Ceres stared at the gown in Delphine's hands.
"Lord Caelum, I mean, Zeus, asked that you wear this for tonight's banquet, Your Highness," Delphine said gently.
Today marked Ceres' second anniversary in Solmara. And, as expected, Zeus had proposed a banquet in her honor. She wasn't even surprised anymore, he had used nearly every excuse imaginable over the year just to host a celebration for her.
But the moment her gaze landed on the gown's design, her eyes welled with tears.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Delphine asked, carefully setting the silver gown atop the bed before moving to Ceres's side, wiping the tears from her cheeks with delicate concern.
Ceres looked at her, and instantly, she knew Delphine had no idea of the banquet's true purpose. It made sense. Zeus must have wanted to keep the surprise intact. And Ceres knew Delphine well, so well that even the slightest twitch of her fingers would give away a lie.
Just like she always knew the secret Delphine tried so hard to bury… Her feelings for Zeus.
Ceres had never confronted her about it. She understood. Who wouldn't fall for Zeus? And in truth, she was grateful. Delphine had always honored the boundaries of her relationship with him, never overstepping.
But deep down, Ceres hoped Delphine would one day find a love she wouldn't have to hide. Someone who would see her, choose her, and love her. Because Delphine, fierce, loyal, kind Delphine, deserved nothing less. And honestly, Ceres had always suspected that Cecilion, who remained as one of Delphine's Saintess Knights even after becoming a Holy Beast Master, loved her deeply. Hopefully Delphine would come to see that, too.
"I just remembered an identical dress I once wore on Earth," Ceres said with a soft smile. "Help me get dressed?"
Moments later, Ceres stood at the entrance of the Black Tower garden.
Tears prickled her eyes again.
The entire venue was an exact replica of the Aurora Vineyard, the place where Zeus had once proposed to her in their past life. Every detail had been recreated. The lanterns, the flower arrangements, even the music softly playing in the background, it was all the same.
Tuf stepped forward first, handing her a bouquet made of Solmara's version of Juliet roses.
Then came Neko, offering her a bundle of books tied together with ribbon, titles she loved.
Nugget approached next, slipping a delicate wristwatch onto her wrist.
And finally, Peanut gave her a heart-shaped locket. When she opened it, inside was a photo of her and Zeus.
The guests around her watched silently as she struggled to hold back her tears. Everyone important to her was here, even Aurelian, jaw tight but eyes no longer hostile, as if finally beginning to accept the truth, she would never be his.
The other five Holy Beast Masters were present, along with Captain Hugo's crew, Celion, the Knight Commanders, the Aquilonis magicians, the clergy of the Holy Church, even the orphans she had helped.
The commoners of Aquilonis had sent their representatives too. Tuf had told her earlier that the celebration was being broadcast live in Aquilonis's Times Square, and that the citizens were holding a simultaneous party.
The Narfs were there as well, Queen Azura and Prince Azul at the front of their delegation.
She glanced around for Luna, Pixie, Seiryu, and Comet, but didn't see them. Perhaps they were still preparing for the ceremony.
Lilucé was nestled safely in Delphine's arms, standing beside Legion and the Saintess Knights.
And as expected, Zeus was still nowhere to be found.
Of course.
Because in their past life, he had also been the last to arrive.
Back then, he appeared with Caspian at his side.
Ceres's breath hitched.
In their previous life, right after she received a necklace from Gideon, identical to the one Peanut had just handed her, Zeus's parents had stepped forward and entrusted her with the Falcon family's heirloom bracelet.
And now, standing here with that familiar locket in her hand and the garden dressed in memories, she couldn't help but wish,
If only their parents were here.
If only Alpha and the others were here too… then this moment would be perfect.
"Mama!"
Pixie's cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Ceres's eyes widened.
Because Pixie wasn't walking toward her across the garden.
No. She was being carried.
By no other than Romos Monteverde, her father from Earth.
And walking beside him, radiant and regal, her hand gently resting in Alpha's arm, was Cielo Monteverde.
Ceres blinked, disoriented. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, Mother," Tuf answered softly behind her. "You're not dreaming. Alpha and the others… they're back."
Before she could even process the words, Ceres was running, heart racing, dress trailing, as tears blurred her vision.
"Sweetheart," her parents called out in unison as she threw herself into their arms.
"Mommy… Daddy…" she choked through her sobs. "How? How are you here?"
Cielo cupped her face, gently wiping her tears with the soft pads of her thumbs.
"It's a long story, sweetheart," she said, voice warm and trembling. "And I believe now's not the time to tell it."
Cielo glanced behind them.
There, approaching across the garden, was Orso, and with him, Milo and Vivi, all alive. All real.
"Mother," Vivi said with a teary smile, before hugging her tightly. "We're back."
