The night in Heilen overflowed with a terrifying vitality.

As if everything hidden away during the day was laid bare the moment night fell, the atmosphere – which had merely boasted a refreshing liveliness amidst the lush greenery during the sunlit hours – now exuded a suffocatingly thick scent of life. The air, heavy with the mingled smells of foliage, earth, and water, was so dense it felt as if one could get drunk just by breathing it in. Even more so on a moonless night like this – the New Moon – when the blood of witches awakened.

With the air this dense, the old tales that Heilen had long been a sanctuary for inhuman entities truly seemed plausible. It felt as though if he merely stepped into the forest, he would inevitably encounter something other than human.

A pitch-black night without a moon.

His body felt restless. He felt as if he were intoxicated.

As Isaac felt the sensation of his blood being sucked away through his bitten neck, he thought to himself, ‘I guess I am slowly getting used to this feeling I thought I would never get used to.’

The sheer terror of imminent death he had felt the first time the Prince drank his blood had vanished. In its place, other sensations that had been buried beneath that terror were now coming alive. Amidst the languid, drowsy feeling of his blood being drawn out of his body, there was an inexplicable, tingling tickle at the very bottom of his heart.

The Prince, too, seemed to have grown accustomed to this blood-drinking on the New Moon. Unlike the first time, when he had to swallow for a long while before the agonizing frenzy subsided and his rationality returned, now, it seemed his clear-headed reason returned after just a few gulps.

Even now, after his throat bobbed visibly about four times, the rough, beast-like breathing had calmly subsided. Yet, even though it was obvious the pain had vanished and his reason had returned, the Prince did not pull his lips away from Isaac’s neck. He continued to slowly savor the taste, as if sipping an unbearably tempting, sweet liquor.

“The taste is exceptionally rich on the New Moon. Thicker and sweeter than any poison.”

The Prince, stopping his blood-drawing just before his thirst was entirely quenched, now murmured softly. His lips, still lingering against the skin of Isaac’s neck, tickled him, causing Isaac to shrink his shoulders. When he did, the Prince suddenly bit down on that shoulder, making Isaac flinch. “To think my life has come to a point where I’m waiting for the New Moon……” the Prince’s faint whisper brushed past his ear.

“Yes, I am glad to hear that. Since it is the New Moon after a long while, please, drink to your heart’s content.”

“More than half, no, most of those words are a lie.”

Isaac shut his mouth tightly after hearing the Prince’s words, which were laced with a faint sound akin to a chuckle. He had tried to sound sincere in his own way, but it seemed it hadn’t worked. This man really is like a ghost sometimes…… his intuition is startlingly good.

Isaac mumbled, “No, it’s really not like that,” but he figured the Prince had already noticed it was a feeble lie. Fortunately, the Prince didn’t press the issue. He simply bit down hard on Isaac’s shoulder again, hard enough to bring tears to his eyes.

A person with good intuition is convenient sometimes, but troublesome at other times. Clicking his tongue internally, Isaac suddenly thought, ‘Come to think of it, there was someone else like that.’

During the afternoon, the Lord’s daughter had come visiting. She used the excuse of looking for that perfume sachet. Saying it was a precious gift from her parents and that she seemed to have dropped it, she sought them out. Whether she had already given the villa’s servants a heads-up or not, the servants seated her in the reception room, said they would look for it themselves, and left the room. And they did not return for a long time.

There’s no way a sachet the Prince casually tossed out the window would be that hard to find, Isaac thought, but of course, he didn’t say a word. Everyone in the room likely knew the truth they were keeping their mouths shut about. It seemed the people of Heilen were united in rooting for the Lord’s daughter.

The Lord’s daughter seemed driven not merely by the ambition of elevating her status, but by genuine affection for the Prince. Standing before the beautiful scenery of Heilen looking down over the terrace with the entire wall opened up, her eyes, as she gazed at the Prince looking over a mountain of worn ancient texts on the table, were full of deep affection.

‘I have heard so much about how you are the hero of a generation who vanquished the terrifying monsters in the borderlands, Prince Kyan. I was truly curious what kind of person you were.’

Her soft, melodic voice was incredibly gentle.

