The waves licked the blackened cliffs like whispered secrets, carrying smoke from the destroyed lab into the night sky. Isabella leaned against a jagged rock, drenched, exhausted, the saltwater and fire mixing on her skin.
Beside her, the copy Marco knelt, checking their escape route. "It's done," he said softly. "Project Eros is destroyed. No more files, no more tests, no more control."
She exhaled, trembling. "I… I hope it's finally over."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The tension hung like storm clouds above the sea. Then a shout echoed from the distance, cutting through the wind.
"Isabella!"
Her heart stopped. That voice—it was unmistakable. Strong, familiar, alive.
She turned, eyes wide. There, silhouetted against the burning horizon, was the real Marco. Mud-streaked, bruised, but very much alive. His storm-gray eyes found hers, and for a heartbeat, the world collapsed and expanded at the same time.
"Marco…" she breathed, stepping forward.
He ran to her, arms open, and she didn't hesitate. She threw herself into his embrace, holding on as if she'd been lost at sea and finally found land. Saltwater stung their faces, hair plastered to their skin, but none of that mattered. The real Marco held her like he'd never let go.
"I thought… I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, pressing her face against his chest.
"You're safe," he said, voice thick with emotion. "That's all that matters right now."
Tears slid down her cheeks. "I thought… someone else… someone pretending to be you—"
"Don't," he said gently, cupping her face. "That's over. Only us. Only this."
The storm raged around them, but for the first time since everything began, Isabella felt a fragile peace.
Marco kissed her then, softly at first, tasting the salt and the smoke on her lips, grounding her. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, memorizing the warmth that no copy, no memory, no experiment could ever replicate.
"I missed you," he murmured against her mouth.
"I missed you too," she said, her voice trembling with relief and passion.
They sank to the rocks, holding each other, letting the world blur around them. Every kiss, every touch, was a reclamation of what had been stolen—the stolen nights, the stolen trust, the stolen memories. Every heartbeat told them they were alive, real, and together.
Hours seemed to pass in minutes. The waves crashed below them, but they were insulated by the gravity of their reunion. Marco pulled her against him, forehead resting against hers.
"Promise me," he said softly, "no more secrets. No more lies. We face everything together."
Isabella smiled through the tears. "I promise. But Marco… the copy…"
Marco's hand tightened over hers. "He was never you. He was never me. Just a shadow of what they wanted us to be. But we—us—we're real. And that's enough."
She nodded, feeling the weight of every loss and betrayal lighten in his arms. "It is enough."
The night around them softened, rain easing into a gentle drizzle. Stars began to pierce through the storm clouds, distant but certain. Marco pressed another kiss to her forehead, then her lips, slower this time, savoring the moment as if it could last forever.
"I won't let anyone take you from me again," he whispered.
"You won't have to," she said, resting her head against his chest. "I'm staying right here. Always."
For the first time in months, they allowed themselves to just be. Not survivor and copy, not weapon and victim, not brother and shadow—they were Marco and Isabella, two hearts tethered through blood, fire, and storm.
Eventually, they pulled back, just enough to see each other clearly. Isabella's eyes glimmered with tears and saltwater. Marco brushed a strand of hair from her face, smiling faintly.
"We'll rebuild," he said. "Everything Matteo and they tried to destroy. Our lives. Our world. Together."
She nodded, leaning into him again. "Together."
And for the first time, the storm felt like a distant memory, not a threat—because they had each other. And whatever came next, whatever remnants of Project Eros lingered in the world, they would face it as one.
The sea below whispered, relentless and eternal, but tonight, the only sound that mattered was the steady beat of their hearts.