The moonlight had long faded, and the mansion once again woke to the soft rhythm of life. Sunlight spilled gently across polished floors, painting gold over the quiet that lingered after dawn.
The day had barely begun, yet for Tatsuya, the weight of last night's memories still clung like dew that refused to dry.
He walked the corridors aimlessly, one hand in his pocket, the other dragging along the wall in idle rhythm. It wasn't like him to wander—he hated aimless things—but there was something he needed to do. Something that had been gnawing at him since that night he left her behind.
Luna.
She was probably awake. Probably loud. Probably pretending nothing had happened.
The kind of pretending he used to be good at.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, rubbing his neck. "Time to… face the hurricane."
He turned a corner—
—and there she was.
Luna sat cross-legged in the middle of the grand hallway carpet, of all places, surrounded by a small mountain of laundry she clearly wasn't folding. A sheet draped over her head like a ghost costume, her pink hair spilling out beneath it as she hummed off-key to herself.
Tatsuya blinked. "…What are you doing?"
She looked up, startled, then beamed like he'd just fallen into her trap.
She lifted the sheet dramatically. "Behold! I, Luna the Magnificent, have conquered the realm of chores and boredom alike!"
"Conquered?" Tatsuya raised an eyebrow. "You're sitting in the middle of your defeat."
"Correction: I'm strategizing my next move," she said, puffing her cheeks. "Besides, I was waiting for you."
That made him pause. "…For me?"
"Of course! You think I wouldn't find you after that letter stunt?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes—violet and bright as amethyst in the morning light—carried something quieter beneath the mischief. "You really made me chase you all this time, you know?"
He exhaled, a faint, crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. I have a bad habit of running from people who actually care."
Luna tilted her head, smile faltering. "You left a note, Tatsuya. A note. That's not running, that's vanishing."
"…Yeah." His voice was low. He looked down at his hands, as if the memory of the letter still burned there. "I thought it was easier that way. For you. For me. For everyone."
Silence settled between them—gentle, heavy.
Then Luna laughed softly, pulling the sheet off her head and tossing it over his instead. "Idiot."
"That's not how caring works, dummy." She reached up, fixing the sheet so it framed his face like a makeshift hood. "You think people stop hurting just because you disappear? You think I stopped waiting?"
Her words landed like quiet blows.
Tatsuya met her gaze. The usual brightness in her expression wavered for just a heartbeat, and beneath it, he saw her real self—the Luna who feared being left behind. The girl who smiled too hard so no one would notice the tremble beneath it.
"…I'm sorry," he said, and the words felt heavier than expected. "I promised I'd stay by your side. And then I didn't."
She blinked, startled by the rawness in his tone. "Tatsuya…"
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just—" He stopped, exhaled, forcing the words out.
"I was selfish only thinking about what would benefit me. I didn't think how it could hurt you."
In that moment the Sin of Wrath had consumed him to the point he'd rivaled Rukai's wrath.
Because of what he did and intended to do that night. He hated himself for it.
For a long moment, Luna said nothing. Then, softly, she tugged the sheet from his shoulders and wrapped it around both of them instead—like a tiny, ridiculous shelter.
"You're such an idiot," she whispered. "But if you're gonna stay now… then I guess I can forgive you."
Her head rested lightly against his shoulder.
Warm. Familiar. Real.
He didn't speak, didn't move. Just let the quiet settle over them. For once, the silence wasn't something to escape.
Luna's voice broke it first, softer this time.
"…Next time, if you need to leave—tell me first. I'll chase you anyway, but at least give me the head start."
Tatsuya chuckled faintly under his breath. "Deal."
The warmth of Luna's presence lingered longer than her words. Even after she pulled back, smiling softly, Tatsuya remained seated on the hallway floor, hands brushing absentmindedly against the threadbare carpet.
He couldn't shake it—the way she had stared at him, unflinching. The way her small hand, wrapped in the makeshift shelter, had anchored him. She didn't just chase him out of curiosity. She chased him because she believed he was worth finding. Because he mattered.
For the first time in a long while, Tatsuya felt something he hadn't allowed himself to feel: seen. Not judged, not expected, not tested—but seen. And not just seen. Loved. Whole, imperfect, human.
His chest tightened. That feeling was dangerous. Beautifully dangerous.
And suddenly, the thought struck him like a jolt.