‘Because you boast such overwhelming valor, I was certain you would be fiercely intimidating and burly. So when I first saw your portrait, I honestly did not believe it. I thought, isn’t it too much of an exaggeration to beautify such a noble figure? But…, I was wrong. The portrait utterly failed to capture you, Prince Kyan. I never imagined you possessed such a beautifully flawless appearance.’

If one only listened to the words, it was enough flattery to make one’s face burn, but judging by her sincere expression, she truly meant it. Her slightly flushed face was the very picture of a maiden gazing at her prince—a prince who seemed to have stepped out of a painting, no, who was even more beautiful than any painting could capture.

It was nice to see the face of a beautiful woman filled with pure affection and admiration, but……

‘……You had to come right after the New Moon passed…….’

Isaac grumbled internally. What’s the point of coming on the very day after the New Moon? The Prince’s condition is at its absolute worst out of the entire month. Even though Kyan had been much calmer during recent New Moons compared to the past, the New Moon was still the New Moon. Despite a beautiful woman sitting right in front of him, showering him with ecstatic praise regarding his face, the Prince looked as if he weren’t even listening. He didn’t even take his eyes off the ancient texts, which looked like they would crumble into dust if touched.

Watching this makes me feel sorry and pity her, Isaac thought as he quietly let out a sigh. At that moment, he heard someone approach his side. Turning his head, he met the eyes of a petite lady looking up at him.

It was the maid who always accompanied the Lord’s daughter.

As soon as they made eye contact, the brightly smiling girl caused Isaac to reflexively bow his head in greeting.

‘Is Heilen to your liking?’

‘Her name was Elie, right?’ Isaac thought as she spoke to him. Her neat and lovely appearance possessed a surprisingly weighty and unique resonance in her voice that caught his ear.

‘Yes. It is a peaceful, comfortable, and wonderful place. Don’t you agree?’

Perhaps finding Isaac’s counter-question amusing, she let out a small laugh. As expected, her voice had a uniquely captivating tone.

‘That’s right. I also like Heilen very much. I enjoy traveling and have seen many places, but there was nowhere I liked as much as here. Everything is nearly perfect……. Except for the fact that there isn’t anyone as handsome as you, Sir Guard.’

Adding the last part with a slight upward glance and a smile, Isaac replied smoothly with a practiced smile of his own. ‘Thank you. It feels like Heilen shines even brighter because of you, Miss.’ He was quite accustomed to the playful, flirtatious banter he often exchanged with the barmaids at his regular taverns in the capital or the palace maids he was somewhat friendly with. However,

‘I mean it sincerely.’

She erased her smile and looked up at Isaac as if slightly hurt. Isaac was caught off guard; he hadn’t expected this reaction. He thought she would just laugh it off lightly as a joke, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

‘Thank you. You are beautiful as well, Miss.’

This time, he answered seriously. Only then did she smile brightly again.

‘Thank you. But, I really mean it. Since the first time I saw you the other day, I thought you were very handsome, Sir Guard. That’s why my heart fluttered when I came back today.’

Having never really had this kind of conversation seriously, Isaac had no idea how to respond. Surely this isn’t a confession right now, right? Right, no way. Don’t get ahead of yourself.

‘Ah, haha, yes……. Heilen is famous for having many handsome men and beautiful women, so for you to say that to me, I am both flattered and a little embarrassed.’

‘There are many handsome and beautiful people, but don’t you think the person your eyes are drawn to for no reason is always someone else?’

‘I suppose that is true…….’

‘What do I do? No matter how much he tried not to drink the metaphorical Kool-Aid, it felt like someone was prying his mouth open and pouring it in. Has this lady really fallen for me? Is she testing the waters right now? If it were any ordinary man, his heart would have skipped a hundred beats by now. No, I’m an ordinary man too.’ …… Wait, snap out of it. They said she had four boyfriends. Recalling that fact finally calmed Isaac’s flustered heart a little, but looking at the girl gazing up at him so adorably, he felt like he might just fall for it even knowing the truth.

‘Speaking of someone the eyes are drawn to naturally, there is no one who compares to Prince Kyan.’

He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. He also briefly thought he should change the subject to somewhere else entirely. However, following Isaac’s gaze to the Prince sitting far away, her expression suddenly clouded.

