Fabian felt that his life was on the verge of dying and would drop dead at any time soon.

He didn’t know how long time had passed since he had leaped into the magic circle pattern to pursue Evelyn. Fortunately, his exceptional physical strength that ran through his blood, as well as his strong mentality, held him awake and allowed him to sense the existence of his spirit.

“I …… Yes, I’m looking for Evelyn.”

As his body began to shudder violently, his memories that had once been shattered had now been reassembled. Fabian could see bright lights glistening in the distance, but he couldn’t get near enough to reach it. But somehow, he had nostalgic feelings that were tinged with a deep sense of longing, and he believed Evelyn was there.

“Evelyn….”

There was a strong desire driving him to go there when he recalled Evelyn’s sad eyes saying goodbye. Never, for the last time, he couldn’t let Evelyn cry alone in an unfamiliar place.

“No matter what, I can’t sacrifice you.”

The Emperor’s title was meaningless for him, as he was a husband and a father first.

So if someone had to make a sacrifice, it was him, not Evelyn or Adrian.

“Evelyn…..”

Fabian couldn’t see or listen to her voice. Still, he could sense her presence. But at the same time, the interfering sound, on the other side, constantly fazed his ears.

(‘Your Majesty… please come back!’)

(‘Emperor, at this rate you will wander forever in eternal time!’)

Serus and David’s voices could be heard from a long way far, but Fabian ignored them and continued on his way to the light.

The closest he was to the light, the signs of Evelyn’s presence grew more pronounced. Fabian overheard two voices having conversations, although he couldn’t grasp their stories. Nevertheless, he knew that Evelyn’s voice was filled with deep grief.

“He’s……like a demon……that man…….Emperor…… bloodline, sin……in itself.”

Although Fabian could only hear David’s intermittent voice, he was aware that those words were aimed at him. He hadn’t said anything wrong, but Fabian struggled to hold back Evelyn’s sadness that seeped into his heart.

‘Even if he’s a sinner…….’

When he could hear Evelyn’s voice, Fabian got even more concentrated on listening carefully to what they were saying.

‘………because he’s my only husband.’

At that very moment, suddenly, Evelyn’s figure emerged in front of his eyes. But when Fabian attempted to reach her out, someone’s voice from somewhere distracted his hearing.

(‘……Your Majesty! )

Again, Serus’ obnoxious voice yelled something at him.

(‘Emperor …… your hands …….’)

That moment, Fabian’s body was unexpectedly struck by something solid when he tried to dismiss David’s voice, which he no longer wanted to hear. His left arm, which he had been unable to sense since he became a spirit, was abruptly consumed by extreme heat, feeling as if it were burning.

They did something to his body in the real world, and Fabian began to experience pain. Vaguely, a faint limp hand appeared in his sight. It was his hand that was soaked with blood.

“No, I can’t go back alone.”

Fabian made a wager with himself and rubbed his bloodied left hand on his chest. And his body part was seen after he smeared it with his blood. It was just; he felt a terrible headache as Evelyn’s figure before his eyes became more vivid.

But….. he didn’t want to stop there.

“Evelyn!”

His cries, which reverberated across the silent place, could not reach the barrier that separated them. Instead, he saw Evelyn’s face messing with tears even more, along with David’s staring coldly at her.

‘The Emperor is a sinner….’

That hoarse made Fabian grit his teeth.

“Serus!! If you can hear me, stab me harder!!!”

Did Serus hear my voice?

When Fabian endured extreme dizziness to the extent that he nearly fainted, he was sure that it was his blood that jolted him awake. So, there was only one chance. He only had one chance to take Evelyn as David, at the exact moment, had commenced a lowly chanting of his spell.

It dawned on Fabian that this was his last chance.

“Now!! I need more blood !!!!”

His left arm was stabbed once again by a sharp pain. Hot blood gushed out of his body, drenching him entirely. And, at long last, Fabian’s spirit, which had seemed blurry at first, appeared visible now.

“…… You …… how could you …….”

David’s voice quivered when he saw Fabian unexpectedly arise in front of him.

“Yes, the Emperor is a sinner by nature, just as you said.” Fabian squeezed his lips tight and fixed his eyes on him. “I’ll accept that.”

He reached out his bloodied hands and pulled Evelyn into his embrace. “But I won’t be a sinful man.”

“Fa…bian? Is that you? ”

Evelyn said something startling in a shaky voice, while David was also lost for words in a situation he hadn’t expected.

“I’m coming to get you.”

Fabian’s blood kept dripping from his left hand and flowed down Evelyn’s shoulder. The Imperial family’s blood, which was shed by Fabian himself in the real world, was the only blood in this world that had the immense power to break beyond time boundaries.

“Evelyn, let’s go back. I…… I don’t want to commit a sin for leaving my wife first.”

His condition couldn’t last for too long since his original body was losing a lot of blood. But Fabian was hell-bent on getting Evelyn back home at all costs, even though it meant sacrificing his own life.

“Please, don’t make me a sinner.” His deep voice rang desperately in Evelyn’s ear.

“Fabian, this is an unavoidable choice. You…….”

“Let’s go back. Even if I have to give up my life, I won’t leave you to walk alone on the lonely road.”

Fabian cradled her back in his arms even stronger, and Evelyn cautiously grasped his left hand with a pale face after she realized the identity of the liquid that damped her.

“Fabian…… what did you do…?”

“I can do anything for you.”

The air surrounding them was slowly rolling. The two were hugging each other tightly, engulfed by the volatile wind currents.

“No – there’s no way something like this could have happened!” David shouted out of breath, but he could no longer see the gap separating them. “Stop you two! Your soul can perish! If you stop now … …!”

After ensuring that he would never be able to touch them, with his usual haughty stern gaze, Fabian looked at David.

