It hasn't even been that long since Seven had parted from Rey, but he couldn't stop the tears from falling out of his eyes. His life was finally safe and secured, far away from death as it should be. And as much as he wanted to kiss the ground where Rey stood, he couldn't. There was still chaos happening. And the floor was filthy with dirt and blood. There was no way Seven would do that now.

 

"Rey-"

 

Fwoosh.

 

Leon was instantly ripped from Seven's arms and into Rey's.

 

Immediately, Rey removed the blanket wrapped around Leon and began checking his condition. He first inspected Leon's head, making sure every strand of hair was still in place. He then examined the torso, snapping shots of every new bruise or injury he saw. Then he checked everything from the hips and below, touching and probing to make certain that no harm was done. He checked every part of Leon's body, from his head to his toes, every patch of skin, to the very ends of the fingertips.

 

'You crazy bastard!' Seven shed more tears as he witnessed the scene before him, 'Why must you do this now?!'

 

Once Rey was satisfied with his inspection, he wrapped Leon up in his shadow and hugged him tightly.

 

Though the mind is already lost, fortunately, the body is still safe.

 

Leon was safe.

 

Other than a few bruises and scratches, there was nothing wrong.

 

No forced entry or lingering fluids

 

No hand marks or blood.

 

Nothing wrong to hurt his Leon.

 

This swirling darkness in his chest was relieving. He felt light, almost human again. His sanity was coming back. The clouds were clearing up. Everything seemed to make sense again. Leon was by his side, like it should always be.

 

Rey stood up, carrying Leon.

 

"Halt!" the queen ordered.

 

Rey turned his head and offered the queen a glance.

 

The queen opened her mouth, wanting to shout at Rey to stop this madness. But when she saw his cold and dark eyes, she couldn't say a word. It was all stuck in her throat. She could only feel this peaceful aura that he gave off, and somehow she knew that he was leaving. That he got what he wanted, and his business here was done. She didn't want to break this quiet, deathly calm that was happening or give him a reason to continue this chaos. So she took a step back and slightly bowed, motioning her hands in a way that welcomed him to continue on his way.

 

"Let's go Seven," Rey said as he made his way out.

 

Seven stumbled as he got up, frantically looking back and forth between the queen and Rey. He slowly followed behind Rey, shoulders hunched as his eyes stared back at the queen, afraid that she would attack. But soon enough, he too would look forward and stand straight, feeling relief that there was going to be peace soon.

 

When they made it out of the palace, the whirling blizzard was gone. It was now a slow and quiet snowfall. They walked through a bloody battlefield of dead bodies. The body of the king of Sapphirous lay somewhere in the herd. No one bothered to check where. The surviving half-demons and soldiers stood on either side, letting Rey walk through as if he were of nobility. For some reason, they felt that this chaos was finally over. One by one, they dropped their weapons, finally taking a breath of relief and falling to their knees in exhaustion.

 

There was no winner. No loser. It was just a fight. A bloody riot. The kings were dead. Their reign has ended. The kingdom in ruins. There would soon be a bigger battle to fight now.

 

"R-Rey," a half-demon, 5,200, bravely called.

 

Rey stopped in his tracks and turned around, waiting for the half-demon to continue talking.

 

"Thank you,"

 

5,200 and the other half-demons smiled brightly. It was their first time feeling freedom, feeling alive. They were out of their chains. There was no fear holding them down anymore. And so, with that genuine smile, they took their sharp claws and held them to their throats.

 

SLASH!

 

And their bodies fell to the ground.

 

Rey didn't even have a chance to react. A chance to stop them. He just got Leon back. He was just feeling human again. Feeling normal again. And yet, why must this happen now?!

 

Why does everyone who deserves to live want to die?

 

Why must they die?

 

Why?

 

Rey could feel his blood boil.

 

Everyone was afraid that another round of chaos was about to begin.

 

"Rey," Seven called softly, breaking the looming silence.

 

Rey was still silent, but his once-clear aura was turning dark again.

 

"This is their freedom," Seven said, "Their way of taking back their life,"

 

"They can't take back their life if they're dead," Rey mumbled.