‘That is true. He is peerlessly beautiful. But…… he is scary.’

 Adding the last part in a whisper, she faintly shrank her shoulders. The way she cautiously studied the Prince with a slight crease between her brows showed she was truly terrified of him.

‘Ah, well, there are certainly many scary rumors about him, but he is a good person once you get to know him.’

‘I must be really flustered right now. I don’t even know what kind of nonsense I’m spouting,’ Isaac thought as he mumbled whatever words came to mind.

‘No, I don’t believe rumors like that. The more words pass through people’s mouths, the further the truth falls away. So I don’t believe the rumors, but…… I am just scared of him for some reason.’

She whispered, shaking her head. Seeing her slightly pale complexion looking so delicate and pitiful, Isaac unknowingly reached a hand toward her shoulder before abruptly stopping. At that moment, the girl looked up at Isaac’s face, examining every corner of it as if peering into his soul.

‘That is why I feel more reassured by you, Sir Guard. If it is a guard like you….., I feel like even when that person becomes terribly frightening, you might be able to stop him……’

Her whispered words sounded somewhat like she was talking to herself. As if repeating it to her own mind, she then made eye contact with Isaac and smiled shyly: ‘I’m sorry, I said something strange. Please forget it.’

Isaac was a bit surprised.

She wouldn’t know the New Moon was approaching. Even though it was a comment made without much thought, it sounded exactly as if she knew about the pact of the New Moon.

‘I am truly glad to have met you, Sir Guard. I would like to get closer to you.’

She whispered. It was an incredibly sweet and heart-fluttering resonance. To the point where he wondered if a human voice could truly be this alluring.

Right then, suddenly,

‘——.’

Hearing a harsh intake of breath as if his cheeks were stinging, Isaac locked eyes with the Prince. At the same time, his heart sank heavily.

If killing intent were visible to the eye, it would look exactly like that. The Prince, who was staring straight at him with absolute indifference, possessed an exceptionally chilling aura.

‘I need to rest.’

The Prince stood up from his seat. The Lord’s daughter, who had been sitting in front of him, stood up hastily in a panic and called out, ‘Prince Kyan,’ but he didn’t even look back. Instead, the Prince turned his head, fixed his gaze on Isaac, and quickly walked away. Hearing the soft whisper of ‘Sir Guard, let’s see each other again soon’ from behind him, Isaac offered a light nod in return before hurriedly trailing after the Prince as he left the reception room.

It’s the New Moon so his condition must be bad, but he seems to be in an exceptionally terrible mood, Isaac thought as he gauged the mood of the Prince walking ahead. Suddenly, the Prince looked back at Isaac.

‘From now on, that is your place.’

The Prince said. And then, Isaac blinked at the spot just two steps behind the Prince. He didn’t immediately understand what ‘your place’ meant. Whether it meant he should stand two steps behind the Prince when he was standing in the middle of a corridor in his everyday clothes like now, or if it meant he was stuck in the position of a lifelong escort guard.

The Prince turned and walked without any further explanation, and saying he needed to rest, he entered the study, pulled out another mountain of books, and sat down. Standing beside him all afternoon, Isaac was left to ponder the meaning of ‘his place’.

“…….”

‘Perhaps that place means a spot where he can bite my neck at any given moment…….’

Isaac thought as he lay pinned beneath the Prince, who was bearing his teeth down on his collarbone. He was biting down just enough not to tear the skin, chewing softly. When the Prince’s tongue licked the skin resting over his collarbone, Isaac felt as though the person mounting him wasn’t a man, but a beast of prey. Even though he had said he would drink his fill, today he seemed exceptionally reluctant to pull away……

“It’s sweet.”

Suddenly, the Prince whispered.

“Is that so?”

“I wonder what the flesh tastes like.”

“…….”

This man is saying terrifying things……. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Isaac looked up at the Prince with only his pupils.

“You mean it smells very sweet even from the flesh.”

“I feel like it would hurt immensely if you chewed my flesh off while I’m alive…….”

“I could provide some anesthetic.”

The terrifying words kept escalating……. Praying he wasn’t serious, Isaac acutely focused all his senses on the lips trailing over his collarbone. The sensation of the slowly licking tongue felt exceptionally vivid.

