Ava sat on the couch and gestured for Ron to sit. Ron sat down beside her.
"Where were you?" Ava asked in a soft, low tone, feigning a little anger.
"I was on a mission," Ron replied.
Ava nodded in understanding, though her voice remained calm and respectful.
"You should've told me."
"Sorry. It was a last-second decision," Ron said.
"Ron, now that we're married, we should inform each other if one of us is going somewhere far," Ava said quietly.
Ron nodded. "Sorry if I made you worried."
Ava shook her head, not looking him in the eyes. "This is your responsibility."
Ron nodded again. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated.
Ava noticed his hesitation and glanced up at him. "You can ask if there's something on your mind."
Ron nodded slowly.
"Ava… do you remember many years ago when you and Liora went to that colony in the northern mountains?"
Ava looked surprised. "Yes."
"Do you remember the time when that colony exploded… and the curfew before that?"
Ava nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened before the curfew? I know Liora infiltrated the place, but I don't know the exact details. You were staying with her then. Can you tell me who the other person was who infiltrated with Liora?" Ron asked.
Ava took a long breath before answering.
"It was me. We infiltrated together."
Ron blinked in shock. "What? You? What were you doing there? You could've gotten hurt. Liora is a professional assassin—she once worked for them."
Ava looked at him calmly. "I know. I know she worked for Eclipse."
Ron's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So you know about Eclipse. Then tell me… what were you doing there?"
"I was there to gather information about DA," Ava replied.
DA? Why would she want information about DA? Ron thought.
Ava paused before continuing.
"I was also once a member of Eclipse."
Ron nodded slowly. "I figured that much. What was your code name?"
"Aex," Ava said quietly, looking down.
Ron's eyes widened in realization.
"So… you're her."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Then Ron spoke again.
"Well… I was also a mercenary back in the day."
Ava looked up at him in surprise.
"I was called Rex," Ron said with a small smile.
Ava's eyes widened.
"But I left that life behind after my mentor died."
Ava lowered her gaze slightly. "So you were Rex. I always heard from my elders that Rex caused us a lot of trouble."
Ron chuckled.
"But tell me," he said, "why were you looking for information about DA?"
Ava answered calmly.
"DA was suspicious. He knew about my identity, yet we had no information about him. So I wanted to expose him."
Ron nodded.
"DA… he's a friend. And yes, we still don't know much about him. But he's a respected ally. He helps us whenever we need him."
Ron shifted closer and sat beside Ava.
Ava's heart began beating faster.
Why do I become nervous every time he comes near me? she thought.
Ron gently patted her head.
"Ava, don't worry about him. These days he's nowhere to be found."
Ava nodded.
Ron continued, "This is the safest place on the planet right now. Dream created a barrier around this house. If anyone tries to harm you here… they'll be vaporized."
Ava lowered her gaze and softly said, "Ron…"
Ron looked at her. Suddenly, a thought struck him and his eyes widened.
"Ava, look at me."
He gently cupped her face and turned it toward him.
Ava froze in surprise.
"Listen to me carefully," Ron said seriously. "And remember this for the rest of your life."
Ava nodded.
"You don't have to compete with Dream. You are you, and she is she. You both share some qualities, but you are also different. So just be yourself. You and Dream are both my women, and I will treat both of you equally—with equal love."
Ava nodded quietly.
"The real problem is that we haven't spent much time together lately," Ron continued. "We barely know each other."
"But… what will Dream say if she finds out?" Ava asked nervously.
Ron smiled slightly.
"I think she already knows. Or at least she suspected it. That's what I felt. You and Dream are both my wives, and I won't let either of you down. Trust me."
Ava nodded.
"In the beginning, I was running away from you," Ron admitted. "I kept you at arm's length. I was afraid you might take Dream's place in my heart."
He shook his head.
"But that can never happen."
"Dream has been part of my entire life—my childhood, my teenage years, my adulthood… even this era. She stayed with me and gave me two beautiful daughters. There's no way I could ever forget her or give her place to someone else."
His voice softened.
"She doesn't just hold a piece of my heart… she holds a piece of my soul."
Ava listened quietly.
"But now," Ron continued, "I want to cherish both of you. Both of you will walk beside me on this path."
He looked directly at her.
"Ava… tell me honestly. Do you accept Dream as your senior?"
Ava nodded slowly, and a warm smile spread across her face.
"Yes. I accept Dream as my senior, and I will walk with you. I only hope Dream will accept me."
Ron smiled and gently released her face.
"I'm going for a walk," he said.
He stood and walked toward the door.
"You can move into my room if you want."
Ava immediately became nervous again.
Ron chuckled softly and stepped outside.
He walked to the nearby park and sat on a bench—the same bench where he had once sat with Dream.
Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the sky.
I will never forget you, no matter the cost, he thought.
No matter what happens, you will always be my first true love… my first life partner.
I just hope you and Ava can get along. I will cherish both of you. I will love both of you.
But yes… no one can ever reach the place you hold in my heart.
I hope the three of us can watch over each other.
As Ron gazed into the sky, he suddenly saw something.
An astral image of Dream appeared above him.
She was smiling, standing beside Ines and Ai.
All three of them looked happy.
Ron's eyes filled with tears.
"I will never forget you," Ron whispered. "I hope we can meet again someday."
"Ines… Ai… Dream… I want all of us—including Ava—to live peacefully together in a faraway land."
Dream, Ines, and Ai waved at him.
Then, in the next moment—
They vanished.