Elysia's POV

"You've chased him for a thousand years. Has he ever once looked at you? But every day, he stays by my side, begging me to look at him just once!"

Lillian's voice resonated in my ears as I remembered her saying that.

But even if she didn't say it, I'd always known the truth.

I felt it in every sidelong glance Kaelen never gave me, and in every moment, his gaze reached beyond me to her memory.

Still, hearing it spoken aloud by Lillian herself was something else entirely. It was like being flayed from the inside out.

More so, Lillian didn't say it with sorrow. She said it like a confession and relished it as if she wanted me to suffer for daring to still stand beside him.

The worst part? Kaelen never knew that vindictive part of her.

He never saw it.

The Lillian he loved, the pure, gentle soul he still wept for, died long ago. But he clung to her memory as if it were sacred, untouchable.

As if losing her had shattered his entire world.

Kaelen never saw the version of Lillian, the one who taunted, provoked, and wore her cruelty like a crown.

He lived his life inside a dream, mourning a love that had long since turned hollow.

But now that I had a second chance, I didn't care whether Kaelen had to know. I would prefer to let that go and have nothing to do with him anymore.

...

The very next day was meant to be our soul-binding ceremony.

Emperor Alistair himself would officiate it.

Everything felt dreamlike like I was watching myself relive this life again. My limbs moved, my body dressed in robes spun from the light of the morning sun, but my spirit felt detached, floating somewhere far beyond it all.

The Emperor's hands were steady as he helped adjust the golden sash. His warm and proud gaze lingered on me like that of a father preparing his daughter for the most crucial moment of her life.

"Of all the souls across the three realms," he said gently, "only the two of you were ever truly bound by fate. To see you united again, at last… I can rest easy."

Cassian stood beside me, ever the rogue. He grinned, flicking a silver thread from my shoulder.

"Lady Frostborne," Cassian teased, "don't forget to whisper a sweet word about me on your wedding night. The Underworld's been cold and empty without a mistress. But now that you're here, everything's changed."

They all meant well.

They wanted Kaelen and me to find happiness and truly believed this bond would heal us. And it was precisely their hope and their love for me that the guilt crushed me.

I was once a snowflake that cultivated into godhood. When I first ascended, Emperor Alistair watched over me with quiet pride.

But after falling into the Underworld through endless cycles of sacrifice, Cassian protected me from bitter spirits and vengeful ghosts.

Though I wasn't a high god, I was still treated like royalty.

And now, I was about to disappoint them all.

Outside, firecrackers burst into the sky, signaling the arrival of the bridal procession. The clamor and cheers rang through the ceremonial hall, a celebration for a wedding I would never let take place.

I turned away from the window, back toward the two men who had given me everything.

"Cassian, Emperor Alistair... I will not marry Kaelen Nightfall," I said.

The words left me like ice. Their smiles froze.

I pressed on. "Tomorrow, I'll leave the Underworld. I may return to the mortal realm, or I may not. But I won't come back here again."

The silence that followed was deafening.

The Emperor stared at me, disbelief clouding his regal expression.

"Why?" he asked quietly, his voice fraying at the edges. "You two have crossed time, defied death, fought fate itself. Why let go now?"

"Tonight," Emperor Alistair continued, a flicker of desperation seeping in, "Kaelen will come for you. To bring you to the bridal chamber. Even if Lillian tries to stop him again, she wouldn't dare defy me."

Then his voice hardened. "Has she said something to you? Or has Kaelen wounded your heart again for her? Tell me. I will not spare him."

Cassian stepped forward quickly, eyes wide with panic. "Lady Frostborne, don't let Lillian Ravenspire that flower fairy poison your heart. She had only known Lord Nightfall for a hundred years. Your bond was carved into the stars. You risked everything to help him through his mortal sufferings. And he gave his life for you, too. Doesn't that mean something?"

His voice softened, a flicker of vulnerability beneath the jest. "Just yesterday, he promised to take you to the Festival of Lights on your birthday. Didn't you also love him? Every one of his robes, his armor, was woven by your own hands."

Their words hit me like warm memories lapping against the cold wall I'd built inside myself.

Back then, everyone said the same thing.

We were destined. Fated. Legendary.

And then, Kaelen died. When he did, we all broke.

This time, I didn't cry. I met their gazes with quiet strength. "Better to let him go now than to live out eternity as bitter strangers."

I drew a slow breath, the ghost of a memory tightening around my chest. "If, after our marriage, Kaelen still chooses her and if he'd give his life for Lillian all over again, what then? What do I do when I am his wife in name but not in heart?"

