I staggered forward, the vision still lingering in my mind—Queen Lisa's pink hair whipping in the wind, the look of heartbreak and fury on her face as she fought Valor, her former lover, to protect the Blade of Time. Power had changed him, twisted him. Their love, once sacred, had become the battlefield itself.
The forest was quiet again, save for the rustling of leaves under my feet. I took a shaky breath and glanced back the way I came, where I knew Kai and Alex would be close behind.
A part of me—no, all of me—wanted to turn back. To run into his arms and stay there, safe from this burden, from the weight of the past and the expectations of the future. I could almost hear his voice calling my name, feel his hands reaching out for me.
But then I reminded myself of the truth.
We weren't really husband and wife. That was just something we told others to keep me safe. A lie we clung to because it was easier than explaining what we really were—two strangers caught in something much larger than either of us. And if it was all pretend… then maybe I didn't have to pretend anymore. Not if I kept walking. Not if I didn't look back.
My duty as a princess had to come first. Before my desires. Before my heart. Before Kai.
Even though something deep in me ached for him, I had to let go of what was never truly mine to begin with.
So I walked on, not daring to look over my shoulder, not daring to give in to the part of me that still hoped the lie could become real.
I heard the soft crunch of leaves behind me before I even sensed him. I didn't turn. I didn't have to. I knew it was him.
"Anna," Kai's voice called out, low but sharp—cutting through the forest air like a blade.
I kept walking.
"Don't ignore me," he growled, and then I felt it—his hand closing around my wrist, not harsh, but firm enough to stop me. "Why are you running?"
I closed my eyes. "I'm not running."
"Bullshit," he snapped, stepping in front of me now, forcing me to look at him. His golden eyes burned with something between confusion and pain. "You're walking away from me like I don't matter. Like none of it meant anything."
I shook my head. "It didn't." The lie left my lips like glass splintering in my mouth. "We were pretending, remember? You and I—we're not real. Just a part of a cover story."
Kai stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tightening. "You really believe that?" he asked. "After everything we've been through?"
I tried to look away, but he gently caught my chin, making me meet his gaze.
"You think it was pretend when I stayed up watching over you while you slept?" he asked. "When I held you like the world would fall apart if I let go? When I kissed you like I meant it—because I did, Anna. I do."
My throat clenched. "You weren't supposed to."
"Well, I did it anyway," he said, stepping closer, his voice lower now. "And maybe you can lie to yourself all you want. Tell yourself this is just duty. That you're some untouchable princess with a blade to chase and a kingdom to save. But don't lie to me."
I swallowed hard, heat rising in my chest, behind my eyes. "I have to choose my duty over my feelings. You think I want to? You think this doesn't kill me?"
"Then don't walk away," he said. "Stay. Or at least stop pretending that we're strangers. You may be a princess… but you're also a woman. And I know you felt it, too."
Silence stretched between us—tense, aching.
I looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "You weren't supposed to matter this much," I whispered.
Kai let out a breath and reached for my hand, holding it to his chest, right over his heart.
"Too late," he said softly. "You do."
His words hung in the air between us, heavy and undeniable.
"Too late. You do."
For a moment, I let myself feel it—the warmth of his chest beneath my hand, the steady beat of his heart, the sincerity in his eyes. I wanted to fall into him, to let him hold me and pretend that the world would wait.
But it wouldn't. And I couldn't.
I slowly pulled my hand away.
"I can't," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Kai's brows pulled together. "Why? What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid," I said, steadying myself. "I'm choosing. I have to."
He took a step back, as if the space between us could make the truth less painful. "You're choosing the blade."
"I'm choosing my people," I said, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm choosing the mission my mother entrusted me with—the one that could change everything. If I let myself stay, if I let myself fall into what we have—real or not—it'll break me. And I can't afford to be broken, Kai. Not now."
He stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tense, the fire in his golden eyes dimming just slightly. "So that's it? You walk away and pretend none of it mattered?"
"No," I whispered. "It mattered. You mattered. That's why it hurts this much."
I turned away, forcing my feet forward. The air felt heavier with every step, like the forest itself was trying to hold me back. But I kept going.
"If I stop now," I said without turning back, "I'll never be able to finish what I started. And I have to finish this."
"Then I'll follow you," Kai called after me.
I paused, my breath catching.
"I won't stop you," I said softly, still not turning around. "But I won't turn back either."
And with that, I disappeared deeper into the forest—carrying the weight of my duty on my shoulders and the ache of what I had left behind still burning in my chest.
As my footsteps carried me farther from Kai, I felt the tension in my chest coil tighter, like a thread being pulled taut between what I wanted and what I had to do.
