* * *
The most effective way to push someone into deeper despair was simple: give them a sliver of hope, then crush it before their eyes.
His crimson eyes wavered, unable to look straight ahead.
The space had collapsed, and beyond it was nothing but darkness.
He had heard someone calling for him, but he couldn’t be sure it was really Sean.
The voice was similar, but Sean never called him by name.
‘Hyung!’
The first time he had heard it, the term had irritated him to the point of anger.
But not now.
Humans were creatures of adaptation.
The funny thing was, the thought of Sean calling him by name didn’t feel entirely unpleasant.
In fact, he found himself thinking that it ‘might not be so bad after all.’
The faint curve of Raizen’s lips quickly vanished.
He remained standing there, still unable to lift his gaze.
[Hihi, hihik, hihiik.]
From behind him, that eerie, strangled laughter continued.
Should he trust that it was really Sean and move forward?
Or should he stay put?
If this was a trick of the black mass, then staying put would be the safer option.
But… was that enough?
‘To be honest, I don’t know.’
The unknown. The uncertain.
Raizen hated such things with every fiber of his being.
His life had been ruined because of a curse—an unknown force beyond his control.
So, of course, he despised his own ignorance.
He feared and loathed the state of being powerless, unable to do anything.
And yet… what was he doing now? Standing here helplessly, waiting for Sean.
The realization made him laugh.
‘Me, Raizen Pantheon, doing nothing but waiting for someone to save me?’
‘…It’s not so bad.’
He should have found it unbearable, but strangely, he didn’t.
Maybe it was because, deep down, he already knew—Sean was his only answer.
He had wandered in complete darkness for far too long, lost in a time where no solutions existed.
‘There’s a world of difference between seeing absolutely nothing… and having a single light to follow.’
The sound of the space collapsing grew louder, accompanied by the black mass’s wails—until they suddenly cut off.
It was as if everything was pushing him forward.
Raizen lifted his head.
Most of the space had already crumbled.
Beyond it, the darkness remained unchanged.
Sean’s voice, too, had vanished.
That single moment—those faintly uttered words—felt like a fleeting miracle, never to be heard again.
“……”
Raizen fixed his gaze on the darkness and stepped forward.
One step. Two steps.
He barely walked a few paces before he reached the boundary between the collapsed space and the void.
[……!! Wh…!!]
The black mass’s voice echoed from a distance.
It sounded like it was trying to shout why, but the words were too faint to make out.
Not that it mattered.
Anything it had to say wasn’t worth listening to.
Without hesitation, without blinking, without faltering—Raizen crossed the boundary in a single step.
His foot landed on solid ground. It wasn’t empty space; rather, it felt like a continuation of where he had just been.
Perhaps, from the start, it had been a single space, only divided and reshaped by the black mass to trap him in an illusion of the past.
Now that he thought about it, the answer had been obvious.
The space had remained intact despite his magic, yet the moment Sean’s voice had reached him, it began to collapse.
‘So, if I keep walking through this darkness… I’ll find Sean.’
But the darkness was too dense.
He couldn’t see anything.
Even the light from the black mass’s space didn’t illuminate it—it was as if the darkness devoured everything.
Raizen stared into the void and let out a faint chuckle.
‘I truly don’t understand a thing.’
What was happening?
Why was he doing this?
He had no idea.
Yet, even as those thoughts ran through his mind, he stepped forward.
Since he could see nothing, he simply walked straight ahead.
How long had he been walking?
Suddenly, his vision was filled with light.
At the same time, someone grasped his hand from behind.
“I found you!!”
A voice filled his ears.
A warmth enveloped his hand.
The light spread, pushing back the darkness.
Strangely, it didn’t hurt his eyes.
The radiance carried a gentle warmth.
Raizen, who had already half-turned toward the source, finally turned fully around.
And there—
There, staring straight at him, were deep blue eyes.
In that moment, Raizen instinctively knew—he would never forget this for the rest of his life.
∗ ∗ ∗
The moment I reunited with Raizen, the suffocating darkness finally receded.
I exhaled in relief and quickly scanned my surroundings.
Since this had all happened in the middle of the banquet hall, there was a high chance that other people had been caught up in it.
‘How the hell am I supposed to clean this up?!’
