Iridea had just settled into the backseat of her car when the door swung open abruptly. She looked up, unamused to see Nullen standing there, his expression as cold as ever.
"You can head home first," he told her driver flatly. "Tell the Solennes I'm borrowing their daughter."
The driver blinked, confused. But knowing the connection between the Virs and the Solennes, he didn't protest. With a respectful nod, he drove off, leaving Iridea behind in stunned silence.
"Nullen, what the hell " she started, but he reached for her wrist not roughly, but firm enough to make her follow.
She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable," she muttered, yet didn't resist.
---
Inside the Car
The ride was steeped in heavy silence until Nullen finally muttered, "I'm sorry about last night."
Iridea blinked, her breath catching. She hadn't expected that, especially not from him.
But the shock didn't last.
"That's it?" she said, voice rising. "You ignore me all night, let some stranger talk down to me, and now a weak apology's supposed to fix it?"
"I said I'm sorry," he repeated, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
Her frustration burst. "You never try, Nullen! I keep telling myself to make it work. I try to talk, to meet you halfway but you just shut down every time."
"I know."
"I'm done," she snapped. "I'm telling my parents to call off the engagement. Let them build their alliance without using us as bargaining chips."
A pause. Then quietly, "Let's do that."
Something cracked inside her, not relief, not satisfaction. Just a hollow ache.
"Right," she said flatly, turning to the window. "Let's."
---
When the car reached her home, Iridea stepped out without a glance back. She disappeared through the doors, leaving Nullen behind.
Days passed. They didn't see each other. Not a call. Not a word.
--
Inside the Solenne Dining Room
The clink of cutlery echoed through the quiet dining room. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, but the warm glow did little to soften the tension sitting heavily in Iridea's chest.
She hadn't touched her food.
"Dad," she said suddenly, pushing her plate away. "I'm done with the engagement."
Evander Solenne looked up slowly from his paper, brows lifting. "Say it again"
"I said I'm done," she repeated, voice firmer now. "It's over."
"You can't just say that and expect everything to change." His voice was calm but sharp beneath it.
"Why not?" Iridea snapped.
Evander's jaw tensed. "Because this isn't just about you, Iridea. This engagement holds value far beyond your personal feelings."
"There it is," she said bitterly. "It's always about value. Strategy. Legacy. Never me."
"Don't twist this into something it's not."
"I'm not twisting anything!" Her voice cracked. "I've tried, Dad. I've tried to accept this arrangement. I've swallowed my pride, smiled when I didn't want to, stayed quiet when I should've spoken up. But Nullen, he doesn't care. He never has. And I'm tired of pretending this is fine!"
"You're being emotional—"
"Damn right, I'm emotional!" she yelled, slamming her hand on the table.
A flicker of light sparked from her necklace. Evander's eyes snapped to it, brows furrowing.
"If you want this engagement so badly," Iridea continued, breath trembling, "why don't you get engaged to Nullen?!"
Calista gasped softly, reaching for her daughter. "Irid—"
"No, Mom. I'm done. I've sacrificed enough already. I've had enough of being pushed into silence just because it's convenient for everyone else!"
Her voice rose with each word and so did the glow from her necklace.
Her father stood, voice rising to match hers. "You think this is about convenience? You have no idea what's at stake! You want to destroy what we've built because of a few petty feelings?!"
"It's not petty!" she screamed.
CRACK.
A high-pitched shatter split the air as her necklace exploded in a burst of brilliant light, shards of Aurelith scattering across the floor like stardust.
And then… the echo hit.
A wave of pure, raw emotion surged through the room. Rage, pain, sorrow, it slammed into her parents like a physical force. Calista stumbled back, clutching her chest. Evander's eyes went wide, confusion and dread overtaking him as he dropped to his knees.
The staff nearby began gasping, some crying, others frozen in panic.
Iridea's breath caught in her throat.
She hadn't meant for it to happen.
"I—" she whispered, staring at her trembling hands. "I didn't mean to..Mom? Dad?"
Her mother's hand gripped the table for balance, her face pale. "What… is this…?"
Her father was down, one hand on the ground, the other clutching his temple as if trying to shield himself from the unbearable storm swirling in the air.
And Iridea, for the first time, was alone in her echo.
--
By sheer coincidence, the Virs were on their way to the Solenne estate for a business discussion.
The moment they entered the estate, they were greeted by chaos. The staff, emotionally disoriented and couldn't explain what had happened.
Mr. Vir's expression darkened. "Something's wrong."
Nullen moved without waiting. As soon as he entered the dining hall. Mr. and Mrs. Solenne were both unconscious in their chairs. Staff members sat on the floor or leaned against walls, overwhelmed.
And in the middle of it all was Iridea, on her knees, crying. Her lips trembling, and her arms cradling her shattered charm. She looked lost.
Nullen didn't think he just went to her.
"Iridea," he called, kneeling in front of her. "Hey, look at me."
But she didn't respond.
The storm of emotions still surrounded her like a veil.
He cupped her face. "Iridea, listen. You have to calm down. You're hurting everyone."
Still, nothing.
So he pulled her into his arms.
Her body was tense, trembling. Her breathing shallow. But he held her tighter, grounding her, his forehead pressed to hers.
Then..his pin glowed.
The Aurelith gem shimmered faintly, then began to absorb the excess emotional energy spilling from Iridea. Swirls of color were drawn from her and into the gem, slowly stabilizing her aura.
He felt it , the moment her heartbeat slowed, her breathing steadied.
She collapsed against him, unconscious but no longer overwhelmed.
---
As things calmed, Mr. Vir helped stabilize the remaining staff. Mrs. Solenne regained consciousness and immediately asked, "How's Iridea?"
Nullen held her gently. "She's okay now. Just passed out."
"She needs stronger protection," Mr. Vir muttered. "That charm was nowhere near enough."
"We gave her the highest grade we could acquire," Mr. Solenne said, voice tight with guilt. "It still shattered."
Nullen stood, carrying Iridea in his arms.
"Where's her room?"
A staff member nodded, leading the way.
Mr. Solenne watched them leave, then turned to Mr. Vir. "Thank you for coming today."
Mr. Vir looked at him, serious. "Your daughter… isn't ordinary."