with perfectly fitted attire and equally groomed hair and face. He looked perfectly ordinary and yet.. Perhaps too perfect. Nothing in his presentation seemed to be accidental as if he'd planned it to a T.

It was unsettling. He differed greatly from the sweet little boy he'd sired. If it weren't for the same colored irises, she would have doubted they'd be related at all.

"It is lovely to finally meet you in person, Lady Baji" he took her hand to kiss her gloved fingers. She suppressed the shudder that went down her spine. With a tight smile, she returned the greeting.

"I thank you for hosting us for the day. I hope it was not too short of a notice"

It took her a moment to realize that Kazutora-kun was there as well. She was so used to him laughing and running up and down in her gardens that seeing him so demure and -her heart sank- frightened it felt like it was a different child altogether.

Her son, bless his heart had picked up on it, too, and decided not to immediately tackle the kid. Instead, he was shifting from side to side his gaze never leaving Lord Hanemiya, like a hunter waiting to strike.

To cut the tension or better yet to stop her son from potentially attacking the southern warden, she asked to be shown around. "You don't get to see a historical artifact every day and our castle in the Northlands. It is so different in architecture-"

She felt bored out of her mind, and she was the one talking. She thanked the gods above and beneath when they finally sat down for lunch.

"What are your thoughts on our monarchy Lady Baji?" She almost choked on her wine at the unexpected question. What an odd thing to ask.

"Well.. his majesty Mansaku only recently announced his coming abdication due to his old age. How his son will fare when he'll take the crown we are yet to see"

"Kazutora, why don't you show young Keisuke your room"

The boy's head immediately snapped to attention. "O-of course, father" he cringed at his slip up. His father hated it when he stuttered and by the look in his eyes, he'll be punished for it later.

On shaky legs, he got off his seat and took an unusually quiet Baji with him. Out of earshot, he seemed to gain back some of his spirits as he energetically asked about Kazutora's possible toys.

Back at the dinner table, the atmosphere turned tense.

"Of course, I am aware of those facts as well. I am rather interested in your personal opinion on the matter. We both are royal descendants of the First Kings before the Sano Family took over the lands. You have witnessed their recent failings regarding the different districts, especially the third and fifth. Dissent has gotten stronger, concerning His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who seems to be involved in one scandal after the other"

The glasses of the man reflected too harshly for her to ascertain his expression. She didn't like where he was trying to go with this, so she tried to choose her words carefully. "Not to mention the Bastard omega he'd brought into court"

Her nose flared "Surely it must be because the news has not made it down this far south yet. But her royal highness, the crown princess Sakurako has indeed recognized the young girl as her own. His majesty, the King too has legitimized her and bestowed her with a title, your grace" She excused his behavior in front of his staff to give him the benefit of the doubt. Though they both knew he'd not spoken so crassly due to missing information. She took a deep breath. "The order of the First Kings was so long ago, not to mention that the Kings before them were warmongering amongst themselves, shedding unnecessary blood of the innocent before they united and the Sano-Monarchy took over"

She took another sip of her wine "But to answer your question, I believe only concentrating on the recent shortcomings is rather unjust. To shift the responsibility of blame solely onto them, that is. We are the wardens of our districts for a reason. We govern ourselves with rarely any interference from the crown. That means that we, too bear responsibility for the dissent of the common folk" Of course the crown was not innocent in the famine of the Fifth nor had it responded accordingly to the spreading sickness in the Second.

But a king did not rule on his own, even if popular opinion differed. Advisors and Ministers, Nobles with deep pockets still influenced how the crown responded to the turmoil surrounding it. That was the somber truth.

She mustered her host. If she didn't know better, she would think the man was trying to uproot the monarchy, but surely she was reading too much into it. It was just a discussion. Nothing more.

"Indeed we are. But as you said, we do govern ourselves. Does it not make you wonder, if the whole establishment has not prolonged its stay?"

The alarm bells started blaring in her head. He was speaking of possible high treason. A strategist or politician would have kept their cool, would have remained composed and perhaps even tried to gauge more information in the name of collaboration before bringing the retrieved information upon their sovereign. But alas Ryouko much like her son was honest to a fault. "My Lord, you are surely not implying-"

"Of course not, Lady Baji. We are all loyal to the crown. Like our forefathers before us" the man smoothly cut in with calm.

"We are.." she tried to control her breathing and wondered how that poor little boy a few hallways down handled to be in such suffocating vicinity day in and out.

