When I had finally recovered, I decided to join the rebellion.

  We fought street by street, trying to minimize collateral damage as much as possible. I didn’t just want to fight—I wanted to make sure Niklas and Adrián’s work didn’t become even harder than it already was.

  I always returned to Niklas’ apartment to sleep; after all, I had nowhere else to go.

  Most of the residents in the apartment complex were purifiers, but surprisingly, they supported the rebellion’s cause. They helped however they could—whether with supplies, information, or safehouses. Not out of patriotism, but because they had always been mistreated by the Empire’s high command. That gave us a huge advantage.

  It was during those days that the resistance’s flag emerged as a symbol of hope.

  By sheer chance, someone had found Ilmenor’s flag—the very one Zein and Alexander had told me about. Alexander had safeguarded it before his death, and somehow, it became the banner of our struggle.

  A standard divided into four quadrants, representing the duality of its people: tradition and change, nobility and strength.

  A deep green alternated with an intense red, mirroring the ancient forests and the blood spilled in countless battles.

  In two of the quadrants, a golden fleur-de-lis gleamed—an emblem of honor, lineage, and unbreakable promises. Its upright petals evoked the grandeur of past monarchs and the steadfast pacts that had held the nation together.

  In the other two, a sharp, angular white insignia disrupted the lily’s softness, like a silent warning: tradition must be respected, yes, but only the strong could preserve it.

  The wind made the fabric dance with both fury and solemnity as the soldiers in the square gazed upon it with reverence.

  It was not just a symbol.

  It was the history of its people, the weight of their past, and the promise of their future.

  It was a simply beautiful, admirable flag.

  One day, the news delivered a devastating revelation.

  Zein, Miguel, and Kiomi had been captured.

  The report stated they had been prisoners for months. And now, the Empire had decided to turn their execution into a spectacle.

  By the end of the year, they would be publicly executed by the Four Generals: Eroberer, Krieger, Stahlwand, and Henker.

  My mind spiraled into chaos.

  Maybe I could rescue them…

  But with those four monsters there… how?

  The thought of losing them tore me apart inside. It felt like everything was falling apart.

  That was when Niklas stayed by my side.

  He didn’t try to tell me everything would be okay. He didn’t offer false hope.

  He was just there.

  And I was grateful for that.

  When we weren’t fighting, we spent time playing video games or watching movies. They were peaceful moments, almost normal… and that bothered me.

  I couldn’t shake the guilt of enjoying something while others were still suffering. While Zein, Miguel, and Kiomi remained trapped, awaiting their fate.

  The small battles became longer and more exhausting. The Empire kept sending more and more soldiers to crush the uprisings, and although the resistance was growing, our progress was minimal.

  The enemy was getting stronger too.

  Each day, more Imperial reinforcements arrived—more patrols, more brutality. The fights in the snow were especially frustrating. Moving through blizzards was difficult, visibility was nonexistent, and no matter how hard we tried to avoid it, the battles left the infrastructure in ruins.

  That day, while patrolling with my group, I ended up straying a bit.

  That’s when I saw him.

  Niklas was working in the area.

  —Nik! I’m glad to see you —I said as I landed smoothly. I had finally gotten used to flying, which made everything so much easier.

  Niklas looked up, surprised.

  —Naoko! What are you doing here?

  —I got separated from my group. What about you? Why are you so far from your usual work zone?

  —My boss sent me here to pick something up… though honestly, I can’t find it.

  —Then I’ll help you.

  We started searching.

  Before long, the snow began falling more heavily. White blanketed the landscape like a ghostly shroud, making everything feel quieter, more surreal.

  The blizzard made our search more difficult, but even so, I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful everything looked.

  For a brief moment, I forgot what kind of world we were living in.

  And then…

  A deep, familiar voice rang out behind us.

  A shiver ran down my spine before I even turned around.

  When I lifted my gaze, I saw him.

  Henker.

  One of the Four Generals who had defeated Zein’s group.

  —Prepare for my arrival, vermin —he declared arrogantly.

  His mere presence radiated menace.

  The dark suit he wore stretched over his massive torso, emblazoned with the Black Sun insignia. Every muscle stood out beneath the tight fabric.

  A headsman’s mask covered his entire face, but it only heightened the ferocity of his eyes, burning like embers behind circular crimson-tinted lenses.

