#tragiclove

[HAL Route / If you choose “Run Away”]

↓以下に、日本語翻訳版が続きます！！

Dinner time arrived, and I was seated across from Haru at the large dining table. He gazed straight at me with a dreamy expression.

HAL: “……***.”

Every time he called my name, a gentle sense of reassurance spread through my chest. He wasn’t the scary guy I’d met back then.

The leash that had once bound me to him was gone. I’m no longer treated like a pet.

……It means he sees me as his “girlfriend” now.

That’s why—…the HAL I know now would surely forgive me. That’s what I found myself thinking.

You: “HAL, I… I really want to go back to Earth.”

At those words, HAL stopped his hand mid-reach for his wine glass. He furrowed his brow slightly and glanced at me.

HAL: “Go back? …What’s wrong, ***? What are you unhappy about? Tell me. I’ll take care of everything.”

You: “It’s not that I’m unhappy… I just want to go home.”

HAL: “No way.”

He cut me off coldly, and I fell silent.

HAL: “I’ve told you this so many times. You can’t run away; you have no choice but to stay here quietly. We decided this together. So just give up and enjoy the moment.

Come on, let’s drop this. …Let’s get back to dinner. I had them prepare the dish you said you liked today, didn’t I?”

You: “HAL, but…”

HAL: “Shut up!!! Don’t make me angry… I’m begging you!”

BANG—!

He slams his fist on the table and screams, clutching his temples.

HAL: “I love you…! And yet you want to break up with me!? If that’s the case, there’s no way I’m going to let you! Were your words—‘I love you’ and ‘I like you’—just lies!?”

You: “No! They weren’t lies…!”

HAL: “Then why…! Are you testing me…!?”

His face twisted in pain, yet he still looked straight at me—and my heart ached sharply.

—LHA: “HAL’s brain resources are almost entirely consumed by his emotions, making it difficult for him to control himself.”

Suddenly, LHA’s words flashed through my mind.

Right now, he must be desperately holding back his anger. For my sake… and because of me.

Even so… I want to go home. I wonder why. Even though I love him… I felt something like a mission—or a sense of urgency—telling me I had to go back.

…Ever since I met that red-haired young man…

You: “I’m sorry… HAL…”

HAL: “……!!”

I sensed HAL gasp. I must have hurt him. I was too afraid to look at his expression, so I could only keep my head down and apologize.

The next moment—

You: “!!”

Suddenly, HAL leaped onto the table.

He, who had always valued manners so highly and hated getting dirty, was there with his shoes on. Crushing plates and kicking glasses aside, he walked toward me without a care.

And when he reached me, he forcefully pulled me close.

HAL: “…I won’t let you go.”

His eyes, different colors on each side, looked darker and cloudier than usual.

HAL: “I’ve finally got you. Stay by my side. …You’re leaving me? Talking back to me like that… You need a lesson.”

You: “…!”

His hand raised. He’s going to hit me…! Thinking that, I instinctively flinched.

…But the pain never came.

HAL: “…You really are a sly woman.”

A low, hoarse voice.

HAL: “Are you saying that knowing full well I can’t hit you? …Hey, that’s it, isn’t it?”

Slowly, he brought his face closer.

HAL: “…That’s how much you mean to me, how much I love you… Why can’t you understand that?”

He lowers his eyebrows sadly and, with the hand he’d raised, slowly and gently strokes my cheek.

HAL: “I trust you, so I didn’t think I needed a leash. I thought you felt the same way I do. But… I guess I was wrong.”

As his finger slowly slid from my cheek down to the nape of my neck, a sudden, sharp jolt of electricity shot through me. Everything went white before my eyes, and HAL caught me as I fell forward.

HAL: “I was wrong. I’ll keep you even more tightly enclosed so you won’t go anywhere, okay? Until then, just sleep for a little while.”

Feeling those words as if from a distance, I let go of consciousness… ーーー

―――

……When I woke up next, I found myself in a dark, cramped, and cold place.

On a hard floor. Completely naked, with handcuffs and shackles, and heavy chains wrapped around my body, I couldn’t move properly.

You: “Anyone…! Is anyone there!?”

My voice echoed hollowly, but there was no reply.

Overwhelmed by the sudden loneliness and sense of confinement, I instinctively curled up on the spot. The only thing that came to mind was his face…

――HAL, where are you…?!

HAL: “…Did you wake up?”

You: “…!”

Hearing that gentle voice, I instinctively tried to run toward him. But a solid barrier blocked my path.

