Haruto fell unconscious beside Uvan's beaten body, his breath shallow and his body covered in bruises and burns. The aftermath of the battle left a deep crater in the ground, dust and smoke still lingering in the air.
A few minutes passed before Mai and Anne finally reached the massive crater, their hearts pounding. Mai's eyes widened in horror when she spotted Haruto's motionless body, his clothes torn and blood staining his skin.
"Haruto!" she shouted, rushing to his side.
Before anything else, she turned to Uvan's body and stretched out her hand. "Wind Barrier!" she commanded. A swirling vortex of air enclosed Uvan's unconscious form, trapping him within layers of strong, compressed wind. Satisfied that he wouldn't be getting out easily, she hurried to Haruto, kneeling beside him.
As she checked him over, her eyes caught something strange—on the right side of his neck, just below the ear, was a faint, black triangle. Her brows furrowed as she gently brushed her fingers over it.
"This wasn't always here… was it?" she muttered to herself, her heart beating faster.
She had seen Haruto's body countless times before. They had been together for years. There was no way she wouldn't have noticed something like this before. A sense of unease crept up her spine.
Pushing the thoughts aside for now, she stood up and raised both hands. The wind around her responded instantly, lifting both Haruto and Uvan into the air. She began walking back to their home, guiding the floating bodies behind her. Anne followed quietly, her small hands clutching the edges of Mai's dress.
Once inside, Mai carefully laid Haruto on their bed, brushing his messy hair away from his face. He looked so exhausted, so beaten down, yet peaceful in his unconscious state. She reinforced the wind barrier around Uvan, layering more magical seals for extra protection. There was no telling when he might wake up, and she wasn't going to take any risks.
After securing Uvan, Mai turned back to Haruto, her eyes drawn once more to the strange marking on his neck. Her fingers trembled slightly as she touched it again. As if unlocking a memory buried deep within her mind, her vision blurred, and she was suddenly pulled back into the past.
A time when Haruto was a different man.
She remembered the early days of their marriage—how Haruto, once so full of dreams, had slowly lost himself. His goal had always been to become a doctor, to help people. But his illness, Mana Stifled, had crushed those dreams. It was a rare condition, one that prevented a person from properly using magic. No matter how hard he tried, he could never use spells like others could.
Mai had tried to support him, to tell him that he was still important, still strong. But he had fallen into a deep depression, distancing himself from her. And then…
She remembered that night. The night she had secretly followed him into the forest, worried about what he might do. She had hidden behind a tree, watching as he stood before four mysterious figures, their bodies covered in large robes, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods. The only thing she could make out was a single mark on each of their hands—a black triangle.
The same mark now on Haruto's neck.
Her breath caught in her throat as she snapped back to the present. The pieces were falling into place.
Haruto had made a deal. A deal with those people.
For power.
Mai's hands balled into fists as she stared down at her unconscious husband. "Haruto… what did you do?" she whispered.
Mai clenched her fists. She wanted to believe there was an explanation for all of this—for the mark, for the cult, for the power Haruto had suddenly displayed. But the image of those robed figures in the forest haunted her, their ominous presence replaying in her mind over and over again.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Haruto stirred, groaning as he shifted in bed. His eyes fluttered open, dull and unfocused at first, before they met hers.
"Mai…?" His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
Mai swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing back her emotions. "You're awake... finally. Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
Haruto winced, trying to sit up but immediately regretting it as pain shot through his body. "Ugh… what happened? Did we… win?"
Mai sighed. "If by 'win,' you mean nearly getting yourself killed, then sure. You won. But you also left me with a whole lot of questions."
Haruto groaned again, rubbing his forehead. "Can this wait until my body stops feeling like it's been run over by a carriage?"
"No, it can't." Mai's tone sharpened as she leaned closer. "Haruto… tell me the truth. What is this?" She gently touched the black triangle on his neck.
Haruto stiffened, staring at her in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"
Mai frowned. "Don't play dumb with me, Haruto. This mark. It wasn't always here. You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Haruto shook his head, still dazed. "Mai, I… I don't know what this is. I don't remember ever getting it."
Mai's eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that? I saw you, Haruto. Years ago. I saw you meet with those people. The ones in the robes. I didn't say anything because I trusted you. I thought maybe it was nothing serious, but now—" She gestured at the crater outside. "Now, I know I was wrong."
Haruto felt a strange unease settle in his chest. He had memories of this life, but they were fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle he couldn't quite put together. He knew he had been married to Mai, he knew he had lived here, but the past she was talking about… it wasn't something he fully remembered.
"Mai, listen to me," he said carefully. "I'm not lying to you. I remember bits and pieces, but not everything. If what you're saying is true, then I must have done something before—but I don't remember making any deal. I don't remember meeting anyone in robes."
Mai's heart pounded in her chest. "That's impossible. You… You have to remember. You wouldn't just forget something like this."
Haruto clenched his jaw. "I don't know why I don't remember, but I swear to you, I'm telling the truth."
Mai studied his face, searching for any sign of deception. But all she saw was genuine confusion—and that scared her more than anything. "Then… what does this mean? What happened to you, Haruto?"
Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Mai's hands trembled as she processed his words. "You idiot… you absolute idiot…"
Haruto managed a weak chuckle. "Yeah. I know."
Mai wiped at her eyes, frustration and sorrow mixing inside her. "We'll fix this, Haruto. I don't care what it takes. We'll figure this out together."
Haruto looked at her, surprised by the fierce determination in her gaze. "Mai…"
To be continued...