I had just barely prevented the tragedy of his birthday, and now this mess had unfolded during the banquet instead.
If rumors started spreading again that Raizen was cursed, everything would fall apart.
And then—
“Rai! Sei!!”
That voice—it was unmistakably the Duchess.
Turning toward the sound, I saw her running toward us.
Behind her, the Duke of Pantheon followed closely.
‘Wait… Everyone’s unharmed?’
It wasn’t just the duke and duchess.
The other attendees at the banquet also had stiff or fearful expressions, but they were all unharmed.
In front of them stood the duchy’s knights, and judging by the way the guests looked terrified, it was clear that the knights were the cause.
‘This feels like an interrogation… No way?’
I tugged at Raizen’s collar.
“What?”
Damn it.
I hadn’t even turned my head toward him yet, but his voice startled me first.
When I glanced at him, I found myself locking eyes with his piercing red gaze.
“Light.”
“Light?”
“Use a light magic spell. Anything. Just do it, quick!”
‘Please, don’t ask anything and just do it. Please!’
As if my desperate wish had reached him, Raizen nodded without hesitation.
I heard him murmur something softly, and soon after, a bright light burst forth from his hand.
“What, what is that light?!”
“That’s… No way…!”
The audience reaction was great.
The moment the light spread, the duke and duchess’ faces hardened, and they rushed forward even faster.
‘Good thing there’s still some distance between us.’
I made a distressed expression as I looked at them—then suddenly clung to Raizen.
I felt his body flinch in surprise.
But as expected of a future magic swordsman, a slight shock wasn’t enough to make the light disappear.
That reassured me, allowing me to proceed to the final step of my plan.
“Hngh, huuuaaaah! Hyung, hyung-, thank you so much! It’s all—hngh—it’s all thanks to you!!”
I cried loudly, calling Raizen’s name in a way that made it clear to everyone watching: I had been rescued from a crisis, all thanks to him.
∗ ∗ ∗
‘You’re seriously insane.’
Insane.
Raizen had first heard that phrase while walking down the duchy’s corridors.
A few maids had been chatting among themselves when one of them let the slang slip out.
Young Raizen had found it amusing for a moment, realizing that even words like that existed in the world—but he quickly forgot about it.
As the only heir to a duke’s family, a high-ranking noble among nobles, there was little reason for him to say or hear such words.
And yet, now, that very phrase was dominating his thoughts.
‘Insane.’
Yeah, this was absolutely insane.
The boy right next to him—Sean Kreveta.
When the darkness lifted and he returned alone, seeing that everyone except himself and Sean was completely fine had brought him both relief and an uneasy realization.
Based on the circumstances, the only ones who had vanished were him and Sean.
Then, suddenly, they reappeared together.
Normally, people would assume that someone—or some sinister force—had targeted them, tried to make a move, and ultimately failed.
But there was a problem.
Anyone living in the duchy would never forget the incident from four years ago and the rumors it had spread.
‘Prince Raizen is cursed!’
And this new commotion could very well reignite those whispers.
No, Raizen was almost certain that it would.
And yet, strangely enough, even though the thing he had feared most was unfolding before him, he felt… nothing.
He simply thought it was going to be a hassle to deal with.
But Sean was different.
‘Light.’
‘Use a light magic spell. Anything. Just do it, quick!’
He didn’t even have time to wonder why.
As if under a spell, he instinctively recited the incantation.
The moment light spread from his hand, Sean threw himself at him and burst into tears.
‘It’s all—hngh—it’s all thanks to you!!’
It was a performance so flawless that it was hard to believe he had come up with it in such a short time.
A chuckle slipped from Raizen’s lips.
He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room shifting toward him.
He knew this wasn’t the time to laugh, but for some reason, he just couldn’t hold it back.
Pressing his lips against the back of his hand, he barely managed to stifle it.
“A-Ah, I’m sorry.”
Meanwhile, Sean was staring at him with an expression so severe, it was as if he were wondering, ‘Are you insane?’
That only made Raizen laugh again.
He lowered his head, resting it on Sean’s shoulder.
“Hyung…?”
“Ah… I’m really sorry.”
Yeah.
He should probably explain why he was acting like this.
Still resting his chin on Sean’s shoulder, Raizen spoke offhandedly.
“Sei has divine power.”
* * *
