…… Wake up! …… WAKE UP, ISAAC!

A faint, raspy sound, like sand scraping together, suddenly pierced his ears with ringing clarity. The urgent shouts seemed laced with the sharp, panicked cries of the cats.

Sensing a sudden, icy presence, Isaac snapped his eyes open. The instant he saw a gleaming blade plunging toward his head from above, he rolled aside on pure reflex. As he threw himself across the dirt, the sword sank deep into the bed of grass where he had been lying only a fraction of a second prior.

Staring at the glinting blade in the darkness, Isaac scrambled to push himself up, but a heavy, rushing sound tore through the air behind him. He threw himself sideways, but he was a fraction of a second too late.

“Ugh——.”

A searing pain tore through his thigh, making his vision momentarily blur. But with no time to examine the wound, Isaac bolted toward the largest tree nearby. In those brief few strides, sharp weapons whistled past him twice more, lightly grazing his skin.

Slipping beneath the sprawling roots of the massive tree, Isaac pressed his back against the trunk. Having secured his rear from attack, he shifted his eyes to survey the men standing against the backdrop of the pitch-black forest.

In the dim light of the dying campfire, the massive, flickering shadows numbered 4…… no, 5.

“Ha, you dodge pretty well, don’t you? But you might have been better off if you hadn’t. Dying quickly would have been a mercy. But since things have turned out like this, we have orders from our Master to take you alive.”

Isaac recognized the face of the man stepping forward, twirling a massive battle-axe as easily as if it were a toy. It was one of Roberni’s lackeys who had ambushed him earlier that evening right after he entered the mountains.

He was likely the leader among them, and he had been the most difficult opponent to shake off earlier. They had tracked him down after all.

“But since the Master said you only need to be breathing—and that we can hack off your limbs if we have to—keeping you alive won’t be much of a challenge. Even if you are the legendary ghost who slaughtered over a dozen of our comrades in one night without leaving a single trace.”

The man chuckled. Behind him, Isaac saw another man launch a flare into the sky. More of their comrades would surely be stationed nearby.

Considering how relentlessly they had pursued him all the way from Heilen to this mountain range, it seemed Roberni had mobilized every spare hand he possessed. Having lost so many subordinates, and having sacrificed the daughter he once valued above life itself, the man was clearly driven mad by vengeance.

Isaac lowered his gaze to inspect his thigh. The pain was too dull and numb to accurately assess, and it was too dark to see clearly, but his leg was rapidly becoming drenched in blood. The gash was incredibly deep. Of all places, it had to be my leg.

“……, Well, how generous of your Master to at least spare my life. It’s truly comforting.”

Isaac managed a bitter smile, cold sweat trickling down his face. The man swinging the axe raised a thick eyebrow.

“Hah, indeed, a fellow who serves a monster of a master is bound to have some backbone. I suppose you’ve watched so many people get slaughtered that you don’t even flinch when it’s your turn to lose your head?”

“——.”

Isaac fell silent, the bitter smile remaining fixed on his face.

The man knew Isaac was the prince’s guard. And he also knew that the actual culprit who had been executing Roberni’s faction was the prince himself.

Knowing all of this, this man had to be a high-ranking officer within Roberni’s syndicate, and judging by his formidable axe-handling, he was going to be an incredibly tough opponent. The fact that he had approached so stealthily while Isaac slept was proof enough. This was dangerous—far past ‘difficult.’

“Did you really think you could slaughter over a dozen of our men in one go and keep it hidden forever? Heaven isn’t that blind.”

The man advanced slowly. Abruptly cutting off his chuckle, he swung his arm. Isaac barely avoided the heavy axe blade as it came hurtling down at terrifying speed. As the weapon bit deep into the tree trunk, another man who had sneaked up beside him lunged with a sword. Isaac parried the strike in a flurry, and the second attacker backed away with a mocking laugh.

Like predators playing with a cornered rat, they circled him. Isaac quietly assessed the area, testing how much weight his severely injured leg could support.

“Trying to run? Well, I suppose escaping this is child’s play for a ghost who slaughtered so many of our men without ever getting caught, eh?”

The man sneered, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in close.

“You should have chosen your master more wisely. Why on earth did you stay beside such a monster, only to end up taking the fall for him, huh…..?”