Meki…
He had spent so long running, so long keeping everyone at arm's length, that he had nearly forgotten what it was to care for someone with this intensity—this desperate, stubborn need to reach them. The same way Luna had never given up on him, even when he made it hard. Even when he thought he wasn't worth saving.
He stood abruptly, the resolve settling in his bones like ice in his veins.
"I can't… I won't…" Tatsuya whispered to himself. His gaze fell on the corridor stretching toward the garden and beyond, toward where Meki might be hiding, lost, scared. "…I can't give up on her. Not when Luna never gave up on me."
The memory of her teasing, her persistence, the way she had thrown herself into his chaos—her unwavering energy—fueled something fierce within him. It wasn't just a promise to Luna anymore. It was a promise to himself.
"I'll find her. No matter what."
It wasn't a plan yet, not fully. But it was a spark. The spark that had been missing before, buried beneath guilt and fear and self-doubt. Luna's belief in him had reminded him that he could act, that he did matter, and that caring for someone else didn't have to be a burden—it could be a reason to keep moving forward.
He tightened his fists. For Meki, he would fight. For himself, he would act. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel the crushing weight of being alone.
He wasn't alone.
Tatsuya paused in the middle of the corridor, sunlight catching the edges of the polished floor. He turned toward Luna, who was already smiling faintly, as if she had been expecting him to stop here, to finally speak.
"…Luna." His voice was steady now, softer than teasing, carrying something heavier beneath it.
She tilted her head, curious, waiting.
"I… I need your help."
Her smile widened, but he wasn't smiling. Not yet. He held out his hand, palm open, an invitation both simple and unshakably earnest.
"Will you… help me find Meki?"
Luna's eyes widened for a brief second, and then the mischievous spark returned, brighter than before. But beneath it, there was something else—recognition, trust, unwavering loyalty.
"Of course," she said, grasping his hand firmly. "We're not leaving anyone behind, right? Let's go."
Tatsuya felt a warmth spread through him, not just from her hand but from the certainty it carried.
He wasn't alone anymore.
Part 2
He walked now through the halls with Luna at his side, his steps brisk but strangely quiet. She didn't try to joke. She didn't sing. For once, the bright girl dimmed her light just enough to match his.
They had a plan now. Sort of. At least, the beginning of one.
"We can't do this alone," Luna said at last, breaking the silence. "Who else can we trust?"
Tatsuya stopped at the turn of a corridor. He didn't need to think long.
"…Ruza."
Luna blinked. "Ruza?"
"Yes, We can't take Sora with us because she needs to secure the mansion and the maids need to make sure everything inside the mansion stays intact and clean."
"I don't think Yatsu would approve the take one of them with us." Tatsuya finished.
"Yatsu won't be a problem." Luna said, "he's still on gone, he didn't gave an exact date when he would came back."
"Shouldn't we wait until he comes home?"
Luna shook her head. "He'll understand if we explain we went looking for someone."
Luna expression darkened a bit before letting out a confident laugh, "did you forget who's in charge when father was away."
"Yeah, yeah. The all mighty Luna whose leadership didn't last until after breakfast." He joked.
"Heyy, I was forced to go!!!" She held her hand dramatically like an evil overlord declaring war. "I'll have my revenge someday!!"
"You sure you only want Ruza, thought?" Luna tilted her head, watching him.
Tatsuya didn't answer right away. He forced his gaze forward and started walking again. "Yes."
But the truth, the real reason, was something he didn't dare voice—not to Luna, not to anyone.
It wasn't only Meki. It was them.
It was Luna's stubborn brightness and Ruza's quiet steadiness.
Two people who had slipped past his walls without asking permission. Two people who made him feel, for the first time in years, that maybe belonging wasn't a death sentence.
He wanted them both close. He wanted to protect them. He wanted to smother the world before it could take them from him.
Luna's voice broke through his thoughts, softer now. "You really do trust her, don't you?"
"I… trust what she can do," he said. Then, after a pause, "And maybe a little more than that."
They reached the end of the hall. Tatsuya stopped, turning toward her. He met her eyes, and something unspoken passed between them—shared worry, shared resolve.
"Luna," he said quietly. "I'm not going to lose her. Not like this."
She gave a small, fierce nod. "Then let's not."
He exhaled slowly, reaching out. His hand, the same one that had pulled her into the hallway, now offered something different: a promise.
