When Ayra stepped through the main gate of the palace, an uncanny magical force lifted her away from the earth itself. Her feet no longer touched the ground; she drifted through the vast hall as if carried by the air. Though the hurricane light had faded, the entire chamber glowed with an ethereal blend of blue and gold.
Floating forward, Ayra stopped before a massive bedchamber. The doors opened on their own. The moment she stepped inside, her breath caught in shock. Standing before her was a woman with pure golden hair and eyes as deep and blue as the open sky. Without realizing it, Ayra saw her own reflection in that face—as if the woman were her mirror.
Turning slightly, Ayra noticed another beautiful woman. Her hair was pitch black, yet her eyes carried the same mesmerizing blue. These two extraordinary women seemed like living witnesses to a century-old mystery. Ayra understood—one was the beloved Sunlight, and the other her eternal companion, the Shadow who had always stood beside her.
But what stunned Ayra most was the wall ahead. Hanging there was a massive oil portrait. In the painting stood three figures—King Hridoy at the center, handsome and regal, with the two magical women standing on either side of him.
Their smiles were so vivid it felt as if they might speak at any moment. Ayra noticed how the blue of the black-haired woman's eyes merged seamlessly with the blue of Sunlight's gaze. Hridoy's hands rested on both their shoulders, as if binding them together not for one lifetime, but for many.
Ayra whispered under her breath,
"Is this… that history? The one Mother spoke of? Was the life of Nexus Fortress built upon the love and sacrifice of these three?"
Suddenly, a soft melody drifted from within the painting. Ayra saw a single blue tear fall from the eyes of the black-haired woman. Slowly, impossibly, the portrait began to come alive.
Standing before it, Ayra's heart pounded violently. She shook her head again and again.
"No… this can't be real. This is wrong. I don't believe it!"
Overwhelmed by fear and confusion, she fled the room, running through a dark corridor into another chamber.
As soon as she entered, a heartbreaking sound reached her ears—a baby crying uncontrollably. Leaving the hurricane lamp aside, Ayra moved forward and saw a small child lying in an enchanted cradle, flailing tiny arms and legs. The baby was no more than five months old.
The moment Ayra saw the child, her maternal instincts awakened. Forgetting all fear, she lifted the baby into her arms, kissed its soft cheek, and held it close. Strangely, the instant the child touched her, its crying stopped. With wide blue eyes, it looked up at Ayra and smiled.
At that very moment, Ayra's long-standing physical condition flared intensely. She suffered from a medical condition known as galactorrhea—a state in which, due to hormonal influence, breast milk is produced even without pregnancy or motherhood.
Ayra felt the fabric over her chest grow damp. The baby's presence and earlier cries had triggered a powerful hormonal response. She stood frozen—caught between pain and astonishment. She understood then: the five-month-old child was hungry.
Standing before a mirror, Ayra saw her white dress soaked at the chest. She felt shock—but also an unexpected calm. Now she understood why the palace had been calling her again and again. A hundred years ago, Sunlight had lost her child. Was Ayra brought here to finally soothe that unsatisfied soul?
Ayra broke down in tears. She pulled the baby close to her chest. What had once felt like a curse—her condition—now revealed itself as a blessing meant for this mysterious child.
She lost all sense of time and place. Everything faded except the baby in her arms. A powerful tide of motherhood surged through her body and soul. Slowly, she sat down on a soft mattress in the corner of the room.
She had always felt discomfort because of her condition, but now she realized—perhaps this milk had been waiting for this thirsty soul. With immense tenderness, Ayra began to feed the child.
The moment the baby received the first drops of her milk, the entire chamber fell into a supernatural silence. Ayra felt as if the child was not only drinking milk, but drawing away all her exhaustion and sorrow. The tiny hands clutched her fingers tightly.
Just then, a strange fragrance filled the air. Ayra looked up and saw Sunlight, with her golden hair, and the black-haired woman stepping down from the wall like shadows. They said nothing—only gazed at Ayra with eyes full of sorrow and fulfillment.
Wiping her tears, Ayra looked at the baby. She knew then—this was no ordinary human child. It was an unsatisfied soul, waiting for a hundred years to taste motherhood just once. Her condition had transformed into a sacred act of service.
When the feeding ended, the baby fell asleep peacefully against Ayra's chest. She felt the pain in her torn hand and aching body vanish instantly. The damp stain on her white dress no longer felt shameful—it shone like a mark of honor.
In a soft whisper, Ayra said,
"Were you alone too, my little one? Look… I've come back to quench your thirst."
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the window. Was King Hridoy coming to see his lost child—and the new form of his lineage?
As Ayra continued to cradle the child, a long shadow fell across the doorway. Heavy boots echoed, and with royal gravity, King Hridoy entered the room—just as handsome and radiant as in the portrait from a hundred years ago. Yet today, his eyes held deep anguish.
The moment Ayra saw him, her entire body trembled with shame and embarrassment. She realized she was sitting in such a state before an unknown man. Her fair face flushed crimson. She hurriedly tried to cover herself with her white dress, unable to meet his gaze. Her heart thundered in her chest.
Hridoy approached slowly. There was no desire or harshness in his eyes—only boundless gratitude. He knelt before Ayra.
In a low, gentle voice, he said,
"Do not be ashamed, Ayra. What you have done today is beyond any ordinary woman. For a hundred years, this child thirsted for a single drop of life. My two queens loved the child deeply, but it was your body's sacred gift that finally freed this soul."
Ayra kept her head bowed, her cheeks still burning. She understood—Hridoy did not see her as a stranger, but as the savior of his bloodline, who had eased a restless soul through her own suffering.
