Chapter 103: NO GOODBYE

Alda's POV

I couldn't sleep. My wandering mind wouldn't let me. I just lay in Xender’s arms, completely awake, as I watched him sleep.

I took in the view of his face, knowing it might actually be my last.

Since we technically didn't have to wait to come and go when the portal pleased, we were determined to make this upcoming battle our final fight. As much as that sounded like a good idea, it meant there would be no more borrowing time between both realms. We could stay in Álfheimr and set things right for Siofra’s people, but then I would finally have to face my own harsh reality.

I slipped out of Xender’s arms, gently pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before pulling on one of his button-up shirts. I quietly made my way out onto the balcony. The air was freezing outside, so I shut the glass door firmly behind me, not wanting to wake Xender with the sudden chill.

I felt the biting wind against my exposed legs and arms as I stood there, staring out into the dark night. At first, it felt refreshing. It was exactly what I needed to snap me back to reality.

My human life was completely over. I went from getting married, to losing myself in that marriage while desperately trying to make it work. Then, I lost my parents. And finally, I was murdered alongside my unborn baby by my own ex-husband.

What a cruel fate. It was the type of agony I would only wish upon the monsters who had brought it upon me.

I couldn't believe I hadn't even gotten my revenge yet. I couldn't believe I hadn't been able to see it through to the end. And now, Albert was on the verge of paying with his life for a crime he didn't commit. Tears began to fall down my face. I quickly went to wipe them away, but as my hand brushed my cheek, the glint of the ring on my finger caught my eye.

With a breaking heart, I slowly pulled it off.

Maybe my being brought back to life for this second chance was never actually about me. Maybe it was all for Siofra. It was never about me, or about a revenge that I couldn't even manage to pull off.

Through it all, I had never once confronted Seth. I had wanted so badly to look him dead in the eyes and tell him exactly how he was the biggest mistake of my life. I wanted him to feel the same agonizing pain he had put me through. But maybe this was for the best. Maybe karma would somehow catch up to him without my hands getting dirty.

I just couldn't wait for all of this to be over so I could go find Mom and Dad. If there was an afterlife, I was certain they were waiting for me.

I was so profoundly lost in my pain that I didn't even notice Xender’s presence until he draped a heavy blanket around my shoulders. I startled slightly, turning to look at him as he spoke.

“Why aren't you in bed? Why are you standing out in the cold with so little clothing on?” he asked.

The deep concern vibrating in his voice made me feel a little less... dead inside. I quickly masked my sadness and forced a smile as he reached out, tucking a few stray strands of hair away from my face. His hands gently cupped my cheeks, and I immediately leaned into his warm touch.

Then, he leaned down to press a soft, lingering kiss onto my forehead before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me tightly against his chest.

“I don't want you to worry about anything, Alda. Just go and do what you have to do, but please don't forget that there is someone right here waiting for you to come home.”

His words completely broke me. The last ounce of restraint I had left in me vanished. I broke into a heavy sob, burying my face deep into his chest.

“You have to promise me you will come home,” Xender pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. “I will be waiting for you. And once you're back—and I've finally gotten Seth exactly where he belongs—then we can finally have our wedding. I promise to erase every single bad memory you have from your previous marriage. I promise to take away anything that could ever bring you pain.”

The raw ache etched into his voice and the way his grip grew tighter around me told me he was just as terrified of losing me as I was of leaving.

But I needed him to be prepared for the worst. There was absolutely no guarantee that I wouldn't just vanish and go back to being a corpse the moment Siofra left my body.

I gently pulled myself out of his embrace. As I stepped back, the heavy blanket slipped from my shoulders, pooling at my feet. I took a few cautious steps away from him, wiping my face dry. I finally forced myself to meet his gaze. He looked so beautiful standing there, though the light from the indoor chandelier wasn't bright enough out here, casting long, dramatic shadows across his face.

I realized I wouldn't be able to say what needed to be said if I kept looking straight into his eyes.

