Chapter 79: EPILOGUE

IRIS

^One year later^

Life was hard after all the losses, but together, with infinite love and patience, we helped each other.

However, the scars were deep. We couldn’t see them, but they were there.

The way I sometimes fell silent in the middle of a sentence because I was struck by a memory. Of my parents… My grandparents… And Alatus.

His name was like a knife in the chest. The others said time would heal the wounds.

But you just learned to live with the pain. Like an old broken bone that still hurts when it’s raining.

We were especially concerned about the wounds of the children who had been orphaned in the war.

Many of them found a new home with relatives, but some of them had no one left.

Avery and I took these children into our home.

An entire wing of the mansion became their kingdom, filled with laughter, play, and life.

They were quiet at first, disturbed by the shadows of the past.

But over time, they began to trust again.

The little ones romped through the gardens, hid behind pillars, or climbed the old trees, while the older ones encouraged each other or asked us endless questions.

Some days the sadness returned—a name, a memory, and suddenly their eyes were full of tears again.

Then we would hold them and let them cry until the laughter slowly returned.

Nobody could replace their parents, but they should never doubt that they were loved.

And so the Mansion, once a place of silence, became the busiest house in all of Antaris.

Children’s voices echoed through the hallways, little feet thumped down the stairs, and in the evenings, when the stories were told, their eyes would light up again.

Avery and I both knew what it was to lose our parents.

We would never be able to replace the loving parents of these children.

But we would do everything in our power to give them a good life.

And it wasn’t just us—the whole of Antaris got involved.

The little witches were taught by Jade.

Elves were taught by Avery and Aidan, and children of healers by Keijou.

Ava and Bael took over the duties of the school.

They now taught children not only about good creatures and amicuses, but also about evil creatures.

The children now had to learn everything, because the battle for Antaris was now part of our history.

Abaddon might not have achieved his goal, but he still took part of Antaris.

And even though we looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.

No trace of his powers, no sight of him anywhere.

But this didn’t mean we could be careless.

On the contrary, Avery stepped up the precautions needed for Antaris.

Aidan and Evangeline were the sword and shield of Antaris.

Not only did they train the soldiers, they also took care of security.

No portal could be opened without Avery’s knowledge.

No creature was allowed to enter Antaris without first being seen by him and Evangeline.

He asked Devas to be his advisor, and although he himself was not sure… We all were.

Because no one would be better suited for this position.

But Avery didn’t make the new changes just for the sake of the inhabitants already living on Antaris.

This protection was mostly for the new generations of good beings born after the war.

And the good beings were blessed with many children.

The more children were born, the tighter measures Avery took.

Not just for Aidan and Inna’s son, or Jade and Noah’s daughter… He did it for our child too.

The arrival of our son, Elyon, was a moment of pure joy.

Avery cried at first from happiness, yet beneath the celebration I sensed his fear.

He wanted to protect him from everything.

Be there for him for the rest of our existence.

But I knew deep inside me, no shield could protect against destiny.

“My Queen,” I heard Evie’s voice as she came to me.

I smiled at her as I sat in front of the Tree of Power, a place I visited often.

The power it had once given me had disappeared after the war—sucked away as if it had never been there.

But even though the tree never spoke to me again, I could feel its satisfaction.

It was as if it wanted to tell me that everything should be the way it was now.

“I told you not to call me that,” I replied to Evangeline, laughing.

“But you’re our queen,” she said in surprise.

I nodded. I certainly was.

The delicate crown on my head, made of golden leaves from the Tree of Power, was impossible to miss.

“Yes… but I’m your friend too,” I answered her.

Evie took a deep breath, her face glowing. Not just because of her pregnancy, but because she was finally living the good life, just like me.

We were a loving family. Friends who were always there to offer support.

And our mates… men who loved us more than anything else in the world.

“I think tonight could be the night,” she said, stroking her belly.

I couldn’t hold back my smile. I was so happy for her and for Devas.

“Devas is going to freak out when you go into labor,” I mentioned, grinning.

“He’s pretty overprotective,” she replied with a laugh.

My own laughter mingled with the cheerful laughter of Ava and Bael, who were walking past the mansion with a crowd of students.

The children beamed at me when they recognized me. Their eyes lit up, some shouted my name, others waved excitedly.

I returned their greetings, keeping my hand in the air until the last little figure disappeared into the school building.

I chuckled.

Aidan walked along the path with his troop. His laughter could be heard from afar.

When he saw me, he stopped and bowed excessively low.

Behind him, the soldiers giggled, while Inna waved happily to me with her young son on her hip.

My heart lightened every time I saw them.

And that happened often, because Aidan and I spent every free minute together.

After all these years of struggle, loss, and fear… we’d finally made it.

We were free.

Free from worries. Free of nightmares.

Instead, we had each other and this wonderful, loud, loving family we’d built.

Then my eyes caught Avery’s. He was walking slowly toward the mansion, Devas at his side, both of them sharing teasing banter with Aidan and the beings they encountered.

You could almost feel the affection the people had for him—in every smile, every respectful bow, every gaze of trust.

And Avery… he wore this love with a natural dignity that made him look more like his father every day.

The way he moved, confident and yet gentle.

The way his eyes flashed warmly as he spoke to our people.

And then there was the way he held our son in his arms.

Elyon slept, his little fists clenched under his chin, his eyelashes like golden wisps on his cheeks.

Avery carried him effortlessly, one hand under his tiny back, the other protectively over him.

Fatherhood suited him.

It had deepened something in him, a quiet strength, a presence that drew me to him even more than ever before.

His broad shoulders, the firm line of his chin, even the scars on his hands that told of past battles… everything seemed even more attractive now. Because I knew these same hands were cradling our son so tenderly.

He felt my gaze, lifted his eyes, and as he read my thoughts, that smile spread across his face that still left me breathless.

I loved him. Every day a little more.

“You can’t get enough of me, can you?” he whispered through the soul band as he climbed the stairs toward me.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Never,” I replied.

His kiss was soft, but full of devotion. I could feel the warmth of his lips, the gentle pressure of his hand on the back of my neck.

When we parted, Evie giggled mockingly.

Devas shook his head in fake disgust. “Not in front of the kid!” he warned, amused.

I took Elyon from Avery’s arms, hugged him to me, and felt the steady rise and fall of his little body. His little breath streamed warmly against my neck.

The soft, still irregular breaths reminded me how fragile and yet infinitely strong this new life was. His warm baby scent, which is unique only to small babies, enveloped me like a gentle spell.

Avery’s hand found my hip, his thumb lightly stroked the material of my dress.

My fingers glided over Elyon’s downy hair… and I froze halfway through the movement.

Something ancient stirred in his chest, breathing in time with his heartbeat. Avery stared at me; he could feel it just like me.

I dared to look at my son, and he opened his eyes, glancing at me. His usually purple eyes were now red, just like my aura.

White gold rings surrounded pupils that were no longer my child’s. They gazed at me with the same blank stare that Alatus once possessed.

He giggled a few times… and everything was back to normal.

Elyon’s eyes were the familiar violet again, but I hadn’t imagined it. I could sense it in my mate; he had noticed it too.

Avery and I exchanged looks.

This child was a walking vessel of what Abaddon craved. Through the soul bond, I sensed Avery’s thoughts, and an unspoken fear spread through my chest.

Somewhere, far away but unmistakable… Avery had felt it again.

Abaddon’s power. It was breathing.

It was waiting.

And it knew exactly where we were.

~End of Book 1~