Kazuki gave a gentle smile at the information he had been given. By no means was it pretty or overwhelmingly simple, but it gave him the relief he had been seeking. He was the only one who knew what (Y/n) really was. The male could finally say he knew the younger girl better than she knew herself. It brought tears to his eyes, and despite the pain he felt and the not-so-subtle disorientation he experienced, he was still happy.

Perhaps it was a foolish thing for him to do - making a trade with a supposed demon - the risks innumerable. Yet he had emerged better off than he had been before. The blonde didn't care what happened to him as long as he could protect the (h/c) haired girl. She had become his everything, occupying his mind far more than he would have liked to admit. The very thought of her felt like fireworks in his heart, energy coursing through him. And now he knew why.

He walked through the corridors of the castle with wobbly legs. It wasn't as though he hadn't walked before, but since he had been able to - and even since before then - he hadn't lost something so crucial to living. In the wilderness of nature, he would have been killed long before getting to see the younger girl. Still, he wouldn't call it a disability. It only made him stronger in resolve and appreciation.

That being said, there were clearly some things he would need to get used to. As he closed his eyes while the image of (Y/n) flooded his mind, he bumped into a servant, falling backward. He hit his head on the floor, the sharp pain ringing uncomfortably. Wincing, he looked at his hands with shock. It didn't feel so natural to move them any longer. Even the touch of the servant who attempted to help him back up made him shiver with fear. He didn't like it.

Ignoring the servant who tried to usher him to the royal doctors, the blonde trudged on with a terrified expression. He held his arms tightly, his shoulders sinking in with insecurity. It was like he was trying to protect himself from any number of blind spots he possessed. Though it hardly worked as a shield, he was beginning to see how drastically his life would change. Just what had he done to himself?

The more he ran into others, the more he felt isolated. His eyes dilated with every encounter he made, running away with tears flooding his vision. How wrong he was. In gaining something precious, he lost something essential to him. The male felt the urge to throw himself off the balcony. It was too much to process at once, the sudden onset of affliction tearing him apart from the inside.

He stumbled around, terrified of even himself. The blonde could barely maneuver his own limbs. It was as if he had been reborn into the world, but he had to give up what he never knew he valued. Eventually, he found himself rushing to the only thing he knew could hold him together. (Y/n) was bound to be somewhere in the garden, wasn't she? He went as fast as he could to hopefully catch a glimpse of her. She would drive away all feelings of hopelessness lingering in his heart, replacing it with utter affection and faith.

. . .

The (h/c) haired girl was wandering around aimlessly. She wasn't entirely certain what she was doing or where she wanted to go, but when she saw coral hair pass by her eyes, she gave an astonished gaze. Presley appeared so different than the other times she had seen him. He was so professional, doling out responsibilities to servants and staff alike. Composed and mature, he impressed the younger girl, drawing her curiosity.

She followed him around, observing how competent he was at his job. For a former king's guard, he was exceptionally good at management. Her eyes sparkled with admiration. He must have been highly valued in the castle. The younger girl soon found the male looking back at her with a small chuckle. Putting aside his duties momentarily, the male walked towards her with a joyful smile.

"I was hoping I might catch you today," the coral-haired male hummed, handing the younger girl a wrapped box, "A present."

"That, it is."

"Think of it as a little test of mine. If you are intending to be with Zuki, I'd like to see how you utilize this. Give it to him, use it however you wish, but as long as he smiles, I'll give you my full support."

The (h/c) haired girl gave a strange look to the male. Even if she had not been well acquainted with Presley, the male having immersed himself in his work to better serve the royals, it didn't seem to make sense to her. Only Rei's mother had ever opposed one of her children being with her, but Ichiro had no one. The thought that she didn't know something clearly related to Kazuki made her frown.

"He's like a brother to me. Well, he's like a brother to anyone. Zuki just gives off that kind of aura," the male paused, blushing slightly as he rubbed the back of his head with an awkward smile, "He's been hurt before. I want to make sure it doesn't happen again. His father probably won't tell you this, so I will."

