The morning arrived without peace.
Dark clouds covered the sky, swallowing the sunlight before it could reach the castle. A cold wind swept across the mountains as if even nature mourned the realm's suffering.
Inside the castle, servants hurried through the corridors.
No decorations.
No celebration.
No music.
Although it was called a wedding...
Nothing about it resembled one.
Kael stood silently in front of the mirror inside his room.
A servant carefully adjusted the ceremonial robe over his shoulders.
"Sir... please raise your arm."
Kael didn't react.
The servant hesitated before helping him.
Another servant tied the crimson sash around his waist.
When they finally stepped back, Kael looked like a groom.
But his lifeless eyes made him look more like a man walking toward his own execution.
A knock came from the door.
Emily entered.
The servants quietly bowed before leaving the room.
For a long moment...
Neither of them spoke.
Emily finally broke the silence.
"...How are you feeling?"
Kael smiled bitterly.
"Does it matter?"
Emily lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Kael slowly shook his head.
"You don't need to apologize."
"I'm the one who couldn't protect her."
His eyes drifted toward the window.
"I just hope..."
"...wherever she is..."
"...she hates me."
Emily's heart tightened.
She wanted to tell him Larissa would understand.
But even she wasn't certain anymore.
---
Elsewhere...
Grace stood before a large mirror.
Several maids adjusted her white ceremonial dress.
Silver embroidery shimmered across the fabric.
Her emerald necklace rested neatly against her collarbone.
One maid smiled.
"You look beautiful, Miss Grace."
Grace looked at her reflection.
A slow smile spread across her face.
"Of course."
She gently touched the edge of the veil.
"After today..."
"Everything will finally belong to me."
---
Outside the castle...
Hundreds of citizens gathered around the ancient ritual platform.
Unlike ordinary weddings...
Nobody smiled.
The realm had lost too many lives.
Everyone understood why this ceremony was happening.
Some prayed.
Some cried.
Others simply watched in silence.
High above the platform...
Ancient stone pillars surrounded a glowing circular formation carved into the ground.
Blue runes slowly pulsed with fading light.
Arulines looked across the crowd before speaking quietly to the other elders.
"I hope..."
"...this sacrifice is enough."
---
Far away...
The western hideout remained hidden beneath towering cliffs.
Inside one of its underground rooms...
Larissa slowly opened her eyes.
Pain exploded throughout her entire body.
"...Ah..."
She tried to sit up.
Immediately...
A sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
Bandages wrapped around nearly every part of her body.
Cuts covered her arms.
Bruises darkened her skin.
Even her feet were wrapped because she had lost both shoes during the explosion.
She looked around.
"...Where..."
The wooden door suddenly opened.
James rushed inside.
The moment he saw her awake...
Relief appeared across his usually calm face.
"Larissa."
"You finally woke up."
Larissa stared at him.
Then...
Her expression hardened.
"You."
James sighed.
"So that's your first reaction."
Larissa tried standing.
Her legs immediately gave out.
James quickly caught her before she fell.
"You're injured."
"Sit down."
Larissa pushed him away.
"Don't touch me."
"You caused this."
James remained unusually patient.
"I didn't."
"You've misunderstood everything."
Larissa clenched her fists.
"Stop lying."
"Only Robert has the power to launch an attack like that."
"And you're working for him."
James looked directly into her eyes.
"If I wanted your realm destroyed..."
"Would I be standing here trying to save you?"
Before Larissa could answer...
A soldier rushed inside.
"Brother James."
"The doctor is here."
James nodded.
"Bring him in."
An elderly doctor entered carrying a wooden medical case.
He approached Larissa.
"I need to examine your wounds."
Larissa immediately stepped back.
"No."
"They'll heal."
The doctor frowned.
"Young lady..."
"If they're left untreated..."
"You might lose your arm."
"I said no."
James slowly walked toward her.
"...Larissa."
She refused to meet his eyes.
"You've always been stubborn."
"But this isn't the time."
"You can hate me later."
"For now..."
"...let him help you."
Larissa remained silent.
After several moments...
She slowly sat back down.
"...Fine."
The doctor immediately began changing her bandages.
Every movement made her wince.
Several deep wounds had reopened during the journey.
The doctor quietly shook his head.
"You were lucky."
"Another inch..."
"...and you wouldn't be alive."
---
A few minutes later...
Another soldier hurried inside.
"Brother James."
"We've received another report."
James looked up.
"What happened?"
The soldier swallowed nervously.
"The elders have decided to restore the protection barrier."
