Alaric cupped her face, his thumb brushing away her tears.
"I told you," he said softly. "To me, you and her are the same. If you love me, then stay. From the beginning, you've always been my kind-hearted Moon."
She closed her eyes, breathing in the moment, letting his words sink deep into the places she never thought could be reached.
"This," she murmured, "is enough for me."
She wrapped her arms around Alaric's neck and bit his lip, hard.
"Alaric," she whispered against his mouth, her voice laced with urgency. "Don't forget me."
His breath hitched. "I won't…"
Before the fireworks fully faded, her voice drifted through the night breeze—soft, almost like a prayer.
"Take care of that idiot for me. If I had someone like you… I would have left. I only exist to protect her."
Alaric's pupils trembled. He stared at Emerald, his chest tightening.
He had never rejected this side of her. He never would.