She'd only wanted to make her own picture of him. And now she was seated in front of a possible usurper, who'd tried to recruit her to his cause.

Even though it had been him that had breached the audacious, treasonous topic, it had been her that appeared more frazzled. As if she was blowing things out of proportion. As if she was the crazy one for her outlandish thoughts. She'd been in his presence for barely two hours yet she'd never felt more apprehensive.

How many before her had he lured in like this? With how many had he succeeded? How many were involved in this plot?

She had to get back to Central as soon as possible. Somebody had to inform- "Bring us the desert please, it seems our Lady Baji is not faring too well. I would not want you falling ill so shortly before you depart for the Main Land" he smiled pleasantly.

"..My Lord is too kind" she swallowed. A dismissal and a threat. His arrogance didn't let him see her as enough of a problem to eliminate immediately. Perhaps a blessing in disguise. However, that whim, too could change by tomorrow.

In his turf, she was by far outnumbered, and if anything happened to Keisuke-

Ryouko wouldn't put it past Hanemiya not to harm her child. She had to keep her cool until they were far away enough, or it might cost her deeply.

They had arrived back in their estate early afternoon and she immediately got to packing, telling her son of the change of plans, who of course took the news as well as any kid his age.

"You can't, me and Kazutora were gonna-"

She crouched down holding his cheeks "Keisuke I need you to be a big boy right now. I know I promised you differently. But we have to leave tonight" The last time the boy had seen his mother so frightened had been when he'd climbed up the wall. He'd promised not to ever make her this terrified again. Even though he wanted to do everything but-

"..okay" he relented. It was unfair…

She remained blissfully unaware of her son's plan to meet his newfound friend as she continued to organize their leave, expecting her son to stay put in his room.

"you're leaving?" His heart sank to the floor, betrayal burning in his eyes. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go!

"My mom… She's never been like that before. But she said we'd have to go sooner than planned" Baji tried to explain but Kazuotra could only focus on the fact that

"..you can't stay?" His bottom lip wobbled.

Baji shook his head for the first time since they met not meeting his eyes "No.."

"But you said you would not leave before next week!" He burst out as the first tears fell. "You're a liar, I hate you!"

Baji tried to touch him, but Kazutora pushed him away "Don't touch me!" and then he just ran.

He wanted to scream. He and Baji had made plans for the week they were supposed to catch fireflies tonight. Now everything was ruined because Baji was a liar. He hated him, he hated him, he hated him.

He'd bolted to the beach, the late afternoon sunlight was still in its full glory as Kazutora trudged up the small hill to the clearing.

He would be all alone again. Kazutora shouldn't have bothered to hide the bruises for their meetup. He shouldn't have bothered at all. It didn't matter anyway. Baji wasn't his friend.

Somehow that made him burst out into sobs. Baji wasn't his friend anymore. He'd leave and never come back.

Why did everybody leave?

His legs were hurting and so were his arms from today's lesson. Father had been so furious after Baji and his Mother had left. Maybe Aunty didn't like the lessons. Did she hate Kazutora, too? Was that the reason she decided to take Keisuke away from him?

It wasn't fair! He decided he didn't like her anymore either. She was a mean person for taking Keisuke from him. If she wanted to go so bad, she could have left without him!

He hated her, she ruined everything!

Baji only found him an hour later as the sun began to say goodbye. The omega sat on the hill surveying most of the beach. But he wasn't looking. His face was tucked into his knees, his body trembling through the cries that escaped him.

"..g-go away Kei" But Baji didn't listen. He sat down as well keeping a little bit of space between them, so Kazutora wouldn't feel cornered by him and then he waited.

Kazutora didn't speak for a long while but when he did, it was so soft Baji didn't know whether he was imagining things. "I don't want you to leave"

"I'm sorry, 'tora.."

Kazutora started crying again. "It's so unfair! You promised we'd watch the fireflies. And what about all of our adventures?"

Baji so badly wanted to make it better, yet he felt so helpless "I'll make it up to you! We are going to do it all I'll come back to visit! I'll tell my mom and I can maybe even bring the others. It's gonna be so much fun. I'll write you lots of letters, you won't even notice I'm gone"

"Letters are not the same!" he wailed "I'll know you'll be gone"

" I'll come back" he helplessly insisted, meaning every word, not knowing he wouldn't be able to keep them.