Suddenly, Isaac reflexively flinched at the sensation of his collarbone being sucked strongly. Thankfully, he didn’t chew on it, but the spot where the world’s strongest flesh had been sucked as hard as if it were being chewed was undoubtedly marked with a bright red bruise.

“As expected, it is sweet……. I must have a taste.”

“Could you please spare me? Right now, the space is isolated by magic, so I can’t even tell someone to go fetch painkillers.”

“At least apply the numbing medicine next time before you tear into me. I don’t want to be eaten alive raw,” Isaac pleaded pitifully.

「Medicine for sale~.」

「If you have a wish, you can buy it instantly, highly effective medicine for sale~.」

“…….”

A massive shadow fell over his head. Three heads thrust their faces in, rolling their giant eyes that were as large as the shadow itself.

「You don’t need it?」

「Don’t need it? Don’t need it?」

「It’s a medicine that ensures you won’t feel pain even if your flesh is chewed off while having your blood sucked~.」

“……I need it.”

Since his true identity had already been exposed to the Prince, there was no need to hide his wishes anymore. He had only cast a barrier to isolate the space just in case someone else heard him saying strange things, and now it was just the two of them.

At Isaac’s words, one of the tigers rolled its massive eyes backward. The low, humming voice saying, 「Your second wish, I shall grant it,」 dug into Isaac’s ears. He felt something invisible rapidly spreading through his entire body via his ears. In an instant, his body felt as if it were floating. However, the sensation vanished within a second, leaving no feeling in his body at all. Isaac flexed his hands suspiciously, wondering, ‘Is it true I really won’t feel pain?’

“It would be nice if you could understand what those punks were saying even when it’s not the New Moon.”

The Prince, who had been watching silently, spoke up. Isaac opened his eyes into thin triangles and muttered, “It’s a hundred times better that you don’t.” He had to only say what could be understood within the space of this magic; if the Prince had understood the words those punks normally blabbered, either Prince Kyan’s stomach would have flipped upside down, or the punks’ heads would have flown off…… Probably the latter, though.

“I didn’t actually intend to chew on you and eat you.”

“…….”

You understand me right now, so you could have told me beforehand, what a waste of a wish…… Isaac thought for a moment, but then erased the thought as he looked at the Prince, who was lowering his head toward Isaac’s collarbone again, saying, “But I did intend to drink more blood.” Anyway, if he was going to get bitten and sucked a bit more, it was no loss to make sure it didn’t hurt.

It really is no loss, Isaac thought as the Prince bit down on Isaac’s chest with unusual roughness—perhaps because Isaac had wished not to feel pain.

“——.”

Isaac’s body jolted. A short gasp burst from his lips. The sound of that breath must have been uncommonly foreign, because the Prince stopped moving. Raising his head, he locked eyes with the Prince. Seeing the Prince stare down at him expressionlessly but intently, Isaac felt flustered. What is it? It’s not like it hurts……

The Prince slowly lowered his head again and bit into Isaac’s neck. This time, he dug his teeth in slowly. And Isaac couldn’t help but let out a short, tight, “Ugh.”

It didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation seemed to flow in an entirely different direction instead of pain. A strangely chilling, thrilling feeling. A sensation like his body was being languidly swept over……. It felt good. At the same time, his breath hitched.

“Ah,”

As the Prince sucked his neck, his body arched on its own. His voice, springing forth involuntarily, was hushed and thick. As if more strength was entering the teeth biting his neck in that instant, the Prince turned his head.

When the bitten neck was released, the sensation subsided as if it were a lie. It was like waking up abruptly from a dream.

“The medicine seems to be highly effective.”

The Prince looked down at Isaac and said. Isaac blinked and mumbled like a sigh, “Yes, well……, it’s definitely different from what I expected.”

This is no good. It feels a bit dangerous. It’s good that it doesn’t hurt, but this sensation feels subtly dangerous and troubling.

“If you have had your fill, I think this should be enough for today…….”

Isaac mumbled vaguely and tried to raise his body. However, mid-motion,

“No.”

The Prince’s low voice reached his ears. As he was pushed back down, the heavy weight of the Prince settled solidly over Isaac.

