After regaining some clarity, Mevis carefully explained the story of her spiritual journey to this timeline and the grim events of the future to Leon once more. She spoke of the decades spent in Shadow's service, the constant vigilance, and the lonely burden of her secret mission.
When she finished, Leon fell into a heavy silence.
He sat at the edge of the bed, holding the glass of water Mevis had handed him. He stared down at the still surface, which reflected his own face—scarred, pale, and etched with the fatigue of his ordeal. But in that quiet moment, he wasn't seeing his own struggles. He was picturing his mother's—the relentless years of sacrifice, the isolation, the sheer mental fortitude it must have taken to maintain her cover for nearly three decades, all for him. A profound, aching gratitude and sorrow welled up within him, so potent it stole his words.
"Leon..."
Rossweise's voice was soft as she finally stepped forward, her presence a calming balm.
He looked up, meeting her silver eyes. "Rossweise, I'm sorry for worrying you," he said, his voice thick with emotion that went far beyond his recent unconsciousness.
"As long as you're okay," she replied, her tone leaving no room for apology. "That's all that matters."
"Hmm..."
Leon pressed his lips together, a familiar, playful glint returning to his eyes as he searched for something to lighten the solemn mood. 'Throw a bit of 'dog food' around to clear the room and have some alone time with my wife,' he thought to himself, a classic Leon maneuver.
But just as he opened his mouth, Rossweise cut him off with a knowing, mischievous smirk.
"Now that you're awake," she began, her voice laced with faux sweetness, "let's talk about the 3,000 times you called my name while you were unconscious."
"Nani?!" Leon's jaw dropped, the romantic line he'd been formulating utterly forgotten.
"Three thousand times, Leon~" she teased, mimicking a sleep-talking murmur. "Rossweise~ Rossweise~"
Leon's face fell into a mask of comical despair. 😥
"Help! The boomerang of embarrassment is coming too fast, like a whirlwind!" he cried out, dramatically throwing an arm over his forehead.
"I'm not talking about this! No way!"
"Come on, let's talk about it," Rossweise insisted, her smile widening.
"No!"
While the two bickered playfully, a fond, long-suffering look on his face, Constantine quietly picked up Hefei and made a strategic retreat from the room.
Marriage is terrifying, the Crimson Flame Dragon King thought to himself as he beat a hasty retreat, his daughter giggling in his arms.
Meanwhile, Isha sat cross-legged on a nearby cushion, resting her chin in her hand with a full-blown "auntie smile" as she watched her sister and brother-in-law's familiar banter.
Noah walked up to her and asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes, "Auntie, did Dad really call Mom's name 3,000 times?"
Isha picked her up, placing her on her lap, and replied with a chuckle, "He did call your mom's name quite a lot, little one, but whether it was exactly 3,000 times... Auntie doesn't know. I lost count after the first five hundred."
"Then how does Mom know?" Noah pressed, her logical mind seeking an answer.
"Because—" Mevis joined them, sitting gracefully beside Isha. Her voice was soft but carried a depth of understanding. "Someone who loves you will remember every word you say, even the ones you utter in the depths of sleep. Some people might casually remember the times you mentioned others in your dreams, maybe dozens or hundreds of times, just for fun. But to remember 3,000 repetitions? That isn't just memory. That's love, that's care, that's seeing you as their everything."
Leon had called Rossweise's name 3,000 times in his fevered state, and she, seated vigilantly by his side, had remembered every single one, not as a number, but as a testament to his devotion.
As the warm, golden light of the evening sun poured in through the windows, casting long, peaceful shadows across the Silver Dragon Temple, the room was filled with a palpable, comforting warmth. The Melkvey family, against all odds and after facing world-ending threats, had found their hard-won peace—together.
The next day, the group bid farewell to the Tower Master and the other Dragon Kings, preparing to return to the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.
Before departing, Mevis suddenly suggested that she and Noah head back ahead of the others.
Leon blinked, stepping forward. "Wait—why are you and Noah going first?"
Mevis glanced at him with a faint, unreadable smile. "To prepare."
"Go back first... to prepare?" Leon repeated, his brow furrowing.
"Mm-hmm." Mevis didn't elaborate. Instead, she transformed into her magnificent black dragon form, lowered her body, and let Noah climb onto her back.
Leon's confusion only grew. "Prepare what?" he pressed, a vague sense of foreboding stirring within him.
"You'll find out tonight when you and Mom return~" Noah called down, her voice cheerful yet carrying a note of finality.
With that, Mevis beat her powerful dragon wings and soared into the sky. "We'll be waiting for you at home!" Noah's voice trailed after them.
As the black dragon's silhouette grew smaller and eventually disappeared into the horizon, Leon and Rossweise were left standing in a puzzled silence.
"Do you think they're preparing a surprise welcome for us?" Rossweise asked, trying to inject a note of lightness into the air.
Leon frowned, his mind working. He thought of Mevis's completed mission, her weary spirit, and the way she had looked at him—a look full of love, but also of resolution and goodbye. His stomach tightened. "I don't think it's a surprise," he said slowly, the pieces clicking into place with a heavy, sinking feeling.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Suddenly—their eyes met, the same devastating realization crashing over them both at once.
"What?!" they exclaimed in unison, the word laden not with confusion, but with the sharp, painful understanding that a farewell, not a celebration, awaited them at home.