Asteria blinked, surprised. Then she laughed softly—a gentle, affectionate, maternal laugh, like a queen seeing her beloved make a fool of himself for love. She hovered down beside him, catching his body with one hand.
"Still the same silly boy," she whispered, pulling him close. "It's good to be back."
Above them, the portal slowly closed, and the sun shone again—yet none in Anbord ever noticed that the sky had split.
But the stars? They all whispered.
She has returned. Fate's chosen has awakened.
And love—true, timeless love—had found its path again.
...
Soft fingers ran through his crimson hair. Gentle. Rhythmic. Comforting.
Ethan stirred slowly, blinking into the soft lavender sky above. The scent of stars and time wrapped around him—so familiar, yet foreign. His vision adjusted, and the face that greeted him stole the last bit of breath he had left.
Asteria.
