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

Last night, after Leo made the reckless but unshakable decision to save Ophis, the cloaked figure had quietly trailed the bat that had carried the message.

As Leo had once tracked it to find his way, the cloaked figure did the same… until finally, it saw where the bat descended.

A shadowed peak... A silhouette?

A place that could only be described as—

"A castle…?"

The words slipped from Leo's lips in a hushed mutter, his voice tinged with awe.

He stood at the mountain's summit, a backpack snug against his shoulders, his cap pulled low against the wind.

His eyes stared at... The colossal black fortress shrouded in black mist, its jagged spires stabbing into the fading daylight, hidden deep behind a wall of mountain ridges as if the land itself was trying to bury its existence.

When the cloaked figure had told him the details, Leo hadn't wasted even a heartbeat. He'd thrown whatever he needed into his bag, slammed the door behind him, flagged down a taxi, and made his way to the Dark Forest on the far eastern edge of the city.

The forest's name wasn't just for theatrics... even from the roadside, it loomed like an ocean of black-green shadows, its trees stretching so high they swallowed the sun.

Now, standing before that same forest, the cloaked figure kept its arms folded, gaze fixed on the castle.

It said, "I didn't step inside last night," Leo glancing at the mysterious figure beside him, it continued, "but… yeah. This is exactly where some Dracula-looking creep would hide."

He tilted his head toward the horizon. The sun was sliding down, bleeding orange and crimson into the sky.... Evening was coming fast.

Leo clenched his fist. "If we move now, we might be able to reach the castle before night falls," he said, gripping the straps of his backpack tighter.

His voice softened, almost to a whisper. "Just hold on a little longer, Ophis…"

"Then I will help you."

The figure's voice came from his side before, and without warning, it scooped him up like he weighed nothing. Leo found himself cradled in its arms, his back against its chest, the sensation so sudden his brain lagged behind his body's panic.

Before he could shout, the figure bent its legs. The ground beneath them cracked faintly.

STOMP.

The force launched them from the mountain's peak in a single, heart-jarring leap.

"HHHHHOOOOOLLLLLLYYYYY SSSSSHIIIIIIITTTTTT!!"

Leo's scream tore through the air as his arms wrapped instinctively around the figure's neck, holding on as if his life depended on it... because it did.

The wind howled past his ears, roaring like a beast.

Adrenaline flooded him so fast it felt like static under his skin. His chest burned, his vision sharpened, and… dammit, there was even a faint, awkward tingling low in his body he really didn't want to think about right now.

His pee-pee... slurred as if it was going to die or something!!

The cloaked figure glided through the air with eerie grace, its coat whipping violently in the wind.

It was like flying with a predator... beautiful, but with the constant reminder that one wrong move meant death.

Leo had been through hell with Raphael's chaotic driving before, but this was another level entirely.

If not for that insane "training," he would have blacked out mid-flight.

And yet… a grin tugged at his lips.

Thrilled?

Yup~

In mere seconds, the forest raced up to meet them, and they landed with a bone-rattling

Thud!

CRACK.

The figure's legs bent, absorbing the impact like coiled springs, before straightening with unnatural precision. Beneath its boots, the earth split slightly from the force.

Leo stumbled onto the soft grass, panting. His legs wobbled like he'd stepped off a carnival ride from hell.

The cool scent of wet leaves and soil hit him all at once — earthy, damp, alive. Shadows from the towering trees swallowed what little sunlight was left, the forest whispering with faint rustles that could have been leaves… or not.

It took him a few seconds to steady himself. He scanned the treeline.

"I can't see the castle… are you sure we landed in the right direction?"

All he could make out were endless walls of trees, their trunks twisting upward into darkness, their branches interlocking above like a cage.

The figure gave a firm nod. "Of course. It's directly ahead. If we move now, we will reach it before the sun disappears entirely," it said, stepping forward.

"That's good," Leo replied with a determined nod, gripping his backpack straps tighter and falling into step behind her.

The path ahead was uneven, roots coiling from the ground like skeletal hands.

Leo's gaze darted left and right, half-expecting some unseen creature to lunge at him from the underbrush.

"You're doing a lot for a stranger like me," he said finally, his voice low but carrying a thread of curiosity. "Why?"

"I already told you yesterday that I will prot—"

"Protect me at all costs?" he cut in. "Yeah, I know that part… but that's not what I'm asking." His voice dipped down,

"Why?"

