Mag-log inGianna watched Nolan's face as she spoke the words."I'm pregnant."For a moment, he just stared at her. His eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. It was like he couldn't quite process what she had just said."You're... pregnant?" he repeated slowly, as if testing the words on his tongue.Gianna nodded. She placed a hand on her stomach, a gesture that was already becoming familiar."Yes," she said softly. "I only found out yesterday. I was going to tell you, but I didn't know how you would react. I was scared that maybe... maybe you wouldn't want to have a child. Not now. Not with everything that's happening."Nolan's shock melted into something else. Something softer. Something that looked almost like awe.He moved toward her, his steps slow and careful, like he was approaching something sacred.When he reached her, he sank to his knees in front of her. His hands came up to rest on her hips, his thumbs brushing gently over her stomach."How long?" he asked, his voice a whisper."Two mo
Nolan felt like the world was crumbling around him.Gianna's threat to hurt herself hung in the air between them, a heavy and terrible thing. He could see the resolve in her eyes, the desperation that drove her to make such a statement.And he knew he couldn't let her follow through.He couldn't bear the thought of her harming herself, especially not because of him. Not because he was too stubborn or too afraid to tell her the truth.So he took a deep breath, and he spoke the words that he had been holding inside for so long."I'm dying, Gianna."The words felt strange on his tongue. Foreign. Like they belonged to someone else's life, not his own.But they were the truth. The awful, inescapable truth.Gianna's face went pale. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, Nolan thought she might faint.But she didn't. Instead, she moved to his side, her hands reaching for him, her touch gentle and trembling."What do you mean?" she whispered. "How... how long have you known?"Nolan closed his ey
Gianna woke to an empty bed.The space beside her was cold, the sheets rumpled where Nolan had lain. She sighed heavily and sat up, running a hand through her hair.It was becoming a familiar feeling, waking up alone. Nolan was always gone before she opened her eyes, off attending to some matter of the kingdom or dealing with some new crisis.But this morning, Gianna's mind was occupied with a different thought.The baby.She placed a hand on her stomach, still marveling at the idea that there was a life growing inside her. Nolan's child. Their child.How would she tell him? How would he react to the news?She remembered Iris's words, the warning that Nolan would have to make a choice that would change everything. Did it have something to do with this child? Was this baby the catalyst for whatever decision Nolan would have to make?Gianna didn't know. And the uncertainty made her heart race with fear.But she knew she couldn't keep this secret for long. She couldn't hide something thi
Nolan watched Gianna's face carefully as she assured him she was alright.He didn't believe her.There was something in her eyes, a shadow that hadn't been there before. A weight that seemed to press down on her even as she tried to smile at him.But he didn't pry. He didn't push her to tell him what was wrong.Part of him felt guilty for how rough he had been with her the previous night. He had taken her with a desperation that bordered on violence, driven by a need that he couldn't fully understand. He had been trying to lose himself in her, trying to forget the terrible choice that the healer had presented to him.The choice between his life and Gianna's.He couldn't make that choice. He wouldn't. But the knowledge of it, the fact that it had even been suggested, weighed on him like a physical burden.So he didn't press Gianna for answers she clearly wasn't ready to give. Instead, he got her something to eat, watching carefully as she picked at the food. He held her close to him, w
Iris's voice was urgent and filled with a seriousness that Gianna had never heard before."Heed my warning, Gianna," Iris said, her words coming through the mental connection like a plea. "Stop searching for information about Faes. Stop asking questions. Stop trying to uncover the truth."Gianna felt confusion and frustration rising inside her."But why?" she asked. "Why can't I know? Why is it so dangerous?""Only a few people know the truth about Faes," Iris said. "And those people would rather die than reveal what they know. They have protected this secret for centuries. They have killed to keep it hidden. If you continue down this path, if you keep searching for answers, you might get yourself killed. You might get your unborn child killed."The words hit Gianna like a physical blow. She placed a hand on her stomach, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to protect the life growing inside her."Did you know?" Gianna asked quietly. "Did you know I was pregnant all along?"There was a
Gianna reached her chamber, her entire body trembling with the effort of running and the weight of everything she had just learned.She closed the door quietly behind her and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was still pounding wildly in her chest. Her legs felt weak beneath her.Mixed feelings crashed through her like waves.Fear at what Elias had said. Surprise at the revelation of her pregnancy. Happiness at the possibility of carrying Nolan's child. Curiosity about what this meant for everything. And countless what-ifs spinning through her mind like a tornado.Was she actually pregnant? Could Elias have been wrong? Was it possible that she wasn't carrying a child at all?But even as she questioned it, something deep inside her seemed to confirm the truth. A knowing. A certainty that existed beneath her doubt.If she was pregnant, that called for celebration. That meant she and Nolan would have a child. A son or daughter. An heir to the throne.But what if sh
Iris looked at Gianna with those green eyes that seemed to hold entire worlds inside them."You will find out soon," she said simply, then took Gianna's hand and led her away from the beautiful mansion hidden inside the cave.As they walked back through the strange streets of this old world, Iris s
Iris led Gianna out of the clouds and toward what looked like a shimmering doorway in the air. It wasn't made of anything solid but it was there, real and waiting.As they walked, Gianna looked at the woman beside her. She was so calm, so peaceful, like walking between worlds was something she did
Nolan's hand came up to grab her wrist gently but firmly. "No," he said, his voice strained. "I can't. Please don't tempt me like this. If I do it, you'll pass out again and your body is too weak already." "I'll wake up," Gianna said, her voice steady and sure. "I'll regain consciousness. But yo
Nolan was still going deeper into the woods when he heard it. The sound of a bell. It was loud. Very loud. So loud it hurt his ears. The Moonbell was ringing, and the sound was everywhere around him. That was it. That was the moment he knew for sure. Gianna was in real danger. The kind of danger