“I haven’t drank enough yet.”

That whispering voice immediately seemed to pierce deep into the back of his neck. The sensation of a tooth suddenly piercing through the flesh was strangely soft. The entire stream of blood being sucked out, then slowly swallowed…… all of it created a feeling of being caressed very slowly, gently, almost terrifyingly tender.

It felt incredibly good. It felt like his brain was being pleasantly submerged in warm water. Without realizing it, Isaac stretched his arms out and wrapped them around the Prince, whose body was pressing down heavily upon him. The Prince seemed to look at Isaac for a brief moment, but said nothing. He only sucked harder on Isaac’s neck. So hard that Isaac’s arms, holding the Prince, instinctively tensed with strength.

Feeling the chest filling his arms, Isaac thought it was unexpected. The Prince gave off a rather slender, lean impression just by looking at him, but holding him like this, his physique was much larger than he had thought. It was surprising.

“……I thought you would be a bit harder.”

Just then, the Prince’s lips seemed to move against his neck. The unexpectedly hushed whisper sounded faintly like a soliloquy, but before Isaac could ask what he meant, the Prince buried his face in Isaac’s neck again, and the languid sensation of blood flowing out resumed.

It felt good. It felt like his entire body was submerged in warm water, flowing slowly. Between those moments, the sensation of ripples lightly brushing against his skin passed by. This was exactly——yes, a soft caress.

The moment that thought suddenly struck him, Isaac flinched. It was because the Prince’s lips, brushing down his neck and reaching his chest, had touched a small nub. The moment he instinctively jolted at the unfamiliar stimulation, the Prince bit down on it and sucked strongly.

*Gasp,* a sharp intake of breath burst loudly from his lips. Reflexively, his body arched. Only then did he realize that his body had already become exceedingly sensitive amidst these soft stimulations.

“Ky,”

He hadn’t known that the act of sucking his chest could feel this distinctly sexual. He hadn’t known his body would heat up this instantly.

He tried to raise his body without thinking, but once again, Isaac failed to achieve his goal. A heavy, pressing weight was added to him. The Prince’s breathing had grown rough. The sound of his low breaths was like that of a suppressed beast.

His teeth dug into the skin above his chest. The sound of him gulping down the blood near his heart echoed loudly. The force drawing the blood, drawing out his chest, grew stronger. His tongue crushed the small nub. Strength entered Isaac’s arms, which were wrapped tightly around his waist.

It was like dreaming.

The sensation of blood rapidly draining away, the stimulation from the teeth sucking fiercely enough to cause pain, were all suffocatingly vivid, yet on the other hand, his consciousness felt like a dream. A dream where only rough breaths and hot sensations intersected.

Suddenly, a dream the Prince had appeared in came to mind. The dream where he had shared heat and passion with him.

His heart thumped loudly.

Dangerous.

He didn’t know what exactly, but the thought that this was dangerous deepened. He felt like he shouldn’t delve any deeper into this sensation. But to stop now, this feeling of being wrapped in a warm, soft current felt entirely too good.

The sound of the Prince’s breathing grew increasingly harsh. Contrary to when he sought stability while drinking blood, he was now sucking it greedily. The arm holding Isaac, and the hand gripping his waist, tightened with strength.

As if drawn by it, Isaac’s heart was also beating wildly. When the sound of his heart and their mingled breathing became difficult to distinguish,

“——.”

Suddenly, it felt as if sparks flew before his eyes. At the same time, his vision went black, as if something in his brain that had been pulled taut to the absolute limit had snapped all at once.

“…… Ugh,”

Isaac let out a short, powerless sound and went entirely limp. His consciousness grew faint, as if he were fainting, and his vision went pitch-black and dizzy. It felt as if a light shining as bright as day had been abruptly extinguished. The hazy, undulating sensations felt like they were scattering into nothingness in an instant. That was,

“……Blood……, not enough…….”

Anemia.

When Isaac suddenly went limp in his arms, the Prince flinched, raised his upper body, and glared down at him fiercely. Hearing Isaac’s barely stuttered, fumbling words, his eyes twitched in sheer disbelief.

