26. Side Effects

Before leaving the cave, Cithara took the enchanted candle—the fragile, flickering flame that bound Lucian’s youth to its light—and hid it deep within her chambers. She protected it as though it were a treasure, shielding it from the wind, from water, from anything that could extinguish its glow. She told herself it was simply to fulfill her duty, but her heart knew otherwise. Lucian, now restored to his youth and overflowing with a newfound arrogance, wasted no time. He went straight to Marianne, the girl who had once shattered his pride with her rejection. When she opened the door and saw him—this breathtaking version of the man she once dismissed—her mouth fell open, her words failing her. “It is me,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, “your Lucian.” Her hands trembled as she reached for his face, her disbelief turning to wonder. “Lucian…” she whispered, her voice a prayer. “You’ve done so much… for me. I— I will marry you now!” And so, without hesitation or second thought, they wed