The Scent of Pine and Pain
Hayate woke up in the forest, shivering. His simple traveling clothes were damp, and the ground was cold. The Curse of Reflection was his only companion—a dull, relentless ache of isolation and guilt that meant Neshuda was nearby and suffering.
He followed the winding River Tsukikawa until he found the entrance to the Mori no Kage forest. The trees here were ancient, dense, and dark. This was Neshuda's territory—the kind of place where a master of stealth could vanish forever.
Hayate, though weak, was driven by a desperate, pure-hearted resolve. He knew Neshuda's pattern. He scanned the dense forest line for the hidden cavern they had laughed about using as a hideout years ago.
The reflection is strongest here, Hayate thought, clutching his chest. The pain is so clear—it's heavy, fixed, and guarded.
Suddenly, the reflected pain intensified—a jolt of sharp, stinging agony across his ribs, immediately followed by the strong, sweet scent of pine needles. Hayate realized Neshuda was applying a herbal remedy to a fresh bruise.
He's hurt! And he's trying to hide the scent of his healing.
Hayate ignored the stinging pain in his ribs. He followed the trail of crushed pine and damp earth, forcing his weak Angelic senses to pick up the faintest sound of movement.
He found the hidden cavern entrance—a narrow, moss-covered slit in the rock face, perfectly concealed by a thicket of thorn bushes.
"Neshuda," Hayate whispered, his voice cracking with exhaustion and hope. "I know you're in there. Your pain led me right to you."
The Wall of Silence
Hayate squeezed through the narrow entrance and dropped into the small, dry cavern.
Neshuda was there.
He was sitting on a bed of dry leaves, tending to a deep bruise on his ribcage. He was stripped to the waist, his dark hair falling over his face. He looked exhausted, covered in forest dirt, and utterly beautiful.
When he saw Hayate, Neshuda froze. His dark eyes widened in raw, absolute panic.
The curse delivered the blow instantly. Hayate collapsed onto his hands and knees, clutching his ribs. He felt the crushing, physical pain of Neshuda's profound fear for his safety.
"You shouldn't be here!" Neshuda hissed, scrambling toward Hayate, but stopping himself before he touched the King. "I told you to stay away! This is dangerous! Qalvetta's men are everywhere!"
Hayate struggled to speak through the reflected agony. "Your pain... is my compass, Neshuda. I followed it. You can't hide your soul from me."
Neshuda turned away, burying his face in his hands. He couldn't risk another emotional wave that might kill Hayate. He focused all his master of stealth discipline on crushing every feeling inside him.
"Go back, Hayate. I am a monster," Neshuda whispered, his voice rough with unshed tears. "I am killing you! I caused you to bleed in the Citadel! I am your poison, not your Anchor!"
"I choose the poison then!" Hayate shouted, struggling to stand. He walked toward Neshuda, the pain in his chest intensifying with every step, reflecting Neshuda's desperate internal struggle to push him away.
Hayate finally reached Neshuda and forcefully grabbed the Guardian's wrist—the familiar grip of their bond.
"Look at me, Neshuda!" Hayate commanded, his voice tight with desperation. "The pain is real! But I chose it. When you left, Qalvetta destroyed my reputation, issued a tyrannical tax levy, and stole the kingdom in my name! Without you, I am just an empty chair! You are the only person who is absolutely real to me, and I deeply like and love you! I choose the pain, I choose the risk, and I choose you over the crown!"
The Storm of Truth
Hayate's confession—the absolute truth he had hidden for so long—shattered Neshuda's iron control.
Neshuda looked up, his eyes wide, filled with an unbearable mix of love, guilt, and terror. The truth of Hayate's unconditional love, combined with Neshuda's fear of the curse, triggered a catastrophic emotional release.
The curse reacted violently.
Hayate felt a flash of pure, blinding light reflected from his heart. He screamed, falling backward. This wasn't just pain; it was a total emotional and physical overload. He felt Neshuda's love so fiercely that it felt like his ribs were cracking, combined with Neshuda's paralyzing terror that the King's confession meant they would both die.
Neshuda lunged forward, catching Hayate before he hit the ground. He held the King tightly, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Stop it, Hayate! Stop loving me! It's killing us both!" Neshuda pleaded, tears streaming down his face—the tears of a stray who had found home only to realize he was the house fire.
Hayate was weak, but he held Neshuda just as tightly. He pushed his own healing aura into the bond, desperately trying to calm the storm, but Neshuda's emotions were too volatile.
"No, Neshuda," Hayate whispered, his voice weak. "This pain is the proof of our love. It is the only real thing left."
The Proof of Loyalty
The emotional chaos slowly subsided, leaving both men exhausted and breathless. Hayate was clinging to Neshuda, his body trembling, but the absolute agony was gone, replaced by a terrifying, fragile peace.
Neshuda, holding the King, finally realized the truth: they could not live apart. The abandonment had been worse for Hayate than any physical wound.
"I won't leave you again," Neshuda vowed, his voice raw with devotion. "But we can't go back to the Citadel. Not yet. Qalvetta controls everything, and your charisma is too weak to challenge him."
Hayate, recovering his breath, managed a weak smile. "Then we fight him here. Did you find the evidence?"
Neshuda nodded, leading Hayate to a pile of documents hidden beneath a boulder. There was the collected tax levy money, the forged decrees with Hayate's seal, and irrefutable proof that Henudra's network was still operating under Qalvetta's guidance.
"This is it, Hayate," Neshuda said, his dark eyes burning with fierce loyalty. "This is the proof that Qalvetta is working with a bigger, darker conspiracy. We have to take this evidence back to the Citadel, but we have to do it with overwhelming force."
Hayate stood up, leaning heavily on Neshuda. He looked at the collected evidence of tyranny and betrayal. He was no longer the heartbroken boy; he was a King with a renewed purpose.
"Then we stop being shadows, Neshuda," Hayate declared, his Angelic senses slowly returning, fueled by Neshuda's renewed proximity. "We find our own army. We find those who still believe in the true King, and we take back the crown."
The tragic reunion was complete. They had the evidence, they had the loyalty, and they were together again. But the curse was now a constant, volatile threat, waiting to explode with their next moment of emotional honesty.
They were two souls bound by destiny and danger, ready to fight the entire kingdom for the chance to be together.