Chapter Text
It was dark, and the only thing Eijun saw was the figure with a dark hoodie staring at him. He couldn’t make out his expression because his hoodie covered his face. Eijun looked at his hands and saw blood all over. Eijun could feel pain in his body, too. He knew this day was coming but didn’t think it would happen like this.
“It looks like this is the end.” He smiled and closed his eyes and let death take him.
The figure fell to his knees when he saw Eijun close his eyes. He held the young man's body with a smile on his face.
“No, this can’t be.” The hooded figure denied that this was happening. Tears rolled down his face as he held the body covered in blood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bright light blinded Eijun’s brown eyes, and he saw he was in bed, which was all too familiar to him. Eijun quickly got up from the bed and remembered what had happened. He touched his body and saw that the blood was nowhere to be found. He saw a mirror, quickly exited his bed, and stared at his reflection.
“How could this be?” Eijun was confused because the appearance was of his younger self, who was only eighteen years old. “How am I still alive?”
There was a knock on the door.
“Young master, are you awake?”
“That’s the voice of my butler.” Eijun thought
“I’m awake,” Eijun called out from the door. He was still unsure what was happening right now.
The butler opened the door and walked into Eijun’s room.
The man standing right there was a man in his 30s who had cared for Eijiun since he was very young.
“Akira?”
“Do you want your breakfast in your room as usual?" The butler asked in a kind matter.
If this was the past, Eijun would have said yes and stayed shut in his room.
Eijun realized that he had somehow returned to the past after his death. He didn’t know how, but he immediately decided to change his fate. He had died because of an illness, more like a curse, that had been placed on him with no way of breaking. But Eijun remembered that before he died, a figure stood before him when he was in pain, but the hooded figure showed no signs of emotion.
“Young master?”
“Sorry. I would like to have my breakfast in the garden today. From now on.” The butler looked confused since his young master had never said anything like this.
“I understood.” Akira instructed some maids to prepare the garden for the young master.
Eijun sat out in the garden, sipping on his tea. He had never set foot in this garden because of the memories he held of his deceased parents. Now that Eijun thought about it, it was strange how his parents passed away right after he got this curse placed on him.
“I need to find a way to lessen this pain and find a way to break this curse.”
Akira watched the young master enjoy himself in the garden. Seeing him finally enjoy himself brought tears to his eyes. Every time the butler saw the young master, he looked sad as he locked himself in the mansion.
Eijun thought about what he needed to do. The number one step is to find out more about this curse. It was black magic that was placed on him. He also needs to find out why the curse was placed on him in the first place. Eijun didn’t have enemies even when his parents were alive. Was it an enemy of his parents?
The second step was finding something to lessen the pain. Using magic would be difficult for him since it worsens things whenever he tries it.
“I need to think about the weather too.”
“Akira, I’m considering taking my title soon, so please let my grandfather know.” The butler was surprised but happy.
“Grandfather,” Eijun mumbled.
Eijun’s grandfather was a significant figure. He was a busy man, but after his parents' deaths, he became busier. He occasionally sent letters to his grandson.
“I need to be a duke to have more power.”
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Eijun was strolling through the bustling city, a lively sight he had never seen in his first life. The young man realized he had missed out on many things.
As he stopped at a shop to buy some herbs, he noticed a crowd talking about something that made them angry.
“Why is the emperor even allowing those beast-men in the city?
“Why did they just leave the city?”
“We don’t need them.”
Eijun heard about the beast-men. They helped the city with attacks and protected it, so he didn’t understand why the people said such things.
Eijun bought what he needed and was going head home, but he noticed a tall tree.
“Maybe I can see the whole city from there.”
Eijun headed to the area where he saw the tall tree.
When he arrived, he climbed the tree and saw the whole city, just as he had hoped. It was breathtaking. The people looked like ants from over here, which made Eijun laugh. He could even see the castle grounds where the king stayed.
He noticed the wind was a bit different from the city's. It picked up faster, and something unexpected happened: the wind pushed the young man. Eijun tried his best to hold onto the branch of the tall tree, but he couldn’t. His balance changed, and he ended up falling to the ground.
“This wasn’t what I had in mind.”
Eijun thought he would fall hard on the ground but felt no pain.
“That’s weird. I’m safe.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, but do you mind getting off of me, little angel?”
Eijun realized that he was sitting on someone soft and warm. The young man looked and saw it was someone with big animal ears and a long, fuzzy tail. He was a beast-man that was a jackal.
“Sorry.” Eijun quickly apologized and got up.
Eijun could tell this person that no beast-man was what those people were talking about.
“I never would have thought I would see the day somebody would fall onto me while I was napping in my favorite spot.” The beast-man chuckled.
“He was sleeping here the whole time. Why didn’t I notice him?”
