Chapter 278: The Oath Etched into the Soul

In the distant horizon, a figure suddenly stopped in his tracks. A tearing pain shot through his chest, as if his heart was being ripped apart. His throat trembled with a choking whisper, a broken name slipping past his lips, lost to the shackles of time and space.

"I'm sorry… Hayado…"

The voice was soaked in boundless sorrow and despair, as if his entire soul was being crushed beneath the weight of those two simple words.

"I… can't… I really… can't…"

Dawn broke across the eastern sky, the first golden rays of sunlight cutting through the lingering shadows of night, illuminating the earth and brightening the world.

Yet that warm light was blindingly harsh—

It shone down on Usagi, reflecting off the cold, lifeless body cradled in her arms.

Hayado would never again respond to the light of this world.

Her face was bathed in the morning glow, but it was pale—paler than a canvas drained of color.

At that moment, though the sky was bright, her world had plunged into utter darkness.

Usagi knelt on the cold grass, tears sliding down her cheeks as her body trembled. Through her blurred vision, fragments of memory surged in her mind, broken frames crashing through her heart like shards of glass.

They were memories of Hayado.

—He had once pinned her beneath him, his eyes wild and sharp as blades, burning with a terrifying obsession. His mouth had curled into that crazed smile, unrestrained and predatory as he spat out the words:

"You're such a cute little rabbit! I'm taking you home, and I'm going to keep you!"

Back then, she had only struggled in fear, too naive to grasp the weight behind those words.

But now… she understood.

That wasn't a teasing remark.That wasn't a simple act of provocation.It was an oath etched into his soul.

He wanted to take her home.He wanted to protect her.He wanted… to marry her.

Usagi's pupils quivered as her gaze settled on the lifeless man in her arms.

Hayado's clothes were torn and bloodstained, his body battered and broken—but the most striking sight was the silver glint resting on his chest—

That feather pendant necklace.

Usagi froze, her trembling fingers brushing against the cold metal. At the touch, a flood of memories surged through her heart.

—He was the stuffed rabbit doll from back then.

That familiar scent, that familiar presence.

She had sensed it before, faintly, vaguely recognizing the strange sense of familiarity with Hayado—but…She hadn't pursued it.She hadn't realized it sooner.

Her heart twisted painfully, the ache so deep it left her breathless.

Usagi tightened her grip on Hayado's body, feeling the last remnants of warmth fading from his skin. Her trembling fingers moved down his back—and then—

—She felt it.

—Setia's map.

Usagi's eyes widened in shock.

Hayado…

He had finished it.

He had carved the entire map into his back.

Usagi's heart shattered. The pain in her chest surged so fiercely it nearly stole her breath away.

She couldn't even begin to imagine the torment he must have endured—carving each line, each symbol into his own flesh, inch by inch. He must have gone insane from the agony—driven to madness by the relentless pain…

And yet, even through that madness—He had fulfilled his promise.

Even after losing his mind, he still remembered—

He had promised her he would find Setia's map.He had promised her he would return the necklace.

And now… he had done it.

But the price…

Was his life.

Usagi's tears finally overflowed. Her shoulders trembled violently, tears falling in silent streams onto Hayado's pale face.

She didn't cry out.There was only the sound of ragged, broken sobs—Her throat felt crushed by the weight of her grief, leaving her unable to make a sound.

She just held Hayado tightly, desperately trying to warm his lifeless body, as if her touch alone could pull him back to life.

But she knew—

Hayado could no longer hear her.

Tears slid down her cheeks as the searing pain in her chest grew unbearable. But still, she stubbornly held him, terrified that if she let go, he would vanish forever.

And she realized—All this time—It had always been Hayado.

It was always him.

He had stood before her countless times, shielding her from death.He had thrown himself into the fire again and again, just to keep her alive.

Even when he had lost his mind—Even when he was broken beyond repair—He had still remembered his promise to her.

Usagi's body trembled violently, the agony in her heart on the verge of consuming her.

It was her fault.It was her.

She had made Hayado into this…She had driven him to madness…She… had killed him.

Her teeth sank into her lip, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth—but she felt nothing.

If only she could go back—If only she could change it all—

She would rather have never met Hayado.She would rather have never known his warmth.She would rather…That none of it had ever happened.

But there were no second chances in this world.

Her tears fell silently, mingling with the blood on his chest, soaking into the feather pendant…