The Long Ride Home
The journey back from the Final Shrine felt impossibly long, yet utterly peaceful. The freezing wind, the brutal mountain slopes, and the crushing exhaustion were still there, but the spiritual terror was gone. Hayate and Neshuda rode side-by-side, their exhausted bodies swaying in the saddle, but their spirits light and whole.
Captain Torvin rode ahead, his absolute loyalty a steady, guiding force. He kept checking on the King and the Guardian, his face a mixture of relief and bewildered awe after witnessing the final, mystical confrontation on the black stone.
The Curse of Reflection was no longer a curse. It was a sweet, constant reminder.
When Neshuda's shoulder ached from a jarring motion, Hayate felt a dull, manageable ache in his own shoulder—a physical, gentle echo. When Hayate felt a wave of profound relief and love looking at Neshuda, the Guardian felt a matching sense of gentle joy and a sudden urge to smile.
They rode in comfortable silence, their hands frequently brushing, the simple physical contact sending reassuring waves of safety and devotion through their transformed bond.
Hayate looked at Neshuda, whose dark eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep and the spiritual ordeal, but whose expression was soft and open.
"Are you cold, my love?" Hayate whispered, pulling his cloak tighter around his own shoulders.
Neshuda smiled—a genuine, warm smile that made Hayate's heart swell. "I feel the cold, King. But I also feel the warmth of your hand on my arm. The curse… it's kind now. It just tells me you're there."
"It's a kindness we earned," Hayate replied, leaning slightly closer. "We took the burden of the world, and now we only share the sweetness of life."
The Traitor's Final Word
They arrived back at the Aurekawa Citadel in the deep silence before dawn. Captain Torvin immediately took charge, securing the gates and sending for the council.
Hayate and Neshuda, ignoring their own need for rest, went straight to the dungeons. They had one final piece of unfinished business: Henudra.
The former advisor was still chained to the iron bed in the infirmary, his ghoul wound healed, his eyes as sharp and cynical as ever.
Hayate stood over the traitor, Neshuda standing firmly at his back, a silent, formidable wall of resolve.
"The Seal is stable, Henudra," Hayate announced, his voice tired but firm. "Narakka is defeated. Your chaos failed. The kingdom is safe."
Henudra chuckled—a dry, rasping sound. "A temporary peace, King. But you still haven't proven me wrong. You survived the curse, yes. But you now cling to your stray openly. The nobles will hate it. The common people will be confused. You saved the kingdom, but you destroyed your own political stability. Stability is what keeps a kingdom running, not love."
"My bond with Neshuda is my stability," Hayate countered, channeling his charisma. "The curse forced us to be honest, and that honesty saved the world. I will not hide the truth to please old traditions."
Henudra paused, his eyes resting briefly on Neshuda's unwavering stance behind the King. He sighed—a rare moment of genuine fatigue.
"Very well. You are a better man than your father, King Hayate," Henudra admitted grudgingly. "Your father chose the crown over his Anchor, and that choice left the spiritual path open for the ghouls. You chose your Anchor over the crown, and that choice saved the Seal."
He looked up at Hayate, a strange look of respect and bitterness in his eyes. "My crime was seeking stability through a ruthless general, not a cursed boy. For that, I regret nothing. Now, pronounce your justice. I will not beg."
Hayate's gaze was solemn. "You will not be executed, Henudra. Death would make you a martyr. You will live. You will spend the rest of your days imprisoned in the forbidden archive, writing a complete, honest history of the Curse of Reflection, the Seal, and the dangers of political manipulation. You will serve the kingdom with your mind, not your treachery."
Henudra recoiled, his face pale with disbelief. To be forced to write the truth he fought so hard to suppress was a fate worse than death. "You are cruel, King Hayate," he whispered.
"No," Hayate corrected, placing his hand on Neshuda's arm, feeling the steady resolve flow through their gentle bond. "I am just. And I choose to use every resource the kingdom provides."
The King Addresses the Council
Later that morning, Hayate, now washed and dressed in simple, clean robes, faced the assembled Royal Council and the remaining loyalist officers in the main hall. The room was tense, waiting for the King to declare the new order.
