Chapter 585: Frightened Eyes

Kyle Zargal snapped ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) his head around.

His long black hair whipped behind him.

It seemed to be night. He stood under the moonlight.

That golden glow soaking into him felt familiar. The world Kyle stood in resembled the Empire far more than Earth. Once night fell, the moon and stars shone clearly. Beyond the reach of torchlight, an endless darkness settled.

Trees swayed within that darkness, and somewhere far away, the cries of animals echoed.

There was even the faint sound of running water—maybe a river nearby.

Looks like he found a good place to settle.

That was what I was thinking—until his brow furrowed.

The moment I saw it, a chill ran through me, and I remembered what I had done.

‘Ah.’

The instant our eyes met—those blazing golden eyes—I hurriedly turned my head away.

‘Sorry.’

“What?”

Kyle’s blunt reply came back.

I didn’t have the courage to look at his face.

I stared down at the grass instead and muttered,

‘I got too excited and didn’t think...’

The wind brushed over the grass with a soft rustle. I pressed my lips together, desperately thinking of what to say next.

I remembered how I had coldly told him to leave last time.

If he asked me what right I had to show up again, I wouldn’t have anything to say.

But even so, I didn’t want to wake up. I still didn’t have the courage to cut ties with him completely.

I probably never would.

I stood there with my gaze lowered, waiting for harsh words to come.

Silence stretched on.

And it didn’t break.

The wind, the water, the distant cries of animals—all of it filled the space, but not his voice.

Did he leave?

Just as I raised my head slightly in confusion—

‘Ah!’

Yellow eyes.

The moment I looked up, I shouted when I saw him standing right in front of me.

‘What the—!’

“Looks like I recover faster than you.”

Kyle grinned, his sharp eyes scanning me like a wildcat.

Caught completely off guard, I blinked in a daze.

The black-haired knight’s crooked smile deepened.

“Told you I’d win.”

‘What.’

What is this guy even talking about all of a sudden?

‘Win what?’

“Your arm’s still weak.”

Kyle snorted as he glanced at my arm.

“Got soft living in peace? Slacked off on training?”

For a split second, I almost snapped back.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t fight—I just hadn’t fully stabilized yet. My sword strikes were already back to normal.

But my mind kicked in quickly.

I closed my mouth and studied his expression carefully.

At that, Kyle’s crooked smile faded as well.

With one hand shoved into his pocket, he stared straight at me.

“You look like a kicked stray dog.”

‘Kyle.’

I gathered my courage and called his name.

He raised one eyebrow.

‘Sorry about telling you to leave like that last time.’

“Yeah. You should apologize.”

He scoffed.

“Even though you’d do the exact same thing again in that situation.”

...He wasn’t wrong.

I couldn’t answer.

I pressed my lips together and looked away. My heart started pounding, and soon the sound of it drowned everything else out.

Should I try to wake up?

“Look at me.”

His irritated voice cut in.

I lifted my head immediately.

“Someone might think I beat you up or something.”

‘...Should I try waking up?’

I couldn’t bring myself to ask him to let me stay a little longer.

‘How did you disappear so suddenly back then?’

“Did I tell you to get lost?”

Kyle’s voice sharpened.

“Do you think I’m like you?”

I stared at him blankly.

His furrowed brow, those golden eyes fixed directly on me.

At his waist hung a familiar sword—the same one I knew. The one I had thrown through the teleportation gate with everything I had, about seven months ago.

‘...I thought...’

I forced the words out.

‘You wouldn’t want to see me again...’

Kyle’s brow twitched.

My heart started racing again, but I kept going.

‘Was I wrong?’

I was afraid of the answer.

‘I’m asking because I genuinely don’t know.’

“Like I said, I’m not you.”

‘Kyle.’

When I said his name more firmly this time, he flinched.

I ignored the feeling like my heart was about to burst.

‘Just tell me honestly, this once.’

I was terrified.

But I had to hear it this time.

‘If you answer me now, I won’t ask again.’

If I got a clear answer, I wouldn’t keep clinging to that last thing he said, holding onto hope.

But I wasn’t going to run away by making assumptions without hearing it.

I didn’t know when this strange connection would break.

And I knew—instinctively—that once it did, I’d have to say a complete goodbye to him.

That was why I could find the courage.

Since waking from that long sleep, I had thought about that moment again and again.

After we had stabbed each other’s hearts for the second time.

When I dragged him toward the teleportation gate, he had murmured something quietly.

He said he wanted me to just live...

I had replayed that quiet murmur countless times.

I often thought... that it had been sincere.

I recalled what he said right before we parted and opened my mouth.

‘Do you want me to never appear in front of you again?’

Thankfully, my voice didn’t shake.

‘If this connection is going to interfere with your new life, and you just want to forget me, then tell me honestly.’

I couldn’t read his expression.

He wore a strange look that gave nothing away.