"Let's find Ruza," he said. "And then we'll bring Meki home."
Luna smiled faintly, but there was steel in it. "Finally, a plan I can get behind."
Part 3
Tatsuya stopped before a door marked by a small emblem of a sword entwined with ivy. Ruza's room. Of course it was. Even her door looked like it had discipline.
He hesitated for a moment, knuckles raised. Beside him, Luna rocked lightly on her heels, arms crossed, eyes flicking between him and the door.
"Are you going to knock," she said, "or just brood until she comes out to ask why you're haunting her hallway?"
"Give me a second."
"You've had several."
Tatsuya sighed, then finally knocked. The sound echoed softly, followed by a pause — then the faint sound of a page turning.
"Come in." Her voice was calm.
Tatsuya pushed the door open.
Ruza sat by the window, sunlight pooling around her like gold poured into still water.
A book lay open in her hands, her long blonde hair cascading down one shoulders.
"Tatsuya. Luna." Her gaze shifted between them, noting the tension that hung like a fog. "Something's wrong."
There was a moment of silence, perhaps a moment of hesitation on Tatsuya's part but he knew what he had to do.
He bowed slightly stretching his hand out at Ruza. "Please, help me search for Meki?"
Ruza's eyes winded but then let out a smile.
"You really did change, huh?"
Tatsuya looked up.
Still smiling Ruza stood up and took his hand, "remember what I told you, Trust in me as I trust you."
"Coming here and asking for my help, showed you trust in me, I'm flattered."
Tatsuya smiled, and leant in to hug her.
Ruza let him fall into her shoulder.
"I want to carry your burdens, don't forget that." She whispered as she embraced him.
"I'm sorry for running away." Tatsuya said.
"GROUP HUGGGGGG!!!!!!"
The sound roared through the room and Luna basically throw herself in between them.
Almost tumbling over they laughed.
"Let's find her!!"
And they screamed in unison.
Part 4
Tatsuya sat astride Stefan, the black stallion's breath steaming into the morning air. His gloved hands rested on the reins loosely, his gaze fixed ahead where the peaks bled into mist. A few paces behind, Ruza and Luna shared the back of an earth dragon, its scales glinting with a muted, earthen sheen. The creature's lumbering steps left deep impressions in the slush, steady and patient, like it had all the time in the world.
Luna's laughter carried forward, crisp and bright.
"Ruzaaa, hold on tighter, you're gonna fall!"
"I am not going to fall," Ruza replied, tone perfectly calm even as the dragon snorted beneath them.
"You're so stiff! You're supposed to flow with the movement!"
"I'd rather stay upright, thank you."
Tatsuya couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Try not to terrorize the dragon before we reach the village."
"I'm bonding with it!" Luna called.
"By yelling?"
"By communicating emotionally!"
Ruza exhaled through her nose. "Then your emotions are extremely loud."
Their laughter, brief and mismatched, warmed the cold air for a moment.
By noon, the familiar rooftops of the small mountain village came into view — the one not far from the cabin where Tatsuya and Meki had stayed.
Smoke rose lazily from chimneys, the smell of baked bread and pine mixing in the air.
Luna hopped down first, landing lightly and brushing snow off her boots. She was already waving before Tatsuya had dismounted. "Excuse me! We're looking for someone — a girl, blonde hair, demon race Tharokai, small!" She gestured energetically. "She might've passed through recently!"
The villagers were kind, if puzzled. A few shook their heads, some frowned in thought. One old woman tilted her head. "Haven't seen her, dear. Just the usual travelers. Maybe she took the ridge path?"
"Or the river trail," another man offered. "Snow's melting there faster."
Ruza nodded politely, jotting notes into a small notebook she carried. "We'll check both routes. Thank you."
Tatsuya lingered by the inn's fence, watching the people bustle about, the ordinary rhythm of life moving on as if the world hadn't cracked open in front of them.
Meki's laughter still lingered here somewhere, he thought — carried in the memory of their quiet days by the fire, the arguments about how much spice to add to stew, the awkward silences that had slowly turned into something gentler.
This is where it all started…
He walked over to an alleyway, trash and pools of water were the only residents. It was the same alleyway he found the girl.
Somewhere deep inside of him he hoped she was here, lying curled up against the trash. The he could do it over again and bring her back to him.
"Hmm?!" Luna turned, walking over to Tatsuya. "Found something?"
