The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#4

Since the first time I came here, I have lost track of how much time has passed. Without windows, I couldn’t even tell if it was night or day. Naturally, my sense of time had faded.

Creak— the sound of an old hinge moving echoed. Soon, I felt the presence of someone cautiously walking toward me. Only one person could unlock the tightly locked door and enter through the unyielding iron bars.

Jersian Del Claude.

“……”

The blanket covering Kain was pulled back. Kain’s smooth eyes, which had been lying on one side of the large bed, crinkled. He seemed to be trying not to move too much out of consideration for the one who had fallen asleep first, but it was a kindness that did not reach Kain.

After all, elves do not sleep as long as humans do. Moreover, having learned to take shallow sleeps while staying with Jersian, Kain was already completely awake.

Swoosh— I felt a large body next to me slowly pressing down on the bed.

It was now night. I could smell the scent of the night that Jersian had brought in from outside.

Soon, Jersian’s thick arm wrapped around Kain’s waist.

“Huuh—”

I felt Jersian’s low breathing against my back. I naturally found myself nestled in Jersian’s large embrace. It had been years since Kain and Jersian had spent the night together in this bed. That period was long enough for Kain to adapt to lying down while inhaling Jersian’s scent.

Kain pressed his lips tightly together, feeling Jersian’s breath. He was clearly thinking that I was asleep.

Since the day Jersian had locked Kain in here, he had secretly come to visit every deep night and disappeared like a thief at dawn. As soon as he left, Kain would rise from the bed and look down at the clean opposite side of the bed with a troubled expression.

‘He told me to think about it… but does he have no intention of listening to me at all?’

It had been three days since Kain had slept together with Jersian, following his lead.

‘I need to say something.’

Thinking that, Kain slightly twisted his chin, and immediately, Jersian, who had been wrapping his waist and back, moved. He adjusted his arm to pull his body closer without causing too much disturbance. As a result, the distance between them completely closed, and it felt as if every part of Kain’s back was touching Jersian.

In that state, Kain opened his mouth.

“Are you planning to leave again while I’m asleep today?”

“……!”

Jersian’s body, which was enveloping Kain, trembled.

Swoosh— Kain placed Jersian’s thick arm, which was resting on his waist, back onto the bed and sat up. As Kain leaned his back against the bed frame, Jersian spoke.

“……Did I wake you?”

“No, I was awake from the start.”

“……”

Jersian averted his gaze from Kain’s sharp eyes. After a brief moment of contemplation, Jersian quickly got up from the bed and draped the coat he had hung over a chair over himself, saying, “I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep. If it’s bothersome, I’ll leave.”

“That’s not what I want to say right now.”

Jersian’s ankle, which was about to step out of the iron bars, abruptly stopped.

“You said you wanted to hear my thoughts.”

Kain stared at Jersian’s back and continued, “Are you just going to keep avoiding this?”

“……”

Then what should I do? Jersian did not give Kain a glance as he turned his back. He already sensed that Kain was about to make a decision here. So, for Jersian, there was no other way but to prolong this period as much as possible.

He felt Kain’s gaze directed at him from behind. Jersian clenched his fists and opened his lips.

“Then what else can I do?”

In the dark iron bars, Jersian’s voice filled the space between them. But this method was now at its end. Jersian lowered his head and muttered in a low voice, “…I just couldn’t fall asleep alone.”

“What?”

“Kain, I couldn’t spend time alone in our room without you.”

They had always been together. Setting aside the awkward engagement and the gazes of others in the family, Jersian loved Kain passionately. It was quite cruel for a partner with whom he was supposed to share his life to deny him in an instant.

“……”

Kain leaned against the bed frame, staring at Jersian’s back.

“…Anyway, I’ll leave—”

“Don’t go. Just stay here.”

What? Hearing that, Jersian turned his head toward the bed. Kain’s pale face filled his view. As always, his bright green eyes sparkled like fresh leaves on a tree.

“You said you can’t sleep. Then you shouldn’t.”

Jersian’s eyes showed a slight tremor.

“Come here.”

Kain’s soft voice seemed to cast a spell. Jersian’s legs moved on their own.

