Her eyes widened.

For once, the terrifying woman who could casually cripple her own cousin looked genuinely speechless.

The hallway went silent.

Even Dickson forgot how to breathe.

Lilith stared at Liam for a heartbeat.

Two.

Then something in her expression softened instantly.

The anger vanished.

Her body relaxed against him.

And when she finally kissed him back, it wasn’t restrained in the slightest.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as she melted into his embrace.

It amazed Dickson every single time.

One second she was Satan.

The next, Liam could somehow turn her into putty.

Meanwhile, Liam opened one eye.

Dickson stood there staring like an idiot.

Liam subtly lifted his free hand.

Tap.

He smacked Dickson lightly on the back.

Then gestured.

Run.

Dickson blinked.

He looked at Liam.

Then at Lilith.

Then at Liam again.

Understanding dawned immediately.

His friend wasn’t just kissing Lilith.

He was buying him time.

A distraction.

A sacrifice.

Dickson nearly cried.

Brotherhood.

True brotherhood.

He immediately lifted both crutches.

Then paused.

The crutches made noise.

He glanced toward Lilith.

She remained completely occupied.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

Dickson placed the crutches under one arm.

Then he began tiptoeing away.

Without them.

Each step sent pain shooting through his battered body.

His face twisted violently.

Motherfucker.

It hurt.

Every step hurt.

But pain was temporary.

Lilith was forever.

He limped farther down the hallway, practically hopping on one foot while trying not to make a sound.

His expression alternated between agony and terror.

Don’t look back.

Don’t look back.

Don’t look back.

Several meters away, Dickson finally reached the corner.

He glanced behind him.

Liam still had Lilith occupied.

Dickson immediately clenched both fists.

Emotion welled up inside him.

You beautiful bastard.

He wiped away imaginary tears.

Then disappeared around the corner as fast as his broken body could manage.

Back in the hallway, Lilith finally pulled away slightly.

Her cheeks carried the faintest hint of warmth as she looked up at Liam.

"What was that for?" she asked softly.

Liam smiled innocently.

"No reason."

Lilith narrowed her eyes.

Then slowly turned toward where Dickson had been standing.

Silence.

"...Where’s my cousin?"

Liam blinked once.

Then twice.

He looked around theatrically.

"Huh."

"That’s weird."

Lilith stared at the empty hallway.

Then slowly turned back toward Liam.

Her beautiful smile returned.

It was absolutely terrifying.

"Liam."

"Yeah?"

"You helped him escape, didn’t you?"

Liam looked offended.

"What kind of man do you think I am?"

Lilith’s eyes narrowed.

"The kind that would kiss me to save an idiot."

Liam coughed.

"...That’s very specific."

Lilith took one step closer.

Then another.

"You know," she said sweetly, "since I can’t beat him up right now..."

Her fingers slowly wrapped around Liam’s wrist.

"...Perhaps I should take out my frustrations elsewhere."

Liam stared down at her.

Then smiled.

Somewhere far away, Dickson sneezed violently.

He didn’t know why.

But deep in his soul...

He had a feeling Liam had just inherited all of his problems.

*****

Liam knocked on the door to Dickson’s room.

Bang. Bang.

"Hey, open the door, idiot."

A few seconds later, the door cracked open.

Dickson stood there with his neck brace, one hand gripping his crutch, looking around nervously before finally settling his eyes on Liam.

"What?" he whispered urgently. "Did she send you back? Is she outside?"

Liam walked straight into the room without answering.

"Follow me."

Dickson blinked.

"Huh?"

"I said follow me."

The serious expression on Liam’s face made Dickson stop asking questions. He immediately limped after him, crutches clicking against the floor as Liam headed toward the large window.

Dickson frowned.

He still had absolutely no idea what was happening.

One minute Liam had been saving him from Lilith.

The next minute, he was dragging him into his hotel room and marching toward the window like a man possessed.

Liam stopped in front of the glass and looked over his shoulder.

"Drop the crutches."

"...What?"

"Drop them."

Dickson stared at him.

Then realization slowly dawned on him.

His eyes widened.

Could it be...

His face immediately lost all color.

"L-Lilith?"

Liam ignored the question entirely.

"Quickly."

Without hesitation, Dickson threw the crutches aside.

The fear of getting caught by Lilith was stronger than whatever confusion he felt.

The two rushed toward the window together.

Liam opened it.

Cold wind rushed into the room.

The city stretched beneath them.

Dickson walked closer to the edge and looked down.

"...Liam."

"Yeah?"

"We’re really high up."

"I know."

Dickson swallowed.

"...You sure about this?"

Liam smiled.

"Jump."

"..."

"..."

"Jump?"

"You heard me."

For half a second, Dickson stared at him like he’d completely lost his mind.

Then...

He jumped.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

His scream echoed through the air as gravity claimed him instantly.

