A stillness blanketed the council room with Oliver's declaration. He had every intention to kill Piers with no remorse. 

However, the one who had trouble grappling with his emotions the most was Draco. He had felt like he was a spectator within his visions, believing wholeheartedly that these dreams were prophecies of the future. This is why he and his council spoke of the war in the future tense. 

However, Oliver phrased everything in the past tense.

Draco's heart trembled when he considered the possibilities. What if this wasn't the future at all?

The rest of the room was stunned into awkward silence. Those who doubted Oliver before could not bear to refute him, and the military men who respected him revered him more.

Oliver looked up at Aris. "I understand why everyone is focused on the war, but this is not a path I wish to tread. The long war can be and should be avoided at all costs."

Draco nodded. "I agree. To do so, we first need to understand the Belelot's motives."

"Did you ever find out why the war was started in the first place?" Oliver wondered if the other kingdoms had discovered the war's truth.

"No. I only know that the Tuahs will say something that provokes the Belelots. In retaliation, Bierze will burn the Fae Fields and ignite the war. For each kingdom that joins afterward, it is the same story."

"Isn't it odd that one kingdom would provoke three?"

"I assume that Piers has a lot of confidence in you." Phoibe contemplated. 

However, the council had thought it suspicious that a kingdom not famed for its strength would rebel against warrior nations like Rucrea and Arborg.

Oliver laughed and shook his head. "No. As I said, my punishment was to be at the frontlines of battle. I was meant to die early, but my perseverance was unexpected."

"Then what could be the Belelot's motive?" Aris asked. "I can't think of anything."

"For power." Oliver wrapped his hand around his necklace. "Power to make everyone bow in front of him."

"But putting your kingdom through a war for three decades cannot establish any power," Aris argued.

Oliver leaned back in his chair. "No... You can only wish for that type of power."

Aris stood up suddenly, toppling his chair over. "Wish? Hells... when those bastards imprisoned me, Prince Piers kept asking me about that old myth... the Anima Wish."

There was an outcry from the others, who argued that this was merely a myth, an old story to protect the seal of magic.

"But the great dragon, Anima, sealed all magic into her heart and then broke it into pieces... to gather them would be impossible," Phoibe said.

"There are supposed to be five pieces, one for each great family, but the final piece is a mystery," Aris muttered. "But who has the knowledge to find all the pieces?"

Oliver nodded and spoke quietly. "They will be located eventually by those who are desperate for them... even the piece that is supposed to be in the Dragon Cenotaphs."

"Our piece is not there," Draco said. "We only claim it is, but the real one is hidden away."

"Gods and hells...So that's how he switched it out." Oliver covered his face for a moment, a smile heavy with schadenfreude stretched across his face.  

"What do you mean?"

Oliver bit back a wry laugh. "Piers has been in bed with the Ravagers for a while. Piers distracts with a war, and the Ravagers plunder the other kingdoms for their Anima shards... but they were never going to let Piers collect all the pieces.  When the Ravagers attacked Rucrea, the Ravager King kept the real piece for himself and gave Piers the fake one from the Cenotaphs." 

"The Ravager King? How do you know?" Draco asked.

"You weren't the only one to visit me in my cell...  but he introduced himself as Piers' associate, not the Ravager King."  Oliver sighed and rubbed his eyes from the building exhaustion. "Their alliance was built on the selfish need for power, so I am positive the Ravager King was the one who gave Piers information about the Anima Wish in the first place."

"Will it really take thirty years to find all five pieces?" Draco asked, recalling the timeline of the war.

"The fifth was where they least expected it." Oliver slipped off his necklace and placed it on the table.

Every single eye was drawn to the white stone that glimmered in the light—they immediately knew what this necklace was. The distrust some of the Elders held was alleviated at this moment because Oliver had just entrusted the Kardos family's greatest secret.

"Of course," Phoibe murmured. "The fifth would be with the great warriors of the Eternal War."

"What is the Ravager King's desire?" Castor finally spoke up.