“You don’t look familiar to me. I usually know all kinds of people from the city, but I have never seen you before. The jackal looked confused.
“It’s probably because I never used to go out much,” Eijun replied.
“Is that so?” Jackal never heard about anybody like this. He didn’t know if this angel that fell on top of him was noble. He was dressed in an oddly mixed combination of both.
“Jackal-san, are you one of the beast-men that help the city out?”
“I am, but why are you addressing me like that? It’s weird.”
“Oh, I didn’t know what to address you, and you are a Jackal.”
“You're not wrong, but still, it’s weird. Just call me Kazuya since that’s my name.”
“Kazuya.” The beast-man blushed, maybe because nobody called him by his real name, and that tone made it even sweeter.
“Then call me Eijun.” Eijun smiled.
Eijun couldn’t help but stare at Kazuya with his big ears and tail. He had this urge but decided against it.
Even Kazuya noticed the way that Eijun was staring at him.
“It’s getting late already.” Eijun didn’t realize the time. “I have to hurry home.” Eijun quickly got up.
“Bye-bye, Kazuya.” Eijun smiled as he walked away.
Kazuya sat there thinking how different this human was from others. He could say his name without a problem, and some humans are too scared to do that, except the emperor.
After sitting underneath the tree for a bit, Kazuya realized it was time for him to head home, too.
When Kazuya got home, he jumped right onto the couch.
“Why are you late?” His wolf comrade asked.
“Oh, did you miss me, Yoichi?” He laughed.
“I want to hit you.” The wolf looked annoyed.
“I didn’t even realize the time.” Kazuya wondered if it was because he was with that human.
“Eijun, was it?”
Kazuya found it refreshing to have somebody not hate beast-men, which made him happy. All his life, humans denied beast-men. This was the first time a human accepted him in a first meeting.
“Is something on your mind?” Yoichi asked.
“It’s nothing.” Kazuya closed his eyes and decided to take another nap.
The door swung open, and the snow tiger entered with his loud voice, making Kazuya unable to nap.
“Oh, Kazuya, I didn’t see you there taking a nap.” The snow tiger smirked, but this didn’t go unnoticed by the jackal.
“Why do you want Mei?” Kazuya asked, annoyed. He couldn’t take a nap because of this snow tiger.
“Not much, but those humans are so annoying. We are helping them, yet they don’t feel grateful for the things we are doing.”
“I know how you feel,” Yoichi said. “But the past is something the human can’t forget. Some of our kind has done some horrible things, leaving them thinking all of us are like that.”
Kazuya’s mind then filled with that young human. He wasn’t afraid of him; instead, he looked curious. Eijun's stare differed from those of the other humans who hated them. He looked like someone unfamiliar with beastmen. Those brown, golden eyes were filled with innocence.
“Still, how is it I have never seen him before? I have lived in this city for a long time.”
“Whatcha thinking about?” Mei asked poking right onto Kazuya face.
“Nothing.” Kazuya pushed his face away, feeling annoyed.
“Ouch.” Mei cried
“Where is Chris?” Kazuya asked, turning his head to Yoichi, knowing Mei wouldn’t know the answer.
“He went to get us more supply since it looks like we are running slow.”
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Eijun had arrived home and was greeted by the butler.
“How was your day today?” Akira asked, taking his jacket from the young man.
“It was a joyful day.” Eijun smiled.
Akira loved seeing this expression on the young man’s face. If only his parents could see it; Akira is sure Eijun’s parents would be thrilled.
“Shall I get he bath ready for you?”
“Yes, thank you.”
While Eijun was taking a bath, he thought about his day. What he had heard from the people about the beast-men was still ringing in his head. Kazuya and his kind have been protecting humans for a long time, but they don’t like them. Eijun didn’t know much about anything like how the beast-men lived since he didn’t care much about anything in his first life since he knew he would die.
“There are things I need to change in this life. I won’t make the same mistake again.” Eijun looked determined. “I need to look for more herbs.”
Eijun suddenly had a fit of coughing. It was painful, but Eijun held on. It was the same in his first life. The blood came out and made the water all bloody.
“I will make whoever put this curse on me pay and for the death of my parents.”
Eijun knew how his parents died was strange, and this curse appeared immediately.
“Young master.” Akira must have heard him cough, so he ran into the room, worried.
When Akira saw the blood, he was terrified.
“It’s okay. It’s the norm.” Akira had seen Eijun cough out blood like this before—everything the man had that pity look.
Eijun couldn’t blame the man since he has cared for him his whole life. Akira made it his duty to protect Eijun after his parents passed away.
“Don’t look worried; everything will be okay,” Eijun assured the butler.
Akira didn’t like how Eijun looked this pale while telling him something substantial.