Chapter Text
"Again. We aren't ending this practice until you all get this move correct."
"Yes, sir!" Multiple children of various ages yell in unison, withdrawing their wooden swords and repeating their moves as they've been taught.
In the front row, one in particular was especially focused.
The third crowned prince, Aoyagi Toya.
As his eldest brother readies for his inevitable coronation, Toya trains to be a knight— one his father can be proud of.
With a look of determination and unbridled focus on his face, he glides across the floor as if gravity didn't apply to him— not a sound being heard as his feet hit the ground. In one fell swoop, the training mannequins head was dropping to the wooden floor with a thud, its vacant face staring up at him.
With an exhale, he slides the weapon back into its holster, all while glaring down at the head as he would an enemy.
"Wonderful, Aoyagi." The teacher praises. "You are free to leave for the day. The rest of you, learn from him."
"Thank you, sir." Toya bows at a full ninety degrees to the instructor and returns his equipment to its designated area before leaving the room and taking his usual route straight home.
"Hey," A rough voice calls out to him as he passes the kingdoms garden.
He chooses to ignore it and carry on with his day.
"Heyyyy, come on... I know you hear me."
Still, the voice persists. It even begins following him. Every turn, every hill, every bridge— it followed.
Having enough of the pestering, he speeds up and draws his dagger as he turns a corner, waiting for this mystery voice to meet it.
"Hey— woah!" When it does... the owner stares down at the weapon in a curious amusement rather than fear like Toya had anticipated.
"Why are you following me?" Toya finally replies, voice steady and eyes narrowed.
"For a prince, you're awfully violent..." the owner pouts.
"Answer the question." Toya closes the distance between the blade and the persons chest.
"I just wanted to talk to ya." The other person— a fellow teenage boy— places his finger at the tip of the blade and slowly pushes it down and away from him. "Can't I do that?"
"I do not talk to people. I don't have time for such nonsense."
"Nonsense?" The boy scoffs. "Geez, y'ever had a friend before?"
The prince lifts the blade higher than before, pointed at the teens throat. "What do you want?"
Finally, the boy backs off— but only slightly. "Really, man, I just wanted to talk. Y'looked cool doin' all your fightin' things. That's it."
"That's never 'it'. People always want something from us, so what is it?"
"What? No— I'm bein' serious. Prince Aoyagi, if I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it already. Not to mention that I wouldn'tve been so loud while followin' you. I really just wanted to have a conversation with you."
Toya has always been good at telling when someone was lying or not, and this guy... was telling the truth. He slowly lowers his weapon but keeps it in his hand, just in case.
"Why me? There are plenty of other people our age in this kingdom."
"Like I said," the boy shows a smile, "I thought you looked cool back there. Maybe you could teach me somethin' one day."
"Teach you? Are you also training to be a royal knight?"
"Oh, no— I just... kinda do whatever, really. It'd be nice to know different fighting styles though. Never known when I'll need 'em."
"You... have no real reason to learn?"
"Ah— well— no... but... do I need one?"
'Suspicious' was the only word Toya could use to describe this boy. Nobody just wants to learn fighting styles for no reason.
"...who are you, exactly?" he begins to interrogate even further.
"Shinonome Akito." The boy replies with a smile.
"Shinonome..." Toya quietly echoes. "Any relation to Ena, the court painter?'
"Yeah! That's my big sis'. Only by a year though."
"You two are... so different for siblings that close in age."
"Yeah..." Akito gives an embarrassed laugh. "We don't really get along too well, either. We just got different interests, y'know?" He shrugs.
"I see." Toya looks him up and down, examining his clothing. Sure, it was nothing fancy, but his outfit still seemed well thought out. "And you? What do you do?"
"Oh, not much right now." Akito gently kicks the ground beneath his feet. "I'm thinkin' of maybe tryin' to be a musician or somethin'."
"You enjoy music?" Toya slightly tilts his head.
"Yeah. I think it's pretty cool. What 'bout you, your highness?"