A delicate cough from behind them made Ceres turn.
Luna stood just a few paces away, nodding toward the direction behind her.
Ceres turned around, her brows furrowed, and froze.
Walking toward her now was Zeus. And not alone.
Flanking him were two figures she thought they might never see again, Angelina and Jupiter Falcon. His parents.
They walked calmly, smiles on their lips, eyes full of meaning.
"Love?" Ceres whispered, still reeling. "How…?"
"Evadne will explain later," Zeus said gently, eyes locked on hers. "I promise."
At the sound of her sister's name, Ceres immediately looked around, searching.
"She could not come here, Mother," Alpha said beside her. "But you will be able to talk to her later."
"Alpha is right, Ceres," said Angelina, stepping forward. "But for now, I believe the most important thing in this moment, " she gave Zeus a dry look, "is the question our idiot son needs to ask."
With that, she took her husband's hand, and together with the rest, they stepped aside, leaving Ceres and Zeus in the center of the garden once more.
The same center where, in another life, beneath another sky… it all began.
And now it began again.
Zeus slowly lowered himself to one knee.
He opened a velvet box, and inside were two rings. One was her engagement ring from Earth, the other was the ring she had once secretly commissioned for him. Both preserved. Waiting.
Ceres gasped, one hand covering her mouth, the other trembling.
Zeus looked up at her, eyes unwavering.
"I have lost you once," he began, voice deep and steady, yet thick with emotion, "and I lived through lifetimes aching with that absence. I waited, not for days, nor years, but for centuries, holding on to hope that the echo of your soul would one day find mine again.
And now, in this new world… in this new life… here you stand, familiar, and reborn.
The life we were meant to live before… I wish to continue it now. Without pause. Without fear. Without end.
My love for you has never faltered. Not in the silence of time, not in the cruelty of fate. Even if it had taken me an eternity more… I would have waited still.
But the universe, in its rare mercy, has returned you to me."
He paused then, eyes glistening as he lifted the box toward her.
"So I ask you, once more, as I did long ago beneath a different sky…
Ceres Evadne Monteverde…
Will you spend an eternity… and a day with me?"
But unlike before, where she whispered her answer only for Zeus to hear, this time, Ceres nodded, and her voice rang out clearly for all.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she cried, over and over, tears cascading down her cheeks as she bent down and kissed Zeus full on the lips.
The crowd erupted in joy, soft laughter, teary smiles, and applause echoing around the garden. Especially among those who knew how much this moment meant, not just a continuation, but a rebirth of a love that had spanned worlds, lifetimes, and tragedies.
Zeus stood, his hands trembling slightly as he slipped her engagement ring onto her finger, the same ring that had once symbolized a love they never got to fulfill. And finally, Ceres took the second ring, the one she had designed for Zeus long ago, and slid it onto his hand, sealing the promise once broken.
And then, fireworks burst into the sky, accompanied by a cascade of meteor showers, an ethereal display conjured through Alpha's rune magic.
The garden filled with warmth, laughter, and conversations. People gathered to celebrate, not just an engagement, but a reunion of soulmates.
"Empress."
The familiar voice made her turn.
Aurelian. His lips carried a bittersweet smile as he stepped forward, gathering the courage to approach her.
"Duke," Ceres acknowledged softly.
It had been so long since they last truly spoke, close, alone, face-to-face. She had kept her distance, not because she didn't care, but because she knew how much it hurt him to see her belong to someone else. Still, Aurelian remained important to her. She could never give him her heart, but he had a place in it all the same.
"Congratulations," he said quietly, handing her a velvet box.
Inside it was a delicate lily flower brooch.
Ceres smiled warmly, touched deeply. She reached forward and wrapped her arms around him without a word.
"Thank you," she whispered, not just for the gift, but for the silent acceptance it symbolized.
The lily was a message.
It meant he would always be there, quietly, even if not by her side.
"I wish you happiness, Empress. Always and forever," Aurelian murmured and placed a soft kiss on her temple, a final, tender act of the longing he could no longer carry.
"And I wish you the same, Duke." Her gaze shimmered with joy and peace.
Aurelian nodded, bowed, and slowly turned away. He walked toward Naelira, who had been quietly waiting for him in the distance. The woman bowed to Ceres in turn, dignified and graceful.
Then a familiar warmth returned to her side.
"Love," Zeus said, gently taking her hand.
He had kept his distance while Aurelian approached, respectful of their moment, understanding what it meant.
Now, he guided her away from the guests. Together, they strolled slowly toward the elevator that would take them up into the Portrait Hall.
"What are we doing here, love?" she asked, walking beside him.
Zeus didn't answer immediately. He only smiled.