 

Seven continued with an anguished face, "For generations, half-demons were bred. Their only existence was to be used. That is all they know. Even now, when they have a taste of freedom, they know that they'll only be used again. To them, death is better than living a life of fear,"

 

"And how would you know?" Rey glowered, "You're not them."

 

Though Seven was scared, he stood his ground. His voice was calm but also stern, "Look around you, Rey. Maybe if the circumstances were different, they wouldn't have had to die. But it isn't; the kingdom is in ruins. The kings are dead. Someone is going to have to take control; someone has to rebuild the kingdom. It'll be another war, and the half-demons will definitely be in it. Especially now that everyone knows their strength, and especially since you are a half-demon that started all this. And they may have had a chance to survive, but only if you were planning to stay."

 

Seven glanced at Leon, "But you're not planning to stay, are you? You have different priorities,"

 

Rey tightened his hold of Leon, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

Seven took a deep breath and said, "Rey, the freedom to choose how you live is a hard thing to attain in Ura, especially if you're a half-demon. This is their way of taking control of their lives. To make sure no one can use them ever again. At least allow them to choose how they die,"

 

The speech seemed to calm Rey down. Although Rey was upset, he couldn't refute him. Rey wasn't from here and his attachment to Ura wasn't strong. His knowledge of Ura wasn't there. He doesn't understand the people living here, their mindset, their way of life.

 

Once again, Rey made another mistake. It was his fault that his own kind killed themselves. If Rey just stopped to come up with a plan rather than diving straight in, fueled by his emotions, then maybe they wouldn't have to die. They wouldn't have to kill themselves. They could have lived. Rey wouldn't be the only half-demon alive.

 

"You can't save everyone," Seven said with a small smile, "But know that you gave them the freedom to fight back, a chance to change their lives. It is their choice on how they want to live it. Ura will change after today, and it's all thanks to you,"

 

Rey scoffed.

 

Once again, all the deaths he caused were looked over. 

 

Rey gazed at Leon, 'but if that's what it takes to get Leon back, I'll do it all over again,'

 

Seven didn't know what they were going to do after this, but he definitely didn't think they would end up at the Church of Alia.

 

". . . Are you . . . here for revenge?" Seven stuttered as he remembered the contents of the contract, "I mean . . . they did help kidnap Leon, but still . . ."

 

"No, we're here to rest," Rey said as he marched straight into the grounds of the church.

 

Upon entering, eyes were immediately drawn to Rey. Many were afraid, some went into hiding, and others glared daggers, but Rey paid them no mind and continued on his way.

 

This was a church of Alia, after all, and anyone was welcome to enter.

 

There were many injured people being treated here. The priestesses were finally able to do their job correctly and heal the people using their gods' power. It was a blessing that the Garnettes king was killed; otherwise, no one would have been able to survive their injuries. But it was just as much a curse now that there was no one to support and supply the churches. It was a wonder where they'd end up.

 

The news of Rey's entrance immediately reached Ivory's ears, and she quickly went to greet them. She was afraid of Rey, as she did help the Garnettes king capture Leon, but she also trusted her goddess Alia. Rey has been blessed with Alia's blessing of protection. He is the supposed hero who saves the City of Tevalon. If killing the three kings and causing a bloodbath is the way the hero wants to save a kingdom, then so be it.

 

Besides, the three kings reign needed to end.

 

They had destroyed Ura for too many generations.

 

Ura needed to start over.

 

This chaos was probably the only way for it to change.

 

"Please follow me," Ivory said, leading them towards the available rooms.

 

There weren't many available rooms due to the large number of patients, so the three had to share one room. Rey didn't care, as he had already shared a room with Leon for so long. What's wrong with adding one more person? Seven will just sleep on the couch.

 

Seven, on the other hand, was crying invisible tears. He didn't want to witness another scene or hear another horrid fact. He also just wanted to sleep comfortably after the entire life-threatening and life-changing experience he had in one day.

 

"Call me if you need anything," Ivory said.

 

"Food," Seven quickly replied, "Please give us some food,"

 

Ivory nodded and went on her way.

