FINAL SCENE
The wedding’s a month later.
Small ceremony. Just the village. Mariella wanted cherry blossoms—she’s heard the story about what I did for Persephone’s wedding, and she’s a competitive person—so I grow an entire grove overnight.
Again.
Some traditions are worth repeating.
She walks through the blossoms in a simple white dress, nothing fancy, hair loose around her shoulders. She’s not crying like Persephone did. She’s grinning. The kind of grin that says she’s gotten away with something and she knows it.
I grin back.
“You’re ridiculous,” she says when she reaches me.
“So are you.”
“We’re perfect for each other.”
“Obviously.”
Garrett officiates, which is legally questionable but emotionally appropriate. His speech is too long and includes at least three unnecessary war stories, but nobody minds.
The vows are simple.
“I promise to stand beside you,” she says. “In light and shadow. In victory and defeat. In boring days and ridiculous adventures. Until the stars themselves forget to shine.”
Same words Persephone used.
Different meaning entirely.
“I promise to stand beside you,” I say. “To be honest when it’s hard and kind when it’s harder. To make you soup when you’re sick and let you steal my bread when you’re well. To face every challenge together, even the ones we can’t win, because losing together is better than winning alone.”
She’s crying now. Happy tears.
I’m probably crying too. Hard to tell.
“I love you,” she says.
“I love you too.”
We kiss.
The village cheers.
Johnson steals the wedding cake.
And somewhere, watching from a distance I can’t see but can definitely feel, the ghosts of who I used to be finally let go.
╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗║ BOOK 1: COMPLETE ║║ ║║ Final Status: ║║ ║║ Velthar ║║ Class: ARCHMAGE ║║ Level: MAX ║║ Status: MARRIED ║║ Tomatoes: THRIVING ║║ ║║ Mariella ║║ Class: BADASS ║║ Status: MARRIED ║║ Happiness: UNPRECEDENTED ║║ ║║ Johnson ║║ Class: APEX PREDATOR RABBIT ║║ Bread Consumed: TOO MUCH ║║ Cake Consumed: ALSO TOO MUCH ║║ ║║ The Legendary Four ║║ Dario: DISGRACED ║║ Persephone: DYING/DEAD ║║ Gorath: MISSING ║║ Sylva: CONFESSED ║║ Anton (covert operative): STILL RUNNING ║║ ║║ Revenge: ACHIEVED ║║ Peace: FOUND ║║ Happiness: EARNED ║║ ║║ SYSTEM NOTE: Good job.
You came back ║║ from nothing, reclaimed everything, ║║ found love, and didn't lose yourself ║║ in the process.
║║ ║║ That's rare. That's special. ║║ That's a happy ending.
║║ ║║ You earned it. ║╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