Even If Everyone Hates You 147

Even in a world where traces of the gods remained in Tither and the Guides, Seiyad had never felt the need to believe in them. Their power had never enriched his life or made it particularly easier, so he didn’t consider it a blessing. And relying on something—anything—simply wasn’t in his nature, so he never sought the divine.

Even now, Seiyad didn’t feel particularly moved by talk of gods or miracles. But witnessing the realm where the dead arrived—something in his heart eased, just a little. It was the realization that good people who had died sorrowful deaths, or those who, though good at heart, were led astray and committed sins they never intended, had a place of rest.

Whether it was the sun or the moon guiding him, Seiyad walked the path that formed under his feet, firmly holding Ressas’s hand. The road they traveled felt like a bridge of glass. Iridescent rainbow light shimmered faintly and stretched in every direction, and wherever the light touched, unfamiliar flowers bloomed.

As they walked for some time, eventually the Milky Way adorned the night sky beneath them. Spellbound by the slow, river-like flow of starlight below, Seiyad gazed downward—where murmurs rose from the depths. Laughter, both bright and soft, and voices he recognized from the living world echoed peacefully below. As if walking through a farewell, he began his descent.

The transparent path steadily sloped downward, and with it, his shadow stretched behind him. Recalling the warning the sun had once given him, Seiyad stopped and met Ressas’s eyes.

“Your Highness, from this point forward, step into my shadow and stay close.”

“Alright, I will.”

“No matter what happens, do not let go of me. You must follow.”

“Yes.”

Ressas smiled brightly, as if to ease the tension. They had made it this far, so he thought perhaps they would make it out unscathed—but the unease still lingered, and his body remained tense. When Ressas quietly stepped into Seiyad’s shadow, his presence became oddly concealed, shimmering as though veiled by the fabric of night.

Seiyad slowed his pace so his beloved could keep up, and continued walking as he had before. Slowly, a massive gate came into view. The night sky split open and starlight poured through the gap. He instinctively knew—this was the exit.

Seiyad moved toward it without hesitation and then spotted the gatekeepers guarding the entrance. He was planning to pass through without saying a word, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a familiar face.

His mother stood there.

The silver hair bound high, the stern black eyes, the stubbornly set lips, the poised elegance—there was no mistaking it. It was his mother, Serena Brosius. Holding the long sword she used in life, tip resting on the ground, she guarded the gate. And standing beside her was none other than Sirkan Shildras—whom she had despised in life—doing the same.

The sight struck Seiyad still. The idea that his mother stood here, side by side with his sworn enemy, unsettled him. Was this right? Had something happened to her? His steps froze. He had always believed that those who had sinned couldn’t reach this place, and his expression grew dark.

As Seiyad approached, both figures looked at him blankly, as if meeting a stranger, assessing who he was.

“You bear the mark of the Moon,” said Serena calmly, her voice devoid of emotion. “Are you returning to the surface now that your task is done?”

Frowning at the incomprehensible sight, Seiyad unconsciously pointed at Sirkan and questioned Serena.

“Why is he here?”

“Ah, you know my former comrade,” she replied, with the faintest tilt of her head. “He did do something terrible to me. But I also committed a great sin against him. After paying for our crimes, we both ended up here. Repentant souls are sometimes given a second chance. Not everyone is—but some are.”

She smiled gently, as if to reassure him. But Seiyad’s expression remained unconvinced, prompting Serena to step closer and whisper a secret into his ear.

“We killed each other once. It was fair. So we chose to let go of the matters of the living world and seek peace in our own way. That’s why you, too, should forget the affairs of the dead and return to the world above.”

As if her words were a signal, the gate began to open. Still worried, Seiyad glanced between his mother and Sirkan. But Serena’s face remained utterly serene, and Sirkan, too, silently gestured with his eyes for Seiyad to go.

It was a strange feeling.

He had vowed, after meeting Ressas, not to cling to the grudges of his past life. He knew now that everything tangled with the Shildras had been the Devil’s doing. Even so—it was strange, seeing his mother forgive the man he had hated for so long. And in that moment, the deep bitterness he had carried for years felt… pointless.

If the one most wronged had forgiven him, then Seiyad, who wasn’t even the true victim, had no reason left to hate. He understood now just how much such emotions had weighed down his soul. And so, he chose to cast off the ancient anger that served him no purpose.

With lips pressed tight, Seiyad stared endlessly at the face of his mother—once nearly forgotten—until the image was seared into memory. Then he stepped forward. Brushing past the woman who watched him leave with tranquil eyes, Seiyad crossed through the open gate.

