The crimson night stretched across the Sunlight Capital, bathing the marble towers and golden spires in a bloody glow. Inside the grand palace, Emperor Lucian Alexander Sunlight sat at a polished mahogany table near the window. The crimson reflection of the moon spilled across his long golden hair, making it gleam faintly despite the crimson tint of the sky.
For a long while, he remained motionless, gazing through the glass at the distorted clouds drifting above the city. His crystal-blue eyes were distant—calm, yet heavy with thought.
Then, a sharp knock broke the silence.
Without looking away, he spoke softly, his voice smooth yet commanding.
"You may enter."
The heavy doors creaked open. Sera stepped into the room, her movements careful and silent. She took a seat across from him, her blond hair shimmering faintly in the red light.
"I greet His Majesty, Lucian Alexander Sunlight," came another voice.
Arden Ophiuchus, his emerald eyes steady and calm, walked toward the table and bowed lightly.
Alexander turned his gaze from the window. "Why have you come, Ophiuchus?"
"Your Majesty," Arden began, his tone measured, "you're likely aware of the situation at the Eclipse Tower." His eyes flicked to the side—where the bodies of fallen knights still lay sprawled across the marble floor, their armor cracked and their eyes vacant.
Sera's expression tightened, her face paling at the gruesome sight.
"What should we do now?" Arden asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alexander didn't answer right away. He leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
"At the edge of the forest by the Eclipse Tower," he finally said, "they're hiding there."
Arden's jaw tensed. "And when we find them?"
"Capture them. Dead or alive."
Arden hesitated. "Even Princess Ailaria?"
Alexander's eyes darkened. "Lucian's love is nothing but a petty obsession. If she resists... kill her as well."
A chill rippled through Arden's spine. For a moment, he thought he'd misheard—the Emperor had just referred to himself in the third person, his voice hollow and detached.
Alexander turned away. "Accompany her out as you leave."
Sera rose and obeyed silently, leaving with Arden. In the quiet hallway beyond, Arden stopped and looked back at her, his expression strangely conflicted.
"If you value your life," he said, voice low, "you should run."
Without another word, he walked away, disappearing into the crimson-lit corridors.
◇ ◇ ◇
At the edge of the Eclipse Forest, the air was cool and heavy with mist. A faint, eerie glow from the fallen tower still shimmered through the trees.
Aurelius stood outside a small wooden cabin, arms folded as he gazed toward the distant ruins. "They really did a number on that tower," he murmured.
"Did Papa do that?" came a small voice.
He turned, startled, to find Amelia beside him, her wide crimson eyes mirroring the moonlight.
"Princess, shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked softly, kneeling to pick her up.
"We aren't sleepy," said Grey, suddenly leaping onto Aurelius's back with a mischievous grin.
Aurelius sighed, smiling despite himself. "Alright, but it's cold. You two should get inside."
He carried them back toward the cabin and shut the door gently behind them. But before he could even exhale, a brilliant teleportation circle flared to life outside.
The air rippled—then, with a flash of light, figures began to materialize.
Vlad appeared first, his coat billowing in the sudden breeze as he looked toward the wrecked tower. "We really did a number on that tower, didn't we?" he said, half-smirking.
"It was all for good reason," Aisha replied as she helped Ailaria support a faintly conscious Zackary.
"I... I'm awake," Zackary muttered, pushing himself upright. "I can walk just fine."
Both women froze, surprised.
"Are you really okay?" Ailaria asked, her voice trembling with concern.
"Yeah. I'll be fine." Zackary's eyes were distant. "My mind's just... a mess right now. I need time to process all these scattered memories."
"If that's so," Aisha said gently, "then we should head inside. We can leave at sunrise." She and Vlad began walking toward the cabin.
Ailaria lingered. "Are you really alright?" she asked again, guilt flickering in her expression.
"I told you," Zackary said quietly, "I'll be fine. My head's just... all over the place."
He looked uneasy, unsure how to handle the warmth in her eyes.
"You should go," he said softly. "You want to see them, don't you?"
