For a long while, Verona didn't speak.
Not because she didn't have words, in fact, she had too many, but because the world had gone quiet around her.
Her mind still reeled from the chaos, the tower's dust still clinging to her hair and clothes. Every breath she took came with the faint taste of ash and old stone. Elric's coat hung around her shoulders, heavy and warm, smelling faintly of fire and steel and something she couldn't quite name, comfort, maybe. Or home.
She couldn't believe it. After everything, he was here. Elric was real.
They had found each other
Her fingers brushed the edge of his sleeve as if to make sure.
Behind them, Liera and Zachren, walking close enough to guard but far enough to give her space. Verona dared a glance back.
He glanced at her once and she looked away quickly.
Liera walked beside her, face pale and drawn. There was something raw in her expression, worry, guilt, relief, all tangled together. She wanted to say something, Verona could tell, but she didn't. Maybe she couldn't.
The path to the main house felt longer than she remembered. Verona's legs ached. The wind picked up her tangled hair, brushing it across her face, and she tried not to think about how she must look, half-starved, bruised, draped in a coat that didn't belong to her. But when she glanced at Elric's back, steady and straight as always, she felt something warm in her chest.
He had been so gentle with her earlier, almost hesitant. His hands trembled slightly when he lifted her, as if afraid she might break apart. That memory lingered now, fragile and golden.
He shouldn't have come back for me, she thought. And yet, he did.
They reached the main hall just as the commotion spread. Servants scattered like startled birds, whispering, and in the grand foyer stood the Duke himself, followerd by her siblings.
Duke Vernhardt's eyes widened the moment he saw Elric, then fell sharply on Verona. For a fraction of a second, the mask slipped, pure shock. Then, just as quickly, he recovered.
"Well," the Duke said, voice smooth as oil. "It seems we've found what was lost."
Elric didn't flinch. "Found her? Strange. You say that as if you've been looking."
A faint murmur rippled through the room. Verona stood behind him, silent, watching the exchange unfold like a play she already knew the ending to.
Duke Vernhardt clasped his hands behind his back. "Where exactly did you find her?"
"In the forest," Elric replied easily. "Odd, isn't it? You'd think a father would've checked there himself."
Verona almost choked on her breath. That harsh tone was so him. She'd missed that too.
Her father's jaw tightened. "The forest, you say?"
"Unless," Elric added lightly, "she was hidden in a place cloaked by magic. Hiding spells, perhaps. Though…" He tilted his head, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Hidden seems to fit better, don't you think?"
The Duke's smile froze.
Behind him, Varos exchanged a glance with their eldest brother.
Verona's pulse quickened. So that's why Liera couldn't find me, she realized. They cloaked the tower. She couldn't see through the spell.
For the first time since escaping, gratitude washed through her, strange and sharp. If she hadn't taken the risk to break free, she might've died there.
"Such dangerous assumptions, Lord Elric," the Duke said coolly. "You speak as though my family would commit treachery against one of our own."
Elric's eyes sharpened. "Wouldn't be the first time, would it?"
The Duke sighed theatrically. "Regardless, the matter is resolved. My daughter has always been… impulsive. I take full responsibility. Rest assured, I'll discipline her properly."
He stepped forward, just a single step, and reached out his hand.
Elric's arm shot out, blocking him.
"Try," Elric said softly, "to lay a finger on her again, and I'll turn this entire estate into ash before you blink."
The room went still with her father's expression faltered, just slightly.
"Duke Elric," he began, "surely-"
"No," Elric interrupted, sharp this time. "I'm done listening to your lies. I'm taking her with me. Now."
The Duke's lips curved, though his eyes darkened. "You think you can waltz in here and-"
A metallic sound cut him off.
Elric had drawn his sword. The firelight reflected along its edge, painting the marble floor in gold.
"Stop me," Elric challenged him.
Brion moved instinctively, but Zachren's blade flashed out, blocking him.
"I'd stay still if I were you," Zachren muttered, voice low, bored even. "It's been a long day though I could really use the practice."
The brother froze.
Verona couldn't breathe. The entire room felt like it was holding itself together by threads.
Then Elric turned to her. The heat in his eyes softened, replaced by something unbearably gentle.
"Let's go, Verona" he said.
Her throat tightened, but she nodded. "Okay."
She took one step then froze.
A flash of orange flickered in the corner of her eye. Fire darted toward Elric's back.
"Elric!"
Instinct took over. Her hands flew up before she even thought. Water burst from her palms, sharp and cool, spiraling through the air. It hit the fire in a hiss and a cloud of steam, extinguishing it in seconds.
The hall filled with stunned silence.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then the Duke whisper with a shock. "How…"
Varos stared at her as if seeing a ghost. "Since when?"
Liera's hand flew to her mouth. Shock, yes, but beneath it, a spark of joy.
Verona lowered her arms slowly. Her skin still glowed faintly blue where the water had passed. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
She looked at them one by one and something inside her shifted.
"I'm done pretending to belong to this family."
Varos flinched. "Verona..."
"No," she snapped. "Don't say my name. You don't have that right anymore."
The Duke's hand twitched, anger flashing across his face.
Verona smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I cut my ties to the Vernhardts from now on. And if you ever try to hurt him again..."
Her gaze slid to Elric, then back to her father. The air grew cold, heavy with unspoken power. "let's just say you won't live to regret it. I promise you, whatever you've done to others before, it'll look merciful compared to what I'll do."
The Duke's color drained. Even her siblings stepped back, unsure if she meant it.
Elric hadn't moved, but his eyes never left her. There was pride there, yes, but something else too. Worry.
Verona turned to him at last, exhaling softly. The tension in her shoulders eased, just slightly.
"Let's go," she repeated, quieter this time.
He nodded once, slid his sword back into its sheath, and reached for her hand. She didn't hesitate.
As they walked toward the doors, the silence behind them broke, faint murmurs, uneasy shifting, the sound of a man realizing he had just lost control over something he'd never truly owned.
At the threshold, Verona paused and looked back.
Her father stood frozen, his expression was a mixed of anger and something close to fear. Her siblings avoided her gaze. Only Liera met her eyes, tears glinting.
Verona gave her a small, bittersweet smile, a silent promise that things were not over, not really.
Then she turned her attention back to the Duke.
"Don't be that worry, Duke Vernhardt. I'll definitely settle the scores with you."