The sand dug against his wrists and clung to his skin and hair. He looked to his left to find Nao-Zai with his face turned to the sky. The soldier's eyes were closed, the corners of his mouth sloping up into a gentle smile.

"Hey," Kai-Se nudged Nao-Zai's shoulder. "Do you know where we are?"

Nao-Zai opened his eyes and sat up. Bits of sand rained from his torn sleeves. Now that Kai-Se was on it, they probably looked like fishermen who met an unfortunate fate in the open waters and washed up on shore. Their tangled hair and brightening bruises weren't helping either.

The soldier surveyed the scene, taking in the roaring waves lapping at the sandy shore, the blades of palms swaying in the wind, and the endless horizon of nothing but cerulean blue. He blinked once. Twice. He turned to Kai-Se. "Are you sure we're back in Xuijae?" he asked. "Did you zap us into another world?"

Kai-Se backhanded him in the chest. "You're one half of the problem if that's the case," he said. "It's your power we used in breaking out of the prison."

Nao-Zai opened his mouth but a different voice bled out of it. "And here we thought the Eternal Prison wasn't meant to be escaped."

They both turned to find two Divine Beasts striding towards them. In the bright sunlight of the mortal realm, they looked like oversized installations rather than actual creatures. The Emperor would surely have a heart attack when he sees this.

Chai-Song blocked the entire silhouette of the mountain ranges rising from the thickening forest miles from shore with her fanned-out tail feathers. It tilted its head to one side, studying Nao-Zai more than it did Kai-Se. He was so used to being scrutinized that being cast to the sidelines felt a little strange and a bit annoying. But, he'd get used to it. He's got a partner who's straight out from the forgotten myths, after all.

"It's good to see you again, young mortal," the Sapphire Fowl chirped. "But from what I can tell, you're not exactly the same mortal, are you?"

Nao-Zai's ears tinged pink. The soldier seemed to be into burrowing crabs at the moment. "If you want to take it back, revive Xin-Wei," he muttered under his breath. "You can."

Heavy footsteps thumped on the sand. Even the waves sensed the overbearing presence that they stopped touching the shore for a second. "That's not wise, seeing as how you melded your korza with the Ivory Tiger's essence," Reol-Je interjected. It leaned down, its rough neck reminding Kai-Se of a dried-out gourd. "If we take it away, you'll cease to exist."

Kai-Se whirled to the Jade Tortoise. "What do you mean?"

Crimson eyes turned to him. In the brightness of the sunlight—it must have been early in the morning in Shinjien—they were dim. "The young m...I mean, Nao-Zai burned out any remaining thread of mortality in his system and has replaced it with the essence of a Divine Beast."

"We sensed it from the Divine Plane," Chai-Song added. It sidestepped the tortoise and folded its tail feathers. Kai-Se had never seen so grateful for the impromptu shade until it's gone. "A new Pillar is born. I never thought I'd witness it in my lifetime."

Kai-Se frowned. "Wait, you have lifetimes too?" he asked. "I thought you guys are immortal?"

"As you can see from Xin-Wei and Nao-Zai's case," Reol-Je replied. "We're nigh immortal but not invincible. And like the Immortal Fox and her kind, we can be reborn again and again as long as our essences exist."

"Are you saying I'm like Xin-Wei now, except I'm...me?" Nao-Zai scratched his head and crossed his legs against the sand, disturbing the flat expanse.

If birds could sigh, Chai-Song probably would in this scenario. The way they seemed to turn towards the Sapphire Fowl at every complicated turn of the conversation indicated they thought of it as some sort of well of knowledge. It's tired of having that connotation. Probably.

"Nothing and nobody can take your memory and identity from you," the fowl explained. Against the abundance of cerulean and teal around them, its dark blue feathers looked a tad out of place and contradicting—like a stick in a box of needles. "What you embodied is Divine power. Divine magic."

And Divine life too, it would seem.

Kai-Se elbowed Nao-Zai in the side. The soldier flinched. Without his lamellar, he's as vulnerable to surprise nudges as Kai-Se was. It's one thing to take note of, certainly. "Look at you being immortal now," he teased. "You've leveled up."

The pink tinge spread from Nao-Zai's ears down to his neck and cheeks. Nao-Zai had spent most of his life being Yomaura's darling soldier. What's he being abashed for? "I-It's not as cracked up as you think it to be," the soldier replied. "I mean...what would happen to me once you're old or something?"

"Which brings us to the Piper," Reol-Je lumbered closer to Kai-Se until the tortoise's shadow covered most of the sky in his vantage point. "You're not exactly far off."

Nao-Zai knitted his eyebrows. "Wait, for real?"

"You're a different kind of vessel too, in case you happened to forget," Chai-Song added. "If you've got an ignitable wick, you'd be outlasted by the rest of the spirits in your system. Of course, the Immortal Fox and her cohort made sure you'd live a comfortable life in caring for their future incarnations."