"No, you have to promise. Otherwise, I won't believe you" he spoke through a whimper "…you have to promise to come back for me.. no take backs"

"I promise, I'll find you. No matter what hell awaits us, I will be right beside you" Baji dug something out of his pocket, it was small gold, and shiny and Kazutora's heart stuttered-

Oh.

"Here, this will be my promise to you, so you won't forget either" Baji dropped the small bell from the stall back when they first met on his palm.

Kazutora looked at it awestruck before blinking up at the boy only for him to look to the side with embarrassment. "I was going to give this to you when we left anyways- Oooph"

Kazutora didn't know what to say so he tackled him into the sand for a hug before noticing something. "But I have nothing I can give you.."

"I'm the alpha, I'm supposed to give you presents"

He narrowed his eyes skeptically, sniffling "Who says?"

"Everyone" the alpha replied self-assured "How else is everybody gonna know we're getting married"

"we're not?!" Kazutora screeched caught off guard by the words as he'd been the first time. He didn't even know how Marriage worked. And he was sure Baji didn't either!

And Kazutora couldn't be a wife. He was only seven!

"Of course we are! You accepted my eng- engeg- agh! Whatever- you accepted my pre-marriage present!"

"You didn't say it was a proposal gift!" he shouted ears steaming ready to fling the earring right back at him before stopping himself and clutching it to his chest instead, unwilling to part with it.

"You should have asked, before you accepted, no takebacks, remember? The next time we meet, I'll marry you!" Baji declared with vigor.

Kazutora's lips wobbled into a half smile through his already spilled tears, sorrow still steep in his bones "don't forget, okay… you promise you'll find me, right?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? I'll always find you. You suck ass at hide and seek"

"It's because you cheat-" Baji's arms squeezed around him one last time "I'll miss you" and quickly turned his gaze to the earring, stubbornly avoiding his gaze as he picked it out of his palm to fasten it against his earlobe. Kazutora unconsciously stopped breathing as he did and only managed to work his lungs again after the other boy had flicked the bell one last time "You better keep it safe and sound" he cleared his throat and met his golden gaze one final time "You'll have to wait for me"

Kazutora linked their pinkies, grinning bashfully, tears still clouding his vision. His chest felt so light. "I promise-"

and broke into a thousand fragmented pieces. Air, he couldn't breathe—

I -- you

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I am not fond of broken --s

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let me get you inside and I'll leave- I --

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you --d

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I'm sorry for not keeping my --

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-- me, you won't do anything that could bring you harm

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-- me, Kazutora

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because I --d

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--, you'll come back?

His chest convulsed with an agonizing gasp.

Violently, water splattered from his throat. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.- His chest was burning, and he heaved for air that would not come. Make it stop- he whimpered at the pain of it, trying to get away but unable to.

Suddenly he was held close to a warm—, he shivered with tremors rocking his body, so warm- "I have you. It's okay, tora- it's okay now" The ache was so tremendous he couldn't help but cry out. It was as if his whole chest had been brutally cracked open.

His eyes felt too heavy to open properly. The thought alone had him digging for purchase. The ground was changing. It hurt. He was cold. It was all so cold. The pain was the only clarity in the dizzy paradox of time and space.

Everything hurt.

Something soft presses to his temple and he's dimly aware of voices speaking over each other.

"-ve to get him somewhere warm immediately"

"-my hometown is just up ahead, it's our best bet-"

He groaned in sharp pain again as soon as his body was rustled "Shh.. I'm sorry, it must hurt.. I'll make it better, promise-"

promise, the corners of his mouth twitched upward weakly. The string holding him together coming loose by fulfilling the once-forgotten word. His body turned numb as the pain left, his limbs turning slack. He'd kept his promise…

"you did.. you did" It was okay now. He'd been able to uphold his promise.

"..made m'..wait" he slurred, losing the sensation in his mouth.

"I did, I'm sorry"

"don' apologize… I did..n' ….mind" His fingers felt numb. It didn't hurt anymore. "I'd.. wait o..ver an'… over… f..or ..you" his ears abandoned him, too.

He felt lighter. The world was so far away now. There was no cold and no warmth. He mourned the latter as he forfeited them both.

And his hand grew slack. "Something's wrong-" He couldn't bring himself to listen to the voices further, the darkness slowly pulling him back into its embrace as

"Hey, no no no— Stay with me,'tora! please-"

his heart stilled with it.