The silence was absolute.
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The darkness swallowed him, swallowed his thoughts, his pain, his existence.
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He felt nothing.
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He didn’t know how much time had passed, seconds, minutes, hours? Or maybe he would never open his eyes again? Maybe he was gone?
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But then… something called him.
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First it was a whisper, as gentle as a gust of wind, inaudible to normal ears.
Then a throbbing pain, still distant, like an echo of something that should have left him by now.
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And finally, light.
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Not bright, not jarring. Warm. Familiar.
And then everything came back.
The pain. The loss of blood. The weight of his own body.
And someone’s hands on his face.
Soft, trembling fingers moved across his cheek, squeezing slightly, as if to call him back, not to let him go. Someone’s voice, still trembling with emotion.
“Kigami… I beg you…”
Kimoko.
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He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt too heavy.
“ Please, don’t go…”
Her voice broke, filled with despair. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin, feel her long hair fall over his chest, feel her holding his hand with a strength he hadn’t expected from her.
Somewhere in the distance he could hear voices. Someone was screaming, someone was running, maybe someone was fighting… but none of that mattered.
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Only she mattered.
“ Don’t leave me…”
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He could feel tears falling on his skin, warm drops that burned him more than any wound.
Kimoko… was she crying?
And then his heart started beating faster.
Kigami took his first, shallow, rasping breath. He choked, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.
The air hit his lungs like fire. He moaned quietly, trying to focus his vision. Everything was hazy, but he could make out a blurred figure leaning over him.
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Kimoko.
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Tears glistened on her cheeks, and her fingers clutched his arms.
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“Kigami!” Her voice was desperate, and when she saw him move, her breath escaped her lips in a spasm of relief.
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He didn’t have the strength to answer, but he tried.
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“Shhh… Don’t move…” Her hands, still shaking, pressed against his wound, as if she could stop the blood that was still seeping from the deep cut. “We have to get you out of here…” Then he realized something else.
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They were alone.
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His sister was gone.
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“She…” he croaked, but Kimoko shook her head.
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“She’s gone. But she’ll come back… She’ll come back if we don’t move as soon as possible.” Her words were true. She’ll come back. And if she finds him here…
Adrenaline surged through his body, ignoring the pain, ignoring the weakness.
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“Help me…” he gasped, trying to get up.
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“No, we shouldn’t…!” she protested, but he clenched his teeth.
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“We can’t… stay…” Kimoko looked at him with pain, but after a moment she nodded.
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“Fine. But if you fall on the way, I’ll kill you.” Kigami snorted quietly, and then, with her help, made an impossible effort to stand up.
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The world spun, and the shadows around him danced restlessly.
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But he wasn’t going to die yet.
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- An hour later
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The three of them sat around a campfire, the flames dancing in the silence of the night. The lights of Amoria flickered in the distance, and the air was crisp and cool.
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Kimoko sighed, slowly running her fingers through Kigami’s disheveled hair. His head rested on her lap, and her touch seemed to bring him back to reality.
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The demon stirred slightly, and his eyes opened lazily. He blinked a few times, getting used to the warm light of the fire. His body ached, every breath reminding him of the wound, but… he was alive.
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He looked up. Kimoko was looking at him with relief, although her face was still tense. He felt the warmth of her hand in his hair, and for a moment he allowed himself to close his eyes, savoring this brief moment of peace.
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Kimoko sighed again, but this time differently.
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She couldn’t understand it. She was so close to regaining her freedom… and yet she stayed to save his life.
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She didn’t know if she did it because he had once saved her, or maybe… because of something deeper.
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She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to believe it was true, it couldn’t be true, he was her enemy.
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But her heart told her otherwise.
“You stayed with him… out of love.”
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She opened her eyes, her fingers still moving gently in the demon’s hair. This time, he was the one looking at her.
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“How long did I sleep?” he croaked, his voice hoarse and tired.
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“Half an hour,” she replied quietly. “And it’s still a miracle you’re not dead.”
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Kigami smiled crookedly.
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“See? I’m not that easy to kill.”
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Kimoko snorted, but a hint of amusement danced in her eyes.
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“You’re an idiot.”
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“But your favorite idiot,” he replied with a faint smile.