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  In his hand, he held a broad, dark-bladed axe, its edge worn from countless battles. He wasn’t just carrying it—he wielded it like an extension of his own body, with the ease of someone who had taken innumerable lives.

  The snow kept falling.

  The air grew heavy.

  And the cold… vanished.

  His suit, identical to the other generals’, clung to his body like living armor—black, form-fitting, with crimson patterns forming the Black Sun insignia on his chest.

  Every step he took made the snow crunch beneath his reinforced boots, designed not just for movement, but for crushing anything in his path.

  —Shit… Nik, get out of here —I said, trying to protect him.

  —No. I’m staying here. I’ll fight alongside you.

  —But…

  —Naoko, I can fight too. Don’t worry.

  I clenched my teeth.

  Even if he said it with confidence, I was worried.

  I didn’t want to lose anyone else.

  Henker watched us with interest, his axe resting on his shoulder, as if all of this was nothing more than a game to him.

  —So the rumors about a purifier uprising were true… and here I thought they dragged me out here for nothing.

  —Well, hate to break it to you, but you don’t have as much control as you think —I shot back, trying to distract him, waiting for an opening to strike.

  Henker let out a rough, guttural laugh.

  —And just who the hell are you?

  I smirked arrogantly.

  —You’ll find out soon enough.

  The snow kept falling in silence, covering the ruins like a shroud.

  I didn’t wait any longer.

  I was the first to move.

  My sword gleamed with a fierce glow as I lunged at Henker with overwhelming speed. My blade cut through the air in a lethal arc… but his axe intercepted it with demoralizing ease.

  The clash of metal echoed through the desolation, making the ground tremble.

  Before I could react, Henker countered with a low slash.

  His sheer strength threatened to cleave me in two.

  I managed to block it just in time, but the impact was so brutal that it sent me hurtling into the sky.

  The cold air cut against my skin as I ascended uncontrollably.

  I had barely regained my balance when Henker was already upon me.

  His axe came down like a guillotine.

  I raised my sword to defend myself, but the sheer force of his strike sent me crashing to the ground like a meteor.

  Snow and debris erupted in a thick cloud around me.

  I managed to stabilize myself before fully hitting the ground, hovering just above it.

  Henker descended slowly, with the eerie composure of an executioner approaching his victim.

  But then…

  A blast of acid cut through the air.

  Henker barely had time to react before the corrosive liquid splashed against his axe. The metal hissed and bubbled before melting into its own handle.

  Niklas, clad in his protective suit, was already preparing to launch another attack.

  I didn’t waste the opportunity.

  With all my strength, I charged at Henker, my sword aiming for a killing blow.

  But Henker didn’t even try to dodge.

  With a savage growl, he blocked my strikes with his own body. My sword bounced off his hardened skin, and in an instant, he caught the blade with a single hand and flung it away.

  Before I could react, Henker lunged at Niklas in a single step.

  And with inhuman brutality, he tore him in half with his bare hands.

  Niklas’ suit split open like a cracked shell, releasing a torrent of acid that spilled onto the rubble, sizzling against the snow.

  But… he was still alive.

  His body swayed, torn and mangled, yet somehow still moving.

  Henker looked down at him with contempt.

  —Losing your superior… it’s amazing you’re even standing —he muttered—. Just dumb luck. Though that luck… runs out today.

  I couldn’t take it anymore.

  A roar of fury tore from my lips as I launched myself at Henker—unarmed, fists bared.

  The first punch slammed into his jaw with enough force to snap his head back.

  The next struck his side.

  Another hit his cheek.

  And then another.

  And another.

  But Henker didn’t just take the hits.

  For every blow I landed, he struck back just as hard.

  His fists crashed against me like thunder in a storm, blood-stained snow flying with every impact.

  There was no strategy.

  Only pure, unrelenting brutality.

  Two warriors fighting until only one remained standing.

  The world narrowed down to their fists.

  One. Two. One. Two.

  Pain burned through my body, but I couldn’t stop.

  Henker grunted as his left eye swelled from a particularly hard hit. Both of us were at our limit.

  A final strike to his temple made him stagger, and I seized the opening.

  With everything I had, I drove a brutal punch into his chest, sending him crashing into a nearby building.

  Henker had barely hit the rubble before I was on him again.

  I grabbed his legs.

  With a roar, I hurled him into the sky with all my strength.

  Henker shot upward at high speed, his silhouette vanishing into the blizzard.

  I followed instantly.

  In the blink of an eye, I positioned myself above him, my eyes burning with determination.

