#144

Time seemed to have stopped. It was similar to then. It was like that the day Cullen found the corpses of his family.

Moments of pain do not simply pass. They flow slowly, sluggishly, as if to engrave the situation onto the victim of tragedy. So that they will never forget. So that they will recall this scene even in death.

Standing frozen, Cullen stared blankly ahead. He saw Kiyen, hunched over, covering Kia. Kiyen’s white wings, at this moment, looked similar to Kia’s white color. Though their shapes and races were clearly different, it felt strangely so.

The moment he thought that, his heart began to beat faster. The senses and emotions that had stopped for a moment crashed down on Cullen simultaneously. A guilt bordering on terror flowed through his veins. The fact that he had brought about a result that no one wanted slowly settled in his mind.

Kia’s blood pooled and stained Cullen’s feet red. It didn’t stop, as if to tell him it was the result Cullen had created. His soul, already stained red with the blood of so many, seemed to have no more room, but that was not the case. Kia’s sacrifice added to it, hurting Cullen.

He felt like he had killed a Dragon, though he was not one.

He knew that Kiyen wanted to believe that. He knew how desperate Kiyen had been, that he was indeed the closest being to a Dragon, and that Kia had also thought of himself that way.

Cullen barely managed to keep his collapsing body upright. He couldn’t collapse before taking responsibility for the consequences of his actions. Cullen forced himself to move his feet. He began to walk through the pool of blood. A squelching, sticky sound echoed at his feet.

Kiyen didn’t stir, even though he must have heard his footsteps. After a single cry, he remained still, embracing Kia. His wings hung limp, his long blond hair flowed down his bowed head…….

Looking at that sight, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Cullen, his lips parting and closing several times, finally managed to utter in a low, choked voice. Because he couldn’t stay like this forever.

“……I’m sorry.”

He whispered with all his sincerity. He was sorry that Kiyen had been forced to use his power, and sorry that he had made him sad. Even though it wasn’t what he intended, this disaster had occurred because of his plea.

He had ruined everything.

It was always like this. He either couldn’t protect the people he cherished or only disappointed them. He had believed it would be different this time, but in the end, he had plunged Kiyen into this pain. Kiyen, who had finally trusted his resolve not to give orders, had been betrayed.

He had destroyed it with his own hands. So much so that it couldn’t be rebuilt.

Kiyen, who had been silent, slowly raised his body. The remnants of his magic, like golden embers, flickered around them, making it impossible for Cullen to look away from Kiyen’s face; he had to face him directly. Through the faint lights, he saw blood staining Kiyen’s white chin.

It was all red. His white hands, his neck, and even Kiyen’s robe, which was always neat and clean, were covered in blood. It was a stark contrast to Kiyen.

As the scattered blood began to harden into black, Kiyen slowly opened his mouth.

“Kia….”

Slowly, his eyelashes fluttered. His gold eyes, devoid of blue light, were the most dragon-like pupils he had ever seen.

“He is not a Dragon.”

A dry voice, as if devoid of emotion, echoed. Cullen lowered his eyebrows and pressed his lips together tightly.

He couldn’t predict Kiyen’s reaction at all. Because he wasn’t a Dragon, would he forgive me? Such hope rose from the depths of his heart. He wanted to be forgiven. He didn’t want Kiyen to hate him. No one wants the person they love to hate them.

“You were right. If I had received such an attack, I would have recovered quickly, even if I bled. I wouldn’t have died, even if I was injured. So… he is not a Dragon.”

He slowly raised his head, his expressionless.

“But he was the closest being to a Dragon. He was different from humans or other Demonic Beasts. He believed himself to be a Dragon and cherished me as one.”

Having said that much, Kiyen stood up. He bent his upper body slightly and embraced Kia’s mangled corpse, which was burned in several places. Though the manifested Kia was large, he was still small enough to fit in Kiyen’s arms. Whatever Kia’s exact race, he was truly young.

That’s why Kiyen hadn’t wanted to kill him like that.

He knew it, and yet, Cullen had urged him to attack because Kiyen was too precious.

“I wasn’t trying to force you.”

Chased by guilt, Cullen confessed. He truly hadn’t intended to give an order. He was afraid of Kiyen getting hurt. He was afraid of the person most precious to him in the world getting hurt…

“I was afraid of you getting hurt, Kiyen, and because you are so precious… I was impatient. I didn’t want to make you do something like this.”

Cullen whispered softly. He wanted to kneel and beg. He fought the urge to grab his feet and cling to him. He felt that would only anger Kiyen more.

Kiyen listened to Cullen’s words as if gauging their truth and closed his eyes. His chest, heaving deeply, was slightly visible beneath his blood-stained robe. He seemed to be organizing his emotions.

“That would be the case. You promised me.”

His calm voice was strangely more painful than if he had been angry.

“I said I would trust you. So, I will… trust your words, for now.”

It hurt less than when he had pushed him away, as if he couldn’t understand.

“However, later… when the time comes to choose anything—”

Kiyen’s face turned cold.

“I will see how much you prioritize me, who is so precious to you. I hope you can do that.”

