"Hakuryuu!" A sharp and playful tone called his name, and Hakuryuu cursed under his breath. Of course it wouldn't have been that easy to slip away from Judal's side undetected, he shouldn't have expected any less. Without much of a choice, he slipped out from the shadows cast by the moon, and turned to face Judal and his levitating ice spears with a simple, "Yes?"

"Not trying to run away, are you?"

Hakuryuu didn't grace that with an answer. Judal knew he wasn't running away, they both knew. His goal was far greater a force than a few people who used to be his friends, than the lingering guilt slowly fading away with time. And he needed to stay with Judal to achieve that goal. He couldn't leave Judal.

"Or perhaps leaving to spy on Sindria's big, happy festival?" Hakuryuu didn't answer at this either, but the trees behind him rustled their leaves. Over the past six months, he had grown ever more immersed in Zagan's magic, which had given him incredible power—but also tuned him to the life around him. To the point which, like now, they react to his emotions without his permission. Judal thought it was hilarious, he thought it a nuisance.

Judal's ever present grin grew, and Hakuryuu had no doubt he caught that little reaction.

From the start, he knew there would be a chance, and a big one, where he would have to fight Judal to get away for just those few hours. He didn't even know why he wanted to go so badly. They were his friends no longer, all the time he spent with them held no more meaning in his heart. Passionate and courageous they were, he could never have matched up to them and their methods, he was the one who choose to turn away from their path. And now he was willing to fight the one he needed most to succeed in his goal, just to see them one last time. Clenching his fingers around his spear, the urge of a djinn equip tingled in his fingertips.

Delight lit up in Judal's maniacal red eyes, and Hakuryuu got ready to equip.

"You can go."

Hakuryuu almost dropped his spear, "What?"

"I said, get out of here. I have nothing for you to do tonight, just be back by morning." With a wave of his wand, the ice melted into puddles, and Judal disappeared. Or he could have walked back. Hakuryuu doesn't quite remember. All he knew was surprise, great amounts of disbelief, a little suspicion—but within seconds, he was equipped and flying off to Sindria.

When he arrived, the festival was already in full swing, the cheers and laughter could be heard even before the people came into identifiable view. It was a few hours after night had fallen, but with all the coloured lights and fire—provided by Yamuraiha's magic, he presumed—it was as bright as a midsummer's day. The streets were bedecked with glittering crystals and vibrant cloths, and pieces of soft coloured paper floated through the air, but all the decorations in the world could not match up to the outfits the citizens wore. Sparkling swaths of red, pink, violet silk, threads spun with gold and silver, velvet in greens and blues, and even the cotton was dyed with a myriad of hues. Music played from every street, clashing and mixing with one another. Some people were dancing, others were singing, and everyone wore expressions of pure joy on their faces. It was dizzying, but also electrifying.

Sindria.

Hakuryuu almost felt welcome, he almost felt home—but he stopped himself. No one in this country remained his friend, all he was feeling was a memory, a false hope. He was here for a reason, and one reason only.

Locating the nearest clothes merchant, he grabbed the first things he saw and left a couple coins on the counter. Wearing plain Kou Empire clothing would only make him stand out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, he realized after changing, he had not thought of actually looking at what he was grabbing when he picked his clothes. The top and pants almost looked like Judal's clothing, except it was in a shade closer to his hair and the edges were threaded with a bright turquoise, instead of gold. Around his shoulders was a translucent silk shawl, in a far more fitting black. After a second's thought, he untied his hair and let it fall over his face, almost covering his scars. It would have to do.

Finding a specific person during a festival was no easy task. Not as much the part where he actually finds said person, but rather the pushing through crowds so thick he could scarcely see a foot ahead of him. Not to mention the countless citizens stopping him to ask for a dance (all of which he politely refused), and the sense of familiarity everywhere he looked sending his stomach churning.

"…You still smell like alcohol in the evening, eh, master?"

There. His attention snapped from the merchant where he and his friends used to buy sweets to the source of the voice immediately. He found him.

