By Zephyria His skin was burning as if it were burning, his vision flashed, and he was losing his mind. Just as all kinds of senses were mixed together and pricking his sensitive nerves, suddenly, the front of his eyes darkened rapidly.
Leonardo, who had been wandering aimlessly through the smoke, stopped in the air at that moment and raised his head. Then, he saw a huge Boulder looming over his head, already approaching his nose.
Immediately after the volcanic eruption, the upper part of the crater was blown away, and a large amount of ejecta was sprayed into the sky by the pressure. But what was flying towards him was not something that could be called ejecta. It was large enough to crush his whole body at any moment, and even if he dodged to the side, one of his legs would be crushed in an instant.
Leonardo, feeling threatened, instinctively reached out his right hand. He was going to use magic to destroy the giant Boulder. But just as destructive energy gathered in his hand, his left hand, which had hurriedly followed, grabbed his right wrist.
He stopped breathing for a moment. His reason, barely holding on, whispered, controlling his instincts.
‘What if I fail to control my power?’
He knew it clearly. Even the slightest thing could be a trigger for a surge. Moreover, his current self, tangled in confusion, was as sharp and fragile as a shattered glass bottle.
Once he started doubting his abilities, the Council bastards who had been talking behind his back came to mind. Their excrement-like whispers, saying he should be handcuffed, became chains that bound him, preventing Leonardo from moving.
Because of that, he could only stare at the approaching Boulder, his face confused. He was afraid that Hugo, who was chasing after him, would be devoured by his Magic Power.
The myriad of thoughts that rushed in during that short moment made him feel like a helpless fool. Until the heat from the Boulder was felt directly on his forehead, Leonardo could only barely count his quickening pulse.
It was then.
Phee-ing―
In that desperate moment, a blue beam of light flashed before his eyes. At the same time, Leonardo’s body was pulled back by a strong force.
Unable to take his eyes off the red, glowing Boulder, he witnessed the blue light traversing the air and piercing through the Boulder.
Because sound travels slower than light, the intense sound of destruction echoed a beat later. Staring at the Boulder that was cracking and shattering, Leonardo was captivated by the blue light that dyed his vision.
Sharp fragments, pushed by the wind pressure, rushed close to his face. Just as Leonardo reflexively squeezed his eyes shut and tried to turn his head, a broad, dark chest suddenly appeared, blocking his path as if to protect him.
“Leo―.”
A low voice mixed with breath came closer, along with a strong scent. Leonardo, who had been frozen, flinched and opened his eyes.
Looking straight ahead again and raising his gaze, he saw Hugo’s face, tense and worried, against the background of the Aura adorning the darkness. His hands, which had already reached him, were gripping his arms tightly.
“Are you okay?”
Blue eyes scanned his face busily. The other man’s voice, panting roughly, was warm but also made him feel a strange sense of unease.
His usually neat face was unusually soaked with sweat, and not only that, but not-so-light wounds were revealed through the torn combat uniform. It made him imagine what might have happened while he was out of his mind. A clear burn mark caught his eye through the gap in the torn fabric covering his firm upper arm.
Leonardo, staring at the mark for a moment, was suddenly terrified and trembled his eyelashes. Immediately, he turned away again, as if running away, thinking that he shouldn’t be near him.
“Don’t come near me!”
“Wait, Leo!”
Hugo tried to grab him again as he shook off his hand and tried to escape. But Leonardo, desperately trying to get away, roughly pushed away Hugo’s approaching hand. He tried to keep his distance several times, but Hugo, who persistently followed, grabbed his arm again.
“Leonardo, calm down and listen to me―.”
“Don’t come near me!!”
Leonardo, lost in chaos, shouted almost screaming. At that moment, as he swung his arm strongly, a sound of atmospheric friction like thunder crossed between the two. Hugo, his eyes wide at the hot air current rushing straight at him in an instant, instinctively twisted his body to avoid it.
After the bright yellow flash, there was a moment of silence. Soon, a gust of wind blew and a fierce shockwave followed, and the frozen two looked at each other’s faces. Then, trembling Gold Eyes first moved over Hugo’s shoulder and stared blankly at the miserable sight.
Chee-ee-ik―
The ultra-high-temperature air current surging throughout the area pushed the two people floating in the air.
Leonardo couldn’t believe the sight he had created. The towering mountains that had been there just a moment ago had completely disappeared as if they had never existed. In its place, a wide valley was created, with white steam swirling eerily. Sparks occasionally flew from the sizzling ground, creating a shape that looked like flowing lava.
Following Leonardo’s shocked gaze, Hugo also slowly turned around. As soon as he saw the scene unfolding before his eyes, his expression hardened.
