Summary:
After following cryptic clues and surviving the dangers of the **Abyssal Wastes**, Leo and his companions finally reach a hidden fortress buried beneath ancient ruins.
There, they find **Seraphine von Zerath** — Leo's former wife and mother of their child.
She reveals that she never died after the fall of the Dark Empire. Instead, she fled to protect their legacy.
Now, she rules over a secret kingdom of outcasts… and she wants Leo by her side once more.
But Leo has changed.
And so has the world.
---
We reached the fortress just before sunset.
It stood like a ghost from another time — black stone walls, glowing runes carved into the pillars, and banners bearing the crest of House Zerath fluttering in the wind.
No one had seen this place in decades.
Yet here it was.
> The lost palace of the fallen queen.
Zephyra skipped ahead, humming to herself.
"This is spooky," she said cheerfully. "I love it!"
Elyna rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."
Tessia walked beside me, hand never far from her sword.
Selene scanned the rooftops for snipers.
Grimwald muttered something about how he hated dramatic entrances.
As for me?
I just stared at the gates.
Then I wrote on my notepad:
> **"She's waiting."**
And as if summoned by those words…
The doors creaked open.
From within, a voice called out — smooth, elegant, and filled with quiet power.
> "Welcome home, Kaiser."
---
Reunion
We entered a grand hall lit by floating lanterns.
At the end of the chamber, seated on a throne of obsidian and silver, was a woman draped in dark velvet robes.
Her hair was like spun gold. Her eyes, sharp as blades.
> Seraphine von Zerath.
My wife.
Mother of my child.
Queen of the Forgotten.
She looked down at me.
Then smiled.
"You've gotten… smaller."
I gave her a flat stare.
Then slowly, I raised my tiny hand and pointed at myself.
She chuckled.
"I know. You're not Kaiser anymore. You're Leo now. The Gentleman King."
She stood.
"And I suppose you've come with questions."
I nodded.
So I began writing.
> **"Why did you leave?"**
Seraphine read it silently.
Then she sighed.
"I didn't leave," she said softly. "I ran."
She stepped forward.
"The moment you fell, the world turned on us. Not just the Kingdoms. Not just the Church…"
Her voice dropped.
> "…Even our allies turned against us."
I blinked.
Then I wrote:
> **"Our child…"**
Seraphine's expression softened.
"They would have taken him," she whispered. "Used him. Raised him as a weapon."
She looked around the room.
"So I took what remained of our people. Our magic. Our knowledge. And we vanished."
She met my gaze again.
"I built this place… for all of us who were forgotten."
---
The Hidden Kingdom
She led us through the halls of the fortress.
Behind the walls, there was more than just a palace.
There was an entire city hidden underground — a sanctuary for mages, warriors, and creatures cast out by the kingdoms above.
People stopped and stared as we passed.
Some bowed.
Others watched with suspicion.
Seraphine noticed.
"They don't know who you are," she said quietly. "Not yet."
I nodded.
Then I wrote:
> **"Let's keep it that way… for now."**
She smiled faintly.
"As you wish, my king."
I gave her a small glare.
She laughed.
"Oh, don't give me that look. You'll always be my emperor, even if you wear diapers now."
Elyna burst out laughing.
"Okay, I like her already."
---
A Choice to Make
Later that night, we sat in the throne room.
Just the two of us.
Seraphine studied me carefully.
"You really have changed," she murmured.
I nodded.
Then I wrote:
> **"I don't want war anymore."**
She leaned back in her chair.
"I know. But tell me… what do you want?"
I paused.
That question.
I thought about Elarion. My bookstore. The quiet life I'd tried to build.
Then I wrote:
> **"Peace."**
> **"A future without bloodshed."**
> **"A chance to raise our son… properly this time."**
Seraphine's eyes widened slightly.
Then she smiled.
"A noble dream."
She stood.
"But dreams don't survive in this world unless someone protects them."
She extended her hand.
"Will you help me? Even if only for a little while?"
I looked at her.
Then slowly, I took her hand.
> I would stay.
For now.
Because maybe… this was part of the path too.
---