Clicking his tongue with mock pity, the man suddenly unleashed a lightning-fast swing. The heavy blade whistled inches above Isaac’s head as he ducked. The man smirked, watching the cold sweat drenching Isaac’s face.

“Don’t worry, we won’t kill you just yet. Our Master is on his way here, and he gave strict orders to keep you breathing until he arrives. Though, as I said, we’re free to sever your limbs. You’ll die a death so agonizing you’ll curse the day you were born, but the Master has a shred of mercy left—he’ll send your corpse back to your precious prince. You must be thrilled that you’ll get to return to your master even as a corpse.”

Clutching his bleeding thigh, Isaac stared back with a pale face before letting out a soft, faint laugh.

“…… So even after his subordinates were slaughtered and his precious daughter was killed, he still didn’t have the guts to take revenge on the culprit himself? All he could do was vent his anger on others and make a spectacle of it to intimidate people…..? My, how truly ‘brave’ and ‘noble’ of him. Truly admirable.”

The moment Isaac finished his weak murmur, the smirk vanished from the leader’s face. His expression contorting into a vicious scowl, he roared, “You motherfuck——!” as he raised his axe. In that exact instant, Isaac lunged forward, throwing his entire weight directly into the man. Simultaneously, the other men brandished their weapons and charged.

“——.”

Sharp blades grazed Isaac’s back, shoulders, and legs. Some merely scratched his skin, while others sliced deep.

There was no other way. He had no choice but to take the cuts and run. His only focus was to avoid a fatal blow.

Isaac, grabbing the arm of the axe-wielding leader, shoved him hard against a nearby boulder, slamming his head against the stone. He bolted through the gap in their ranks. He had always been confident in his ability to escape, but his sluggish, injured leg made every step an agonizing struggle. In the chaos, a sword sliced deep into his waist.

“You piece of shit!”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The men pursued him with feral rage. Barely evading their reaching hands, Isaac sprinted into the darkness. The only thing that could aid him now was the thick underbrush, the dense canopy of trees, and the pitch-black shadows of the mountain. The men were running barely a step behind him. The gap refused to widen. His lungs burned, his breath catching in his throat.

He had never lost a race before. Then again, if the other guards saw him running like this while covered in stab wounds, they’d probably click their tongues and call him a stubborn bastard. Even in this life-or-death situation, thinking of his fellow guards brought a faint smile to his lips.

“I actually kind of miss them,” he muttered. As he ran, some of the pursuers fell behind, leaving only two hot on his trail. He had completely lost his bearings in the dark.

‘Damn it, I can’t shake this last step.’ He couldn’t even dare to look back at the ragged breathing right behind him. The moment he turned his head, he would be caught.

‘Is this it? Is this where it ends? I guess it was too much after all.’ His throat burned, his thigh felt completely dead, and every wound across his body screamed in agony. ‘Maybe letting them catch me would be easier……’ Yet despite the thought, Isaac didn’t stop. “YOU FUCKING PIGHEADED BASTARD!” a curse echoed from behind. The insult reminded him of his fellow guards again, and he let out a weak chuckle.

Then again, no matter how wicked these men are, they must have been devastated to lose so many of their comrades in one fell swoop. ‘No one is entirely evil to everyone……’ Just as that thought flashed through Isaac’s mind.

Right then, his foot caught on something. He thought he had tripped on a root or a stone or something. Just as he was about to head toward the village,

「I wonder if there’s anything delicious over there?」

「Do you think anyone will give us some goat meat?」

「They all seem to be asleep. Not a single house has a light on.」

The cats chattered in their catty voices. At that moment, Isaac abruptly stopped in his tracks.

That was it. Ever since he first caught sight of the village moments ago, he had felt a subtle sense of disharmony—there were absolutely no lights.

Even considering it was the middle of the night, this was a village nestled deep in the mountains. One would normally keep at least a single lantern lit in the yard to ward off wild animals, yet the entire village was submerged in pitch-black darkness.

But it wasn’t as though no one lived here…… either.

The recently tended vegetable patches, the tools left lying haphazardly in the yards, and the clothes hanging on the laundry lines all bore the unmistakable stamp of human presence.

