It was a night on the verge of a cold snap. Even though the Axid Castle had always maintained a solid tranquility no matter how harsh the winter grew, a strange tension hung in the air.
Over the past few days, Seiyad had been extremely busy. Ever since he’d started staying constantly by Ressas’s side from morning till night, this was the first time in years that he had been away for this long.
Ressas waited endlessly. After finishing the daily sword training he never missed since Seiyad had brought him to the North, he had killed a wolf he encountered while scouting the forest borders for Seiyad, then, with extra time on his hands, had even prepared Seiyad’s favorite apple candies.
But he couldn’t see Seiyad.
Standing blankly in the corridor in front of Seiyad’s room and gazing out the window, Ressas saw a group of Tither crossing the bridge and entering the castle. At the front were Cecilia, Nova, and Stella—and following them was Seiyad. As always, Zion was at his side. Apparently due to some serious matter, all the Tither had gathered at the Axid domain.
The Tither, who had blessed and supported each other since birth, shared a bond deep as family. There were times they clashed over differing opinions, but they never forgot respect and consideration. The younger Tither always followed Seiyad, the oldest among the successors.
While blankly watching Zion playfully tease Seiyad with a bright smile, Seiyad seemed to notice the gaze and looked up. A gentle smile bloomed over his usually composed face.
The moment their eyes met, blood surged through Ressas’s body. A soul that had been numb trembled and stirred in response to Seiyad. A faint blush crept up his ghostly pale face that had been ashen like the dead, and in an instant, Ressas became the happiest person in the world.
Ressas was happy just to be acknowledged by Seiyad. It was enough for him if Seiyad remembered his presence at his side. Even if he was busy, if their eyes could meet like this from time to time, Ressas could live off that memory for the rest of his life.
‘I love you, Eid. I love you so much.’
The words he had repeated to himself from the moment he met Seiyad seeped into his heart. Though his soul had long since been dyed with Seiyad’s color, Ressas engraved him anew into his spirit every single day. Happiness welled up inside him, blooming into a flower within his heart. Without even daring to go down and claim Seiyad for himself, Ressas simply stayed where he was. And then, Seiyad came to him.
Having returned to the castle across the bridge, Seiyad led the Tither up the corridor. He could have gone to eat first after being out all day, but instead, he had taken the trouble to personally come see Ressas. It was Cecilia who first spoke up when she saw Ressas standing outside Seiyad’s room.
“Your Highness, are you waiting here again?”
Having grown up beside the siblings since childhood, Cecilia was the only one among the young Tither who wasn’t overly awkward around Ressas. At her greeting, Nova and Stella dipped their heads awkwardly. Even though he was merely a prince in name, their respectful gestures made Ressas stiffen. The self-loathing he had been aware of since he was young bound him tight.
A powerless, useless Guide. A royal only in name, not even worthy of being called a Guide.
Ressas always despised his status, as though he were someone trying to wrap himself in a title he didn’t deserve. Whenever he was called a prince, he was reminded of that winter ten years ago. From the day his mother turned her back on him, everyone abandoned him, even the nursemaid who used to wander the neglected palace halls eventually left him for good.
A suffocating guilt, as if he didn’t deserve to live, tightened around his throat. Unable even to brush off their greetings with indifference, Ressas froze. Zion looked at him, puzzled by his stiffness. Tilting his head slightly, Zion whispered into Seiyad’s ear.
“Hyung-nim, I think His Highness feels uncomfortable. He’s probably not used to the Tither. Should we step aside for now?”
“That might be best, Zion.”
Finding Zion’s considerate words commendable, Seiyad agreed. Zion smiled with an unbothered face, light glinting off his delicate golden-brown hair that shimmered like a fairy’s as he moved. His slender, well-bred face radiated innocence.
When Seiyad gently brushed Zion’s hair, Zion laughed pleasantly and left without hesitation. The three of similar age ran ahead down the corridor, with Stella following close behind.
Ressas stared absentmindedly at the peaceful scene. That world—where he didn’t belong as a non-Guide—filled him with endless envy.