「Oh my, you lasted quite a long time.」

「He really drank like he was dying. He was sucking it down so viciously, like he was trying to drain every last drop. Like a kid who’s starved for four days.」

「What do you mean four days, it’s been a week.」

「Why does the so-called Prince act like a kid who’s starving every day?」

The cats, wearing tiger masks, were chattering near his head.

「Does Manbang even have half his blood left in his body right now?」

「He has more than that left. They say humans die if they lose a third of their blood, but he’s still alive. Looks like he’s about to die very soon, though.」

“Blood……, give me blood…….”

Isaac forced his spinning vision to focus on the tiger and barely managed to part his bluish lips. ‘Yeah, I definitely got sucked way too much today compared to other days.’ Death by blood loss was imminent.

“Hurry up and give me blood…….”

「Blood for sale~.」

「For an unbelievable, rock-bottom price, just one wish and I’ll fill your lost blood right back up~.」

“Hurry up and give it to me……, I really think I’m going to die…….”

‘If I had even the strength to move a single finger right now, I would grab their whiskers and shake them violently.’ Isaac groaned internally.

「I think he’s really dying right now? I don’t think we can play around filling his blood right now?」 

While the tigers put their heads together and whispered, they executed his final wish, and only then could Isaac barely escape the suffocatingly hazy unconsciousness.

The dizzyingly shaking vision calmed down again, and as his head cleared, the hazy, dreamlike sensations vanished along with it. However, the memories remained vivid.

The sensation of his heart and the pulse of his entire body beating, the feeling as if warm currents were flowing through his body, the feeling of someone heavily yet softly tracing his body. And the memory reviving in his brain along with that pleasant sensation was——utter embarrassment.

‘No, perhaps it was more accurate to call it sheepishness.’

Isaac, leaning diagonally against the sofa, only cast sidelong glances at the Prince, who was watching him. He didn’t know what he was thinking. However, for some reason, he didn’t look to be in a good mood, which bothered Isaac.

“Um……, did you drink your fill?”

It was the first thing he said after much deliberation. The Prince briefly raised an eyebrow.

“My stomach is full.”

Not knowing how to interpret the nuance behind ‘only my stomach is full,’ Isaac was pondering when the Prince stood up from his seat. Having drank his fill of blood on the New Moon, the Prince always washed the blood from his body immediately afterward. Watching his back as he headed for the bathroom, Isaac finally relaxed his tense shoulders.

「The medicine was definitely effective, right? It didn’t hurt at all, right?」

「It looked really good. Do you want to buy it next New Moon too?」

「Medicine for sale~, selling cheap medicine~.」

“…….”

Isaac hurled whatever he could grab at the voices drifting toward the back of his head. The tiger, dodging like a ghost, flew to the side, hitting the wall and falling. Even though he had granted their wishes, they were making a fuss; this kid really doesn’t know grace, 「grr, grr,」 the voices grumbled.

Being left alone in the hall, his heart calmed down a bit. Letting out a quiet sigh, Isaac looked out the window. Though he couldn’t see the outside world right now because the space was isolated by magic, he could vividly hear the rustling sound of the dense leaves swaying in the night wind under the pitch-black sky.

Indeed, the air was thick. The atmosphere felt alive.

「It’s because the Great New Moon is approaching.」

The tiger lifted its head and flared its nostrils, as if sniffing the scent of the night.

「The things that love the dark are gaining vitality day by day.」

All things that move in the night are like that, another one said.

「It’s almost time.」

And the heavy words of the last one, sticking its head right next to Isaac’s side:

「The Tinderbox.」

「Bring us the Tinderbox.」

Isaac lightly patted that large head as if stroking it, and looked up at the night sky.

As they said, it was almost time.

No matter how mild Heilen was, time flowed here too, and soon winter would arrive. If he missed this time, the three cats who longed for their homeland would have to wait another seven years.

“How can I provide Prince Kyan with some useful help?”

Isaac muttered and thought about it. If there was one thing the Prince would be satisfied with. It was catching that wizard—the witch who had taken over his body. And Isaac might be able to provide great help in that regard. If only he had enough stamina.

“……The problem is that I don’t…….”

Isaac scratched his head. Even though he had finally acquired an eye that could see where the witch was, it was useless if he couldn’t use it.