The terrifying strike that had changed the terrain itself made Hugo’s Adam’s apple bob unconsciously.
“…….”
Soon after, Hugo looked back at Leonardo again. Leonardo felt like he was falling into the abyss as he met his gaze.
He was afraid of what he would think of him. A time bomb that could explode at any moment? A heinous criminal who tried to kill him?
But what was even more unbearable than that was the fact that if he hadn’t dodged, something terrible would have happened because of his power. That fact made it impossible for him to face him with a clear mind any longer.
“……S-Sorry.”
Leonardo, his breathing quickened, let out only those words in a choked voice. Turning away with a pale complexion, he ran away to a place where Hugo couldn’t follow him. He even thought about jumping into the exploding lava. Because even Kajard wouldn’t be able to chase him there.
Feeling like a dangerous and ominous being of destruction, Leonardo hugged his body with both arms as if restraining himself. Then, he moved away from Hugo, trying to disappear from his sight.
But unlike his will, Leonardo couldn’t go far. Because Hugo, who had appeared again, blocked his path once more.
Just as he realized that the broad chest was too close, Hugo grabbed Leonardo and hugged him tightly so that he couldn’t think.
Surprised by the simple gesture, Leonardo struggled weakly but couldn’t escape. The arms that trapped him inside were pressed tightly against each other, and then a soft breath that gave a sense of stability whispered lowly in his ear.
“It’s okay, Leonardo.”
The moment he heard those words, Leonardo felt his strength drain away. A sigh-like exclamation flowed out silently between his parted lips.
Noticing that small change, a large hand covered the entire back of his head and gently pressed it against his shoulder. The sight, which had been full of dirt and ash, was dyed in the navy blue of the combat uniform at that moment. The toxic gas surrounding him was also obscured by the other man’s scent.
The heavy scent felt from the thick nape of his neck pushed away all the negative things.
“It’s okay.”
The calm voice, trying to reassure him several times, landed on his head, ears, and around his eyes. It was a calm and composed voice that seemed to silence all the explosions. Because of that, Leonardo, trapped in his arms, couldn’t grasp the situation at all.
He was clearly stiff with fear, and his heart rate was abnormally high due to the symptoms just before the surge. But the tension and stability given by the other man were mixed, and his heart sometimes beat faster and sometimes slower. As if to calm his confusion, Hugo coaxed and soothed the frightened man with a voice that felt as affectionate as possible, disguised as the world’s most tender affection.
“Nothing happened.”
Those words seemed to see through all the anxiety and fear inside Leonardo. Leonardo, who had been twisting his body slightly, stopped moving at that point. As if helplessly melting into his broad arms, even the arms he had been trying to push away drooped down.
Hugo slowly stroked the small head that fell on his shoulder and gently caressed the back of his neck. At the same time, he grabbed a handful of his slender waist and gently pulled him towards him. He hoped that the hot body, which seemed about to collapse at any moment, would loosen in his arms.
But unlike his wishes, Boulder-like rocks were slashing through the air around them. Deafening roars followed one after another.
Just as a particularly large explosion spread once again in the sky, Leonardo came to his senses in the midst of the chaos. Startled, he raised his head with a worried expression and frowned.
“Get away, I might hurt you.”
The Magic Power current, which had barely calmed down, was fluctuating unstably again, and the finely trembling voice evoked pity. But this time, Hugo didn’t back down easily. Instead, he held Leonardo’s arms tightly so that he couldn’t escape, and opened his mouth seriously while looking into his eyes.
“You didn’t hurt anyone. You defeated the core, and thanks to you, we are all safe.”
“That’s not what I mean, I might surge―!”
Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head while raising his voice. It was an unintentional defense mechanism because he was afraid that the Magic Power that reacted to his emotions would run wild.
But Hugo gently cupped Leonardo’s cheeks. Then, he grabbed the other man’s trembling chin and lifted it slightly. He made sure that only he was reflected in the shining Gold Eyes.
“You won’t surge. You still recognize my existence, and you know who I am.”
“……But―.”
“Even if there comes a time when you can’t control your power on your own, it’s okay because I’m by your side. I’m much stronger than what you see in front of you and what you think.”
“…….”
“I’m the only one who can find you here right now, and I’m the only one who can handle you.”
Hugo’s eyebrows gradually furrowed as he continued his rambling words. His eyes, already filled with poignant emotions, earnestly expressed what he wanted to say.
“So don’t run away from me. Leonardo.”
Leonardo’s eyelids trembled at the heavy voice that sounded mournful. The grip on his arm tightened terribly, as if forgetting consideration for a moment.
But it wasn’t painful.
Rather, the earnest heart flowed into him, overflowing through the heavy fingertips.