Heart racing and breath hitching, he almost lost himself to a wave of nostalgia and started running. But he reigned in his control last minute, and took a deep, calming breath, before striding slowly over to where he could see a head of blonde hair just past a few groups of people.

"…Eh?"

The familiar surprise in that smooth voice was almost tangible. How many times had he heard it before? How much had he missed that familiar voice, calling his name thick and low and sweet?

"N-no, stop talking about that…Or else she'll get mad!"

Hakuryuu froze. He could see him now, with muscles from constant practice that weren't there before, his face just slightly longer, and what was left of his rounded cheeks replaced instead by eyes alight with delight, and lips that could morph into a charming smile with a second's notice. Alibaba. Now closer than when Hakuryuu was watching the fight just a few days before, just a few meters away.

But he couldn't go any further. He couldn't do anything but watch and listen in growing horror.

"Could it be? You were able to get a girlfriend in Reim?"

No. No no no. Alibaba had to say no, it was just a mistake on Sharrkan's part, it couldn't be possible.

"Well…Yes."

No! It couldn't be true. Alibaba couldn't have—

"Hakuryuu?" Alibaba was leaning above him, resting on one elbow as he played with Hakuryuu's long, soft hair.

"Yes?" Hakuryuu murmured, his eyes already drooping in tiredness. Alibaba just continued gazing at him, that melty sweet smile on his lips. And when the Balbadd prince took too long to reply, Hakuryuu just snuggled closer to his lover, pulling the sheets up to his shoulders as he closed his eyes with a contented sigh. Alibaba started humming a wordless lullaby, and Hakuryuu found himself drifting off into relaxed slumber.

The song finished before long, and Alibaba laid down beside Hakuryuu. He assumed Hakuryuu to be asleep, so he, as well, closed his eyes.

"…I love you."

Hakuryuu couldn't breathe. Alibaba was looking at a girl off in another crowd with eyes filled with tender love. The same eyes he used to look at Hakuryuu with.

Hakuryuu needed to get out of there.

"Get out of here!" Hakuryuu yelled, almost breathless for words as he swung low and cut through another dungeon monster. Alibaba was only surrounded by a few monsters, ones he could easily deal with. Morgianna and Aladdin were in another part of the dungeon, with their own enemies to defeat. Hakuryuu couldn't count on them for help. But there were so many creatures charging at them, they couldn't possibly kill them all—if Alibaba ran now, and Hakuryuu distracted the monsters for long enough, then Alibaba might have a chance to escape.

Not hearing a reply from the swordfighter, Hakuryuu breathed a sigh of relief, hoping he ran. He relaxed too soon, because the next moment, a creature came lunging at his side, fangs dripping with vemon, and from an angle too far he couldn't possibly reach to defend himself in time. He didn't have time to think, before the creature's head dropped to the ground.

A bloodied curved sword remained where the monster's neck one was, and behind it, Alibaba

"You idiot, as if I would leave you to die!" Another monster down, "Don't you know? I'll stay with you forever."

With a shock, Hakuryuu realized the warm wetness on his cheeks were tears. They hadn't—he hadn't seen Hakuryuu yet. With rigid motions, he turned and ran.

"Hakuryuu?" Alibaba's voice was so fragile, so soft—as if he would cry at any moment.

"Yes?" Hakuryuu's voice was just as delicate.

"Do you…Do you have to leave?" Alibaba's voice cracked, and Hakuryuu's heart did as well.

"I…Yes, I do. And so do you." The words left a lump in Hakuryuu's throat. "We both have something we have to work for—"

"—even if it means leaving." Alibaba finished, "Yes, I know."

Hakuryuu didn't respond, couldn't respond, as Alibaba took a deep breath, and put on his best smile.

"I'll miss you, Hakuryuu."

"As…As will I. I'll miss you too."

They didn't kiss goodbye, because they know if they did, they wouldn't be able to turn their backs and walk away.

"Hakuryuu?" Alibaba almost sounded scared.

"Yes?" Hakuryuu did too.

"I will love you forever."

Hakuryuu almost cried then, "I will love you too, even if I have to wait forever."

Forever, they had promised.