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Chapter 23 - _love_(1)

Irel:

"So, the first story — the artist and the dancer."

Irel:

"Ash is a quiet artist, living alone, in a life painted entirely in grey. Not bad, not good — just grey

Even as an artist, his world had never held color… until he met Izan."

He came across a place that felt almost otherworldly — a garden brimming with beautiful flowers, colors that seemed unreal

Step by step, he walked inside, and the beauty wrapped around him

He didn't know what he felt, but he only knows that it was something new

A beautiful warmth

Then he noticed a mansion,Magnificent and ethereal

He entered, and sunlight poured through tall glass windows on both sides, filling the grand hall with a soft glow

Above, a circular skylight revealed the sky itself

Ash thought he would return at night to paint it

That night, he did

The mansion under moonlight was hauntingly beautiful

Ash sighed, the cold night air brushing against him,

and stepped inside. His eyes, usually empty with light, reflected something entirely new

There, he saw him

Pure white, like a gem

The boy glowed under the moonlight, ethereal, almost untouchable

From above, the moonlight flowed over him as he danced, eyes closed

Ash took his canvas and began to draw

When the boy finished, he slowly opened his eyes

Ash's brush fell,He was too stunned to speak

Izan waved a hand gently

Ash:

"I… um… I am an artist. I'm sorry for drawing you without asking."

Izan remained silent, his gaze soft and unreadable

Izan:

"What made you draw me?"

Ash:

"I… I felt it. You looked like art."

Izan chuckled — softly

Ash flustered and looked away

Izan:

"Really?"

Ash:

"Yeah."

Izan:

"Can I see it?"

Ash turned the painting toward him

Izan's eyes widened

In the drawing, the world was grey… and he was the

_only color_

Izan:

"Why is everything else grey and not me?"

Ash:

"That's how I saw you."

Izan smiled softly

Izan:

"In my life, I've only had bright colors. No greys nor dark colours,Everything is softly beautiful. Draw me again — come tomorrow."

Ash:

"Really?"

Izan:

"Yes."

And so, over time, they fell in love. Someone who had never known bright colors found someone colorful And someone who lived only in brightness saw the beauty of shadows dark colours and grey

One day, after their love was confessed:

Izan:

"Ash, let's dance together."

Ash:

"But I don't know how to dance."

Izan offered his hand

Izan:

"Give me your hand."

Ash placed his hand in Izan's, Slowly, Izan taught him, and they began to move together,Eyes locked, hands held tighter

Love blossomed in silence and movement

Then war came,Ash was forced to fight — the soliders outnumbered, outmatched

Izan was always hidden, unseen, an erased figure

Only Ash ever knew him

The night before Ash left for war, they held each other tightly

Izan's head rested on Ash's chest, Ash leaned against the wall. Hands on each other, hearts beating, words whispered

Ash:

"I will come back. Then we'll run away… live our lives together."

Izan's eyes blurred,Tears fell

Ash:

"It breaks me to see you cry, Izan

I would rather die than see you cry."

Izan:

"Don't say that word."

"I hate it when you say it. The only word I hate to hear from you."

Ash hold izan's face

And kissed on Izan's forehead

Izan smiles softly

The next day, Ash left without looking back — he knew if he did, he could never leave. Izan fell to his knees:

Izan:

"I will wait, my love… please don't get hurt."

Ash's eyes blurred, He broke down silently

Ash:

"Izan…"

Years passed, Letters arrived,

Izan waited, holding each letter, barely surviving without Ash

Finally, after the war ended, everyone returned — but Ash did not. Panic consumed Izan

Izan panicked

He ran through the streets, searching, asking, desperate

But got no answer not from anyone

a soldier approached him

Soldier:

"You're Izan, right?"

Izan:

"Yes."

The soldier handed him a letter

The soldier's eyes were heavy with unsaid words

Soldier:

"I was close with Ash in the military… he only spoke about you. Every day, every night, he wrote to you. Thousand of letters—he didn't sleep, didn't eat properly… only for you. He wrote so much because even if he didn't survive, the letters would keep coming until the war ended. And when the war ended, he told me to give this… the last letter… to you."

The emptiness in the soldier's eyes deepened with every word

He walked away without another glance

Izan returned to the mansion, trembling,he opened the letter with trembling hands

Inside, Ash's words spilled across the page:

On it :

I'm sorry,

_my love_…

I don't think I can keep my promise

The war is merciless

The battle I go into in a few days… it's like suicide

But it's necessary—to ensure our side survives

If I don't go… your side will suffer

You are there… I cannot let it happen

_I love you so much_

I'm sorry for everything

There was ring on the cover of the letter

I wanted to marry you when I came back

Forgive me

Your

_ Ash_

Izan clutched the ring to his chest

His hands trembled more ,His lips quivered

His heart… shattered

It bled

He buried his face in the letters

Tears fell, soaking every page

Every heartbeat was a stab

Every memory a knife

Time lost all meaning

His voice trembled as he whispered one name, over and over, into the empty hall:

Ash

  Ash

    Ash

      Ash

Ash

Ash

Izan remained there for days, reading each letter, living on each word

He wrote back in his heart, but he knew Ash would never reply

He put the ring on his finger, a promise he could no longer fulfill

And finally… sorrow consumed him

His body could no longer bear the weight of his broken heart —it haunted him

He fell among the letters, clutching the ring, memories flooding his mind—their dance,the warmth of his hands,Ash's chuckle

In that final, silent moment…

Izan's heart stopped

Irel stopped reading

The first story had come to an end

Yuri's eyes glistened with tears, Izan's eyes mirrored his emotion, quietly breaking

Aerith and Aerel looked down, avoiding the depth of what had been revealed

Lytheil and Aeris turned away, shoulders stiff, hiding what they felt

Tears fell from Ash's eyes. He clenched his chest, as if holding his heart together

Irel's voice broke the tension, teasingly light:

"My, my… it's just starting. Don't get depressed now Come—let's start acting the scene."

Lytheil POV

Him acting all tough, all composed. But the truth… he must have sobbed quietly while writing it himself

Irel POV

"I nearly died writing this story," Irel whispered to himself, a faint smile on his lips. "I… I gave everything I had to it."

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