Chapter 21 – Names That Should Not Be Shared
Xavier didn't answer immediately.
Instead—he gently took Ignes's hand. His touch was slow, deliberate, guiding Ignes back toward the high-backed chair with a reverence that felt like an unspoken apology. They sat down together, the space between them disappearing as Xavier pulled Ignes closer.
One arm slid around Ignes's waist. It wasn't the rough grip of a soldier, but the firm, protective hold of a man who had seen his world crumble once before. He drew Ignes in, making sure the boy's back was flush against his chest, as if he could shield him from the very air of this room.
"I didn't ask him," Xavier finally said, his voice a low vibration against Ignes's neck. "But… I thought it might be good if they found out."
He paused, his grip tightening just enough to be felt.
"That you were once the Demon King."
Ignes didn't flinch. He remained as still as a statue. Xavier continued, his breath warm against Ignes's ear.
"I know it might not happen in this lifetime. But the possibility remains. This world… the soil beneath our feet… it is the same earth where you once wore that crown. If someone unearths the ruins of your old citadel, or finds a relic stained with your signature..."
His arm tightened unconsciously, pulling Ignes into a near-desperate embrace.
"I'm afraid," Xavier whispered, his voice cracking with a vulnerability he only ever showed to one person. "I'm terrified that something will happen to you again. That they will try to take you from me before I can even call you mine."
Ignes felt the tremor in Xavier's hold. He felt the raw fear of a man who had spent a lifetime—and several deaths—trying to protect a light that refused to be guarded.
So he raised his hand.
Slowly, almost tentatively, Ignes placed his palm on Xavier's head. His fingers slipped into the soft, silver hair, and for a moment, his analytical mind went blank. The texture was like fine silk, holding the warmth of the afternoon sun.
Without realizing it, Ignes began to play with the strands, threading his fingers through the silver and letting them fall like water.
"It's beautiful," Ignes murmured, his red eyes softening.
Xavier froze. He looked at Ignes—at the boy with hair like fresh snow and eyes like rubies, currently distracted by something as simple as the sensation of hair between his fingers. Xavier leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the corner of Ignes's eye.
"Did you get distracted… love?"
His husky voice brushed against Ignes's ear, sending a faint shiver down the boy's spine. Ignes's fingers paused, still tangled in the silver locks.
"No," Ignes replied. Then he blinked, a realization flashing in his mind like a strike of lightning. He looked up, his gaze narrowing. "Wait… is this the world where you worked as… my paperwork man?"
Xavier immediately pinched Ignes's waist. "Stop calling me that. I was a Commander of armies, not a clerk."
Ignes didn't even acknowledge the pinch. "Then what should I call you? Hero of the Ocean Azure Eyes?" A faint, teasing smile appeared on his lips. "And why did you choose that color, anyway? That specific shade of blue… it's just like—"
He stopped. Mid-sentence.
The color of the ocean. The deep, unreachable blue of a star at the edge of the galaxy.
Xavier's gaze sharpened, his eyes searching Ignes's face with a new, piercing intensity. "…It's Lumian," Xavier said.
A heavy pause followed.
"And who… made you remember that name?" Xavier asked, his voice turning clinical.
Ignes frowned slightly, a ghost of discomfort crossing his features. "Brother." He shook his head as if trying to clear a fog. "You don't know him. But you're using his name. It's… unsettling."
Calling Lumina "brother" felt wrong on his tongue—an obligation he didn't usually acknowledge. "My brother's name is Lumina."
He looked at Xavier directly, his red eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp warning.
"So yes… using that name is weird. Don't use that one."
He looked away, his voice trailing off into a whisper.
"It's just strange. The name you chose for yourself in the old records… it happens to be my brother's name."
He didn't say the rest of the thought