Chapter 220: The Return

Vivian’s POV

Zahliver knew full well what he was truly capable of achieving. He would never throw himself blindly into such a dangerous fight if he thought for even a single second that he would not make it back home to me. I tightened my grip around his hand, gently dragging his attention back to me when I saw his fierce focus start to slip away. He turned back, locking his bright blue eyes directly with mine, and I saw the heavy war of raw emotions playing out behind them fear, fierce determination, and deep longing.

He was finally ready to leave.

But deep down inside, I was not yet ready to say goodbye to him.

I shook my head slowly from side to side, keeping my voice soft yet completely firm. "I will be completely okay here. Go. This is what you have been preparing for all this time. Go end it, Zahliver."

He stared down at me for a heartbeat longer, searching my face like he desperately needed to memorize every single feature. Then, very slowly, he looked past me toward Algebra waiting in the shadows. With a sharp nod of his head, he silently gave the final order. Algebra did not say a single word back he just disappeared into the dark to get the men ready for the march.

And then Zahliver pulled me tightly into his strong arms.

I melted completely into his embrace, wrapping myself around him like I could somehow keep him safe from harm just by holding on tight enough. I breathed in his familiar scent like it was the very last time I would ever get the chance to do so. His heart pounded wildly against my chest beating fast, full of rising adrenaline and unspoken emotions. Mine was doing the exact same thing.

When he finally pulled back slightly, he brought his lips down to mine, and I did not hold anything back. I kissed him like I was pouring all my love into him, all my lingering fears, and all the desperate hope I dared to feel in that dark hour. It was frantic, and it was entirely real. When we finally broke apart, it was only because our lungs forced us to.

"I will be back soon, my love," he said, his voice rough with emotion but full of absolute certainty.

"You better be," I said, trying hard to sound tough even though my throat burned with hot tears. "Or I will hunt you down myself."

His mouth quirked upward into a half-smile, and he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before stepping slowly away. I held onto his hand until the very last second until our fingertips finally slid apart.

I leaned heavily against the wooden doorframe, gripping the edge like it was the only thing keeping me upright, and watched him walk away into the shadows. Just before he vanished completely into the dark night, he turned back one last time.

"I love you!" he called out loudly over the wind.

My heart twisted painfully. "I love you too! Come back to me in one piece!"

And then he was finally gone.

I stood there alone for a long time, staring out at the empty pathway, my heart aching with a hollow emptiness. And then I did something I had not done in what felt like an eternity.

I prayed.

For hours. Days. Maybe even weeks. Time seemed to lose all meaning.

Time blurred together as I cried, shouted, and pleaded with the gods, the moon, or anyone who might be listening up above. I poured every ounce of strength I had into holding onto hope, even as cold fear tried to steal it all away from me. You never truly realize how deeply you love someone until you are faced with the terrifying possibility of losing them forever. Until you feel like your own soul might not survive if they do not walk back through your door.

I thought about every single thing that could possibly go wrong out there. I imagined the absolute worst-case scenario over and over again in my mind. But I kept forcing those dark thoughts away for Zahliver’s sake. For the sake of our future.

Then, just as the pale light of dawn started to creep slowly into the gray sky, I heard the heavy front door creak open.

I did not stop to think. I just moved.

I launched myself off the living room couch and ran straight for the hallway. And there he finally stood.

Zahliver stood in the doorway, bloodied, battered, and bruised, his clothes torn to shreds, his powerful body still actively healing from the battle, but completely alive. Whole. My breath caught in my throat as I threw myself directly into his arms, not caring in the least about the drying blood soaking into my own clothes or how ragged and messy I must have looked.

I clung to him like a desperate lifeline, burying my face deep into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around me just as tightly, and I let out a shaky, ragged breath that sounded much more like a loud sob.

"You are back," I whispered, my voice breaking entirely.

"I promised I would be," he said, a tired, genuine smile warming his voice.

I pulled back slightly from his embrace, opening my mouth to say something more, when a sudden movement behind his shoulder caught my eye. My triumphant smile faltered instantly.

Someone else stood quietly in the doorway.

Tall, with a quiet yet commanding presence that demanded respect, the strange figure had his hands clasped neatly behind his back. His clothing was completely unusual the kind of ancient attire you would only expect to see in a historical film about forgotten kingdoms or eras beyond time. I blinked hard at him, trying desperately to make sense of what my eyes were seeing.

He was entirely unfamiliar to me... and yet, somehow, he felt strangely familiar.

His sharp facial features tugged strongly at something hidden deep inside my memory. That strong, squared jaw, the high cheekbones, and the soft curl of his lips as he offered a polite, gentle smile. His dark hair was as black as night, matching Zahliver’s perfectly, but it was his striking eyes that really held me still. They were a hypnotic blend of pale green and deep blue, looking just like swirling sea glass.

He did not look like anyone I personally knew in this life... but he felt like someone I damn well should have known.

Then the realization finally hit me like a physical blow.

I turned my head slowly toward Zahliver, who was now standing there grinning like a proud wolf holding a massive secret.

"Vivian," he said softly, stepping aside so the mysterious stranger could come fully into view of the light. "Meet my brother..."

I looked back at the man taking in those familiar, unmistakable features and my breath caught entirely in my chest.

"Joshula."