Seven days left. The palace felt different. Charged. Like reality itself was holding its breath.
Pryce still didn't appear, honoring his promise of no interference. But Rhys felt his presence everywhere—in the cold drafts, in the flickering candles, in the way certain rooms felt watched.
Liam was a constant, steady presence. He didn't push for an answer about his confession. Just stayed close, researched, and occasionally cooked actual food in the ancient kitchen to remind Rhys what living felt like.
On day five, Rhys went to the throne room. The place where Valerian had died. Where the curse had been born.
He sat on the ancient throne, closed his eyes, and tried to feel something. Anything that would tell him the right choice.
Instead, he just felt tired.
"I wish you were here," he said aloud, not sure if he meant Kai, or Elara, or some version of himself that knew what to do.
"I am here," Pryce's voice said softly.
Rhys opened his eyes. The ghost stood at the base of the throne, looking up at him.
"I thought you were giving me space."
"I am. But you called for me. I can't ignore that." Pryce climbed the steps slowly. "Are you alright?"
"No. I'm terrified. In five days, I have to make a choice that defines my entire existence, and I have no idea what's right."
"Then let me make it easier." Pryce knelt before the throne. "Choose freedom, Rhys. Choose Liam. Choose life."
Rhys stared at him. "You want me to reject you?"
"I want you to be happy. And you can't be happy as a ghost trapped in a palace with me." Pryce's voice was gentle. "Liam loves you. Really loves you, not the obsessive possessive thing I feel. He'll give you a good life. Adventures. Sunlight. Children, maybe. All the things I can't offer."
"But you'll cease to exist."
"Finally." Pryce smiled. "After three hundred years of punishment, I'll finally rest. That's not a tragedy, Rhys. That's mercy."
"You're asking me to kill you."
"I'm asking you to free us both." Pryce took Rhys's hand—cold, but gentle. "You don't owe me anything. Not love, not companionship, not even pity. You certainly don't owe me eternity."
"What if part of me wants to choose you?" The words came out before Rhys could stop them.
Pryce froze. "What?"
"I don't know if it's the curse, or Elara's memories, or just Stockholm syndrome, but..." Rhys couldn't meet his eyes. "Part of me understands you. Sees the broken person under the monster. And that part wonders if choosing you would be brave instead of stupid."
"It would be stupid," Pryce said firmly. "Rhys, listen to me. I'm not redeemable. I'm not some tragic figure who deserves a second chance. I'm a ghost who murdered six people and violated you repeatedly. The fact that you can even consider forgiving that is a testament to your goodness, not mine."
"But—"
"No." Pryce stood. "I won't let you martyr yourself for me. You choose freedom. You choose Liam. You choose life. That's an order from the ghost who supposedly owns you." His voice cracked. "Please. Let me do one good thing in three hundred years. Let me set you free."
He vanished before Rhys could respond.
Five days became four. Four became three.
Rhys barely slept. Barely ate. Just existed in a state of suspended decision.
Liam tried to help. "Make a pros and cons list. That's what I do for big cases."
"This isn't a legal case!"
"Everything's a legal case if you're lawyer enough." Liam pulled out paper. "Okay. Pryce pros: um... he's got a nice palace?"
Despite everything, Rhys laughed. "This is ridiculous."
"It's practical. Come on. What are actual pros of choosing Pryce?"
Rhys thought about it. "He knows me. Not just current me, but all my past lives. There's an intimacy in that."
"Okay. Intimacy based on centuries of stalking. That's... a pro, I guess." Liam wrote it down. "Cons?"
"He's dead. Obsessive. Has murdered multiple people. Can't leave the palace. Oh, and choosing him means I become a ghost too and never see sunlight again."
"Those are significant cons."
"Now Liam."
"Me?" Liam looked uncomfortable. "Pros: I'm alive, employed, generally law-abiding—"
"You're kind," Rhys interrupted. "You're here when you could have run. You believe me when everyone else thought I was crazy. You make me feel safe."
Liam's expression softened. "Those are good pros."
"Cons: I barely know you. This could be Cassian's soul recognizing Elara, not actually us connecting. And if I choose you because you're the 'safe' option, that's not fair to either of us."
They sat in silence.
"There's no right answer, is there?" Rhys said quietly.
"No. Just the answer you can live with." Liam set down the pen. "Two more days, Rhys. Whatever you choose, make sure it's really YOUR choice. Not what Pryce wants. Not what I want. What you want."
But that was the problem.
Rhys had no idea what he wanted anymore.