The sky above Lazavis was nearing nightfall. Yet, inside the warm room, time seemed to move slower for the two Altavis brothers.
Davin stood before the mirror, tidying his sleepwear, while Kazien sat casually on the edge of his older brother's large bed. The atmosphere between them was fluid and relaxed after their bath and heart-to-heart conversation.
Davin, with his ever-burning curiosity, watched his younger brother through the mirror's reflection with a calculating gaze. The image of Alvin, who so often sat affectionately on Kazien's lap, kept bothering him. He always wondered: What was so special about it?
"Kazien," Davin called out, breaking the silence.
"Hm? What is it, Brother?" Kazien looked up, his expression calm.
"I'm curious about one thing," Davin admitted honestly, stepping closer and turning to face his brother. "I want to try sitting on your lap. Just like Alvin always does."
Kazien chuckled, his crisp laughter filling the room. "Just that? You're curious about something so trivial?"
"It might be trivial to you, but to me, it's a mystery. I want to know why he feels so at home sitting on your lap for so long," Davin insisted, half-joking but serious.
Kazien shook his head with a happy smile, then patted his sturdy thigh. "Alright, Mr. Curious. Come here."
Davin approached. With slightly awkward movements—considering his body was also larger than his brother's—he positioned himself on Kazien's lap. He leaned his back against his brother's broad chest, seeking the most comfortable position.
What happened next left Davin stunned. He was truly shocked, amazed, and captivated all at once.
It wasn't just about the physical comfort of Kazien's strong, stable body supporting his weight, but this angle gave him a deadly visual access. Davin tilted his head back slightly, and his breath hitched.
He could see his younger brother's incredibly handsome face from zero distance.
It was so close. Under the soft, bright light of the room, Davin could see details of Kazien's face that had escaped his notice until now. His skin was as smooth as porcelain without a single pore, his long, curled lashes framed sapphire blue eyes that were as clear as a sacred lake, and his jawline was firm yet elegant. There was an "otherworldly" aura radiating from Kazien—an eternal beauty untouched by time.
As Davin embraced him, he felt a warmth spreading deep into his bones. It felt as if his burdens as an older brother, a noble, and a future husband instantly melted away. Here, in his younger brother's lap, he actually felt protected. He felt safe.
In that lulling comfort, a wild thought crossed Davin's mind. A "what if" that made him slightly envious of Alvin's fate.
If only he weren't my biological brother... could I have been his fiancé, just like Alvin? Davin thought.
He immediately brushed the thought away, but the envy lingered. Alvin was truly lucky. Alvin would have a place this comfortable forever. Without realizing it, Davin tightened his embrace, wrapping his arms around Kazien's neck, channeling his overflowing affection.
Kazien felt the hug. It was the same kind of hug Alvin often gave him.
It was a possessive hug. A hug full of love and the fear of loss. Kazien could sense the worry implied by his brother's heartbeat. It wasn't a fear of death, but a fear that their time together was being counted down by the destiny of approaching marriage.
Realizing his brother's turmoil, Kazien whispered softly right into Davin's ear, "Brother Davin... if you are this comfortable, why don't we make it eternal? We can make a contract. You don't have to grow old alone. We can be together forever."
Davin fell silent. The offer was tempting—to refuse aging, to refuse change, and to stay with his brother. However, slowly, Davin released his lean. He looked straight into his brother's blue eyes, then shook his head firmly.
"No, Kazien!" Davin refused gently.
"Why? Do you not want to be with me?"
"It's not that, little brother." Davin smiled wisely, the smile of an older brother who understood the way of the world. "Eternity is heavy. Let it be enough that Sis Selena makes an immortality contract with you."
Davin tidied Kazien's collar as he continued, "Sis Selena is marrying Sarias, an Elf who has a lifespan far longer than humans. She needs that contract to walk beside her husband. That is the necessity of her love."
Kazien remained silent, looking at his brother's eyes with a sorrowful gaze.
Davin sighed, touching Kazien's shoulder lovingly. "But me? I am going to marry a normal human woman. I want to grow old with her, build a normal family, watch my children grow, and get wrinkles alongside my wife. That is the cycle of life I wish to live. If I were immortal, honestly... I wouldn't be able to bear watching them leave me one by one."
Kazien was disappointed, but deep down, he understood. He looked down, hiding his sadness. He had to accept the reality that his brother chose the normal human path, which meant their time together physically would become increasingly limited by busyness and new family priorities.
