Bang!

The sound tore through the air like a curse.

You watched in horror as Izana staggered backward, blood blooming across his chest in three violent bursts. Kisaki stood with the gun still raised, his expression unreadable, while the members of Toman and Tenjiku froze in collective shock.

Izana collapsed.

You weren’t supposed to be there.

He had made you promise—begged you not to come. But you couldn’t stay away. Not when you knew something like this could happen. Not when the fear of losing him was louder than his orders.

So you ran.

Out of your hiding place, across the broken pavement, and dropped to your knees beside him.

“Izana,” you whispered, voice cracking as your hands hovered over his wounds, helpless. “No, no, no…”

His breathing was shallow, his skin pale, his blood staining your clothes.

He turned his head slowly, lilac eyes dim but still focused on you.

“What are you doing here?” he rasped, the words barely audible. “I told you… not to come…”

You choked on a sob.

“I couldn’t stay away,” you said, tears falling freely. “I couldn’t let you die alone.”

His lips twitched—almost a smile, almost a wince.

“You’re… stubborn,” he murmured.

You nodded, pressing your forehead to his, your fingers trembling as they brushed his cheek.

“And you’re mine,” you whispered. “So don’t you dare leave me.”

Around you, the world blurred—shouts, footsteps, chaos. But in that moment, it was just you and Izana. Just the boy who had lost everything, and the one person who refused to let him go.