Chapter 611: Finding A Way
Silence…
And a question.
What to say?
Ryuk had no idea what to say, for he had many things to say—but no idea where to start.
An apology?
It sounded like a good starting point, but he didn’t even know how to begin it.
And strangely, a part of him didn’t want to begin with an apology at all.
Whether his heart didn’t want to apologize at all, or simply didn’t want the conversation to begin with an apology, he had no idea.
So, he simply continued eating.
Morgaine’s situation wasn’t much different.
She longed to speak, for her heart overflowed with words.
But sadness thrummed through her chest with every passing second of silence, for doubt still lingered within her.
She hadn’t seen him for a year, and when she finally did, his eyes remained closed for four more months.
Yet, when he finally opened them…
She could still feel that gaze.
It was the stare of someone who had braved a storm and returned—changed.
A gaze stripped of its light.
Eyes that had lost their hope.
Cold. Distant.
Almost alien.
And the words that followed—his first in over a year and four months—were even colder.
______
“I don’t know you anymore…”
_____
So, the silence stretched on, unbroken, until he finished the meal in front of him and rose to leave.
She didn’t stop him.
And silently, he disappeared through the dining hall’s exit.
When Ryuk stepped out of the dining room, he took a random direction and walked quietly down the corridor.
A few thoughts crept into his mind—biting cold whispers—but he brushed them aside.
Soon, he came upon a door at the far end of the long corridor. Without thinking, he approached it and reached for the knob.
He grabbed and twisted, unlocking the door before stepping in.
FLAAAPPP.
Instantly, the wind howled around him, tugging at his shirt with wild force.
He had arrived at the top of the castle—a wide, open rooftop.
Unconsciously, he paused as the memories returned.
“This was the same place… the last place before I left for the Ascension Academy…” he murmured, taking gentle steps forward until he reached the golden railings.
His hand stretched outward, fingers brushing against the familiar cold iron.
He raised his head toward the sky, eyes softening as he felt it familiar.
The Eclipsed Citadel, home of the Fallen Angels, was a place of eternal twilight.
The moon. The stars. The dancing green auroras.
The sky was a perpetual blend of illuminated night, shimmering in constant, melancholic beauty.
“I’ve come a long way from then…” he mused, a faint smile curving his lips.
In a blink, he was seated atop the railings.
Arms resting on his lap, he gazed out over the city.
It was quite the view.
But then—
STEP
STEP
STEP
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Someone was approaching, but he didn’t turn his head.
He simply remained still, his head tilting slightly in the direction of the wind.
Unconsciously.
Eventually, the figure arrived beside him.
A rustle of hair brushed against his skin.
His eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he saw was that golden gaze.
“Morgaine…” he said.
Though his voice was little more than a whisper, it rang out clearly in her ears.
Her heart pounded in her chest at the sound of his voice, for it felt like more than a name.
It felt like a plea for help.
Without thinking, her hand reached out, gently caressing the side of his face.
A single tear traced down her right cheek.
“I’m here, Ryuk.” she said.
But her hand, trembling from the rush of emotion, inadvertently pushed with more force than she intended.
She watched in horror as he lost his balance and fell from the railings.
A faint gasp escaped her lips as she recoiled in shock.
But then, his hand reached toward her.
Without hesitation, she lunged forward, stretching out her own hand to grab him.
They missed—by a mere inch.
And she watched him fall.
But not for long.
She jumped after him.
Both of them soared downwards from a height of nearly 600 meters.
Falling—yet somehow always just a centimeter apart.
“I’m always here.” she whispered, her voice reaching his face.
Their breaths touched—one cold, one warm—brushing against their skin and sending a rush down both their spines.
Then she leaned forward, mid-air, and their lips met.
For a second, the world stood still.
Two souls, locked in a freefall of blooming love.
A fall to certain death made beautiful—so much so that time itself seemed to pause to watch the scene.
That kiss, in that moment, silenced the chaos inside both minds.
They felt anchored, held together by something more than gravity.
And yet, it wasn’t enough.
They wanted more.
Ryuk moved first—his hands slipping around her waist, pulling her close against his chest.
They felt each other’s warmth.
And for that fleeting moment—it was enough.
The world could spiral into chaos.
The skies could fall.
The mountains could shatter.
But to remain in each other’s arms was enough.
Until…
They continued to plummet—faster—closer to the ground.
And then—
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The air flapped a golden shimmer exploded around.
Two golden wings unfurled.
From which of them—it was hard to tell.
The wings wrapped around them, spinning faster and faster, as they shut down before reversing their trajectory in a smooth arc.
A U-shaped dive that carried them back into the sky.
Some of the Fallen below caught a glimpse of it, though it happened so quickly they squinted, unsure whether it had been an illusion or reality.
But on the balcony of the castle, two people had seen everything.
Jack stood still while beside him, Lynia, the Half-Fallen, covered her mouth.
Her eyes shimmered, turning glassy.
Jack gave a faint smile as she leaned into his shoulder.
“I told you, Lynia,” he said softly.
“I told you they’d both find a way…”
——
A/N:
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In and Out_SnowySmoos