The air, once warm, turned brisk. The chill of the living world rushed in. Concerned whether Ressas was managing behind him, Seiyad began to turn his head—only for Sirkan, who had been silently watching, to speak.

“Once you pass through this gate, do not look back. A soul returning to the surface must let go of all attachment. If you look behind, you risk being seized by spirits trapped between the living and the dead—and you’ll never break free.”

Startled by the warning, Seiyad stopped mid-turn and realigned himself. Clenching his teeth, he took a deep breath and began walking forward through the gate.

Even though he couldn’t see the one hidden in his shadow, he trusted Ressas would follow. And so, he stepped onward, one foot at a time.

Unlike the ascent, the path downward was cold and hollow. Just as loneliness is the first emotion felt by a newborn entering the world, every emotion imaginable from that land above hovered restlessly in the air. Pushing down the drifting void, Seiyad pressed on, focused on the future that awaited them.

He bit back the urge to ask, Are you alright? and continued the long journey in silence. Time dragged on, each moment feeling like an eternity, and with every step, unease built within him—what if something had happened to Ressas? Was he enduring this cold and lonely place without harm?

And just then—

“Eid…!”

Ressas’s voice rang out. Along with it came an eerie wind and a chorus of shrieking cries. Startled by the fear and desperation in his beloved’s voice, Seiyad twisted around on instinct. Fearing Ressas was in danger, he spun around—and saw his lover staring at him, wide-eyed with shock.

He’d been so worried, but there Ressas was, following quietly and obediently as always, blinking in surprise as their eyes met. He seemed just about to ask, Are you okay?, when suddenly darkness twisted behind him and came crashing down.

“Ressas!”

Seiyad’s heart plummeted. He lunged forward and grabbed him. Though Ressas quickly grasped his hand, as if to show he was fine, vengeful spirits—born of countless twisted souls—began to latch onto him one by one. Emaciated hands made of bone clung to Ressas. Seiyad moved to unleash his power—but here, in this place, it did nothing.

“Your Highness, please… whatever happens, don’t let go of my hand…!”

‘You damned fool. You were told not to look back—no matter what!’

Terror surged through him as despair began to swallow Seiyad whole. He pulled with all his strength, but there were far more spirits holding Ressas down than he could fight off. Gritting his teeth, he glanced back and realized—the light was right there. Just a few more steps. If only he had held on a moment longer. He couldn’t believe it—was he really going to lose Ressas now?

He couldn’t lose the one he had fought so hard to find again. His one and only love—he couldn’t let him slip away.

It didn’t matter how desperately they clung to each other—their hands were slowly beginning to part. Seiyad bent low and wrapped his arms around Ressas, who in turn did everything he could to hold on. Yet the overwhelming feeling came—we can’t hold on much longer. Their grip kept slipping.

“It’s okay, Eid. This isn’t your fault.”

As if sensing it too, Ressas smiled gently, as though it truly was okay. Seiyad shook his head wildly, face twisted in agony.

“Please…!”

He didn’t even know what words were supposed to follow. All his life, he had worked so hard to avoid mistakes—and now, now, in this critical moment, he’d made the worst mistake imaginable. To think that he might lose the only person he ever truly wanted—he couldn’t bear it. A crushing despair threatened to drag him into the abyss.

Then, something strange happened.

“Serena, I told you your son would turn back.”

“He’s a kindhearted boy—what did you expect? This is where you pay for your sins. Now, go help my son.”

Their voices rose, oddly casual despite the urgency of the situation. And then, the spirits clutching Ressas began to scatter. The hands slipped away, one by one, and the nearly-lost Ressas fell forward into Seiyad’s arms. Holding him tightly, Seiyad looked up, gasping for breath.

There they were—Serena and Sirkan—forcing back the vengeful spirits. Serena saw Seiyad, pale and shaken, and smiled down at him with that warm, familiar face he had missed for so long.

“Don’t worry, my son. Go now. Thank you—for honoring the last words of your foolish mother. If I could do it over, I would have told you not to seek revenge, but to live your life freely. Please… forgive this foolish mother of yours.”

As she spoke, a powerful wind began to blow. Like a storm, it swept them both forward in a rush of light. Sirkan, watching them go, added his voice.

“I’m sorry, Seiyad. I was so consumed by my own bitterness, I dragged innocent people like you into my hatred. I’ll never forget that sin. But you—be at peace now.”

