>>Amber

I slowly opened my eyes, the world coming into focus in a soft haze. For a moment, I couldn't place where I was—everything felt so still, so quiet. It was disorienting after...everything.

I blinked and turned my head, the soft sheets brushing against my skin, grounding me.

White stone walls surrounded me, simple yet comforting, like the rooms in the temple. The faint scent of incense hung in the air, familiar and calming.

Hmmm?

Where am I?

I sat up, my body feeling surprisingly light, as though the weight of all that had happened had lifted. No pain, no exhaustion.

Just... peace.

Was it over?

I swung my legs off the bed, the cool stone floor meeting my bare feet. Slowly, I stood up, feeling my body move easily, as if nothing had happened to it at all. I took a step toward the open window, drawn by the soft cold breeze that drifted in, carrying the scent of fresh air. It was warm, pleasant—so different from the oppressive miasma that had filled the world before.

When I reached the window, I placed my hands on the frame and leaned out, my heart skipping a beat. From up here, the third floor, I could see everything. The shields that had once surrounded the cities, protecting us from the encroaching darkness, were gone.

Completely lifted. The sky was a clear, pale blue, stretching out endlessly. It was cold, I could see the light steam in my breath but there wasn't any snow on the ground yet.

I looked

And far below, I could hear it—the gentle hum of life. People talking, laughing.

The world... peaceful.

I strained my eyes for any sign of miasma, but there was none. Not a wisp of darkness, not a trace of the nightmare that had consumed everything.

It was gone.

It was really gone.

The miasma was gone. The shield had been lifted from the cities.

Cold fresh air was everywhere

But I felt it

An emptiness inside of me. I looked down at my chest, and then at my hands.

...

I tried to summon my power forward but there was nothing.

Not even a spark

Instead, I felt magic in my veins. It made a shiver run down my spine and I felt goosebumps all over my body.

"Rosie's gone..." I whispered to myself. My skin stood up at the realization. Then fragments came back to me. Of what she did. How she left my body and how she sacrificed herself.

My eyes went slightly wide and a tear slipped down my cheek.

I placed a hand on my chest and looked at the sky. The birds blew freely there, we could see the sun shining brightly. The sky was ever so blue and soft fluffy clouds roamed.

"Rosie..."

She indeed was the true saint. And she saved the world, as she was meant to do.

I heard the soft creak of the door opening behind me. Startled, I turned quickly, my breath catching in my throat.

"Hael!"

The name slipped out of my mouth before I could even process it, and in that instant, a wave of relief and warmth flooded through me. There he was, standing in the doorway, his familiar figure filling the space. His face lit up when he saw me, his smile so genuine.

I didn't even think. My legs moved before my mind could catch up, and I ran to him, my feet stumbling over themselves in my rush. The strength I thought I had felt just moments ago vanished, and I almost collapsed, my knees buckling underneath me.

It seems I had been asleep for a while

But before I could hit the floor, Hael was already there, racing towards me. His arms wrapped around me, steady and strong, lifting me up off the ground as if I weighed nothing at all. He twirled me in the air, and I couldn't help the breathless laugh that escaped my lips.

"You're finally up," He whispered softly into my ear as he stopped moving, his voice full of emotion, his breath warm against my skin.

I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, holding him as close as I could, and buried my face in his shoulder, feeling the solid warmth of him.

He was real. We were real.

"We did it," I whispered back, my heart swelling as I spoke the words.

He didn't say anything at first, just held me there, his grip around me tightening for a moment. Then, in a soft, reverent voice, he said, "We did..."

We pulled back just enough to look at each other. The tension, the exhaustion, the pain we faced—everything faded in that moment. I felt his hand slide up to cup my cheek while his arm supported my weight, his thumb brushing softly over my skin. And then, without another word, we leaned in.

Our lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. Our lips met softly at first, a gentle brush as if testing the waters, but the moment our skin touched, a spark ignited between us. I melted into him, my feet still dangling in the air as he held me effortlessly in his arms. I could feel the warmth of his breath as he exhaled against my mouth, the subtle press of his lips growing firmer as he pulled me closer. His hands, strong and steady, cradled the small of my back and the nape of my neck, holding me as if he never wanted to let go

Unable to resist the warmth between us, I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss as my body pressed against his. His arms tightened around me.

I kissed him back with everything I had, pouring my relief, and love into that moment. The softness of his lips melded against mine, and I could feel his heart beating rapidly against my chest, matching the rhythm of my own. There was a tenderness in how his lips moved, slow and deliberate, like he was savoring each second, like he couldn't believe I was there in his arms.

We broke the kiss. I placed my hands on his cheeks, cupping his face and we looked at each other.

It was an unbelievable moment but at the same time I felt so whole in it.

We looked into each other's eyes, softly, lovingly.

"Finally..." I whispered

"Finally," He replied.

Then, we moved back in to join once again. The kiss deepened, our breaths mingling as he pressed me tighter to him. I felt the tip of his tongue brush against mine, teasing, gentle, and I gasped softly against his lips. My arms wrapped more firmly around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer as my legs tightened around his waist, needing to feel every inch of him.

His kiss grew more passionate, more urgent. His lips parted slightly, taking mine fully, and the heat between us flared. My skin tingled everywhere his hands touched, and the way he held me, the strength in his arms, made me feel both safe and electrified.

Time didn't seem to exist. There was only the warmth of him, the taste of him—like warmth and comfort and something uniquely Hael.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless, I rested my forehead against his, our noses brushing. His eyes, filled with so much affection, locked onto mine. Neither of us said anything at first, just breathing, savoring the closeness, the feeling of being alive, together.

***

There were no longer any signs of Persephone or Valenor

In her final sacrifice, Rosie had cleared the poison in Hollow Woods too, once again allowing it to be renamed Dark Woods. Although it required some time before the leaves got dense enough and reached their former glory.

Slowly, slowly, animals and birds were going in. That meant there was no poison left in it.

The curse had vanished from existence. People went in to explore, they discovered the rift too but there was nothing in there.

I wondered what happened to the two of them but I couldn't find the answer, well, not right away at least.

The King summoned us both and we were asked what we wanted as a reward for what we did, but we didn't ask for anything for ourselves.

But something for Rosie and who she was.

We told the temple about the true saint and how it was her power I was using. I made up a story about how even I myself didn't know there was someone inside of me till the battle with Persephone.

We never told anyone about Rosie's background.

Hael provided them with an image of Rosie with his magic. There was a lot of convincing from me and showing them I have no holy power left in me for everyone to finally believe me.

Holy Power is not something that can be taken away after all. The temple was skeptical about it, they weren't sure what to do.

Illaris helped me, she convinced the temple that they should use the same excuse for the both of us to not get caught. Her powers were gone too after all and the temple still needed to explain that.

Eventually a story was told. That the saint named 'Rosie' saved the world.

And a statue monument of Rosie was erected in front of the temple, in a place where every person could see who their savior was.