The awkwardness from the practice hall followed them all the way into the night.
By the time Kael and Elior left the academy building together, the sky had already darkened completely.
It was nearly eight.
Cold evening air drifted quietly through the academy pathways while crystal lamps illuminated the stone roads in soft golden light.
Behind them—
far enough not to disturb—
the knights assigned to secretly guard Kael continued following silently through the shadows as usual.
Meanwhile—
the red thread connecting Kael and Elior remained exactly the same as before.
Visible only beneath certain angles of moonlight.
Quietly linking them together.
Yet tonight—
the atmosphere between them felt unbearably awkward.
Neither spoke.
Neither even knew how to begin speaking after what had happened earlier.
Especially Kael.
Every few seconds, his mind replayed the memory again.
Aevrin unwrapping the pebble.
Elior recognizing it instantly.
That horrible silence afterward.
Kael internally wanted to disappear forever.
What kind of person secretly carries a road pebble around wrapped like treasure?
Worse—
what kind of explanation could even justify that behavior?
None.
Absolutely none.
Kael's expression darkened further from embarrassment alone.
What if Elior thought he was strange now?
No.
Forget strange.
What if Elior genuinely thought he was insane?
Or worse—
creepy?
Why did I even pick that thing up?
And why did I wrap it carefully?
And why—
why did I keep carrying it the entire day like some emotionally unstable idiot—
"…Kael?"
Kael immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
"Hm?"
Elior had slowed slightly beside him.
"You've been quiet for a long time."
"…I'm always quiet."
"…Not this quiet."
Kael instantly had no response.
Silence returned again afterward.
Painful silence.
Then suddenly—
"…Elior."
Elior looked toward him immediately.
"Hm?"
Kael hesitated.
For once, even he himself did not understand why he wanted to ask this question so badly.
But somehow—
he needed to know.
"…Do you like roses?"
The question left his mouth awkwardly.
Almost stiffly.
Kael instantly regretted asking.
Meanwhile Elior blinked in surprise.
Then unexpectedly—
he chuckled softly.
The sound immediately made Kael feel even more flustered.
"Well… yeah," Elior answered naturally. "I like them."
Then smiling slightly—
"Who doesn't like roses?"
Kael frowned faintly.
"…I'm not asking like that."
Elior tilted his head slightly.
"Then?"
Kael looked away briefly before asking quieter this time,
"…What kind of flower do you like the most?"
There was genuine curiosity in his voice now.
Real curiosity.
Not casual conversation.
Elior noticed immediately.
And somehow—
that realization made warmth quietly bloom inside his chest.
Because Kael was not asking randomly.
He wanted to know.
Not about flowers.
About Elior himself.
And strangely—
that thought made Elior happier than it should have.
Elior looked ahead quietly while thinking.
"…There isn't one specific flower I obsess over," he admitted softly.
Then after a moment—
"But if I had to choose…"
Kael's gaze unconsciously returned toward him.
Curious.
Focused.
Waiting.
Elior smiled faintly beneath moonlight.
"…Pink lotus flowers."
Kael looked slightly surprised.
Elior continued quietly afterward.
"I like flowers that make people feel calm."
His voice softened.
"…Pure things feel comforting somehow."
Something about that answer lingered deeply inside Kael.
Pink lotus.
Pure.
Calm.
It suited Elior strangely well.
Too well.
Kael remained quiet for a moment before asking again,
"…Then is there any place you want to go someday?"
Elior blinked softly.
"A place?"
Kael nodded once.
"…Somewhere you want to stay."
Elior chuckled again quietly.
At this point, it had become painfully obvious Kael was trying to learn more about him indirectly instead of simply saying it openly.
But Elior did not point that out.
Because honestly—
he liked this version of Kael.
The quieter curiosity.
The hidden attention.
The effort.
So Elior answered seriously.
"…There's no specific place I dream about."
Then after thinking carefully—
"But…"
His gaze slowly drifted toward the distant mountains barely visible beneath the night sky.
"I think I'd want somewhere near mountains."
Kael's expression stilled slightly.
Elior continued softly.
"A quiet place."
His voice gradually became gentler the more he described it.
"A small house where morning sunlight enters through the windows."
"…A garden nearby."
"…Flowers."
"…And a river close enough to hear at night."
Kael suddenly stopped walking.
Elior didn't notice immediately.
Still speaking quietly.
"It doesn't need to be luxurious."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Just peaceful."
"…If I could escape all the chaos someday, I think I'd want to live somewhere like that."
The smile faded slightly afterward.
Then softer—
"…Strangely enough…"
Elior looked ahead quietly beneath moonlight.
