"Maybe I'll just dream of this tonight Drive a stake into a love that no one finds And everyone says they'll understand me A sleeping cancer never cured, I can't even close my eyes"
- Faspitch All Under Heaven
Chapter 29 The Wooden Stake
The forest was quiet.Too quiet. Not peaceful. Not calm. The kind of silence that settles over the world before something terrible happens. The kind of silence that makes birds stop singing. The kind that makes the wind hesitate. As though nature itself is holding its breath. Moon walked through the meadow smiling. Golden wildflowers brushed against his bare feet. Tiny silver fairies danced around him in lazy circles. Their laughter chimed like distant bells. The celestial hummed softly to himself. A melody without words. A melody full of happiness. Because he was happy. So impossibly happy. His heart felt light. Warm. Full. He had spent the entire morning thinking about Nico. Thinking about yesterday. Thinking about their kiss. Thinking about the future. The places they would travel. The oceans they would cross. The stars they would watch together. The centuries ahead. Moon did not think in mortal years. He thought in forever. And somewhere along the way that forever had begun including Nico. The realization still made him smile. Ahead a familiar figure waited among the grass. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Nico. Moon immediately brightened. The fairies swirled excitedly around him.
"Nico."
His voice carried warmth. Affection. Love. The celestial hurried forward. Not running. Moon never ran. Yet somehow still moving quickly. Gracefully. Lightly. As though the earth itself wanted him closer.
Nico looked up. And nearly broke. Because Moon looked beautiful. Not because of his face. Not because of his silver light. Not because of the fairies dancing around him. Because Moon looked happy. Because Moon looked safe. Because Moon looked at him with complete trust. Complete love. Complete certainty. As though Nico could never hurt him. The sight felt like knives being driven into his chest. Nico's hands trembled. Hidden behind his back. Moon immediately noticed. The celestial tilted his head. Concern flickered across his face.
"Are you cold?"
The concern was immediate. Instinctive. Genuine. Nico almost laughed. Almost screamed. Almost collapsed. Instead he forced a smile. A horrible smile. A dying smile. Moon smiled back. Of course he did. Moon always smiled back. Because Moon loved him. The thought nearly destroyed him. The shadow fox watched silently from the trees. Silver eyes glowing. Waiting. Watching. Judging. Nico could feel it. Could hear Eemil's voice inside his skull. The poison. The doubt. The fear. The lies.
He isn't human.
He'll never belong to you.
He'll outlive you.
You'll grow old.
He'll stay beautiful forever.
You are temporary.
You are nothing.
The words had become parasites. Living inside him. Eating him alive. Moon stepped closer. Close enough to touch. Close enough to hear his heartbeat. Close enough to see the pain hidden behind his eyes. The celestial reached out. Gently taking Nico's hand. The contact shattered what remained of his resolve.
Moon smiled softly.
"Something is troubling you."
Not a question. An observation. Moon always noticed. Always. Nico stared at him.
At the person he loved more than anything. The person he would have died for. The person he would have given the world for. The person he was about to destroy. Tears filled his eyes.
Moon immediately looked worried.
"Nico?"
The celestial stepped even closer. Concerned. Trusting. Defenseless.
The wooden stake felt impossibly heavy. Hidden beneath Nico's cloak. Simple wood. Nothing divine. Nothing magical. Nothing special. Just wood. Yet somehow it felt heavier than mountains. He could barely hold it. Moon touched his face. Brushing away a tear with gentle fingers. The gesture almost stopped everything. Almost.
"Nico."
Moon's voice softened.
"What hurts?"
The answer was simple. Everything. Everything hurt. His heart. His soul. His thoughts. His future. Everything. Nico grabbed Moon's wrist. Not violently. Desperately. Like a drowning man reaching for air. The celestial looked surprised. Then concerned. Then confused. Moon trusted him completely. Even now. Especially now. And that trust was the cruelest wound of all.
"I love you."