Kai-Se's gut twinged. "Wait," he raised a finger, turning to Nao-Zai and finding the same confusion marring his mind reflected back to him. "So that means..."

Reol-Je snapped its tapered lips and ran its claws over the sand. "We'll be seeing each other in the Divine Plane more often than not," it finished for him. "Make sure you bring the little ones."

It was Kai-Se's turn to blush.

"Hey, you alright?" Nao-Zai's tone was thick with amusement despite his question. "Who has leveled up now?"

Kai-Se pouted. "Shut up."

A beat passed. Two.

"We can help you forget," Chai-Song said, breaking the thickening silence around them. Save for the crashing sea a few meters from them, there was no one with them in this wide beach.

Kai-Se raised his gaze to the Sapphie Fowl, scrunching his face to avoid the sunlight from stinging his eyes. "Forget what?"

The side of Reol-Je's shell came beside Kai-Se's cheek so close it almost sliced a gash on his skin. "Your memories of your past lives," it said. "We are aware it can be quite a burden to carry for a long time."

Kai-Se glanced at Nao-Zai. The soldier edged back with a brief nod. It wasn't his decision and he knew it. It was Kai-Se's and no one else's. When he closed his eyes, the gruesome images, the regrets and grief, and the weight of unfulfilled dreams and unsaid words scarred his mind. If he's not careful, they could burst to the surface of his thoughts and take over. Reol-Je was right. It was a burden to carry—one he wasn't sure how long he could keep up with.

But at the same time, they were the reason why Kai-Se was sitting here at the beach with two Divine Beasts and his lover. It was because of Nao-Zai's past lives' choices that their present incarnation could stand next to Kai-Se, enjoying the life they couldn't.

In turn, the only thing Kai-Se could do for them, the only thing he could give to honor their sacrifice and celebrate their lives was to remember and keep doing so. He'd live his best life to the full and to whatever end waiting for him and Nao-Zai to fulfill the dreams they couldn't and absolve their regret and grief.

Think of it as penance. As gratitude.

So, Kai-Se faced the Divine Beasts and shook his head. "I'll keep them," he said. "That way, we'd have less room for regret and guilt."

"A word of advice, Piper," Reol-Je's claws scritched against the particles of sand as it turned away from the sea and back to Kai-Se. Tortoises weren't water animals, but sometimes, Kai-Se wondered if Reol-Je would float in the wide expanse if it willed. "Knowledge of the past is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, it can lead you to a bright future, but there will be times where it will trap you in the endless cycle of vindication."

Kai-Se turned to Nao-Zai and laid a hand over the soldier's. "We'll make sure it never comes to that," he said, flashing a weak smile at Nao-Zai.

The soldier squeezed his hand back, eliciting a quick hitch in Kai-Se's heart. He then turned to the Divine Beasts and opened his palm. A golden bead rested on it, driving a fresh wave of hushed silence over them.

"A gift," Nao-Zai laid the bead on the sand. Even the Divine Beasts' shadows shirked away from it. "Or maybe a curse."

Reol-Je closed its eyes. The bright crimson returned when it opened them again. Instead of stomping over the bead, it edged its head down and tapped its upper lip against it. In a flash of gold, the bead vanished, leaving behind wisps of red which then faded with the wind. "You have the Divine Plane's gratitude," the tortoise said. Against the sun, its jade carapace glinted and gleamed like polished porcelain. "I bid you farewell and wish you blessings upon blessings."

Chai-Song strutted next to them and gave them one peck each at the head. The sharp stab of pain against his scalp made Kai-Se think the fowl had just ripped a chunk of his hair. Nothing of the sort happened and the stabbing throb disappeared even before Chai-Song straightened. The bird regarded them with its beady brown eyes, its crown of blue feathers rising up.

"I shall remember this intriguing tale and force Dae-Zhang to listen to it for as long as they stay being the fourth Pillar," Chai-Song chirped—a little too happily for Kai-Se's comfort. Whoever Dae-Zhang was, they're bound for an earful. "We shall take our leave. The Divine Plane has been without its guardians for too long."

Kai-Se scooted back, matching Nao-Zai's spot as they watched the Divine Beasts began walking side-by-side, Within seconds, as they neared the lip of the forest, their forms shimmered against the sunlight. Then, a breeze rose from the sea, taking with it the remnants of what has been a blue fowl and a tortoise made of jade.

Just like that, it was Kai-Se and Nao-Zai again, with the rest of the world around them.

"Kai-Se, tell me honestly," Nao-Zai folded his legs up, resting his arms on his knees. The tattered ends of his trousers hung from his calves, reminding Kai-Se they needed to find new sets of clothes soon. The soldier glanced at him from his periphery. "How are the past lives affecting you?"

