The instant the shrine doors closed behind them, an ancient hush seemed to settle over the air. Kaito had only blinked once before the world around him softened into darkness—not a frightening one, but warm, velvety, like falling into the folds of a memory he never knew he possessed. Ren reached for his hand, yet even that motion felt suspended, as if the air had turned to petals drifting in slow motion. Before either of them understood what was happening, both sank gently to their knees, breaths quieting until sleep carried them away.
The faint rustle of silk moved in the shadows. Kiyomomo stepped into the moonlight—his human form elegant, silver hair flowing like a river, nine tails resting behind him with divine weight. His eyes were calm, ancient, and tender in a way only someone who had watched centuries pass could understand. "Little ones," he whispered, touching their foreheads with the tip of his finger. "It is time you remember."
The shrine dissolved, and the dream opened like a blooming sky.
The world that spread before them was breathtaking—mountains carved with rivers of starlight, forests swaying with blossoms that never wilted, and skies that shifted between morning gold and twilight lavender. It was not Earth. It was the Divine Realm, untouched by time and governed by the heartbeat of nature itself.
Harutsuki stood at the center of this realm, wearing robes embroidered with spring winds and peach flowers. His long hair, the color of early dawn, swayed as he walked through the garden he had created. Everywhere his footsteps touched, tiny green shoots emerged, newborn life shyly pushing its way into the world. His eyes held the softness of spring rain, and from his palms bloomed warm light—the light that nurtured everything he loved.
Around him, seven divine companions lived like family.
Seiryūen, the azure dragon, coiled by the crystal lake. His scales glimmered like polished turquoise, and when he lifted his head, the sky mirrored the curve of his body. He watched over Harutsuki with a gentle fierceness, his loyalty deeper than oceans and older than mountains. When Harutsuki approached, Seiryūen lowered his head so the god could stroke his snout, a rare show of affection from a dragon born of storm and creation.
Kiyomomo lounged lazily on a branch above them, wearing a youthful human form but unable to hide his tails. "You two are too close again," he teased with a sly smile, biting into a celestial peach. "Harutsuki, if you spoil him any more, Seiryūen will forget he's a dragon and become your house cat."
Seiryūen snorted and flicked water upwards, drenching him. Kiyomomo yelped and leaped down, tails puffed. "You slippery lizard! How dare you—!"
Harutsuki only laughed, a sound so warm the world shifted into spring for a moment.
Behind them, Raikoden trotted forward with the thunder of a gentle storm. Golden antlers shimmered atop his head, crackling faintly with lightning. He was tall and dignified, yet whenever Harutsuki reached out, he lowered his head instantly like a child waiting for affection.
Mizuhana stepped out next, lotus petals drifting from her white body. Her eyes were soft as calm ponds, and she circled Harutsuki protectively, brushing her head against his hand whenever he seemed tired.
Soratobi swooped overhead, wings rippling like floating clouds. Each beat of his feathers sent breezes dancing across the realm, and he occasionally landed on Harutsuki's shoulder, nudging the god's cheek affectionately with a cloud-soft beak.
Tsukikage prowled silently in the shade—his silver fur glowing under moonlight, eyes as gentle as a lullaby. He was the quietest, always watching Harutsuki with the devotion of a guardian who would never let night reach him unprotected.
And finally, Hanaryu slithered gracefully around Harutsuki's feet, her petal-like scales opening gently as if blooming. She curled around Harutsuki whenever he sat down, humming a soft vibrational melody that calmed even the most restless hearts.
The seven creatures were not followers. They were not subjects.
They were his family.
Together, the eight of them traveled through forests where the wind carried laughter, swam in lakes where light refracted into thousands of rainbows, and slept under celestial blossoms that bloomed according to Harutsuki's emotions. They ate together, played together, quarreled like siblings, and protected one another like a real home—one that did not require words to justify love.
But in that divine family, one bond stood apart.
Seiryūen would always drift closer to Harutsuki, nudging him when he was quiet too long or folding around him when nights grew cold. Harutsuki would sit on the dragon's massive back during early mornings and drift above endless sakura fields, head resting gently against Seiryūen's mane.
Kiyomomo watched quietly, tails flicking with emotions he once mistook for jealousy.
He had been raised by Harutsuki from a tiny fox kit—the first of the seven to join him. For a long time, he thought his place beside Harutsuki was absolute, eternal. But understanding came slowly, like moonlight slipping behind clouds.
The love he felt was not the love Harutsuki and Seiryūen shared.
He wanted Harutsuki's attention, his affection, his warmth. But he did not want his god as a lover. He wanted him as a father—someone to rely on, someone whose smile made the world feel safe. And Seiryūen… Seiryūen loved Harutsuki differently. Deeply. With a devotion that made storms kneel and seasons shift.
Kiyomomo realized it one night when Harutsuki fell asleep under the divine sakura tree. Seiryūen coiled protectively around him, not touching but shielding him, his breath syncing with Harutsuki's.
Kiyomomo sat beside them, watching quietly.
"I wanted to be the closest," he admitted softly. "But that was childish of me. I didn't understand the difference between wanting to be loved and wanting to love someone correctly."
Seiryūen opened one eye, warm and patient.
"You are our family," he said. "You always have been."
Kiyomomo lowered his gaze. "Then… let me protect both of you. Not as a rival. But as someone who is grateful to belong here."
And he did.
The day he gave Harutsuki one of his tails—a precious immortal offering—was the day the bond between the three of them became eternal. The tail shimmered with fox fire and dragon blood, forming a tether that linked Harutsuki to both Seiryūen and Kiyomomo, ensuring that no matter the realm, no matter the lifetime, their souls would find one another.
For thousands of years, this family lived in joy.
Until the day heaven decided their love was forbidden.
The sky cracked with divine punishment, brighter than lightning, harsher than winter. Harutsuki stood before the palace of the gods, Seiryūen bleeding, Kiyomomo shielding him with trembling arms. Their family was torn from them, each creature forced into separate realms. Harutsuki was cast down into mortal life, stripped of divinity, reborn as Auren—the weak prince of an enemy kingdom.
It was the first fracture in their eternal cycle.
The dream dissolved.
Inside the shrine, Kaito and Ren stirred silently, brows furrowed as if they had run through centuries of memories. The incense had burned out. Morning sunlight filtered through the cracks of the wooden doors.
Aki-san opened the shrine, letting out a gasp.
"Ren? Kaito? How did you two—? Oh dear, you must have fallen asleep during prayer…"
She rushed to them, calling the others for help. Ren's father gently lifted his son, while Kaito's arm was draped over Ren even in slumber, fingers curled as if searching for something warm.
"Poor things," Aki-san murmured softly. "They must be exhausted."
Both boys were carried back to their rooms.
Behind them, in the empty shrine, a faint shimmer of silver lingered in the air. Kiyomomo's silhouette appeared for a heartbeat, tails swaying like moonlit rivers.
This time… let them return home.
Then the fox spirit dissolved into mist, leaving only silence.