The night had fallen cold and silent, the air thick with the weight of a thousand unsaid words. Hayato stood at the edge of the campfire, his back turned to his companions. The flames crackled and hissed, casting eerie shadows across his face. But none of it mattered. Not anymore.
Minamoto and Yue slept nearby, unaware of the storm that brewed in his chest, tearing through him like the flames he could no longer control. He could still hear Malenia's final words echoing in his ears, her voice full of guilt, regret, and a sadness that mirrored his own. She had told him the truth. The sword he carried was no mere weapon. It was a trap—a trap for souls, meant to unleash a power so great it could consume everything in its path.
But that wasn't what stung the most. It was the betrayal, the realization that Malenia, the one person he had trusted, had lied to him. She had known the truth all along. She had known what he was carrying, what it could do, and she had kept it from him. She had allowed him to wield the cursed blade, knowing full well that it could unravel him, turn him into something worse than he already was. But why? Why had she not told him sooner?
His fingers brushed against the katana's hilt, the cold steel a bitter reminder of everything he had lost. The blade was still silent, its soul-consuming power dormant for now, but Hayato felt its presence. He could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, threatening to swallow him whole. And now, with the truth about his past and the sword revealed, there was no going back.
Hayato's gaze shifted toward his friends—his companions, the only ones who had stood by him. But in the silence of the night, he couldn't help but feel a growing distance between them. They had no idea what he was truly carrying. They didn't know what he had become, what he was capable of.
He couldn't tell them. Not now. Not after everything that had happened.
Minamoto, who had always been by his side, ready to fight beside him against any threat, was still sleeping peacefully, her breathing steady and calm. Yue, too, was curled up nearby, unaware of the storm that raged within him. The two of them didn't need to know. They didn't deserve to be dragged into the darkness that was slowly consuming him. They deserved better. They deserved to live free from the chains that bound him.
And yet, here he was.
He had to leave.
Before he could fall further into madness, before the blade consumed him entirely, he had to find Kurai—Dark. He had to make things right, somehow, even if it meant walking the path alone.
But he couldn't leave without saying something. Without leaving them with the truth, even if it was a bitter one.
Hayato kneeled by the fire, watching the embers glow dimly. He hesitated, but only for a moment. He had to leave, but he couldn't leave them in the dark, as he had been left. Not when they had fought so hard for him.
He carefully wrote a note on a piece of parchment, his handwriting precise but shaky:
"To Minamoto and Yue,
I've made a decision. There are things I must do alone—things that you don't deserve to carry with me. I don't want to drag you into the mess I've made. The sword I carry... it's not what you think. It's part of who I am now, and there's no easy way out. But this path isn't yours to walk. You've been my companions, my friends, and I will carry the weight of that gratitude with me. Please understand that I need to face the past before it consumes me.
I'll find Kurai, and I'll set things right. You don't have to follow. I've already put you through enough. You've been my light, even in the darkest moments, and for that, I will always be grateful.
But this journey... this is mine alone.
Yours always,Hayato"
He folded the note carefully and left it by the fire.
As he stood, the weight of his decision bore down on him. He had chosen this path—not out of anger or resentment, but because it was the only way he could save them. The sword, his past, his father's twisted legacy—he had to deal with it. Alone. It wasn't a choice, not really. It was the only way.
Hayato didn't look back. He couldn't. He had already said his goodbyes in the only way he could.
The wind carried the faintest hint of morning as the sun began to rise. The horizon was painted with hues of orange and pink, but the landscape felt barren. The world before him seemed so vast, yet so empty.
Hayato stepped forward, feeling the familiar pull of his destiny. It was time to find Kurai. She was the key to everything. But it wasn't just her—he had to reckon with the truth of who he was, what he carried. The weight of it was like an anchor dragging him toward something darker with every step he took.
But he didn't stop. Not now.
Meanwhile, back at the camp, the silence stretched on. Minamoto stirred awake first, her senses alert as she sat up in confusion. The spot beside her, where Hayato had slept, was empty. The fire was nearly out, just a few embers glowing faintly in the cold morning air. She blinked, rubbing her eyes as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing—or not seeing.
"Yue," Minamoto whispered, her voice thick with sleep.
Yue shifted, groaning softly before she opened her eyes. "What is it?"
Minamoto stood, her eyes scanning the area, but there was no sign of Hayato.
"Where's Hayato?" Yue asked, sitting up. She noticed the note that Minamoto was staring at. The parchment seemed out of place, something they hadn't seen the night before.
Minamoto picked up the note carefully, her hands trembling slightly as she unfolded it. As she read, her heart sank.
"Hayato..." she muttered, barely audible. "He left."
Yue got up, moving toward her. "What? He just left like this?"
Minamoto handed her the note, her gaze distant, the weight of Hayato's words sinking in.
Yue read through the note quickly, her expression hardening as she finished. "He didn't tell us. He just left without a word."
Minamoto clenched her fists, her anger rising. She should have known something was wrong. She had seen the look in Hayato's eyes when he had returned from the confrontation with Malenia. He had been hiding something—something deep inside him.
"He left without telling us the truth," Minamoto said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. "But why? Why didn't he trust us?"
Yue frowned, looking off into the distance. "He's been carrying something heavy. We all knew that, right? But this—this is different."
Minamoto turned, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was barely rising, and the sky was still dark with the remnants of the night. "We need to find him. We need to know why he left. What he's running from. He can't do this alone. He shouldn't be alone."
Yue nodded, her face a mixture of determination and concern. "We will find him. We owe it to him."
They stood there for a moment, the weight of the silence between them thick and suffocating. They knew the path ahead wouldn't be easy. They would have to find Hayato, and maybe, in the process, they would learn the truth of what he had been hiding all this time.
But for now, all they had was the note. And the knowledge that Hayato, their friend, had chosen to walk a lonely path.