Kai-Se pursed his lips and trained his gaze into the line in the horizon where the sky and the sea became one. "It's horrifying most of the time, especially when I think about it," he said. "When I was in Han-Xi's...um, worlds, I lived their lives, felt their grief and all of their other emotions. I fell in love. I...died their deaths too."

"I doubt I'd be wholly fine after all that," he admitted. "There'd be nightmares, surely. Irrational fears. Bouts of restlessness and paranoia. It's...I'm not sure if I'm able to cover it all."

Nao-Zai laid his hand over Kai-Se's, lifting it from the carpet of sand. He dusted the particles off Kai-Se's skin, running circles with his thumb. "You're right about one thing," he said.

Kai-Se tightened his grip on Nao-Zai's hand. It's the only thing he needed to anchor himself to this present, to this lifetime. "Hmm?"

"We're deal with this as we go," Nao-Zai said. "And we'll do it together."

It should have been commonplace for them to throw cheesy lines like that between each other, but Nao-Zai never failed to make blood rise to Kai-Se's cheeks every time he chose to be sappy. "Tell me if I'm stepping out of the line," Nao-Zai continued. "And don't forget I just want the best for you, even if we have to disagree about what it could be most of the time. Because we will. I promise you that."

Kai-Se chuckled. "By any chance," he inclined his head to one side. "You don't have our entire life planned out, do you?"

"No," Nao-Zai said a little quickly. Then, he frowned. "I mean...yes. Maybe. I don't know."

At that, Kai-Se leaned over and claimed Nao-Zai's lips. His fingers dug against the back of his lover's hand as his grip on it tightened. Nao-Zai's hand, coarse with particles of sand riding with it, brushed against the side of Kai-Se's face. Something clinked in his hearing. A familiar sound.

His eyes widened, breaking their kiss to touch the earring dangling from his lobe. The added weight was both foreign and welcome. Nao-Zai gave him a knowing smile. "You haven't forgotten about the spirits, have you?" he asked.

Damn. When this all started, Kai-Se was the only one who had a sense of humor. Now, Nao-Zai had caught up, and if Kai-Se wasn't going to get better, his lover might even overtake him someday. Kai-Se would consider it his crowning achievement, though. Without him, Nao-Zai would still be the stern old-man soldier in a rigid fortress.

Which led him to start thinking of what could have been if he and Nao-Zai hadn't met in that fateful mission to Dansarun. Would Nao-Zai be in the Yomaura Fortress, leading one mission after the other? Would Kai-Se be stuck in his royal robes, getting pampered with tons of court ladies who could betray him at any moment?

Would the Xuijae Empire not fallen at all?

There's so many things that could have happened if they didn't meet, so many paths they could have taken, but somehow, the one leading to this spot in the beach was the one they both have taken. Was it fate? Was it a product of their choices? They would never know.

Things like that were best left to the heavens. Let them figure it out.

All Kai-Se have to do now was to make the best of it. Be as happy as he could with the life he and Nao-Zai had fought fangs and nail to achieve.

His earring flared to life and An-Ri's white strands popped to existence. "An-Ri," Kai-Se gasped. "Did you get taller?"

The spirit regarded him with her purple eyes. Unlike the round eyes he had grown used to, An-Ri gaze was squinted. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"An-Ri," Nao-Zai's tone turned stern, like a commanding general but softer. Like a...father, perhaps? "Where did you learn this behavior?"

The spirit threw her hair over her shoulder and began hovering off the ground. Her fenhai, which was torn and muddied a few hours ago, was back to being pristine white. Her ears stuck at the top of her head the same way her previous incarnation did. She was more or less An-Ri now, just without the thousand-year maturity.

"What's it to you?" the spirit answered, staring at Nao-Zai from head to toe. Then, she seemed to have lost some silent stare battle because she settled on the sand and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, Nao," she said, clearly resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "It won't happen again."

Kai-Se turned to Nao-Zai. "What did you do? An-Ri never listens to anyone, even to me."

His lover shrugged. "Divine powers, I guess?"

"Don't get cocky, Dad," An-Ri interjected, making Kai-Se blink. Dad? She jerked her chin at Kai-Se. "You too...Other Dad. There's no way you can keep waving your oh-so-special magic abilities at me."

While Kai-Se flashed looks of bewilderment, Nao-Zai reached out and clamped a hand on An-Ri's shoulder. "There's a lot of things you need to learn," he explained. "Kai-Se and I are going to teach you everything we know so you can live in harmony with the other spirits and the gods. Remember that our mission is still to help Shaoryeong return to its former health."

"Yeah, and you and the other spirits are key to that," Kai-Se interjected after he finally adjusted to the situation. "And consider this as our...no, my repayment for taking care of me all those years. Let me return the favor in the best way I know how."

