Morning did not come gently.

  It arrived on parchment, stamped in black wax, carried by messengers who rode without stopping, and spoken aloud by town criers whose voices shook as they read words they did not dare believe.

  By noon, the kingdom had decided.

  “—Akitsu Shouga,” the herald read, voice echoing across the stone plaza, “is hereby declared a Heretic of the Crown. He is accused of unlawful massacre, forbidden magic, spirit manipulation, and the corruption of the Hero, Kael Ardent, into treason against the kingdom.”

  The crowd murmured.

  Some gasped.

  Some clenched their fists.

  “And Kael Ardent,” the herald continued, “is declared a complicit traitor, acting under magical coercion and manipulation. The Crown demands his immediate capture for purification and judgment.”

  Black flags were raised along the battlements.

  Not execution flags.

  Worse.

  Condemnation.

  Kaoru heard it from her window.

  She had not been allowed to leave her room since the night Akitsu escaped. Guards stood outside the door—not to protect her, she knew, but to ensure she didn’t follow him.

  She stood frozen as the words reached her ears.

  “…Heretic?”

  Her hands trembled.

  Rikuya burst into the room moments later, face pale. “Kaoru—don’t listen. Don’t listen to them.”

  Renjiro followed more slowly, jaw tight, eyes burning with restrained fury.

  “They’re saying,” Kaoru whispered, “that Akitsu manipulated Kael.”

  Silence answered her.

  Then—

  “That’s a lie,” Kaoru said sharply.

  Her parents looked at her.

  “They’re lying,” she repeated, voice shaking but firm. “Akitsu didn’t manipulate anyone. He saved me. He almost died for me—over and over.”

  Rikuya’s eyes filled with tears. “We know, sweetheart.”

  Renjiro clenched his fists. “The Crown needs someone to blame. And Akitsu… he doesn’t fit their world.”

  Kaoru pressed her hand to her chest.

  They’re turning him into a monster.

  “…They’ll hunt him,” she whispered.

  “Yes,” Renjiro said quietly. “They will.”

  Kaoru looked out the window, toward the distant treeline.

  “…Then he needs to survive.”

  Far from banners and stone, Akitsu Shouga walked beneath leaves that glowed faintly gold and green in the filtered sunlight.

  The Lively Forest breathed around them—alive in a way cities never were. Roots twisted like veins, birds darted between branches, and the air hummed with unseen magic.

  Kael walked beside him, Rosary resting against his back.

  “…So,” Kael said after a while, “we’re officially criminals now.”

  Akitsu snorted softly. “Heretics, actually.”

  Kael grimaced. “That’s worse.”

  Seraphine floated above them, quieter than usual.

  “They’re afraid,” she said. “It’s easier to name you evil than admit their control failed.”

  Kael glanced at Akitsu. “They really said you manipulated me?”

  Akitsu didn’t answer immediately.

  “…Did I?” he asked.

  Kael stopped walking.

  Akitsu turned.

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  Kael stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. “No. I chose this. I threw the sash away myself.”

  He smirked faintly. “If anything, you made it easier to stop lying to myself.”

  Akitsu looked away. “…Good.”

  They continued walking.

  After hours of winding paths, the forest suddenly opened.

  A giant tree stood before them—vast beyond reason, its trunk split hollow at the base. Carved into the wood was a door frame, smooth and ancient, with no door attached.

  Cold air drifted from within.

  Kael frowned. “That’s… not normal.”

  Seraphine slowed.

  “…That’s a threshold.”

  Akitsu stepped closer, eyes narrowing.

  Something tugged at him.

  “…I’m going in,” he said.

  Kael grabbed his sleeve. “Hey—wait—”

  Too late.

  Akitsu stepped through.

  The world folded.

  Kael watched him vanish.

  Not fade.

  Not teleport.

  He was simply gone, like he’d stepped out of reality.

  “…Akitsu?” Kael whispered.

  Without thinking, Kael stepped forward.

  The forest disappeared.

  Snow crunched beneath his boots.

  A vast tundra stretched endlessly beneath a pale sky. The wind was calm—unnaturally so. Snowflakes drifted lazily, untouched by storm.

  Akitsu stood a few meters away, staring in awe.

  “…This place,” Kael said slowly, “feels wrong.”

  Seraphine appeared beside them, her form sharper here.

  “This is where I found you,” she said to Kael.

  He turned. “What?”

  “This tundra,” she continued, “is old. Older than the kingdom. This was once elf territory.”

  Akitsu frowned. “Once?”

  Seraphine nodded. “Before the Great Winter War. Before borders. Before humans learned to fear what they couldn’t control.”

  Kael looked around. “So… we just walked into history.”

  “Yes.”

  She opened her mouth to continue—

  Whhhsh—!

  An arrow tore through the air, embedding itself into the snow inches from Akitsu’s foot.

  They froze.

  Another arrow flew—Kael deflected it with Rosary.

  “CONTACT!” a voice shouted in a foreign tongue.

  Akitsu’s eyes widened. “Run.”

  They ran.

  Snow kicked up beneath their feet as arrows rained around them. Shadows moved across distant ridges—figures swift and silent, barely visible against the white.

  “Elves,” Kael muttered. “Of course.”

  Seraphine flew higher. “They don’t recognize you. You crossed without permission.”

  Akitsu glanced back. “Any suggestions?”

  “Yes,” Seraphine said calmly. “Don’t get shot.”

  “Helpful!”

  The chase intensified. Arrows grazed cloaks, sliced air, struck trees with frightening precision.

  Kael skidded behind a frozen rock. “They’re herding us!”

  Akitsu scanned the terrain.

  “There!” he shouted, pointing toward a narrow ravine.

  They dove into it just as a volley slammed into the ground above.

  Breathing hard, Kael laughed breathlessly. “So—criminals, heretics, trespassers—what’s next?”

  Akitsu allowed himself a small, crooked smile.

  “…Survivors.”

  Behind them, the tundra whispered.

  And the hunt had only just begun.