Those amber eyes, filled with genuine remorse, were the last thing Seiyad saw before the light consumed him. The warm glow that swallowed them was the exact color of every Tither’s eyes he had ever seen.

He felt it clearly—the sensation of a long-lost soul finally returning to solid ground. The light faded. His senses returned. Seiyad’s eyes snapped open.

He bolted upright and saw people surrounding him. Lyley lay asleep beside his bed. Tiaki, startled, had stumbled back. And Nina, looking calm and composed as if she’d been expecting this, sat knitting in a rocking chair nearby. She set down her yarn and approached him.

“Welcome back, Your Grace. You’ve been asleep for quite a long while. Winter has just begun.”

“Ah! My heart nearly gave out!”

“Tiaki, don’t shout in front of someone who just woke up.”

“But Nina, he just opened his eyes while I was checking on him! I nearly had a heart attack!”

“Yes, yes. Go fetch Lulu now.”

They bickered like a mother and child—which made sense, considering they had raised so many of the children. The memory of his mother flashed through Seiyad’s mind, quickly followed by the image of the one who would be waiting for him now.

His heart quickened. There was no time to waste.

“Thank you for taking care of me. I’ll repay this kindness later—for now, I must return to the North.”

“Of course.”

As if she had anticipated it, Nina handed him a bundle that was already packed.

“It’s a place even Lulu can’t reach in less than a day, so I packed some simple rations,” Nina said, handing over dried meat wrapped in cloth and a water flask. “The weather’s gotten quite cold, so I also knitted a thick coat for His Highness Lyley. It’s not fit for someone of noble blood, but… it’ll do for now.”

Then she gently shook Lyley awake. He stirred, messy-haired, and sat up with a start—then stared silently at Seiyad. The child who remained in the sun’s absence—the one who had always been there—now shrank back a little, unsure if he found Seiyad familiar or frightening.

“…Hello.”

His small voice and anxious gaze reminded Seiyad so much of Ressas that he knew he could never hold resentment toward this child. This wasn’t the boy’s fault—it was the Queen’s. And this child, now an orphan, had even appeared in the peaceful future Ressas once dreamed of. So Seiyad softened.

“Hello, Your Highness.”

“Y-Yes, sir…”

Matching the boy’s eye level as best he could, Seiyad asked gently:

“I’m going home now. Would Your Highness like to come with me? Your older brother is there.”

“You mean Ressas-hyung?”

“Yes.”

At that, the child gave a small nod. Guilt and hope mingled on his face as he reached out to gently take Seiyad’s hand. Lifting him up with ease, Seiyad stepped down from the bed, gathered the supplies Nina had prepared, and stood on solid feet for the first time in a while. Though his body was stiff from lying still so long, strength quickly returned to his limbs, and he left Nina’s home.

A blast of icy air rushed in the moment the door opened—but unlike before, the winter wind no longer felt lonely. Now, it brought with it only anticipation and a rising warmth he couldn’t quite explain.

Just like when they had come here, Tiaki had to travel separately to the North. Lulu held both Lyley’s and Seiyad’s hands, preparing to jump. As they made ready, Tiaki hovered near, curiosity bubbling.

“So… is His Highness alright now? You wouldn’t believe how chaotic it got while you were asleep. The dukes were run ragged keeping the throne stable. Lady Cecilia kept asking about you every day.”

“I’ll explain later. Come to the palace once we arrive.”

“What! At least give me a hint! I deserve something for guarding you all this time.”

He wasn’t wrong. Seiyad owed Tiaki far more than he could repay. Solias needed rebuilding, the existence of Desertus had to be revealed, and their deeds formally acknowledged—but none of that was on Seiyad’s mind right now.

“I’m sorry, Tiaki. Right now, I just… I have to go.”

His expression was anything but composed—restless and urgent. Seeing that, Tiaki snorted softly and gave Lulu’s shoulder a pat.

“They say love turns men into fools. Even the great Duke of the North is no exception. Lulu, take care of him.”

“I will! See you up North!”

The moment Lulu smiled and waved, the world around them shifted. Since Ressas was still asleep, there was no one to purify her path as before—so she couldn’t push herself like she once did. And because they were traveling with a child, it took Seiyad two full days to reach the North, despite his impatience.

When they finally stepped into the Axid Territory, colder than anything they’d experienced before, snow was falling all around.

Lyley looked around in wonder—this was clearly his first time seeing so much snow. Thick flakes drifted gently from every direction, blanketing the earth in pure white. Trees were cloaked in soft snow-laden limbs, and even the North’s usually barren air felt warm today. Just like that paradise they had seen.