He wasn't accusing. Not exactly. But the thought had been gnawing at him since they met. Even if his gut told him he could trust this figure, there was still that unshakable question:

Why would someone risk so much for him?

The figure didn't answer right away. It crouched to slip under a tangle of low branches.

Leo followed, stepping over roots and ducking under vines until they emerged onto a narrow, leaf-strewn path.

Finally, the figure spoke, voice softer this time. "You are someone important to me."

Leo let out a slow sigh. He could feel it — there was more she wasn't saying. But no matter how much he pressed, this one wasn't going to give him the truth so easily.

Crack…

Leo's ears twitched at the faint sound, sharp and unnatural against the muffled quiet of the forest.

He slowed, his eyes darting over the towering trunks and tangled undergrowth. The shadows between the trees were deep, and yet… he was sure there had been movement.

His steps faltered. He glanced at the cloaked figure ahead, but before he could speak, his gaze snagged on something—a shape, a silhouette—sliding behind a tree in the corner of his vision.

Leo's throat tightened as he swallowed. "I… think we're surrounded,"

The cloaked figure instantly shifted, stepping in front of him in a protective stance. Beneath the hood, sharp eyes scanned the trees, restless, searching.

"Are you certain you saw something?" the figure asked with alert. Even with its sharp senses, there was no trace of anything in the air—no footsteps, no whisper of breath, no mana disturbance.

"Well… I can't say I'm completely sure," Leo admitted awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "But I did see a shadow moving. I think."

The figure's gaze lingered on him for a moment before exhaling slowly and turning forward again.

Leo tried to brush it off with a faint, awkward smile, though his eyes betrayed him—flicking back to the same tree where he'd seen the shadow. It stood perfectly still, bark gnarled and roots half-buried in moss.

Nothing out of place.

'Maybe… I'm just imagining things,' he thought.

Yet the moment he stepped away, something shifted in the soil where he had been standing.

A small root, thin as a snake, uncurled itself from the earth… before sinking back.

The figure quickened their pace, and Leo followed suit.

"Just focus on me," the figure said, voice firm now. "Stay close. Don't look anywhere else. If there was something here, I'd have felt it. There's no mana disturbance, so that sound was nothing."

Leo let out a short, uneasy laugh. "Hah… maybe I'm just on edge," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

The figure gave him another sidelong glance before moving forward again.

Leo sighed under his breath. He wasn't just making small talk... Saving Ophis meant opening the door to countless possibilities… that includes facing death!

This was his first time even facing death.

Unlike before, this was his choice; he gulped inwardly; the nervousness slowly taking over his body, his legs trembling slightly, he took a breath and asked,

"I… I haven't heard your name, though."

It felt wrong to keep calling this person 'you.' If they're going to face danger, at least he should know it's name, right?

The figure stepped over a large branch, landing lightly before turning to look at him. Even without seeing the full face, Leo could feel the way they were assessing him, reading his nervousness.

"You don't need to worry," the figure said finally. "If I were going to betray you, I wouldn't go to these lengths to protect you."

Leo chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. "T-that's not what I meant."

A faint, amused sound came from beneath the hood. "Haha… you really are a strange one."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Leo replied, forcing a grin. "So… and?"

The figure exhaled through their nose, almost like they were about to humour him. "You can call m—"

But the words died in their throat.

From nowhere, a thick, rolling fog surged in around them, swallowing the forest whole.

The figure tensed, instantly reaching for Leo's hand... only for their fingers to close around something else.

In an instant, a force yanked them away, dragging them deeper into the fog.

"LEO!!"

The shout was raw, echoing through the mist.

Leo flinched, spinning toward the sound. "Where are you?! Hey—hello!!" His voice cracked with rising panic.

The fog had swallowed everything—sight, sound, even the direction of his own voice.

"Where are you, mysterious figure?!" he called again, his words bouncing back at him in strange, muffled echoes.

No reply.

Heart pounding, he stumbled forward blindly. His foot caught on something, and he pitched forward, hitting the ground hard.

Thud.

He groaned, pressing a hand to his face before starting to push himself up—

Step…

A single footstep echoed beside him.

Leo froze. Slowly, hesitantly, his head tilted upward… and his breath caught in his throat.

The figure standing there.... It was him?