The faint shimmer of the barrier flickered across the hut's wooden walls like a dying flame. A low hum echoed, the sound of fading protection — a reminder that their time here was ending.
Aizen slowly opened his eyes. The soft scent of firewood lingered in the air, mixed with the faint sweetness of cooked boar meat. The hut, though small, carried a sense of warmth — a temporary home born from survival.
He stood, stretching his arms, his golden eyes scanning the barrier that encircled them. "It's almost gone," he muttered under his breath. The faint glow of energy rippled once, then dimmed again.
"Hey," Aizen called gently, turning toward the bed of fur near the corner. "You have to wake up now. It's morning already, and you shouldn't sleep too much. I cooked boar meat there."
Lyra stirred, her silver hair spilling like moonlight over the blanket. Her long lashes fluttered open, revealing those deep oceanic eyes — eyes that once gazed into his for lifetimes. "Thank you," she said softly, sitting up and taking the roasted meat from the plate he set near the fire.
As she ate, her gaze lingered on him longer than she meant to. He's… calm. Too calm, she thought. If he's really who he says he is — a Beastman who lost his whole family to the dragons — why is he this kind? Why isn't there hatred in his eyes?
Her fingers hesitated around the food, her tail curling faintly behind her.
Meanwhile, Aizen busied himself with cleaning the blade of his dagger. He moved silently, precisely — every motion sharp, efficient, like a warrior who'd lived through countless deaths.
She doesn't know yet, he thought, stealing a glance her way. If I tell her now… it'll only make things harder. If she didn't truly regress, it'll confuse her — or worse, push her away.
His heart ached slightly, but he forced the emotion down.
When Lyra finished eating, she broke the silence. "Aizen… you said the barrier's fading?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's about to collapse. We'll need to move out soon — maybe today. It's not safe here anymore. Too many creatures can sense weakened magic."
She looked up at him, her expression softening. "Would you mind… if I came along with you?"
He turned to her, pretending to think, though the answer had already been written in his heart. "Of course. It'd be lonely to travel alone again."
A faint smile formed on her lips. "Thank you."
---
By noon, Aizen packed everything they could carry — dried meat, herbs, a swift sword, a short dagger, and a few beastman-made trinkets. The air outside was heavy with mist; sunlight barely cut through the thick canopy of the Ancient Forest.
Two years had passed since Aizen built that hut. Two years of silent mornings, quiet hunts, and a peace that wasn't truly peace — only a fragile pause before chaos returned.
The forest groaned around them, as though aware they were leaving.
As they walked past the rotting roots and mossy stones, a dark shadow shifted behind the trees. A black figure — silent, watching.
Aizen's steps stopped mid-stride.
"Lyra," he whispered. "Stay close."
"What's wrong?"
His golden eyes glimmered faintly. "We're being watched."
The wind died. A heartbeat later — shhk! shhk! shhk! — seven figures dropped from the treetops, dressed in pitch-black assassin garb, blades drawn. Their movements were fast — but to Aizen, they looked slow, almost pitiful.
The assassins lunged as one.
But Aizen was gone.
In a blur of motion, he vanished — reappearing behind them like a dark phantom. A flicker of steel. A whisper of air. Then, silence.
The assassins froze where they stood — their heads separating from their bodies before they could even scream.
Lyra gasped, eyes wide. That speed… that precision.
Two more assassins, hidden among the shadows, tried to flee — but Lyra's instincts kicked in. She thrust out her palm. "Bind, Chains of Astraea!"
Silver chains erupted from the ground, coiling around the assassins' legs and necks. They struggled — only to be cut down by Aizen's returning blade.
He landed softly beside her, expression calm, though his aura rippled with faint golden sparks.
"We just got out of the forest and already got jumped," Aizen muttered, brushing blood from his sleeve.
Lyra's hands trembled slightly. "Be careful, Aizen."
He looked at her and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Lyra. I'll be the one protecting you."
Her heart skipped a beat — not because of his words, but because of how familiar they felt. His tone, his calm confidence… the way he said her name. It was the same as the man who'd died beside her.
This can't be a coincidence, she thought. It's like he knows me…
---
Later that afternoon, as they followed a winding path out of the forest, another group approached — cat beastmen. Ragged, armed with crude blades and hunger in their eyes.
"Oi, what do we have here?" one of them growled, tail flicking. "A lonely Beastman boy with a dragon girl? That's an expensive catch."
Aizen's golden eyes narrowed.
The bandits lunged.
And just like before — Aizen disappeared.
In an instant, a gust of wind tore through the clearing. By the time Lyra blinked, the catmen were lying motionless on the ground, their weapons shattered to dust.
Aizen stood among them, sheathing his sword. His expression was unreadable.
"These bandits are annoying," he said casually, as though swatting flies. "Let's keep moving."
Lyra just stared. That speed again… she thought. No way. Not even a normal awakened beastman could move that fast. Unless… he—
Her eyes widened slightly. He regressed too.
She didn't say it aloud — not yet.
---
They reached the foothill of a small mountain, where the trees thinned and the cold wind blew sharper. The view stretched out endlessly — valleys, rivers, and a faint horizon of smoke far to the west.
"This spot should do," Aizen said, setting down their packs.
They worked together, building a tent large enough for the two of them — black as midnight, blending perfectly with the shadows of the rocks.
"This way, no one will see us easily," Aizen said, stepping back to examine his handiwork.
"Y-yes," Lyra replied, brushing her hair aside. The sound of her heart echoed faintly in her chest. He's changed so much… calm, mature, powerful. Yet he looks the same. I can't tell if it's really him or if I'm losing my mind.
---
Night fell slowly, the stars barely visible through the dark clouds. The smell of roasted boar meat filled the camp.
Lyra sat across from Aizen by the fire, chewing thoughtfully. The flames danced in her eyes — blue and gold reflections that reminded Aizen of every night they once shared.
"So," she began softly, "which direction are we heading next?"
"To the west," Aizen replied. "Opposite of the Dragon Kingdom. There's too much heat there — I want some peace before the next storm comes."
She nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere. The west… the same route we once took before we met Theodore and Mikaela.
"Peace, huh," she murmured. "I wonder if that's even possible anymore."
Aizen smiled faintly, his gaze distant. "We'll make it possible."
---
After they finished eating, the fire crackled low.
"I'm… full," Aizen said quietly, lying back on the fur mat. "I'll head to sleep."
Lyra smiled slightly, still nibbling the last piece of meat. "I'll sleep after I finish this."
Aizen didn't respond — he was already half asleep, his breathing slow and steady. The faint golden glow of his aura flickered softly, casting warm light over the tent.
Lyra's eyes softened as she looked at him.
Aizen… you're pretending, aren't you? she thought. You remember everything — I can feel it. That look in your eyes, that calm strength… it's the same as before.
Her hand reached out unconsciously, brushing the fabric of his sleeve.
You're trying to protect me again… even from the truth.
She lay down beside him, feeling the faint warmth radiating from his body. Her heartbeat slowed, her eyelids heavy.
"Goodnight, Aizen," she whispered.
The night wind howled outside, but inside the tent, it was quiet — two souls bound by fate, reborn, yet still orbiting each other like stars caught in the same sky.
As sleep claimed them both, the faint shimmer of a hidden sigil appeared beneath Aizen's hand — the Black Lion's Crest — glowing briefly before fading once more into silence.
---
End of Chapter 79