"…I feel like I miss a place like that."
Kael's heartbeat stopped.
"…What?"
Elior frowned faintly.
"I don't know how to explain it."
His voice carried confusion now.
"It feels familiar somehow."
"…Like I lost something connected to that kind of place."
"…Or maybe someone."
Kael could no longer hear the rest properly.
Because his mind had already frozen completely.
That place.
That exact place.
The mountains.
The sunlight.
The river.
The flowers.
The house.
Everything Elior described—
was identical to the place Kael had seen repeatedly inside his dreams.
The same house.
The same warmth.
The same peaceful life.
And suddenly—
Kael finally understood something horrifying.
That place…
had never been meant for him.
It was built for Elior.
Every part of it.
The warmth.
The comfort.
The peace.
The life inside it.
It had all belonged to Elior.
But then—
why did those dreams feel filled with grief?
Why did every vision end painfully?
Why did Elior's smile inside those memories always feel like something already lost?
Kael's chest tightened violently.
A sharp ache spread through him so suddenly he almost struggled to breathe.
Fragments flashed briefly inside his mind again.
Sunlight through windows.
Silver hair moving gently in warm wind.
Soft laughter.
Then—
blood.
Loss.
A hand he could not hold onto.
Kael unconsciously clenched his chest slightly.
His breathing became uneven.
And before he realized it—
tears slipped silently down his face.
Warm.
Uncontrollable.
Elior immediately stopped speaking.
"…Kael?"
Shock filled his expression instantly.
Because Kael looked devastated.
Not physically.
Worse.
Like someone silently breaking apart from memories he himself did not fully understand.
Elior's expression immediately changed the moment he saw the tears.
"…Kael?"
His voice softened instinctively.
Concern filled his dark eyes almost immediately as he stepped closer without hesitation.
Kael still stood there silently, breathing unevenly beneath silver moonlight, looking completely lost inside something he himself could not understand.
Elior slowly reached out.
Then gently touched Kael's cheek.
Warm tears met his fingers.
Elior's eyes widened slightly.
"…What happened?"
His voice became quieter.
"Why are you crying?"
Kael said nothing.
Could say nothing.
Because even he himself did not fully understand what was happening inside him anymore.
The pain inside his chest felt unbearable.
Like grief buried for years suddenly tearing itself awake.
Elior looked more worried seeing Kael remain silent.
"Do you feel pain somewhere?"
His hands lightly moved toward Kael's arm instinctively.
"Did something happen while we were practicing?"
Still—
Kael could not answer.
Instead—
before Elior could say anything else—
Kael suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace.
Strong.
Desperate.
As though holding onto Elior was the only thing keeping him together right now.
Elior froze completely in surprise.
"…Kael—"
But the moment he felt Kael trembling slightly—
his expression softened immediately.
Slowly, Elior lifted one hand and gently patted Kael's back.
Carefully.
Quietly.
Without asking further questions.
The night wind drifted softly around them while Kael buried his face near Elior's shoulder silently.
And for the first time in a very long while—
Kael allowed himself to break without resisting it.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly falling apart inside someone's arms.
Elior continued comforting him gently.
After a long moment, he finally spoke softly again.
"…Kael."
No response.
"…Are you feeling a little better now?"
Kael tightened his hold slightly instead.
Like he did not want Elior moving away even a single step.
The ache inside him still hurt unbearably.
But strangely—
Elior's warmth soothed it slightly.
Then quietly—
Kael finally spoke.
"…Elior."
"Hm?"
"…Can I request something?"
Elior blinked once in confusion.
"…Okay. What is it?"
Kael hesitated briefly.
Then finally—
"…Tonight…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…Come to my home."
Elior froze.
Kael continued quietly afterward.
"…I want you beside me."
Silence.
Elior genuinely did not know what to say immediately.
Agreeing felt dangerous.
Especially after all the strange things Kael had already done recently.
The pebble.
The teasing.
The strange emotional reactions.
And honestly—
Kael occasionally acted suspiciously enough to destroy trust naturally.
What if Kael tried doing something strange again?
But then—
Elior looked at him properly.
At his exhausted eyes.
At the lingering sadness still hidden beneath them.
And suddenly—
refusing became impossible.
Because seeing Kael like this hurt strangely.
"…Okay," Elior answered quietly at last.
Kael looked at him immediately.
And for the first time since earlier—
something inside his expression visibly relaxed.
"…Thank you."
The two eventually headed toward Kael's mansion afterward beneath moonlit pathways.
By the time they arrived, servants had already begun preparing everything quickly after hearing Elior would be staying overnight.
