Deep in the woods, they stop running, knowing there are no signs of pursuers. However, they are in the middle of the woods, in the middle of the night. Zero plan, zero preparations, surrounded by darkness. All they have are the clothes on their bodies and a ship key in Jared's pocket.
"Now, would you tell me what's going on? Why are you in such a rush?" Etienne asks as they rest under a tree.
"Etienne, I get it now," Jared pants between breaths.
"Should I be scared or honored that you're having an epiphany right now?"
Jared ignores him and pulls something from his pocket—a key with a keychain, a blue ribbon embroidered with the word VOLARE!.
Etienne's eyes widen. He quickly snatches the key, examining it in disbelief, while Jared takes the moment to look behind them, checking for any movement.
"Jared, how did you get this?" Etienne hisses. This is the ship key!
"It was in his drawer. Now, I want you to go to that ship, turn it on, and leave," Jared commands, his eyes dead serious.
"Yes, but... now? Are you coming with me or not?!"
"I—" Jared can't finish his sentence. Etienne's question is tempting, especially when he realized that they might never see each other again. Just separated by time is already agonizing, let alone unable to see each other again. This time, Etienne is gone for sure. Jared would go, but he isn't prepared for this, when he reach for Etienne, all he want is just to gave him the key, that's all.
"I don't want to go if you're not coming with me," Etienne insists.
"Etienne, you need to go. That man is crazy. Being under him, I finally understand everything. The way he speaks, his opinions... he's obsessed with you. He want to make sure you ain't going anywhere. You need to be somewhere safe, away from him" Jared whispers.
"I know..." Etienne sulks, then finally tells Jared everything. Cezar has always tried to tame him, to dominate him, to make Etienne his own. But Etienne has always found ways to keep him at bay.
First, Etienne befriended Cezar's wife, sneaking into the ladies area, disguising himself as a girl. Plan works well, Cezar wife loves him so much. That small act of friendship alone was a threat to Cezar—it made him cautious, wary of trying to claim Etienne again. Second, Etienne bought a body cam disguised as a button. He warned Cezar about it, swear to God that he will show his wife the footage if he General ever dare to touch him again.
But Cezar retaliated. He spread nasty rumors about Etienne, claiming he was promiscuous and carrying syphilis, hoping to ruin his chances at ever finding a boyfriend. As if that wasn't enough, Cezar went even further—he deep-faked Etienne's face into a pornographic videos, destroying his reputation and turning people against him.
"So that's what happened, I should've know it was him all along," Jared punch his own palm.
"Don't change the subject. Answer me—are you coming with me or not?!" Etienne now looks at Jared with a serious expression.
"How could you ask me that now? I haven't prepare anything, I didn't carry anything with me. My stuffs, my things, my weapons, my----" Jared shook his head, it doesn't matter anymore! The thought of never seeing Etienne again once he leaves this island is driving him crazy. "Yes! I'm coming with you! Let's go to the horizon together!"
Etienne's serious expression softens, his eyes brightening with a warmth that replaces the tension from earlier. A genuine smile spreads across his face—a rare, unguarded happiness that makes him look even more radiant. Yet, despite the joy shimmering in his gaze, a little concern still annoys him.
"Did I push you into this?" he asks quietly. "Is this really your decision? You don't have to go if you don't want to."
Jared doesn't hesitate. His voice is steady, resolute. "No, no. I'm willing to. My place is anywhere around you."
Before Jared can say another word, Etienne pulls him close, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Jared barely has a second to react before Etienne peppers his face with kisses—his forehead, his cheeks, the tip of his nose—each one filled with an overwhelming affection.
***
As they continue walking side by side to the secret beach where the yacht is waiting, Etienne starts to tell Jared his story—how he found the yacht and why he hasn't left yet, even though he could.
Two years after Etienne buried his makeup box, Jared was assigned to him. Etienne, ever the charming and playful soul, made an effort to befriend Jared, who was painfully shy. With clear boundaries—since Jared was only 15 at the time—Etienne tried to flirt with him, but it was always lighthearted, a way to make Jared feel at ease. It seemed to work; Jared would laugh at Etienne's flamboyant behavior, and sassy humors. So, Etienne keep doing it, he was happy to see Jared smile.