The coral-haired male bowed at the waist, placing his hand on his heart as if he was pledging something wholly important to him. The servants around gave gasps and began muttering amongst themselves. It wasn't at all unusual to see a king's guard or chief of staff bowing to a royal's engaged, but the fact that he was almost begging for something drew the eye greatly. There was sure to be gossip.

"Please," the male smiled, "Please make Zuki happy. He's stubborn and refuses to take care of himself, but I promise he's worth it in every way."

(Y/n) blushed, looking away with a bashful look on her face. Her reaction made Presley give a chuckle, stopping his bowing and giving her a hopeful look. The male then went about his day, tending to all of the duties he was presented with. The younger girl was left in the corridor with a box in her hands. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she opened it to see pieces of a music box, fractured and broken. And yet, she couldn't help but smile.

. . .

Kazuki was unable to process everything thrown at him. Even the birds frightened him, prompting him to shake. His calm demeanor was torn to shreds, replaced with the husk of a man. He couldn't do anything but shake, curled up under the willow tree as tears coursed down his cheeks. When he looked into the pond in front of him, the salty water rolling over his face fell, causing ripples to shake through the cold liquid.

There was no sight of anything beyond the pond, nor were there any promises lingering there. It was simply empty as if it contained knowledge of everything but didn't have the mouth to speak of it. Even as the male reached his hand into the water, it was cold, and it only made more tears flow down. How he wished he lost the ability to feel the intrepid coldness that surrounded him instead.

A sudden movement caught his eye and he flinched, holding his arms in front of himself to shield his vulnerable form. However, at the glimpse of silvery-blue hair, his eyes widened and he reached out to touch it, only to pull his hand suddenly away when he realized it was not who he thought it was. Ichiro stood there, confused and bewildered about everything happening to his older brother.

"Are you," the bluenette paused, looking away with uncertainty, "alright?"

"Ichi, Ichi, where's (Y/n)?"

The blonde asked his question desperately, grabbing onto the male's shoulder with a wince at the touch. It didn't feel right. Nonetheless, there was no doubt that the person before him was his little brother, always willing to help him. That being said, he appeared more focused on how to trick his brother into going to the royal doctors. Yet the blonde shook him until he spoke, even then giving a heartbroken expression.

"Show me," he begged, "Please. I need to talk to her."

The male took careful steps when walking after a greatly worrying Ichiro. Even if he had tried to speak to the blonde to figure out what was going on, Kazuki only replied with a despairing look filled with guilt. When it had become too silent and unnerving, the bluenette was almost relieved, hearing his brother's pleasing voice. Rei might have been the one terrified of silence, but it wasn't as if any of them liked it. While many in the world might have preferred it, only the strongest could endure it.

"I want you on the throne," the blonde chuckled heartlessly, "and I'll give it to you on a silver platter."

"I'm sure you could. You carry a lot of influence with you, but there's obviously a catch."

Kazuki smiled somberly, ceasing to walk in favor of holding tightly onto the bluenette's hands. It was a fearful look, one that knew he was asking for the near impossible. The slightest of chances were left open to negotiation, but after all of his years building up a business from ruin, the blonde had what it took. His voice was beautiful and stunning, able to coerce another into even taking their own life. It would have been the equivalent for him to give up the younger girl as well, but Ichiro was scared of heights and a leap of faith required absolute tenacity.

It took far too long for the blonde to discover that he was never meant to balance on that delicate wire of caution. He was supposed to fall, encouraging the darkness to eat away at him. Because only then would he be able to see that light he wanted, carving a path of air for him to soar on. And while the fall left him unable to remain as the previous version of himself, it allowed him to move forward.

There were no directions in that pitch darkness. Left, right, up, down; it was all the same. Any way he chose to run, it would be correct and no obstacles could interfere. The male would chase the light even if every step he took inflicted upon him the pain of sharp piercing knives. He needed it. Like a moth to a flame, he flew, attempting with all of his might to reach what he shouldn't have had. It burned him at times, but escaping the coldness the dark brought made the pain into pleasure and madness into logic. It was all so twisted, all so beautifully concocted in order to let him follow his heart.