An-Ri's purple eyes searched his, no doubt looking through her previous memories if she had retained any. Maybe it's something Kai-Se needed to teach her when her grasp of her korza had improved. How much had Nao-Zai gone through with An-Ri during the time he was gone?

Then, his earring flared once more. In their midst, they watched as another spirit formed from bright green blobs coalescing and surging with Shaoryeong's energy. When the light cleared, a child in a plain gray fenhai sat on the sand. Wide orange eyes stared back at them. Long, droopy ears hung from the sides of its head, complementing the shaggy bob of brown hair atop its head.

An-Ri blinked at the new child and exhaled. "Well, that's my cue to leave," she said. "Have fun with Kook-Sang."

Then, her entire form shimmered and flitted back to the earring. That's when the spirit began wailing. They were already in action, with Kai-Se snatching the child off the toasted sand and rocking it in steady sways. Nao-Zai rested a hand on Kai-Se's shoulder and ran a hand down the spirit's back.

"Did An-Ri just say this spirit's name is Kook-Sang?" Nao-Zai asked as the child yawned and tucked its head on the crook of Kai-Se's neck.

Kai-Se bobbed his head. "I think so, yeah," he said. "Looks like we're going to have our hands full with these. My memory is faulty, but I think he's also called the Celestial Hound."

"Would you like to hit the archives later?" Nao-Zai said. "Maybe we could study and prepare for whatever we're bound to encounter."

Kai-Se snorted. "Or maybe I could just tell them the stories from my own head," he said. "I'm a piper after all. Or have you forgotten that already?"

A smile picked Nao-Zai's lips up. "I could never," he said, planting a quick kiss against Kai-Se's cheek. "I'll go look for a place to stay the night."

He wasn't able to find one. The beach stretched on for miles, so did the forest. If they tried to tackle it now, they might encounter some unforeseen problems and complications. It's better to stay in the open for now.

But then again, Kai-Se didn't see why they would have to watch their backs now. He glanced at Nao-Zai who now stoked the fire to ward off the cold front blowing from the sea as soon as the night fell on them. Kook-Sang had retreated back to the earring a few hours ago and Nao-Zai had even caught a wild rabbit at the lip of the forest.

"So, what now?" Kai-Se wondered aloud. His lover looked up from the fire and patted the space beside him. Kai-Se stalked over and settled on his designated place.

Nao-Zai threw an arm across Kai-Se's shoulders. That immediately made him rest his head against his lover's chest. Kai-Se closed his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath—one he had held in dread for so long. "Are you in such a hurry to think about that?" Nao-Zai asked. "We have all time in the world."

"But the Tarakure and Noryeong clan don't," Kai-Se answered.

"Ah, so that's what's bothering you," Nao-Zai said, pressing his chin against Kai-Se's scalp. "We'll come back for them. Maybe we could instill them back to the throne? We have An-Ri and a multitude of spirits in our arsenal. It's bound to make even the stingiest noble prostrate themselves in reverence."

Kai-Se entertained the idea and took it a little further. "Or you could show up as the Ivory Tiger and roar our way to victory," he said. "That'd be a sight."

Nao-Zai's chuckle rumbled against Kai-Se's back. From there, he was able to feel his lover's heartbeat too. It's steady. Strong. And it beat for him and only him. "In all seriousness, though," he said. "Would you want to go back to Xuijae?"

"I'd rather be free," Kai-Se replied and left it at that.

The fire, if possible, burned a little brighter the moment a stray breeze brushed against it. Kai-Se relished in its warmth, enjoying the fact that it was just the heat, without magic or korza involved.

And it for the simplicity of these rare moments that he was living. Sometimes, it felt too much to ask to feel Nao-Zai's body against his, to have his fingers trail down Kai-Se's arms and back, to taste his lover even in dreams. It had been too much, but now, under the silence of the twinkling stars and the tranquil rays of the moon, Kai-Se understood it's just how things should be.

Nao-Zai started leaning back and before they knew it, they had their sides pressed against the sand and their chests to each other. Kai-Se sidled closer and pressed his forehead near Nao-Zai's heart. He'd never get tired of listening to its gentle pulses because it's proof of everything they've ever lived through. It's a testament to the trials they've survived, the worlds they visited, and the story they've had to tell.

For Nao-Zai, Kai-Se would cross any number of worlds, brave any waters, and survive through days of darkness if it meant he could be with him. The half of his heart, the fire of his life, and the love of a thousand lifetimes and more—it's all worth fighting for.

And to Kai-Se, this thing they shared, treasured, and cultivated—it's a privilege not given to many. To be able to choose who to give one's heart to, to lie under the stars with the barest of one's soul and destiny, it was a different kind of liberty. And after spending a long time changing one prison to another, Kai-Se finally knew.

This was freedom.