(10 minutes later after Cassian revived Carla and went back to sleep on Anthony's bed)

● Anthony's POV ●

My eyes snaps open and I jerk up from my sleep as the nightmare of Carla slicing the dagger through her neck haunts me again.

Instinctively, I glance towards her coffin only to find it open. Oh God.

With my heart in my throat, I stand up and approached the coffin.

Carla was still in there peaceful—

My breath gets caught in my lungs when those grey eyes suddenly flutter open.

I'm hallucinating again.

These hallucinations are like flames to my dying soul. It makes me miss her even more. And somehow, I still relish in the feeling. It's like knowing cigarette could kill you and yet you consume it because it gives you relief for those few moments.

Carla breathes heavily, her chest rising and falling, her lips shutting and opening, a trickle of sweat drips down her forehead to the side of her face. I watch in complete awe. Mesmerized by everything that makes her her.

Damn. How did this turn from being a nightmare to a beautiful dream?

When Carla's eyes meet mine, they widen for a fraction second before a lovely smile stretches on her lips. I stop breathing.

Geziore. Why does this feel so real? Alana koi?! (Just why)

I bring my trembling hand forward and tuck a strand of her hair behind her round ear.

"I love you. I know you don't believe me but I do love you." I murmur staring down at her.

She simply stares back and then very softly says, "It's not that I don't believe you. I just choose to think otherwise because I didn't want to believe you."

I blink. And then blink again. And then again.

Never in my dreams or hallucinations had she ever spoken.

"You feel so real. . ." I mumble under my breath.

At that, she rolls her eyes. She rolls her eyes?!

Oh my God, I'm really losing it.

I get up from the floor shaking terribly.

"Why do you feel so real? I. . .fuck." The tears which had become my daily companion for the last few days start overflowing again.

"Anthony. . ." Carla gets up from the coffin.

"No. No. No." I cry out desperately, "I can't do this. I just can't."

Seeing her like this, walking and talking, and knowing that it isn't true is hurting everything in my being.

Where did everyone go?! They should wake me up already. I can't take this anymore—

Suddenly, I'm jerked by my shoulders. I'm staring into Carla's alarmed eyes as panic overfloads me.

"Gosh, you're trembling." She says glancing me from head to toe, "I swear I'm not a ghost." She assures but that doesn't stop my shaking state.

It worsens it.

Her being this close to me feels so real that it's making me paranoid. I want to believe it's true so bad but it isn't. And it's hurting me so fucking much.

The next moment, I'm pulled into a warm embrace and Carla's arms wrap around my torso.

I freeze.

This. . . It feels. . .

"What happened to you while I was gone, Anthony?" She brushes my head gently making my nerves calm down slowly by slowly.

My eyes start tearing up again, "You're not real. . ."

That seems to irk her as she moves back and gives me a stern look, "Do I need to kiss you to prove that I'm indeed hundred percent real?"

I gape at her. This is giving me a headache, heartache and all sorts of ache.

When I don't reply, she steps closer to me. So close that. . .

Her arms go around my neck as she pulls my head down towards her face. My eyes close on their own accord.

This is very very crazy.

My hallucination feels so real that I don't want to return back to the real world ever again.

My eyes snap open in shock as I'm met by a stinging pinch on my arm.

"Ouch!" I let out an almost girly yelp.

Carla is looking at me with barely controlled laughter, "Now, do you believe that I'm real." She raises her brow my way, her arms still locked around my neck.

"How. . ." My voice gets caught up in my throat.

How did this happen? It's impossible.

"I don't know. I just suddenly felt a rush of energy and the next moment I'm gasping for air. It was like someone woke me up from a very deep slumber. But really, does it matter?" Carla asks rhetorically.

Hell yeah, does it even matter?! She's alive! That's all that matters.

My eyes start filling up again as I pull her in my arms.

Oh. My. Goodness.

She's real. She's real. She's real.

Carla. She's real.

I don't realise I'm crying and clutching onto her so tightly until she speaks.

"I've never seen a man cry so much." She says softly rubbing my back, "I won't go anywhere, softboy. Relax."

That just makes me cry harder.

"You. . .do you know how. . . it was. . .It felt so. . . I felt. . . I didn't know why. . .You weren't there and I . . . Why. . .why did you leave me?" I pulled her closer.

I know I didn't make much of sense except for the last line. My emotions were so much for me to express.

What if she'll dissappear?

I felt a trickle of wetness coat my shoulders, "I didn't wanted to. At that moment when I was on the brink of death, I realised how much I love you. I realised. . .that I love you enough to forgive you for everything that you did before. And that I should've just let you in instead of pushing you away. It felt equally terrible to realise it when I was dying. But now I have the time, so I want to tell you this. . ."

