Chapter 219: Simplicity Beyond Normalcy

Usagi's palms ignited with crimson flames, their soothing heat seeping into Hayato's frostbitten skin. The icy surface began to melt, and a cold mist swirled in the space between them.

Hayato kept grinning from ear to ear, his eyes gleaming with pure joy, as if the life-and-death struggle they had just endured was nothing more than a game. But Usagi's thoughts were far more complex. Her gaze lowered as she focused on her hands, the motion of healing steady yet tinged with hesitation. Her mind churned with a whirlwind of questions.

Why? Why did he keep saving her? And why did she, time and time again, extend a hand to help him?

Her eyes landed on Hayato's face, his crazed yet childlike smile stirring something in her chest. This man, who recklessly charged ahead no matter the enemy, seemed utterly fearless. His obstinate foolishness was both frustrating and oddly moving.

"What a simple fool…" Usagi sighed internally, but her gaze softened against her will.

Since he had dragged her out of a seemingly inescapable abyss, her life had been shackled by someone named Hayato. He called himself her "master" but had repeatedly shielded her, as if she were his entire world. She loathed this control, despised her inability to escape it, yet found herself strangely comforted by his unwavering presence in the moments that mattered most.

"Usagi, the ice is gone! Look, my arm's good as new!" Hayato's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as he enthusiastically waved his arm, showing off as though it were a prize.

Usagi glanced at him briefly and responded with a flat tone, "Do you think you're invincible? That you can't die?"

Hayato paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "No way! If I died, who'd take care of you, my little bunny?"

"…." Usagi didn't bother replying, withdrawing her hands as the crimson flames flickered out at her fingertips.

Hayato continued laughing, his carefree attitude unwavering. Meanwhile, Usagi turned her gaze to the cliff's edge, her thoughts spiraling into an unknown depth.

How long could someone like him last?

A gust of wind swept past, carrying away the last remnants of cold air but failing to dissipate the heaviness lingering in her heart.

Usagi stood quietly at the edge, the cool breeze tugging at her disheveled hair. Beneath her lay a sheer drop, and before her stretched a forest shrouded in mist—a seemingly impenetrable barrier obscuring the path to the truth. Taking a deep breath, her eyes steeled with determination.

They had waited long enough. Akari was not coming. Any sliver of hope she had clung to was gradually extinguished. His absence wasn't a coincidence—it had been preordained.

"Akari's not coming," she murmured under her breath, as though speaking to Hayato or simply confirming it to herself.

Hayato, still distracted by his healed arm, failed to notice the shift in her tone or the glint in her eyes.

Usagi turned to face him. This man, who was once a terrifying force she instinctively avoided, now seemed oddly familiar. His unguarded antics, which once grated on her nerves, no longer drew the same visceral reaction.

"Hayato." Her voice turned sharp, slicing through the air like a blade. "Are you ready? We're moving out."

Hayato blinked in surprise before nodding vigorously, his grin widening. "Let's go! Anywhere you lead, I'll follow!"

His carefree response caught Usagi off guard. She scrutinized him for a moment, suddenly realizing just how easily she could make him obey—just as Akari had once controlled her.

"Have I… 'tamed' him?" Usagi wondered, startled by the strange, misplaced thought. Hayato's unconditional compliance felt almost disorienting.

She looked down at her hand, her fingers curling slightly. Once, she had been a pawn under Akari's control. Now, was she unknowingly doing the same to someone else?

A faint smile played on her lips, tinged with self-mockery and a trace of release. In that fleeting instant, she found herself neither rejecting nor resenting Hayato's presence. His foolish antics, his simple-minded bravery—it was absurd, yet strangely grounding.

"How ridiculous…" she muttered before lifting her gaze once more.

The forest loomed ahead, cloaked in mist and brimming with unseen dangers. Within it lay answers, truths, and a destiny tied inexorably to their path. Every clue pointed toward the city of Gabriel.

She couldn't predict what awaited them, nor could she measure the cost they might bear. But she knew one thing: her steps would not falter. They could not falter.

"Let's go." Her voice was quiet but carried an undeniable resolve.

Hayato scratched his head, still grinning as he trailed behind her. "You're leading this time, Usagi! I swear I won't get lost!"

Usagi didn't look back. She simply pressed forward, her steps steady as she ventured into the mist. Somewhere deep within her heart, a faint light seemed to flicker, tearing through the haze and guiding her forward.

No matter the outcome, she would face it head-on—with neither fear nor regret.