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How many times has he returned to look for that person, only for that person to not remember? How many times have they restarted this relationship at this point? In an attempt to stop the incoming calamity, the monarch of Avillon has been living again and again. He sought out Kartis in every life, and yet, Kartis never remembered him. Not once.
This life was the same. Except for Astrid, everyone’s memories have been reset and the monarch has to start from square one again. All the alliances he worked hard to establish, gone. All the bonds he tried to maintain, gone. What hurts the most is that he would have to rebuild his relationship with Kartis from scratch again. Everything they had- which wasn’t much, by the way- was wiped clean and Kartis wouldn’t even know him. The monarch is acutely aware that Kartis has lived through countless lives, each time powerless and every effort fruitless. That is precisely why he wanted to share the emperor’s burden- It is not something one person should bear on their own. He has been alone for too long. Without someone to share this weight, it eventually crushed his hopes and dreams. In the end, nothing but the desire to overcome the calamity remained, and he could no longer speak of happiness without comparing it to survival. It was sad, really, and unfair. Unfair that he was stripped of his dreams and aspirations, forced to become a puppet of fate and trying again and again because some higher order wanted him to.
When the Avillon Alliance first barged into the Gallus Empire and came close to victory, when the monarch first laid eyes upon the emperor, he felt a strong sense of loneliness- A forlornness, if you will. But because of the situation, he couldn’t ask for details. After he was sent back for a second chance, they had the time to finally talk. Despite time being limited, they managed to find companionship in each other, in the secure space of the Chronicles. Their lives kept looping after that, attempts were made to stop the calamity, and the monarch lost to Kartis every single time. It was a wonder that the two even fell in love in the first place, but they did. Out of their kinship of being Returners, maybe?
“Kartis... No matter how many times you forget, I’ll always come for you.” The monarch of Avillon said, resolutely, as his knights faced down their final boss.
“And what will you do? Take my place?” Kartis answered coldly, preparing his sword.
If I could, I would, the monarch thought, if I could share your burden in any way, I’d gladly do it. He had looped far too many times, too much to be counted. He was tired, but Kartis had been looping for far longer, so he wanted to save, or even free, him. No matter how little impact he had, he wanted to help. He had said it himself- “I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
After fighting Kartis for an infinite amount of times, he gave commands to his knights like second nature as he drowned in his thoughts. Each time, he hurted. Each time, he fought. Each time, he lost. This time, he refuses to lose again. At the very least, he wants to make Kartis remember. At the very least, before he meets his demise, he wants to let the emperor know that he’s not alone anymore. That he is by his side.
The final showdown went the same as every other time- The Avillon Alliance lost. The strength Kartis possessed has always been inhuman. They came close to defeating him countless times, but they always ended up losing. Kartis hovered above them, a hand raised and magic prepared to strike. The monarch pulled himself up anyway as he struggled to stand, and ignored the protests behind him as he approached Kartis. The emperor watched, impassively, as he stumbled towards him. While he could respect Avillon’s ideals because they were once his own, a pipe dream will forever remain a pipe dream- The world cannot know happiness unless they survive. However, with the monarch, he felt that maybe, just maybe, it is possible for everyone to be happy and overcome the calamity. And yet, they couldn’t even defeat him... Then why? Why is it that he didn’t want to get rid of the people that got in his way? Why is it that he felt familiar with their commander? Why is it that, at the thought of the monarch dying, his heart clenches in pain?
“Kartis...“ The monarch breathed out, “I know you don’t remember me, but know this-”
“-I will find you in every life, in every loop. Always. You’re not alone anymore.”
He collapsed, and Kartis had half a mind to just end things there. But something, something, kept him from doing that and he reached out, catching the monarch just before he hit the ground. The way he gently held him, the instinctual tenderness he treated him with... It’s all so out of character, so unlike his usual ways, but it felt so natural. Disregarding the knights calling out in concern for their commander, Kartis pulled the monarch closer. With the smaller man in his arms, the sense of foreign familiarity grew stronger and stronger, until a river was let loose in his head as their fates intertwined, his memories of the monarch flooding back into his mind. He hooked a finger below the monarch’s chin and tipped his head backwards, pressing a soft kiss into his forehead.
“Now that our fates have been threaded together, my memories are... Coming back.” Kartis mused, his lips curling into a rare, tiny smile.
The man in his arms tried to keep his eyes open, but eventually, they fell shut as he smiled back, “Then that’s enough, I can’t ask for anything more.”
“...It seems that I've been torturing you...” Just as the emperor wanted to try and fix things, the monarch spoke, surprising him.
“I’m sorry that I’m late again,” He rasped, “I have a request, Kartis.”
“Yes?”
“Reset our loop.” The monarch said, voice weak but steady, “Then I will find you again, and I will find you earlier.”
Hearing the unwavering resolve in his voice, Kartis knew that it was futile to argue. “Then, grant me a request of my own,” He looked into the monarch’s eyes, his message conveyed loud and clear in his gaze.
He leaned down and their lips met, and they were surrounded by each other and the world stopped around them. It was just them- the emperor and the monarch- and nothing else.
Kartis commanded his magic and prepared for a decisive blow. The monarch could hear his knights calling for him, but he already made his choice. If he has a chance, he’ll apologize in his next life. But now, right this moment, it was just him and Kartis. There were almost tears in the emperor’s eyes as the hit connected. The monarch closed his eyes and smiled, letting himself fall into oblivion. Before everything turned black, he heard something-
“-Thank you for coming back for me in every life, love...”