Jack POV :
Memory is a strange thing. For a month, I was just Jack. I was happy. I was a husband. But the moment we stepped into the Great Hall for the Grand Unity Party, the air felt different. It felt heavy, salty, and cold.
The party was a sea of masks and glitter. The nobility of all worlds had gathered because the High King of Sea World—my father, though I didn't know it yet—was searching for his lost son, Leo.
"Look at them, Lily," I whispered, holding her hand tightly. "They all look so... desperate."
"They're looking for a ghost," Lily replied, her rose-pink cheeks flushed with excitement.
Then, I saw him. A man with a sharp, cruel face and eyes that mirrored mine, but without the warmth. He was surrounded by a crowd, holding a glass of dark wine. Beside him was a woman named Rosy, who looked like she had been carved out of ice.
"That's Lukas," someone whispered nearby. "The younger prince of Sea World. He says if his brother Leo isn't found in two months, the crown is his."
Lukas turned, and his gaze fell on Lily. It wasn't a look of admiration; it was a look of possession. He stopped mid-sentence, his glass trembling in his hand. He walked toward us, ignoring everyone else.
"You," Lukas breathed, staring at my wife. "I have never seen such beauty in all the realms."
Rosy's face contorted with a jealousy so sharp it was physical. Before anyone could react, she lunged forward, shoving Lily hard. My wife hit the marble floor with a cry of pain.
The "Jack" inside me vanished. A cold, tidal fury rose in my chest. I didn't think; I acted. I stepped forward and delivered a sharp slap across Rosy's face. "Keep your hands off my wife," I snarled.
Lukas's face went from pale to ghostly white. He didn't look at Rosy. He looked at me—really looked at me. "That stance... that voice..." he whispered. "Leo?"
The name hit me like a wave. Leo. The room began to spin. Lukas's shock turned instantly into a terrifying rage. He reached out and slapped me back, a blow fueled by years of resentment. "How dare you slap my wife!" he roared, though his eyes screamed something else: Why are you still alive?