The words escaped. Broken. Shaking. Raw. True.
Moon blinked. Then smiled. A small smile. The smile that belonged only to Nico.
"I know."
The answer was immediate. Certain. Simple. As though there had never been any doubt. As though Moon had known all along. Perhaps he had. The realization broke something inside Nico. His entire body trembled.
Moon looked worried again.
"Nico?"
The celestial reached for him. Trusting. Always trusting. And Nico kissed him. One final time. A desperate kiss. A broken kiss. A goodbye disguised as love. Moon kissed him back immediately. Without hesitation. Without fear. Without suspicion. Because he trusted him. Because he loved him. Because his heart belonged entirely to Nico.
Then The stake appeared. Moon never saw it coming. Never imagined he needed to. Never imagined Nico could hurt him. The wood struck The world stopped. The fairies froze. The wind died. The meadow fell silent. Moon's eyes widened. Not from pain. From confusion. Pure confusion. As though reality itself had suddenly become impossible. As though the world had stopped making sense. The celestial looked down. At the wood. At the blood. Silver-red. Bright against white skin. Bright against the flowers. For a moment he simply stared. Trying to understand. Trying to fit the image into reality. Trying to make it make sense. But it didn't. Because Nico loved him. Because Nico would never hurt him. Because this had to be a mistake. Some misunderstanding. Some accident. Moon looked back up. At Nico. Blue eyes met black. And for one terrible moment neither spoke.
Moon wasn't angry. Wasn't frightened. Wasn't even thinking about himself. He was thinking about Nico. Because Nico looked devastated. Because Nico looked broken. Because Nico was crying. And somehow that mattered more. The celestial's lips trembled.
"Nico...?"
His voice was small. Lost. Disbelieving. As though he was asking Nico to explain reality to him. As though Nico could somehow make this make sense. Blood slipped from the corner of Moon's mouth. He barely noticed. His gaze never left Nico. Still trusting. Still loving. Still searching for the answer.
"Why?"
A whisper. Soft. Gentle. Heartbroken. Not because he had been hurt. Because he couldn't understand why Nico was suffering. The single word shattered Nico completely. He fell to his knees. The stake slipped from his fingers. His entire body collapsed. Crying. Sobbing. Shaking so violently he could barely breathe. His mind spiraled. Faster. Faster. Faster. What had he done?
What had he done?
What had he done?
The question became a scream inside his skull.
Moon staggered. Silver-red blood fell into the flowers. The blossoms beneath him darkened. The fairies began crying. Tiny lights spiraling around him in panic. Their grief echoed through the meadow. The world itself seemed to mourn.
"Nico..."
Moon reached toward him. Even now. Even after everything. The celestial reached for him. Not to protect himself. Not to fight. Not to run. To comfort him. Because Nico was crying. Because Nico looked hurt. Because Moon loved him. The denial was absolute. His heart refused to accept betrayal. Refused to believe it. Refused to see Nico as anything except the person he loved. As though love itself had blinded him. As though love itself had become stronger than reality.
"Nico..."
His voice cracked. A tear slid down his cheek. Not for himself. For Nico. And somehow that was worse than any punishment imaginable. Because Moon still loved him. Still trusted him. Still reached for him. Even now. Nico collapsed entirely. His hands clawed at the grass. His breathing shattered. His thoughts fractured.
"I love you."
The words became screams. Tears. Prayers. Confessions.
"I love you."
"Im so in love with you."
His voice broke.
"What have I done?"
The question echoed across the meadow.
"I love you."
"What have I done?"
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until the words lost meaning. Until only grief remained. The meadow echoed with heartbreak. And somewhere beyond the trees Eemil smiled. Because the first betrayal had finally happened. Because innocence had finally been broken. Because love had finally become a wound. And the world would never be the same again.
The flowers continued blooming around the fallen celestial As though refusing to believe that spring could end As though refusing to believe love could become a wound As though refusing to believe forever had lasted only a single summer.
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