Yet, there were no lights. Moreover, it was far too quiet. There was not even the faint stirrings of livestock, which any mountain household would surely keep.

“……”

Isaac cautiously, with every nerve on high alert, crept toward the nearest house. As expected, not a single rustle could be heard. There was no sound. It was as if there was no one there.

How strange. This felt exactly like abandoned ruins where people had long since departed. Yet, the remnants of daily life left so casually behind created a bizarre, jarring contrast with the uncanny stillness of the village.

Isaac approached the village, keeping his movements as quiet as possible. Still, not a single sound reached his ears. No barking dogs, no rustling of domestic beasts. Approaching the house at the entrance of the village, Isaac tried to peer inside through the window, but it was pitch-black so he couldn’t see a thing.

On the wooden platform in the yard lay hoes, sickles, and other implements. Seeing a whetstone and a towel beside them, it looked as though someone had briefly stepped away in the middle of sharpening their tools. But when he gently ran his hand across the platform, his fingers brushed against a pale layer of dust.

While rubbing his dusty fingers, Isaac slowly grasped the doorknob. A bizarre sensation washed over him. It was a deeply strange, unsettling kind of premonition. Very slowly and carefully, Isaac pushed the door open.

*Creak—*

The rusty hinge let out a sharp creak. He flinched at the sound, but there was still no sign of life from within.

“……, Excuse me.”

After lingering outside the threshold for a moment, Isaac whispered softly and stepped inside. The house, which offered neither answer nor sign of presence, was dark, but after a moment, his eyes adjusted to the gloom, and the surrounding objects began to take shape.

The interior was ordinary. It was relatively clean and tidy, but traces of daily life were visible here and there: a bag set down by the door, dishes stacked neatly beside the kitchen sink, a cup of water sitting on the table, a slightly askew floor cushion, and various minor personal items scattered about.

Yet despite all this, there was no one in the house. Even when he cautiously peered into each room, he found no one.

With a bizarre feeling, Isaac looked around before heading back to the living room. Just then, his foot caught on something. Looking down idly, he saw it was a pile of clothes. Discarded on the floor, it lay as if someone had stripped it off and thrown it aside.

“Right, I need to borrow some clothes first anyway……”

Belatedly feeling the cold once more, Isaac picked up the discarded clothes from the floor. He lifted a shirt that looked as though it belonged to a broad-shouldered man and would fit him loosely, but as he did, the trousers layered beneath it fell limp to the floor. Peeking through the folds of fabric was underwear, and below that, a pair of slippers.

The garments were layered exactly as a person would wear them. It was as if the person’s body had simply vanished, leaving every single layer of clothing intact.

The expression drained from Isaac’s face. Clutching the shirt while staring at the discarded heap on the floor, he suddenly whipped his head around. Looking closely, there was another pile of clothes on the kitchen floor. He strode over and picked them up, only for a full set of women’s clothing to cascade down. Even a small ring slipped out and rolled across the floor.

Isaac stared intently at the ring that had come to a stop at his feet. Garments cast aside on the floor, with even the underwear and jewelry left entirely intact, as though the person had simply dissolved out of them.

Isaac knew exactly what this was a trace of……

“——.”

Isaac burst out of the house. He ran to the neighboring house several dozen paces away. It, too, was dark and silent. Even when Isaac flung the door open roughly and strode inside without even bothering to quiet his footsteps, no sign of life greeted him.

As he went from room to room throwing open the doors, he quickly spotted what he was looking for. Discarded in the bedroom were three heaps of clothing—including one of very small size.

Staring blankly at the piles of clothes, Isaac burst out of that house as well. He went to the next house. And the next.

‘Surely not. Surely it couldn’t be. There was no way.’

Isaac’s face grew stiffer with every house he entered, and by the time he reached the innermost house at the far edge of the village, his features were contorted as if he were on the verge of tears.

This entire small village. Every single soul who had been here.

“……”

Isaac leaned against the low stone wall of the yard. Unable to even summon a sigh, he could only part his lips in dazed silence.

A quiet mountain village of about ten households. In this place that a witch had swept through, Isaac was now the only living human.

When had they passed through? Swallowing up every living thing without leaving a single trace behind.