Oliver traced the Kardos sigil on the necklace thoughtfully. "Magic. He wishes to unseal the magic to overcome the prophecy."

Phoibe was startled and turned to Draco. "Do you know this prophecy?"

Draco shook his head. "We only heard an inkling when we were in the caves."

Oliver hesitated again, recalling the ominous words from the Ravager King. The room buzzed with whispers, but Oliver's steady voice sounded again. "The crowned bear will rise only if the Sword of Moonlight and Dragons fall."

Silence choked the room. It was obvious what this meant: The Ravager's fated enemies were the Kardos family and the Lyrells. The Ravager King would seek their destruction.

"If he gathers all the pieces and makes his wish, how can we stop him?" An Elder's voice trembled when he asked this.

They all turned to Oliver, who sighed lightly. "That's not how the Anima Wish works. It doesn't matter who puts the pieces together or makes a wish first... Only the loudest wish that is heard, one drawn from the soul, will be answered." He tapped his finger on the necklace. "Not that it matters anymore because the magic has been drained from the pieces."

Draco reached for the necklace, pausing to gain permission from Oliver to touch his belongings. When Oliver nodded, Draco picked up the necklace and examined it. "You're right. There is no magic."

"I don't mean to doubt you, but are we certain this is a true Anima shard?" Castor asked. "Perhaps it was lost or replicated?" 

Oliver shook his head. "This is the true shard given to the Kardos family."

Phoibe pulled out a pouch that always hung from her waist. She reached in and retrieved a white stone that matched Oliver's necklace. Much like Oliver's, fine cracks were stretching across the stone.

"He's telling the truth because the Lyrell's has lost its power too." She said quietly.

More chatter erupted from the room.

"Does that mean the threat is over?"

"Have we avoided the war?"

"Are the Ravagers still a threat?"

"What if Rucrea is still facing destruction?"

Oliver held a hand up, and the men's and women's voices fell. "Even without the Anima Wish magic, there is still a threat of war and ruin. We should never underestimate the ambition of tyrants. The Ravagers need to be cleaned out, and Piers needs to be overthrown."

"Are you planning on stealing the throne from Piers?" Castor asked.

A low growl rumbled from Draco. "Oliver's throne is the one next to mine."

Oliver's lips pulled upwards, and he took Draco's hand in his. "I do not want Piers' throne, but I plan on giving it to another. There's another who can rule Bierze... King Gideon Belelot's son."

Aris stood up suddenly in shock, as did many others. "He would have a greater claim to the throne! Gideon is the rightful king, as is his son. Do you know where his heir is?"

Oliver shook his head. "To be honest, my information about him is vague at best, but I am working on it."

The council started to discuss amongst themselves as Oliver leaned back in his chair. His hand held his necklace again, and his fingers turned the stone slowly. Anima, the great dragon, split her heart into these small pieces. However, her heart was restored when the Ravager King put the pieces together. This was the only way she could turn back time and gift Oliver her newly restored heart.

But now, these stones were nothing but husks.

Draco has been watching him and placed a hand gently on his arm. "I know that the power sealed in Anima's heart was unimaginably abundant... How great was the wish to drain it all?"

Oliver faltered but eventually smiled as he returned Draco's gaze. "Some wishes are that grand."

"Kings," an Elder called out, "What are your thoughts?"

Oliver's eyebrow raised with surprise. This was the first time the Elders addressed him as a King.

"Thoughts on?" Draco asked, realizing that neither of them had heard the topic.

"We wish to send an envoy to Wynter to meet with the rest of the Kardoses. We will be able to solidify our families' relationship and create plans to defend against the Ravagers. With the Kardoses so close to Rucrea, we could rely on their aid." The Elder explained.

Draco gave Oliver a curious glance, not willing to speak on Oliver's behalf.

"This would be ideal. However, my family is still in the capital. They will remain until the current King dies, and Piers takes the crown." He tapped his chin. "Which will be in about a month. You will be receiving an invitation soon."