  —This ends now!

  Then, I brought my fist down with all the fury I had.

  The impact was devastating. Henker plummeted like a missile, crashing into the wreckage with a force that shook the earth.

  But I wasn’t finished.

  I used the buildings around me as platforms, launching myself from side to side at impossible speeds, striking him with every move.

  From one side. Then the other.

  Each hit drove him deeper into the ground.

  The snow was stained red.

  And then, the opportunity opened.

  With one final burst of speed, I closed the distance in an instant…

  And I drove my arm straight through his body.

  The sound of flesh and bone tearing filled the air.

  Henker’s eyes widened in shock.

  He looked down, staring at my fist buried deep in his torso.

  His mouth opened to speak… but no words came out.

  His body trembled…

  And then, he collapsed.

  I gasped for breath, my fist still lodged inside the bloodied corpse.

  The cold snow bit against my skin, and for a moment, everything fell silent.

  Henker had fallen.

  The beast had been slain.

  And in that instant, I turned straight to Niklas.

  —Why? Why did you never tell me about this?

  —I thought… I thought you’d reject me if I told you the truth…

  His voice trembled, shattered by exhaustion and fear. And all I could do was stare at him, feeling my chest tighten with every word.

  —That doesn’t matter to me… it never mattered —I said, on the verge of tears, the anguish coiling around my throat, suffocating me.

  Niklas lowered his gaze, his breathing heavy, then gestured toward Henker’s lifeless body.

  —Do you think… you can bring him closer to me?

  I nodded without hesitation.

  Maybe it was stupid.

  Maybe it was a desperate attempt to cling to an impossible hope… but I would do anything for him.

  With shaking hands and a pounding heart, I dragged Henker’s body toward Niklas. I hoped for a miracle—despite never believing in them.

  In that moment, he placed his hand over the corpse, and slowly, acid began to spread across the body, enveloping it like a liquid shroud. The substance bubbled and gleamed with an eerie intensity, as if it were alive.

  And then, in an instant—

  Niklas’ empty suit collapsed, as if his very essence had vanished along with him.

  My world stopped.

  —Niklas… —I whispered, a knot of terror tightening in my chest.

  No.

  I couldn’t lose him too.

  Not after everything.

  Not after I had finally found someone who made me feel… safe.

  My legs gave out, and I dropped to my knees in the snow, feeling its icy bite stab into my skin. But I didn’t care. My throat burned, my eyes stung with unshed tears.

  —Please… don’t leave me too…

  The silence was unbearable.

  And then—

  The dark mass trembled.

  A shiver ran down my spine as I watched it slowly take shape, molding itself until it became human. Its limbs defined, its torso rose, and then… his face.

  For the first time, I saw him.

  Piercing blue eyes—so clear and bright, like a summer sky. Tousled blond hair, catching the light of the snow. A calm expression, with a serene smile resting on his lips.

  He was beautiful.

  He was Niklas.

  —I told you it would work —he murmured, his voice warm, filled with relief as overwhelming as my own.

  I said nothing.

  Words weren’t enough.

  Without thinking, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  My heart pounded, my breathing was ragged, and all the anguish I had felt until that moment spilled out in a single, uncontrollable impulse.

  I kissed him.

  At first, it was just a brush of lips—an explosion of emotions finally breaking free. But the moment his hands gripped my waist and pulled me closer, it deepened. His warmth melted into mine, his skin burned against me, and in that instant—

  Nothing else in the world existed.

  It was desperate, passionate—a kiss that spoke of everything we had never put into words.

  My fingers tangled in his damp hair, my lips moved with his as if they were one, and for the first time in so long… I felt whole.

  When we finally pulled apart, my lungs burned, and my heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest.

  I couldn’t look him in the eyes without feeling like my face was going to explode from embarrassment.

  I instantly turned away, completely flushed.

  —Naoko? What’s wrong?

  I tried to steady my breathing, but the heat in my cheeks only grew.

  —I think… you should put some clothes on.

  Niklas blinked in confusion for a second—until his gaze dropped to his own body, and he realized that, yes, he was very much not wearing anything.

  Meanwhile, I felt like my face was about to ignite.

  He simply let out a hearty laugh and scratched his head, clearly embarrassed.

  The snow continued falling in silent waves around us, wrapping us in its icy embrace.

  But deep in my chest, at the very core of my heart…

  All I felt was warmth.

  Something I had never felt before.