“Shortly after we first met, Clyde, you asked me why I wanted to help you. Do you remember what I said back then?”
“…You said that another half-blooded demon, like me, was captured as an experimental subject, and eventually he eradicated the family of the one who tormented him. To prevent such a thing from happening again, you told me to make a promise not to seek revenge in exchange for saving me.”
“That’s right. That story was actually about you, Clyde. The one I saw in a dream… it was another version of you, a different future that might have happened if I hadn’t helped you escape.”
“…….”
Clyde lowered his eyes in confusion.
“So, Ruby, the real reason you saved me is because…”
“…Yeah. It was to survive. In the future I saw, the original me was destined to die by your hands.”
“…….”
“I’m sorry for telling you all this suddenly…. You must be confused too. I’ve never told anyone about my dreams before. I thought no one would believe me if I did. I didn’t want to raise suspicion from you by suddenly saying something like that nine years ago…”
I said with my head down.
“However, after having a dream about your father this time, I felt that I must save him. I could have gone alone using teleportation magic without telling you, but I didn’t want to deceive you anymore. You’ve finally trusted me and released the choker. I didn’t want to make you think I betrayed you again. So, I decided to explain everything and ask you to go together. I’ve been waiting for this moment to reveal everything.”
“…….”
Clyde didn’t say anything. I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. More precisely, I was afraid to meet his gaze.
I had already inflicted numerous wounds on Clyde. Even though it was inevitable to reveal the truth, I couldn’t bring myself to see his eyes stained with more pain.
“…I see.”
Clyde finally spoke up.
“I’ve always felt something strange. Because it’s not common for a half-blood like me to be saved like that. For nine years, I’ve had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind; why on earth did you rescue me? How did you know I was trapped in there? How did a girl barely my age manage to get me and my mother out…”
“Are you… disappointed?”
He had every right to be disappointed. Knowing that I saved him not for his sake but for my own survival…
Clyde took a step closer to me. He gently cupped my cheek with his hand and lifted my face to meet his gaze.
“No way. That’s impossible.”
In Clyde’s eyes as he looked at me, there was a tender and warm light.
“Whatever the reason was, the fact that you saved me remains unchanged. Thanks to you, I was able to spend a few more years with my mother…”
“…….”
Feeling a lump in my throat, I tried to lower my head again. However, Clyde held both of my cheeks, preventing me from doing so.
“Besides, I’m happy that you told me the truth. You were worried I might be disappointed, and you didn’t want to deceive me anymore… Plus, it’s about my father, isn’t it?”
“Well, you’ve just started to trust me…. I didn’t want to mess that up again. Because I love you, and I didn’t want us to drift apart anymore.”
A faint smile appeared on Clyde’s lips. He alternated kissing my forehead and cheeks.
“I love you too, Ruby.”
“…Call me by my real name.”
“Eila.”
He whispered in an affectionate voice and kissed my eyelids gently.
“I love you, Eila.”
“…….”
I struggled to hold back the rising tears. I embraced him tightly and buried my face in his chest.
“Your parents are the same. They loved each other deeply, and you are the fruit of that love. You were not born as a mistake or an unwanted outcome.”
“…….”
I felt Clyde’s hands trembling slightly as he held me.
I told Clyde the story of Dioclyde and Hena. How they first met, how they fell in love with each other, and why they had to part. Even after hearing the whole story, Clyde remained silent. He looked down with an unreadable expression.
“So, your father didn’t abandon you and your mother. He still deeply loves your mother, so much so that he tried to end his own life due to the grief of losing her. He doesn’t know about your existence. Once he learns that he has a child from someone he loves, he might regain the will to live.”
“…….”
I held Clyde’s hand tightly.
“Let’s go together, Clyde. Let’s rescue him together. Let him know that your mother loved him all along, and let him see what a great son you’ve turned out to be.”
“…….”
Clyde looked at me.
“Huh? Clyde, let’s go quickly, um…”
Impatiently urging him again, Clyde covered my mouth with his lips. After a short but intense kiss, he pulled away from me. Between him and my lips, a thin silver thread lingered for a moment and then snapped.
“…Thank you, Eila.”
“That means… we’re going together, right?”
“Yeah.”
After saying so with a slightly subdued voice, Clyde tightly held my hand.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Dioclyde was surrounded by complete darkness.
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed or how much time he had left. He just felt the flame of life within him gradually weakening, waiting for the inevitable end.
It was only when Dioclyde sensed that Hena had passed away that he decided to die.
Because he had given his heart to Hena, he could clearly feel her presence, even if he didn’t know where she was. He thought there would never be a chance to meet her again in his lifetime. The only thing he could do for her was to wish for her happiness.
Yet, the fact that Hena had died and that she no longer existed anywhere in this world filled Dioclyde with an indescribable despair.
His life was already akin to an empty shell. There was no reason or purpose left to live. So, after severing his magical powers, he had been watching his semi-immortal body slowly extinguish its life.
All his senses were already blocked, and even his thoughts had come to a halt. Suddenly, Dioclyde felt someone forcibly waking him up. Someone was forcibly infusing magic into his near-death state.
In response to the sensation, Dioclyde emitted a low moan, as if in pain.
“Who… are you? Why in the world…”
A voice emerged from his parched throat, miserably raspy.
“Don’t interfere. I chose… death for myself. Let me rest…”
“I can’t let that happen.”
It was the voice of a woman. At that moment, his sense of smell awakened as well, and Dioclyde realized that the figure in front of him was a human woman.
“Hena?”
Even though he knew it couldn’t be her, Dioclyde couldn’t help but ask at that moment. The woman made a sound as if she were sighing sadly.
“No… I’m sorry. She’s not here… but her son is. The child who inherited your blood. Open your eyes, Dioclyde. You must not die.”
“…….”
Dioclyde finally opened his eyes. It took a few more minutes for his vision to fully return.
In front of him were a young human woman and a male demon of similar age.
No, he wasn’t a full demon; Like the woman, he could sense that human blood was mixed in with him through the scent.
“…Hena.”
He unintentionally murmured his wife’s name again because the man had a face strikingly similar to Hena’s.
From the perfectly straight nose to the neat lips and the glossy black hair, everything vividly reminded Dioclyde of Hena.
And those red eyes staring back at him were exactly like Dioclyde’s.
“…You are….”
“He’s Clyde. Your wife named him after you.” The human woman spoke.
The man named Clyde remained silent with a complicated expression on his face.
The woman tugged on his arm. .
“Clyde.”
“…….”
Clyde closed his eyes slightly and then opened them again.
“…Father.”
“…….”
At that simple word, his entire body trembled. A single tear rolled down Dioclyde’s cheek.
Awww sweet reunion! I was legit worried this could go poorly but I’m so glad it didn’t