The voice that echoed could never be imagined as belonging to the gentle and mild-mannered Prince Ressas. It was cold and chilling. Though it sounded calm—much like his usual tone—it carried a pressure so overwhelming, it was nearly impossible to resist. Perhaps because of that unfamiliar and shocking weight, those around him faltered in hesitation.
“You all know well that when one is suffering from backlash, even sound itself becomes agony. The Duke is in far worse pain than any of you right now, so shut your mouths and await my instructions.”
Thanks to that, silence returned to the area. As the noise that had been piercing their ears began to fade, the pain that felt like it might rupture eardrums also eased. But still, everything was unbearable. Even the slightest breeze against his skin burned like it was being torn apart, his insides churned violently, and above all else, he desperately wanted to erase the voice echoing inside his head. He wanted to smash his skull open and end this pain once and for all.
“No, Eid.”
How Ressas knew what he was thinking, he couldn’t tell. But the prince’s gaze, which had briefly turned to the others, returned to him once again. Ressas’ finely shaped eyebrows furrowed in distress, and even through his blurred vision, Seiyad could sense the deep torment behind his expression.
Ressas overlapped Seiyad’s trembling hands with his own. Like warm sunlight melting away the chill of frost, his soft, pale touch slid between Seiyad’s fingers and held tight. As if letting go would be catastrophic, he clutched with a desperate gentleness. Along with the act of cradling him, a gentle energy began to flow into Seiyad’s ravaged body.
“It’s okay, my moon. I’m here. I’ll bear your pain for you.”
It was like finding the elixir of life. The moment he followed that warmth, swallowed it in whole, he felt the burning urge that everything tormenting him would vanish. All reason within Seiyad fled, and only the primal desire to devour this being who held him remained.
Driven by that desire, Seiyad reached out with both arms and wrapped them around Ressas’ neck. He hated that there was even the slightest space between them. The impulse to pull this warm person as close as possible and make him completely his own surged uncontrollably.
A shift appeared on Ressas’ face, one that had been suppressing rage until now. With a mix of sorrow and affection in his expression, he gazed down at Seiyad, then lowered his head willingly, offering himself, and embraced Seiyad with both arms. Without the slightest hint of strain, he rose to his feet. As his body lifted, a chill ran down Seiyad’s spine, and he clung even tighter to Ressas’ neck. Driven purely by instinct, without any sense of shame or awareness of being watched, he bared his teeth at Ressas’ nape.
Ressas, calmly holding in his arms the man more dangerous than anyone else present, shifted Seiyad closer to hide him from view. Without hesitation, he turned his back to the others.
But Seiyad didn’t like that Ressas was moving. In his frenzy, he wanted to push Ressas down and steal every breath from his lungs. He dragged his nails across Ressas’ back, threatening to tear into it. Then Ressas bent his head and whispered sweetly.
“Shh, just a little longer. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
Their faces were so close it looked like they were about to kiss. Zion, who had stayed silent until then, finally stepped forward. Rushing toward Ressas, he grabbed his arm angrily.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re my Guide, Ressas! The purification should be performed by the Crown Prince! Can’t you see me? The Duke isn’t the only one who needs purification right now!”
The headache that had briefly seemed to subside came roaring back at Zion’s outburst. When Seiyad groaned and twisted in Ressas’ arms, trying to get away, Ressas tightened his hold.
“I believe I told you to be quiet, Zion. With the knights and other Tithers watching, don’t cause more trouble.”
As the tension escalated, the others who had been silent cautiously intervened.
“Zion, let’s listen to His Highness for now. We can all sense how bad the Duke’s condition is.”
Stella’s voice came first, and then Cecilia stepped forward.
“My brother’s Guide is the Crown Prince. This isn’t something for Prince Ressas to handle. I’ll take my brother down.”
Zion immediately countered, not missing a beat.
“Do you even realize how this looks to everyone else? You’re clinging to your rival’s Tither! I’m the one you’re supposed to purify!”
As Zion’s fury over what he couldn’t understand continued to build, so too did the volume of his voice. It felt like Seiyad’s skull was going to explode. He couldn’t stand listening anymore.