 

When they walked into their room, Seven already knew that he would be taking the couch. He dares not ask for the bed when he knows that Rey and Leon will be sleeping together. And he treasures his life too much to piss off a tired Rey.

 

That's right, Rey was tired. Exhausted.

 

He has been ever since he was reunited with Leon. No one seemed to notice except for Seven. Whether it was due to Seven's keen observation or just because he'd been around Rey long enough to know, he knew that Rey was done for today. It was why he had the guts to talk to him like that previously. He knew Rey didn't have the energy to fight back, but right now, right in front of a comfy bed, Seven was afraid that Rey might find the energy to off him if he was too annoying.

 

The room was completely silent. Even after showering, tending their wounds, and finishing eating their meal, it was still deadly silent.

 

Soon, the lights had turned off, and they were off to sleep.

 

In bed, Rey caressed Leon's hair like he always does, lulling him to sleep.

 

Leon was safe now.

 

He was by his side again.

 

Everything was going to be okay.

 

There is nothing that will separate them from now on.

 

Thinking this, Rey released a small smile, and as if they weren't close enough, Rey hugged Leon tighter, his face nestled in locks of golden hair. He sucked in a deep breath and let go. His chest felt lighter now, and it skipped a beat of contentment. He was okay with this. He is willing to wait forever if it means that Leon is alive. As long as Leon is alive, he will always come back one way or another. And if he doesn't, well, at least Rey was with him the entire way.

 

Taking in another deep breath, Rey slowly closed his eyes and let sleep take him. Finally resting after a long day.

 

Seven stared at the ceiling, organizing his thoughts.

 

'Rey needs Leon more than Leon needs Rey,' Seven realized.

 

He used to think that it was Leon who needed Rey. That it was Leon who guilt-tripped Rey into taking care of him. It made sense then, Leon could only live if Rey was there. After all, it was Rey who fed, bathed, and consoled him. It was Rey who complied to Leon's life. Not just that, but Leon literally stopped working when Rey was gone.

 

But now, now when Rey destroyed an entire kingdom all to get Leon back, Seven realized that it was the other way around. He should have realized it sooner. All that time he was trying to find a reason for Leon to live, it was completely hopeless from the beginning. There was no way that Leon could find a reason to live if the reason he wanted to die was standing right next to him.

 

The reason Leon stopped working and why he looked more dead than usual was because he thought he could finally die.

 

Seven remembered how Leon looked when Rey snatched him from his arms earlier today. It wasn't Leon's usual outbursts that he saw then. Leon's face was in utter despair. His eyes, dimmer than usual and red with tears that wouldn't stop falling, even after they had made it to the Church of Alia. His hands, which have never moved, trembled just so subtly that not even Rey realized it. His mouth, lips bitten with screams, locked in his throat when those screams are usually heard loud and clear. Leon looked as if he was being thrown back into hell and was unable to escape.

 

When they ate not too long ago, Seven witnessed the premastication and suffocation that Rey forced on Leon. Now he knows why Leon eats when Rey feeds him. When Leon refused to walk, he saw how Rey used some sort of ability to force him to walk. Now he knows why Leon walks when Rey drags him. And when Leon is able to sleep after Rey's consolation, he knows it is to disappear from reality.

 

The tighter Rey held Leon, the quicker Leon fell into despair.

 

Seven wiped a tear from his eyes.

 

But there's no way he can tell Rey that Leon is never coming back.

 

Not when he saw the loneliness in Rey's eyes. The way Rey held back tears when he was reunited with Leon. When he tries so hard just to keep Leon alive. When just the presence of Leon seems to put Rey at ease.

 

How can he ever tell Rey about Leon?

 

'I'm sorry Leon,' Seven sniffled, 'I'm sorry,'

 

He chanted apologies in his head, not because he was sorry about Leon's situation but because he would rather choose Rey's side. He would rather help Rey and not Leon.

 

'You have to live,'

 

If Rey was willing to murder anyone or destroy an entire kingdom just to get Leon back, it was best if Rey was never separated from Leon in the first place. If all it took was one person to stop a war, you might as well sacrifice them. It's all for the greater good.

 

So yes, Seven was sorry.

 

He can't have Leon can't die yet.

 

He can't.