"Then it's (Y/n)," Ichiro frowned, his eyes darting to the ground at the pity he felt for his brother.

Kazuki wasn't who he was before everything happened. He was a teary mess then, isolating himself from the world and shutting himself away even to those he trusted. Always staring over balconies or at the urn by the fireplace, he looked empty. The smile he had on his face was fraudulent, convincing others to leave him be. If he showed what he truly thought, he would have been treated like a madman. He wanted to kill others, he wanted to kill himself, the thought of living only occurring to him for those that relied on him.

And suddenly, someone walked into his life, forcing him to accept that the world wouldn't stop if he was unable to function. He was allowed to be a gear, broken and seemingly useless. That music box was never able to sing to the child who opened it, the place that once housed treasures from all over the world desolate and barren. And still, in some weird twist of fate, the music box found its songs with missing notes placing a smile on another's face.

She looked on in wonder, winding up the key and falling asleep to the enchanting song of a burned siren. Holding the box always close to her chest, the music box had discovered that it wasn't about the treasure he was supposed to house within him. For he was the treasure. Even if he had nothing, she adored him, treating him as though he were the rarest thing in the world; a one of a kind jewel.

It was like watching a child find sea glass for the first time. The pressure of years' worth of tears and scratches of constant obstacles weathering it down had caused a small piece of sharp glass to become beautiful in its own way. A child could scarcely understand the meaning of what it had been through, and it wasn't as if the sea glass could ever speak. However, the small being becomes delighted nonetheless, wholeheartedly believing they've found a gem. Some may carry it with them or place it on their wardrobe as a memento. But Ichiro knew that (Y/n) carried it with her on a string, the sea glass a pendant hanging just beside her heart at all times.

"This will hurt me," the bluenette mumbled, holding tightly onto Kazuki, "but I'll accept your offer. Just know I'll still love her."

The blonde didn't react, unable to, but when Ichiro leaned down with those kind cyan eyes of his and nodded, tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He reached forward and hugged the bluenette as tightly as he could manage. They stayed like that for a while. The ocean of tears would someday stop, never reaching up to the moon. But it will have found the sun, and that sun will have shown it the beauties that lay under its surface. That feeling of being full, of being meaningful, it must have been love.

. . .

(Y/n) came out of the blacksmith with a hood over her face. She wasn't supposed to be out of the castle, but she couldn't ask anyone for permission. Otherwise, her surprise would have been ruined. She carried the box with her, the newly renovated project she had been given inside of it. The younger girl had been surprised at the attention she had been given by the blacksmith, but, then again, she was all over the papers, not that she would know. After all, Rei took painstaking measures to ensure she was blind when it came to public opinions of her.

That being said, it opened her eyes to how careful she needed to be. No doubt she would be bombarded with countless numbers of people and their questions. The thought made her shiver. Even going to the blacksmith and talking with one person had drained her of all of her energy. If she was surrounded by enthusiastic subjects, no doubt she would have collapsed or died from a heart attack.

Rushing back to the castle, she was careful to avoid any guards, knowing they would immediately report her to Rei. She probably would have been locked up in his room. Overprotective though he was, he always meant well. That being said, she wasn't a vulnerable little girl that needed to be shown how to walk. While scared of the social situations, she was stronger than he gave her credit for.

"(Y/n)! Thank the eternal flo - Thank goodness!"

Kazuki appeared out of the corner of the younger girl's eye, rushing into her arms. He held her tightly, weeping as he made contact with her. The tenseness in his body immediately dissipated, replaced with utter joy. Out of surprise, the younger girl hugged back, running her hands through his hair. It relaxed him, drawing him out of his suffering and towards the light he had been chasing for far too long.

"I gave up everything for you," he chuckled somberly, leaning his forehead on hers, "and though it hurts and scares me, it has given me what I needed."

"You're acting strangely. What happened to you to make you - "

"I'm deaf."