Toya felt his eye twitch at the title. "Do not call me that."
"Oh," Akito blinks. "Why... not?"
"I may be a prince, but I do not wish to be tied in with them so casually. I am a knight, not some... pretentious nobleman."
"Oh, well... my bad. What... should I call you, then?"
"Just my last name is fine."
"Okayyy... well, Aoyagi... do you like music?"
"I... am acquainted with it, yes. As for enjoying it... I would have to deny."
"Eh?!" Akito gasps, "Why?!"
"I simply find no joy in such things. Is it a crime to dislike something?"
"...I guess not, no." The boy sighs. "And— hey, you should relax more. Y'don't gotta look all..." he makes vague gestures at Toyas body, "like that, all the time."
Toya looks down at himself, looking for whatever Akito could possibly be referring to. When he sees nothing, he looks back up with a curious tilt of the head. "Like... what?"
"Y'know..." Akito clicks his tongue before lowering his head in thought, "how should I say this... tense." He looks back up at the prince. "You look like you're tryna kill me just by lookin' at me."
"Do I..?"
"Yeah. You... seriously didn't know that?"
Toya shakes his head.
"No wonder people are so scared of you." Akito scoffs.
"People are... afraid of me?"
It wasn't until Toya repeated his words that Akito realized how rude they sounded.
"Ah— w-well— not— not really..? But... I've heard a few others express some... thoughts about you."
"Oh..." Toya lowers his eyes. "I see."
"H-hey, I didn't mean to upset you—"
"No, it's alright." Toya cuts him off. "I just... did not realize that people... were not fond of me."
"Agh..." Akito groans. Making the third crowned prince upset was definitely not on his bucket list. "What if... I helped you be more... social?"
Toya slowly looks up at him. "What do you mean?"
"Like— we can help each other. I help you become more social with citizens and you... teach me your fighting technique?" He gives an awkward, embarrassed smile before biting his lip out of nerves.
Toya glances to the side as he processes the boys words. "You... would do that?"
"I mean... yeah. We'd both be gaining somethin' from it, so..." he taps his fingers together, "whaddya say, Aoyagi?"
Toya thinks about his answer for a full twenty seconds. He's never interacted with someone like this before, let alone more than once. Would this boy be considered... a friend, now?
A friend sounded nice...
"Very well." He gives Akito a small, slightly anxious smile. "We can do that."
Akito was borderline vibrating with excitement, but forced himself to remain calm for his own sake. "Cool." He smiles back. "Then... you free tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow... yes, I believe so."
"Great..! We can meet in the garden if y'want."
"The garden? Any particular reason?"
"Nah... I just like flowers. They're... calming, y'know?"
Toyas eyes shift to a small patch of flowers just nearby. He never really paid much attention to them before, but now that he is... they're gorgeous.
"Right, I agree."
"Nice... Well... I gotta go now." Akito begins to back up. "See you tomorrow?"
Toya nods. "Tomorrow."
"Cool... bye..!" the boy turns and runs home with a big wave.
Once he was gone, Toya couldn't help but think about what he said.
People are afraid of him, but it seems as if he wasn't.
How strange.
From that day on, they continued to meet up whenever they had time.
Toya would teach Akito how to fight like a knight, and in return Akito would help him find ways to seem less threatening to those of the kingdom.
One day turned into two, two turned into a week, and a week turned into a year.
"Hey, Aoyagi... it's been a full year since we met. Did y'know that?"
"Really?" Toya carefully plants a sunflower in its proper spot.
"Yeah." Akito chuckles. "To think... I'd become friends with someone like you. I still can't believe it." He pats the dirt flat as Toya lays it down.
Toya sighs. "Akito, I asked you to stop pointing out my status all the time."
When no reply comes, Toya turns to see Akito staring at him in shock.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he raises a curious eyebrow.
"You... called me Akito."
Toyas body freezes up. "D-did I..?"
