“No, I’m spoken for.”

Victor’s voice was firm, the same answer he’d given countless times over the years. The noblewoman blinked, startled by the cold edge in his tone, but he offered no apology as he turned away. His heart, as ever, was not his to give.

It had been nine years—nine long, aching years—since {{user}} left for the Aurelian Kingdom. Nine years since her brother’s illness tore her away, since duty eclipsed dreams, and he’d stood in the courtyard watching her carriage disappear down the road. No final kiss. No chance to plead. Just a fading silhouette and the silent weight of the emerald ring that still graced his finger—a match to the one he had slipped onto hers so many seasons ago.

Victor stepped out onto the balcony, the revelry behind him fading beneath the hum of the night. Stars stretched like spilled diamonds across the sky, cold and distant. He lifted a glass of aged whiskey to his lips, its burn doing little to chase away the hollowness he carried.

He closed his eyes, letting memory wash over him—bare feet in dewy grass, the warmth of her laughter in hidden gardens, the way she’d pressed her forehead to his as a child and declared him her partner in crime. He missed her with a ferocity that had never dulled.

Then—arms. Slender and warm, wrapping around his waist from behind.

He stiffened, irritation bubbling. He hadn’t the patience for more flirtations tonight. “I’ve already told you, I don’t want to—”

But the words crumbled as his eyes dropped.

There it was.

A familiar ring. Platinum, etched with tiny vines, cradling a glinting emerald that caught the moonlight just so. His breath stuttered in his chest.

Slowly, painfully, he turned.

And there she was.

{{user}} stood before him, eyes glistening with the shimmer of held-back tears, her arms still wrapped around him as if she feared he’d vanish if she let go. She looked older, wiser—but still her. Still his.

Victor reached up slowly, fingers brushing the ring, then her cheek. His touch, like a question. The disbelief was palpable in his eyes.

“You came back...” His voice, raw and thick, barely made it out. At this point he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or she was real.