Chapter Text
The air in the room was stifling. It reeked of soil and decay, a sharp contrast to the vibrant greenery spreading like a curse over the once-pristine walls. Yuu sat motionless in the corner, their hands trembling as they watched the transformation unfold before them.
Before, the sight of Leona Kingscholar was imposing: golden eyes that burned with pride, a voice that could command the skies to fall. But now, his regal presence was swallowed by something primal, something cruelly beautiful. Bark crept along his arms, twisting his flesh into gnarled knots. Leaves unfurled from his shoulders, their edges stained red as if soaked with his blood.
It had started with a simple sprout at the base of his neck, where no one could see. He had laughed it off, pretending it was nothing—an itch, a trick of the light. But Yuu knew better. They saw the way Leona's gaze lingered on them, his words heavy with unspoken longing. They had ignored it, brushing aside the signs as if denial would make the roots stop growing.
Now, it was too late.
"Yuu," Leona rasped, his voice cracking like dry wood. "Do you hate me this much?"
"No," Yuu whispered, tears streaming down their face. "I don't—it's not hate—"
Leona’s body twitched violently, the bark on his arms cracking as new branches tore through his skin. He clenched his jaw, his sharp teeth gritted against the agony. "Then what is it?" he demanded. "What do you feel for me, Yuu? Anything?!"
Yuu wanted to say something, anything to stop the pain, to stop the grotesque metamorphosis before them. But their heart was silent. No matter how much they wanted to will themselves into loving him, the feeling wasn’t there.
The vines coiled tighter around Leona's chest, as if mocking his stubborn pride. His legs gave way, his knees crashing against the dirt-covered floor. "You... you don't have to love me," he gasped, his voice barely audible beneath the creaking of his own body. "Just—don't look away. Please."
But it was unbearable. Yuu averted their eyes, their guilt weighing heavier than the roots entwining Leona’s limbs.
"I should have known," Leona chuckled bitterly, though the sound was hollow, splintered. "Loving someone like me... was never meant to grow into anything beautiful."
The leaves now obscured his face entirely, vibrant green veins spreading across his skin like a cruel reminder of life. He reached out one last time, his bark-encased fingers trembling as they stretched toward Yuu. The pain was evident in his every motion, but the gesture wasn’t one of blame—it was one of farewell.
Yuu crawled toward him, their hands shaking as they took his into their grasp. His skin was rough, cold, lifeless. "I'm so sorry, Leona," they choked out, their tears soaking into the soil beneath them.
As the final branch erupted from his chest, Leona Kingscholar became a silent monument—a twisted tree of unreciprocated love, his roots forever entwined with the earth he had once walked upon.
And Yuu was left to mourn beneath the shade of a love they could never return.