The male didn't know what the younger girl was going to say nor did he know her assumptions. However, even if he couldn't hear her voice, her lips moving without any audible noise echoing out of them with sweet resonance, somehow, he knew what she was saying. That look of concern on her face and the way her grip on him tightened, it was clear to him. He was precious to her, and that alone made the trade worth it.

"You don't need to know why," the blonde smiled, resting his jaw on her shoulder, "It was sudden and painful, and it still is. I know why Rei despises silence so much now. I can't even hear the birds around us. It feels empty. I hate it...but I love you, so I won't complain."

(Y/n) looked at the male's ears. Although they seemed normal at first, there was a noticeable sign of blood clotting. His deafness was not natural, being done by another or himself. The thought made her pull the male closer to her, letting him rest on her with an adoring smile on his lips. While she didn't know how it had happened, she knew the male was strong enough to defend himself, and from his speech, it was certain he had inflicted it on himself. It made her shed a few tears.

It must have been excruciating for him. His love of music had been taken away from him, and he would likely be unable to play anything he could enjoy himself. Though he could have still played on instruments or sing, it would have been meaningless to him. The silence would continue, cutting away at his will to use his talents for his own joy. But that was the beauty of it. He was never the type to think of himself. If she could still hear it, that was all that mattered. Sacrifices were meant to be made.

The younger girl shook as she held the male, not knowing what she could possibly do for him. She wasn't a doctor nor was she skilled in herbology or caring for another. However, her eyes lit up at the realization that she held the gift with her. Pushing the male away gently to grab it, she was almost startled that he quickly latched onto her hand, gazing at her with pathetic eyes. He looked scared - terrified even - of being alone.

Presenting the gift to the male, (Y/n) gave a gentle smile, allowing him to continue holding onto her hand. He opened it with her help, his eyes giving a confused look when he gazed upon a music box with yellow veins. It wasn't that he didn't understand the significance. Ever since she had related him to one, he had come to adore the things, his eyes sparkling at every one he saw. But that music box was clearly broken.

The younger girl opened her mouth to explain, but quickly closed it with guilt, realizing the male wouldn't be able to hear her. She then took a piece of paper and pen in her pocket and began to scribble out her reason for giving it to him. The more she spoke through text, the male's eyes watered, a smile far from sight. He only sobbed, clinging onto her as if she had announced she would die.

"In Athain, we have a tradition. If something breaks, we fill its cracks with gold or other precious metals. We like to think when something has suffered, it only makes it more beautiful."

Presley hadn't given the (h/c) haired girl the music box to fix. On the contrary, it was to appreciate what it had been through. The music box was utterly useless, far from its original beauty. However, in being remade, its cracks still visible, but filled with a stronger and more valuable material, it brought tears to one's eyes. It was more precious than it had been before, worth more, not in material gain, but attachment. In much the same way, Kazuki was broken and damaged, but he was by no means worthless.

. . .

Rei couldn't take it. He couldn't. Ichiro had taken his throne, Kazuki had taken his cupcake, and it felt like everything was crumbling around him. There was no trace of bearability in his life any longer. Clenching his teeth, he had decided to take back (Y/n) from his older brother, but before he could get anywhere, he found himself down in the Demon's Playhouse, shivering.

The air was cold, desolate, and unnerving, shaking him to his very core. There, in front of him was a terrifying creature, smirking as though he had accomplished something terrible. The blonde trembled, attempting to heat himself up with whatever body warmth he had, but it was pointless. He knew his time was coming to an end, the being before him staring down at him with distant eyes glossed over with cruelty.

"Consider this a gift from me," he hummed, leaning forward and placing his hand on the blonde's head, "for your big brother."

Rei didn't feel any pain, the death he expected far from the truth. Instead, his eyes dilated, fear encasing his very being. He had been stricken with the very thing his brother had, except that in order to gain it, he had to lose everything. Silence encased everything, burying his need to kill his brother with the need to kill himself. He hated it, he hated it, he hated it. It was his worst fear, no noise reaching him. Even his screams were meaningless, not reaching his deaf ears. In the end, he died, the demon having the "mercy" to kill him after he drove himself insane. Fate was not kind...was it?