Inside the infirmary :
Charlotte sat quietly in front of Noah, her gaze fixed on his face, her thoughts swirling like a storm. The silence between them stretched on, and yet, she couldn't seem to pull herself away from the way he looked—his features calm, composed, and yet with an air of exhaustion that mirrored her own heart. She hadn't been able to stop looking at him since they had returned from the chaos, and now, sitting across from him, all she could do was remember the moment when everything had shifted.
A memory surfaced from only a few days ago. The events had unfolded so quickly, so brutally, she almost couldn't believe it was only that short a time ago. The bombs. She could still hear the ticking in her ears, could still feel the pressure in her chest. She had been facing a wall of despair—alone, helpless, her father's orders weighing her down like a burden too heavy to bear. The mana bombs had been ticking, their presence a constant reminder of the life-threatening situation she had been trapped in, unable to do anything. There had been no escape, no one left to stand by her.
"I can't do this." The words had left her lips in a whisper as she stared at the ticking time in front of her. The tears had been threatening to spill, but she couldn't let them fall. She had to keep her composure.
And then, just when she felt she was on the brink of giving up, he had arrived.
Noah. He had come out of nowhere, the brilliant blue flames of his power cutting through the air like a beacon, crashing into the wall of shadows and exploding mana with ease. It was like a storm had come in with him, tearing through everything in its path. She had never seen anything like it before.
It was as though he had become a knight in shining armor, charging in without hesitation, without fear. He had done the impossible—destroyed the bombs, saved them all—and yet, all she could focus on was how he had been the one to save her, to rescue her from the chaos, even though she had done nothing but push him away for so long.
Her heart squeezed painfully as the memory flooded her mind.
"You...you really came for me…" Charlotte whispered to herself, the weight of those words sinking deep into her chest.
As the memory of his presence and the way he had destroyed the wall of darkness flashed through her mind, a wave of guilt washed over her. Her chest tightened painfully. She had always been the one to make him suffer, to hurt him with her pride, her expectations, her own selfishness. She had never once been there for him, not when it mattered. And yet, when the world had crumbled around her, he had been the one to stand tall, to protect her, even when no one else would.
Her throat tightened as she recalled that moment when she had fallen to her knees after he had defused the bombs, the overwhelming weight of regret and guilt breaking her down. It had been unbearable, the pain of realizing just how much she had failed him, how much she had hurt him, despite his constant presence in her life.
Her tears had started to fall that day, freely. The walls she had so carefully built around herself had crumbled. "Noah, I'm so sorry..." she had choked out, but the words didn't feel like enough.
In that moment, she had let everything spill out. All the secrets, all the burdens she had carried for so long, all the reasons behind her actions. She had apologized—broken, vulnerable, raw—finally admitting everything: her father's orders, her duties, the twisted path she had been forced to walk, and how she had never once thought of the pain it caused him.
She had apologized for the hurtful things she had done, the times she had made him feel alone, the times she had torn him down when he had only ever wanted to protect her. "I... I shouldn't have pushed you away. I should've seen it... I should've seen how much you cared..." she had sobbed.
Noah, ever so composed, had gently embraced her, patting her head in a soothing gesture. He hadn't said much in that moment, but she knew. She had seen the way his face softened, the way his touch had been gentle, reassuring. She knew he didn't have much time. He was running out of time, but even then, he had put everything else aside to console her.
"We'll have a proper talk after this is over," he had said softly, and she had nodded, her heart aching with gratitude. The words had been simple, but they had been enough.
Now, as she sat in front of him, Charlotte couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of regret. Her thoughts drifted back to those moments, each one heavier than the last. She couldn't escape the truth that had been gnawing at her heart—the fact that she had caused him so much pain and suffering over the years.
She had made her mistakes. She had hurt him. But now, here they were, sitting together in silence, and she couldn't help but feel like it was her last chance to make things right.
Noah suddenly stirred, his voice breaking the stillness. "Have you seen enough?" he asked, his words cutting through her thoughts, catching her completely off guard.
Charlotte blinked, momentarily flustered. She hadn't realized she had been staring at him so intently. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed. But then, realizing she couldn't put this off any longer, she took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She had to do this. She had to apologize—truly and completely.
"I... I owe you an apology, Noah," Charlotte began, her voice trembling slightly, but she pushed through the vulnerability. "I know I've hurt you, and for that, I am truly sorry. For everything. For the things I said, for the times I pushed you away, for making you feel like you were just... nothing more than a pawn in my life."
Noah's expression remained unreadable, but she could feel the weight of his gaze on her. She knew what she had to say next—no more holding back.
"I regret the way I treated you. I regret pushing you aside when you only ever wanted to protect me. I regret hurting you when I should have been there for you. I should have stood by you, Noah, instead of blaming you for things that weren't your fault. I'm so sorry... for everything."
Her words were like a flood, rushing out of her, the guilt and sorrow overwhelming her heart. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze anymore, the weight of her confession bearing down on her chest.
Noah didn't respond immediately. The silence stretched on, and Charlotte feared that he would say nothing, that he would reject her apology as he had so many times before. But then, he spoke—his voice calm, but with an edge of exhaustion.
"Charlotte..." he began, his tone softer than she expected. "I won't pretend that I can just forgive everything. Not yet. But... I can't deny that we've both been through too much together for me to stay angry forever."
She looked up, startled by his words, but he wasn't finished.
"But," Noah continued, his gaze steady, "this... this doesn't change everything. You've hurt me, and it's going to take time for that to heal. I won't forget what you did, Charlotte. We'll start anew, but that's all it will be. A fresh start. We're strangers now, and that's all we can be."
The soul imprint within him seemed to react strongly, glowing brightly in response to her apology, but Noah ignored it. He didn't want to give in to it. He had made his decision, and that would be that. He had no choice but to forgive her, but that didn't mean they would go back to how things were before.
Noah's final words left Charlotte with a bittersweet feeling. "We'll start over. But nothing more than that." The glow in his soul imprint dimmed, almost as though it was sulking, and Noah found it amusing, even in the midst of everything. He had made his decision.
But Charlotte didn't feel bitter. She felt... relieved. A heavy weight had been lifted from her chest, even if it was only a small step forward. She had apologized, and though it wasn't the reunion she had hoped for, it was the first step toward something more—something that might one day heal all their wounds.
To be continued....