Davin didn't want this moment to end gloomily. He stood up, walked to his wardrobe, and pulled out an elegant, thick white fur cloak—his favorite outfit.
He handed the cloak to Kazien. "Keep this," Davin said. "If one day you miss me, this cloak will remind you of me, Kazien."
The sentence held a deep, unspoken meaning: Even though I will be busy with my wife and children later, even though we will meet rarely, every time you look at this cloak—even if I eventually die—remember that my soul is always connected to you.
Kazien's defenses crumbled. He lunged forward, hugging Davin tightly, unable to hold back his tears. He cried like a small child unwilling to have his toy taken away, pouring out all the fear of loneliness he had buried for so long. Davin returned his brother's warm embrace, trying to stay strong even though his heart felt sliced hearing those sobs.
"Don't be a crybaby," Davin comforted him, patting Kazien's back slowly. "Don't you have Alvin? He will always be with you forever."
Those words slowly calmed Kazien's tears. He remembered Alvin, the figure who was always loyal by his side. Slowly, his composed face returned.
Moments later, the sadness that had filled the room changed shape. They started to laugh. Laughing at how dramatic they were being tonight just because they were imagining a future that hadn't happened yet. The laughter sounded free, growing louder, echoing off the bedroom walls.
The burden of immortality and the fear of separation vanished for a moment. The two brothers shared a pure intimacy, a memory of brotherhood that could not be replaced by anyone.
After tidying themselves up and making sure their faces didn't look puffy, Kazien and Davin went down to join the family in the dining room.
Dinner at the Altavis Mansion that night felt special. Not because of the luxury of the dishes, but because of the atmosphere. When Kazien and Davin sat side by side, there was a very thick aura of closeness between them, as if a magnetic field was holding them together.
Their closeness was undeniable. They seemed absorbed in their own world. Davin cut the meat on his plate and moved it to Kazien's plate. Kazien, without being asked, wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of his brother's lip with a napkin. They fed each other, shared jokes through whispers, and laughed together. They shared a warmth that spoke louder than words, as if the world at that dining table belonged only to the two of them.
Duchess Larina, sitting at the end of the table, put down her wine glass. She observed her two sons with an amused yet touched smile.
"You two look closer than usual," Duchess Larina commented with a surprised but pleased tone. "That's rare. What happened between you two?"
Davin stopped eating, then looked at his mother. His smile was still there, but his eyes hinted at a newfound maturity.
"We just want to enjoy a moment that will never come again, Mother." Davin explained, his voice calm but steady.
That sentence made Duke Elgard pause with his knife and fork for a moment, absorbing the meaning behind it.
Kazien nodded in agreement, leaning his head affectionately on Davin's shoulder. "Brother Davin is right!" added Kazien. "After we all get married, we will live our own lives. Moments like this... will happen rarely and might vanish forever."
Kazien continued with a slightly melancholic tone, "Later, Brother Davin and Brother William will be busy with their wife, Sis Selena with Sarias, Sis Virena and Victor in Joltam city. We won't be able to gather and be spoiled like little kids anymore. So, while we still can, we want to make the most of it."
The atmosphere at the dining table became silent, but it was a warm silence full of understanding.
Duke Elgard and Duchess Larina exchanged glances. As parents, they understood the depth of their children's emotions.
They realized their sons and daughters were transitioning toward full adulthood. Marriage wasn't just about the union of two people, but also a shift in priorities. Time for siblings would inevitably decrease drastically. It was the bitter but real law of growing up.
Even Alvin, sitting not far from them, understood the unique burden Kazien carried.
Alvin knew that for Davin, this change was a natural phase of life—a cycle. But for the immortal Kazien, this change was the beginning of a long series of farewells. Alvin saw the loneliness peeking behind his fiancé's cheerful smile, the heavy burden of immortality that made Kazien want to freeze time, and the silent pain behind his laughter.
Life sometimes felt cruel and unbearable, forcing them to change and drift apart due to the demands of adulthood. However, in that second, surrounded by family, love, and tangible warmth, Kazien could feel a thread of hope that calmed him.
Kazien looked at Alvin, and Alvin replied with a gentle smile that seemed to say, 'I am here.'
Even though his siblings would be busy with their new families, or eventually leave forever consumed by age, Alvin would remain with him. Alvin would always be by his side, forever in eternity.