— A Meeting Across Centuries —
After resting through the afternoon, Selene and I set out for the Blackwood residence as dusk settled. She wished to see Elena one last time, and I didn't stop her—after all, we'd already faced the worst together.
"Really? Oh, thank goodness!" Edward cut in, words tumbling out.
"You've no idea what these days have been like—waiting, hoping you'd return... I thought—well, I was afraid you might not."
Any relief I felt vanished at his tone.
"If you have nothing useful to say, be quiet," Margaret snapped, shooting him a sharp glare.
A little past nine, I entered Adrian's room. He lay unconscious, thinner and paler than when I last saw him.
Shortly after midnight, Selene glanced around and whispered, "Rhan, where's Elena? When will she come?"
"She's already here." I gestured toward Adrian's faintly trembling form.
Selene gasped as Adrian's body slowly pushed itself upright on the bed.
"But... how can he sit up? I thought he was too weak—"
"That's not Adrian. It's Elena now."
"What?" Selene stared, disbelieving.
The figure turned toward us, and her eyes—Elena's eyes—lit up when they met mine. "Mr. Arcturus, you've returned."
I acknowledged her, studying the frail vessel. Even through Adrian's features, I could feel the weariness of her spirit. "These past days... have been hard for you."
"It's nothing, now that you're back." Her gaze drifted to Selene. "And this is...?"
Before I could answer, Elena's expression softened with recognition. "I see. This lovely lady must be your intended—your fiancée? She's beautiful."
Selene flushed, and our eyes met briefly.
"She's here to help," I said, redirecting the conversation. I pointed to the table. "Your bones. I found them."
Elena's eyes widened. In three quick steps she was before the remains, tears already falling—tears of relief. "My bones... you truly found them... You did it." She lifted a fragment with trembling hands, then sank to her knees before me.
"Mr. Arcturus, in all my centuries wandering, I have never met someone like you. Please, accept my gratitude." She began to bow her head to the floor.
Not again. I caught her shoulders and gently raised her. "No ceremonies. If you wish to thank me, live well within him. Make him a better man."
"I will, I promise... But tell me—did you break the array? When you did... did you see Linda? And Amelia? All those other trapped girls?" Of course. Just as Linda had clung to her memory, Elena had never forgotten them.
"They were unlucky from the start," she murmured, tears welling anew. "I thought I was offering them a better life. Instead, I led them into centuries of darkness..." She couldn't finish.
"Before we proceed," I said softly, "you may see Linda one last time."
"Truly?" Elena's tears stilled. "I can truly see her again?"
I turned toward the door. "Linda. Your mistress is here."
A wisp of light drifted into the room, resolving into the familiar figure in white—an elegant silhouette like an ancient warrior maiden from the East. She bowed slightly to me, then her gaze fixed upon the form wearing Adrian's face.
For a long moment, they only looked at each other, centuries of silence hanging between them.
Elena spoke first, voice thick with emotion. "Linda... it's really you."
"My lady... is it truly you?" Linda's eyes searched the unfamiliar features, doubt and hope mingling.
"It's me. It's me, Linda." Elena reached for her hands. "I'm so sorry... For everything."
The apology, centuries unspoken, finally broke free, and with it came fresh tears.
"No, my lady. You have nothing to be sorry for." Linda's voice was tender but firm. "My life before you was not a life at all. Hunger, cold, dawn-to-dusk labor—that was a daughter's lot."
"But with you... I learned what kindness felt like. Those three years were the only happiness I ever knew. You showed me I was worthy of it."
She paused, her fingers trembling lightly.
"How could I ever blame you? I owe you more than I can say."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"My only regret... is that I couldn't protect you then. And that after death, I could only watch you suffer."
When she looked up again, tears traced crimson paths down her cheeks.
"My lady... the one who failed is me."
"Linda..." Elena pulled her into a tight embrace, and they wept together.
Tears stung my own eyes. When I glanced at Selene, she was already quietly crying.
After a while, Elena drew back slightly. "Linda... where is Amelia?"
Linda lowered her gaze, wiping the blood-tears away. "She's gone. Two centuries ago... a lost girl took her place."
Elena went still, then more tears fell. "That poor child... Sold to my family at ten. I promised I'd find her parents..." Her voice faded into sorrow. "A promise I can never keep."
