(Southern Forest, Midnight)
Eyan held the small glowing artifact toward her.
"Here… take it. It's dark. This will give you light."
Sia shook her head gently.
"There is no need, Your Majesty. I can see well in the dark."
"Take it," he insisted — softer, but leaving no room for refusal.
She hesitated… then accepted it.
"Thank you."
She bowed and turned away.
Her figure began to fade into the blackness between the trees.
Eyan turned in the opposite direction.
A few steps.
Then he stopped.
His gaze fell on the pit she had dug.
"I should fill this…" he murmured.
"What if some animal falls into it…"
He exhaled.
"But it's late… Leo must be waiting…"
He rubbed his temple tiredly.
"…I should call her back for help."
He turned again.
"Lad—"
At that exact moment…
She activated the artifact.
Soft golden light bloomed around her.
And time shattered.
Green.
A simple green dress moving with the wind.
Red.
A red cloak swaying like a memory he had buried but never escaped.
His chest tightened violently.
His breath vanished.
His voice broke into a whisper that sounded like prayer… like pain.
"…Eva."
His body moved before his mind could command it.
He rushed forward.
And wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Tightly.
Desperately.
As if the world would end if he let go.
Sia froze.
His arms trembled around her waist.
His face lowered into the fabric of her cloak.
He inhaled deeply.
Her scent.
Warm… real… alive.
It's you…It's really you…
His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Eva…
"Your Majesty… what are you doing—"
He turned her around.
His fingers — shaking — came up to cup her face.
Her hood hid her eyes.
But her lips…
He could not stop himself.
He kissed her.
Not with force.
Not with lust.
But with aching love.
With longing that had waited in silence for years.
With the fear of losing her again.
Sia's eyes widened in pure shock.
The artifact slipped from her hand.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
What is he doing…?
Her mind screamed. Panic rose like fire in her veins.
She pushed back and clamped her hand over his mouth.
Anger burned hot and violent.
"Your Majesty — have you gone insane?!"
He grabbed her wrist gently but firmly… moving her hand away.
Before she could react —
He kissed her again.
Deeper.
As if trying to reach her soul.
He stepped forward… pushing her back.
Her back hit a tree.
Still he did not stop.
His heartbeat thundered against his ribs.
Don't disappear again…
Don't leave me again…
But her heart was not trembling with love.
It was roaring with rage.
Her fist tightened.
This bastard…
She shoved him hard.
Then—
THAK!
Her forehead crashed into his.
Pain exploded behind his eyes.
He staggered… dropping to one knee.
Before he could even breathe —
SLAP!
Her hand struck his face brutally.
His vision blurred.
She lifted her knee and drove it straight into his face.
He fell back onto the forest ground.
Leaves crushed beneath him.
The taste of iron filled his mouth.
Sia stood over him… shaking with fury.
"You shameless man!" she spat.
"I trusted you… I thought you were different!"
Her voice broke — not with weakness… but with blazing anger.
"But you are just like the rest of them!"
Sia kicked his foot hard — fury burning through every nerve — then turned and ran out of the forest.
Her red cloak vanished between the trees like a wounded flame fleeing the night.
Behind her…
Eyan lay on the cold ground.
His lips trembled — stained with blood where her knee had struck him.
His cheek burned from the brutal slap.
A dull throbbing pain spread across his forehead where their heads had collided.
For a few seconds he simply stared at the dark sky above him.
Then he rose sharply.
His hand came up… touching his swollen lip… his aching face.
I always dream of kissing Eva…
Every single night…But i never feel pain in my dreams.
His head spun.
"…Why does it hurt so much tonight…?"
Then—
Realisation struck him like lightning.
His breath hitched.
"…This is not a dream."
Silence.
Then he laughed.
A broken… breathless… almost mad laughter that trembled with unshed tears.
"She's alive…"
The words left his mouth like a miracle he was afraid would vanish if he didn't say it aloud.
"She's alive…!"
He pushed himself forward and broke into a desperate run.
Branches whipped past him.
Leaves crushed under his boots.
"EVA!"
he shouted into the night.
________________________________
(Velmoria Market — Stone Road, Past Midnight)
Sia ran through the empty marketplace.
Shops were shuttered. Lanterns extinguished.
Only the echo of her own footsteps followed her.
Her chest burned.
Her lips still tingled — swollen… bruised.
Her anger refused to cool.
"That damned Emperor…" she muttered breathlessly. "All that talk about respecting women… hating such men…"
Her hand came up to wipe her mouth harshly.
"And still he forced himself on me in the dark…"
She spat to the side in disgust.
"Disgusting…"
Then—
A voice rang out from behind her.
"EVA—!"
She slowed instinctively… then looked back.
Eyan was running toward her at full speed.
Laughing.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
But wildly… joyfully… like a man who had lost his sanity.
Sia stared in disbelief.
"That madman…" she muttered.
"Calling his wife's name while chasing another woman…"
Her eyes narrowed.
"He's completely crazy."
She doubled her speed. "If he touches me again… I swear I will break his Royal jewels."
Behind her —
Eyan ran harder.
His lungs burned.
His vision blurred.
But happiness flooded him like sunlight after years of darkness.
Princess… when did you learn to run this fast…?
He laughed again. "I can't keep up…"
He tilted his head toward the sky as he ran — breathless, ecstatic.
"YOU RUN SO FAST, MY LOVE!" he shouted.
Sia nearly stumbled from shock.
My love…?
Her jaw tightened.
"What did he just say…?" she hissed. "Psychopath. Go call your wife that."
And she ran faster still —
while behind her a king chased a ghost he believed had finally returned to him.
__________________________________
(Velmoria — Forked Road Near the Palace, Midnight)
Sia ran like the night itself was chasing her.
Her breath came sharp… fast… burning her lungs.
Without slowing, she took a sudden turn to the right — toward the towering silhouette of the Royal Palace.
"I need to get inside the palace… at any cost…" she whispered to herself.
Her red cloak fluttered once… twice… then her figure slowly dissolved into the darkness of the stone road.
Moments later—
Eyan reached the same turning.
He stopped abruptly.
Chest heaving.
Heart pounding like a war drum.
"…Where did she go?"
His eyes darted to the right.
That road led straight to the Royal Palace.
Then he turned his head to the left.
That path…
Led to the old house.
The house where he and Eva had once lived together.
Where laughter had existed…
Where love had been real.
Panic rose violently inside him.
"Where should I go…?"
He stood frozen between two lives.
His fingers curled into his hair.
"Think, Eyan… think carefully… don't make a mistake…"
His heartbeat thundered so loudly he could barely hear the night.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Eva's smiling face.
Her soft voice.
Her hand tugging at his sleeve playfully.
"Honey… let's go home."
His lips trembled.
"Home…" he whispered. "…But which home…?"
Confusion twisted into fear.
What if he chose wrong?
What if he lost her again?
Then suddenly—
Another thought struck him.
Like dawn breaking through storm clouds.
"…Leo."
His eyes widened.
"She will go where our son is."
A slow smile spread across his face — filled with wild hope.
He looked toward the palace road again.
"Leo, my boy…" he breathed. "Your mother is coming to you."
And without another second of hesitation —
Eyan broke into a run. Straight toward the Royal Palace.
Toward the place he had once called duty…
And now…
toward the place he prayed would become home again.
.
.
To be continued—