Chapter 344: The Truth Is...

"We are here."

Soren parked the car near a tall, elegant tower at the edge of the Western Ademary. It was a circular platform with glass walls and a domed roof.

"What is this place?" Ethea asked curiously as they got out of the car. "...It feels a bit familiar."

Soren paused and looked at her with the same mysterious smile. "You’ll find out soon."

"...Alright." Ethea narrowed her eyes but didn’t press further. She had gotten used to his teasing anyway. "Let’s go in then."

The lobby was spacious and modern, with polished floors and distinctive interior design. A receptionist looked up as they approached.

"Welcome to Freedom Wings. How may I help you?"

"We have a reservation. Under Everly."

The receptionist checked the system, and once they passed the verification process, they instructed them on what to do next. "Just take the lift to the top floor. Someone will be waiting for you there."

"Thank you."

Soren wheeled Ethea to the lift, pressed the button for the highest floor, and watched the doors close as the lift began to rise.

"...We are going to fly, right?" Ethea guessed, glancing at him.

"Haha, I really can’t hide anything from you, huh?" Soren chuckled. "I guess you found out because of the logos and posters on the walls?" ℴ

"Mm... If I’m not mistaken, they were called sky gondolas." Ethea answered. "I have tried them a few times before, actually, so I recognized them right away."

"Oh..." Soren blinked, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Then I guess this isn’t as special as I thought."

"No. It’s still special." Ethea gently placed her hand on his. "Because this time, I’m with you."

Soren looked at her, his expression softening. "...Right."

Soon, the lift chimed, and its doors slid open. They stepped out onto a wide platform where several sky gondolas floated in place, waiting at their docks. A staff member approached them with a polite bow.

"Mr. and Mrs. Everly? Right this way, please."

He led them to a gondola at the far end. It looked like a futuristic boat with a curved hull and no roof, but a faint shimmer in the air revealed a protective barrier around it. The Freedom Wings logo was embossed on its sides, a pair of stylized wings spread wide.

Soren lifted Ethea inside and settled her onto the cushioned seat, then climbed in after her. The staff member explained the basic controls and everything else they needed to know, then stepped back.

Soren nodded at the staff and pressed the start button on the control panel. The gondola rose from the platform without a sound, carrying them smoothly into the evening sky.

"...It’s beautiful as ever," Ethea murmured, her eyes fixed on the city below.

The buildings stretched out beneath them, their lights flickering to life as the sun dipped lower. The sky had turned a deep orange, fading into purple at the edges. From this height, Adamery looked like a painting, every street and tower carefully arranged.

"... Beautiful indeed." Soren smiled; however, his eyes were fixed on Ethea, not the view. He had brought her up here to show her the horizon, but now that they were in the air, he could only watch her. The dusk light softened her expression, and the sight of her enjoying the moment took his breath away. To him, nothing on the ground or in the sky came close.

"...Ethea, do you remember Harman and Edith?"

Ethea turned toward him and nodded.

"...They got married three years ago." Soren paused, his gaze drifting toward the horizon before he continued. "And a year after that, they had a daughter... She has Harmen’s sunny smile and Edith’s bright eyes and looks just like a little ball of sunshine."

"..."

"I was really happy for them when I found out." Soren continued in a gentle tone. "Harmen, a father. I never thought I’d see the day. He was always the irresponsible one, the one who couldn’t take anything seriously. But now he’s got his own family and home. Someone waiting for him when he comes back."

He turned to look at Ethea. "It... It made me want the same thing."

Ethea’s breath caught in her throat. The way he was looking at her, the weight behind his words. She knew what he meant. She had known for a while now that he felt the same way she did. But hearing him say it, even indirectly, made her heart race.

"...Soren," she began.

But Soren shook his head. "Wait. Let me finish."

He took a breath, then reached over and gently took her hand.

"But... That was just a wishful dream at the time," he admitted. "I was too busy trying to survive. Between work and doing whatever I could to help my sister, I didn’t have room for anything else. So I buried that wish deep down and told myself it wasn’t the right time.

He turned back toward her, a fond, faintly self-deprecating smile curving his lips as the evening wind caught his hair.

"But fate has a strange way of upending everything, doesn’t it? Because then came the day you entered my life. And... that buried wish suddenly didn’t feel so impossible anymore."

Ethea’s breath caught. She opened her mouth to speak, but Soren gently squeezed her hand, silently asking her to wait just a little longer.

"I know our marriage was never something either of us chose for ourselves at the start, thrust upon us by circumstances completely beyond our control... And I told you that I made a promise that night, right? That I would support and protect you till the end of my life... I meant every word of it. And..."

He paused, his thumb brushing lightly against the back of her hand.

"A lot happened after that promise. I awakened. I almost died more times than I can count. I fought enemies I never imagined I’d face. I traveled to places I never thought I’d see. And... through it all, I managed to keep my promise."

"..."

"But somewhere along the way, keeping that promise stopped feeling like a duty. It started feeling like a choice. One I would make again and again, no matter what."

He lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest, over his heart, like he wanted her to feel it beating faster than it should.

"Ethea... Actually, I have been lying to you for a long time... No, I’ve been lying to myself."

"The truth is..."

He stared at her for a long moment, then spoke the words he had been holding back for far too long.

"I love you, Ethea."