667,

What lay before his eyes was the very same scene from that day.

Elyse lay before him, her belly covered in blood and her hands trembling nonstop.

The surgery was over, but Cyclone couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

Cyclone had made his choice to keep Elyse alive.

“It was Dad’s fault.”

There were no excuses. This had all been Cyclone’s choice.

“I chose your mom…”

Holding Feng’er tightly in his arms, Cyclone felt a dull ache in his chest with every word he spoke.

“I know asking you to forgive me now is shameless. After all, the fact that you’re dead is something that can’t be changed.”

Cyclone looked at Feng’er.

“I’m sorry. Dad let you down…”

Once he’d said it, Cyclone felt utterly powerless.

Thankfully, Elyse was right there to support him. Otherwise, Cyclone really would’ve collapsed.

Cyclone glanced at Elyse and knew what he had to say.

He understood why he needed to apologize—and what he had truly done wrong.

Even with Feng’er’s eyes closed, Cyclone still had to say it.

Because these words had to be spoken, whether Feng’er was alive or dead.

“I once…I once chose to study medicine just for a moment’s pleasure.”

It had all begun with a mistake.

He’d become a hero through lies and a doctor through play. When it came to responsibility, Cyclone had treated it like a child’s game.

And now, at the end of it all, the reckoning had finally come.

This was a lesson—a lesson Cyclone couldn’t bear.

“I never realized how painful it was to be lacking in skill…”

Looking back on his studies, Cyclone had been half serious and half there for fun.

“When you and your mom were right in front of me, the choice I made in that moment may have been the one I regret most in my life—and the most painful one. For the first time, I regretted never having worked hard…”

Cyclone looked up at the sky. Beneath the moonless heavens, the world felt dark.

“I’ve never had nightmares every night because of something I did. Maybe…this is your punishment for me.”

“Honey…”

Elyse shifted from supporting him to embracing him.

Cyclone closed his eyes too, ignoring the tears running from their corners.

Feeling the coldness in his arms and the warmth coming from Elyse, Cyclone understood deep down just how much he lacked.

“I won’t run away anymore. I’ll face my shortcomings and take responsibility.”

Cyclone lifted Feng’er a little higher so he could hear him clearly.

“Even if your spirit fails to reincarnate, Dad won’t abandon you.”

With his eyes tightly shut, Cyclone knew exactly what he was saying. That was why the weight of it felt unbearable.

“I won’t let Onigashima do it. I’ll do it myself. This is my sin, and it’s a responsibility I have to bear myself.”

Cyclone opened his eyes. He was perfectly calm.

At the same time, Feng’er’s eyes weren’t closed after all. He was looking just like Cyclone.

Father and son stared at each other. Feng’er showed no urge to bite Cyclone; he simply gazed at him in silence.

“If Heaven gave me the choice again, I think…I’d still choose your mom…”

At that, Elyse looked up at Cyclone.

“You don’t have to forgive your dad, but you must forgive your mom.”

Cyclone was taking on the responsibility of a father—and doing what he should as Elyse’s husband.

“Your mom had always been looking forward to your arrival. She even knitted a pair of gloves for you with her own princess hands…”

Cyclone lifted Feng’er’s hand—a monstrous hand that could never wear gloves again.

“You’re the one who made me understand what regret is. Thank you, Feng’er.”

Cyclone turned with Feng’er in his arms and looked at Elyse beside them.

Father and son both looked at the woman they loved.

“Dad promises you—I won’t forget this feeling. From now on, I’ll work hard at my studies. I won’t make another choice I’ll regret…”

Cyclone and Elyse looked straight at each other.

“M-Mom…M-Mom…”

When they heard an unexpected voice, Cyclone and Elyse were both taken by surprise.