Hridoy gently placed his hand over Ayra's wounded hand. Instantly, the injury healed, leaving behind a glowing golden mark.
"You are our blood, Ayra," he said.
"From this day onward, all the honor of Nexus Fortress is yours. Your shame—will now be your ornament."
For the first time, Ayra lifted her eyes to meet his. In the depths of his blue gaze, her shame slowly transformed into something else—mystery, strength, and purpose.When Hridoy knelt before Ayra, the very air in the chamber seemed to freeze. His deep blue eyes remained fixed on hers. With profound devotion, he took her hand in his own and said in a calm, steady voice,
"Ayra, will you marry me? Will you become the eternal Queen of Nexus Fortress?"
Ayra felt as though she had fallen from the sky. Stammering, she replied,
"What do you mean? I… I'm just an ordinary girl! And you are—"
Hridoy smiled gently. There was a strange enchantment in that smile.
"You are not ordinary, Ayra. Can't you see? You are my lost Sunlight. Your blood, your aura, and the way your soul was drawn to this child today—everything proves it. You have returned."
At that exact moment, a miraculous transformation began. Ayra felt an immense power awakening within her. In an instant, her black hair began to change into radiant gold. The blue of her eyes shone like polished diamonds. Even her voice shifted, becoming identical to Sunlight's voice from a hundred years ago.
In a trance, she looked at Hridoy and said,
"My King… have I truly returned? Will our unfinished story finally be complete today?"
Just as Hridoy stepped forward to embrace her, a violent storm of wind tore through the room. Ayra felt herself sinking into a vast abyss. The golden glow of Sunlight's hair and the sound of Hridoy calling her name grew faint… blurred…
Suddenly—Ayra woke up.
She jolted upright in her bed, gasping. Dawn light was beginning to spill outside. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She quickly touched her hair—no, it wasn't golden. It was black, just as before. She looked around the room. There was no palace. No Hridoy.
Had it all been a dream?
But then she noticed a faint, aching sting on her hand—the exact spot where she had been wounded in the dream. And the most astonishing thing of all: the chest of her white dress was still damp, as if she had truly just soothed a crying infant with her own milk.
Ayra turned toward the window, staring at the mist-covered forest in the distance, and whispered,
"So… even if Sunlight was lost, has she been living inside me all this time?"
When Ayra fully opened her eyes again, the mysterious darkness and haze were gone. The house looked completely normal—just as Nexus Fortress had once looked a hundred years ago. Golden morning sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon her face.
She raised her hand before the mirror—and froze in disbelief. Her hair was no longer black. It was silky, radiant gold. Her eyes were deep ocean blue. Ayra was no longer merely Ayra—she had fully returned as Sunlight.
Beside her lay the five-month-old enchanted child, sleeping peacefully. At that moment, the door burst open. A group of maids rushed in, dressed in ancient royal attire. When they saw their beloved queen restored—golden hair, blue eyes—their own eyes filled with tears of joy.
They bowed deeply and cried out together,
"Queen! Our Queen Mother has returned! Queen! Queen!"
The news spread through the palace like wildfire. Bells rang in unison. Sunlight (Ayra) gently placed her hand on the child's body. She understood then—the wall between dream and reality had shattered. She was no longer an ordinary girl. She was the sovereign of this empire.
From outside, King Hridoy's voice could be heard. He was coming to welcome his Queen and his Prince. A hundred years of waiting and curse dissolved, and a new dawn rose over Nexus Fortress.
Sunlight smiled softly and thought,
"I was never lost, Hridoy. I was only waiting for the right moment."
Yet Ayra—Sunlight—sat frozen on the royal bed. The transformation around her had unleashed a storm within her mind. She clutched her golden hair again and again, murmuring,
"What is happening to me? I'm Ayra… I was just with my mother! Why are these maids calling me 'Queen'?"
When she looked at the blue locket around her neck, she saw it was no longer a locket—it had become a massive blue gemstone necklace, the Nexus Necklace, pulsing against her chest. Panic gripped her. She felt trapped inside a living story.
She looked at the sleeping baby beside her. The child was still magical, but no longer a shadow—it was flesh and blood. Ayra couldn't understand why her physical condition—the problem with her body—had vanished, even though moments ago in the dream she had been nursing the child.
When the maids knelt to place royal sandals on her feet, Ayra pulled her legs away and cried out,
"Stop! Who are you people? Don't call me Queen! I'm Ayra—where is my mother?"
The maids exchanged gentle smiles. The head maid—who looked remarkably like Ena—spoke softly,
"Your Majesty, perhaps you endured a long nightmare. When you and the King vanished a hundred years ago, time itself stopped. Today, when the last blood of your lineage (Ayra) and your soul (Sunlight) reunited and stepped into this fortress, the world began to move again. You are Ayra… and you are also Sunlight."
Ayra pressed her hand to her forehead as a sharp headache struck. Suddenly, memories from a century ago flashed through her mind—the fire, the vampire-like wings, and Arabina's scream.
Unsteady, she walked to the window. Outside, thousands of people stood cheering her name. At that moment, King Hridoy appeared in the doorway, dressed in golden royal attire. Locking eyes with Ayra (Sunlight), he said slowly,
"Do not be afraid, my beloved. Time played with us, but love brought us back together. Ayra was your identity in this lifetime—but Sunlight is your eternal self. There is no more fear now."
Standing before the mirror, Ayra stared into her blue eyes. She could no longer tell whether she would return to being Ayra—or whether the life of the golden-haired Queen was now her destiny.