As the Solennes and Mr. Vir remained in the dining room, Nullen stayed behind in Iridea's room. He stood near the window, watching her sleep in silence. The chaos from earlier lingered in his thoughts on how her body trembled, how her charm shattered, how her emotions nearly overwhelmed an entire estate. And how, for the first time, his charm responded.
A soft rustle broke his thoughts.
"Nullen?" Iridea's voice was hoarse but steady. "Why are you here?"
"You're awake," Nullen said, not answering her question. "I'll call your parents."
He exited without waiting for her reply.
Moments later, he returned, this time with Mr. and Mrs. Solenne and his father.
"Irid, are you okay?" Mrs. Solenne asked, rushing to her daughter's side.
"Mom, I'm sorry... I didn't know..." Iridea's voice cracked as she tried to explain.
Her mother gently brushed hair from her face. "It's okay, Don't think about it now. Just rest."
Iridea's gaze drifted to her father. "Dad?"
Mr. Solenne, standing by the foot of the bed, kept his voice calm. "We'll talk about this later. For now, rest."
Iridea nodded faintly and leaned back into her pillow, allowing her eyes to drift shut.
The adults began making their way out, but Nullen didn't move.
"Son," Mr. Vir called softly from the doorway.
Nullen turned toward Iridea, watching her for one last moment. She looked so small now, nothing like the proud, fiery girl who'd stormed out on him days ago. Just fragile and asleep.
They all thanked Nullen and Mr. Vir once again before the two men finally left the room.
---
Inside the Virs' Car – On the Way Home
The silence between father and son was long, broken only when Mr. Vir finally said, "The Solennes asked me to cancel the engagement."
Nullen looked at him. "And what did you say?"
"I refused. But they claimed the engagement was the root cause of Iridea's emotional echo."
"Then maybe you should've agreed. I can marry someone else. As long as the business stays intact, what difference does it make?"
Mr. Vir's expression sharpened. "They need us now more than we need them, Nullen."
Nullen frowned. "How?"
---
Flashback : The Solenne Dining Room
Mr. Solenne paced beside the dining table, still shaken by the earlier event. "Can you keep this between us, Vir?"
Mr. Vir nodded solemnly. "I won't speak a word. What about your staff?"
"They'll be bound to silence. We'll have them sign the Oath."
Once that was settled, Mr. Solenne looked at his wife and then at Mr. Vir. "I want to call off the engagement. It's hurting my daughter."
But Mr. Vir remained calm, unreadable. "I understand. But are you sure that's wise?"
Mrs. Solenne furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
"She nearly caused a full emotional cascade. I was standing far from her, and even I could feel the pressure. Yet Nullen, who was closest, didn't show any signs of being affected."
The room went quiet.
"She's not a Dyscol," Mrs. Solenne insisted gently.
"We both know that's not true," Mr. Vir said. "You've seen what she's capable of. She's powerful, unpredictable. If the wrong people find out, her life could change forever."
"And what?" Mr. Solenne challenged. "You're saying we continue this engagement because your son might be immune to her echo?"
"I'm saying… maybe she needs him."
Mr. Solenne narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to do, Vir? Turn them into an experiment?"
"No," Mr. Vir said calmly.
There was a tense pause.
"is Nullen a Dyscol? And What kind?" Mr. Solenne asked.
"He doesn't emit colors. Never has. But something happened tonight." Mr. Vir's voice dropped lower. "When he held her, his pin glowed. It reacted."
Mrs. Solenne gasped. "It never reacted before?"
"Not once."
Mr. Solenne exchanged a glance with his wife. He still didn't like it but he understood.
"If we call off the engagement, we risk destabilizing both of them. Not just their relationship, but their emotional balance," Mr. Vir said. "Give it time. Let's not act in haste."
Mrs. Solenne finally said, "Let's talk to Iridea first."
The fathers nodded in agreement,just as Nullen entered to tell them Iridea was awake.
---
Back in the Present
"So you told them the truth," Nullen said, leaning back in his seat.
Mr. Vir nodded. "They had a right to know."
Nullen looked out the window, quiet.
"Don't you like her, even a little?" Mr. Vir asked.
"I told you, I liked someone else," Nullen muttered.
"Celest?"
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Mr. Vir nodded.
---
Two Years Later
It had been years since Iridea and Nullen last spoke properly. Even though their families still met during gatherings, the two of them kept their distance. With no official word about the engagement, people speculated but neither Iridea nor Nullen made any effort to clarify or act like it still mattered.
They both focused on school and ignored the gossip. Iridea stayed away from Nullen, even when their parents gently tried to bring them back together.
As for Nullen, he had let go of Celest. He found out she had moved on, and though it hurt, he accepted it. He knew he couldn't fight for her not when he was still engaged to Iridea, even if it felt like the title was just a name they never used.
So, they went their separate ways still bound by the engagement neither of them acknowledged.
---
The city's annual "Mind & Motion" Expo buzzed with energy. Artists adjusted lighting, doctors tested sensory monitors, and students moved between booths with nervous excitement.
For the first time, Iridea's team was chosen to represent their art academy and she was at the center of it. Her piece, "The Pulse Within," was a three-layered installation featuring a mirrored sculpture that flickered with light depending on the viewer's emotional state. The outer layer shimmered with soft color shifts, warm tones for calm, cool tones for unease. The closer a person stood, the more the colors responded. And at its core: a cracked heart made of glass that only revealed itself when a strong emotional presence lingered nearby.
People were already gathering.
"It's beautiful," someone whispered, staring at the glowing sculpture.
"Look..it changed colors when I smiled!"
Iridea was answering questions when Xed approached, fussing with the collar of his blazer.
"Wait - your tie's off," she said, reaching out. Carefully, she straightened it and brushed off his shoulder.
"There," she smiled, stepping back. "You're good."
"Thanks, Iridea," Xed said with a grin, eyes holding hers for a moment too long.
They had worked together often the past two years, group projects, campus exhibitions. He was from a prominent family too, and people talked. With the engagement rumors floating around, Xed had started to believe he might stand a chance.
Behind the reflective panel of the medical booth across the aisle, Nullen watched.
He hadn't noticed her earlier, not until her laughter cut through the crowd. And now, he sat, half-shadowed by his booth, eyes fixed on the scene unfolding in front of him.
She looked... alive. Confident. Smiling.
And the way that guy was looking at her? Like he already belonged beside her.
Nullen's jaw clenched.