Ailaria froze, realizing instantly what he meant. Without another word, she ran.
She burst through the cabin door, her breath trembling as her eyes darted around the living room. There—by the fireplace—two small figures looked up at her.
Amelia. Grey.
Tears welled before she could stop them. Her throat tightened, no words coming out.
"Mama?" Amelia whispered, her little voice breaking.
Ailaria's breath caught. Both children's eyes glistened as tears began streaming down their cheeks.
"M...ma... Mama!" Grey stammered, and before she knew it, Ailaria ran to them, falling to her knees as she gathered them into her arms.
"Mama!" they cried again and again, clutching at her dress as though afraid she might vanish if they let go.
"I'm here," she whispered, her own tears falling freely. "I'm here now."
The warmth of their embrace melted the fear she'd carried for so long—the fear of never seeing them again.
◇ ◇ ◇
Outside, Vlad, Aisha, Aurelius, and Zackary stood quietly, watching through the open door.
"How did they recognize her immediately?" Vlad asked, crossing his arms.
Zackary's voice was soft. "The Spirit King, Lunarias, showed them memories of me and their mother—since the day would come when they would leave the spirit realm. So he showed them memories so they'd always know who their parents were."
His crimson eyes glistened faintly as he watched them. The sound of his children crying, the sight of their reunion—it struck something deep within him, a pain so sharp it made he's heart hurt he's body amd heart screamed at him to embrace them. But he didn't move. He couldn't.
"Lunarias did it," Aisha murmured, "so they wouldn't be afraid when the time came to be left in their parents' care again."
She noticed Zackary's trembling hand and glanced toward Vlad and Aurelius. "Let's give them some space," she whispered.
The three of them quietly stepped outside, leaving Zackary and Ailaria alone with the children.
◇ ◇ ◇
Hours passed. The children, exhausted from tears and joy alike, finally drifted into sleep.
Ailaria gently laid them on the bed and tucked them in. She turned—and found Zackary standing silently in the doorway, his expression soft but distant.
"Why are you standing over there?" she asked gently. "Lay down with us."
He hesitated... then slowly crossed the room and lay across from her, the two children sleeping peacefully between them.
For a long time, neither spoke. Zackary's gaze lingered on their faces, and a sharp ache twisted in his chest. He hated seeing them cry.
When he finally looked up, his crimson eyes met Ailaria's silver ones.
"I noticed you hesitated earlier," she said softly. "To embrace us. Why?"
He looked away. "I don't know if I deserve to."
Her expression softened. "Is it because you don't remember me... or because you aren't the same Zackary?"
His silence was her answer.
A faint smile touched her lips. "I understand. You may feel like the Zackary I loved and the Zackary before me are two different people—but you're both sides of the same coin."
Her voice wavered slightly, gentle yet resolute.
"I already resolved myself to love every part of you," she whispered. "The old and the new."
Something stirred inside him, a warmth that felt almost foreign.
"I loved the Zackary I knew... and I'll learn to love the one in front of me now." She reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek.
"So don't hesitate... or be afraid, okay?"
Tears slipped down his face before he realized it. The warmth in his chest spread, thawing years of coldness he'd buried deep inside.
"I'm... unlikable," he murmured.
"I don't care," she said.
"I'm useless."
"You don't seem useless to me."
"I'm a burden," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Everyone I'm around suffers because of me."
Her expression softened further. "Then that makes two of us."
Her thumb brushed away one of his tears. "I told you—I've resolved to love every part of Zackary, old and new. No matter how different you are, I'll love you just as much."
His heart grew lighter. Fragments of memories flashed—moments of laughter, of his own voice calling her name, whispering, I love you.
"You... won't hate me?" he asked timidly, remembering his parents' cold stares from another life.
"I won't," she whispered.
"You won't leave me behind?"
"I won't."
"You won't... die as soon as I let you into my heart?" His voice broke.
"I won't leave you, or our children, ever again."
He trembled, then slowly reached out and clasped her hand against his cheek. Her touch steadied him.
When their eyes met again, his crimson irises had turned a serene sky blue.
