Chasing Back His Beloved Beast Husbands

"I never told him... He was the spark to my rebellious fire."

One tear struck the wooden floor of the boat. And once he let those flood doors open, he couldn’t stop. The tears kept falling, again and again.

"I kept assuming there’d be another tomorrow. We were supposed to have a million tomorrows..." His shoulders began shaking. "There was always another battle... another mission... another crime for us..."

His face crumpled. Nytherael could barely contain himself. His body shuddered with the pain of Rhysandor’s departure from his life.

"I thought we’d have forever... you made every moment feel so," His tears fell freely now. "But forever ended... and I didn’t get a warning before hand."

The illusion disappeared completely. Only endless ocean remained. Nytherael stared at the empty place where Rhysandor had stood.

The emptiness somehow looked larger than the sea itself. His breathing became shallow. He held his breath, pressing his eyes tightly shut.

"I keep expecting him to interrupt me... call me dramatic..." a tiny laugh escaped through tears. "To tell me I look miserable."

Another shaky breath. "To steal my food and make fun of me... He’s the only one who..."

His smile vanished. The memories of their time together started playing above the water. It was as though their youth were right there, moving through life and laughing like that was the happiest they’ve ever been.

Their mischief, their solidarity and their strength played out painfully before his eyes.

"But every room... every road... every battle...has one less heartbeat now," the words echoed over the water. "I don’t know who I am without you, Rhys. You were the best parts of me... the best..."

Silence surrounded them, with only his cries breaking the peace. Sseraphis lowered his head. For once, there wasn’t a joke, childish complaint or teasing from him.

He simply sat there, staring at his own reflection trembling in the sea. "I..." His voice sounded unusually quiet. "I don’t know what to say."

Nytherael wiped at his face only for more tears to replace the ones he’d brushed away. "You don’t have to say anything."

"I hate this," His confession came quietly. "I hate waking up every morning and remembering that he’s gone because of me. I hate laughing because halfway through I remember that he can’t anymore. I hate eating... I hate sleeping... I hate sunsets..." He admitted, even though those things never bothered him before.

"They keep happening as though nothing changed," Nytherael’s voice became hoarse. "But everything changed."

"The world kept moving..." Sseraphis said.

"While mine stopped," Nytherael let out.

Aeltharion’s own eyes burned. He reached over and wrapped both arms around Nytherael without asking. At first, Nytherael remained stiff before something inside him finally gave way.

He folded forward. A sound escaped him. The sound someone made when grief finally became too heavy to carry alone. He buried his face against Aeltharion’s shoulder. "I miss him... Ael, I miss Rhys..."

The words dissolved into broken breathing. "I miss him so much."

Aeltharion tightened his embrace. "I know, dear."

"I keep thinking..." Nytherael whispered between sobs. "If I’d reacted sooner... If I’d questioned Samahita’s intentions... If I’d made one different choice..." His fingers curled into Aeltharion’s clothes. "Maybe..."

"No, my heartfire... Don’t do that to yourself," Aeltharion answered immediately. "No, you don’t get to blame yourself," he looked up at Sseraphis. "Neither of you do."

"But..."

"No, I’m your lightning, right. So listen to me." His voice was firm despite the tears threatening his own eyes. "Don’t build yourself a prison from ’maybe.’ It won’t do either of you any good. And it will break you and me you’ll be there to pick up the pieces because the pieces will be sharp."

Nytherael shook his head. "I should’ve... reacted on time and taken the hit for him..."

"You loved him, Nythe. Rhysandor knows that."

"I know."

"You fought for him."

"But I... My reaction was a second too late."

"You would’ve traded your own life if it meant saving his and I’m sure that’s why Rhysandor did what he did, because he loves you too and can’t see you unhappy."

Nytherael closed his eyes. "...I would’ve, in a heartbeat."

"I know, love, I know." Aeltharion rested his forehead against his. "And he knew too."

The sentence hung between them. It was simple, gentle and certain. Nytherael’s breathing slowly steadied.

It wasn’t because the pain lessened but because, for the first time since Rhysandor’s death, someone had reminded him that love wasn’t measured by final words. It had been measured in every day before the last one.

Every argument, every laugh, every shared meal, every battle fought back-to-back, every ridiculous conversation and every silent understanding. Love had already been spoken, a thousands of times.

Without either of them realizing those ordinary moments would someday become priceless. Nytherael looked toward the horizon again.

Rhysandor did not appear this time. Only sunlight stretched across the waves like a path of molten gold disappearing into forever.

He smiled. The smile was small and painfully forced. It lasted only a heartbeat. "I still wish you were here..." His voice trembled. "But maybe..." He swallowed hard. "Maybe loving you also means learning how to keep walking forward with your memories..."

A breeze swept over the sea. It brushed against his damp cheeks with surprising warmth.

Sseraphis quietly picked up the abandoned oar. This time, he didn’t try to force the boat anywhere. He simply rested it across his lap.

The three of them allowed the current to carry them. They had no destination, no urgency and only the endless ocean ahead and behind them.

And the quiet understanding that grief was not something one conquered. It was something one learned to sail with.

Some days the waves would be gentle, others days would threaten to drown them all over again.

But today, for the first time, Nytherael allowed himself to cry until there were no tears left to hide. Somewhere beyond the endless horizon, where memory met eternity, he chose to believe that saying goodbye did not mean the love between them had ended.

Only that, from now on, he would have to carry Rhysandor’s half of the journey in his own heart.

He looked at Sseraphis and said softly. "He chose to die for you. Don’t blame yourself."

Sseraphis didn’t feel at ease because he still didn’t feel like he deserved any beast sacrificing their lives for him.

"I’m glad you’ve finally let yourself feel and I am happy that you are here. But I am not okay with him leaving," he let out. "I’ll happily trade his place in the afterlife for the beasts responsible for the attack!" He said darkly.