“YARRO!” Kael shouted. He had made it out just in time, only to turn around and see the entire building collapse in on itself. With no Yarro in sight. Clouds of smoke and dust rose up from the building. What was immediately noticeable was that it didn’t get blown away. In fact, nothing was moving at all. The wind ceased the very second the building came down. Kael coughed as the cloud of dust reached him.

When he looked again, it really was gone. The entire building. Poof. Nothing but a pile of rubble. Nobody was coming out of it either. Kael paused, and waited. His heart dropped to his stomach as it slowly dawned on him that his other wasn’t coming back up. He… he…

“...Yarro? Yarro…?”

No response.

Kael began by taking deep breaths, unintentionally faster and faster. Yarro couldn’t have died. He shouldn’t have. He was right there. How… How?

Still he didn’t come up.

Kael took a shaky step forward. Then another. And another. He kept walking until he got to the building—now a pile of rubble—and began to command the bits of brick and concrete out of the way. “No, no, no, no, no…” Even if Yarro was in the stars now, he still needed to find the body. For his family, at least. Kael knew if he had a family they would want his body. Maybe. Perhaps, deep down, he knew he also wanted Kael’s body for himself.

“Please, oh please, Deities in the stars, save the one you chose to lead us to a better world. Save him. Save the one I…”

Kael froze and gulped down his words. He still couldn’t say it, after all this time. For almost an entire month he still couldn’t confess his love out loud. He fell for Yarro ever since that moment he laid eyes on him. He may have went about it the wrong way, but his feelings were real.

Large chunks of debris were whacked away. Some smaller parts disintegrated at the slightest touch.

Way back in the barracks when he asked for help with reclaiming Dawic. Their eyes locked, and he saw that man who looked so tired, and frantic, and desperate. At first it was only curiosity. What kind of man would be so fraught over this situation? Turns out, one empathetic to the plights of others. One who cared for those around him to the point of extremes. Kael had never known anyone who loved without expecting to be loved back.

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He had seen Yarro's face when they came upon Dawic in the dead of night. He was in a constant state of horror and disbelief. Tears threatened to fall that entire night but never did. He tried to comfort him as best as he could, but nothing he could ever say would heal him. So he decided to stay close, instead. He wanted to be there for him, in whatever capacity Yarro would have him.

Then the Deities themselves appeared before their mortal eyes. Their country was on the brink of danger and they came before them and chose Yarro to save the country. He couldn't have been more proud. They continued to fight together, bond over their holy quest. It was perfect.

Then he put his foot in his mouth at the Midsummer Ball. He was so stupid then. So, so monumentally stupid and selfish. He had secretly wanted Yarro all to himself that night. He didn’t want any random person to take him away from him. So he staged a little dance to make others believe they were a couple. Luckily it worked, but Yarro was hurt over his little stunt. If he knew how Yarro felt about him then as he did now, he never would have said what he said. When he saw that look in Yarro’s eyes when they danced, he knew he fucked up.

Ever since that moment they weren’t as close as before. It pained Kael to see Yarro keep him at arm's length. He felt guilty and awkward when the man basically drunkenly confessed. He had no idea how much he remembered, so out of respect he didn't say anything until Yarro was ready. Once again, he later realized he misread the situation. It wasn't until Yarro apologized to him for the second time that he realized he messed up again. He tried to fix it, but feared it was too late by then.

Which was why he was so surprised earlier when Yarro offered to be his family. He thought he misheard at first. Tears flooded his eyes and began to roll down his face. He finally gained someone who he could call family, just for him to be taken away a few minutes later.

Buried under a building of rubble that Kael will have to dig out of. He will dig him out. He would exhaust himself if he had to, if it meant it got Yarro out from under there. And when he was done, he would kill the King. If that man hadn’t ordered these extra tanks for personal money then Yarro would still be alive. They never would have needed to come here because the Master Elementals wouldn’t have awakened.

Yes. Bury Yarro, kill the King.

Bury Yarro, kill the King.

Bury Yaro, kill the…

Just as Kael had steeled resolve to do so, a large beam of fire erupted from atop the pile of the rubble that forced him to look up from his search. As it shrunk, the image of a phoenix in fire rose from the rubble and dispersed in the sky. Kael inadvertently let out a gasp.

Yarro was alive. A Demideity, revived by a phoenix, just as the legends say. There was hope! Yarro was alive, and a Demideity.

Kael, with renewed vigor, sprung into action and climbed in a rush to where he saw the phoenix rise. *Next time I get a chance, I will properly confess*, he thought.