The moment Seiyad realized this—he could wait no longer.

He could rest a bit and wait for Lulu to regain strength, and that would likely be just as fast as running—but he couldn’t sit still another second.

“Lulu, I’m sorry. Please take His Highness Lyley to the castle. I’ll go ahead.”

“Got it—go, quickly!”

As she waved him off, Lyley waved, too. Seiyad captured their faces in his mind and then turned and ran without looking back. He knew he looked ridiculous—but if he didn’t move, right now, with his heart pounding like this, he might actually explode.

What should’ve taken thirty minutes, Seiyad crossed in less than ten, running without pause. His breathing grew heavy from the sudden exertion after waking, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, he couldn’t stop smiling.

The Axid Castle, which had always felt too vast and empty, finally rose into view—and a quiet smile bloomed across his lips. As he exhaled, his breath turned to white clouds that briefly clouded his sight.

And just as that mist cleared, Seiyad saw someone running out of the castle gates.

A man—a beautiful one, still in sleepwear, barefoot, as if he’d just rushed out of bed—was sprinting across the snow toward him. Without hesitation, Seiyad ran to meet him.

Ten steps. Five. Three…

One.

They stopped face to face, eyes locking at arm’s reach. Snow fluttered gently between them, coating the hair of the one Seiyad loved most like apple blossoms. His violet eyes—his entire world—were overflowing with joy.

And Seiyad was the first to speak.

“I’m back, Ressas.”

To the boy who had searched for a place to belong across three lifetimes, Seiyad gave his greeting at last.

Ressas, already smiling, seemed to bloom even brighter—as if no one in the world could ever be happier. And then he replied:

“I waited for you, Eid.”

There was no trace of the quiet sorrow that had always lingered in Ressas’s voice as he reached out his arms. And Seiyad was the same. All the melancholy feelings that had once sat like an aching scar somewhere deep inside him—those restless shadows—were gone. Life would never be happy every single day, but that was alright. Even in those moments, Ressas would be with him.

And really, there was no reason not to be happy.

Because the world was so bright.

And his love was so breathtakingly beautiful.

Whispering that simple, essential truth to himself, Seiyad melted into Ressas’s embrace. His lover’s laughter—pure joy, just from seeing him again—rang through the entire castle, and far off in the distance, a grey nightingale sang its song.

It was the warmest, most peaceful winter morning ever recorded in the history of the North.

***

Epilogue

Long ago, before the ground had even split and the seas had risen to form the continents, there was a place no one could enter. It lay in the center of the continent, surrounded by an endless forest. Any adventurer who dared approach lost their life to strange, nameless monsters. And so, for ages, it was called the Land of Death.

Then, one day, a white moon rose from that land—cutting through a night sky that had been dark for hundreds of years. The moon glowed bright and full, lighting the paths of travelers and becoming a beacon to seafarers lost at sea. Awestruck by such a miracle, countless adventurers flocked to the Land of Death—only to encounter people who had inherited divine power.

Solias, the boundary that connected the realm of gods and humans, had long protected mankind from the Devil. When those people finally slew the Devil, they were able to step out of the forest. The travelers, who had circled its edges in fear of the monsters within, saw those emerging from the woods and declared them children of the gods.

And they weren’t wrong. Those who emerged wielded powers no ordinary human could comprehend—mystical and divine.

Frightened yet fascinated, the travelers raced home to spread word of what they’d seen. As the rumors spread and grew, Solias soon became a place revered and unreachable.

But it wasn’t just the divine warriors that made Solias famous.

It was said that the king of Solias, who had appeared alongside the children of the gods, was so beautiful that a mere glance could ensnare the heart. That his appearance seemed to capture the color of the night sky itself. And people began to say—surely, he must be the voice of the divine. His looks were simply too ethereal to be human.

Thus, Solias became known as the Moon of the Continent.

A nation watched over by the gods. A land no one dared invade or covet. And it was here that a new chapter in history began.

It was Ressas Raman Solias, and his loyal knight and beloved, Seiyad Brosius, who ushered in that age of peace—a golden era that would last for hundreds of years. They restored the kingdom, aided the continent through countless crises, and etched their names not only into the legacy of Solias but into the history of the entire world.

For centuries, they remained unchanged, guarding Solias… until one day, they simply vanished.

Gossips and romantics insisted they were still alive, watching over the world in secret. And in time, that story became legend—a myth passed down to generations across the continent, becoming a sacred belief.

A promise that they were still there, watching over everyone.

Author: Levia