> A crushing pressure hit his chest.
The weight of memories he didn't have, the weight of emotions he didn't understand, the weight of a bond that wrapped around his soul like invisible chains.
His vision blurred. His breathing stuttered.
And then—
Strong arms caught him.
He was lifted gently off the ground. Against a warm, firm chest that radiated otherworldly heat. The scent of smoke, shadow, and something old and familiar filled his nose.
"Hey," Ruin whispered, carrying him with a gentleness that made Yun Hao's heart ache. "I've got you."
Yun Hao didn't respond. He was tired. Not physically—but emotionally ripped apart. His body wasn't used to feeling like this. So many things he didn't understand. So many things he didn't ask for.
But in Ruin's arms… he didn't fight.
Not right now.
Ruin walked into the bedroom, pushed the door open with his foot, and laid him gently on the bed.
He didn't try anything.
Didn't touch more than needed.
He just covered Yun Hao with a blanket, brushed his hair away from his sweaty forehead, and sat beside him.
"…Do you want to hear more?" Ruin asked quietly. "About who you were? Who we were?"
Yun Hao blinked slowly. "I don't know if I can handle it."
"That's okay," Ruin said. "You don't have to know everything at once."
Yun Hao turned his head slightly, voice hoarse.
"Will more monsters come for me?"
"Yes," Ruin said without hesitation. "Because they think if they kill your human body… they can harvest your soul while it's still unawakened."
"Can they?"
Ruin's gaze darkened.
"No. Not while I'm here."
That should have sounded like a threat. But it didn't.
It sounded like a vow.
A quiet promise that didn't need flowery words.
Yun Hao's eyes fluttered shut for a second. "You're not what I expected."
"Let me guess. You thought demons were all fire, destruction, and bad pickup lines?"
"I still think you're full of bad pickup lines," Yun Hao mumbled, eyes half-lidded. "But you killed a monster for me. Twice. And you carried me like a damn prince."
Ruin chuckled lowly. "You always liked being carried. Even in your past life."
"Shut up."
"I missed you."
That made Yun Hao freeze.
His eyes opened again slowly.
"…You shouldn't say things like that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't remember you," he whispered. "And yet… when you say it, it hurts."
Ruin looked at him quietly.
Then leaned in closer.
He didn't kiss him.
Didn't try to steal a moment.
Instead, he placed his forehead gently against Yun Hao's, their breaths mingling in the space between.
"You don't have to remember for me to stay," he said. "I'll protect you either way. Until you choose what to do with me."
Yun Hao's heart fluttered.
He didn't know what he felt.
But he didn't want Ruin to leave.
And maybe, just maybe, that was enough for now.
But,
Yun Hao didn't sleep much.
Even with Ruin watching silently from the chair beside his bed, like a shadow that refused to fade, his mind kept spinning. Every time he closed his eyes, flashes of another world appeared—broken mountains, black skies, a cold throne made of bone and fire.
And every time… that same voice.
> "You chose me. Even when the world begged you not to."
He woke with a gasp before dawn, sweat clinging to his skin.
"Nightmare?" Ruin asked softly.
Yun Hao didn't answer. He just rolled out of bed, grabbed the uniform he had thrown over the chair last night, and headed to the bathroom. His legs still felt weak, his chest still ached, but he wasn't going to hide all day.
He couldn't let his classmates think he'd disappeared again.
> He already had enough of a "freak" reputation.
By the time he got to school, he was exhausted.
Eyes sunken, hoodie pulled over his head, and arms crossed tight over his chest. The sigil on his chest was hidden by three layers of clothing, but it still pulsed faintly—like it had a heartbeat of its own.
Ruin, of course, had ignored his protests and followed him.
But this time, he stayed invisible. Cloaked by his magic, just a few steps behind, unseen by mortal eyes.
"Do not pick a fight," Yun Hao hissed under his breath as he walked past the school gates. "No setting anything on fire. And no killing anyone."
Ruin's voice echoed faintly in his ear, amused.
> "You wound me, darling. I only kill people who deserve it."
"Your standards are questionable."
"Only slightly."
Yun Hao exhaled, annoyed.
The school grounds were still as overwhelming as ever. Gleaming buildings, overachieving students, and endless whispers whenever he passed.
> "Isn't that the scholarship kid?"
"The weird one who fainted last week."
"He didn't even show up for the duel. Coward."
"I heard he had a mental breakdown."
Yun Hao ignored all of them.
He headed straight for the main building, trying to act like he didn't see the way people turned to stare at him.
That was when he saw him.
A boy standing just outside the classroom door. Someone he had never seen before—but who looked directly at Yun Hao the moment he approached.
Their eyes locked.
And Yun Hao froze.
The boy had black hair. Pale skin. Eyes that shimmered with a strange reddish hue, almost like—
> —like Ruin's.
But softer.
More human.
Still, something about that stare made Yun Hao's skin crawl.
