*Caius' POV**
Pain seared through my side. The warmth of blood spread beneath my armor, but I didn't falter. I couldn't.
The king's smug smile was still there, as if he believed he had already won. As if fate had already been decided.
*He thinks I'm still the same man from before. The fallen hero. The knight who lost everything.*
He's wrong.
I clenched my sword tighter, steadying my breathing. The weight of my past didn't hold me down anymore.
Because this time—I was fighting for *her.*
Eloise.
I took a step forward, ignoring the throbbing pain in my ribs. The king raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"Still standing?" he mused, tilting his head. "I expected you to fall by now."
I wiped the sweat and blood from my mouth, my grip firm. "You've always underestimated me."
His smirk widened. "And you've always let your emotions blind you."
He lunged again, his blade gleaming under the sunlight.
But I was ready.
I sidestepped at the last second, narrowly avoiding his strike. The momentum of his attack threw him slightly off balance—and that was all I needed.
I swung my sword, fast and precise. The tip of my blade sliced across his dominant arm, cutting through the expensive silk of his clothing.
The crowd gasped.
The king staggered, his smirk finally faltering. His hand trembled, his grip on his sword weakening.
I didn't hesitate.
I twisted my body, shifting my stance, and with a final, powerful strike—
I slashed upward, my blade cutting through the golden emblem on his chest plate. The force of the attack sent him stumbling backward, his sword slipping from his grasp.
Silence.
The entire courtyard was frozen in shock. The king, their ruler—the man who had always held absolute power—was now on his knees, breathless, defeated.
My own breathing was heavy, but I didn't take my eyes off him.
The weight of the moment settled in.
I had won.
The fallen hero—the knight who had once lost everything—had just defeated the king.
A single voice broke through the silence.
Then another.
Then all at once—cheers erupted, shaking the very ground beneath us. The deafening sound of victory rang through the air, voices chanting my name.
I turned my head, searching through the crowd.
And then—I found her.
Eloise.
She stood strong, unmoving. But her hands were clenched tightly against her chest, her entire body trembling.
Her eyes met mine—shimmering, overflowing with emotions she didn't say aloud.
Relief. Joy. Fear.
She was crying.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, yet she didn't look away.
I took a shaky breath, feeling something in my chest tighten.
This victory—it wasn't just mine. It was *ours.*
Because without her, I never would have made it this far.
Without her, I wouldn't have had a reason to keep fighting.
The king remained on his knees, stunned, humiliated.
But I didn't care about him anymore.
I didn't care about the crown, or the whispers of the nobles, or the eyes of the kingdom watching me.
The only thing that mattered—was her.
Eloise.
———-
Eloise's POV**
The sound of crackling flames from the fireplace filled the room, but my mind was elsewhere. My heart pounded, my breath uneven as I stared at the man tending to Caius' wounds.
*This isn't real... it can't be...*
Yet, there he was.
My father.
The man I had written into this world. A skilled doctor, a man of unwavering patience, with the same warm yet sharp gaze I had known all my life.
He moved with practiced ease, his fingers working carefully as he cleaned the wound on Caius' side. "You were reckless," he muttered, though his tone lacked true reprimand. "That king didn't hold back, did he?"
Caius chuckled, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Would've been disappointing if he had."
I barely heard their exchange. My vision blurred, my chest tightening as memories threatened to overwhelm me.
"Eloise?"
I flinched when Caius called my name. His voice was soft, but filled with concern. His gaze met mine, searching.
I must've looked shaken because he moved—despite his injuries, despite the pain—and reached for me.
His fingers brushed against my wrist, grounding me. "Breathe," he murmured. "You're safe."
Safe.
I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. But how could I?
I had accepted long ago that I would never see my father again. But now, he was right here. Flesh and blood. Alive.
And he had no idea who I was.
The doctor—*my father*—glanced at me, his brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out.
Caius' grip on my wrist tightened slightly, pulling me closer. "She's just tired," he said, his tone protective. "She's been through a lot."
My father nodded, accepting the explanation without question. "Understandable. The battle must've been stressful for her."
I let out a shaky breath, unable to correct him.
Caius gently tugged me forward, guiding me to sit beside him. "You don't have to say anything," he whispered. "Just stay here."
Despite everything, despite the storm raging inside me, I found comfort in his presence.
Even wounded, even exhausted—he made me feel safe.
And for now, that was enough.