Chapter 424:

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Emeriel had loved him wholeheartedly.

In a feral state, where he had nothing but pain to offer her, she had given him everything.

That was the beginning of his illness.

Daemonikai pulled himself from the swirling vortex of memories and stared at the seashells surrounding him. “Emeriel is a little being stuffed full of love and light.”

“The gods do not make mistakes, dearest,” Evie agreed.

Now that he was finally opening up, it was easier to confide in her, to pour out his mind, including his doubts.

“That girl deserves better than to be saddled with an ancient like me. A male who once razed an entire village to the ground.”

“That was millennia ago, dearest.” Evie bent down to pick up a spiraled seashell. “What she deserves is to be with her soulbond. Let the past stay where it belongs… behind us. You are a better male now. A wonderful one. If you weren’t, our people wouldn’t be so devoted to you. And they are.”

She examined the shell for a moment, a blissful smile on her face, before tossing it back into the ocean. “You’ve already secured your place in history as Urai’s greatest ruler, a title you’ll hold for all eternity. I am so proud of the male you’ve become.”

“Our people don’t like her because of what she represents.” Daemonikai’s eyes followed the movement of the shells as they disappeared beneath the waves. “They hate the idea that my Soulbond is human. They would have killed her two years ago if I hadn’t set her free.”

Evie’s smile faded. She nodded, understanding in her eyes. “The people will need time. They love you deeply. In time, they will come to accept and protect what you care about. I have faith that Emeriel will win them over.”

ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ ɪɴ ɢᴀʟɴᴏᴠᴇʟꜱ.ᴄᴏᴍ

After a pause, she added, “But don’t let their reservations become the wedge that drives you apart again, dearest. For five millennia, you have lived for them and their expectations. You put them first, as a king should, and you love them greatly. But it’s time you did something for yourself, my love. Darn everyone else. After all, you lost us while saving them.”

Daemonikai flinched, those words stinging like a slap.

Evie, sensing his distress, took his hand in hers. “It’s the truth. You lost us saving them, and look at what it’s doing to you. You saved thousands of lives that night, but the ones who could have kept you sane and anchored were lost.”

“And because of that, you are walking every edge of death, leaving them unprotected and at the mercy of someone like Zaiper. In the end, you are no use to anyone this way. Not them, not yourself. This time, be selfish, my dearest. Take what you want. Put Emeriel first. Protect her. Don’t lose your Soulbond because of our people.”

Daemonikai absorbed her words, letting them wash over him. A profound silence settled between them, broken only by the rhythmic crash of the waves.

“Do you know why your soul is dying, beloved?” Evie asked.

Yes, he did.

Daemonikai had always told himself it was because of his grief. That was the story he had clung to when the symptoms first showed. But deep down inside, where the sun never touched, barricaded by walls and locked with an iron key, he knew the truth. Of course, he did.

It was because of Emeriel.

She was his greatest loss.

And that had sent his guilt into overdrive.

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