"Not a chance," replied Julia as soon as they called her, even before they suggested that they end their vacation. "Have so faith in the guild you created. Dragonir isn't enough to endanger us."
"Alright, I understand. But what makes you wear sothing this fancy?" asked Arthur with a frown as he stared at the screen. "You look like you are going on a date. Is there a eting or…?"
"I have to go now!" blurted Julia as she got flustered. Arthur was surprised as he saw her end their video call. He exchanged a worried glance with Diana, before they decided to call soone else. Oriole answered after the second ring, and his face appeared too close to the phone.
"Arthur! Is this your new phone? What happened to your old number?" asked Oriole as his ear got glued to the screen.
"Oriole, this is a video call. You don't have to put the phone over your ear," muttered Arthur with confusion. "Have you never had a video call before?"
"I did, with runes," said Oriole as he followed his instruction. "I was never allowed to have a phone, so I'm not great with technology. Is this good?"
Arthur laughed as Diana snickered. Then, the two asked him about Julia, and he began filling them with the details with excitent. The two of them stared wide-eyed as Oriole told them about everything happening between Julia and Li.
Before they could get more details other than their upcoming date, Julia caught Oriole talking to them. The clumsy runemaster placed the phone into his pocket without closing the call, and they heard him get reprimanded.
After that, the line got disconnected when Julia found his phone. Oriole snatched it and smashed the phone to the wall, ending its life. Arthur was stunned speechless as he stared at the lost signal sign from the call before it ended.
"…what the hell is happening outside?"
"It seems they are fine," said Diana with a smile. "We have a few more days in our vacation. How about we visit the Starry Paradise today? It's the last one on the list."
"Alright," muttered Arthur as he placed his phone into his pocket. "How about we go back for a quick shower before heading out?"
Diana agreed, and they returned to their suite. Arthur was sitting outside while Diana showered, staring at the small black box that Benjamin has given him. He didn't think that he would get engaged so young.
Arthur found it funny that he wanted to overthrow every governnt in the world, but still got hung up on the idea of marriage. But he had no hesitation about this whatsoever. Diana was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In the end, he had to stand on the balcony to think.
Arthur stood outside their suite, the evening breeze playing with his hair as he clutched the small black box in his hand. The weight of the mont pressed against his chest, a mix of excitent and fear. His mind swirled with thoughts—how would he do it? What if she thought it was too soon? The doubts gnawed at him, but he couldn't back down now. Not when everything in his heart pointed to this mont.
The sound of water ceased, and a few monts later, Diana erged from the bathroom, her hair wet and glistening like strands of moonlight. She was humming softly, a tune that Arthur had heard her hum countless tis before, and it never failed to soothe him. She caught his gaze and smiled, a look of pure contentnt on her face.
"Ready?" she asked, her voice light and filled with that unmistakable joy that always seed to surround her.
Arthur nodded, slipping the box into his pocket. "Ready," he replied, though the word felt heavy on his tongue. He knew what was coming, and the anticipation was nearly overwhelming.
They left the hotel after Arthur took a shower too, and wore his best clothes. Although simple, they highlighted his muscles and towering figure.
The path to Starry Paradise was lined with lanterns, their soft glow casting long shadows over the flowers and trees. It felt like a different world, a place where the rules of ti and reality didn't quite apply. Arthur found himself stealing glances at Diana, marveling at how she seed to fit perfectly into this world of dreams and possibilities.
When they reached the edge of the forest, they paused. Starry Paradise lood before them, its towering trees stretching toward the sky, their leaves shimring as if dusted with starlight. The stories spoke of this place as one where wishes ca true, where dreams were fulfilled just by stepping inside. But as they crossed the threshold and entered the forest, nothing seed to change.
They walked in silence, the crunch of leaves underfoot the only sound accompanying them. Arthur waited for the magic to happen—for the forest to reveal their deepest desires. But the trees remained the sa, the air still and quiet. He glanced at Diana, expecting to see confusion or disappointnt, but instead, she looked calm, her expression peaceful.
"Do you feel anything?" she asked softly, her voice a whisper that seed to blend with the gentle rustle of the leaves.
Arthur shook his head, trying to understand. "No… nothing. Maybe we need to go deeper."
They ventured further into the forest, the path growing narrower as the trees thickened around them. Still, the world remained unchanged. But as they walked, Arthur began to notice sothing—sothing he hadn't realized until now. The way Diana's hand felt in his, the warmth of her touch, the steadiness of her presence—it was enough.
It dawned on him like a revelation, the kind that hits you when you least expect it. His deepest wish wasn't sothing the forest could give him, because he already had it. It was her, just her, being here with him, walking beside him, sharing these monts.
They stepped into a clearing, and Arthur's breath caught in his throat. Above them, the sky opened up, revealing a canvas of stars, brighter and more nurous than he had ever seen. The galaxy stretched out before them, a sea of light in the inky darkness. It was breathtaking, overwhelming in its beauty.
Diana stopped, her eyes wide as she took in the sight. "Arthur… it's beautiful," she murmured, her voice filled with awe.
Arthur swallowed, his heart pounding. "Yeah… it is," he replied, though he wasn't sure if he was talking about the stars or her. The mont felt perfect, like everything had led to this one point in ti.
He turned to her, his hand tightening around hers. "Diana… I think I've found my dream."
She looked at him, her eyes shimring in the starlight, and she understood. He could see it in the way her expression softened, the way her lips curved into that smile that always took his breath away. "So have I," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.
As if on cue, snow began to fall, the flakes drifting down like tiny stars themselves. Arthur felt a surge of emotion, and before he could think, he drew on his spiritual energy, the power flowing through him like a river. The world around them slowed, the snowflakes hanging in the air, suspended in ti.
Diana realized felt his spiritual energy and looked at him in confusion. Unlike before, it was soothing and soft as it seized the world, ti itself, and froze that mont. The world around stopped moving, like a perfect image that no one could disturb.
Diana gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around at the frozen scene. Arthur took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the mont, and then, he dropped to one knee, his hand reaching into his pocket.
"Diana," he began, his voice low and filled with everything he felt. He opened the box, revealing the ring inside, a symbol of his love and commitnt. "Will you be mine? Not just for now, but for all the ti we have, for everything that cos after?"
For a mont, there was silence, the world around them holding its breath. And then, tears welled in Diana's eyes, and she knelt down beside him, her hands trembling as she reached for his face.
"After what happened between my father and mother, I believed myself destined to be alone without a family," her tears fell. "But then I found you. And I want you to be my only family now."
"Is that a yes?" he asked, teasing.
"In every lifeti and tiline," she nodded with a sob.
Arthur let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, his heart soaring as he slipped the ring onto her finger. The world resud its motion, the snowflakes falling once more, but it felt different now—like they were part of sothing larger, sothing eternal.
Then, he embraced her tightly. His heart no longer held room for wrath or creation. He was just a man, whose heart was overflowing with love to the woman before him: her softest touch, warm smile, and soothing scent.
In that mont, Arthur was happy. He did not think about the things he needs to do, or should have done. The past no longer mattered, because it led him to this mont where he could be with her. In the back of his mind, he resolved one thing: to give Diana the life she deserved.
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