“Don’t you dare order me”?

Evelyn couldn’t believe it when his low voice touched her back. She witnessed a little while before how Fabian was stained in blood like a dead person, and now, she could feel the warmth of her beloved husband.

“Let’s go back together, Evelyn.”

Evelyn couldn’t tell whether it was the tears or the blood that ran down through her dress. But she was gratified to know that Fabian was still alive as a human being.

“I made a promise to you. I won’t let you go again.”

The man who embraced her now wasn’t the bloodthirsty demon she had seen from the prophetic beads.

Evelyn slowly drew her eyes closed.

The two were sucked into the time-vortex by the swirling air. Her consciousness faded gradually… and then vanished in the cascade of time.

“……I won’t let you go no matter what.”

Fabian’s whispering vow was everything she could hear and remember.

It was a promise.

And the desire of a man born with the world’s strongest fate.

***

The sight that unfolded in that cramped attic was quite terrifying.

“Oh, seriously, your Emperor is such a loose-cannon……” David was speechless. “What the hell is he thinking……!” His critical gaze turned to Serus, who remained lifeless as a statue, gazing blankly at the sword stuck in Fabian’s body. He didn’t hesitate to stab his blade squarely onto his master’s body after he abruptly heard the Emperor’s scream from afar.

“If your Emperor dies, everything is done. This continent is over …….”

“His Majesty won’t die.”

Fabian’s body, which had been stabbed by the sword, began to twitch into convulsions due to the heavy bleeding gushing out of his wound.

“Why ……… Princess Evelyn’s sacrifice was ultimately in vain. Why are humans so stupid?” David took a seat, muttering something cryptic. Fabian Blood, which had flooded the whole floor surface, tasted like poison to him and painfully drained his life.

“Why…you asked…?”

Someone’s unexpected voice suddenly resounded. The next moment, after David lifted his head in bewilderment, Fabian’s fist flew in and landed hard on his face.

“Your Majesty!”

“Not yet…… stay away from me”.

Fabian seemed to be holding something in his arms. That blood-stained translucent thing resembled a woman in appearance. And after a brief moment of confusion, they realized it was Evelyn.

“Your Majesty, you’re bleeding too much.”

“Not yet…… just a little more….”

Fabian groaned in pain as he continued to thrust the sword deeper into his wound. Evelyn’s silhouette, drenched in red blood that flooded like a pool, became even more visible, and she occurred in his arms.

“Nonsense.”

David was starting to have doubts about his eyesight. Evelyn, who had been jumped and lost through the pillar of time, was now lying in Fabian’s embrace, as he witnessed. Furthermore, her soul and body inexplicably returned to their original states as perfectly as before in a matter of seconds.

“What have you done? How could humans interfere the ti- …….”

However, David’s words were cut off as soon as Evelyn breathed out violently.

“Evelyn…? Evelyn!” Fabian looked at Evelyn, who laid in his arms.

“Fabian….”

Miraculously, Evelyn opened her eyes in Fabian’s arms. At the moment their eyes met each other, Fabian realized that his reckless gambling had succeeded. “Ha….” As a sigh of relief flowed, and his whole body was relieved. “Thank God.”

Fabian’s voice sounded weak and powerless. Serus soon approached him and tried to stop his bleeding in a hurry. But Evelyn had not yet figured out what was going on around her.

“Fa……Bian?”

Tuk..tuk….

Something damp and sticky was wetting Evelyn’s body all over. That red thing kept dripping down without stopping……hot…… Fabian’s vision began to blur, and his consciousness began to shatter rapidly.

“Fabian!”

“Fine….. I’m fine….” Fabian comforted Evelyn despite his bloodied appearance.

“Just….. I’m tired… … I want to sleep a little… … .”

“No, Fabian! Open your eyes! Please wake up!”

Fabian’s eyes began to close despite Evelyn’s pleading

“I’m going to sleep a little……you won’t leave in the meantime, won’t you?”

Evelyn couldn’t even look straight at her husband’s face because he kept on crying.

“Leaving you? …… where will I go….?”

Evelyn didn’t know what she was saying? Even though she was determined to save Adrian, she would be a heartless person if she left Fabian now.

“I won’t leave. I’ll stay here.”

When he heard Evelyn’s answer, a peaceful smile adorned the edge of Fabian’s lips.

“Never…. I’ll never leave you again.”

With tears in her eyes, Evelyn couldn’t imagine how she could live her life after burying the memories of her husband? It is impossible. If Fabian didn’t chase after her and bring her back, Evelyn would have gone crazy.

“So, just for a moment …… Promise me; you will only sleep a little and wake up soon.” Evelyn hugged Fabian, who had already closed her eyes, said mournfully. “I’ll be here…….”

Tuk…tuk… Evelyn’s tears fell on Fabian’s face. “Don’t sleep too long…… you have to save our child, and you said you wouldn’t leave me alone…..” Evelyn said with her voice hovering in the air hollowly.

****

“Princess, excuse me.”

Serus pulled Fabian from Evelyn’s embrace, and before long, several people walked in and immediately gave first aid.

David was again arrested and dragged outside. The fainted Fabian was laid in Evelyn’s bedroom and immediately was treated by Sir Philip.

Evelyn, who was sitting and daydreaming for a moment, suddenly slapped herself on the cheek. -It’s not the time to mourn-

“Your Highness?”

“Serus, tell me about His Majesty’s condition!”

Even though Evelyn was a mess of blood and tears, her dignity was still shone.

“We can minimize the stab wounds on his hands, but he has already lost a lot of blood. But I believe in his body’s resilience because His Majesty is the strongest person on this continent.”

Serus spoke silently. Evelyn wanted to believe it, too, for now.

“David, you’re wrong.”

Evelyn’s blue eyes turned coldly towards David.