The butler greeted them calmly at the entrance.
Though the slight surprise inside his eyes upon seeing Elior arrive this late remained impossible to miss.
Still—
he wisely asked no questions.
Dinner passed relatively quietly afterward.
Though Kael remained unusually close beside Elior the entire time.
Almost as though afraid Elior might disappear if left alone for too long.
And once dinner finally ended—
Kael immediately informed the servants firmly:
"No one is allowed to disturb me tonight."
Then—
before Elior could even fully react—
Kael grabbed his wrist lightly and led him upstairs toward his room.
"…Kael."
Elior looked suspicious already.
"Why are we going to your room?"
Kael immediately knew Elior would misunderstand.
So before Elior could refuse—
he turned toward him quickly.
"…Elior."
Something unusually vulnerable appeared inside his eyes again.
"…Tonight… please sleep beside me."
Elior froze.
Kael looked genuinely serious.
And then—
almost awkwardly—
"I promise I won't do anything."
A pause.
Then quieter—
"…Please."
"…Please, Elior."
Elior instantly became conflicted again.
Because honestly—
Kael saying "I won't do anything" sounded exactly like someone who absolutely planned something.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Still—
seeing Kael asking like this made refusing difficult again.
So after thinking carefully, Elior sighed softly.
"…Fine."
Kael visibly brightened immediately.
"But only on one condition."
Kael stopped.
"…What condition?"
Elior narrowed his eyes slightly.
"No strange behavior."
"…And no mischievous tricks."
Then warningly—
"Otherwise I really won't talk to you anymore."
Kael immediately nodded.
"…Okay."
Far too quickly.
Suspiciously quickly.
Elior somehow trusted him even less afterward.
Kael then moved toward one side of the room before opening a cabinet.
"…Wear these."
Elior blinked.
Then stared.
Because Kael had somehow already prepared an entire set of clothes exactly his size beforehand.
Perfectly fitted.
Neatly arranged.
Elior slowly looked back toward him in disbelief.
"…Kael."
Kael avoided eye contact immediately.
"…What?"
"…Why do you already have clothes that fit me perfectly?"
"…Coincidence."
"…That is absolutely not coincidence."
Kael looked away calmly.
"…You're overthinking."
Elior narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Meanwhile Kael secretly looked extremely satisfied inside.
Because yes—
he had absolutely prepared those in advance.
Long ago.
For completely normal reasons.
Definitely.
Eventually both changed and prepared for sleep.
And once the lights dimmed—
Kael immediately moved closer without hesitation.
Then wrapped his arms around Elior tightly before resting his head directly against Elior's chest.
Elior froze instantly.
"…Kael."
No response.
Because the moment Kael felt Elior's warmth and heartbeat beneath him—
exhaustion overtook him completely.
Almost instantly.
Like his body had finally found something it had been searching for unconsciously all day.
Within minutes—
Kael had already fallen deeply asleep.
Peacefully.
Still holding Elior tightly.
Without even asking whether Elior himself was comfortable or not.
Elior stared down at him blankly.
"…This guy really is unbelievable."
And yet—
Kael's sleeping expression looked strangely calm now.
Peaceful.
Like all the pain from earlier had temporarily disappeared completely.
Elior sighed softly afterward before relaxing slightly against the pillows.
His fingers absentmindedly brushed through Kael's dark hair once.
Then quietly—
his thoughts drifted back again.
Why did Kael cry like that earlier?
What exactly did my words remind him of?
And why did seeing him like that hurt me so much too…?
Elior lowered his gaze toward Kael sleeping against him silently.
"…You really hide too many things."
But eventually—
a faint smile appeared on Elior's lips anyway.
"…Let's ask tomorrow."
The room finally fell silent.
Only the faint sound of breathing remained beneath soft moonlight.
Kael continued sleeping peacefully against him, holding him unconsciously as though afraid something precious might disappear if he loosened his grip even slightly.
Elior stared quietly at the ceiling for a long moment.
Then softly—
almost absentmindedly—
his fingers brushed through Kael's dark hair once more.
"…Goodnight, Kael."
No response came.
Kael had already fallen deeply asleep.
Yet strangely—
the moment Elior spoke those words—
Kael's grip loosened slightly.
Like something restless inside him had finally calmed.
Outside the mansion windows, the moonlight remained gentle and quiet.
And somewhere deep within memories neither of them fully remembered yet—
someone who had once failed to protect warmth…
had finally stopped trembling for one night.
— by Aurea;"Some wounds do not bleed when they are remembered.
They bleed when warmth finally returns to touch them again."