I remembered his broken body and how he carried me through fire and ruin with the last of his strength. I remembered how he chose death, even then, to follow Lillian.

The burn in my throat returned. I swallowed it. "As long as he can live well, that would be enough."

Emperor Alistair's shoulders dropped. Cassian looked away, jaw tight.

Eventually, they nodded.

Their fire was gone.

After they left, I stood in silence. Then, slowly, I peeled off the wedding robe, its woven light fading as it fell to the ground. I packed my belongings with calm hands and an aching heart.

I hadn't married Kaelen Nightfall.

The second fixed point had been broken.

Somewhere, deep within the tangled threads of fate, I could feel the bond between us unraveling and growing weaker with every breath.

This, I realized, must be the price the God of Fate had warned me about.

But if my letting go means peace…

If this is what it takes for everyone to live in freedom and joy, then the price is worth it.

Then I would pay for it. No matter what it took.

Elysia's POV

That night, Kaelen barged into my chamber, his cloak of red sweeping behind him like a storm, billowing with fury that mirrored his own. Without a word, he seized my arm, dragging me across the halls. The cold grip of his anger tightened around me as he stormed towards Lillian's quarters.

"Elysia!" he growled, his voice laced with fury.

The force of his anger was palpable. Kaelen's hand, tight on the collar of my gown, felt like the wrath of a thousand storms. His veins stood out like cords of fury, and I knew at that moment that this wasn't just an angry man. This was a man lost, consumed by grief and rage.

"The one thing I despise above all else is a two-faced nature," Kaelen spat. "I thought you were preparing to be a gentle, devoted wife. And instead, you hide such poisonous intentions in your heart."

"You deliberately provoked Lillian's heart condition, didn't you?" he accused. "Made her suffer to the point where death would seem like a mercy—all to ensure she wouldn't ruin your precious wedding, didn't you?"

Kaelen's words strangled the breath from my lungs. The pain curled around me like smoke, leaving my face tinged in blue, violet, and black.

He didn't know. He had no idea.

In my past life, shortly after Kaelen and I had wed, Lillian's condition had worsened.

She had been one of the Twelve Flower Fairies, pure and bright, but her divine power was weak, and her fragile, mortal-like body could not withstand the strain placed on it.

Her heart ailment, worsened by worry and grief, had drawn her closer to death with each passing day.

By the time Kaelen realized that my divine core could save her, it was too late.

She had already died.

And now, here we were again.

The third fixed point had come sooner than I expected.

Tomorrow was the third day.

If I could save Lillian and change this, then Kaelen would live this time.

Kaelen finally released me.

I stumbled, struggling to speak. "So, you've come to force me to give her my divine essence?"

His gaze flickered, uncertainty flashing in those dark eyes. He hadn't expected me to be so blunt.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped. "You've already fallen from being a goddess, your essence nearly drained as it is. If you keep burning through it, how much longer do you think you'll last?"

I lowered my eyes. Before I could speak again, a scream rang out from across the hall.

It was Lillian's maid.

"Lord Nightfall, Miss has coughed up blood again! If we can't find a restorative elixir, Miss will die for sure!" she informed in agitation.

Kaelen's hands clenched into fists. His eyes locked on me.

"Kaelen… please don't make this harder than it already is," came Lillian's voice, soft, pitiful, from behind the bed curtains. "Lady Frostborne is your wife. I'm… a flower spirit. If I die, I die. It's nothing."

Lillian, pale as a ghost, lay on her sickbed, her breath shallow and ragged. Her suffering twisted something deep within me, but my heart sank further as I watched Kaelen's torment.

Kaelen hesitated the weight of his decision pressing on him.

The physician, looking desperate, urged him, "My Lord, make a decision quickly. Miss Ravenspire can't hold on much longer. Yes, a high immortal's essence is rare, but what's a few years of life compared to saving someone now?

Kaelen gritted his teeth. "But…"

"There is no 'but,'" I said firmly, meeting his gaze.

I could see the conflict inside him—the love he had for her, the duty he felt, and the guilt that would never release him.

So, I made it easier for him.

"If you're worried about me, then just prepare a few elixirs. That should be enough to restore what's lost. We're immortals, Kaelen. Even losing part of our essence, we still live long enough to see the stars die," I spoke lightly as if trying to ease his burden, but it was a lie.

There was nothing light about this. Kaelen's entire world was about to come crashing down, and I couldn't bear to see him break.

I watched his shoulders relax a little, a heavy sigh escaping him. "Elysia, this time... I owe you."

