Irynsis knew well enough that Cassion was not someone capable of standing by and watching her suffer, even knowing she could not die. The mere fact that she would live was not enough for him to abandon her to danger or let her be in pain.

She knew it better than anyone—and it was for that reason she had allowed herself to give him more of her heart than she had to others.

And yet, she was angry. No, more than that—she was afraid.

The sight of him drenched in blood, appearing before her, terrified her. Her heart had dropped into her stomach at the thought he might be gravely wounded. Even if it had only been an illusion, the thought of a world without him was unbearable. She never wanted to see such a thing again.

“What are you saying, Irynsis?”

Why did you follow me?

That wasn’t a question. At least not for him.

For Cassion, remaining by her side had never been a matter of choice—it was the only answer.

But Irynsis grew paler, her face growing ashen.

“Why didn’t you just strike them down earlier? The Mare.”

“How could I act rashly when you were in danger?”

“I told you—I can’t die from some cheap poison. You knew pushing forward would have been the most efficient way!”

Yes. He should have used her more efficiently. That cursed body of hers—whether burned by fire or rotted by venom—would always return. He should have wrung every use from it. That was how she had survived, through countless cycles of life and death.

But Cassion had always been the variable. The one person who treated that body, despised by her own self, as precious beyond measure. The one who risked his own flesh to protect hers. That was why it was dangerous.

“Are you saying… I should have gone on with my duty even if you were stabbed through the heart?”

“Yes.”

“Because that would have been the most efficient?”

His face twisted, his voice dropping low.

Irynsis didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to. Cassion let out a short, dry laugh.

“I already knew you think so little of yourself. So it’s not exactly shocking to hear it from your lips.”

His handsome face was set in a smile, but it looked wounded all the same—like a man struck by lightning beneath a clear sky.

“We’re allies, yes. And if you were merely a resource, it would make sense to use you fully. But tell me one thing, Irynsis.”

“…”

“Even once—just once—did you ever think of me as your husband?”

Their marriage had been a mess, a union forged under chaos and spectacle. Yet in these past months, they had stood closer than anyone else. They had shared bodies, spent their days together, opened their hearts little by little. He had thought they were becoming more than allies—becoming family.

But had she ever seen it that way?

“Cassion…”

His name was all she could force past the tightness in her throat.

The look in his eyes hurt more than anything else.

Cassion held her gaze for a long moment, then rose to his feet. Turning his back, he dragged a hand down his face, as if to steady the emotions surging inside him.

And the labyrinth shifted again.

Darkness swept over them. The sky turned black and violet, thunder splitting the heavens as lightning crashed without pause. Torrential rain poured down, and everywhere beyond the small patch where they stood, the earth drowned beneath a raging sea.

He stared out at the storm, then turned back to her.

“Where do we go?”

She blinked, dazed, before forcing her focus. Drawing up her sacred power, she released it. A trail of white light arced outward, plunging into the heart of the ocean where a massive whirlpool spun.

Cassion didn’t hesitate. He turned toward it at once.

“Cassion, wait—!”

“If you’re about to say it would be more efficient for you to go alone since you can’t drown—don’t.”

Her face went pale as his eyes locked with hers, unyielding.

“Irynsis.”

Behind him, furious waves crashed, white spray rising like claws. Yet he didn’t move an inch. His eyes and voice burned hotter than the desert sun.

“Letting you throw yourself away is of no use to me.”

“Don’t…”

“Whether you believe it or not—I’ve chosen to trust you.”

Rain pelted down, but it couldn’t cool the fire in his gaze.

“Because I love you.”

“…What?”

“That’s why I can’t treat you like a resource. Not with reason. Not with efficiency.”

“….”

“Because I love you, Irynsis. And I want you to value yourself as much as I do.”

D*mn it. Even if she never returned his feelings—Cassion could no longer deny his own.

At the very least, Cassion no longer intended to deny his heart. He loved her.

So it didn’t matter.

Even if Irynsis saw him only as an ally, a resource to be used, and pushed him coldly away, he could not treat her that way.

Love—something intangible, the most irrational, inefficient feeling—could never produce logic or the best strategy.

Cassion hurled himself willingly into the raging sea. How Irynsis chose to use him was her decision. But how he would treat her—that was his.

There wasn’t even a splash. Thunder that shook the heavens and waves that devoured the shore swallowed Cassion whole, leaving no trace.

“Ah… ah…”

Frozen in place, Irynsis stared. Then, as if her body moved against her will, she stumbled forward, her legs barely carrying her as she clawed across the ground.

The waves surged high, as if determined to allow her not even a single step of solid earth.

She threw herself into them.

The moment the black sea swallowed her whole, the world turned eerily silent. The thunder vanished. The furious crash of the waves faded into nothing.

‘Cassion…’

Even as the current dragged her under, she forced her eyes open, scouring the depths for him. The sting of salt water against her eyes didn’t matter.

Through the murky dark, something darker than the shadows themselves surged toward her. For a heartbeat she thought it was him, her arms and legs thrashing in desperate reach— but she froze.

It was a massive sea serpent. Larger than any warship, its jaws gaped wide, revealing a red tongue and rows of jagged teeth.

Just as it was about to swallow her whole, strong arms wrapped around her from behind—her back and waist pulled close. Even in the icy water, the warmth and the familiar feel of that body seeped through.

That was the last thing she knew before consciousness cut out once more.

***

Srrrk—

Something smooth and cold brushed across her arm. Goosebumps rippled down her skin. Yet it was too hard to open her eyes. Her entire body ached as if beaten, heavy and sore. A groan slipped from her lips.

A warm hand pressed gently against her forehead.

“…Tch. Get lost before I kill you.”

Her senses snapped awake at the low, rough voice in her ear—harsh, yet careful.

“Cassion?”

“Are you awake?”

“Are you… are you alright? Ugh…”

She tried to sit up in haste but clenched her teeth at the pain that rattled her bones.

Cassion watched quietly, then slowly helped her up.

“Where… where are we?”

Once she managed to sit, she glanced around.

The storm had vanished. The furious sea was calm as glass. The black sky had cleared to the purest blue, not a single cloud in sight.

They were lying on a white sand shore. Sunlight glistened on the beach, while gentle waves rolled in to scatter soft foam across the sand.

“That thing’s the one that swallowed us. I’m not entirely sure myself.”

Cassion pointed.

There, a sea serpent with black-and-white stripes coiled upon itself, its eyes dark as ink as it watched them. Its markings were the same as the creature that had devoured them, but this one was smaller—and calm.

“That?”

“It’s been circling, waiting for you to wake.”

At his words, Irynsis realized the cold touch against her arm had been the serpent.

The tension in her legs eased slightly. She rose without needing his support.

The serpent unwound slowly, carving a trail across the sand before stopping to glance back, tongue flicking as if to beckon.

Without a word, Irynsis and Cassion stepped forward—together.