The next few days were chaos. Mia and Sonanta rushed home that same night, while the others stayed to clean up the mess. As they searched for survivors and counted the dead, it became clear that most nobles were gone - including the warlords. A few stepped up to help, but Ruki and Dali took on the bulk of the work: shelter, reconstruction, border control, food - things Kiyeri didn’t care about, so he barely listened.

  Ashiya cared even less. He helped, but compined constantly.

  All week, they were sent in different directions - go here, fix that, find this. Orders came one after another, with barely enough time to eat. Kiyeri found it strange being ordered around by Ruki, but he didn’t mind. Politics suited her. She was just tired. And he sincerely wanted to help.

  Finally, after a week, the new government stopped working them to the bone and offered real rest. Kiyeri didn’t promise to stay, but Dali had kindly offered them rooms in the pace.

  That night, Kiyeri returned to the room. His hair still damp, thoughts drifting, he opened the door and saw Ashiya already inside - sitting at the table in candlelight, sipping wine and reading.

  The room was spacious - five or six steps between each piece of furniture. Kiyeri crossed the space, drying his hair with a towel.

  “You’re here already? What’re you reading?” he asked, eyes glued to Ashiya's white silk bathrobe.

  “I got back hours ago,” Ashiya said, eyes still on the page. “Ruki gave me a list of problem areas. Asked if I could help.”

  "Hmmmmm...” Kiyeri flopped down crosswise on the bed, “Is it interesting?"

  “Not really.” Ashiya didn’t look up. Leaning back in the red armchair, he crossed one leg over the other, resting his cheek against his hand. “You were gone a while.”

  “I was at the hospital,” Kiyeri said, sighing. “Aaaaah… How good it feels to just lie down...”

  Turning his head, he noticed a small gss bottle on the nightstand. Looking at that bottle, he continued, "How could you leave this pce? A royal bath, a huge comfortable bed, and what food…"

  "I didn't miss any of that." Ashiya answered without even moving, “Well, except maybe for food."

  Kiyeri sat up. He took that bottle from the nightstand and shook it a few times, observing the golden clear liquid inside. The corners of his lips lifted, “Ashi?”

  "Hmm?"

  “What’s this? A perfume?"

  Ashiya finally looked. His expression tightened, "You don’t know what that is...?"

  "That's why I'm asking," Kiyeri said, expression neutral.

  “…Poison.”

  Kiyeri raised a brow. “Poison?”

  Ashiya turned away. “Might need it. You said we were going somewhere.”

  Kiyeri nearly burst out ughing. It was a miracle Ashiya wasn’t looking. He flopped onto his back again, grinning at the ceiling.

  “I think we’ll rest one more week,” he said. “Do a few more favors for Ruki, then we go.”

  Ashiya sipped more wine before walking to the bed. “Dali said you could stay as long as you want - and that I should get the hell out of his sight.” He colpsed face-first onto the pillow, ughing.

  After a moment, he turned, “You never told me what that mission was.”

  Kiyeri turned on the side to face him, "I didn't want to tell you before, but maybe it's time... All the mana stones. They have to be destroyed."

  Ashiya perked up, eyes wide, "Why? More importantly, how??"

  Kiyeri sighed. “So it doesn’t happen again. I can’t expin it; you have to see. But they’re corrupt. All of them. They use living sacrifice. That can’t be pure.”

  “They heal people,” Ashiya said. “We would deprive them of their shelter. Moreover, neither country will allow us to do that"

  "Us?" Kiyeri smiled. "That's why we need to travel secretly. And since when do you care what any countries want?"

  Ashiya y back down, expression unreadable.

  “They heal,” Kiyeri continued, “but they cause something else too. Inside. You can see it in people who live far from Temples - they’re freer, lighter. Others feel like addicts. Violent.”

  Kiyeri leaned closer, "I already know how to destroy them - the medallion is gone. You need to think about whether you really want to travel with me, it will be dangerous and difficult."

  Ashiya sighed, "Why ask if you know the answer..."

  Kiyeri smirked, "I like to hear it."

  There was a moment of silent peace.

  Kiyeri stroked Ashiya’s hair, strand by strand, admiring the shine, how they slipped through his fingers. Then kissed his cheek gently.

  Ashiya responded with all his weight and warmth, full of kisses and caresses.

  In the candlelight, they tangled together, hands and lips busy.

  “So...” Kiyeri whispered, “should we use what’s in that bottle?”

  Ashiya froze. Then hid his face in Kiyeri’s chest, smiling softly, “You...” he said, voice muffled. “I could really die right now.”

  “You’re not allowed to die just because you’re happy, silly.”

  When morning came, and he opened his eyes, Kiyeri knew he was exactly where he wanted to be.

  But something was missing to feel completely at peace.

  So he nudged the arm beside him, and asked gently,

  “You want some coffee?”

  The End

  Authors Note:

  Thank you for reading this story. It means more than I can say.

  I wrote it because these characters lived in my mind long before they ever found their way onto the page.

  If you stayed with them all the way to the end, thank you for giving them a home inside your heart too.

  For me, their journey doesn’t end here. They live on – traveling to new pces, loving more fiercely, and carrying both old wounds and new hopes.

  Maybe, someday, if you would like to walk with them again, I will find the words to share where they’ve gone.

  Until then – see you in the next story.