Leaving behind heavy words, Kiyen turned without waiting for an answer. He took the first step. Kia’s wingtips scraped the ground, so Kiyen paused briefly and readjusted his wings. Then, he began to leave the chamber.

Cullen watched his retreating back for a long time, and only when he realized Kiyen wouldn’t look back did he follow.

His heart ached as if a stake had been driven into it.

It truly hurt.

As they emerged above ground, the sun was rising. Unlike the long, terrible time spent below, the sky had cleared, shedding the mist. The sunlight starkly illuminated the tragic outcome. Under the light, Kiyen and Kia were nothing but blood-soaked figures.

“Cullen, Kiyen, are you…!”

As soon as they stepped outside, Ulli’s voice was heard. She, who had been running towards them calling their names, shut her mouth and her eyes widened as she saw them emerging from the shrine.

“Ulli, why are you….”

Arne, who had been running towards them following Ulli, also stopped speaking. He saw the shock spreading across their speechless faces.

Kiyen passed them by with a blank expression. Without a word, he continued walking. He was probably looking for a place to bury Kia. Perhaps by the water. A place with the flowers Kia liked, by a beautiful lake…

Even though it had been less than ten days, Kia’s preferences were so clear that even Cullen had come to know them. He suppressed the redness forming around his eyes. It felt like a betrayal to shed tears when he was the one who had killed him.

After Kiyen brushed past them, Arne and Ulli exchanged glances. They must have been confused by the whirlwind of events, but they quickly approached Cullen.

“Cullen… are you okay?”

Ulli, instead of asking what had happened, cautiously asked something else. Arne followed, also worrying about him. He didn’t know what he looked like, but he seemed injured.

“Are you hurt? Then, Lasano could treat you…”

Arne habitually uttered Lasano’s name and then shut his mouth. Sadness instantly clouded his face. Unlike his usual tendency to cry easily, he didn’t cry. Instead, he smiled.

“Believe it or not, I know herbs well, so if you don’t have any serious injuries, I’ll treat you right away.”

Arne deflected the conversation, avoiding his story. Then Ulli stepped forward.

“Don’t pretend we don’t know. We have to talk about Lasano, or rather, the traitor.”

It was a pity for Arne, who liked him the most, but it was true. Lasano had taken the sword, so they had to pursue him immediately.

“It would be best to talk while following Kiyen.”

Saying so, Cullen began to walk, following the receding Kiyen. The two followed behind him.

“Did you see any trace of Lasano around here?”

Cullen asked Ulli first. She shook her head.

“No. When I woke up, no one was there. I didn’t hear anything. I just woke up, and I just found you… and the Dragon.”

At that moment, an unexpected answer came from Arne.

“You won’t be able to find him.”

He stopped and looked back at Cullen. Arne said with a sad face.

“When he dragged me down here as a hostage, I overheard Kiyen and Kia talking. If Kia were left behind, he said he would use a magical item called a scroll. It seems Kia made it. He complained that it was so difficult to make that he was sick for days…”

Arne closed his mouth and looked at Kiyen’s back. His gaze stopped at the limp corpse held in his arms.

“Why… does this happen?”

Arne’s question represented the thoughts of all of them. Cullen and Ulli remained silent in the regret and pain that his question brought.

However, they couldn’t keep stopping. At least, they shouldn’t stop until this cycle of suffering was broken.

“Did he say where he was going?”

“That…”

Arne thought for a few seconds and then said hesitantly,

“I think I heard him mention the Imperial Palace.”

“That makes sense. They were hostile to the Imperial Family from the start. What on earth are they trying to do?”

As Ulli’s question ended, Kiyen called out from afar.

“They seem to be trying to kill Helen.”

The three looked forward simultaneously. Kiyen, who had been walking without looking back, was watching them. However, something was strange. Kiyen’s body… was blurry.

“Kiyen?”

Cullen was the first to react. His eyes widened, and he ran towards him. Kiyen watched his approaching figure with a blank expression.

“The trace of a clone is leading me. It seems I am in danger.”

Kiyen slowly set Kia down and met Cullen’s eyes.

“Choose. Whether to leave me here, or to send me. Hurry.”

Kiyen was noticeably fading. Cullen hesitated. He didn’t want to part with Kiyen now. Separate from safety, Cullen needed Kiyen more than anyone right now. There were still many things he hadn’t said to him. He hadn’t even begun to beg for forgiveness.

However, the moment he felt the urgency, Cullen’s rational judgment was clear.

“Go there.”

Because it was the right thing to do to save someone in immediate danger.

“I will go to the Imperial Palace.”

Kiyen wore an indescribable expression. It was a face he had seen before, long ago.

“You have… too many important things.”

Yes, Kiyen had looked exactly like that when he said that.

“Hurry back.”

Kiyen was now more blurry than an illusion. His body began to slowly dissipate. Despite saying he would let him go, Cullen unconsciously reached out his hand.

“My premonition is not good.”

As his hand passed through Kiyen, his voice disappeared. Nothing remained where Kiyen had been. Only the corpse of the dead Kia remained.

Looking down at it, Cullen quietly clenched his hand, which had grasped nothing.

As Kiyen had said, his premonition was not good.

Just like he had felt when he first left the Imperial Palace.