CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105 UNDER THE MOONLIGHT II

What was he seeing??

Xylander stood rooted at that spot and couldn’t move—the sight before him was beyond beautiful. Daniel was seated, and gathered around him were fireflies—those tiny creatures that never came close to humans. Yet whatever Daniel was doing, it seemed to draw them in, and he looked like one of those heavenly beings right now.

He clasped a palm over his mouth, trying not to make a noise as he watched. Daniel didn’t know someone was watching him; he was standing there, expecting the others to join, unaware that he had drifted away from the rest.

While waiting, he decided to keep his mind busy—and those fireflies became his companions. With a species like that, slowly going extinct, it was a miracle they were there at all.

Snap!!

The breaking of a twig startled Daniel, and he turned immediately, smiling when he saw it was Xylander.

"You all left me alone here, but come closer—quietly, this is so beautiful." Daniel’s voice carried excitement, like that of a young child surprised with their favorite toy. He felt alive, surrounded by the beauty of nature, and could feel himself slowly brightening inside. But beyond that, he wanted to share the joy of his discovery with his companions—and thank goodness, his husband was close.

Xylander tiptoed closer, careful not to disturb the gathering of fireflies. When he knelt beside Daniel, he watched in awe as they flew gracefully around him, forming a glowing circle above his head.

"Just as I thought—these are shy creatures," Xylander murmured, still wondering how Daniel had managed not to scare them away but attract so many instead.

Daniel clasped his hands together, facing him with a smile.

"It’s how you treat them. Sometimes, we don’t know the true nature of things until we experience them ourselves. That’s why humans often misjudge."

By the time they finished watching the little display, the fireflies began to drift upward into the night sky, forming yellow dots that joined together in different shapes—it was breathtaking.

"Look! I just saw a unicorn," Daniel exclaimed, clapping his hands with delight.

Xylander followed his gaze, but all he saw was a horse—no horn, no mythical glow, just an ordinary animal like the ones in the zoo. Still, he couldn’t ruin Daniel’s fun, so he smiled and went along.

"Wow, what a cute animal," Xylander chimed in, and Daniel’s smile broadened. Seconds later, the fireflies departed, vanishing into the dark sky.

Sigh.

Daniel wished his childhood had been as fun as this moment. He’d missed so much back then—never had fun, never played with others. His days were filled with the arduous tasks his father forced on him to "make him a man." His father wanted him to grow muscles, to stop his feminine steps that came involuntarily—not that Daniel made himself that way.

His brother, older by just a year, lived a much better life, treated differently while Daniel felt like an outcast. Whenever he tried to play, he was locked inside a room filled with heavy blocks and made to lift them. Once, he collapsed from exhaustion, but Alessandro left him there.

"You pretender! When you’re done lying, you’ll stand and continue your task," his father had barked before leaving him unconscious.

When Daniel finally woke up, his sister was there with food. She comforted him, telling him one day his life would turn into a fairytale.

He had laughed at that—fairytale against reality? An omega like him, in a male-dominated world? Ridiculous. He might as well have been dead. But his precious sister believed in him—until that horrendous accident that scarred her face.

After that, she blamed him, called him cursed, and cut all ties. From then on, Daniel battled his pain alone. But now, for once, it seemed everything was changing—he was having fun, real fun.

Emotions welled in his heart, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. He sniffed, pushing them back.

"You look lost... anything you’d like to share?" Xylander asked softly. He wanted Daniel to feel safe—to know he was there, always, and wouldn’t leave.

Daniel didn’t know where to begin. Xylander had no clue about who he truly was; only fragments were known, thanks to Alex who had shared a few details.

"I feel like I don’t know my husband," Xylander admitted. "Alex told me you’re afraid of the dark—something I never knew. I want to get to know you better, Daniel. Will you let me in?"

Draven wanted to know him better too, same with Alex—and now Xylander. Didn’t they understand that being secretive had always protected him from life’s harshness? And now they wanted him to open up, but he wasn’t ready.

"What else is there to know? I’m a boring person, Xylander. Nothing interesting ever happens in my life," Daniel said, trying to brush it off.

"Don’t say that. You’re far from boring—fascinating, actually," Xylander replied.

"What made you cross paths with that despicable being Adrian? How are your parents? Why didn’t they come for you?" Xylander’s tone softened as his hand moved to cup Daniel’s chin gently. "Don’t be scared, little bunny. One thing I’m good at is listening. Say all you want."

Daniel stood, staring blankly into space. His parents—the memories—were too painful to speak of.

"Forgive me, Xyle... I can’t. I just can’t say it." His voice trembled with guilt. He was beginning to care for Xylander deeply, maybe even adore him, but some things he couldn’t share.

Xylander’s face fell. He had thought Daniel was finally opening up. This game of love felt lost because he couldn’t see any hope of progress.

"It’s fine," he said quietly. "I just thought I could share in your dreams and help you make them real—to help you grow. But maybe trust is something we haven’t built yet. I’ve failed you, Dan."

He turned away, eyes glistening with tears that refused to fall. Love had changed him, and now he wanted to cry because of it. The pain was unbearable.

"Xyle... about my dreams," Daniel began softly. "When I turned seven, I discovered something I loved—writing. It purged my emotions and made them real. That’s when my father’s hate began. He said I was too feminine for his liking."

Xylander turned back, listening intently.

"I didn’t let it bother me at first," Daniel continued. "But it grew worse when my father caught me writing. I was ten. He read my manuscript and what did he do?" Daniel’s eyes hardened.

"I don’t know," Xylander murmured.

"Of course you don’t," Daniel said bitterly. "He said writing was for useless females trying to rebel against society. Men shouldn’t write, he said. Then he gathered all my work and burned it to ashes."

The memory burned as fresh as the day it happened—the slap, the beating with a leather belt. Daniel could still see himself crying in the bathroom all night, refusing to come out, until his mother visited.

That was when he thought she was on his side.

"I gave up writing," he said quietly. "Then my other talent resurfaced—music. My voice was so good they said it could land my father a high-paying contract. I was his tool. I wanted to prove I could be a superstar... but I failed. Something happened that day, something terrible that made his hatred grow ten times worse."

FLASHBACK

"You’re never good at anything! How could you let him win after all I spent on your training?" Alessandro roared, grabbing a cow whip.

Daniel trembled. "It’s not like that, Dad—someone drugged me, I feel like I was abused, I don’t know—"

The whip landed on his back, and Daniel screamed in pain.

"I’ll make you a man, Daniel! From now on, you’ll stay in that closet until you learn to be one!" Alessandro shouted, dragging him like a sack of grain and throwing him into the dark space.

Daniel clawed at the door, begged, cried, screamed—but no one came. And it continued like that until he turned numb.

PRESENT...

Xylander couldn’t control himself anymore. He rushed forward and pulled Daniel into a tight embrace.

As they held each other, Daniel noticed Alexander and Draven nearby—they had been listening the whole time, their eyes filled with emotion. They ran to him too, wrapping him in their arms until he almost couldn’t breathe.

"It’s alright," Draven said fiercely. "What you suffered was inhumane. Your father was a beast."

The four of them stayed that way, eventually lying back on the blankets, staring at the half-moon above. Daniel lay in the middle, their hands entwined around him. Each was lost in his own thoughts, his own scars.

"Daniel," Xylander whispered, tightening his grip on Daniel’s hand, "we’ll always be by your side—till the end of time."