"Yeah. Have you... been wanting to call me that?"
The prince glances away. "I mean... I believe we've gotten close, so..."
"Then... can I call you Toya?" Akito leans closer to the other, shoulders touching.
"You want to call a prince by his first name?" Toya huffs a quiet laugh.
"Oh? Now you wanna be a prince?" Akito nudges his side with a chuckle. "I thought you didn't wanna be one of 'them'." He teases.
Toya sighs. "I don't. But, at the end of the day... it's what I am."
"I mean... y'don't gotta... act like one all the time, y'know."
"I don't..?"
"Yeah, 'course not. At least... not with me." Akito gives him a smile. "You can be whoever you wanna be with me."
"...you mean that?" Toya looks at Akito with a mix of nerves and anticipation.
"I never say things I don't mean, Toya."
Hearing someone other than his family say his first name felt... foreign, but not in a bad way. He never realized how much he craved this type of relationship with someone until that moment.
It felt nice.
"Thank you, Akito." Finally, Toya returns the smile. Albeit small, it held all the meaning in the world to them both.
As the days went on, they continued to grow closer.
Maybe... too close.
"Toya~?" Akito chuckles as he joins his friend in their usual garden.
"Oh, hello." Toya greets him with a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"Do I need a reason to see my friend, hm?" Akito begins helping him with whatever he was doing with the fragile plants.
"I suppose not." Toya hums. "Also, since you're here... could you grab the watering can, please?"
"Oh, sure." Akito hops up and grabs what he needs, heading back to Toya with a pep in his step.
"Thank you~" The prince goes to grab the can, unconsciously brushing his fingers against Akitos.
Being focused, he didn't seem to notice the way the ginger flinched and tore his hand away.
Akito wasn't even sure why he did that. They've touched before, but it never made him feel like that. It was almost like he was scared to touch Toya. At the same time, though... he never wanted to leave his side. He wanted to hold Toya in his arms and never let go.
But why..?
Toya's a prince, a knight, a—
...a boy.
Akito shouldn't feel this way for that reason alone.
So why does he?
"Akito?"
The ginger snaps out of his thoughts with a jolt. "Y-yeah?"
"Are you alright? You look troubled." Toya was already done with his task, and seemed to have been for a while. How long has Akito been staring into space?
"O-oh, uh..." as he searches for an answer, he makes the mistake of looking up at Toyas eyes. They lock together immediately, the air getting heavy the second they do.
They maintain eye contact for what felt like hours, neither of them saying a word.
Akito wasn't sure if he was simply going insane or hearing his own thoughts, but he swears that Toyas eyes were speaking to him— telling him everything he was too afraid to say.
The way Toyas expression suddenly softened into a sad smile told him that the prince was hearing the same.
But... now what? Even if those words were true, they are unable to act on them— it's wrong.
Reluctantly, Akito lowers his eyes and shifts them to the side with a disheartened expression.
"I... should get home." Toya quietly stands with a deep exhale.
"Right... see you tomorrow..?" Akito looks up at him with a look of faltering hope.
Instead of yelling or fighting him like Akito partially expected, Toya smiled. "Of course."
His smile was a pained one, Akito could tell. He knows that look all too well. Either way, he's glad that Toya wanted to stay together just as much he did despite how hard it may be.
However, when tomorrow finally came, Toya was nowhere to be seen.
Did he lie? Was he just trying to get Akitos hopes up?
No... Toya may be rude and blunt sometimes, but he's not cruel. He wouldn't intentionally play with a persons feelings like that.
...right?
So, Akito waits. He sits in their spot for another hour, but his prince never came.
Then, the ground began to shake.
Akito gripped onto the bench he was on to stabilize himself as his eyes darted around to try and figure out what was happening.
They've had earthquakes before, but he could tell that something was different this time. This wasn't just a usual temblor.
No, not when citizens are fleeing from the castle grounds with terror on their faces, holding their children and friends as if their lives were on the line.