His throat felt so tight that he couldn’t even let out a groan. Isaac gritted his teeth and shut his mouth. His heart pounded violently. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over his exhausted body, threatening to bring him crashing to the ground.

But—

“I think someone’s over there. Is it him?”

“WHO GOES THERE!”

Footsteps approached from the entrance of the village. 3 or 4 men followed behind a leader holding a torch. When spotting a familiar face among them, Isaac gritted his teeth, spun around, and bolted. It was Roberni’s men. Recognizing Isaac, they began to give chase, shouting, “IT’S HIM!” and “CATCH HIM!”

What a horrific night. This was a true nightmare.

His unhealed wounds clung to his body like dead weight. The pursuing footsteps clung to his ears, refusing to fade. And the lingering images of the dark houses with only discarded clothes scattered inside clung to his mind, refusing to go away.

Perhaps due to his violently pounding heart, the breath catching in his throat felt heavier than ever before. His legs kept buckling, forcing him to summon every ounce of his remaining strength over and over. Teetering on the edge of capture, the thunderous pounding of the footsteps chasing him just a few paces behind echoed loudly.

“Tch, slippery as a rat!” a man clicked his tongue in irritation. The sound of chase abruptly paused for a fraction of a second, and in the next instant, a stone the size of a fist came flying, striking Isaac hard on the shoulder. 

*THWACK.* The violent impact against his shoulder blade made him flinch, but he did not stop running.

So exhausting. This pitch-black night felt as though it would never end.

‘How much easier would it be to just stop running? Perhaps letting himself be caught by those men would actually be more comfortable. Perhaps……’

Though those thoughts echoed through his mind, Isaac did not stop. The concept of giving up like that was completely foreign to him; he had never learned how to do it. He might suffer defeat, but he did not know how to surrender.

And so, even when the blade brandished by the pursuer pressing right behind him drew close enough to graze the skin of his back, Isaac did not stop. Yet, just as he thought that he would surely be captured before long——at the very moment he gritted his teeth and resigned himself to his fate,

*Thud.* 

A very faint sound echoed. It was more of a presence than a sound. An incredibly soft——yet chilling sensation that spread through his entire body through his ears.

A bizarre, strangled groan that couldn’t even form a proper voice drifted past like the sighing of the wind. The footsteps chasing Isaac abruptly came to a halt…… A split second later, a heavy thud echoed through the woods as something collapsed to the ground.

Despite feeling those terrifying presences closing in, Isaac had kept running without looking back. What finally ground his feet to a halt was a massive arrow that slammed into a tree trunk just inches from his face with a violent thwack! blocking his path. A thick shaft, substantial enough to fell a giant beast, trembled violently before his eyes before falling still.

As Isaac stood frozen like a stone statue, the sounds of his pursuers drawing closer echoed from a distance. The comrades of the men who had been hot on his heels moments ago were now catching up, a step too late. Yet those sounds, too, vanished one by one before long. This time, startled cries and frantic shouts tangled together before fading into absolute silence.

Only then did Isaac slowly turn around.

Right behind him, the giant who had brandished the battle-axe lay dead, sprawled on the ground. A thick arrow shaft was driven clean through his neck. It was a heavy iron bolt, the kind commonly used in the borderlands where wild beasts and magical monsters frequently roamed.

“……”

Isaac turned his head toward the direction the arrow had flown. The dense, sprawling forest was pitch-black, offering no visibility. But through the dark, a steady, heavy yet swift tread began to echo. *Crunch.* *Crunch.* Soon, a tall, burly man stepped out from beneath the dark canopy. His rugged leather attire, typical of those residing in the borderlands, looked foreign to Isaac’s eyes.

He seems to have saved me, but I don’t recognize him, Isaac thought, watching the stranger with wary eyes. But in the next instant, he realized another set of footsteps was overlapping behind the man. *Rustle.* A foot stepped on the grass. A heavy, deliberate tread that made no attempt to conceal its approach. It was a deeply familiar sound.

The stranger turned halfway and stepped aside. Through the path he cleared, a towering silhouette emerged. His figure was illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the leaves.

“…… Prince…… Kyan.”

Isaac stared at the man without even blinking, whispering his name. From his parched lips, the name barely carried any sound, but it seemed the prince had heard him nonetheless.

