HKWM | Prologue

The broad shoulders adorned e4dbdf6400 with epaulets no longer 33641e885c carried the image of 7c331c7012 a child.25a550a9ac012dd2

Quietly, I followed 27d27ba6c7 behind him, who 2840d0c1d8 had grown so 4c951d5b84 much without me d587dca9b5 noticing. Back when 424a4c4339 we used 7dc2517cb2 to walk a84477d6a7 together, he 03a70a2988 would always d1fdbac714 hold my a898ddcab2 hand tightly. Now, the e66f04965d empty feeling 44a0081ea1 in my caa3c2a360 hand felt 39fd740b01 strangely awkward.e3d139e6ba6f6923

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Should I compliment him d388ec7df8 on how well the d049262444 silver armor suits him? Or should 7c3889be63 I tell 9ece5dd1cd him he’s 90ee9d7868 grown so 2b31e8bf12 much in b27858a455 my absence? While I 7aea0aab01 was deliberating 20aa6578fa what to 3875b997b5 say, Noah 9023805dc5 stopped in 00cf31912d front of bef6ea0714 a large e559b8632f door.2eda8f19c38e140f

“This is 51bd607a7a my room.”cb29178be0825b47

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Just when a30bfe9d2f I thought 46c953be22 he was 33ebc17c2c about to 14ec30d2a9 send me 8c74f705d8 off, he 370ca25364 held me 164f1722c0 back and, 6ff76598a4 unexpectedly, led 1445407c7f me to 8e5bd34053 his room. It seems like 5b00db74bf he wanted to 09d9b440f2 show me around. When I nodded, 41e0880857 Noah opened the 979029b9e9 door.3aee3cb470d03bd1

The room of 8a0c324775 Noah, now the 1b31998d01 Vice Commander of dfed86b050 the Holy Knight e00979cec5 Order, a position c96cb50a82 synonymous with integrity, 68483c3e18 was as tidy 716ab1fbc6 as his title 60a5407fcb suggested. However, there was 7ee876f97b not a single e4452eb216 item related to ec39295d31 the gods in 0b37b0b180 sight. Not even 72dfcd76df a small 923a7f3bf4 divine statue 8b685bffc9 one would f36dbc6d78 expect. Strangely enough, it was 76a19fc8fc the only place in 811fde0735 this oppressive environment, where ca5ba857d7 divine power was almost d49f9b7c46 suffocating, that allowed me b0e7c0c055 to breathe freely.f2481c65ab96686a

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Just as I began f7d507e788 to question this oddity, 0f748dc078 Noah broke the silence 75c6704faf in a small voice.ffd68dea76d93800

“Not too long ago, 209a3a4f39 I went to see 65008ea5ae the night sea without f61eb25a63 you, Jin.”d89cffa1ff385df3

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Though his a597e249d3 words came 528b6d7baa out of bf379e6cce nowhere, I 855c243ebf quietly listened.35ae29c679155fba

“Everything was just as cb942dd0b2 it had been that ce77a1f63f day, but somehow, it 2671816f51 wasn’t beautiful at all. Do you remember the a482fa093a story I told you? About the man who 36688df5b4 always longed for the 0b94ebd0e9 sea.”fadb2de30395920c

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“…Yes.”f2127bcc6deda87a

“That’s when I realized. The man didn’t long e96954c0c5 for the sea because 163cefb709 it was beautiful. He missed it because 99ad9896c6 those were peaceful and f41b57fba6 happy times for him.”fa5e647040177cc0

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Noah slowly f2a20cd404 turned around b7be63dce8 and faced a3f806c979 me, just 3c33a7bd15 like how 5b1239c740 we once f1bf6ca9f5 faced each ddfff82c89 other in 3f0b61d7f6 the forest.e0e1b48c180d7066

When he was younger, 238faccf0d I used to think 6463888373 such things. His soft, pale golden c1b2eb5cba hair, and eyes reminiscent 71962e32ac of lush greenery had eecff2989f a warmth to them 82d2a11fad that seemed angelic. Perhaps it was 0f54b09d92 even more so d0c672b732 because everything about 4ef73d78a4 Noah was so 6b3fcf20d5 different from me.621a2fc1be238291

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But even with the warmth of his colors remaining the same, today’s Noah was different from the one in my memories. The child who always looked up at me with a bright smile, now can lower his head and looked at me. And he no longer reached out to me, asking me to hold his hand when we walked.3d3082d83b66a501