By the light of the lantern he held, I finally understood. ――I was locked inside a cell surrounded by iron bars.

You: “Let me out of here…!”

HAL: “I’d like to let you out, too. …But this is a punishment. As long as you keep saying ‘I want to go home,’ I have no intention of letting you out.”

With a faint smile, HAL reached his hand through the bars and gently stroked my head.

HAL: “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. I’ll come visit you like this every now and then. Meals, bathroom breaks… I’ll take care of everything for you, okay? You’re my cute little pet cat, after all. It’s only natural, isn’t it?”

You: “…”

…I can’t find the words.

Am I really going to have to… keep living like this… in this place without light…?

HAL: “Are you scared? Seeing that frightened look on your face makes me want to protect you even more. …Hey, what do you think you should do?”

What should I do…?

You: “…Do you want me to say I won’t go back to Earth, that I’ll stay by your side, HAL…?”

HAL: “Haha… That’s right. You’re such a good girl. Don’t try to go back to Earth. Stay by my side. If you can just keep those two things in mind… I’ll give you anything.”

Slowly, he whispers sweetly.

HAL: “If you’ll say that, I’ll do anything for you. I’ll get you out of this place right away, wash your body with a warm shower… you’ll sleep with me at night, and I’ll wake you up in the morning. And I’ll comb your hair for you. I’ll get you as many dresses as you want, ones that suit you.

More than ever before… I’ll pamper you sweetly and lavishly.”

Saying that with a smile, HAL lifts my chin. And, through the iron bars, he kissed me.

HAL: “…Now, choose. I’ll respect your decision. Though I suppose there’s really only one answer you’ll give.

Besides… you can’t escape me. Not on your own… absolutely not.”

ここから、日本語版とちょっとした制作話が続きます！↓

From here, the Japanese version and a bit of behind-the-scenes development talk will follow!

Fan Changyu — This is where it broke 💔

You had always believed in kindness.

It was your nature—soft-spoken, warm, ever hopeful. Even in the coldest of places, surrounded by ruthless warlords and cruel soldiers, you had clung to the belief that there was good in the universe.

But then he had claimed you.

Frieza had taken you as his, not through love, not through consent, but because he wanted you. And in his mind, wanting something meant owning it. You were a prize, a pet, a delicate thing he could keep under his control.

The days in his grasp were suffocating. He was possessive, unpredictable, and terrifying. Yet, despite everything, despite the nightmares and the forced smiles, something beautiful came from the cruelty.

Kuriza.

The moment you held your son in your arms, his small body warm against yours, you knew—he was the only good thing to come from Frieza’s obsession. The only thing that mattered now.

---

Raising Kuriza in Frieza’s empire was like trying to protect a flickering candle in a hurricane. You wanted to give him warmth, to shield him from the monstrous world his father ruled with an iron fist.

"You spoil the boy," Frieza would say, amused as he watched you cradle Kuriza after he scraped his knee. "He needs to be strong, not coddled."

"He needs to be loved," you always countered, holding your son closer.

You sang him lullabies, taught him kindness, whispered to him about a world beyond war and destruction. When Frieza was away, you told Kuriza stories of peace, of friendship, of a future where he wasn’t feared but adored.

But Frieza knew.

---

Frieza was never one to let go of what was his. And you were his, just as much as Kuriza was.

"Do you think you can change him?" he asked one night, watching as you tucked your son into bed. "Do you think you can make him soft, like you?"

"I think I can make him better than you," you whispered.

Frieza only chuckled, a chilling sound, before cupping your chin with cold fingers.

"You’re adorable when you fight back, my dear," he mused. "But you forget—" he leaned closer, pressing a soft, deceptive kiss against your temple, "Kuriza is my son."

Your blood ran cold. Because deep down, you knew—no matter how much you tried to protect Kuriza from his father’s darkness, Frieza would always be there, waiting, shaping him into the heir he desired.

But you wouldn’t stop.

You would fight.

For Kuriza.

For the one piece of light in your frozen, caged world.

Masterpost

A Deep Dive into Their Twisted Connection of Love, Power, and Control.

The Beginning of the Obsession

When Hannibal first meets Will, he is intrigued—not by Will’s skill as a profiler, but by his vulnerability. Will's ability to empathize with serial killers allows him to understand their minds, but it also leaves him emotionally exposed. Hannibal, ever the manipulator, sees an opportunity to control and mold Will, drawing him into a world where love and violence are inseparable. For Hannibal, this is not just a bond with another person; it's an opportunity to create something perfect in his own image.