“Kain…”

Bringing Kain’s outstretched palm to his cheek, Jersian placed one knee on the bed.

“Don’t do this.”

He slightly turned his head and pressed his lips against Kain’s palm. He felt the bed shift under his weight.

“What?”

Kain asked as he embraced Jersian.

“I’m misunderstanding. If you’re going to leave me anyway, don’t be so kind.”

Jersian whispered that and spread Kain’s arms, lowering his body into his embrace.

“…Even if you act this sweetly, I have no intention of letting you go from here.”

Jersian’s voice echoed from within Kain’s arms.

“Is that so? I’ll keep that in mind.”

He never thought that such a small thing would break Jersian’s stubbornness.

Holding him like this reminded him of the past. Not the large-bodied Jersian of now, but a younger and more fragile boy. Kain hugged the large Jersian on the bed and gently stroked his head.

Then, Jersian, who had been quietly nestled in his arms, lifted his head and looked at Kain’s soft smile with dissatisfaction.

“You’re thinking about the past again, aren’t you?”

Jersian didn’t particularly like talking about his childhood. He had always waited to grow up quickly, saying that he was smaller than Kain in height and build.

“In the past, you fit completely in my arms.”

He was indeed thinking of the younger days. Jersian frowned slightly and glared at Kain’s face.

“……”

“If I hold you like this, I can’t help but think of those times. You were so cute. I could never predict how you would react.”

“…I like now much more.”

Jersian murmured while hugging Kain’s relatively thin waist compared to his broad chest.

“Now I can protect you on my own. I won’t be helpless like before.”

“Are you still worried about that?”

For a moment, Jersian fell silent and slowly raised his head. Still? For Jersian, ‘that incident’ was something he could never forget as long as he lived. He looked at Kain’s painfully white face and replied, “…Of course.”

Jersian’s red eyes were directed at Kain’s dark hair, which was the same color as his own. In his eyes, there was still a faint sense of guilt toward Kain.

Black hair. It was proof that he had broken the rules of the elves. Kain Starchis was a cursed elf. If Jersian had been as strong as he was now back then, Kain would never have been cursed.

Kain sensed what Jersian was thinking. However, unlike Jersian, he was not bound by the past.

“You don’t need to feel guilty.”

Kain looked at Jersian with pity and continued, “What happened to me is not because you were weak. This is… just the result of the choices I made.”

In fact, Kain did not fall into deep despair over breaking the rules of the elves. Of course, it was hard to adapt at first. The absence of the voices of nature he had heard and grown up with, and the sight of the chattering spirits was a shocking change for Kain as well. However, he did not regret that choice.

“I can never return to Fiokhim again.”

Jersian seemed to be sad for Kain instead.

“That’s right.”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Jersian looked at Kain’s face and asked, “If you leave, where were you planning to go? Not the Fiokhim Mountains. You don’t really like the human realm that much, do you?”

“…I was looking for a place where I could be alone.”

A place to be alone. Jersian, who was looking down at Kain, furrowed his brow. He was still filled with thoughts of leaving.

“Why not just stay here with me? If you dislike this mansion, you can find a quiet place to live. You can build high walls so that no one can come and go. You can have everything you want—”

“That won’t do.”

Kain’s clear voice interrupted Jersian’s words.

“Jersian. I really can’t do that. I’m sorry, but I can no longer stay by your side. I no longer have the right to be with you, who is not my destined partner. From the beginning… we might not have been meant to meet.”

“Right?”

Jersian’s red eyes sparkled.

“I want you to stay. Who decides the right to stay by my side? The World Tree that reveals fate? That kind of thing has long since burned away. If that’s the case, then I can just give you that right, can’t I? You love me too, right? Huh?”

Jersian leaned his full weight onto Kain below him and fiercely grabbed his shoulder.

Ugh, with that strong force, Kain twisted his body and spoke. Jersian’s excited eyes shone brightly. It seemed that communication was not going to work.

“What… let go of this!”

But Jersian’s thick arms did not release him.

“Jersian!”

“I don’t want to. Why should I listen to you when you won’t listen to me?”

Instead, Jersian said that and began to tug at the buttons of Kain’s outer garment.