"Yes," he said. "This was the place I found her."
Luna went quiet
He clenched his gloves tighter. "We'll find her," he murmured.
Luna turned, her smile softening. "Yeah. We will."
They reached the cabin by late afternoon. Snow blanketed its roof in thin, uneven layers. The wooden walls still bore the faint scent of pine and smoke — the echo of lives once shared here.
Luna pushed the door open. The interior was clean, still orderly, but faintly hollow. Dust clung to corners like unspoken words.
They unpacked in silence.
Ruza stacked their luggage neatly near the wall, checking supplies with soldierly precision. Luna kindled the fireplace with a hum — a small melody that trembled between cheer and melancholy.
Tatsuya sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the empty space where Meki used to sleep.
The next morning, the world was white and blue — sunlight breaking across frost-laced branches.
Luna and Ruza had slept in the empty bed that belonged to him and Meki and before that Paul.
Paul was also a question, why had he abandoned this place?
Tatsuya slept in the space he had made for himself before he and Meki stayed in the same bed.
His back already feeling the damage.
Can't have grumpy girls while we're on a search party.
They moved through the forest slowly, calling her name, scanning the snow for footprints that weren't their own.
A traveler passed on the opposite trail, wrapped in a thick fur cloak. He hadn't seen anyone matching Meki's description, but offered them dried fruit from his satchel.
"Be careful near the river," he warned. "The ice breaks without warning this time of year."
Later, they crossed paths with a beastfolk hunter and his wolf companion. The man bowed politely. "Silver hair, you said? No… haven't seen her. My wolf would've noticed if anyone passed by recently."
The wolf sniffed the air, then looked up at Tatsuya with intelligent eyes before letting out a low whine.
Luna crouched, rubbing its head gently. "Thanks anyway, buddy."
They moved on, the snow crunching softly beneath their boots.
Ruza stopped occasionally, crouching to check the ground, her gaze sharp and searching. "Too many melt marks," she murmured. "The storm's erased most tracks."
Tatsuya looked out toward the horizon — the white expanse stretching endlessly. "Then we'll keep looking until it doesn't matter."
Ruza's eyes flickered toward him. "Spoken like someone who refuses to give up."
He met her gaze. "Someone taught me that."
Her lips curved ever so slightly. "Then they taught you well."
Part 5
By the time they returned to the village, evening had settled — the kind that painted the sky in hues of violet and amber. They found a small restaurant tucked between the bakery and the stables, its windows glowing warmly against the dusk.
Inside, it smelled of stew and grilled meat. The wooden tables were scarred but clean, the kind that had seen decades of laughter and spilled drinks.
Luna ordered first — and loudly. "Three stews, extra bread! Oh, and hot cider!"
The owner chuckled. "Long day, huh?"
"You have no idea," Luna sighed, plopping into her seat.
Ruza sat across from her, removing her gloves. "You're eating like we haven't had lunch."
"Because hope burns calories," Luna declared, serious as a saint.
Tatsuya blinked. "…That's not how that works."
"Sure it is. I'm burning hope energy right now."
Ruza sighed softly but smiled — just barely. "Then by all means, keep burning."
Dinner was simple, hearty, and grounding. The warmth seeped into their fingers, the noise of the restaurant wrapping around them like a fragile cocoon.
For the first time in days, Tatsuya let himself breathe. He glanced at the two across the table — Luna animatedly waving her spoon as she spoke, Ruza quietly listening, occasionally correcting her wild exaggerations — and something in him settled.
They hadn't found Meki yet. But they hadn't lost her either.
As long as they kept moving, there was still a road ahead — one carved not just by grief, but by the stubborn, radiant will to not let go.
He smiled faintly, the firelight catching in his eyes.
I can't wait.
The thought burned like fire in his chest, unbidden. I can't stop. Not now. If I delay even a moment, she could be in danger. Meki… I can't… I can't let her—
He exhaled slowly, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes. Luna's voice, bright and warm, cut through the fog of his panic.
"Tatsuya… hey, are you even listening?"
He blinked, forcing himself back. She tilted her head, brow furrowed, eyes searching his. "You've barely touched your food. You've been… staring like that for ten minutes."
"I'm fine," he muttered, standing abruptly. The chair scraped against the floor, a harsh sound in the quiet restaurant. "I… I need to move."