The room divulged into a deep conversation, figuring out their moves for this sort of scenario in the Bierze capital. Oliver watched with a layer of complex surprise. Although there was some resistance initially, these people accepted his words even if they sounded nonsensical.

It was late in the evening when the meeting finally came to a close, and they all filed out of the conference room. Aris approached Oliver and bowed.

"General." Oliver greeted lightly.

"King Oliver, will you keep your promise from before?" He asked.

Oliver nodded, understanding what he was talking about. "Yes. Have you decided on a fitting punishment?"

"I have. Follow me." He said and turned to walk out of the palace.

Draco grabbed Oliver's arm. "Punishment?"

Oliver pulled Draco near him and brushed some stray hairs behind his ear. "Yes. Please, don't stop this."

Draco was distressed, but with a heavy sigh, he accepted it. "Fine. But if it is excessive, I will intercede."

Oliver quickly followed Aris and found that he had led him to a small arena. Many warriors were watching in the audience, and Aris stood in the center with a spear in hand. As everyone saw Oliver and Draco approach, they bowed.

"King Oliver! I request spar!" Aris shouted.

Oliver chuckled. It was a strange punishment, but he was grateful nonetheless. He grabbed two swords from the weapons rack and met Aris in the center. He lowered himself into an attack stance and grinned.

"Come, General, I'll even give you the first move," Oliver said with a mischievous grin. Aris clenched his jaw and leaped forward to attack.

Off to the sides, Draco sighed helplessly as his lover and General clashed swords. The ringing of metal cut through the excited cheers of the crowd.

Oliver seemed to change into someone completely different when he fought. Every swing of his sword was as easy as breathing. He was born to wield his dual blades. 

One of the old commanders of the army stood next to Draco and sighed. "He is extraordinary."

"He is." Draco agreed, his eyes burning was admiration.

"When you were in your shifting, he attacked all who stood in his way and threatened to become the destroyer of Rucrea if we allowed you to die alone." The man said solemnly. "This is why he is being punished. At the same time, this is why he has won the respect of your soldiers... the power and conviction he holds are staggering. Even my old eyes can see that he leads with a prodigious command that rivals any general I have encountered."

The man fell silent as he watched Oliver dance around Aris' spear.

He finally shook his head in disbelief. "I have dueled Antony Kardos before, and I will never forget that fight. The Kardos' dual sword technique is unparalleled, but Antony has honed it to a different level and made it extremely powerful through practice. However, your partner's swords are much more formidable. It seems he has mastered his uncle's techniques and then sharpened them on a grindstone until it has become something truly frightening... I cannot believe that he is only 20 years old."

Draco seemed to freeze when he heard this. It was true. To have his presence and skill at such a young age was unheard of. Oliver fought as skillfully as he did in his visions, as if he had been honing himself on the battlefield for thirty years.

Draco's unnerving suspicions resurfaced and rattled him.

Oliver's phrasing when speaking of the war.

Oliver's personality that was starkly different from the rumors.

The dragon's heart in Oliver's chest —especially when there had not been any dragons for a millennium. 

Some wishes are that grand.

A wish could be so grand that it turned back time and drained the magic from Anima's heart.

It wasn't a vision Draco had seen... it was a memory.

His eyes reddened, and he looked down to hide his emotions. He gripped the railing in front of him so hard that the wood creaked and cracked.

He ached when realizing that Oliver spent most of his life in the throes of death until he succumbed to it.

The soldiers' applause shook Draco from his thoughts, and he found Oliver holding a sword against Aris' neck. Aris was grinning happily, pleased that his new King had defeated him. Oliver removed the sword, and they clasped each other's forearms as a sign of respect and camaraderie.

Oliver looked towards Draco and smiled warmly. Draco, still feeling uneasy, pulled his lips and revealed a strained look. Oliver quickly made his way to him and intertwined their fingers together. 

"You have had no rest for a while. Shall I escort you to your chambers?" Oliver offered.