When they reached the only door at the end of the floor, Zeus raised his hand, and a soft glow of energy unlocked it.
"Only our family can open this door, from the inside and out," he told her.
Inside was a simple yet solemn chamber. In the center stood a single chair. And on the wall… a large, wide mirror, beautiful and strange.
Zeus led her to it and turned her to face the glass.
"Put your hand on the mirror," he said gently. "And pour your magic into it."
Ceres frowned, puzzled.
Still, she obeyed. Her hand touched the surface, her magic quietly flowing into it.
"Take your time, love," Zeus added softly behind her.
Her brows furrowed, but before she could ask anything, the mirror rippled, like water catching light.
It shifted and shimmered, then began to pull her in, surrounding her in silvery-blue waves of light.
The room melted away.
"Big Sis!"
Ceres gasped, her heart skipping a beat at the familiar voice, soft yet powerful, laced with emotions she hadn't heard in what felt like lifetimes. And then, before she could even blink, warm arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace.
"Vee…" she whispered, breath catching as tears filled her eyes. She clung tightly to the girl, no, the woman, who held her now.
When she finally pulled back, her gaze swept over Evadne, blinking as if she had conjured a ghost.
But Evadne was no ghost. She stood before her, real, radiant, older. Gone was the eighteen-year-old girl from their first reunion in Solmara. In her place was someone who now shimmered with a quiet, ethereal strength. Her presence was undeniable. Celestial.
"Vee… it's really you," Ceres choked out.
Evadne nodded, equally overwhelmed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they hugged again, fiercely, with the kind of grip only two souls who had lost each other could give.
"You're okay," Ceres wept. "Thank God, you're okay."
"Yes, Big Sis," Evadne replied softly, brushing away Ceres's tears with a tender smile. "I'm more than okay."
Ceres pulled away slightly, still trying to gather her bearings. "Where are we?"
With a small smile, Evadne took her hand and gently led her toward the veranda.
"Earth," she said. "Aurivale Building. This was Zeus's penthouse."
Ceres's eyes widened as she stepped into the night air. The view sprawled before her, city lights like fallen stars, the cool wind brushing her skin, the same familiar skyline she once thought she'd never see again.
"This is real?" she whispered.
Evadne nodded. "The mirror, it's my own portal. From Earth to Solmara and back. I made a deal with Lucy. Told him he owed me for helping bring Lilith back. So he allowed me to create a portal that only someone carrying both your and Zeus's bloodline magic could activate."
"But… there's a catch, isn't there?" Ceres asked.
A soft sigh escaped Evadne's lips.
They sat down together at the coffee table outside, moonlight casting silver shadows between them.
"I can't step foot in Solmara," Evadne said. "Not anymore. I'm sure you've figured it out by now."
Ceres nodded slowly. "You're… Seraphadneel. The forgotten Archangel."
"Yeah." Evadne chuckled, brushing back her hair. "Who would've thought, right?"
Ceres laughed softly, still overwhelmed. "So… what now?"
"Oh, you won't believe it," Evadne said, her grin growing. "I had a debate with God."
Ceres blinked. "What."
"And I won."
That made Ceres burst out laughing.
"But," Evadne went on, raising a finger, "He was a total spoil sport about it. Couldn't accept that I had a point. So, guess what He said?"
Ceres shook her head, still chuckling.
"He said, and I quote, 'Technically, I'm still your parent. And children shouldn't backtalk their parents.'" Evadne rolled her eyes. "So He punished me. Banished me to Earth. Said since Miky is handling Heaven and Lucy's got Hell, it's only fair I manage Earth."
Ceres couldn't breathe from laughter. "You gave pet names to Archangel Michael and Lucifer?!"
Evadne winked.
"I told Him I'd rather switch with Lucy. Said I'd run Hell better," Evadne smirked. "He refused. So I compromised. Told Him I'll do my best, but He better not expect miracles. I promised not to end the world. That's already my biggest achievement."
Ceres doubled over in laughter again.
And just like she had once promised in the quiet dark, when she was alone and missing her sister, Ceres shared her stories. And Evadne shared hers.
They talked all night.
At one point, Casadin and Hades joined them. Their presence was quiet but grounding, like two pillars in Evadne's new celestial life. They stayed for a while, offered teasing remarks and meaningful glances, then left with knowing smiles, allowing the sisters to have the rest of the night alone.
The hours passed in laughter, tears, stories, and silence.
The sisters kept talking.
Long after the sky began to shift into early dawn.
And as the first golden streaks of sunlight brushed the city skyline, they sat in peaceful silence, side by side, watching the world wake up.
A new beginning, for both of them.
Neither said it aloud, but they felt it in their bones.
That the happily ever after they thought was lost…
Had been waiting for them in each other's light, all along.