Walking toward Isaac with an expressionless face, Kyan raised his brow slightly as if in response. But as they closed the distance to where they could see each other clearly, his expression froze into an icy, terrifying mask.

He slowly swept his gaze over Isaac from head to toe. Isaac was scratched by branches, cut and stabbed by blades, and drenched from tumbling into the stream—a complete, battered mess. Dressed in tatters like a ragged doll, and wearing an expression that looked just as ready to collapse, Isaac stared back at him.

With his eyes wide, as if looking at something that could not possibly exist in this deep darkness, Isaac stared at the prince.

Kyan walked straight toward Isaac. His steady, rustling steps quickened ever so slightly. His stride seemed to carry a raw, rough edge.

When they were close enough for Kyan’s face to be clearly visible, Isaac faltered. The prince’s features, frozen like an ice sheet, were terrifyingly cold.

Keeping his eyes locked entirely on Isaac, the prince closed the final few steps. Without so much as a glance at the corpse sprawling beside them, he drew his sword and slashed. The neck where the bolt had been embedded was severed clean through, the head tumbling away.  Arms and legs were hacked off in succession, as easily as carving through raw meat.

Isaac did not look at the horrific carnage. His eyes were held prisoner by Kyan, who was glaring down at him with a terrifying intensity.

“…… Why,”

‘Why are you here? Why do you look so furious?’ He had countless questions, but the words refused to form completely. Under the pale, bluish moonlight, those dark blue eyes were frozen with a chill that pierced straight through to Isaac’s chest. Feeling as though that blade might slash through everything in existence next, Isaac instinctively took a step back.

At that moment, a dark, dangerous light seemed to flash through Kyan’s eyes.

“——.”

Like a wild beast lunging, the prince grabbed Isaac by the scruff of his collar. He didn’t even have time to think of dodging. In the blink of an eye, he was shoved hard against the massive tree trunk, his back slamming into the bark.

“Urgh……” A soft groan caught in his throat. Opening his eyes, which had closed on reflex, Kyan was staring down at him from less than a handspan away. Eyes of a blue so deep they looked black…… So terrifying. He was incomparably more frightening than the men who had been chasing him moments ago—terrifying enough to freeze his very soul. Yet, Isaac didn’t think of running. Even though Kyan’s aura was so menacing it made him feel as though the prince might swing his sword and cut his throat at any second.

“Is this all you amount to?”

The prince murmured quietly. His voice was as chilling as his gaze.

“I never expected to find you in this pathetic state, unable to handle such insignificant trash.”

Though it was unmistakably the face and voice from his memories, Isaac still couldn’t quite believe Kyan was standing right in front of him, and he stared up at him blankly. Then, out of nowhere, he blurted out,

“…… It really is Prince Kyan.”

He had muttered the words to himself unconsciously.

The prince’s brow twitched as if he were about to snap, but instead, he stared at Isaac as if utterly dumbfounded and closed his mouth. The gaze sweeping over Isaac from head to toe grew even harsher.

‘Am I dreaming? A dream where I experience pain this vividly is rather unpleasant, but surely, unless this is a dream, there’s no way he would be here. I don’t even know where the dream began.’

Suddenly, all the strength drained from Isaac’s body. The moment Kyan grabbed him by the collar, his limbs went completely limp.

“Even if it’s a dream…… I’m glad you came.”

“Thank you,” Isaac muttered, giving a weak nod and a helpless smile.

Dream or not, it didn’t matter. It was absurd how his heart put itself at ease the moment a man far more dangerous than his pursuers appeared, but above all, he was just happy. He had missed him. Constantly, since they parted.

Kyan’s brow furrowed deep as he stared drillingly at Isaac. Watching the faint smile play on Isaac’s lips, the prince let out a short, sharp click of his tongue. In the next instant, he aggressively bit down on Isaac’s lips.

A heavy, familiar sensation crashed over him. Only when he was seized by that vivid, suffocating contact did Isaac think, Maybe this isn’t a dream after all.

“Swallow.”

The prince muttered quietly against his lips. Then, as if venting a storm of pent-up frustration inside, Kyan roughly bit Isaac’s tongue. He thrust his tongue deep, sucking and devouring his lips and every corner of his mouth as if he intended to consume him entirely.