And then she stepped back. Carla's teary grey eyes connected with mine as she stared right into my eyes,

"I love you, Anthony."

My heart soared at the words. The tears ran down in full Niagara falls mode as I rushed upto her and grabbed her face.

"I love you more, Carla."

And then I smashed my lips onto hers.

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Author's POV

• Outside the room •

Kaitlyn and Anne glanced at each other with wide smiles as they heard Anthony and Carla confess to each other.

When they had awoken from their sleep, they were shocked to hear the heartbeat of the woman in the coffin. Anne had freaked out and called both Kaitlyn and Gio. She'd even awoken Cassian in the fright. The boy had barely slept for five minutes after exhausting himself and he felt very tired to move around. Why was everyone disrupting his precious sleep?

The elder trio were confused beyond limit on what was happening but after thinking for a while, they decided to leave the room the very moment and carried the sleepy Cassian along with them.

If all of this craziness was true and Carla had somehow awoken by God knows what miracle, then there was one person who ought to see her first.

The man who had been grieving over her for the last one month.

"How do you think this happened? It's so crazy. I don't mind it one bit. But still." Anne raises her hand in the air, confusion lacing her words.

"You mentioned Anthony's healing power which he used on Carla. Do you think it somehow worked that day but the effect came out late?" Gio asked glancing at Anne and Kaitlyn.

"That's a possibility." Kaitlyn mused but her eyes very keenly so that no one saw her, flickered to the drowsy boy in Anne's arms.

High faes were the only one with reviving powers. But it confused her that if the boy was a high fae, then what was he even doing in the supernatural realm. There ought to be people looking for him. But then he possibly wasn't a high fae. And he possibly didn't revive Carla.

Maybe it really was Anthony's affinity working with tardiness.

"That is the only logical reason I can think of." Anne voiced out Kaitlyn's thoughts nodding her head, "But I'm so happy for Anthony."

Everyone agreed to that with soaring smiles. They were all happy for him.

Amidst the elders chatter, a joyous smile stretched onto the little boy's face who rested in Anne's arms.

He finally made the aloof man happy.

As everyone rejoiced in happiness, a maid suddenly walked upto Kaitlyn with urgency.

"Your grace, there's someone at the gates. He says he won't go until you and the Alpha meet him." The woman looked conflicted.

Kaitlyn frowned. Who would demand to meet her and. . . Anthony?

Anthony was too in bliss and Kate didn't have it in her to break his moment. So, with a sigh she told the maid to lead her the way to where the man waited outside while Anne with an asleep Cassian and Gio were left behind alone outside Anthony's room.

They gazed at each other with awkward smiles.

"What now?" Gio asked scratching the back of his neck. Anne gave a queezy smile of her own.

She had no freaking idea herself.

On the other side, Kaitlyn was heading towards the entrance when she saw Valerian making his way upto her.

"Hey, love." He kissed her forehead the moment he reached her, "Where are you headed?"

Kaitlyn shrugged, "Apparently we have an uninvited visitor."

"At this time?" Valerian's eyes snatched a glance at the huge clock attached to the grey walls that almost struck midnight.

His stance immediately grew alert as he pulled Kaitlyn into his arms and glanced around for any danger with his sharp eyes.

"You keep forgetting I'm an assassin." Kaitlyn rolled her eyes as her husband kept her firmly locked in his arms.

Valerian looked down at his wife, "Was."

Kaitlyn gave him a blank look through her hooded eyes, "Doesn't mean I forgot my skills."

"Doesn't mean I'll risk your safety." He retorted unblinking as he stared into the blue of her eyes. God, he loved her so much.

No way in hell he'd let anyone hurt her. Letting her go to Charlotte had made him feel like he had let her walk on charcoals. It still haunted him when he remembered the way Kaitlyn was trapped by Charlotte. He hated that woman with all his being. If it wasn't for Anthony, he would've ripped that woman's heart out himself.

"Listen now, Mr Kingston. You can protect me all you want once we meet this person. He's outside." Kaitlyn bought her hand to his chin and raised it, "Now, shall we go?"

Valerian reluctantly nodded as he let Kate move out of his arms. He pulled her hand in his. Kaitlyn smiled when he entwined his long fingers with her shorter ones.

Together the king and queen of Ancientriova headed to the entrance hall.

The moment Kaitlyn's eyes locked with the silver-haired, hazel-eyed visitor, she froze. Next to her, Valerian's steely gaze fixed on the man as realization dawned on him,

He was the unfaithful commander who ran off with Anthony and Kaitlyn the night of their father's death. . .

__________

Damn, I felt so single while writing this chapter😂

Anyways, what do you think this new visitor is here for?👀

Barely 2-3 chapters until epilogue.

Hope you liked the chapter! ^.^
I'll try to update tomorrow as well:)