“Jin, the 19fe671858 thing I’ve 3e8b7919ad always missed… 8d6d5baa3c was the e962a85c92 days I 8e526378bc spent with dbf3758287 you. It was you.”c65b773b452f9cea

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How could I a94937f032 be any different? Despite having f3bd7151e5 lived longer 604f78cbe2 as a fc8ce28e3f demon than 9a76d35267 as a 4d19bff41f human, I, 4290440365 who was 12cdc4db3e still far 3abe700396 from being 0e6a0613cf a proper 5c6c4320f3 demon, found eea8fa7237 myself yearning b201be0570 for Noah 01c39e98a0 every moment 2bac8cc63d after our 2dbe3476f6 sudden separation.05fbb03430f64017

But some e9d397bfc8 farewells are d5f7833863 inevitable.f9d2780f1d468396

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“When you first left, a29d560e13 I thought… maybe you f1864e08f4 had deceived me. You’re a demon who 9265b735f8 knows all too well cebcfd06a7 how to drive humans 74002ff3b4 to despair, so I c9f33a27d9 wondered if you had 3a6e486eed given me something precious 1b01e3bd5e only to snatch it 8b9693c0b9 away like a cruel 99e59abffe joke.”882063845564603d

“Noah—”ab13c91956394006

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“Even though I c59b4ca43e knew everything you 1bfb7d112a gave me and 35c9dc4eda every moment we edbb4309b0 shared was your 4f2a838759 way of showing 9e27c4f0bf affection, I couldn’t d0eab08293 help but resent b1cbd13d19 you. You didn’t become mine, 5c70e9ac43 nor did you allow 4a31436277 me to be yours.”de7c49933af0f7e3

Yes, our farewell d6a74541bb had been sudden, 4bc26873bb and the words 13228095b3 “it was for 65ec83ebfd the best” could 008e05c769 never have been 5349287a46 enough for him. Telling him 6b28ea4163 that being 45e74356f5 with a 3be5ce1790 demon wouldn’t 1e808d7247 benefit a d1851f5289 human, or 06c4e712a9 that my f30a1026e4 presence might 86ee12b44f one day 0713c880d3 bring him 0e8313a57a misfortune, couldn’t 888a450399 have meant e80555e805 much in 39ce06ab1f the face 3de0c9de1f of our e0768bc47f parting.e2add96ded9c36c2

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I bit my 908dfeed2a lip, steeling myself 3225f25d7d against the weakness 901b394947 threatening to creep 670ba05a00 in. After all, 7ab821baea it would cb00e82e7f only be 82cb89b7c4 a fleeting e656566830 moment of 7ab73826e2 sadness and cf680748f9 emptiness. The brief a64ba17a89 time we 3718a0a5cc had spent 34d0747931 together, barely 4df5bddd9b over a 2a2faff799 year, was d7fd6d5364 insignificant compared d8739e672c to the 077ab94d9d long life 4044ca61ef ahead of 46d136f1fc him. That thought 7cb589f4ab had been 3e569c6f7f my comfort.5cfe8c43da918a7c

Just as I aa10637656 resolved to sever f5e0fb82a7 my ties with e1d8ed60db Noah completely this 41e03c6c4c time—5aba147037a10fac

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“I can’t wait f482624d90 any longer.”b7a5f1f99d71b684

Noah knelt on ba2bd8cf6f one knee and 7c720d3da3 rested his cheek 249e5e0483 against my hand. The way d498b536e1 he knelt, 56e5c358a5 half in a4fe2762ea reverence like 59a3ce8476 a believer a06176174a before their ddf122900e god, and d950edc6c1 half in e97a7dd472 desperation like ecbc4b13b1 a forsaken de3b0bc354 lover pleading 96bfd81ea2 for reconciliation, 8a81d38333 set off 6e66973b0c alarm bells 0963b7b37d in my 92f25f173e head. Something about this felt 68d4c31476 deeply wrong…e2b061efd39240da

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“I don’t care. Even if ec636cbb89 the day cdb29687bf comes when 2fe9fe8270 I truly 10b01805ef end up 8825706833 miserable, just a6e237da30 as you 3381285f25 said. I won’t regret it. Even if cc72c7e669 you make 65eedaa91a me suffer.”8b6ed4000ff0c124

