The days went by smoothly, following Gyokuen and Natalie's deaths. All returned to normal, and soon, each of the Ren siblings filtered back into the palace. Hakuryuu seemed the most anxious out of the bunch, learning of his mother's death shortly after arriving back.

"And the rest of Al Tharmen?" he asked urgently, his icy blue eyes searching for an answer.

"They've gone into hiding," Kouen replied calmly. "I've received word of suspicious activity in Magnoshutatt. Apparently, there are a few select magicians funneling large amounts of Rukh and Dark Rukh. Whether that has anything to do with Al Tharmen, I'm not certain," he informed him, his voice low.

"They'll never be completely eradicated," Hakuryuu growled under his breath, his hands balling up into tight fists. He peered out into the courtyard, spotting the sun setting along the horizon, painting the sky a multitude of pinks and oranges, and casting shadows over the mountains to create a pitch black silhouette.  "Because wherever there is light in the world, there is also darkness."

---

I bustled through the corridor, stopping short in front of a heavy wooden door. I anxiously hesitated, staring at the wood grain before letting out a confident sigh.

It'd been a few days since the battle ended and I was told that Judar wasn't to receive any visitors until he was awake. I spent most of my time in the palace library or tailing Kouha, assisting him with whatever clean-up jobs Kouen sent him on. When I finally received word that Judar had gained consciousness, I didn't waste a single second.

The door creaked open and I poked my head in, curiously glancing around the empty room.

(He isn't here?)

I pushed the door completely open and the figure of a man suddenly became visible as he stood directly in front of me.

"Forget how to knock?" Judar scoffed, pulling the door open the rest of the way.

"Oh! I'm-" I started but lost my train of thought as I noticed Judar was only half dressed. My face flushed pink and I cast my gaze anywhere else in the room. I could feel his gaze on me and I twiddled my thumbs in embarrassment.

"For the love of... Just get in here," he hissed, pulling me inside the room and shutting the door behind me. "Now talk. What'd you want?" he asked, his tone sharp.

"Well, I'd been made aware that you were up now," I squeaked, my insides buzzing nervously. "I came to check up on you."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, pulling his shirt on. "That's what the maids and doctors are for," he snapped.

I wasn't sure why he was being so cold towards me but it was starting to get under my skin.

"Judar?" I said his name in a whisper, not wanting to piss him off but also wanting to find out the source of his sour mood. He glanced at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak again. "Have I done something?" I asked quietly, wondering if maybe he just didn't want to see me at the moment.

His expression clouded for a moment as he took in my question, and then he let out a quiet sigh. "No, but now that everything is over with I guess there's no point in prolonging it," he said nonchalantly, causing my stomach to flop. His crimson eyes met mine, glowing in the last moments of sunlight that the day had to offer. "I can't return your feelings," he said, his voice ringing with empty emotions.

I stood there, feeling a little dumbfounded, as it was one of the last things I'd expected to hear from him. It didn't hit me as a surprise, however, as I quietly recalled his conversation with Hakuryuu at Sinbad's Palace.

"I see," I said in a calm manner, not expecting anything less from the Magi before me. "Will you at least answer me one thing then?" I asked. Judar only waited in silence. "Did you not once harbor any feelings for me? Not even when I awoke from death for a second time?" I asked. The memory flicked across my mind and I could still clearly see the image of a sleeping magi in the window sill of my room that night, freezing the air around him as he slept soundly, waiting for me to recover.

He shifted uncomfortably where he stood, his gaze not meeting mine. "No, not even then," he told me, his voice edging  a bit.

I nodded, meeting his gaze in a stern challenge as I spoke, "Well, you played your part perfectly then." I turned to leave. "Because I believed every moment of it," I said, leaving the room hastily as the tears spilled down my cheeks.