After the Memory Merge
The Mirror Lotus elixir had faded, but the aftershocks lingered.
Selene sat quietly beside Lucien in the moonlit chamber, her fingers still loosely tangled with his.
Selene's Thoughts
I remember fragments.
Not everything. Not enough.
But enough to know she wasn't his enemy.Not truly.
And enough to know the pain was real.
Lucien's Burden
Lucien's golden eyes locked onto hers.
He didn't dare speak first.
If he said the wrong word, he might break whatever fragile connection they'd managed to rebuild.
But Selene surprised him.
She whispered, "Do you… still love me?"
Lucien's throat tightened.
"I never stopped."
A Fragile Peace
For now, the political war between the Valeburne and Aurelian houses would slow.
Not stop.
But pause.
Because love and power were still colliding beneath the surface, and both Selene and Lucien knew they couldn't afford another mistake.
The Pact
Selene spoke softly, her voice barely audible.
"Lucien, if I forget you again… if Evelyne's spell pulls us apart—"
Lucien squeezed her hand.
"Then I'll find you again."
Her eyes shimmered.
"And if you forget me?"
Lucien's gaze hardened with quiet resolve.
"I won't."
But the World Moves On
The next morning, the nobles of Aerthrial gathered in the palace courtyard.
Both the Valeburne and Aurelian banners flew side by side again—for now.
But behind the scenes?
New alliances brewed.Assassins sharpened blades.The Eastern Council whispered new plans.
And Evelyne Greymoor?
She prepared her final spell for this cycle—a binding ritual called the Crimson Veil, meant to trap Selene and Lucien's souls in eternal separation.
If she succeeded, they would never reincarnate again.
In Private – Lira's Concern
Lira found Selene alone that night, staring at the twin moons.
"Are you alright?" Lira whispered.
Selene smiled faintly.
"No."
Her crimson eyes flickered.
"But I'm going to fight for him anyway."
Alaric's Warning
At the same time, Alaric cornered Lucien in the war room.
"You're risking too much," Alaric warned. "If you choose her over politics, the Aurelian line could fall."
Lucien's golden eyes narrowed.
"Then let it fall."
A New Beginning
That night, Selene and Lucien met once more beneath the Moon Tree, just like the night of the coming-of-age ceremony.
But this time?
They didn't stand apart.
They held each other, foreheads pressed together beneath the twin moons.
Not lovers fully.Not enemies anymore.
Just two souls trying to rewrite fate.
The Cycle Continues
Above them, the crimson and gold moons shifted in the sky.
The first arc of the cycle had ended.
But the true tragedy?
Was just beginning.