He paused for a moment, and his tone softened, just for a moment. "Last night, I spoke too harshly. I'm sorry."

As my divine essence was drawn out, I struggled to maintain control as my body began to transform. It felt like the very essence of my existence was being torn away. I sensed myself fading, my body longing to revert to its original shape.

The agony was unbearable, and at that moment, my mind spiraled.

I remember the day I became a goddess, the day I transformed into a sky full of snowflakes, casting my gaze across the three realms.

Some trampled on me. Others swept me into the dirt.

Only Kaelen, out of all, gathered the snowflakes in his hand gently as if I were the most fragile thing in the world, just like he did for the next thousand years.

If we were never truly meant to be, then let me turn into snowflakes once more, falling upon his shoulder.

That may be enough.

Enough for us to live together until the end, even if only as fleeting memories.

...

When I woke again, it was already the evening of the third day. I felt weak, my body drained, but I could hear Kaelen's soft voice in the next room, speaking to Lillian.

"Kaelen, if I take Elysia's essence, will I kill her?" Lillian's voice was weak, full of concern.

"Don't overthink it," Kaelen replied, trying to calm her. "Elysia has been jealous of you for a long time. I missed the wedding yesterday to remind Elysia where she stands. Even with Emperor Alistair and Cassian's support, she can't surpass you. Losing that bit of essence might even teach her a lesson. Besides, I will find some elixir to help her recover. You overthink, Lillian. You need rest. Don't dwell on these things."

There was a long pause before Lillian spoke again, her voice soft but laden with doubt. "Kaelen, you've endured centuries of trials with her. You've risked your life for her again and again. How could that not be love?"

Elysia's POV

Kaelen was silent for a long moment, his gaze distant, as though he were searching for something he could not even find.

The weight of Lillian's words hung between them like a storm cloud, heavy and unyielding.

When Kaelen finally spoke, his voice faltered. "That's true. We've faced countless trials together—floods, raids, plagues that wiped out whole towns. To say I didn't feel anything would be a lie."

He paused, then continued, more quietly, "But if it had been someone else—if anyone else had gone through all that with me—I still would've saved them. I still would've cared. But that's not love. If I had a choice… I would've wanted that person to be you."

Then, almost tenderly, Kaelen whispered, "Sleep now, Lillian."

I felt nothing.

Not anger. Not sorrow. Not even surprised.

Only an ache so deep and still, it might as well have been death itself.

I didn't even notice when Kaelen came to my side.

Without looking at him, I whispered, "Kaelen… when we were mortals, I made so many wishes there, and none of them ever came true. But this time, Kaelen… I want your wish to come true."

In this life, he could stay with the one he loved. Forever.

There would be no more torment, no more sacrifices.

He wouldn't have to die for me on the Execution Platform.

And maybe that was what I wanted for him, too.

Peace. A life that was finally his own.

He could live. Truly live.

Kaelen didn't answer right away. With every passing second, his face grew paler, as if the weight of everything we'd been through was finally bearing down on him.

His silence stretched between us, heavy and unspoken.

Then, he asked quietly, "Did you hear something?"

Before I could answer, a scream echoed from the room next door.

Lillian had coughed up blood again.

Kaelen's expression darkened immediately. His gaze flicked toward me for the briefest moment, looking conflicted and unreadable before he turned and ran from the room without another word.

"I'll explain tomorrow," he called over his shoulder.

I smiled faintly. But the ache in my chest only deepened as I watched him disappear.

My body felt weak, and my strength was slipping away like sand through my fingers. I tried to stand, legs trembling beneath me. The last of my divine essence had nearly burned out. Still, I pushed myself forward. I had to.

I left the room.

On the desk, I placed a single letter, hurriedly written but filled with quiet resolve.

It was time.

...

Kaelen's POV

By the time I'd managed to calm Lillian, it was already the next day.

I opened the door to the room with a heavy heart, expecting to find the familiar sight of Lady Frostborne resting, yet my eyes met nothing but emptiness.

A chill crept up my spine, my pulse quickening as dread began to take root in my chest.

"Where did Lady Frostborne go?" I muttered under my breath, my voice betraying the panic that simmered beneath the surface. "She's injured. How could she leave like this?"

Before the maid could answer, the Judge of the Underworld, Jael, burst through the door. His clothes were heavy with dust, and his expression was twisted with urgency.

"My Lord, something's wrong!" Jael exclaimed, his voice thick with panic. "The Well of Rebirth, which links to the mortal world, has exploded. The souls about to reincarnate are mostly unharmed, but one lonely soul was far too weak and disintegrated into ash! She just looked like Lady Frostborne."