"What..?" he quietly mutters to himself, voice shaking with the ground beneath his feet.
He pushes himself up and runs to one of the running citizens, stopping them in their tracks.
"H-hey! What's happening?!"
"It's back!" The woman yells, frantically trying to run away.
"What's back..?"
"The curse... I-it's back to punish us!"
"Curse? What cur—"
A loud, glass-shattering roar sounds through the kingdom, forcing all around it to cover their ears. The woman takes it as her chance to escape.
"Wai— hey—!" Akito calls out, but she was gone before he could even turn around. "A curse..? I was never told about a curse..."
He looks back to the castle— it was falling apart. The walls were beginning to crumble and crash down to the floor.
"Toya," Akito gasps, "please be okay." He sprints to the castle walls he was never allowed to walk beyond before. To hell with the rules, he needs to find Toya. He climbs over the rubble and runs around the large building, searching for any sign of life.
He quickly finds one, but not exactly the one he was expecting.
Towering tall over the throne rooms collapsed roof was a dragon. He stares up at it in utter disbelief, dragons aren't real... right?
No, he must be seeing things.
He tried to convince himself that he was, and it worked.
That is, until it moved. It slowly lowered itself towards the thrones, circling them with bloodlust in its eyes.
"A-Aki—" coughs cut off the sudden voice.
Still, Akitos eyes shifted to where he heard it. Hidden behind a large pile of crumbled wall was Toya. Akito rushed over to him, holding his shoulders.
"Toya?! You're okay?!"
"I... I think so."
"What's going on? What is that thing?!"
"I'm not entirely sure, but... I don't believe it has good intentions."
"Y'think?" Akito scoffs. "C'mon, we gotta get outta here." He grabs the princes arm, but was quickly pulled back down.
"What—"
"Shh," Toya hushes him. "I... cannot leave."
"Why not? That things gonna kill you."
"...exactly." Toya lowers his eyes. "It has already gotten my family and the rest of the knights. It is targeting us. If it sees me... it won't stop until it gets me, too."
"So..." Akito lets out a shaky breath. "So what do we do?"
"The sorcerer has been contacted, so... he should hopefully be here soon, but... I'm not sure if he'll be able to fight it off."
"If he's not... then what?"
Toya remains silent, his lips pressing together.
"Toya... then what?" He repeats, fear flooding Akitos mind within seconds.
"I... don't know." The prince slowly looks up at the other. "I'm scared, Akito."
Akito watches as tears begin to form in Toyas eyes, the only sign of fear he's ever seen from the knight. As if it was instinct, he pulls Toya into a hug. "Me too..."
Toya immediately wraps his arms around Akito, quietly crying into his shoulder.
For a little while, they forgot the chaos around them. They wished the moment would last forever, that they'd open their eyes and be in their garden planting sunflowers together.
Fate, unfortunately... isn't so kind to everyone.
Returning them to reality was a loud growl from the creature. They pull apart and look over their protective wall to see the sorcerer doing all he can do vanquish the dragon and send it back to where it came.
The creature was too fast for the other to keep up with, swatting him with its tail the second his eyes were off it, sending him flying directly towards them.
He lands with a loud groan, getting up as fast as he could and immediately noticing the boys behind him.
"You two— ngh— need to get out of here." He grips his leg in pain as he steadies himself.
"What about you?" Akito worries.
"I'll be—" another, much louder roar breaks up their conversation. It sounded... different than the other times— as if the creature was attempting to speak.
Toya whimpers at the volume, covering his ears. For some reason, it looked as if it affected him much more than the other two. Akito puts his hands over Toyas, shielding him further. "Where do we go?"
"There's a shelter a few miles from the kingdom, you need to take him there." The sorcerer gestures to Toya.
Akito hesitantly nods and moves his and Toyas hands.
"Hey, come on. We need to go."
Toya doesn't respond; he doesn't even move.
"...Toya? Hey, get up." Akito gently shakes him— nothing.
