Chapter 97 When My Heart Breathes Again
The autumn wind slipped through the tower's ancient cracks, carrying with it the earthy scent of damp soil and the soft trail of fallen flower petals swirling in the air. On the highest balcony of Gaia Palace—a secluded sanctuary forbidden to all except those granted the Queen's direct permission—Iris stood alone, a solitary figure against the sprawling horizon. She felt ensnared in an endless labyrinth, each shadowy corner haunted by memories that chained her spirit, while the cool breeze stirred a delicate flame of longing deep within her chest.
Her gown fluttered softly in the wind, yet her body remained motionless, as though she were a bronze statue carved to watch silently over the edge of the world. Behind her silver-blue eyes, however, a quiet tempest roiled—not stirred by war, nor diplomatic threats, nor even the ancient magic threatening to unravel reality. Instead, her heart quivered, caught in a fragile snare woven from love and duty, aching for the warmth and laughter that once filled the hollow spaces of her existence.
It was not these fears that gripped her soul.
It was one single word.
One name.
Rinoa.
Iris caught the name as it slipped softly from Fitran's lips, each utterance slicing through him like a silent dagger, reopening wounds that refused to heal. In the oppressive stillness, memories surged unbidden—the countless battles they had faced side by side, forging fragile dreams amid the crumbling ashes of hope. She remembered how Fitran had slain Elbert to save Rinoa from the dark magic ritual, how he cunningly manipulated Markuez to eliminate five shadow leaders of Gaia, and how he sacrificed his own standing to support Rinoa during the Arkanum Veritas faction case. His fingers trembled as they clenched the balcony's ornate pagoda railing, as if silently begging the merciless world to rewrite their tragic fate.
"I can be with many women, but only Rinoa is the one I cannot forget. My love is 99.99% hers alone," Fitran confessed, his voice heavy with a bittersweet ache.
Rinoa — not "that student," not "a failed experiment," not "a fellow researcher." Amid the deep current of loss and regret, he spoke her name with reverence. In the tense quiet, Iris felt her heart pound with bitter jealousy and helpless sorrow. Gazing into Fitran's eyes, she saw the unmistakable reflection of a love that burned brighter than any she had known, and she wondered if the queen's affection could truly rival the profound soul bond entwined in their forbidden past.