But what if it was now? What if it was right now, on the night of the New Moon?

Isaac’s condition was at its absolute best right now. If it was now, when he was overflowing with more life force than ever before, he might be able to use the eye a little longer than last time.

Just how long would he be able to see? Isaac was gauging his own physical condition.

The Prince walked over from the bathroom side. Walking over and sitting down with water dripping from his body, he still looked somewhat displeased. It was a stark contrast to how he usually returned looking refreshed after overturning the room and drinking Isaac’s blood on the New Moon.

“……. Did the blood not taste good today?”

Isaac asked cautiously, and the Prince cast him an obscure look.

“Because you look displeased.”

When Isaac added, the Prince looked at Isaac for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, it was delicious. It has never tasted better, but…… something is lacking.”

There was a faint crease between the Prince’s brows. He looked as if he were deep in thought about exactly what it was. ‘Surely he isn’t going to say he wants to chew my flesh off instead of just drinking my blood next time……,’ feeling a chill in his chest, Isaac quickly changed the subject.

“More importantly, today is the day of the month when my life force is at its highest.”

The Prince, who had been staring blankly at Isaac, lightly raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I suppose so,” he replied, and Isaac was relieved to see his gaze turning pure with interest, temporarily setting his thoughts aside.

“How long do you think you can see it?”

The Prince asked directly. Cutting out the front and back and getting straight to the point, Isaac answered just as concisely.

“I won’t know until I try, but I think it will be better than last time. Anyway, since my condition is at its best right now, I will give it a try.”

Isaac sat cross-legged on the floor where there was nothing around. ‘With this, even if I collapse, I won’t get hurt. ……Now, what was I supposed to do to see the witch…….’

Rolling his large eyes while sitting silently and watching him, Isaac felt a bit burdened by the Prince’s gaze and the three cats surrounding him, and traced his memories. How did he do it before?

He thought he needed to see the witch.

He needed to know where the witch, the wizard, was. He had to chase them. Keeping only them in his mind, he focused his consciousness on where they were. And then——.

“——.”

His heart thumped and rang. He felt the pulse gradually quickening. Along with it, his eyes throbbed and grew hot.

Even though it wasn’t the first time he had felt it, at that unfamiliar and painful sensation, Isaac gripped his face tight.

His heart raced as if it were sprinting. His eyes were burning hot as if on fire. Even with his eyes closed, his vision flickered, creating a dizzying sensation. The area before his eyes shook so violently it was disorienting. His stomach churned. It felt like his eyes were burning up. It was as if his heart had been heated to the point of peril.

“Ugh, …….”

A groan slipped out through the hands covering his face.

And inside his tightly squeezed eyelids, an iwizard faintly surfaced. As if a candle were being lit in the pitch-black darkness, the vision brightened bit by bit. Even when it brightened to its maximum, the room remained dim, as if only a small candle was lit.

It was a scene seen through someone else’s eyes.

What was reflected in someone’s eyes, likely the wizard’s eyes, was visible exactly as it was. It was a dim room. It looked like an old, dusty shack.

This won’t do, Isaac clicked his tongue. They appeared to be indoors. If they were indoors, he couldn’t see the surrounding landscape. If he couldn’t see the terrain or buildings to gauge where they were located, there was no point in painstakingly trying to see them.

He didn’t have much time. A cold sweat had already begun to bead on his forehead. He could vividly feel his stamina, his life force, draining away like water. His consciousness blurred dizzily. He couldn’t hold on for long.

It would be nice if he went outside. What is he doing in this shabby, dark place where nothing can be seen.

At that moment, Isaac saw the man caught in his (no, the wizard’s) hands. The man being held by the neck by the wizard, as if being strangled, was a young man. A man who still had the flush of youth on his cheeks, having just barely passed from boyhood to young adulthood. That young man was glaring at the wizard with his eyes wide open.

Isaac felt his face burn, as if he had made eye contact with him. The young man’s brown eyes were stained with terror and agony, and not a single sound escaped his open mouth. And in an instant——the young man’s face began to shrivel. His face, wrinkling up in a split second like a dried-out mummy, was filled with nothing but horrific agony.

The young man was being devoured.

Right before Isaac’s eyes, the young man was being eaten alive.