James nodded.
"Good."
"At least the attacks will stop."
The soldier hesitated.
"...That's not the important part."
James frowned.
"What is?"
"The ritual wedding..."
"...is between Grace and Kael."
Silence.
The room froze.
The doctor's hands stopped moving.
James slowly turned toward the soldier.
"...Repeat that."
"The ritual partners are Grace..."
"...and Kael."
Larissa stared blankly.
"No..."
The soldier continued.
"Jackson died during the eastern explosion."
"Kael is the only compatible person remaining."
Larissa suddenly stood despite her injuries.
"You're lying."
"He would never betray me."
The soldier lowered his head.
"I only delivered the report."
"The ceremony begins today."
Larissa's breathing became heavier.
"No..."
"There has to be a mistake."
James stepped closer.
"Larissa."
She looked at him desperately.
"Tell me he's wrong."
James remained silent.
That silence hurt more than any answer.
Larissa shook her head repeatedly.
"No..."
"He promised me."
"He promised."
She turned toward the exit.
"I'm going back."
James grabbed her wrist.
"You can't."
"The capital is nearly two days away."
"I don't care!"
James raised his voice for the first time.
"You'll die before reaching it!"
Larissa looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
"...Then let me die."
James slowly released her.
His expression became thoughtful.
"...There is another way."
Larissa looked up.
James raised his hand.
Dark blue energy gathered around his fingers.
Space itself began twisting.
A glowing portal slowly formed in the middle of the room.
Larissa's eyes widened.
"A teleportation gate..."
James nodded.
"It won't take you all the way."
"But it'll bring you close enough."
Without another word...
Larissa stepped toward the portal.
Before entering...
She looked back once.
"If he's really marrying her..."
"...I'll hear it from his own mouth."
James silently watched her.
Then...
The portal swallowed her whole.
At that exact moment...
Far away in the capital...
The ancient ritual platform began glowing beneath the feet of Kael and Grace.
The priest slowly raised his hands toward the sky.
"The ceremony..."
"...shall now begin.
The ancient ritual platform glowed beneath the gray sky.
Hundreds of citizens stood in complete silence around the ceremonial grounds.
No cheers.
No celebration.
Only the cold wind and the distant echoes of explosions reminded everyone why they were gathered.
The realm was dying.
And this wedding was its last hope.
Grace stood beside Kael, dressed in a flawless white ceremonial gown. Her expression was calm, but deep inside, excitement slowly consumed her.
This was the moment she had wanted.
Kael, on the other hand, looked lifeless
His eyes remained fixed on the stone floor.
He neither spoke nor reacted.
He simply stood there like a man whose soul had already left his body.
The elderly priest stepped forward.
"The ancient ritual shall now begin."
He raised an engraved staff toward the sky.
Golden light spread across the massive magic circle beneath Kael and Grace
Ancient runes awakened one after another.
The wind suddenly became stronger.
The elders quietly watched from behind.
Arulines closed his eyes.
"May this save our realm..."
The priest continued chanting in an ancient language.
The glowing symbols slowly surrounded Kael and Grace.
"Do you both accept this sacred ritual..."
"...to become one and protect this realm?"
Grace answered immediately.
"I do."
Every eye turned toward Kael.
Silence.
The priest repeated the question.
"Do you accept?"
Kael slowly closed his eyes.
Larissa's smile flashed across his memories.
Her laughter.
Her birthday.
The necklace.
The promise he had made.
"I'd rather die than betray you."
His heart felt as if someone had driven a blade through it.
After several agonizing seconds...
He whispered,
"...I do."
Grace quietly smiled.
The ritual continued.
Golden chains of light wrapped around both of them.
The ancient barrier surrounding the realm began responding.
Far across the kingdom...
The cracked protection layer slowly started repairing itself.
The violent tremors gradually weakened.
Even the distant explosions became fewer.
Hope slowly returned to the realm.
The priest raised both hands.
"By the authority of the ancient covenant..."
"...you are now bound together."
At that exact moment—
A familiar voice echoed across the ceremony.
"Kael!"
The entire platform fell silent.
Kael's eyes widened.
He immediately turned around.
Standing near the entrance...
Covered in blood-stained bandages...
Her clothes torn...
Her shoulders scratched...
Barefoot...
Larissa stared at the ceremony with trembling eyes.
She had arrived.
Too late.
"...Larissa..."
Kael whispered.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them moved.
They simply stared at each other.
Grace noticed Kael taking a step forward.
