The silence was absolute.
Darkness swallowed him, swallowed his thoughts, his pain, his existence.
He felt nothing.
He didn't know how much time had passed—seconds, minutes, hours? Or maybe he would never open his eyes again?
But then...something called him.
First it was a whisper, as gentle as a gust of wind, inaudible to normal ears.
Then a throbbing pain, still distant, like an echo of something that should have left him by now.
And finally, light.
Then everything came back.
The pain. The loss of blood. The weight of his own body.
And someone's hands on his face, someone's voice, still trembling with emotion.
"Kigami... I beg you..."
Kimoko.
He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt too heavy.
"Please don't go..." Her voice cracked.
"Don't leave me..." And then his heart beat faster. Kigami took his first, shallow, rasping breath. He choked, the taste of blood filling his mouth.
The air hit his lungs like fire. He groaned softly, trying to focus his vision. Everything was blurry, but he could make out a blurry figure leaning over him.
Kimoko.
Tears glistened on her cheeks, and her fingers clutched his arms.
"Kigami!" Her voice was desperate, and when she saw him move, the breath escaped her lips in a spasm of relief.
He didn't have the strength to answer, but he tried.
"Shhh... Don't move..." Her hands, still shaking, pressed against his wound, as if she could stop the blood that was still seeping from the deep cut. "We have to get you out of here..." Then he realized something else.
They were alone.
His sister was gone.
"She..." he croaked, but Kimoko shook her head.
"She left. But she'll come back... She'll come back if we don't get out of here as soon as possible."
Her words were true. She'll come back. And if she finds him here...
Adrenaline surged through his body, ignoring the pain, ignoring the weakness.
"Help me..." he choked out, trying to get up.
"No, we shouldn't..." she protested, but he gritted his teeth.
"We can't... stay..." Kimoko looked at him with pain, but after a moment she nodded.
"Fine. But if you fall on the way, I'll kill you." Kigami snorted quietly, and then, with her help, made an impossible effort to stand up.
The world spun, and the shadows around him danced restlessly.
But he wasn't going to die yet.
an hour later
All three of them sat around the crackling fire, the distant lights of Amorie flickering on the horizon. Kimoko sighed, running her fingers gently through Kigami's messy hair as he rested his head on her lap. The warmth of her touch stirred him from his sleep, his eyes fluttering open.
Kigami blinked a few times, adjusting to the fire's glow. His body ached, every breath a painful reminder of his wound, but... he was alive.
He looked up at Kimoko, who was watching him with quiet relief, though her expression remained tense. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to close his eyes again, enjoying the simple comfort of her presence.
Kimoko sighed once more, but this time, it was different. She didn't understand herself. She had been so close to regaining her freedom, yet she had stayed, to save him. She didn't know if it was because he had once saved her, or if it was something deeper.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to believe it was true. But her heart whispered otherwise.
"You stayed for him... out of love."
Her eyes fluttered open again, her fingers still moving gently through his hair. This time, she found him looking up at her.
"How long did I sleep?" he croaked, his voice hoarse and weary.
"Half an hour," she answered softly. "And it's a miracle you're not dead."
Kigami smirked weakly.
"See? I'm not that easy to kill."
Kimoko snorted, though a glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes.
"You're an idiot."
"But your favorite idiot," he murmured, his smirk growing ever so slightly.
She sighed, unable to argue.
In the distance, the sounds of the night surrounded them. A wolf howled somewhere far away, its lonely call echoing through the trees.
On the other side of the fire, Estella was curled up, her breathing steady in sleep. Kimoko guessed that exhaustion had finally claimed her.
Then, she felt Kigami shift. His head lifted from her lap, and she could see the effort it took for him not to grimace in pain. Slowly, carefully, he sat up beside her, his arms resting on his knees, his face hidden between them.
Kimoko didn't need to ask, she could see it. The pain, the exhaustion, the weight of something far beyond the wound in his side.
"...Kigami," she said softly, as if afraid that speaking too loudly might hurt him.
He lifted his gaze to her, and in his eyes, she saw more than just pain. She saw guilt.
"This is my fault," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "I should never have defied her. That's why they want me. Koschei... the traitor."
Kimoko frowned. She had heard him mention before that demons saw him as a traitor, but he had never told her why. Never mentioned who exactly he had betrayed.
"Who is 'she'?" she asked hesitantly.
Kigami exhaled, and she could see the torment on his face as he stared down at the ground. Finally, in a voice barely louder than the wind, he whispered:
"Felicja... the Queen of Demons."
Kimoko's breath caught in her throat.
Kigami's jaw tensed as he continued, his voice heavy with something she couldn't quite place.
"And my mother."
She felt her heart stop.
Kigami kept his gaze lowered, his expression unreadable, but she could see the war raging inside him.
"The demoness who attacked us," he murmured, "her name is Nyx. Though most call her Nikita. She's my eldest sister."
Silence settled between them. Kimoko didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't even blink. She couldn't.
Her mind spun, trying to piece everything together.
His mother. His sister. He was royalty. A demon prince. A real prince. And he never told her.
Why?
Why had he kept this from her? How could she believe anything he said now? What other secrets was he hiding?
"...Can you forgive me?" His voice was barely a whisper, but there was something raw in it. Desperation. Regret. His eyes met hers, pleading in a way he would never voice out loud.
Kimoko stared at him for a long moment.
Then, she forced herself to smile.
"Of course, I forgive you."
She saw the way he exhaled, the way his tense shoulders loosened just slightly, the ghost of a relieved smile on his lips.
But inside, she wasn't sure if she really meant it.
She didn't know if she could forgive him.
She didn't know what to feel anymore.
Hatred for his secrets? Or something else entirely?
Kimoko leaned against his shoulder, her gaze drifting to the flickering flames of the fire. A moment later, she felt Kigami rest his head lightly against hers.
Together, they watched the fire dance.
It didn't take long for Kigami's breathing to slow, his body relaxing as exhaustion took him once more.
Kimoko remained awake a little longer, staring into the fire.
She knew they needed to find the Memory Tree as soon as possible. They had to retrieve Estella's crystal before it was too late.
And in the meantime... they had to avoid another encounter with Nikita.
Because if she found them again, Kimoko wasn't sure if Kigami would survive a second time.
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