"Don't carry that burden, my lady," Linda whispered. "The past cannot be changed. You have a new life ahead—Mr. Arcturus says you may be reborn. That is a joyous thing. If Amelia were here, she would rejoice for you, as I do."
Elena looked at her through her tears, then finally nodded.
Linda took her hands, her expression earnest. "My lady, after this, we may never meet again. May I ask one last favor?"
"Anything."
"Play your violin for me once more... and let me dance as you taught me."
Elena's eyes glistened. She wiped her cheeks and nodded firmly. "Yes."
She retreated to the adjoining bathroom and returned with the violin. Setting it beneath her chin, she drew the bow across the strings. A melody filled the small room—gentle, aching, and full of memory.
Linda began to move, her steps light and graceful, like a butterfly skimming flowers.
For those few minutes, the cramped chamber seemed to glow. The music and the dance pulled them back through time, to a place four hundred years gone—a place of laughter and warmth I could only imagine.
All too soon, the final note faded. The dance ended. Silence returned, heavy and final. Linda's eyes brimmed with crimson once more.
"My lady... please accept my farewell." She sank to her knees, her gaze steady and sincere. "If there is a next life... I would follow you again. I would serve you again."
"Linda..."
"One last request," Linda whispered. "Don't cry. Let me see you smile. Your smile was always the most beautiful sight in this world... Give me that, as a parting gift."
Elena bit her lip, fighting back tears. Then, slowly, she lifted the corners of her mouth into a soft, radiant smile.
"You are as beautiful as ever, my lady."
With those words, Linda dissolved into a curl of mist and faded from sight.
They both knew—this was goodbye forever.
Elena stared at the empty space where her friend had been, tears falling freely now.
"Linda... if there is a next life... let us be sisters."
---
— The Music That Remained —
Selene touched my arm lightly, her own face still wet. "Rhan... please go to her. They've suffered so much."
I approached Elena's side. "It's time to begin," I said quietly, offering the only comfort I could.
She composed herself, and her form shifted, blending back into Adrian's sleeping features.
From the gathered bones, I selected a small fragment, tied it with red cord, and fastened it around Adrian's neck.
"Mr. Arcturus, why...?"
"You said he must keep a piece close."
"Yes, but... must it be worn? Could it not rest by his bedside? Who wears a bone as a pendant?"
A fair point. But Adrian was no longer an ordinary man—two souls now shared his body. "He's restless," I explained. "He may be gone for days. This will keep you anchored to him, no matter where he goes. As for the rest... I will ensure he wears it willingly. The remaining bones will be placed in the family shrine, to be honored."
Elena looked stricken. "No—that is too much. To join with him is blessing enough. I could never ask for worship. I am not worthy of their reverence."
"Elena," I said gently, "the Blackwoods carry a heavy debt. This isn't only for you—it's for their atonement. Perhaps your coming was meant to save them, as much as yourself."
She hesitated, conflict clear in her eyes, before finally yielding.
I began the binding ritual. And as I did, from somewhere outside, the distant strains of Mendelssohn's *Wedding March* drifted through the night—a faint, almost spectral salute to this union across life and death.
Centuries of wandering ended here. Elena's spirit settled at last, merging fully with the young man who would now carry her forward.
---
Dawn approached. Elena—now wholly within Adrian—looked at me, words hovering unspoken. She glanced toward Selene, who understood and withdrew to a far corner.
Elena leaned close and whispered a single sentence into my ear. Then she turned, took up the violin once more, and drew the bow across its strings.
This time, it was Elgar's *Salut d'Amour* that flowed into the quiet room—a melody tender and bittersweet, carrying all the love and loss words could never hold.
I knew then: her long journey was over. May she find, in her next life, the peace and kindness she had been denied in this one.
I opened the door to find Edward and Margaret still waiting, exhausted and pale.
For a moment, I considered sharing Elena's final message. But I held my tongue. Let their actions speak first. If they prove worthy of her grace, I will tell them. If not... some secrets are better kept.
Selene and I left without another word.
Night faded into morning light, but the echo of the violin lingered in the air—and in my mind—long after we had gone.
---
End of Part Two.
The story continues in the next volume.