Isaac swallowed the vital energy that poured in along with Kyan’s sweltering breaths. By now, he had grown accustomed to feeling and accepting Kyan’s life force. Isaac began to drink the energy flowing through their connected tongues. Like sweet nectar, the life force seeped into his near-dead, exhausted body. It was a flavor incomparably sweet and aromatic.

‘It’s not a dream.’

A sensation this profound could never be a dream. Even in dreams, his mind could never recreate this intensely sweet, rich taste. Nor could it replicate the feeling of vital energy gradually seeping into his tattered, weary flesh.

Yet, what gave him a sense of fulfillment far greater than the vital energy was the man himself. Just having Kyan in front of him dissolved the lonely chill of his wandering heart, filling it with a surging warmth. Even if Kyan hadn’t given him any energy, it would have been enough. It wasn’t a dream.

“——.”

And in that moment, Isaac suddenly realized.

He hadn’t fallen for this man in a sudden, fleeting instant.

His affection for Kyan wasn’t a change that had occurred overnight. The feeling, which had started as a tiny seed, had been steadily growing without his knowledge. Isaac simply hadn’t realized it himself.

“…… For a long time.”

It had been for a long time. Ever since some distant point he couldn’t even pin down.

Muttering the thoughts in his head, Isaac didn’t even realize he had spoken aloud. Thus, when the prince, who had been aggressively devouring the inside of his mouth, finally pulled back slightly, Isaac looked up at Kyan’s silent, drilling gaze with confusion.

“For a long time?”

Only when the prince, who had been staring at him in silence, repeated the words did Isaac realize he had spoken out loud. Isaac fell into a state of panic, but after a brief hesitation, he answered honestly.

“I suppose I’ve liked you for a long time, Prince Kyan.”

The prince raised his brow slightly, silently looking down at Isaac. Unable to read anything from that expressionless face, Isaac belatedly worried if he had spoken out of turn. Perhaps it wasn’t a particularly welcome confession.

“Why?”

The prince asked. This time, Isaac fell into quiet contemplation. He had no intention of hiding his feelings or mincing his words, but the answer did not come easily.

“……, I’m not sure…… Though it’s certain you first caught my eye because you are so pretty……”

Isaac muttered awkwardly. Kyan remained silent. Under that quiet pressure, Isaac felt he should provide some kind of answer, but nothing stood out. He wondered if there ever truly was a single, clear reason for falling in love with someone. Ultimately, Isaac shook his head. “I don’t know,” he confessed.

“If I weren’t pretty, you wouldn’t have liked me then.”

“…… Would I not?”

Isaac tilted his head at Kyan’s dry remark. If Kyan hadn’t been pretty, his eyes probably wouldn’t have been stolen away the very first time they met. He might not have spent countless hours staring at Kyan’s face while the prince read books or rested. Was that it? If Kyan’s appearance hadn’t been his type, would he not have fallen in love like this?

The prince stared down at Isaac, who was lost in thought. Then, he grabbed Isaac’s hair once more, pulling him in to press their lips together again.

“Perhaps not,” Kyan seemed to whisper faintly.

…… Yes, perhaps not. No matter what Kyan looked like, Isaac felt things would have ended up exactly like this anyway.

Their tongues tangled, and another rich wave of vital energy flooded in. ‘Drink more. Still more.’ As if urging him, Kyan’s lips parted for a brief second before overlapping again, separating only to crash back together over and over.

“Never,”

Kyan’s hand gripping Isaac’s hair suddenly tightened. Isaac’s head was forced back. The prince’s deep, dark blue eyes gleamed directly before him, filling his vision.

“Never play at running away again. No matter your intentions. Do not leave your place.”

The prince murmured quietly. Pressing down at the depths of his voice was a raw, dangerous fury, as if he might rip Isaac’s throat open if the youth did not agree. Feeling Kyan’s grip tighten further as he spoke, Isaac hesitated for a brief moment.

At that time, fleeing had been his only choice. It had been the best decision Isaac could make. And if a similar situation arose again, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t do the same…… But,

“Yes.”

Isaac nodded.

Because in that exact moment, those words were his absolute truth.