Then, Akito feels something drip onto his arm.
Blood.
He moves Toyas hair behind his ear to see exactly what he thought he would— blood trickling from both ears. The sound must've ruptured something.
"Shit," Akito hisses. "I-I don't think he can hear me."
"Damn it." As the sorcerer attempts to come up with an idea, Toya abruptly stands up.
"Toya?" Akito grabs his hand, but it was swatted away.
With an expression devoid of all emotion, Toya slowly walks towards the dragon. Every move was unsteady due to his ears, but he slowly got closer and closer until he was within arms reach.
"Wh-what is he doing?!" Akito yells in a whisper.
"It's too late..." the sorcerer mumbles.
"What?! What do you mean?! Go— go do something!" Akito pushes the other forward, but he doesnt budge.
"I can't." He denies. "Even if I wanted to— I can't. He can't hear us anymore, he's... he's already gone."
Akito feels a shiver run through his body. "What do you mean... gone?"
"The curse is already taking affect. Even if I managed to kill the creature— which I cannot on my own— he's already fallen too far."
"S-so, he— he's just— a slave to that... thing?!"
With a pained expression, the sorcerer lowers his head. "I'm sorry."
Akito goes to respond, but pauses as his focus is switched to Toya being picked up to the dragons face, staring into its eyes.
The air went still for a moment, as if nobody wanted to believe it was real. As Toyas body fell to the ground shortly after, however... it became much more real than it felt before.
"Toya?!" Akito yells, watching as the prince slowly sits up and looks around. His face was completely lifeless, as if he were already a corpse.
Suddenly, Toya gasped for air and his hands flew to his eye, palms digging into it as he let out a blood-curdling scream; one that Akito couldn't even believe came from him— the most soft spoken person he knows.
Akito watches in horror as his best friend cries out in pain before it comes to a crashing halt.
He simply... stops.
Not gradually, all at once; like a switch was flipped.
Toyas arms fall to his side as his eyes slowly open. For a moment, Akito sees one of them flash a shade of red before returning to their usual gray.
"T-Toya..?" Akito mutters.
The second the name leaves his mouth, silver eyes find him.
But they weren't his, they didn't belong to the Toya he knows.
They were locked on him like a target. The eyes Akito was familiar with during their training— the eyes of a killer.
"Wh-what's wrong with him?"
"We need to leave." The sorcerer grabs his arm.
"What? But— what about Toya?" Akito pulls back, standing his ground.
"His highness isn't here anymore. We need to go, now."
"No!" Akito frees his arm. "I-I'm not leaving without him!" He turns to run for Toya, but the prince finds him first, grabbing him and pushing him to the ground.
"T-Toya, please!" Akito tries to free himself, but Toya was stronger than he remembered. "You gotta come back!"
Toya doesn't listen, he can't. He reaches his hand down and grabs the very dagger he threatened Akito with the day they met, but this time... he was planning on using it properly.
He raises it up above Akitos chest, glaring down at his target with a single goal— kill.
Akito shuts his eyes as the blade flies toward him, but suddenly... he felt lighter.
"Come on, get up!"
Akitos eyes shoot open and sees Toya on the floor beside him, alive but struggling to stand. On the other side was the sorcerer with his hands out in front of him, smoke emitting from one of them.
"Unless you feel like dying, we need to go!" He sounded more frustrated now.
"B-but—"
"Good lord," the other huffs and runs up, grabs Akitos wrist, and drags him out of the castle.
"Toya!" Akito screams as they leave, fighting the others hold to no avail. Once they're out of the kingdoms walls, he's let go.
"Why did you do that?!" Akito pushes the other.
"Did you want to die?! He was going to kill you!"
"But— he was still there!"
"No he wasn't!" The sorcerer snaps. "He's gone, kid. Maybe there's a way to get him back, but nobody knows what it is. Once the curse has gotten this far, you can't save him. I know it hurts to hear, but it's true and you need to accept it. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do right now. The kingdom isn't ours anymore."