Without hesitation...
She grabbed his wrist.
"The ritual isn't finished."
"You can't leave."
Kael immediately pulled against her grip.
"Let go!"
Grace tightened her hold.
"You'll interrupt the ceremony!"
Kael's voice echoed across the platform.
"I said let go!"
Emily hurried forward.
She gently held Kael's shoulder.
"Kael..."
"I'll talk to her."
"Please."
"Just stay here."
Kael looked desperately toward Larissa.
"Emily..."
"Please..."
Emily nodded once.
"I promise."
She quickly ran after Larissa.
Meanwhile...
Larissa slowly stepped backward.
Everything around her sounded distant.
She couldn't hear the crowd anymore.
She couldn't hear the priest.
She couldn't even hear her own heartbeat.
Only one sentence echoed endlessly inside her mind.
"I do."
Those two words shattered everything.
She turned around...
And started walking away.
Emily finally caught up.
"Larissa!"
Larissa didn't stop.
Emily grabbed her arm.
"Please..."
"Listen to me."
Larissa slowly looked back.
Her eyes were completely empty.
Emily's heart broke the moment she saw them.
"It wasn't his choice."
"We had no other option."
"The protection barrier was collapsing."
"The people were dying."
"We tried everything."
Larissa quietly asked,
"...So he married her?"
Emily lowered her head.
"...Yes."
Larissa smiled.
It wasn't a happy smile.
It was the smile of someone whose heart had finally given up.
"So..."
"My death reached him..."
"...and two days later..."
"...he married someone else."
Emily quickly shook her head.
"No!"
"You don't understand."
"He refused for two whole days."
"He stopped eating."
"He didn't sleep."
"He nearly collapsed."
"He only agreed because thousands of innocent people would've died."
"He never stopped loving you."
Larissa gently removed Emily's hand from her arm.
"...Enough."
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"He didn't betray you."
"The situation forced him."
Larissa looked toward the ceremony one final time.
She could still see Kael trying to push past everyone to reach her.
Grace still stood beside him.
The ritual light continued surrounding them.
"...Maybe."
She whispered.
"But my heart..."
"...doesn't understand situations."
Without another word...
She walked away.
Emily stood frozen.
"Larissa!"
Her voice disappeared into the wind.
But Larissa never looked back.
Several minutes later...
The ritual finally ended.
The glowing barrier surrounding the realm completely stabilized.
Across the kingdom...
The explosions stopped.
For the first time in days...
Silence returned.
Kael immediately pulled away from everyone.
"Where is she?"
Emily slowly walked back.
Her face answered before she spoke.
"...She left."
Kael's breathing became uneven.
"You didn't stop her?"
"I tried."
"She wouldn't listen."
Kael didn't wait another second.
He sprinted away from the ceremony.
"Kael!"
Grace called after him.
He never looked back.
He searched every street.
Every market.
Every bridge.
Every place Larissa loved.
The flower garden.
The quiet lake.
The mountain trail.
The old bookstore.
The hill where they had watched the sunset.
She wasn't anywhere.
Hours passed.
Night slowly covered the kingdom.
Exhausted...
Broken...
Kael finally returned to the castle.
The moment he entered the hall...
Grace smiled softly.
"...You're back."
Kael slowly lifted his eyes toward her.
His face showed nothing.
He walked past a nearby table.
A crystal flower vase rested upon it.
Without warning—
He grabbed it.
CRASH!
The vase exploded against the floor.
Fragments scattered throughout the hall.
One sharp piece slid across the floor and lightly cut Grace's foot.
Everyone froze.
Kael's voice echoed through the silent hall.
"You all lied to me."
His breathing grew heavier.
"You told me she was dead."
"You made me believe I had already lost her."
He pointed toward the elders.
"You manipulated me."
Then toward Grace.
"And you..."
His voice became colder.
"You stood beside me knowing everything."
Emily stepped forward.
"Kael..."
He looked at her.
"I trusted you."
"I thought you were like family."
"But all of you..."
"...used my grief."
Grace slowly approached him.
"We're married now."
"You have to move forward."
Before she could say another word—
Kael shoved her away.
She stumbled backward and fell onto the cold stone floor.
The hall fell silent.
Kael looked down at her with eyes completely devoid of warmth.
"My heart died long before this wedding."
He picked up his coat.
Without another word...
He walked out of the castle.
No one tried to stop him.
Outside...
The cold night welcomed him.
Behind him...
The castle stood brighter than ever.
Ahead...
Only darkness remained.