Lyon POV:

I took a seat at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne. Many hours had passed since I had defeated Baekan, and unfortunately, not everything ended in the most ideal way possible.

A small sigh escaped my lips as I organized the mental notes I had made in my head. The first thing I needed to address was Baekan.

***

Minutes after raising my fist into the air, the broadcast abruptly ended, and a beautiful woman dropped down from the sky. She touched the ground like a feather, slowly straightening her back before her gaze rested on me.

She was the same woman who stood beside the throne Baekan sat on. Whether she was the one running things behind the scene or not wasn’t the issue; this woman was incredibly strong. So strong that I couldn’t sense her Ki Stage at all.

‘Horrible timing.’

I switched into the Defensive Stance instinctively, even though I was essentially out of Ki. Her lips curved upward before parting.

“...Thank you.”

“...”

I stared at her blankly while she dipped her head towards me. She fell to her knees in front of Baekan's body and stroked his cheek. I watched her eyebrows quiver as she kissed his wounded forehead before lifting him up.

“Wait.”

She glanced back at me while throwing his arm over her shoulder.

“Don’t worry. It really is over now.”

We locked eyes, and I had no choice but to concede. I could see it clearly how much she cared for him and how it hurt to see Baekan like that. I surmised she didn’t intervene because this was also the outcome she wanted.

“I am Elinor. Take heed of my advice: your fight has only just begun. Stay safe.”

She vanished out of my sight while I pondered over the meaning of her words. I had a feeling things were about to become more complicated again.

***

Elinor had taken Baekan away, but there were a number of Guards who fled to the East and West of Outer Astril. They also took a significant amount of Watchers and Vices with them, which was also concerning.

The likelihood of the remnants banding together to try and start another war couldn’t be ignored. I was fortunate that Baekan had used those KEDs because it created a solid image of how people would perceive my strength.

‘It will buy me time...’

As for those who didn’t flee, they surrendered without putting up a fight, demoralized by the loss of their Ruler. Most felt liberated from the shackles of violence and fear that had been placed around their necks, while some felt like their purpose in life had been ripped away.

X and Gia disappeared from the battlefield, but Cirris explained that they had moved on to their next mission. Since he was left behind, I assumed that X most likely wasn’t an enemy, even though he had clearly met with Copycat at one point or another.

Sindel and Orga reported that there had been no deaths, but there were many who were wounded, and some were in critical but stable conditions. It would have been too unrealistic to have had no casualties at all, so I accepted this outcome as favourable.

Secondly, I needed to sweep across District 1 to make sure there were no hidden forces. Then rebuild the damaged areas, make changes to the Pit and Range, discuss matters with the Resistance, find where the stolen KEDs had been stashed—the list went on and on. However, I quietly organized it in my head as time flew by.

“You’re a King now, yet you’re sitting at the bottom of the stairs?~”

Lissandra sat to my left, staring at me with affectionate eyes. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice her come in.

“Lissandra...”

I watched her purple bang fall over her forehead while she pursed her soft lips. Her dark grey eyes examined me closely, inviting me to shorten the distance between us. My eyes narrowed as I glanced at the long plaster running across her cheek.

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me.”

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I placed my hand against it, and she shifted her gaze to the ground before looking back at me with large eyes. My heart thumped. She placed her hand on top of mine as her lips parted.

“Silly... It’s just a scratch. Look at your arm...”

I smiled at her response and moved my hand away. I noticed the slight sadness in her eyes, but there was no time to take it easy; I needed to get to work.

‘!’

The large doors opened as footsteps echoed inside the open dome. A minute or two later, Ven and Gunnar exited the hallway while escorting someone I had never seen before.

“My King, she claims to have something important to discuss with you but refuses to give us any details.”

Ven dropped to one knee a little too naturally for my liking, while Gunnar scratched the back of his head awkwardly. She whacked his knee, and he suddenly realized he should kneel, too.

‘I'll need to talk to everyone about this.’

“There’s no need to kneel. Treat me just the same.”

“I refuse.”

I gazed at Ven silently. She didn’t hesitate to decline my request. Instead, she was being oddly stubborn about her actions.

I let it be and turned my attention towards the woman standing behind the two of them. Judging by the redness under her eyes, it appeared that she had been crying a lot.

“...There’s something I need to give you. He told me... To give it to you in person...”

She pulled out a letter from her pocket, holding it in the palms of her hands like it was a precious treasure. I smiled bitterly as I gazed at the letter from afar.

“...Thank you.”

I walked forward and took the letter out of her hands. The woman dipped her head, shedding a few more tears in silence. Ven and Gunnar got back to their feet when Lissandra quickly moved to my side.