“I'm sorry, Xender,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I wanted to walk away from this realm knowing fully well that I wouldn't have anything or anyone left behind to regret. But somehow, you managed to fill that empty space. But I can't make you any promises. It's high time I accept reality.”

I lifted my chin high, stubbornly refusing to let another tear fall. I extended my hand toward him and opened my palm, revealing the ring I had taken off moments ago.

“Alda is dead. I don't even know what I am anymore,” I said, repeating the words firmly.

I waited for him to reach out and take the ring, but when he just stood there frozen, I stepped forward. I took his hand, pressing the cold metal of the ring directly into his open palm before hurriedly stepping away. I ran back inside to my room, shutting the heavy door firmly behind me.

I was incredibly glad he had gotten my old bedroom fixed up during the day. If he hadn't, my frantic feet probably would have carried me right out of the house into the night, searching for a space where I could be alone.

Siofra's POV

“Are you trying to say you didn't send me here?” I asked for the second time, my eyes searching theirs for any sign of a lie.

“We didn't,” Lumeria stated firmly. “I was the one who released you from the glass jar you were trapped in, but I never transported you to this human realm.”

“Well, I think this has everything to do with that human girl,” Valeria chipped in, stepping up beside her sister. “Her sudden death technically ripped open a structural border right here. Your spirit happened to find her dying body at that exact cosmic second, and that accident created a temporary bridge between our two realms.”

“We don't fully understand her connection to you yet, but that is a mystery for us to worry about later,” Lumeria interrupted, her expression turning deadly serious. “Right now, your sister has completely lost her mind. She is determined to awaken those ancient, monstrous beasts, and she is willing to sacrifice absolutely whatever it takes to do it. She is already preparing for the blood ritual, and from what we’ve gathered, she is going to start by sacrificing the captive queens.”

The sheer weight of her words brought a fresh wave of panic crashing over me.

“Though, she isn't entirely your sister. I mean, the two of you aren't actually blood-related,” Nymeria added in clear annoyance.

The unexpected news hit me like a physical blow. I whipped my head toward her, giving her an intensely questioning glare. “What? What do you mean by that?” I demanded.

Nymeria gasped, her jaw dropping. “Wait a minute. Don't tell me you actually didn't know?”

“Nymeria! Not now! We have a much bigger crisis at hand!” Lumeria scolded sharply.

“But she deserves to know that she doesn't share a bloodline with that monster!” Nymeria argued, throwing her hands up. “I mean, I don't know how she didn't grasp that from the ancient prophecy anyway. Her mother was completely disqualified by the gemstone of light because of a child she was already carrying before her banishment—”

“Nymeria, be quiet!” Lumeria snapped, completely shunning her before she could say another word.

It took my brain a long, stunned moment to process the massive revelation. Before I could even ask another question, Lumeria stepped forward, cutting me off.

“We need to leave immediately! There's no point in waiting around for the windstorm portal when there is already a fractured barrier right here that leads directly to both realms,” Lumeria urged.

I immediately took two steps backward, shaking my head in fierce disagreement.

“No. I need to take that windstorm portal if I want to retrieve my physical body. I will risk the portal and meet you guys back in Álfheimr,” I replied stubbornly.

Lumeria stared at me, her expression hardening into a grim warning. “Whatever you choose to do, just know that there is no connection between us and you inside that portal storm. Once you step into it, you are completely on your own.”

I simply nodded, accepting the terrifying risk.

“I guess we will be seeing you at the palace in Álfheimr then—assuming you don't get ripped apart or trapped eternally in the current,” Valeria said calmly.

Without waiting for a response, she and Lumeria turned and melted into the shadows of the woods, leaving only Nymeria behind. The nature goddess gave me a long, knowing look.

“Don't die,” she said eerily, before vanishing into thin air to follow her sisters.

I watched their figures completely disappear from the tree line. Taking a deep breath, I turned on my heel and immediately flew back toward the estate to find Alda.