Then a voice—smooth, familiar, and laced with something dangerously amused—broke the silence just ahead.
"Well, that was dramatic."
I stopped in my tracks.
Alex stepped out from behind a wide cedar tree, arms crossed, a glint of mischief in his emerald eyes as he tilted his head at me. His short black hair caught slivers of golden light through the canopy, and his lean frame moved with effortless grace as he approached.
"You always show up at the worst times," I muttered, brushing past him.
"Or maybe just the right ones," he said, falling into step beside me. "I saw the end of that little scene. You really told him off."
"It wasn't like that."
"No?" He glanced sideways at me, his expression unreadable. "Because it looked like someone turning away from a man who'd burn the world down just to keep her safe."
I didn't answer. The ache in my chest pulsed harder.
Alex sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets. "You know, I didn't expect you to have that kind of effect on him. Kai doesn't… care for many people. But you?" He gave a short laugh. "You've managed to undo him."
I stopped walking and turned to face him, meeting his gaze head-on. "Then why are you here, Alex? Really."
He stepped closer, just enough to make my breath catch. "Maybe I was curious. Maybe I wanted to see the Ravishing, Mysterious Woman who's got my brother completely unraveling his careful control."
He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. "Or maybe I wanted to see for myself if you were worth the risk he's taking."
My pulse quickened, but I held my ground. "This isn't a game, Alex."
"No," he agreed, his voice softer now. "It isn't. But if you're walking away from him… don't think for a second that means you're walking alone."
I narrowed my eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
He smiled—just faintly. "It means I'm not letting you vanish into this forest alone, Princess. Whether you're chasing a blade or running from your feelings, someone needs to keep you alive long enough to finish what you started."
Then, just like that, he turned and began walking ahead, not waiting for my permission to follow.
I watched him move ahead like he owned the forest, like nothing touched him—not even the mess he'd just witnessed between Kai and me.
I didn't follow immediately. Something about him had always put me on edge. He was too smooth. Too observant. And right now, far too interested in me.
"Wait," I said, my voice sharp.
Alex slowed, but didn't turn around. "Changed your mind already?"
"I want to know why you're really here."
He stopped and finally faced me, one brow arched. "I told you. I'm making sure you don't get yourself killed out here. You've got that haunted noblewoman on a quest look, and we both know you're not exactly blending in."
I took a step closer, crossing my arms. "You're not Kai. You don't follow people unless there's something in it for you."
That got a grin out of him, slow and wicked. "Smart girl."
"Then tell me what you're after," I pressed. "Is it the Blade of Time? Are you planning to use me to get to it first? Or is this just some twisted game between you and your brother?"
Alex's expression shifted—just subtly. The smile didn't vanish, but it cooled. His eyes darkened, like a cloud had passed over the sun.
"You think I'm here to play games?" he said quietly, stepping toward me. "Trust me, Anna. If I wanted the blade for myself, I wouldn't be wasting my time walking behind you."
"Then what do you want?" I demanded.
He stopped only a breath away, his voice dropping to something almost intimate. "I want to see what kind of woman walks away from a man like Kai and still keeps her spine straight. I want to understand why he looks at you like you're the last thing in this world worth saving."
I swallowed hard, trying not to let the heat of his gaze rattle me.
"And maybe," he added, almost too casually, "I want to know what happens when a princess stops pretending she's above being wanted."
I stepped back, pulse racing. "You don't get to talk to me like that."
Alex didn't follow this time. He just tilted his head slightly and offered a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Fine. But don't expect me to play the gentleman if you keep walking this road alone. I'm not my brother, Anna. I don't burn for love. I just don't let interesting things slip through my fingers."
Then he turned once more, leaving the words hanging in the air between us like smoke.
And I realized, for better or worse… I might've just traded one kind of danger for another.
I looked behind me, but Kai was nowhere in sight. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to follow Alex. When I caught up to him, I noticed several figures surrounding him—strangers, tense and alert, their hands resting near their weapons. They looked ready to attack… yet they were speaking in hushed, urgent voices.
A shiver ran down my spine. These weren't ordinary travelers or forest dwellers; they moved with the precision of trained fighters, their eyes flicking toward me and then back to Alex, searching, calculating.
Alex didn't seem fazed. If anything, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he met their gazes confidently. It was clear they respected him—or maybe feared him.
I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should step forward or turn and run back into the shadows of the trees. But curiosity and necessity pushed me onward.
As I drew closer, snippets of their conversation floated through the air—words like "blade," "princess," and "enemy forces." Whatever was coming, it was bigger than I had imagined. And now I was caught right in the middle of it.