The day Selene became Duchess of the South, she wore her mother's crown. The people chanted her name. Fireworks bloomed across the sky.
But her eyes scanned the crowd again and again.
He wasn't there.
Everyone whispered that the Duke of the North had refused the invitation.
Selene said nothing.
That night, after the celebrations died down, she sat alone in her room, still in her ceremonial dress, and pulled open a drawer.
There, nestled among old family relics, was a sealed envelope addressed to her in a rough, hurried scrawl.
Congratulations.
—Theo
She held the letter for hours.
But she never opened it.
She didn't think she had the strength.
BACK TO PRESENT
Theodore stayed in bed, the once unshakable Duke of the North now pale as frost.
Each breath rattled in his chest like a sword dragged across stone.
Each time he woke, blood painted his palm.
The healer's hands trembled as he stepped back. "It's his Grace's aura," he murmured.
"Can we do anything?" Alwin, ever loyal, asked.
The healer shook his head. "Your Grace has burned through most of his life force. The aura's been consuming him for years."
Theodore didn't flinch. "How long?"
No one answered.
But silence was answer enough.
Theodore exhaled slowly, his eyes drifting to the open window where snow had begun to fall. He remembered Selene's coronation night. The sky had looked just like this. He'd watched it from the northern watchtower and whispered, I'm proud of you—but never to her face.
Now he may never get the chance.
"Alwin, I think it's time."
Theodore's voice was paper-thin, barely more than a breath.
The butler froze. For a second, his old hands trembled.
"…Understood, Your Grace."
He bowed low and left, face carved in silence. Behind the door, he paused. Just once, to gather himself.
Upstairs, Aria sat in her room. The night outside stretched dark and quiet
Then—
[SYSTEM ALERT]
⚠️ Critical Life Signature Detected – THEODORE ALTHAEA
⚠️ Emergency – Aura Collapse Imminent
HELP HIM BEFORE GF COMES — SENT BY UNAUTHORIZED SOURCE: Y.G.
The message vanished before she could react.
"Y.G…?" Aria whispered, eyes widening. "Why are you warning me?"
Her body moved before her mind caught up.
Barefoot, she sprinted through the hallways. The cold stone bit into her feet, but she didn't stop—not for air, not for fear.
She threw the doors open.
Theodore lay in bed—too still, too pale.
His chest rose, but shallow, like the air itself struggled to stay inside him.
A bowl of bloodied water sat on the nightstand. The healers' faces were grim.
"What happened!?" Aria cried, rushing to his side.
The head healer stood; eyes weary. "His Grace's aura—it's been poisoning him for years. It's… terminal now."
Aria's knees hit the floor.
"For howlong?" A quiet voice from the door.
"Since the day he awakened." Healer replied.
Selene entered, eyes sunken, hair a mess. Her voice cracked like old porcelain.
The healer turned to her. "He didn't know how to control it, Your Highness. And there was no one to help him."
"But mother was on her fifties while passed away. She was same aura" Selene said while taking more step closer.
"So, you knew he is going to die "aria shouted while looking at Selene in disbelief.
Selene's lip trembled. But she said nothing.
"You told me to be careful. You warned me."
Her voice rose with every word. "But you left him here alone. You didn't visit once. You didn't even try—"
"Aria—" Selene took a step forward, her face desperate. "I didn't know. I didn't know."
"You didn't care to know."
The silence that followed was unbearable. Just the sound of ragged breathing. Of grief settling like ash.
Then the door burst open.
"Father!"
Abigel ran in, panic etched across his face. He dropped to his knees beside the bed, hands gripping Theodore's cold fingers.
"Don't go," he whispered, voice shaking. "I'm not ready yet."
His head bowed as silent tears fell onto the blanket.
Just then, Aria's screen blinked again.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE – Y.G.🧬 Choose NOW:
1. Use Aura – Save Him
💔 Cost: Lose 40% of your memories from the previous world. He Survives Without Aura.
2. LET HIM GO..
⚠️ Hurry. GF is approaching. Decision must be made immediately.]
Aria's hands shook.
Her heart screamed.
How much of herself was she willing to lose… to keep him alive?
Aria stared at the screen, her breath catching in her throat.
Use Aura – Save Him
💔 Lose 40% of previous world memory
Her fingers hovered. Her mind screamed in warning.
But her heart?
It knew the answer.
With a deep breath that sounded like a goodbye, she whispered:
"Do it."
The screen flared white — blinding, searing.
Her body arched with pain as golden light exploded from her chest. Her aura pulsed wildly, wrapping the room in a sacred warmth.
Theodore gasped.
For the first time in hours, colour returned to his face.
The black veins that curled over his skin receded. His breath deepened.
But Aria—
She clutched her head, stumbling backward.
Behind her, the screen blinked again—then shattered.
[System Override: COMPLETE.Aura Surge Executed. 40% Memory Loss Confirmed. DONOT TELL GF. BY YG]
And just before she collapsed—
"Aria."
A voice. Soft.
The person with a voice that felt like home.He stood there, hand extended, catching her just before she hit the ground.
"You did it again," he whispered.