86. She is back!

Author's POV 

Egon had abandoned the island castle long ago. Every stone, every hallway, every echo of that place carried the weight of what had been done to them—every wound they endured, every injustice that had carved itself into their story. Without Emerald beside him, the castle had become a living ghost, suffocating him with memories he wasn’t strong enough to face.

So he had walked away.

Yet today, he stood in front of it again.

The familiar walls stared back at him like they recognised him—like they remembered the man who once ruled them. And standing there now, the past scraped against his heart like broken glass, burning through the thin layer of hope he was clinging to.

Emerald wanted to talk.

But she wanted to talk here.

In front of the castle that had shaped everything between them.

He didn’t understand what she had in mind, and that uncertainty was eating him alive.

His hope had been dying since last night. She had avoided his touch entirely, like even his closeness felt wrong to her now. He had survived many things in his life—wars, betrayal, death itself—but the thought of surviving without her felt impossible. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to live a life where she walked away from him forever.

His pulse hammered in his neck, his chest, his skull—every beat fueled by dread.

She refused to come with him. She wanted to reach the island on her own.

Egon understood the silent message behind it—if she chose to walk away, she didn’t want to walk away with his help.

His mind flooded with possibilities, each one darker than the last. He could strategize wars, negotiate with monsters, run empires—but Emerald was the one thing that made him lose all rational thought.

He waited at the entrance like a man waiting for his fate.

And then she appeared.

Walking through the entrance alone, with her chin high and her shoulders squared—she looked every bit the lioness she had always been. The ocean breeze pulled at her dress, hugging her frame in a way that made his chest tighten. She was stunning. Unreachable. Powerful. His breath stilled with every step she took toward him.

She removed her sunglasses slowly, revealing those unmistakable emerald eyes—the same eyes that carried storms, just like his. There was no peace in her gaze, only conflict and exhaustion. The same war he was fighting inside himself.

Emerald’s heart kicked harder when she saw him.

Egon’s eyes didn’t blink once, like he was afraid she would disappear if he dared to look away.

She tried to avoid his gaze, but her eyes were drawn back to him every few seconds, as if refusing eye contact was harder than holding it.

She finally stopped in front of him and exhaled shakily.

They closed their eyes at the same time, letting the familiarity of each other’s presence wrap around them without even touching. It was as if there was an invisible cocoon around them—their own world, untouched by everything outside it.

A full minute passed in silence.

Egon finally broke it.

His voice cut through the air like a blade.

“Why this place?”

His tone wasn’t harsh—just raw. Unsteady.

His eyes searched her restless face.

She swallowed hard, fighting her tears. “Because this is where everything started. So… I think we should end it here.”

His chest tightened painfully.

“You remember everything?” he asked, voice low.

“I think I’ve remembered enough to make a decision.”

She looked away, then forced herself to meet his eyes again.

He felt his heart sinking. “So what is your decision?”

Emerald’s eyes glistened.

“I think… we’re not meant for each other. We can’t be together.”

His jaw clenched. His eyes sharpened with the blow.

“Why?”

“Because our relationship is toxic, Egon. You tortured me. How am I supposed to forget that?”

He didn’t flinch. “And what about our love?”

His voice was sharp enough to cut skin.

“I don’t remember any love…” Her voice cracked, but she turned away. She couldn’t bear to face him. “I’m leaving.”

Egon closed his eyes and released a long, broken breath.

“Fine. If that’s what you feel… I won’t stop you.”

This time, he turned his back to her.

Her heart broke the moment he accepted it so easily. The pain twisted into anger—sharp, burning, uncontrollable. She spun around, grabbed his arm, and yanked him hard enough to force him to face her.

“How dare you?” she snarled, lifting her hand to slap him.

Egon caught her wrist before it touched his cheek. His fingers wrapped around her wrist with infuriating ease, and he smirked.

“We’re meeting after so long, Queen. Is this how you want to greet me?”

She started hitting his chest with her free hand, her voice cracking.

“And you were letting me go! How dare you?”

Her punches grew weaker as her eyes filled with tears.

“You don’t love me at all…”

Egon let her hit him, a soft, painful smile tugging at his lips.

“You started it,” he said quietly. “I was only playing along.”

“I hate you!” she screamed.

“You know what? I am leaving for real. You were letting me go—watch me!”

Egon just stood there, smirk deepening as she stormed towards the ocean.

She reached the shore and froze.

Her boat was gone.

Confusion replaced anger.

She turned slowly when she heard footsteps.

Egon walked toward her with the confidence of a man who had already won.

“You really thought I’d let you go this time?” he asked, stopping in front of her.

He looked handsome in the most dangerous way—sharp, cunning, infuriatingly sure.

“Not again. I recognised my queen the moment she walked in.”

That walk, that attitude, the way she removed her sunglasses—no one else carried so much command in such simple things. The moment he saw her, he knew she was back.

Her tears shifted from anger to overwhelmed relief.

He had been playing her just like she was trying to play him.

He was never going to let her leave.

Egon opened his arms.

She didn’t hesitate.

She ran to him, crashing into his chest as he lifted her slightly off the ground. They hit the soft sand together, falling into a tight, tangled hug. This beach had witnessed every version of them—their storms, their love, their destruction—and now it witnessed their return.

They rolled on the sand, holding each other like they were afraid to let go.

Egon hovered over her, brushing her hair away from her face, tracing her cheek with a tenderness that contradicted everything the world believed about him.

“How did this happen?” he whispered, eyes full of love and disbelief.

“Rafael?”

“Later,” she breathed, pulling him closer.

“First, I need my king. I’ve come back after so long.”

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss—desperate, hungry, overflowing with everything she hadn’t been able to feel until now.

He kissed her back like a dying man tasting life again.

The ocean was about to witness their reunion again.