Fate To Fake: Loved by the Fallen; Fated to Kill the Divine

Leo walked alone on the empty road in the middle of the day, the sun blazing high above him.

In one hand, he carried a bag weighted with the Destruction stones.

"Castle... dark places... ah," he murmured under his breath. The more he thought about them, the heavier his steps felt, as though the ground itself was reminding him of the task ahead.

He needed to find it... whatever it took. On the way, he stopped by a small supermarket. He grabbed a few important things.

Old Leo would have saved every coin, folding it away like a treasure for later, but the current Leo… he used it without hesitation.

Not that he cared anymore.

Money needed to be used when it mattered—when it could fill an empty stomach or make someone smile—not to sit forgotten, turning into nothing more than lifeless paper.

When he finally returned home, he caught sight of his aunt's car parked inside.

"She came back," he muttered.

Stepping inside, he slowed his movements, then tilted his head up toward the second floor... There was no light; maybe she slept.

He sighed and was halfway toward his room when something on the couch caught his eye—a figure slouched there, still in work clothes, strands of hair falling across a pale, tired face.

Raphael.

Leo's brows drew together. He shifted the bag to a corner where it would be out of sight, then walked over to her, his voice soft but concerned. "Raphael, are you alright?"

She didn't answer right away. She hadn't even changed her clothes—still wearing her white coat over a fitted dress, the kind doctors wore during long shifts. Her handbag lay toppled on the floor beside her, as if she'd just dropped it the moment she stepped in.

Her eyes, darkened with shadows from lack of sleep, flickered open. She blinked slowly at him. "L-Leo? Where have you been?" Her voice was faint, barely hanging on to consciousness.

"I went with Ophis to her house... to make sure she got home safely," he explained, watching her face for any sign of reaction.

"I-I see... so sweet..." she mumbled, her eyelids heavy until they finally closed, and her breathing deepened into soft snores.

"What happened?"

"... There are so many cases..."

Leo stood there for a moment, staring at her. He decided to let her rest... but then—

Grrrllll~

A low growl from her stomach broke the quiet, startling him slightly.

"Have you eaten anything?" he asked.

Raphael shook her head weakly. "I barely had... time... sleep... much less food..." The way she said it made his chest tighten a little.

Leo sighed. Good thing he'd bought food earlier, just in case she came home late. Without another word, he headed to the kitchen, placing hot cooked meals onto plates. The smell of rice and stew drifted through the air as he returned to her side.

"Come on, eat," he said gently.

"I... I don't wanna..." she murmured. It wasn't defiance—it was that her body had no energy left to even lift a spoon.

Leo glanced between her and the food, then smirked faintly. "Well, don't blame me, then." He crouched beside her and began feeding her himself, bringing the spoon toward her lips.

"Hmm..." At first, she frowned, the heat of the food brushing her lips. Her half-lidded, bloodshot eyes slowly opened, catching sight of him holding the spoon.

"Eat it. I don't want you sleeping on an empty stomach," he said softly. His tone was warm, almost coaxing.

Her lips curled faintly into a small, sleepy smile before parting. She took the food slowly, her mouth closing over the spoon, chewing with visible effort before swallowing.

"Is it good? Too hot?" he asked, watching her face closely.

She only hummed quietly in response, then opened her mouth again in an almost childlike way.

Leo chuckled under his breath. "You really are acting like a kid right now," he thought, feeling a strange warmth in his chest.

Who was taking care of whom here?

He kept feeding her slowly, watching her expression soften with each bite, until she shook her head. "Hmm... e-enough... I-I can't take any more," she murmured, pressing her hand lightly to her stomach.

"Alright," he said, setting the plate down and passing her a glass of water. "Come on, drink this."

She drank in slow sips, the coolness easing the heat in her throat and softening the knot in her stomach. A relieved sigh escaped her lips, her expression melting into something tender and content.

"I love you, Leo,"

She whispered.

Leo blinked before grinning, a soft laugh rumbling from him.

"I love you too, Raphael."

She made a small, happy hum and closed her eyes again, but Leo shook his head. "Nope, you're not sleeping here. Let's get you to your bed."

"Aah... I can't move..." she said with a weak, almost pleading voice, like a child about to cry if forced.

Leo pressed a hand to his forehead, exhaling. "What a pain," he muttered, though a smile tugged at his lips. He couldn't help it.