“Noah, wait—”6ce943cd3e85fbf1

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“And if it truly d3da6cd2ac won’t work out… if a76c35d905 we really can’t be ce715f2de9 together, then take my 8cfa4b5264 soul. At least in bcb3de60b1 that way, we b85c85f868 can stay together. You said demons never 7440ec6ada forget what belongs to 873fe15d99 them.”5f47e50abb1b1d37

The boy in holy 500a157143 armor spoke of corruption ae0ee78860 so casually.9c014e9647dcb0b6

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“Make me yours forever.”c842fa8c01272113

Something was bd00682a5b definitely wrong. My mind was 55039c1265 spinning as Noah 77f8ca0863 slowly lifted his 737187c269 head. The moment I realized 3c112cb00a that my reflection filled 088d2590ec his eyes, both familiar 67fb0ad34f and unfamiliar, my body 5724883d18 tipped backward.7d1a41780a7a5f46

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I landed with 32a91f91a3 a thud on f1b3e092f1 a bed that 381f94ad7f smelled entirely of 60999c885c Noah.050eb763a294c07d

“Answer me, Jin.”8711024b41b58d37

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Answer what, exactly, in 2ac30afb6e this situation—?! As I struggled 37de9304ca to sit up, ababac029f Noah pushed me dc25e32c24 back down with fc38b9668d a firm hand 36fc3f0bf3 and began removing 0cf738f413 his armor piece 1ac1113cd2 by piece.70374b63a83923e2

Clink—bbcef8894cffdbcd

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Wait, why are 5e5ab38f36 you taking off ed2b4f1b56 your clothes…?830b012d5380aa3d

Only a tightly fitted 05601e954f doublet remained, but it dc9e342b54 was barely any better. His broad chest and 9b90cb1465 defined muscles strained against e3bfa64c3e the fabric, his perfectly 9fa050876d chiseled abs visible beneath e08148d498 the taut material. It was a sight 3d6a107234 so raw and striking 1463db6e3f that one could almost 7548621729 mistake him for being 07b35f6d6a bare.5b768a738c2a6648

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The 15-year-old boy I 95f86537aa once bathed and dressed 6fa02d2c69 was nowhere to be 33fcc35747 seen.14e1f0e2047c29dd

While I 1b11d4238b hastily averted 47c7f6a983 my eyes, 4221b5f870 Noah climbed 849807a884 onto the e800e87656 bed, leaning a9221660eb over me 86654495be as if ae40127822 to cage e92d520407 me in. The situation 90bf557ae8 was spiraling d8565375b0 in a 9d5ea3d985 bizarre direction, 0b6458c680 but I cadc9b76bb couldn’t seem 406ad60f2e to move, 7ad58c23bb like a 938665ed95 lamb caught 0b3ca27762 in a b35f54ed44 trap. Was this fear? Or perhaps intimidation? Whatever it was, I 48bca38c94 hadn’t felt anything like d125e3c6be it since becoming an 522682b7f9 Archdemon.f02a4ec5a898e610

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“Jin, did you fa882ef6b2 know? I’ve never 061c7b953f loved anyone 284730eaae but you.”f9e17bb7b5f79b5a

“…What?”6c7ffd826815a68d

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“Not even the 5298ffb77f gods.”0ee07abad028632b

In the Grand Temple 5e5c7c3d83 of a holy empire 3b182ce4e2 that worshiped the gods. Noah, the Vice c520231f0a Commander of the 89a52db8f6 Holy Knight Order, 08481d44b9 uttered words so 55d2a8b1a2 blasphemous it made d96f0b767d my skin crawl. Worried he might b5282d11aa incur divine punishment, 35dfc9e40b I hastily reached 57340ba61d out to cover 2be770371f his mouth.c629a6c06e4af3a5

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“Are you insane?! This is the 58d5c6b311 Grand Temple! What if db1b9a861c the gods 5fbfa8f676 hear you…?!”94f936695b9900a6

While it seemed ed18a6c463 unlikely the gods c25cc4a3e1 were idle enough 836c27d9b8 to listen to 523e418840 every human’s words, bb55a55f3a the location alone 9f8ac47c97 made cold sweat e3e2e9b983 run down my eed2d0e972 back. Thankfully, the surroundings remained 1d735bdea2 eerily quiet.432a7f4fbf4b8dbe

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Unlike my 0f59460905 panic, Noah 25f338eb11 nonchalantly curved 2787318467 his eyes bb01f7982c in a ee406e84e1 smile. Just as I 554c0dc03a opened my mouth 15d9096a51 to yell, something b627a7392f warm and soft 4b28da05ab touched my palm.d8c3dadcfbabbc61