Will's Complicated Draw

Will’s side of the dynamic is equally complex. Initially, he sees Hannibal as a mentor—someone who can understand him, someone who is both detached from the world and yet oddly compassionate. However, as their relationship deepens, Will begins to feel the pull of Hannibal’s influence. There’s an attraction to the strength and power Hannibal exudes, but also a creeping fear that this man might be pushing him to the edge of madness. Will starts to see the darkness in himself that Hannibal has long seen, and it’s hard to resist the temptation of embracing it.

Love or Control?

The crux of their relationship is that Hannibal’s version of love is not about affection or mutual respect. It’s about control. For him, love is the act of possessing the other person completely—bringing them into his world, reshaping them until they are a reflection of him. This is evident in how he guides Will toward darker actions, encouraging him to embrace his darker impulses rather than running from them. He doesn’t want Will to just love him; he wants Will to become him.

Will, for his part, is both repelled and fascinated by Hannibal. There’s a part of him that resists—he knows that Hannibal’s love comes with dangerous strings attached—but there’s another part of him that longs to belong to someone so deeply. As the series progresses, Will becomes more and more intertwined in Hannibal’s web, until it becomes impossible to tell where Will ends and Hannibal begins.

Hannibal’s Love for Will

Despite his manipulative nature, Hannibal does have a form of love for Will—though it's not conventional. It's not the romantic love we're used to seeing, but something darker and more possessive.

Hannibal is attracted to Will’s vulnerability and complexity, seeing him as someone who is both fragile and capable of great darkness—a reflection of himself. His love for Will is deeply obsessive. He wants to mold Will, not just corrupt him, but also bring him into his world and make him his equal.This is why Hannibal continues to try and manipulate Will's emotions and decisions, often nurturing Will’s darker side (through their shared killings and manipulation) while also acting like a protective figure. He wants Will to see him as the only one who truly understands him and be with him in this twisted partnership.

Corrupting and Power

However, Hannibal's love for Will isn't without its ulterior motives. Part of his attraction is the idea of dominating Will's psyche and transforming him into his perfect partner—someone who shares his worldview and moral ambiguity. Hannibal wants control over Will, to shape him and bring him into his darkness, even if it means Will losing himself.In that sense, Will is both a subject of love and a canvas for Hannibal to work his influence on. It’s not just about corrupting for the sake of corruption; it’s about creating a bond that transcends normal love—one that makes Will Hannibal’s equal in every way, even if that means pushing him to the brink of madness.

Does He Truly Love Will?

Yes, in his own way, Hannibal does love Will. It’s just not the traditional kind of love. His affection is twisted, manipulative, and intense. He’s willing to destroy Will in order to have him by his side. But at the same time, it’s not all about power and control; there’s genuine care (even if it’s warped) and desire to be with Will, no matter what the cost.

The Ultimate Act of Possession

Hannibal views Will as his—a creation—and he sees killing him as a way to keep Will forever. The idea is that death would bond them in an eternal way, preventing Will from ever truly escaping him. It's a twisted version of love, where Will can never escape Hannibal, even in death.

Does He Love Will Enough to Let Him Live?

The key tension in their relationship is that Hannibal does love Will, but he loves him in a way that’s far from healthy. His love is about ownership and creating a perfect match, but it’s also about testing Will’s loyalty and pushing him to places of extreme psychological and emotional vulnerability. The question of whether Hannibal truly wants to kill Will is complicated because, on some level, he doesn’t want to lose him; but on another level, the act of killing him could solidify their bond in a way that Will could never escape.At the end of Season 2, it’s almost like Hannibal’s idea of love and possession becomes so intense that he’s willing to destroy what he loves in order to keep it. Will's survival, in his eyes, could be just as much of a test of his control as Will’s death.

The Tragic Beauty of Their Bond

Ultimately, their relationship is tragic because it represents a love that is not built on a foundation of mutual care or understanding, but on manipulation and obsession. There’s beauty in the way they connect—it’s raw, intense, and full of emotional depth—but it’s also deeply destructive. Neither character is ever able to fully break free from the other, and in the end, they are both consumed by their own need for each other.Their bond speaks to the darker side of human nature: the way we can become entangled with another person, even when we know that it will ultimately lead to our undoing. There is something hauntingly compelling about their connection—a love that exists in the gray area between passion and destruction, a dynamic where neither side can exist without the other.