CHAPTER LX
"The Promise of Us"
Caelum's POV:
I gently helped Cel sit on the bed and then knelt down at her feet, my heart heavy with both guilt and longing. Looking up at her face, I took her hand softly into mine and said, "Cel… if it's even remotely possible, please… forgive me. I know you're trying—trying so hard—to understand me. And believe me when I say this... I won't betray you again. I swear on everything that I am, I'll never hurt your heart again."
My voice cracked by the end. There was something in her eyes—soft, vulnerable, yet resilient—that made me feel like even if the world turned against me, she would stand by my side. And I wasn't sure if I even deserved that.
Cel looked at me with those deeply knowing eyes and said quietly, "Then Cael… tell me the truth. That secret you're hiding—something only you know. Please… tell me what it is."
I hesitated. Not because I didn't trust her, but because the truth was a storm… one that could swallow us whole.
"I promise… when the right time comes," I whispered, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "you'll know everything. I want to tell you, Cel… I do. But right now… I just can't."
She nodded slowly, her disappointment clear but tucked away behind a soft smile. "Okay, Cael. When you're ready… I'll be waiting."
Then she added with a playful glimmer, "So now… this means we're officially life partners, right? From the heart? Married in soul?"
Her words made my heart skip. I held her hand tighter and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Yes," I whispered against her skin, "from this moment on, you're my Queen—not just in title, but in every heartbeat. We don't need the world. We are our own world now. Just you and me… in our small, quiet universe. And here… we will always be happy."
Cel cupped my face with her hand, her touch warm and grounding. She looked into my eyes with a seriousness I hadn't expected. "But Cael… the world outside this room… they're our family. They love us. We should tell them—tell them that you've changed. That you're not going to hurt anyone anymore."
I looked away, torn. "Cel… if we do that, they might never let us be together. They'll be scared… they'll see me as the monster I once was. And I can't lose you. I won't survive it."
She placed her hand over my heart, and I froze as her warmth soaked through my skin, straight into my soul.
"As long as this heart is beating, no one can separate us," she whispered. "Not fate, not fear, not even death. I won't let anything take you away from me. Trust me, Cael… I'll fight the whole world for you. But… don't you miss your mother? Don't you miss your home? Can we really live hiding forever?"
Her words hit me like a wave.
I lowered my gaze and nodded slowly, the ache of memories flickering behind my eyes. "I do miss her… and I miss home. I miss who I was… before all of this. And maybe you're right. Maybe it's time."
I looked back up at her, determination blooming in my chest. "Let's do it. Tomorrow… we leave for Lunaria Noir."
Cel gently urged me to stand, her hand slipping into mine with a warmth that instantly made my heart steady. She didn't say much—she didn't have to. Her eyes spoke volumes. She led me softly to the bed and, with a tenderness that felt like a balm to my soul, sat me down. Then, without a word, she nestled beside me, resting her head on my shoulder, her arms weaving around mine like ivy clinging to a tree it trusts.
She held my hand tightly and whispered, almost as if she were afraid the moment would disappear if she spoke too loud.
"Cael… do you know how long I've waited for this moment?"
Her voice trembled with emotion, and I turned my head slightly, sensing the weight behind her words. She took a deep breath and continued, her cheek brushing lightly against my shoulder.
"Since I was a child, I used to see a fairy in my dreams," she said softly. "A girl… radiant, untouchable, and yet, she felt like mine. I used to believe she was a figment of my imagination—a piece of my heart that longed too much, dreamed too much."
She let out a quiet laugh, almost sad, almost awestruck. "But I loved her. Deeply. Even in my dreams. I didn't know who she was… but I felt she was made for me. And that I was made for her."
Her grip on my hand tightened slightly as she lifted her head just enough to look into my eyes.
"And then I met you… Caelum. In your first form, I felt it—that strange, electric pull. Like my soul had found something it lost lifetimes ago. I didn't understand it at first. But when I saw your true form… everything just clicked. I knew. I had found the one I had been dreaming of my whole life. The fairy who was made for me. The one I was destined for."
My heart ached with the depth of her love—so pure, so ancient, so unwavering. Her gaze wavered for a moment, sadness creeping in like a shadow behind her smile.
"But fate…" she whispered, "has a cruel sense of humor, doesn't it? Just when I fell in love with you, I had to watch you lose yourself. To watch your soul be swallowed by something dark… and distant. It felt like just as I found you, I was about to lose you."
I swallowed hard, emotions threatening to spill. "Yeah…" I murmured. "Maybe that's what happened. Maybe my wings broke just as yours began to fly. Whether or not I'm still cursed… we'll only know on the night of the full moon."
She looked at me, her eyes blazing with quiet determination.
"That night," she said, "I won't let you walk away. I won't let the curse—or destiny—take you from me again. I will fight everything to keep you beside me."
I smiled gently, brushing her hair away from her eyes.
"You won't have to," I whispered. "Because this time… I won't walk away either. No matter what happens, Cel—I'm not leaving your side."
She exhaled, relief washing over her features like moonlight. And in that still, quiet moment… nothing else existed. Just her. Just me. And the promise of forever between us.
To be continue....