A-Xuan knew he had to force Kyrios out. He severed their bond which killed him hoping it would have any kind of impact on him, but it still wasn’t enough.

He searched for a world where he could have space from him, and he wouldn’t know where or how he is. The moment he let Bastian know his whereabouts, he knew he wouldn’t stop checking on him.

The only thing his husband could never handle was him being sick or hurt in any way, and with them being apart for so long he knew he would come forth.

If something happens to him, he won’t be able to save him. Kyrios lifted his head to caress A-Xuan’s cheek, but he batted it away, his eyes red with anger.

A-Xuan got up, needing space, and paced in the room. Kyrios turned and looked at him.

"I-I do care. I knew that once you found out that I’m the reason you are in this predicament, you would hate me."

A-Xuan stopped and yelled:

"I had already figured that out. I knew that you loved me before I was bound to the system and that you were somehow responsible."

Kyrios got up, looking at him with fear.

"You did?"

"I did." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A-Xuan looked down with tears on his face. The only reason Kyrios didn’t want to face him, is that he doesn’t love him anymore.

Over the years, he probably realized that he made a mistake. His soul flakes kept falling in love with him, but only because his soul was the only one they could recognize in each world.

Even if he doesn’t love him anymore, did he think A-Xuan wouldn’t still free him?

"You don’t have to lie. The only reason you wanted to avoid facing me, is that you were afraid I wouldn’t save you, once I discovered you don’t love me anymore. Your hiding was proof enough. You don’t have to hide anymore, I’ll still save you."

A-Xuan won’t force anyone who doesn’t love him to do. He never thought someone would ever love him, so the fact that it happened is already more than he could’ve imagined.

He’s already grateful for that, even if it landed him where he is. If it hadn’t, he would’ve never fallen in love either.

He knows that if he would’ve stayed in his world, he would’ve spent the rest of his life as the emotionless person he was. He does not doubt that. A-Xuan just wishes Kyrios would’ve told him the truth, so he can protect himself.

He has more soul flakes to get, and he would rather not keep being with him when they won’t end up together. He can’t keep loving someone who doesn’t love him anymore.

Kyrios looked at him and said frantically.

"What are you talking about? I never stopped loving you, I love you even more than I did before. I didn’t come forth because I know I’m not good enough for you. I caused all of this."

He approached A-Xuan and wiped his tears. A-Xuan felt a shock of electricity and looked at Kyrios, to see if he was being honest.

Seeing his doubt, Kyrios insisted:

"Gods don’t love or feel, for that matter. We’re so used to creating life, and everything that goes with it like emotions, that it became mundane to us. Never in history has a god fallen for a human, but I did. I only did because it was you. Do you think I could ever stop, when you were born so I could love you?"

Its true gods don’t feel for humans, they only have feelings for other gods. When they all heard about Kyrios’ love for a human, they were shocked not just because it was unprecedented but because it was Kyrios.

He’s the most detached out of all the gods. They all think it’s because he’s the most powerful and believes everyone is beneath him.

So to find out he fell for a human was the biggest shock. Kyrios never felt before A-Xuan, not even for Fyo his brother.

A-Xuan kept looking at him, biting his lip. Kyrios frowned, putting a hand on his chest.

He took a breath and said:

"I only ever wanted you to be happy, but my loving you caused the opposite. I was afraid you would think I tricked you into loving me when I’m responsible for all your suffering. I just can’t handle you looking at me with hate, so I hid like a coward."

Kyrios took another breath, he seems to have difficulty breathing.

A-Xuan frowned at his state. From the moment he came forth, he could see that he would take sharp breaths and put his hand on his chest like he was in pain.

"I’m not concerned about being set free, I just want you to go back to your world. There, Fyo won’t be able to reach you, he was only able before because he used my power."

A-Xuan looked down wide-eyed when Kyrios fell to his knees. A-Xuan knelt, checking on him. He asked worriedly:

"What’s wrong?"

He knows that he has enough power to come forth without it having any impact on him. But clearly, right now, something is wrong. Kyrios shook his head and said between breaths:

"It’s nothing."

A-Xuan put a hand on his cheek, pressing his forehead against his. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them, he looked at Kyrios shocked.

Kyrios looked at him for a few seconds, then away.

"Why can’t you just talk to me?"

"Because I don’t deserve anything from you, let alone your help."

Kyrios felt A-Xuan pressing his forehead against his, and he closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he felt like he could breathe again.

These past 6 years he was in so much pain that for the first time since he’s been trapped he wanted to die. But he would never do that to A-Xuan, or he wouldn’t have enough power to go home.

Before Fyo split his soul he knew he loved A-Xuan with all his heart, but when A-Xuan severed their bond he realized that he was nothing without him. At this point, he is a part of him, so when he broke their connection he was in pain every day.

He would never ask him for help because he caused him too much pain already, and it was his turn to feel it. He deserves worst than that. He decided that he would endure until A-Xuan’s free, and then he would obliterate his soul.

A-Xuan pulled back and saw that Kyrios could finally breathe again. When he severed their bond and saw that he still didn’t come forth, he thought that he was right.

He was sure that Kyrios didn’t feel anything because he doesn’t love him anymore. It’s easy to create a bond between two souls, what’s hard is the unbinding if the two love each other.

It nearly killed A-Xuan, and it took him a while to recover, but he didn’t think Kyrios felt anything. But from the state of his soul, he could clearly see his pain over those past 6 years. Which means he loves him even more than A-Xuan does.

When his breathing regulated, Kyrios looked up meeting A-Xuan’s eyes.

"None of this would’ve happened if you would just talk to me."

"I know."

A-Xuan asked:

"Once you’re free, can you take down your brother?"

Kyrios nodded.

"I can. Fyo had to use a rare poison before, but It only grows every hundred millennia. He used all of it before to split my soul."

"I’ll free you, and you’ll take care of him."