Draco nodded, and they left for their chambers. Draco was in a daze the entire time, trying to gather his thoughts. He still felt somewhat disconnected from what he saw in his dreams as if he had not fully integrated into them. But now he knew that this happened in a previous life of some sort... a life that only Oliver remembers.

Oliver had led Draco into his chambers, closed the door, and sat Draco on the bed.  When Oliver leaned in and kissed Draco, he was woken from his stupor. He focused his eyes on Oliver, but they were conflicted between pain and sorrow.

"Draco?"

Draco smiled weakly and pulled Oliver onto the bed next to him. He peeled off Oliver's shirt and started to examine his wounds. His fingers traced the fresh bite and claw marks with deep care. However, his fingers paused on the old scar from the dragon who gave its heart to Oliver.

His eyes trembled as he traced the scar. "Oli... What kind of wishes can Anima grant?"

Oliver gently grasped Draco's hand on his chest and lifted it to his lips. "Unbelievable ones."

He only dreamed of going back and stopping the war, but he was here with Draco. This was indeed an unbelievable wish... a miracle of sorts. How else could he explain how a blood-stained sinner like him could openly love this man?

"When you died—"

"Draco, that is not our future." Oliver tried to steer the conversation away.

Draco shifted off the bed and kneeled before Oliver to look into his violet eyes. "When you died, I let go of my humanity."

Oliver shuddered, and he felt the tears welling in his eyes. He closed his eyes, fearing Draco would find the truth behind them.

"I remember every single face in that crowd. I remember their sneers and venomous words they threw at you when the executioners cut you over and over. But more vividly, I remember it all becoming quiet when you looked at me." Draco's voice was a hoarse whisper.

Draco bowed his head. "All I wanted to do was give you the blood in my veins and the breath in my lungs... Hells, I would have given you my soul just so you could live one more day... with me."

Oliver could feel the emotions vibrating off of Draco.

"When your eyes dimmed, and you breathed your last, I died as well. There was no point in being human when the only thing worth being human for was gone. So, I gave control to the monster."

"Draco..." The words in Oliver's throat were stuck. He never considered what may have happened after he died.

"The day you died, what was the loudest wish? What did Anima hear?"

"A wish..." His voice was shaky and could hardly be heard. "...for a second chance."

Draco trembled and fell forward in Oliver's lap, hiding his turbulent emotions. Oliver lovingly ran his fingers through Draco's long hair.

"How lonely it must have been. You were alone to face the threats of this war by yourself. Alone to confront the people who killed you. Alone to fight against an overwhelming fate..." Draco's shuddering voice revealed his sorrow. "You sacrificed so much and protected many people, but no one can recognize you..."

A sob ripped through Draco's chest. "Gods, even I looked at you like a stranger."

"Draco. It didn't matter because I would reintroduce myself to you. I would spar with you endlessly until you knew my every move. I would sit up with you all night and let you unravel all of my secrets... I would only remain a stranger for a moment because I would never allow us to live a life apart." 

Oliver was gentle and coaxing as he brushed Draco's hair with his fingers. "What I feel for you transcends magic and wishes. It is more powerful than fate or death. It is more tangible than the world we see before us."

He lifted Draco's head and gazed into his red eyes. "Draco, I love you. I have loved you for nearly thirty years."

Draco's eyes burned like an ember when he heard Oliver's confession. He pushed Oliver down on his back and hovered over him. 

"I see you now. I truly see you as who you are. My Guardian. My Ghost. My King." He murmured. "Only the Gods know how long I have loved you... only the hells know how long I have desired you."

Draco lowered himself, and his lips trailed up Oliver's neck. "And I am determined to have you in every way."

He reached Oliver's lips and kissed him deeply. He was overbearing, ravenous, and insatiable. His visions were now solidifying in his mind as he accepted them as his reality. This also meant that the many years he craved Oliver's touch were becoming unbearable.

So he continued to kiss Oliver as if his lips were his only salvation.