In the imperial palace, the silence following Cassian's breakdown was suffocating.
Prince Adrian stood at the doorway of the ruined study, taking in the terrifying scene. The floor was strewn with shattered glass, overturned furniture, and torn tapestries. In the center of the room, Cassian lay asleep on the cold floor, completely exhausted from weeping, his face pale and stained with tears. Elias sat beside him, quietly placing a cloak over the Crown Prince's shaking shoulders.
Adrian stepped into the room, his movements slow and deliberate. His eyes caught sight of the paper shreds scattered near the desk—the torn remnants of Lucien's letter.
"Elias,"
Adrian whispered softly, kneeling down.
"Help me gather these."
Together, they carefully picked up every single torn piece of parchment from the carpet. Adrian brought them to the main desk, fitting the ripped edges together like a broken puzzle. As he read the cold, cruel words written in Lucien's handwriting, Adrian's eyebrows knitted together.
"This makes no sense..."
Adrian muttered to himself, his blue eyes narrowing.
"Lucien that scum!"
"Why are these brutes always the ones to hurt us, Cassian is pregnant with his child and this is all that he says?"
"Elias let's take care of Cassian first. As for Lucien Arden, I'll make sure that he learns his lesson the hard way."
*****
Far to the west, inside the Arden Dukedom, the morning of the wedding had arrived.
The grand castle was filled with bustling servants, floral arrangements, and visiting nobles. Yet inside Lucien's private dressing room, the atmosphere felt as heavy as a burial vault.
Lucien stood in front of the tall mirror, clad in a formal black and gold wedding suit. His face was completely hollow, his eyes dead and devoid of any emotion. He looked like a man marching toward his own execution.
Ruby knocked softly and stepped into the room, wearing a grand, white lace wedding gown. A proud, triumphant smile lit up her face as she looked at him.
"You look breathtaking, my love,"
Ruby said softly, walking up behind him to rest her hand against his shoulder.
"The guests are all assembled in the grand hall. It is almost time."
Lucien didn't look at her in the mirror.
"Leave me, Ruby. I need a moment alone before the ceremony."
Ruby frowned slightly, but she quickly smoothed her expression, placing her hand gently over her dark coat hanging on a nearby stand.
"Very well. Do not keep everyone waiting too long."
The moment she closed the door behind her, Lucien sighed closing his eyes for a moment.
'Until the very end, Cassian would rather send me away to this sham of a marriage. To think that I was already trying to build a future with him but all that he does is lie to me all the damn time. I keep telling myself that I am done being his pawn.'
'But yet...even now I still long for him. Deep in the depths of my heart I still hope that he would come running and put an end to all of this. But I am only fooling myself, aren't I?'
Lucien took a deep breath finally accepting his ill fate with both hands.
"It's no use loving someone who can never love me back earnestly. Right from the beginning, Cassian never intended to keep me by his side."
"Perhaps this is where we truly part ways. And even if it hurts me, I will marry Ruby just as long as it makes him happy."
With that the church bells finally chimed signalling the start of the ceremony. Lucien looked at himself in the mirror once more.
Wishing the day was only the day he were to marry Cassian. But he knew that was an impossible wish, at the very least he could wish Cassian would come crashing his wedding.
*****
Back in the imperial palace, the sun began to set behind heavy gray clouds.
Cassian stood near his desk. The weeping and thrashing were over; he was terrifyingly calm now. His eyes were clear, but completely hollow.
On his desk lay two neat, carefully folded letters addressed to Sora, explaining his sudden absence, and the truth behind his identity with absolute respect and wishing him a peaceful life free from the imperial court's schemes. He hopes he'd forgive him for this abrupt leave but it just can't be helped.
"Your Highness..."
Elias sobbed continuously, standing by the doorway with his hands trembling violently.
"Please... I beg of you, do not do this! Where are you going?!"
Cassian turned to look at his loyal attendant, offering a soft, gentle smile. He reached out, resting his hand on Elias's shoulder.
"Elias, listen to me very carefully,"
Cassian instructed softly.
"Keep my departure a secret until I am completely gone. If anyone asks where I have gone—if the Emperor, or Adrian, or anyone else demands answers—tell them that I vanished. Tell them it looked as though someone kidnapped me from my chambers."
"But if my body remains behind and limp then just tell them that I suddenly fainted and fell into a deep slumber, okay?"
"They'll figure out the rest themselves."
"My Lord! How can I lie to the Emperor?!"
Elias wailed, tears streaming down his face as he dropped to his knees, gripping Cassian's robes.
"Please! Take me with you! Do not leave me behind!"
"You cannot come where I am going, Elias,"
Cassian said gently, forcing Elias to stand up.
"You have served me with unwavering loyalty. For that, I am deeply grateful. Now, give me this final kindness and obey my command."
Elias wept hysterically, unable to speak another word as he bowed his head in deep grief.
Cassian turned away. He walked toward the inner sanctuary of his bedchambers, taking the ancient, glowing artifacts he had recovered months ago from the Feral Guild. He locked the heavy oak doors tightly behind him, shutting out the world.
Standing in the center of the dark room, Cassian felt no hesitation. His heart was heavy, but his mind was made up. He did not have time to sit and overthink, nor did he want to change his mind.
After all, he reminded himself with a bitter, faint smile, this was only a fictional life. This was just a world inside a novel—a place where he never truly belonged.
Why wallow in endless pain and heartbreak over a story that wasn't even real?
Cassian drew a small silver blade from his belt and sliced his palm. Using his blood as the medium, he began drawing the complex, ancient array across the marble floor, placing the glowing artifacts at the center. He didn't care where the journey would land him, as long as it was back on Earth. That would be more than enough.
The dark room suddenly lit up with a blinding, violet light.
*****
In the West, inside the grand wedding hall of the Arden Dukedom...
The ceremony was finally drawing to an end when the entire sky outside the tall stained-glass windows suddenly illuminated.
*WOOSH!*
A massive, breathtaking beam of violet light erupted straight from the imperial palace miles away in the east, shooting high into the heavens and piercing right through the dark storm clouds.
The entire wedding hall fell completely silent. Nobles scrambled toward the balconies, pointing up at the sky in absolute awe and confusion.
"What is that light?!"
someone shouted.
"It is coming from the Crown Prince's inner chambers!"
another cried out.
Lucien froze, staring through the high glass window at the distant, brilliant beam of light illuminating the eastern sky. Ruby's ring slipped from his trembling hand, clattering loudly against the marble floor.
Every person standing in that wedding hall saw the glorious light, marveling at its magic.
But not a single soul among them knew the truth: Crown Prince Cassian was already gone.
*****