“We’ll give you some time.”

She whispered softly into my ear as I nodded my head. Words weren’t often needed between the two of us anymore; it was like we were on the same wavelength more and more.

Ven and Gunnar bowed before Lissandra escorted everyone out of the dome, leaving me alone in the large room. I stood there for a few minutes, staring at the letter in silence.

I bent my knees, gathering the little strength I had left and launched myself above the dome. Fortunately, my jump was high enough for me to land on top of the thick outer wall.

I opened the letter and began to read while what was left of my cloak fluttered behind me in the evening breeze.

“Dear Leader,

Firstly, I apologize for being an incapable subordinate. You’ve taken over the South, yet I’m not there to congratulate you on your victory in person.

I’m sorry.

I’ve... I’ve been through a lot here. I lost my parents, lost my mind and lost Belle. Losing Denise pushed me over the edge, but even when I was falling, you jumped down and stretched out your hand once more.

That day you called out my name; I knew that I had a duty to carry out, but I was scared. Even though I won’t ever forgive myself, you reminded me of the pillar I had become. You reminded me that where there is life, there is hope. You are no longer the hope of District 4, but the hope of the entire South.

I know you don’t want to sit on the throne, but that’s exactly why you need to. You will never lose sight of your principles, as I believe you are a King blessed with humility.

Lastly, thank you for waking me up. Thank you for pushing me to save Belle. Thank you for trusting and believing in me. Thank you for putting your life down to save me.

Thank you for everything and goodbye...

Your dear friend,

Brunaulf.”

I recalled the first moment I met him. I remembered how upset and angry I was when I saw the way he treated Len and when I heard how he spoke about Marina. He took pleasure in watching them suffer; he toyed with countless people on his path to pursue power.

I remembered our second meeting. Copycat had pretended to be him, luring me to the headquarters of the Organization in order to begin his scheme. In the end, the real Brunaulf stood outside the District Leader's room, flinching once he saw me come out unscathed against Skorr and the others.

I became the District Leader and reorganized District 4. I didn’t get rid of Brunaulf because I believed that wasn’t the real him. If he was truly evil, taking a bad beating would do nothing. It could act as a temporary reminder, but sooner or later, his true personality would once again reveal itself.

In the months that followed, we trained together; we ate together, and we spoke about many different things. I saw the light in his eyes gradually come back as he regained himself, and before I knew it, he was like a completely different person to the Brunaulf I first met.

He took his work seriously while suffering under the guilt and hatred he had for himself over what he had done. He kept his distance from people, often staying up late to write letters of apologies to everyone he had hurt day after day. He continued to work even harder as I encouraged him to look for his sister again.

Denise, District 3, Belle: in his pursuit to change, all that met him along the way was more pain. It was a path he had to walk on; he knew it himself, but everyone had a limit, and this was his.

‘...’

I lowered the letter, slipping it into my pocket. I knew this moment would come, but it was for the best—it was enough now. My lips curved upwards while I stared at the sun that had begun its descent.

“Rest well, my friend.”

***

Brunaulf POV:

*Knock, knock*

I held my mask in my left hand while I stood outside the door. The descending rays of sunlight warmed my back as the sound of a click was soon followed by the door opening frantically.

Belle stood in the doorway. She covered her mouth with her hands as her eyebrows quaked. They curved upwards as she took a single step forward; her pupils dilated, and her hands slowly moved away from her trembling lip.

“!”

I spread my arms wide open and gave her the best smile I could.

“Brother!!”

The dam inside her burst, and she charged into my chest. She broke down, hugging me tightly as I stroked the back of her head. The festive atmosphere from outside fizzled away while all I could hear were the sobs of my little sister, happy to see her brother still alive.

We stayed like this for a long time, and when Belle finally calmed down, we went inside. I waited by the small reception area, watching Belle frantically tidy up the mess she had made from stressing out over my safety.

“Belle, pack your things.”

She spun around, unsure of how to react to my sudden statement. A moment later, she pulled out a large rucksack and began putting away the clothes Isabelle had bought her. She put inside anything else that was of value to her while quickly checking the other rooms to make sure she didn’t leave anything behind.

I shifted my gaze to the plant pot on the windowsill. A single green leaf had sprouted out of the soil, but Belle refused to look in its direction. She zipped up the rucksack and looked up at me with bright eyes.

“Where are we going, brother?”

I stroked her head as we stood in front of the blinding light that illuminated the doorway. I glanced back at the plant pot one last time and smiled slightly.

“I don’t know, Belle. I don’t know.”

She gripped my hand as we stepped through the doorway of light together.