——Hey.

He heard the Prince calling. The low voice sounded as if it were echoing from incredibly far away. He could tell the Prince was gripping his shoulder. It felt as if he were trying to pull him back to reality.

But Isaac couldn’t open his eyes; he could only watch the scene unfolding behind his eyelids. Cold sweat wasn’t just beading—it was pouring down like rain. His complexion was undoubtedly a deathly, pale blue.

His body trembled. His chest felt as cold as if someone had poured ice water into it. Goosebumps erupted over his skin. The sight of a person being eaten alive was unfolding vividly right before his eyes. The young man’s agony, his terror, his silent screams filled every corner of Isaac’s mind.

The young man, who had shriveled and dried up like a centenarian in a matter of seconds, only stopped moving when even his dry, husk-like skin seemed to vanish. Soon after, the white, exposed bones crumbled away like dust. All that remained were his clothes. As if there had never been a person there to begin with, the young man disappeared without a trace. In that terribly short span of time.

——Hey…….Stop. Open your eyes.

He heard the Prince’s voice again. The voice, usually devoid of tone or emotion, had become slightly rough.

Isaac’s body shook violently. His heart was overheating, beating like crazy, but he didn’t know how to stop it. He didn’t even know how to open his eyes.

He felt dizzy. He felt like he was going to vomit. His entire body was soaked in cold sweat. His eyes felt as if they had already been burned to crisp, black ash, and his life force was shattering and scattering.

Just then, his vision shifted beneath his eyelids. He was looking at a cracked mirror hanging in the corner of that dilapidated shack. The bastard’s face was reflected in that mirror. It was the face of the young wizard that remained in Isaac’s memory. The expressionless face slowly curled its lips upward. That smile, stretching all the way to its ears, was the expression of the wizard, not the witch. The one who had devoured a human to desperately hold onto his consciousness. That bastard——was looking right at Isaac and smiling.

Suddenly, his vision went completely black, as if a light had been snuffed out. He couldn’t see anything. All that remained was the sensation of his eyes being on fire. His body, unable to move a single finger, slumped onto the floor. His throat was blocked, making it hard to breathe. He felt like he was going to die.

A sudden wave of terror crashed over him. The thought that he might truly die——.

“ISAAC!”

At that moment.

As if pouring cold water over his burning senses, a cold, rough voice washed over him. Ah. My name. Feeling a strangely unfamiliar yet familiar sensation, as if hearing his name called for the very first time since birth, Isaac opened his eyes.

The world rushed back into his pitch-black vision. Unlike that dim shack, he was inside a brightly lit bedroom. And right in front of him, the Prince was looking down at him with a terrifying expression. Isaac remained motionless, his eyes open, staring blankly at the face before him.

He was a terrifying, massive man. This man, more terrifying than anything Isaac knew, was currently the only existence capable of firmly anchoring him like a massive, immovable mountain of rock. The only thing he could cling to amidst this death-like terror.

“——.”

Isaac reached out his hand without realizing it. He barely managed to lift his arm, which was infinitely heavy with all its strength drained, and draped it over the Prince’s neck. And just like that, he pulled the Prince into an embrace. Like a child who had barely escaped from a deep pit of hell, he clung to the Prince’s neck and hung on.

He could feel the Prince flinch and freeze right in his arms. To the Prince, who had stopped completely still without even a twitch, Isaac clung blindly.

He couldn’t think of anything. As if he had barely escaped the death that was nipping at his heels, he gasped for the breath that was stuck in his throat and clung tightly to this terrifying, yet incredibly reassuring man.

“…….”

The Prince, who had been frozen still, slowly began to move. Moving only his arms quietly, he wrapped them around Isaac’s back. It wasn’t a particularly sweet or gentle embrace, but those arms were solid, as if they would never let him go.

Isaac rested his forehead against the nape of the Prince’s neck. I can rest easy here. That wave of relief washed over him.

“…… Prince Kyan.”

That sigh-like call was closer to a soliloquy. The faint movement of his lips was the only sign he had spoken.

Yet, as if he had heard that sound, the arms holding Isaac’s back faintly tightened. Within that suffocatingly solid sense of relief, Isaac lost consciousness.