Liam jumped after him.

At almost the exact same moment...

The hotel room door exploded open.

Lilith rushed inside.

Her beautiful face twisted with irritation as her eyes landed on the abandoned crutches.

For one brief second...

Silence.

Then...

"...Those bastards."

She sprinted toward the window.

Her head popped outside just in time to see two figures plummeting through the air.

Far below.

Dickson screamed loud enough to wake the entire city.

Liam looked upward.

Their eyes met.

Even from that distance...

Lilith could clearly see the smug grin spreading across Liam’s face.

He actually had the audacity to blow her a kiss.

"You..."

Before she could finish...

Brilliant white wings exploded from Liam’s back.

Boom.

The force alone disrupted the falling air around them.

He shot downward like a meteor before grabbing Dickson by the arm.

The momentum shifted instantly.

Instead of crashing into the streets below...

They soared.

The city beneath them became nothing more than a sea of lights.

Normal people who happened to glance upward only saw a blur streaking across the sky.

Too fast.

Too impossible.

But Lilith saw them clearly.

Standing at the window with her arms folded tightly beneath her chest, her sharp eyes tracked the two disappearing figures until they vanished beyond the horizon.

Her jaw tightened.

"...Damn bastards."

A second later...

The irritation faded.

A small smile appeared instead.

"...Come back soon, baby."

Meanwhile...

Far away from the hotel...

Dickson spread both arms.

The rushing wind whipped against his face.

The city lights sparkled beneath them like stars scattered across the earth.

He forgot about his injuries.

Forgot about the neck brace.

Forgot about the pain.

Forgot about Lilith.

His eyes widened with childlike wonder.

"...Holy shit."

Liam glanced sideways.

Dickson’s expression looked genuinely amazed.

His friend slowly lifted his head toward the endless horizon.

"So this..."

His voice became quieter.

"...This is what you experience every time you fly?"

Liam smiled.

"Pretty much."

Dickson looked down.

Cars moved like tiny insects beneath them.

People became dots.

Buildings transformed into toy blocks.

Above them...

Only the endless sky stretched outward.

He laughed.

Then laughed harder.

Eventually...

He threw his head back.

"Hahahaha!"

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"You alright?"

"No!"

Dickson yelled.

"This is insane!"

He spread his arms even wider.

"The wind..."

His eyes sparkled.

"The view..."

He inhaled deeply.

"...The freedom."

For the first time in a long while...

Dickson looked completely carefree.

Liam watched him quietly.

Then...

A mischievous smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Oh?"

Dickson noticed immediately.

"...Why are you smiling like that?"

Liam didn’t answer.

Instead...

He suddenly changed direction.

They shot upward.

Fast.

Very fast.

The city rapidly disappeared beneath them.

Clouds rushed past.

The air grew colder.

Dickson’s laughter turned into confusion.

"Liam?"

Higher.

"Liam."

Even higher.

"LIAM!"

Before Dickson could react—

Liam let go.

"...Eh?"

For one suspended moment...

Everything stopped.

Dickson stared blankly at Liam.

Liam smiled.

Then shoved him forward.

Boom!

Dickson flew through the sky.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream lasted approximately two seconds.

Then...

"...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

He wasn’t screaming from fear anymore.

He was laughing.

Loudly.

Uncontrollably.

Without Liam holding him, he shot through the clouds freely.

The force from Liam’s throw carried him across the heavens.

His injuries protested.

His body hurt.

His neck brace felt ridiculous.

But none of that mattered.

For these few moments...

He was flying.

Actually flying.

He stretched both arms outward.

Cold air rushed past him.

Clouds brushed against his skin.

He tilted sideways.

Then forward.

Then backward.

Trying to balance himself.

Trying to understand the sensation.

Liam flew alongside him calmly.

Dickson’s laughter echoed through the sky.

Eventually...

The force behind Liam’s throw began weakening.

The sensation of weightlessness slowly disappeared.

Gravity returned.

Dickson started falling.

Liam immediately moved closer.

He reached out.

But before he could grab him—

"DON’T!"

Liam blinked.

Dickson looked toward him.

His eyes burned with excitement.

His grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Leave me!"

He spread his arms wide.

"Let’s fall!"

Liam stared at him.

Dickson laughed loudly.

"Come on!"

The clouds rushed around them.

Dickson’s voice echoed through the heavens.

"LET’S FALL FREELY!"

For a brief moment...

Liam simply looked at his best friend.

Then...

A grin spread across his own face.

"...You’re crazier than I thought."

Dickson laughed harder.

"You’ve known me for years! How are you only figuring that out now?!"

The two figures dropped from the sky together.

One laughing like a madman.

The other smiling.

Above them stretched the endless sky.

Below them glittered the earth.

And between heaven and earth...

Two idiots embraced the terrifying, exhilarating freedom of simply falling.