Hayate stood at the head of the long table, Neshuda standing beside him, not behind him, a subtle but profound change in protocol.
Hayate spoke with a quiet, calm authority that was utterly convincing, thanks to the immense spiritual and physical battles he had just survived.
"The spiritual darkness is over," Hayate announced. "The ghoul summoner is defeated, and the Seal is permanently stable. The traitor Narakka and his co-conspirators are secured, and the military threat is contained."
He gave a long, powerful speech on justice, unity, and the need to rebuild trust. He acknowledged the pain of the coup but promised a new era of transparency.
Then, he reached the core of his address. He turned, facing Neshuda, and placed his hand on the Guardian's arm—a clear, intimate gesture in front of the entire assembly.
"For many years, this kingdom feared a curse that was placed upon the Angelic bloodline," Hayate stated, his voice ringing with absolute conviction. "You saw the pain I endured. You saw the struggle. But you never saw the truth until now."
He looked straight at the council, his eyes shining with the truth of his love.
"The Curse of Reflection was not a curse. It was a Divine Protection. It was placed on the King to force him to choose an Anchor—one person whose life and loyalty was more important than the crown itself. An Anchor to fight for."
Hayate squeezed Neshuda's arm, smiling softly at him. "My Anchor is Neshuda. My Guardian. My Life Anchor. He endured pain I could not imagine to save this kingdom. He stood beside me when every traitor told me to cast him aside. He is the reason I stand here today, the King of a stabilized world."
He turned back to the council, his expression firm and uncompromising. "The curse is broken. But the bond remains. Neshuda is not just my Guardian. He is my closest advisor, my truest companion, and the love of my life. He will stand by me in all things. Anyone who challenges his position or attempts to slander his name will be met with the full force of my crown and my justice."
The hall was silent. No one dared to speak. The King's charisma, amplified by the raw, undeniable victory they had just witnessed, was too strong. They saw not a cursed boy, but a powerful, absolute ruler who had chosen his fate and won.
The Sweetest Confirmation
The long day ended. Hayate and Neshuda finally retired to the Royal Chambers. The Citadel was quiet, and the smell of smoke was gone, replaced by the scent of cool stone and fresh mountain air.
Hayate collapsed onto the massive bed, utterly spent. Neshuda moved with quiet efficiency, securing the door, checking the windows, and then lighting a small, gentle lamp.
He came to the bed and sat beside Hayate, reaching out to gently brush the King's hair back from his forehead.
"You won, King Hayate," Neshuda murmured, his voice filled with pride and devotion. "You won the whole war. Spiritual and political."
Hayate reached up, pulling Neshuda's hand down to rest against his cheek. He felt a faint, warm ache in his own cheek—the reflected tenderness of Neshuda's touch. The physical reflection was the sweetest, most intimate form of communication.
"We won, Neshuda," Hayate corrected, his eyes closing in blissful exhaustion. "And you heard me. I said it. In front of them all. You're my love. Do you regret it?"
Neshuda carefully lay down beside the King, his arm going around Hayate's waist, pulling him close, their bodies finally relaxing into the shared comfort they had craved for months.
"I only regret not saying it sooner," Neshuda whispered, burying his face in Hayate's shoulder. "I am a stray, Hayate. I have no name, no title, no inheritance. All I have is my sword and my absolute loyalty. But you gave me more than a title. You gave me a home."
He gently kissed the King's temple, then his forehead. "You are my King, my mission, and my whole world. The pain we shared was terrible, but it was worth it, because it led us here. The curse is gone, but I will feel every ache, every joy, and every moment of your life. It is the only way I want to live."
Hayate turned in Neshuda's arms, pulling him even closer, their faces resting against each other. "Then let us live it, my Guardian. Let us rule this kingdom together. You're no longer a stray. You are my Life Anchor. You are the foundation of my throne."
The gentle, physical reflection pulsed between them—a shared wave of peace and profound love. The kingdom was safe, the war was won, and the cursed bond had become the deepest, sweetest form of commitment. They finally slept, safe in each other's arms, ready to face the new day and their new, openly declared destiny.