Biting his lip in frustration, Akito lowers his head. "Why couldn't you kill it?"
"Like I said before, I can't on my own. If my family were still alive, maybe we would've had a chance like previous times. But... they died years ago."
"So... h-he's just..." tears begin to well up, "he's never comin' back?"
"I... am not sure. We've been able to get rid of the dragon before things got this far, so... I cannot say for sure what will happen now. I'm sorry."
With the confirmation, Akito breaks. He falls to his knees and begins to scream out cries louder than he's ever done before; not even sounding like himself. He could feel his heart cracking and shattering into a million pieces. He was almost convinced he was going to die from from a broken heart, hands flying to his chest as he grips it from the pain.
Gentle arms soon wrap around him, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry..." the sorcerer repeats. He felt guilty, of course he did. But there was nothing else he could do. "I don't know what your relation to the prince was, but I can tell he was important to you. None of this is fair, I understand that, but... we need to get somewhere safe so we can figure things out, okay?"
Through his sobs, Akito manages to nod. Slowly, he calms down enough to stand and begin their walk.
It was painfully silent for the first ten minutes as the sorcerer led the way, occasionally checking on the boy behind him.
Seeing as they had a fairly long walk together, the sorcerer decides and try to get to know the kid.
"So... what's your name?"
"...Shinonome Akito."
"Shinonome..? Like the court painter? I believe she got out as well."
Akitos head shoots up. "E-Ena's okay?"
The other nods. "From what I've heard, yes."
"How did you hear it..?"
"I'm a sorcerer, I can communicate with anyone no matter how far they are. I've been checking in with the head knight there for names of survivors."
"Makes sense... What's your name? Nobody actually knows it... I think."
The other chuckles. "Rui, from the Kamishiro family. You can call me whatever you'd like."
"How... old are you?"
"How old do you think I am?" Rui tilts his head with a playful smile.
"I dunno... like... twenty?"
"Oh, I'm flattered!" Rui waves his hand with a bashful expression. "However, I'm nearly thirty."
"Eh..?" Akito didn't fully believe him, but... he just watched a dragon curse his best friend, he's inclined to believe anything at this point. "Then... Kamishiro, I guess..."
"Whatever makes you happy~" The man hums. "And... Shinonome, I... I am truly sorry for being harsh back there. But, when you've known magic as long as I have, you tend to get frustrated when those who don't know it don't listen to you. You understand, right?"
Akito nods. "Yeah... sorry for gettin' all... annoying, I guess. I just... wanted to save him."
"I understand..." Rui sighs. "Curses are never kind, especially that dragons..."
"Right, you said your family's fought it before..?"
"Ah, yes. My family goes way~ back with this kingdom. We've been here for almost... I want to say three hundred years now? Just about."
"And... you're the last one?"
"Yes... and I will be the end of the Kamishiro bloodline, unfortunately."
"Why..?"
"I... do not wish to have children. Even if I did, I couldn't. It's kind of hard to reproduce when you're in love with another man, don't you agree?"
Akito lets out a quiet gasp. "You... have a male lover..?
Rui nods. "Yes. In fact, the knight I mentioned earlier... well, that's my lover. He's from a different kingdom, so it's fairly difficult to contact him without my magic being cut out by their sorcerer, but... I'm glad I was able to today. His people have been very welcoming to all of us."
"Gotcha..." Akito lowers his head.
Rui just... openly admitted that? To a complete stranger, nonetheless. Why?
Does he know about him? He's a sorcerer, he probably does somehow, right?
"Back to this dragon, though." Rui continues, freeing Akito from his thoughts. "You may recall a story from your childhood; the one about a kingdom tearing two dragons apart from each other, yes?"
"Oh, yeah... I think I do."