I steadied my breathing and waited.

I didn’t even know why I was this scared.

But in front of Kyle now, everything felt terrifying. He was the one person I feared most in the world.

Still, whatever answer came, I would accept it.

I wouldn’t cling.

I clenched and unclenched my fists.

Don’t be pathetic. Don’t hang onto him. End it cleanly—

“Don’t go.”

Kyle said it.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

I just stared at him, unable to respond.

Unlike me, his gaze didn’t waver.

“Don’t run away like a coward, Hilde.”

‘...Really?’

Ah.

This time, I couldn’t keep my voice steady.

But really...

‘Can I come like this sometimes?’

“I never told you not to.”

Kyle answered in a cynical tone.

“You’re the one who chased me away.”

‘Sorry.’

I said it quickly.

‘I won’t let myself get caught like that again. But back then, I really thought you were just an illusion.’

“How does your judgment get that bad?”

‘Like I said before...’

I leaned forward, unable to fully believe his answer.

‘Even when I couldn’t see you, I used to talk to you sometimes...’

Kyle’s expression turned strange.

He stared at me for a moment, then said,

“I’m not interested in talking to some mentally unstable, out-of-body version of you.”

‘But I won’t get caught now.’

I said it quickly.

‘If you show up again, I won’t mess up like last time. That won’t happen again.’

“Obviously.”

Kyle replied immediately.

“That was ridiculous, honestly. Are you really a Swordmaster?”

I didn’t answer.

Instead, I just stared at him.

His black hair swaying in the wind, the golden earring hanging from one ear.

As I tried to take in the sight I thought I’d never see again—

He stepped closer.

“What are you doing?”

Kyle snapped.

“Spacing out.”

‘This won’t be the last time, right?’

The words slipped out.

I blinked, looking at him.

‘This connection will keep happening, right? Do you have any idea why this is happening?’

“No.”

Kyle ran a hand roughly through his hair.

“Not a clue. Maybe it has something to do with the wounds we made in each other’s hearts with aura... and whatever we did trying to close them.”

‘Is your heart healed?’

My gaze dropped to his chest.

Of course, I couldn’t tell through his clothes.

Even if he were shirtless, I wouldn’t know the exact condition.

In my case, the external wound had mostly healed, though the scar remained.

It was the internal damage that was the problem.

I was confident I could outperform most Badgers now—

But I still knew I wasn’t fully healed.

It would take time.

“I’m recovering.”

His answer pulled me out of my thoughts.

“There’s internal damage left. Same for you, right?”

‘Yeah.’

I answered slowly.

Then I fell silent for a moment before speaking more carefully.

‘When our hearts fully heal... will we stop seeing each other?’

If that was the case, what should I do?

Should I avoid treatment and let it heal slowly on its own?

‘I mean...’

I looked up at the sky and muttered,

‘If that’s how it works, I could just take a long leave... you focus on recovery, and I recover more slowly—’

“What kind of nonsense is that.”

Kyle snapped, stepping even closer.

Startled, I leaned back.

But he didn’t let me create distance.

If he could grab my collar, he already would have.

“Don’t jump to conclusions and do something stupid.”

‘But it’s not baseless. Just look at what happened last time—’

“Stop spacing out and look me in the eyes!”

Kyle shouted.

“Don’t shrink back and look away like an idiot!”

I met his eyes directly.

After Rei Renyr died, those eyes had always been filled with hatred toward me.

Every time I faced that intense betrayal and heavy resentment, it felt like the ground beneath me would collapse.

I remembered how I had tried to deny that feeling, forcing myself to face him anyway.

How afraid I had been of him for the past three years.

The eyes that had once been so familiar over nearly a century had become the most terrifying thing in my world.

And just when I was getting used to that—

He disappeared.

Still, I had taken comfort in the fact that the last time I saw those eyes, they hadn’t held hatred.

When I remembered him saying I might want to see him again, I replayed his quiet response over and over.

And now, like a miracle, I was facing those eyes again.

Still burning intensely—

But no longer filled with the same hatred.

I...

‘Kyle.’

I didn’t look away.

‘The truth is...’

***

I woke up.

What?

I flailed in confusion.

Someone had woken me up.

The golden eyes in front of me vanished instantly. The wind, the sound of water—all of it disappeared, replaced by harsh light stabbing into my eyes.

The familiar feel of my blanket.

The faint hum of the refrigerator.

I couldn’t adjust to the sudden shift in sensation and just floundered.

Why—

“Hey.”

A pair of eyes appeared in front of me.

Not golden.

“Wake up.”

Jaeyeon.

The moment I saw those sharp eyes, I understood the situation.

“It’s your day off, but who sleeps until noon like this? Hey, it’s already eleven-thirty. That freak cult leader told me to wake you up starting at nine—”

BAM!

I punched Jaeyeon straight in the jaw.