In a desperate attempt to flee the maddening noise, Seiyad unwrapped his arms from Ressas. He tried to push away from his chest and get down, but Ressas embraced him with all his strength, making that impossible. Then he lifted his head to look at Zion.
“Zion Shildras.”
Though the voice was quiet, it dropped so cold and deep that it sent shivers down their spines. Each word carried so much force it was terrifying.
“If you want purification so badly, then I’ll grant it to you right here.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the atmosphere began to shift. Seiyad noticed the change first. A powerful ripple, one only Tithers could sense, began to surge from Ressas’ body.
Just as the sun cannot hide its heat, Ressas released a suffocatingly intense aura. The air began to stir with a sound like rushing wind. A terrifyingly pure and dense force of purification emanated from him.
“What… is this…?”
Zion’s murmur was audible. And with that, the transparent wave spread outward. The power radiating from him had an immediate effect on all the nearby Tithers. Stella’s voice, filled with awe and noticeably stronger than before, rang out.
“Is this even possible? Truly…?”
The sensation was like breathing in a burst of crisp, clean air. Seiyad’s mind began to clear somewhat. At least the urge to bash his own skull in had receded. With this much power, his condition should have improved significantly, but perhaps due to being too close to Nir’a, the rest of the pain wasn’t so easily soothed.
Still, he could now stand on his own. Realizing he was still being held in Ressas’ arms, a wave of discomfort washed over him. As he twitched to pull away, Ressas seemed to sense it and, as he had before, held him even tighter. Then, turning to Zion, he gave a command.
“This is more than enough, so stop here and do your job. The fact that I haven’t exposed your failure in front of everyone—that alone is my answer to the loyalty you’ve shown.”
Ressas seemed utterly unmoved by the admiration and astonishment echoing around him. He even wore a look of mild boredom as he delivered what sounded more like a warning to Zion. Zion, who had been standing in place, still reeling from the bizarre phenomenon that had just occurred, scowled at Ressas’ accusation.
“You’re saying… this is my fault?”
Zion’s voice was laced with disbelief, as though the thought had never even crossed his mind.
“The fact that among the five Tithers, only the Duke ended up in this state means he was the only one forced to overexert himself. If you, as the commanding officer, had led the situation properly, none of this would’ve happened.”
Ressas spoke curtly, then cast a glance at Stella, Nova, and Cecilia one by one.
“Even though this was a crisis severe enough to bring down the strongest Tither, the rest of you stand unharmed. That alone proves none of you fought properly.”
His tone was cold, his critique biting. Zion ran a hand roughly through his hair, barely holding back his irritation, and snapped back.
“You know full well we all lack experience compared to Duke Axid!”
“Then you must also understand that all the experience the Duke has was earned alone. Unlike you or the other Tithers, he’s never had anyone to guide him. He’s endured everything by himself. And despite that, I don’t recall the Duke ever using a lack of experience as an excuse.”
Ressas’ eyes, which always held a faint smile, now glared at the Tithers with the emotionless sharpness of a carved statue.
“There are many witnesses here, so we’ll discuss the details later. Tend to the wounded, and prepare your report on today’s encounter with Nir’a. If you spout one more unnecessary word, my patience will end right there.”
The overwhelming pressure that had been pouring out of Ressas while he spoke vanished in an instant. His mastery over his own power was clear—precise and deliberate. It was a clear signal: he would entertain no further arguments.
Ressas turned away. Just then, Cecilia called out from behind him.
“Anyone listening would think you really know my brother, Prince Ressas. But you haven’t even exchanged a word with him in years.”
Ressas gave no reply. Instead, he gently adjusted Seiyad in his arms and walked past the now-silent crowd. All eyes—from the knights who had followed him to those positioned at the rear—were fixed solely on them.
“You’re okay now, Eid.”
A soft whisper echoed from above. Strangely, the moment Ressas’ words reached him, the tension that had gripped Seiyad finally snapped and melted away. And then came the wave of dizziness—so intense it nearly knocked him out. The strength he’d been forcing into his neck gave out, his head tilting back, and for the first time in his life, Seiyad lost consciousness in front of others.