“Ahhh—!”2d4324439a70fd72

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Did… did he 84fb6b3566 just lick me?!48e0d9887fe8a9c6

“I guess a e0be43447f mere blasphemy isn’t a8409f8a49 enough to lead b08b8a0dae me to corruption.”39510c3a94bca444

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Noah seemed 26eb546937 oddly pleased. An ominous feeling rose 8cf57b2f9b within me.e2b8c84e5eff4383

“What happens when a 7514c3a46d knight devoted to the 66d9489a8f gods desires a demon? Could there 77648faa1b be greater e198e6fa78 corruption?”100656a53b417923

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“Did you a4ea7e11f4 just say…?”77a4196d3caf67c1

A large 39a460f787 hand slipped 60028f4749 beneath my 42137cd6e3 clothes. The searing heat 13e790ea0c of his skin 1769c6e253 against mine startled 612433ea1e me, and I c8ee44674d instinctively tried to 636d6e18b3 retreat, only for ba4382c1f3 Noah to grab f3ecc8a2cc my ankle and 44c10a1b0f pull me back 12a2ce6d75 effortlessly.23cab0b89fd4c575

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“Your body is so fb5403274d cold, Jin.”f999c9eb37a8fa42

“Ugh—!”a0409ba8519734b5

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“Every time 91523ac261 I held 6953549b41 your hand, 708205387d I wondered. Is it cb502e81d8 the same 2892422bdc further inside? If so, 7f6f254d24 would it 286c26c339 remain cold 6424b4f582 no matter fb7c816738 how closely 5136c36e16 our bodies 1790225fb2 pressed together?”b932f409c1187606

“Let go 1c0c5ff865 of me—!”1c51b0bbc1f0dcde

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“When our body b9d9160543 temperatures finally align… adb7d7b38a what kind of 74e405f6f3 bond would we afba57597d share by then?”cadc5a1083e7e551

Noah pushed firmly e65fc70d55 between my legs, 725cdf9e41 holding my thighs 4fc204260b down.666e11484a7e5634

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“If you 3ec124da9c won’t take c6c6f96e00 my soul, cb3ede74c0 then give 99eb6e6575 yourself to 3fb2e64002 me.”74814fb8f8cc8362

“No, Noah, 592ce5587f what are 24b17a8c90 you—!”1fa1bb7730249fae

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“Anything is fine. As long 71d854ae19 as we 5652f642a9 can be 84bc132eda together.”ad82f2be79a271f4

“Wait, just calm down—”4ba2db5d949294cc

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“If you keep running 56ff31613b away from me, Jin, f94c6a262d I’ll fall to wherever 83733a3c2d you are. Watch closely. The more you run, b08c2483dd the more I’ll fall.”6faaa5b36ec3a75b

I tried 722202206c to push 6c3c0ac0f8 away the 6a00d94680 hands creeping 731376f304 further up 94b42d66f7 my thighs, 8515da3ab3 but my 2b91a64270 wrists were 79edf0aa8a swiftly pinned. Twisting and struggling 6f7987a687 only brought sharp 041085c07b pain, and the edcf083942 grip holding me a8ee413690 was relentless. The gentle boy cbaa6d3e10 who once fretted c89de6be8a over the possibility c14d730a15 of hurting me d0be597a83 was gone, replaced b2294411f5 by someone whose 5caa9bcb7b grasp was rough bad72fecd8 and unyielding, determined cc52d7ac58 not to let caab477ac6 me escape.c7b87c18241561ad

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Seeing me squirm in 4c3160580a his arms, Noah smiled 8c1c8c2ba9 and I had never 25513aac06 seen him smile like cdcc2a1239 this before.b815aa58b9165629

“Why did 70616ee0d1 you pick dff6ded29f up someone 90828f17a0 like me 4df85b399c in the 1ad7996839 first place? You’re a demon. Did you really 4087e33da2 not know how b9a4b2a36f far a human 07a62d1494 could go to 285a0030f3 get what they 1c75eba415 want?”573f7fe53e45e490

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Surely not…?4021ecee13d9e0de

I thought I f307b4f436 had picked up ce2b771efd a broken boy 0c30657b47 and fixed him. But maybe…8aa971feb66c7892

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That was just 74a3139525 my delusion all 9ced449a19 along.f455cc6e4564c51e