But then, Jared's focus shifted. In the cafeteria, he caught the eye of Charles, and his attention was completely consumed by him. It was as if Etienne had never existed in Jared's world anymore. Jared even started calling him "Charles" instead of his name, "Etienne." It stung, though Etienne couldn't quite explain why. His name, his identity—everything that once mattered between them seemed forgotten.
Perhaps it was jealousy or the realization that Jared wasn't meant to be his friend after all. He began to withdraw, spending more time alone, burying himself in his thoughts. All he want is to fly away from this place, and embraces new life, where he finally can feel free.
One morning, while taking a walk in the forest to clear his head, Etienne got lost. As he wandered, he stumbled upon a yacht stranded on a solitary beach. Curious, he inspected the vessel, finding the engine in perfect working condition. Testing it out, he carefully maneuvered the yacht, getting it stuck intentionally to the coral stones to trapped it, securing it safely.
Etienne took the key, his heart racing with excitement. This was it. The yacht could be his ticket to freedom. He knew it wasn't going to be easy—he couldn't just sail away without proper preparation. So, he meticulously planned, quietly moving some of his belongings into the yacht and leaving the rest behind. Rather than stock up on food, he filled the yacht with tools—fishing rods, nets, a water sterilizer—anything that would help him survive once he left. When the day came, all he would need to do was set sail.
The day arrived sooner than expected, and Etienne made his escape. But as he tried to leave, Jared intercepted him. Despite Etienne's efforts to get away, Jared captured him and had him thrown into the jail for a week. Etienne was caught off guard—he hadn't anticipated this, but what really surprised him was that Jared, unexpectedly, followed him into the jail.
"Wait, so you were trying to ride the ship at that time?" Jared repeats.
"Yeah, how else you think I would escape this island?"
"You're right...."
"Since you handcuffed me that time, I had no choice but to cooperate," Etienne says, nudging Jared's side. "You seemed like you weren't going to let me go."
"Yeah, I can't lose you," Jared smiles sheepishly, feeling the weight of the moment.
"I'm sorry," Jared continues, his voice sincere. "I took you for granted and kept getting in your way. I wish I could have treated you better. I'm really sorry, Etienne."
"Why are you keep digging outdated issues?" Etienne shrugs. "You already make it up well, also it was me you kissed, right?" Etienne grins, his usual playful tone returning.
Etienne continued his story. After he got out of that week-long punishment, Cezar called him into his office. He took the key from Etienne and demanded to know where the yacht was. But Etienne stayed silent. After checking for any hidden camera and snatches it away, Cezar escalated the situation into something worse.
Still fresh in Etienne's memory, despite the pain coursing through his body, Cezar shouted in his face, "Where the hell is the yacht?! Say it!!"
But all Etienne could tell him was, "Go ahead, take everything from me, take it all! But you can't ever take the sky from me!" He grinned, only making Cezar even more furious. And then, the beating started again.
But he can't break a broken man.
"And I signed alliance with him," Jared shook his head, anger to himself raises. He can't understand why no matter how much he tried, he kept making mistakes. Even now, he keep trusting the wrong person.
He still took the bait when Cezar offered power in exchange for Etienne, as if he could outplay someone like him. As if he could stomach standing by his side, ignoring the sheer hostility burning inside him, waiting for his time to end.
It was a wrong strategy. He thought he can watch and waiting, but apparently, all he did was just betraying the person he care the most. Just... stupid.
Jared stopped walking, his frustration boiling over. He turned to the nearest tree and swings his powerful blow on that tree, cracking the branch.
Etienne pull him away, saving the tree. "What are you doing?!"
"I am the most useless, stupid person to ever exist!" Jared snapped, his mind spinning with guilt and self-loathing. "When am I ever going to learn from my mistakes? Keep doing the same mistakes over and over again, settle down in bargaining. I am so stupid!"
Etienne placed his hand on Jared's bruised hand and noticed a wooden splinter stabbing through his knuckles. As he carefully removed the splinters, he spoke in a calm but firm voice. "Cutie, did I blame you for any of this? We all make mistakes—nobody is perfect. And look, you gave me the key to my freedom!"
Jared yanked Etienne away and grabbed his hair in anger.
Etienne tilted his head with a smirk, his eyes playful. "Here's one way to look at it: if the yacht's still there, that means I was right and you were wrong about yourself. What do you think?"
Jared exhales, then he nods in agreement, "Fair enough."
Etienne's grin widened. "Exactly. Now, let's get moving to the secret beach."