Elizabeth’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in surprise, her lips parting as the memory washed over her.Her fingers tightened around mine, her body trembling as she whispered, “I remember.”A soft, broken laugh escaped her, mingling with a fresh tear that slipped down her cheek.
I smiled, my heart swelling as I remembered that night, the hope and love we had shared, the dreams we had dared to weave.“I never stopped thinking about it,” I confessed, my voice cracking as our daughter’s vision filled my mind.“I’ve dreamed of her… of us.I want her to have your gentleness… your quiet strength.I want her to be brave enough to defy the world if it means finding the truth.I want her to carry your light, to walk in this world unburdened by the shadows that haunted us.”
Elizabeth’s face crumpled, a sob breaking free as she clung to me, her fingers twisting in my shirt as if letting go would shatter her.Her forehead rested against mine, her breath warm and shaky, her tears falling like rain between us.“Oh, Amir… I dreamed of her too,” she whispered, her voice fractured with years of longing.“I dreamed of you… of us… of the life we were never allowed to have.”
My heart ached at the pain in her words, the shadows that clung to her even now.Gently, I cupped her face, my thumbs brushing away her tears, lingering on her soft skin, memorizing the feel of her.“Then let’s make that life,” I vowed, my voice fierce with determination.“Let’s make another baby.Let’s defy fate… together.”
Her breath caught, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears that she was no longer trying to hold back.Hope danced in her gaze, fragile and beautiful, a flicker of light breaking through the darkness.Her lips parted, the question tumbling out as if she were terrified to say it aloud, as if it might shatter the delicate hope between us.“Do you… Do you mean it?”
I pulled her closer, my hands trembling as I cradled her face, pressing my forehead to hers.“More than anything,” I breathed, my voice raw, vulnerable.“Yes, Elizabeth… I mean it.I want to give you that life… the life we were robbed of.And no one—no one—will raise our daughter except you and me.”
Her tears fell freely, her body trembling as she choked on a sob.I took her hand, raising it to my lips, pressing a tender kiss against her palm, feeling the rapid beat of her pulse beneath my touch.“Forgive me… for all the secrets, all the lies,” I whispered, my voice breaking.“Everything I did… every decision, every concealment… was to protect you.Even when it broke me to leave you.”
Her fingers tightened around mine, her eyes locked on me, her face searching mine for the truth behind my words.“You… you stayed away to protect me?”she choked, her voice trembling, a mixture of pain and understanding flooding her gaze.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my heart raw and exposed.“I thought I was doing the right thing… keeping you safe from Salvatore’s wrath.I thought… if I stayed away, you could live in peace.But I was wrong.I was a coward… too afraid to fight for us.Too afraid to lose you.”
Her lips trembled, her tears flowing in rivers, but her eyes were soft and forgiving as she cupped my face, her thumbs brushing away the tears I didn’t realize I was shedding.“Amir… you never lost me.Not then… not now… not ever.”
The relief that crashed over me was overwhelming, a tidal wave that left me gasping, my heart thundering in my chest.I pulled her into my arms, holding her close, feeling her warmth, heartbeat, and love.“I love you, Elizabeth,” I whispered, my voice shaking.“I love you more than time, fate, or any force in this world.I love you… And I’mneverletting you go again.”
A sob broke free, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in my chest, her arms wrapping around me as if she were afraid I would vanish.“I love you too… I always have,” she whispered, her words muffled against my shirt.“Even when you were gone… even when I thought you’d never come back… I loved you.”
I kissed her hair, temple, and cheeks, tasting her tears and feeling her smile against my lips.“Then let’s write our story… our own ending.Let’s bring our daughter into this world… let’s give her the love we’ve carried for so long.”
I kissed her then, pouring everything into that moment—love, pain, hope, and promise.And in that kiss, I sealed my vow.I was staying… for good.No more shadows, no more lies.Only truth, only us.
When we finally broke apart, our foreheads resting together, our breaths mingling, I brushed a strand of hair from her face and smiled.“I have something to show you.”
Her eyes widened, curiosity flickering beneath the shimmering tears.“Show me?”she echoed, a laugh breaking through her raw emotion, the sound light and soft.
I could feel the power of my blade humming within me, the energy of centuries coursing through my veins, ready to bridge the expanse of time.“Time travel,” I revealed, the words slipping from my lips with wonder.A chuckle escaped me, mingling with the crackling fire in the hearth.“I want to show you time itself.”
Elizabeth’s face softened, but doubt crept into her eyes, and her shoulders tensed.“I can’t possibly time travel, Amir,” she whispered, a tremor of worry lacing her voice.“That’s your gift…not mine.”
I took her hands, cradling them gently between mine, my thumbs stroking the delicate skin as if grounding us both.
“Yes, love… You have time traveled before,” I said softly.“But you don’t remember.”
Her eyes widened, confusion furrowing her brow, her lips parting in silent question.I held her gaze, supporting and tender.
“After the masquerade… when you went against Salvatore—reckless, fearless—and almost dying in my arms...”My voice broke, but I forced myself to go on.“I was desperate.Broken.And Lazarus...he saved you.He saved us.”
I exhaled slowly, the memory as damaging as broken glass.
“He took us both… and healed us.But in doing so, we traveled through time to Anatolia.”
Her mouth fell open, her breath catching, disbelief warring with intrigue.“Time travel… to Anatolia?”Her voice pitched high, a mixture of astonishment and fear shadowing her ice-blue eyes.“Truly?”
“Truly, my darling,” I vowed, my heart aching at the uncertainty in her gaze.“You were unconscious then, on the brink of death.You never saw the ancient city, walked the streets, or breathed the air.”
She swallowed, her hands trembling in mine.“You want to take me… through time?How is that possible?”she whispered.“I’m not a darkness… or a Timeborne.Or a Timebound.”
“You’re right,” I said softly.“You’re none of those things.But I am a darkness.And a shadow can take one person with them—just one—when they travel through time.”
I watched her eyes widen, watched the pieces start to fit together behind her silence.
“I want to take you to Ancient Rome… to see our sons.”Her lips parted, her eyes widening as she stared at me, stunned and breathless.“I want you to see the men they’ve become… to see the legacy of our love.”
