Nerina quickly approaches Queen Serelyth, her tail moving in frantic, anxious strokes. "Your Majesty? Are you okay? Please, say something..."
But the young queen stays entirely silent, her gaze stubbornly fixed down on her empty palms, as if staring right through them.
I hesitantly step forward, my earlier jealousy completely evaporating as the heavy, tragic air of the room settles back over us. I take my place right beside Lucian. Just then, two heavy tears splash directly onto Queen Serelyth's palms. She slowly lifts her head to look up at Lucian.
Tears are streaming freely down her face, and her nose is leaking from the sheer force of her silent sobbing—but she is smiling. It is a heartbreaking, raw smile, born from an overwhelming mix of intense grief and profound relief.
"Thank you so much..." she whispers, her voice cracking violently. "Thank you..."
She lets out a wet, ragged sniff, wiping her face with the back of her trembling hand. "Now... I remember everything."