Even though she was being troublesome, there was something deeply endearing about seeing her like this—unguarded, spoiled, and completely his responsibility.

"Well then..." He rolled his sleeves up slowly and moved closer to Raphael with a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Here we go."

"Hmmm!!"

She flinched slightly at the sudden sensation of her body lifting off the couch. Her eyes fluttered open again and saw… Leo is holding her in his arms like a princess. His grip was steady yet gentle, his steps measured as he carried her toward the stairs.

Raphael's lips curved into a soft, sleepy smile. Her gaze lingered on his face—the seriousness in his eyes as he focused on each step up to the second floor.

In that moment, he didn't look like a boy she knew... weak and small.

He pushed her door open with his foot, stepping into her room, and carefully laid her down on the bed. Without a word, he began removing her shoes, sliding off her socks, and then unfastening her white doctor's coat before placing it neatly over the chair.

He reached for her glasses, setting them on the nightstand, and loosened the top button of her shirt and the button at her hip, giving her breathing space. Finally, he pulled the quilt up over her body, tucking it around her as if sealing her in warmth.

For some reason, Raphael didn't close her eyes immediately. She just lay there, quietly watching how her Leo was taking care of her with such deliberate care.

There was nothing in his gaze except genuine concern. Even though he had forgotten his past and grown into someone different—someone with new thoughts, a new way of moving through the world—he still respected and loved her in a way that made her chest ache in a warm, happy way.

"I'm staying tonight at my friend's house," he said softly.

She nodded faintly, but then her brow furrowed. "Friend? W-Who?"

"Well... Ophis's house. Her parents invited me for a sleepover, and Ophis was pretty adamant about making me come. You know how she is, right? Hah," he chuckled lightly.

"Hmm..." Raphael's eyes softened. Of course, she knew Ophis. The girl acted elegant and polite in front of her, but when it came to Leo, she behaved like she owned him. The way they seemed to care for each other, leaning into each other without even realising it, was something Raphael had noticed more than once.

"You've grown up... ah..." she murmured, her tired fingers brushing toward his cheek.

Leo's smile deepened at her touch. "Of course. Everyone grows up one day."

However—

"I don't wanna..." she mumbled in a drowsy pout, her voice trembling faintly. "Please be my little nephew... I... I don't want you to be a man... I hate... you..." The last words came out almost like a whimper.

Leo blinked, utterly taken aback. "Why do you hate me as a man?"

Raphael muttered, "B-Because... because... you.. you... hmmm." Her words tangled with exhaustion, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Make me... feel...zZZZzzzzzz" But before she could finish, her breathing slowed into soft, rhythmic snores.

He stared at her for a long moment, then let out a quiet laugh, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Pulling back, he quietly locked her door, then went to his own room. From his bag, he took out a folded map—the map of his city.

The paper crackled as he spread it out over the desk. Streets crisscrossed in every direction, buildings clustering toward the centre like a nest. But vampires didn't live where people thrived—they hid in darkness, far from prying eyes.

His gaze moved to the edges of the city. Forests.

"Hmm... last fight we had was near this forest..." His finger tapped the northern forest, the one now scarred and broken from their battle.

That left three more forests, along with the rolling hills that surrounded the city like a jagged crown.

"Three forests... each one spread over a huge area. It'll be hard to search them all in a single day," he muttered, his expression tightening with thought.

His fist clenched. 'What should I do…?' The clock in his mind was ticking, and he knew he had to decide soon.

Just then,

"Wait... last night, that bat..." His lips curled into a slow smile as he marked his house on the map and drew a straight line from the second-floor window—the east-facing one. "It flew straight east. That means..." He circled the Black Forest in the eastern outskirts with firm strokes of his pen.

He wasn't completely sure, after all... so many errors come in this part, but his gut told him this was it. And when his gut spoke, he listened.

"Not bad."

The voice came from behind him, smooth and faintly amused.

Leo flinched, spinning around, and saw the cloaked figure standing there. The same figure who had saved him before.

The figure tilted their head slightly, as if genuinely impressed. "You managed to narrow it down that easily? And here I was... working hard at it myself."

"Oh? You know?" Leo asked, surprise lacing his tone.

"Of course, I know where they are," the figure replied with a hidden smile beneath the hood.