"That wasn't just a childrens story." Rui explains. "Many years ago, before my family even joined this kingdom, those who built it took the land from these two dragons— a couple. As they built, they killed off one of them, sending its lover into a frenzy, targeting the royalty that initiated the attack. They managed to vanquish the remaining dragon to underneath the castle grounds, but it resurfaces every hundred years for revenge— cursing each member of the royal family it can find and turning them against their own people."
"And... nobody knows a way to stop it?"
"Not that I'm aware, no." Rui sighs. "I've been researching it for years, but... I've found nothing."
"...'kay."
Rui joins the teens side, gently rubbing his shoulder. "Shinonome... may I ask you something?"
Akito nods, eyes fixated on the rocky path beneath his feet.
"You and the youngest prince... what is your relationship? Not many people are allowed to call the royal family members by their first names like that."
"I... don't know." Akito balls his hands into fists, thinking back to the previous day.
Rui gives him a look of understanding. "I see. But, he's important to you, yes?"
Akito nods.
"I understand." The man exhales. "Why don't we talk about this another day; I'm sure you're exhausted, right?"
"...yeah."
"The shelter isn't much further, just hang in there." He pats the teens back and returns to walking in front.
Five minutes later, Akito couldn't tear his eyes away from one very obvious detail about the sorcerer.
"Is your leg okay?" He voices. "You're limping."
"Ah, yes." The man awkwardly chuckles and looks down at his leg. "I'll be alright. I landed on it wrong when the dragon hit me... No need to fret, my friend! It's nothing I can't handle."
Akito suddenly felt... guilty. He felt bad for making the sorcerer go through all of this just for him— while injured, even. Still, he was greatful. Rui risked his life to save him like that, the least he could do was stay by his side for a while, no?
"Here we are." Rui announces with a calm and relieved voice.
Akito looks up to see a village he's never seen before, not even on the maps he's read. "When did this get here..?"
"It's been here for a while. We never put it on the maps so the wrong people can't find it."
"Wait, so, how did the others find it?"
"A few knights from the neighboring kingdom were able to guide them. Also, one moment please." Rui turns to the gate and begins speaking to one of the guards before waving Akito over.
"Y-yeah?"
"Your name?" the guard asks.
"Oh, uh... Shinonome Akito..?"
"The youngest Shinonome? Your older sister has been looking for you."
Akitos eyes widen. "She's okay?!"
The guard nods with a smile. "Go on in. Thank you again, Kamishiro." The doors slowly open and the duo was let in.
As Akito looks around at the small buildings and multitude of people, one voice stands out amongst the rest.
"Akito!"
His head shoots in the direction of the sound to see his sister running towards him, tears streaming down her face. He rushes towards her and throws her into a tight hug.
"I was so worried..! A-are you okay?" She asks, holding his face and closely examining him.
He nods in her hands. "Are you? You— you were there today."
"I'm... I'm alright." She smiles. "I saw some... terrifying things, but... physically, I'm okay."
"Yeah... same." He returns the pained smile, pulling her close again.
Rui admires the siblings bond for a few moments before being approached by the very person he was hoping to see.
"Kamishiro, you're back?"
"Hello, Tenma~" The sorcerer gives the knight a tired smile. "I am back, yes. And, I brought another survivor with me." He gestures to the siblings.
"Did you?! That's great!" The knight beams.
"I think... this one's different, though."
The knight tilts his head. "How so?"
"He seems to have a very close relationship with the third crowned prince. I don't know, I just— have this... feeling about him. He's important, I just know it."
"You think he'll be able to stop the curse?"
"I don't know for sure, but... it's a good possibility."
"Are you going to tell him that?"
"Not yet." Rui denies and turns back to the teens. "I'll let him have a moment. He definitely needs it."
The knight nods with a smile. "Good idea. Let him settle in for a while. As for you, let's get that leg of yours checked. I saw you limping as you walked in."
With a final agreeing nod, the duo head off to the medical tent and tend to his wounds.
And Akito? He spends the rest of the night by Enas side, making sure neither of them get hurt.
He has no idea how long they're going to be there, but he refuses to lose anyone else, especially family.