Chapter 1588
Jude stood again, glowing now from head to toe, light pouring from his skin.
"You are no longer mortal," Alara said. "You are not gods either. You are something the world has never seen."
Zoey tilted her head. "Something better?"
Alara smiled. "Something new ."
A hush fell over the clearing. Then, slowly, Alara floated downward and touched the ground. The moment her feet met the moss, the island shifted. The throne dissolved. The roots retracted. The glow remained - but softer, more grounded.
"Then what happens now?" Jude asked.
"You live," Alara said.
Grace blinked. "That’s it?"
Alara’s smile was serene. "You create . You protect. You become. The island is yours now. Its breath is your breath. Its hunger, your pleasure. Its balance, your responsibility."
She stepped toward Jude, placing a gentle hand over his heart. "No more trials. No more tests. Only life."
He looked around - at Lucy, at Rose, at Sophie, Emma, Stella, Natalie, Susan, Grace, Zoey, Scarlet. His wives. His heart.