‘If only I were a Guide, I might be able to understand what Seiyad is going through and help him right now.’
“Ressas, they’re only awkward because they’re not used to you. It’s not because you’re lacking or strange—you do know that, right?”
As if reading his heart, Seiyad slowly approached and whispered. At his kind, comforting voice, a smile immediately spread across Ressas’s face.
“Yes, I know.”
“They’re good kids. You’ll get along with them soon. They’re just not as mature as you, so you might even end up taking care of them.”
Ressas quietly absorbed Seiyad’s words. He never forgot anything Seiyad said. Even a passing mutter became an important command to Ressas.
‘I’m the one who should take care of them.’
Though he doubted he had the right, and though it seemed unlikely such a moment would ever come, Ressas nodded. Since the Tither were cherished by Seiyad like siblings, their happiness would be his happiness, too. Because then, Seiyad would be happy.
Seiyad always said the Tither must be together to fully use their powers. If even one of them fell, death would creep in through the cracks. That was also the teaching of the Grand Duchess of Axid. She constantly emphasized that only when the Tither—fragments of the moon—were together could they truly protect Solias.
“You must be hungry. Don’t mind me, go eat. I’m fine now that I’ve seen your face, Eid.”
Happy to have discovered another way to bring Seiyad joy, Ressas smiled sincerely. Unlike the smiles he showed others, this one lit up his whole face, even curling the corners of his eyes in genuine delight. Seeing this, Seiyad reached out his hand. Anticipating the gentle pat he always gave when praising him, Ressas quickly lowered his head. But the outstretched hand stopped midway—frozen in place.
Pale fingers hovered around Ressas’s hair. Unable to bring himself to ruffle the silk-like strands, Seiyad’s hand withdrew. Ressas followed the motion with his eyes. His gaze was filled with sudden sorrow, like a child who’d just had their candy taken away.
“…You’ve grown a lot taller.”
His voice carried a strange tone, as if he’d only just realized it. As Seiyad stared down into unfamiliar eyes, Ressas also recognized the change in himself. No wonder his knees had been aching lately every night. After having stopped growing for a while and thinking he was now the same height as Seiyad, it seemed he’d started growing again—bit by bit, just overnight.
“Looks like it.”
It was a change even he hadn’t noticed, and Ressas tilted his head, marveling at it. His cheeks, always glowing with joy in Seiyad’s presence, flushed now with a hint of shyness. Each blink of his long lashes lit his eyes like shattered starlight. The one who had always needed to be protected by Seiyad… finally felt like he had become a man capable of protecting him in return.
“Eid, I’m taller than you.”
Ressas couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice as he stepped in closer to Seiyad. Now that he’d said it, everything looked different. The large figure he had always looked up at now seemed, in parts, smaller than him. Their broad shoulders looked roughly even, but upon closer comparison, Ressas saw he was slightly wider. The waist that followed Seiyad’s broad chest looked like it would easily fit within his arms.
An inexplicable, strange thrill filled his chest. It felt like he’d just discovered something small and beautiful. If that were the case, were his hands smaller too? Would Eid’s white, pretty feet be smaller than his? Could he now carry Eid effortlessly, just as Eid had once done for him?
Unable to stop trembling, Ressas reached out and gently took Seiyad’s hand—one that had been half-extended but frozen in place. He cautiously, very carefully, intertwined their palms, comparing their hands. Pale, graceful fingers aligned neatly within his grasp.
The warmth from their touching hands made his breath catch. With trembling eyes, Ressas studied them. Seiyad’s fingertips ended just beneath his own. Though anyone would call Seiyad’s hands large and wide, pressed against his, they felt small.
“You’re adorable.”
Ressas whispered sincerely. In the very next moment, Seiyad jerked his hand away. A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face, and his thick eyebrows furrowed in discomfort. His steely gray eyes avoided Ressas’s gaze, and startled, Ressas quickly stepped back.
“I’m sorry, Eid… Did I make you uncomfortable?”
“…Ressas, ‘adorable’ isn’t something you should be calling me.”