"New transfer student," the teacher said as she walked past him. "He's joining your class starting today. Be nice, alright?.
The teacher barely noticed the tension in the air as she continued walking down the hall. Her voice was light, but the weight of the moment felt suffocating to Yun Hao.
The boy stood there, watching him with those unsettling eyes. His gaze felt like it pierced right through him, like he was being weighed, measured, and judged all at once.
Yun Hao's pulse quickened.
There was something… wrong about him.
"His name's Xin," a voice whispered beside him, and Yun Hao turned to find one of his classmates—a tall, lanky guy with a stupid grin on his face—nodding toward the new student.
"Be careful. They say he's got some weird background. Rumors say he's from a rich family, but no one knows what kind of stuff they're into. Keeps to himself mostly."
But Yun Hao barely heard him.
His eyes were still fixed on the boy, Xin. That unsettling, almost predatory stare… Yun Hao couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
"Isn't he a little…" Yun Hao hesitated, looking for the right words. "…intense?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Some people think he's a little… dangerous."
At that, Yun Hao tensed.
But before he could respond, Xin moved.
The boy took slow, deliberate steps toward him, his every motion unnervingly graceful. His gaze never wavered from Yun Hao as he closed the distance, until they were face-to-face.
Yun Hao swallowed.
He should've walked away. Should've moved faster.
But his legs were frozen.
"You're Yun Hao, aren't you?" Xin's voice was smooth, like silk, but there was an edge to it that made Yun Hao uneasy.
"I—yeah." His voice sounded more strained than he intended.
Xin's lips curled into something like a smile. It was barely a curve, more of a faint, amused gesture, like he was enjoying some private joke.
"That sigil on your chest…" Xin murmured, barely audible. "It's quite the interesting mark. It seems familiar."
Yun Hao's heart skipped a beat.
"W-What do you mean?" he stuttered, immediately reaching for his shirt to pull the collar tighter. He felt exposed, like his very soul was on display.
But Xin just smiled wider.
"Oh, nothing," he said, his tone almost too sweet. "I've just seen similar markings before. In certain… circles."
Before Yun Hao could respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
Xin didn't take his eyes off him. He stepped back, but his smile remained. The air around them seemed to crackle with unspoken tension.
Yun Hao didn't know what to make of it. But he was sure of one thing.
Xin knew something.
Something about him.
Something about the sigil.
The classroom filled quickly as students shuffled inside. But Yun Hao was barely able to focus on the lesson. The image of Xin's cold, knowing eyes haunted him as he sat at his desk, his fingers clenched tightly around the pen.
> Did he know who I was in my past life?
> Did he know about Ruin?
---
Later, at lunch, everything went wrong.
Yun Hao sat at his usual table in the corner of the cafeteria, trying to eat in peace. He still felt uneasy after the encounter with Xin, but he forced himself to ignore it.
The last thing he needed was to get tangled in more weirdness.
But his attempt at a quiet lunch was shattered when Ruin showed up.
He appeared without warning, materializing right next to Yun Hao with no one noticing. His familiar presence was almost suffocating.
"You can't just appear out of nowhere," Yun Hao hissed, his voice low, though his eyes darted around nervously to make sure no one saw. "What if someone—"
But Ruin just smiled lazily, his eyes scanning the cafeteria with little interest.
"I haven't had a good meal in days," Ruin said, sitting beside Yun Hao, his arm brushing against his own. His tone was playful, but his gaze remained serious. "And I thought I'd join you."
"Yeah, right," Yun Hao muttered under his breath. "You're just here to annoy me."
Ruin leaned in closer, his lips brushing Yun Hao's ear as he whispered, "Maybe. But I'm also here to protect you."
"From what?" Yun Hao's voice caught, the sudden wave of unease he'd felt earlier rising again. "From that kid?"
"Xin?"
Yun Hao nodded. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with him. Something more than just a weird vibe.
Ruin's eyes narrowed. His fingers flexed, and the air around them seemed to shift, a subtle crackle of magic brushing against Yun Hao's skin.
"He's more dangerous than you think," Ruin muttered darkly. "Stay away from him."
Before Yun Hao could ask more, someone else approached.
It was Xin.
He stood at the edge of their table, staring at Yun Hao with that same unsettling smile. His eyes flickered between Yun Hao and Ruin, and then back to Yun Hao again.
"You're not alone today," Xin said smoothly. "How cute."
Ruin didn't even acknowledge him. He simply raised an eyebrow, the air around him darkening slightly.
Yun Hao felt a pulse of warning run through him, something ancient and old. He hadn't felt it so strongly before, but now, it was undeniable.
Something was about to happen.
The tension was suffocating. It felt like a storm was gathering.
But before anything else could be said, the school bell rang again, signaling the end of lunch.
Xin didn't stay long, but his words hung in the air like a poisonous cloud.
"Remember what I said, Yun Hao," he called over his shoulder, voice light. "The truth will come for you soon. And when it does… I hope you'll be ready."