"Then," he whispered, a faint smile forming, "I hope you don't get tired of me... since you just said I can be selfish."
Ailaria smiled softly, her heart swelling.
"Why don't we tell each other about our pasts?" she said gently. "That way, we can get to know each other better."
Zackary nodded. And as the crimson moonlight spilled across the wooden floor, they began to talk quietly—careful not to wake the sleeping children.
◇ ◇ ◇
Outside, Vlad leaned against the cabin wall, arms crossed. The forest wind rustled through his hair as he glanced up at the blood-red moon.
"We've been out here for five hours," he muttered.
"We'll stay until sunrise if needed," Aisha said calmly, standing guard near the door.
"You don't have to worry," Aurelius added. "They can't... mate with the children inside. They're probably just talking."
Vlad blinked. "Who said anything about mating?" he muttered.
Then—
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The sound of galloping hooves echoed through the forest.
"What is that?" Vlad snapped, eyes narrowing.
"This scent..." Aurelius growled, his ears twitching. "Humans."
"Go and get Their Graces," Aisha ordered.
Without hesitation, Aurelius burst through the door. "Your Graces, we need to go!" he shouted.
Zackary emerged from the room, carrying Amelia gently in his arms. Ailaria followed, holding Grey close.
"There's no need to yell," Zackary said calmly. "We know."
They stepped outside—and froze.
A wall of armored knights surrounded the clearing. At the center stood Arden Ophiuchus, Leonard of the Lion Saints, and Emilia of the Aries Saints. Their swords gleamed in the red moonlight.
Before anyone could react, Aurelius transformed—his giant wolf-like form erupting beside Zackary, growling low.
"So they're the ones who attacked the Eclipse Tower," Emilia muttered tensely.
Leonard's gaze darted to Ailaria's arms—where Grey clung tightly to her. If we attack now, with the children here... they'll kill us all, he thought grimly.
Then Arden stepped forward, his eyes cold and sharp. "So," he said, voice cutting through the tension, "the one who nearly caused your death has finally come to find you."
"We don't need to fight, Arden," Ailaria said firmly.
His glare deepened. "You've broken countless imperial laws. You committed taboo by entering the Twilight Domain. You bore another man's children while engaged to the Emperor. You've disgraced your name, your house, and your kingdom."
Her silver eyes hardened. "I made those choices because I refused to marry a man who tramples others beneath his power. If you knew what he planned for the other kingdoms and races, you'd have done the same."
"That's enough," Arden snapped, raising his sword. "His Majesty will judge you himself."
All the knights lifted their blades—just as a massive circle of light burst to life beneath Ailaria and her companions.
"Blind loyalty," Ailaria said, her voice calm yet cutting, "is nothing short of willing slavery."
The light flared—brighter, purer—and before the knights could react, the group vanished in a blinding flash, leaving only the whisper of wind beneath the crimson moon.
Leonard lowered his blade slowly. "You realize you almost got everyone here killed, don't you?" he said sharply, glaring at Arden.
"If that's what's necessary," Arden replied coldly, "then so be it."
Leonard pushed him away, turning his back. "You say everything you do is for your kingdom. But all I see... is arrogance."
He gestured for his knights to retreat. Emilia followed, her expression unreadable.
Soon, Arden stood alone under the red sky.
"Arrogance... huh?" he murmured bitterly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Back in the Sunlight Capital, in the crimson-drenched alleys in an old bookstore, a faint golden glow illuminated a single figure.
The hooded man floated silently in the air, surrounded by hundreds of books suspended around him like stars in orbit.
"How heartwarming," he said softly, his voice echoing. "The King abandoned by fate... and the Queen of the Moon... have reunited once more."
He released the book in his hand, and it drifted upward. Its pages fluttered open, revealing an illustration—Zackary and Ailaria lying together in a bed of white flowers, their foreheads touching peacefully.
The hooded man smiled faintly and glanced up through the glass ceiling, where the crimson moon hung like a silent witness.
"I wish you all the best," he whispered.
And the night, still and eternal, carried his words away.