Luna frowned, standing quickly. "Move? You mean… go look for her now?"
"Yes." His voice was flat, but each syllable carried the weight of desperation. "I can't wait. Every second matters."
"Even in the dark, in the storm?" Luna asked, her tone both gentle and firm.
Tatsuya didn't answer immediately. I can't lose anyone. Not her. Not Luna. Not Ruza… The thought pressed against him, jagged and urgent. His chest felt tight, constricted by the fear of loss he had always tried to deny.
"Then we go with you," Luna said, stepping closer, her hand brushing against his. "But not because we're worried. Because I… I want you to have someone there. So you don't carry it alone."
Tatsuya's lips parted, but no words came. She was right, and the truth twisted painfully: he did want her there, needed her there.
A calm, measured voice broke the tension behind them. "I will join as well. We're in this together." Ruza's eyes met his.
"Thank you."
Part 6
The forest seemed endless. Snow lay heavy on the branches, the occasional gust sending down a flurry of white, brushing against Tatsuya's face like icy fingers. The trees loomed taller than memory, their dark trunks blotting out much of the waning light.
He led the way, boots crunching in the snow. Behind, Ruza and Luna navigated the rough terrain.
"Are you sure this is the right direction?" Luna asked, her voice tight but resolute. She had wrapped herself tighter in her cloak, ruby eyes scanning every shadow, every twisted branch.
"I—" Tatsuya stopped mid-step, scanning the horizon. The landmarks he had noted earlier were gone, swallowed by the thickening storm. We went too far… His chest tightened, a cold realization setting in. And the storm's moving faster than we anticipated.
Ruza's voice, calm but edged with urgency, came from behind him. "We need to turn back. The storm will worsen after nightfall. Visibility will be zero soon."
"I know," Tatsuya muttered, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him. He wanted to keep searching. Meki's out there. If I stop… if I hesitate…
The wind picked up, slicing through the forest like shards of glass. Snow swirled around them, reducing the world to white and shadow. Tatsuya's stomach churned as the path behind them seemed to vanish completely, each tree now a mirror of the one beside it.
"Where's the cabin?" Luna asked, her voice rising slightly. Even her usual energy was tinged with worry.
Tatsuya clenched his jaw. He had memorized the route, but the forest was changing. Every turn seemed unfamiliar. Every shadow seemed deeper, darker. We're… lost.
Ruza's eyes narrowed. "Do not panic. Stay close."
Tatsuya's hands shook slightly. He scanned the trees, trying to remember the landmarks, the slopes, the frozen ridges. But night was approaching faster than he had anticipated. The forest had swallowed the sun.
Even the sound of their breathing seemed too loud, too ragged. The wind moaned between the trees, carrying whispers that weren't there. Shadows stretched and contorted with each gust.
Luna shivered, pulling her cloak tighter. "Tatsuya… maybe we should—"
Before she could finish, a sound pierced the storm — subtle at first, like a branch cracking under weight. Then another. And another.
All three froze.
A figure emerged from between two trees. Slow. Deliberate.
Tatsuya's pulse slammed in his chest. He squinted through the snowfall. At first, he thought it might be a lost traveler, a villager — anyone.
But the way it moved… unnatural. Its steps made no sound in the thick snow. Its silhouette seemed to ripple, like the darkness itself was bending around it.
"Who's there?" Tatsuya called, his voice taut, controlled but strained.
The figure didn't answer.
Ruza stepped forward. "Show yourself," she demanded. Her tone carried the quiet steel that had cut through so many crises before.
The figure paused. The air seemed to grow colder, heavier. Even the snowflakes slowed, suspended mid-air as though the storm itself was holding its breath.
Then, a low, almost melodic voice whispered from the darkness:
"You shouldn't have come here…"
Luna gasped, gripping Ruza's arm.
Tatsuya's heart hammered. Every instinct screamed that something was wrong. Every rational thought fled.
And in the white, endless forest, one thing became terrifyingly clear: they were not alone.
The figure stepped closer. One slow, deliberate step. Another. And as it emerged fully from the shadows of the trees…
Tatsuya froze.
A man.
Tall, pale, unnaturally still, eyes glinting faintly in the dim light. But there was something off about him. Something that didn't belong to the living.
And he was smiling.
The forest swallowed their words. The storm howled. And in the darkness, the three of them realized — they were trapped.