Shortly after the fight, Ikurus took his leave of the fighters, clasping forearms, trading laughs and rough words of respect. As he moved away from the square, the dust and sweat seemed to peel from him with each step.
By the time he reached the castle gates, his clothes had shifted back into their formal cut, fabric falling neatly into place, boots returning beneath his feet as if they had never been absent.
Inside the halls, he found his brothers waiting.
They laughed loudly when they saw him, clapping him on the back, teasing him about the crowd still chanting his name beyond the walls. Ikurus joined in easily, the adrenaline still buzzing through him, the warmth of the night clinging to his skin.
Then the laughter softened.
His father approached, hands clasped behind his back, eyes carrying that familiar look Ikurus knew meant something important.
"Hey, kiddo," he said gently. "I've got someone I want you to meet."
He gestured toward the far end of the hall.
Standing there was a man Ikurus recognized instantly. His father's oldest friend. The ruling Demon King himself Syrax. Power clung to him like a shadow, ancient and restrained, a presence that bent the air without effort.
Ikurus straightened, respect settling into his posture.
And then-
He saw her.
For a moment, the noise of the castle faded. The glow of the chandeliers dulled. All Ikurus could see was the figure beside the Demon King, light catching in her hair, her presence quiet yet commanding in a way that made his chest tighten.
His breath caught before he even realized it had.
Something about her made the world feel suddenly… smaller.
And much more dangerous.
Ikurus stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully, tail stilled, posture perfect.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," he said.
Before the words could settle, a laugh cut through the formality.
"Come on now, Kaelith," Syrax said with a playful shake of his head. "You know there's no need for that with us."
He pulled Lith into a sudden, crushing hug, the two of them laughing as they patted each other's backs. Around them, a few nearby nobles froze in visible disbelief. A duke embracing the Demon King like an old drinking companion was not a sight one saw every day.
The King released him and turned his sharp, amused gaze to Ikurus.
"Ahh, so this is Ikurus," he said, smiling wide. "Your dad couldn't shut up about you in his holo letters. Said you were disciplined, stubborn, and terrifyingly strong for your age." His grin widened. "Tell me, kid, are you really as strong as he claims?"
Ikurus felt heat rise to his cheeks. "I… try my best, sir."
A softer laugh followed, this one calm and warm.
The Demon Queen stepped forward. Her presence was elegant and steady, her eyes kind but keen, as if she missed nothing.
"He has your humility," she said, offering Ikurus a gentle nod. "I'm Merida. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"And this," the Demon King added, placing a hand lightly on the shoulder of the young woman beside him, "is our daughter."
Voxis lifted her gaze.
For a heartbeat, the world narrowed.
Her eyes met Ikurus's, and something unspoken passed between them. Curiosity. Recognition. A quiet pull neither of them could name. She smiled, not formal, not shy, just… genuine.
"I'm Voxis," she said softly, extending her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Ikurus."
He took it.
The instant their hands touched, a faint spark of light flickered between their palms. Small. Silent. Gone almost as soon as it appeared.
No one else noticed.
Ikurus blinked, startled, his grip tightening for half a breath before he let go. Voxis's smile didn't fade, but her eyes widened just a fraction, as if she, too, had felt it.
Neither of them said a word.
He knew it the instant he saw her.
Solaria.
Not a memory, not a dream, not a ghost, but her, standing right in front of him, reborn into this world as a demon. His breath caught before he could stop it.
Voxis was beautiful in a way that made the room feel quieter.
Her form rested perfectly between dragon and human. Smooth, faceted scales covered her skin, catching the light like cut diamonds, each one shimmering with cool, icy brilliance. They reflected blues, silvers, and soft whites across the hall, as if light itself wanted to linger on her. A long tail curved behind her, armored in the same crystalline scales, slow and graceful in its movement. From her head rose elegant horns, pale and polished, framing her face rather than overpowering it.
Her hair was still platinum white, spilling down her back like moonlight, unchanged across lives. And her eyes, gods, her eyes. Striking blue, slit like his, sharp yet gentle, ancient yet warm. Eyes he had seen burn with fire and soften with love.
She wore a simple white dress, but against her scales it became something radiant. The fabric caught and scattered the light, making the colors bouncing off her horns, tail, and body even more pronounced. It did not hide her nature. It celebrated it.
In all ways, she was breathtaking.
Ikurus realized he was smiling before he felt his lips move. Not a polite smile, not a guarded one, but something real, something that slipped past every wall he had ever built.
"Ikurus Veythros," he said softly, golden eyes bright. "It's an honor."