The soft rebuke, spoken without looking at him, made Ressas’s heart stop. The moment he realized he might’ve made Seiyad uncomfortable, fear surged through him. His eyes turned red before he could even process it, and he apologized in a panicked voice.
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again…”
Just like his shaking voice, his hands trembled pathetically. Unable to hide his anxiety, he fidgeted in place while Seiyad silently watched him. After a moment’s pause, Seiyad’s gaze landed on the small cloth pouch in Ressas’s other hand—the one he had used to pack the apple candies.
“You brought these for me.”
“…Yes, Eid.”
Ressas felt utterly pathetic and worthless for having nothing more to offer, but at the same time, he thought this was all he could do for now.
“Please take these… and forgive me for upsetting you.”
“No, it’s my fault. I startled you over something so trivial.”
Seiyad gently accepted the pouch and comforted him with a soft tone. His deep voice alone had the power to calm the heart. But still overwhelmed by guilt for having startled Seiyad in the first place, Ressas continued to tremble. To reassure him, Seiyad deliberately met his gaze.
And his gray eyes—seen up close—were incredibly beautiful. Despite the manly sharpness and firm resolve they carried, the eyelids and lashes framing them looked like a forest, tender and serene.
Ressas felt oddly flustered. It was unlike him—he loved making eye contact with Seiyad more than anything. And yet now, he turned away. Seiyad’s gaze playfully followed, and then he reached into the pouch. Taking out a translucent yellow candy, Seiyad whispered gently.
“Since it’s from you, I’ll eat it right now.”
With those words, Ressas’s fleeing eyes returned to him. As soon as their gazes met, Seiyad chuckled faintly and popped the candy into his mouth. Pale pink fingers pressed the sweet past his soft lips, and the yellow candy met his dark red tongue—a contrast so vivid, the sight was obscenely sensual.
A fire lit within his chest. The heat that surged was fiercer than the hunger he’d endured during his ten days of starvation. Ressas froze, unable to breathe, his body paralyzed. Seiyad stared at him, as though seeing straight through him. Ressas had no idea what kind of expression he was making.
For a moment, the world went completely silent.
They both stepped back a few seconds later. Ressas clenched his fists as he finally inhaled after what felt like an eternity, and Seiyad subtly turned his body away. Just before he averted his gaze, Ressas caught a glimpse of the tips of Seiyad’s ears turning faintly red.
And in that instant, a strange urge took root. A fleeting desire bloomed inside Ressas—a wish to kiss Seiyad, just once. But it was such a small, fragile wish that even the one who birthed it couldn’t dare dream of letting it blossom.
Because it was such a feeble wish, Ressas forgot about it soon after. And maybe it was for the best… because what came next left no room for such thoughts.
The following day, darkness fell upon the kingdom.
An early cold wave swept across the land, and a monstrous creature in the shape of a snake appeared in the capital. It brought with it countless Nir’a and settled right in front of the castle. Though many lives were lost, the situation wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed. Not entirely.
The Tither had pushed the Devil to the brink of death. With their strongest bond yet, they eradicated the Nir’a occupying the capital and ultimately discovered a way to kill the Devil. The answer had been close all along. It was the reason the serpent had camped outside the castle gates.
Inside the castle lay the “Holy Death.” A sacred relic, created when the Moon offered up its life to seal the Devil and breathed its final breath into the world. The Sun, who had honored the Moon’s sacrifice, passed the relic down through generations to its descendants, guarding it faithfully. It was crafted from the Moon’s body and its tears—the Milky Way.
The Moon had torn apart the Devil who had swallowed the Sun into four pieces and sealed each one in the cardinal directions. At the time, the Moon didn’t possess the power to kill it. What we call “Devil” was far too immense for that name alone—it was the first darkness to ever be born in the primordial age.
So the Moon made preparations. Over long centuries of sealing and weakening the Devil, the Moon left behind a method to kill it. One day, a descendant carrying a shard of the Moon would inherit the relic and bring light to the darkness. Only someone who truly loved humanity and sought to protect life would be worthy to wield the blade that could bring the Devil to eternal death.
Those who carried the shards of the Moon… were once called Brosius in ancient times.
