CHAPTER LXXX
Caelum's POV:
One Year Later
This morning felt different.
The sunlight pouring through the window seemed warmer, brighter. Everything around me felt beautiful, peaceful... as if the world itself had finally found its happiness.
Maybe it was because of...
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.
A soft smile appeared on my lips.
"Oh, Celeste... I've been waiting for this hug."
I turned around and gently brushed my fingers through her silky hair, savoring the comforting touch that had become my favorite feeling in the world.
"Cele... I'm sorry."
I looked into her eyes, my voice filled with concern.
"Lylah, you know, don't you? You're no longer going to be a fairy. You're about to become a normal human. Have you really thought this through?"
Celeste looked up at me and smiled, a smile so full of love that it made my heart ache.
"Cael," she said softly, "if I want to stay with you... if I want to spend the rest of my life surrounded by happiness with you... then I have to leave Fairyland."
Her gaze drifted for a moment before returning to mine.
"They call it Fairyland... but for me, it has always felt like a cage."
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms tightly around me, resting her head against my chest.
I could feel her warmth.
Her heartbeat.
The way she held onto me as if letting go was no longer an option.
"Cael," she whispered, tightening her embrace, "I want to spend my entire life with you. We've faced so many challenges... so many hardships. But now everything is alright."
A gentle breeze passed between us, but neither of us moved.
"Now we're together," she continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "And I don't want to lose you ever again."
I held her closer, my hand resting protectively against her back.
In that moment, nothing else mattered.
Today, Lylah is by my side.
But there was once a time in my life when I had completely made up my mind to let her go.
Even now... Lylah knows nothing about it.
The memory lingered in the back of my mind as I sat lost in thought.
Before I could sink any deeper into those old memories, Lylah's gentle voice pulled me back to the present.
"Are we going to Ethan's wedding?" she asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes. "After the wedding, he'll be returning to Fairyland... and everyone else will be going back with him too."
I couldn't help but smile at the excitement shining in her eyes.
"Of course," I replied softly. "We'll definitely be there."
The moment those words left my lips, her entire face lit up with happiness.
Without warning, she leaned closer and pressed a sweet kiss against my lips.
Time seemed to pause for a second.
Her lips were still just as soft as I remembered them to be, the same warmth, the same tenderness that never failed to make my heart race.
When she pulled away, I noticed the faint blush spreading across her delicate pink lips, turning them a beautiful shade of red.
And just like every other time, the sight alone made me want to pull her back into my arms and kiss her again.
To lose myself in that warmth.
To forget everything else.
But unfortunately, I didn't have that luxury today.
Finnian had asked for my help with something important, and I couldn't keep him waiting.
Reluctantly, I brushed a strand of hair behind Lylah's ear and smiled.
"I have to go."
A hint of disappointment flickered across her face, but she nodded understandingly.
After saying goodbye, I gave her one last look, wanting to memorize the happiness shining in her eyes before I left.
Then I stepped outside, and Flash immediately flew to my side as if he had been waiting for me all along.
Together, we set off toward our destination.
As I walked away, I could still feel the lingering warmth of Lylah's kiss on my lips.
And somehow, even with the distance growing between us, it felt as though a piece of her was still right there beside me.
As I walked down the quiet road, something felt... wrong.
The morning breeze still lingered in the air, and everything around me appeared peaceful.
Too peaceful.
A strange sensation crawled down my spine.
It felt as though someone was watching me.
Following me.
I stopped walking and glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing.
The path behind me was completely empty.
For a moment, I considered the possibility that it was only my imagination. Maybe I was being paranoid.
But the feeling refused to disappear.
In fact, it grew stronger with every step I took.
Someone was there.
I was certain of it.
My eyes narrowed.
Without warning, I spun around.
At the same instant, dark magic surged from my fingertips.
The air rippled violently.
A shadow hidden within the empty space suddenly froze as invisible chains of magic wrapped around it.
The figure struggled.
Caught.
A cold smile slowly appeared on my lips.
Celeste-Lylah-believed I had left my past behind.
She believed I had lost everything connected to my old life.
But she had forgotten one important thing.
I wasn't just a fairy.
I was also a devil.
The trapped shadow trembled before speaking.
"Caelum... the King has summoned you."
My expression remained unreadable.
"The King wishes to name you the successor of the Black Magic Realm."
The shadow lowered its head.
"He knows that no matter how hard anyone tries, the goodness and honesty hidden within a devil can never truly be awakened. He knows what you are."
A chilling silence followed.
"He also knows," the messenger continued, "that you will come."
For several moments, I said nothing.
Then a dangerous smile spread across my face.
The kind of smile that made even darkness itself hesitate.
"Go back," I said quietly.
The shadow stiffened.
"And tell the King this..."
My crimson eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"I will come."
A gust of wind swept through the road.
"But not yet."
My voice turned cold.
"After Ethan's and Finnian's wedding is over, I'll visit the Black Magic Realm myself."
The shadow nodded immediately.
Then my expression darkened.
One final warning.
"And make sure of one thing."
The air around me suddenly became heavy with power.
"Lylah must not learn anything about this."
Not a single word.
Not a single clue.
Because the moment she discovered the truth hidden inside me...
Everything I had fought to protect could come crashing down.
The shadow vanished instantly.
Silence returned to the road.
As if nothing had happened.
To be continue...