Ikurus froze, heat rushing to his face as his cheeks flushed without permission. His tail flicked once, betraying him completely.
Voxis's smile widened, eyes shining with quiet delight, as if she had been waiting for that exact confirmation.
Neither spoke.
They did not need to.
Across lifetimes, across worlds, something had recognized itself again.
Ikurus reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against something he had carried for as long as he could remember. Something that had crossed worlds with him.
In a brief flash of blue light, the storage ring opened, and the bow appeared in his hands.
It was elegant and ancient, its frame smooth and dark, etched with faint runes that seemed to breathe when exposed to mana. At its heart rested a gem that pulsed softly, familiar and warm. The bow he had received from Azrael.
He held it out to her.
Voxis stared at it, eyes wide, scales along her cheek catching the light as her breath hitched in quiet awe.
In that instant, Ikurus knew.
She didn't remember.
Not truly.
The realization struck like a needle to the chest, sharp and sudden. For the briefest moment, pain bloomed beneath his ribs, threatening to crack that genuine smile he'd just found again. But Azrael's words echoed in his mind, steady and certain.
"She knew you would make her fall in love with you again."
The ache softened.
Voxis looked up at him, wonder written openly across her face.
"Is this… for me?"
"Yeah," Ikurus said quickly, warmth returning to his voice. "It is. Father said I might meet you tonight, so I thought why not bring gifts?"
Lith, upon hearing this stood there confused as he only remembered telling Abella and Celine the night prior that they would meet the King's family.
Ikurus separated the bow with practiced ease, the gem detaching smoothly from its core. Carefully, reverently, he placed the gem into the center of her horn jewelry, where it fit as if it had always belonged there. The bow itself he slid gently into the back of her hair, the dark curve contrasting beautifully against her platinum strands.
"It can be reassembled," he added, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you want to change the look."
Voxis touched the gem, eyes shining, her tail giving a small, nervous sway.
"Thank you," she said softly. "It's… beautiful."
For a moment, it felt as though the world had narrowed to just the two of them.
But it hadn't.
Abella watched her son with a mischievous grin tugging her lips as Merida elbowed her lightly, already forming theories she absolutely did not need confirmed. Syrax, meanwhile, studied Ikurus with the quiet intensity of a father measuring the worth of someone standing too close to his daughter. Celine and Arria noticed it all and laughed softly, Arria clapping her hands once to break the tension.
"Well," she said brightly, "why don't you two go hang out? Get to know each other while we adults talk."
Ikurus smiled at her and bowed his head respectfully. Voxis glanced at her parents, received a nod, and then turned back to him, her smile shy but eager.
Together, they slipped out of the grand ballroom and into the quieter courtyard beyond, lantern light spilling over stone paths and blooming flowers.
Neither noticed the pair of eyes watching them from the shadows.
Someone lingering too long.
Someone annoying.
Marcus stepped into the lantern light with a smug curl to his lip, eyes raking over Voxis with open disdain before flicking to Ikurus like he was something stuck to a boot.
"Hey, princess," he sneered, spitting to the side. "Why are you wasting your time with this mongrel?"
Ikurus turned on him instantly, golden eyes sharpening, tail flicking once with restrained violence.
"Watch your mouth," he said pleasantly, far too pleasantly. "Call me that again and I'll stop holding my intrusive thoughts back."
Voxis felt the tension spike and gently pressed her hand against Ikurus's arm, grounding him. She stepped forward instead, her scales catching the lantern light like cut diamonds as she tilted her head, studying Marcus the way one might inspect a poorly made tool.
"Oh?" she said sweetly. "I didn't realize Berfolt had started letting barking dogs wander the courtyard."
Marcus stiffened.
She smiled wider, voice calm and cutting. "Tell me, is it tradition here for nobles to embarrass their families publicly, or are you simply… improvising?"
A few nearby courtiers went very still.
Voxis leaned in just enough for him to hear her next words.
"Because if this is how you speak to guests of my father and friends of Duke Veythros, then I'd hate to see how little respect you have for your own blood."
She straightened, clasping her hands behind her back, expression serene.
"Now run along. I'm sure there's a tutor somewhere desperately wondering why their efforts failed so spectacularly."
Ikurus blinked once, then a slow, grin spread across his face.
Marcus's jaw tightened, face flushing as laughter and murmurs rippled through the watching crowd. He glared between them, humiliated and furious, before storming off into the shadows, boots striking stone far louder than necessary.
Voxis turned back to Ikurus, eyes bright with mischief.
"…Was that acceptable?" she asked innocently.
Ikurus let out a low laugh, genuine and warm.
"That," he said, "was perfect."