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She sighed, unable to argue with him.
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The night sounds of the forest could be heard in the background. Somewhere in the distance, a lone wolf howled, and the shadows of the trees moved in the wind.
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On the other side of the fire, Estella lay curled up in a ball, breathing evenly. Kimoko guessed that she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
She felt Kigami move. His head lifted from her lap, and she could see how hard he tried to hide the pain. He carefully sat down next to her, pulling his legs under him and burying his face in his arms. Kimoko saw something more than just physical suffering in him.
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“Kigami…” she said quietly, as if afraid that louder words might hurt him.
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The demon looked at her, and in his eyes she saw something more than pain. She saw guilt.
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“It’s my fault…” he finally croaked.
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Kimoko frowned.
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“I shouldn’t have opposed her…” his voice was quiet, as if he was speaking more to himself than to her. “I should have done what she wanted. Be her weapon.”
The words sounded empty, as if they were just a shadow of the past he had carried within himself for too long. As if he still couldn’t quite believe that he had abandoned her.
“And yet I have seen the light.”
He looked up, his eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness.
“I left.”
Kimoko was silent, waiting for him to say more.
“That’s why they’re after me.” His voice was bitter.
“Koshei, traitor.”
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He repeated the name as if he was trying to get used to the sound of it. As if he was weighing it on his tongue, trying to assess whether it really suited him.
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“Traitor.” The title he had borne since the day he had turned from her.
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From the woman who had created him as he was. Who had molded him, forged him like a blade, whom he had served without question, until the moment he had realized he was not a sword in her hand. That he was more.
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Kimoko didn’t understand.
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He had mentioned before that the other demons thought he was a traitor, but he had never said why. He had never given details, never let her see deeper. It was like a shadow that followed him constantly, whose presence she could feel but whose shape she could not see.
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And yet now…
Now he was saying more than ever. But he still hadn’t said everything. He had never said who he had betrayed.
Kimoko stared at him, waiting. She wanted him to finish. To say more.
But he was silent.
“Who is ‘she’?” she asked cautiously.
Kigami sighed, and a shadow of pain appeared on his face.
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After a moment, he whispered:
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“Felicia… The Queen of Demons.” Kimoko felt her heart sink in her chest.
Kigami looked down, as if weighing each word that escaped his lips.
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“…And my mother.”
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The girl opened her mouth, but she couldn’t get a sound out. Her thoughts were swirling.
His mother.
The Demon Queen.
He was her son. The demon prince. Royal blood flowed in his veins.
And he had never told her.
Why?
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Why had he kept it from her? How could she possibly believe him now? How many more secrets had he kept from her? What other lies had he told her?
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“That demoness…the one who attacked us,” he continued. “Her name is Nyx. But many call her Nikita. She’s my eldest sister.”
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Kimoko couldn’t breathe.
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Everything she knew about him, everything she thought she knew about him…suddenly made no sense.
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“…Will you forgive me?” His voice was barely a whisper. But she could see the desperation in his eyes. His gaze was almost pleading. Kimoko looked at him for a long moment.
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Then she forced a smile.
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“Of course I forgive you.”
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She saw Kigami let out a breath of relief, his tense shoulders slumping slightly, and a faint smile appearing on his face.
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But she herself…
She wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth.
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She didn’t know if she could really forgive him for that.
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She looked at him and smiled back.
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She was lost in her feelings.
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She wanted to hate him for the secrets he kept from her. For the death she almost experienced because of him, back in the city of Amoria.
But on the other hand…
She felt something completely different. And she, to wasn’t completely honest to him, he still didn’t know who she really was.
Kimoko gently leaned against his shoulder, staring at the dancing flames of the fire.
After a moment, she felt Kigami lay his head on hers.
They sat together in silence, staring at the fire, and Kimoko felt his warm breath on her hair.
She didn’t have to wait long until he fell asleep again.
She stared at the flames for a moment longer before closing her eyes.
She knew one thing.
They had to find that tree of memories and get Estella’s crystal as soon as possible.
And in the meantime…
They had to do everything they could to avoid another encounter with Nikita.
Because if she found them…
Kimoko wasn’t sure if Kigami would survive an encounter with her for a second time.
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