Chapter 263: Returned from the Void
[Lavinia’s POV — The Void]
I reached out, desperate. "Mama—wait, what do you—"
"LAVINIA!!!"
Papa’s voice cracked through the void like a thunderclap, reverberating in every corner of my chest.
I looked at Mama, and she smiled gently, brushing my hair back. "It’s time... you go back, my child. The world still needs its dawn."
And then I heard it again. "Lavinia..."
I looked forward. There he was, running toward me. The Emperor. My father. And when our eyes met, he froze. For the first time, I saw him not as a tyrant, not as a ruler, but as a man... trembling, tears filled in his eyes.
"Papa..." I whispered.
He didn’t answer. He just pulled me into a crushing hug. "My child... my daughter... are you okay?"
Am I?
I didn’t know. But I knew one thing—I couldn’t hate my Papa. No matter what...I love him and will always love him.
I hugged him back tightly. "Papa... you’re a terrible person. You’re a Liar."
He patted my back with solemn indulgence. "Yes... yes. I am. I am a terrible person... You can punish me as you like, my child. But... do not leave my side."
We clung to each other like it was both the first and last time. He gently wiped my tears. "Everything is fine... my child. As long as I am here, everything is fine."
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. His gaze then fell on Mama.
He blinked. She smiled. He frowned. She smiled wider.
"...So," Papa said cautiously, teeth clenched, "you’re the one who trapped my daughter here?"
. . .
Mama’s smile faded into a flat, deadly calm. "Ah... I see. You’re still an idiot tyrant."
Silence. Deep silence that even the void seemed to shiver. A silence heavy enough to make shadows pause.
Papa ground his teeth. "You... you... how dare you insult an imperial!"
She scoffed, tilting her head. "People were right. Truth hurts. I have seen this personally now."
He faltered. She smirked.
"Thanks to me, my child got my brain," she said lightly, "or else this empire would have drowned in blood and rage by now."
Papa’s eyes narrowed. "She’s my child, not yours."
Mama’s gaze glittered. "...And I am the one who gave birth to her. So... where’s the thank you?"
Papa opened his mouth, closed it, blinked, and looked utterly dumbfounded.
And me? I just stood there, an innocent child caught between two impossible forces.
Mama looked around the void, her expression softening slightly. "It’s time... go back. Before it shrinks."
My heart clenched. Even for a fleeting moment, I had spent time with the woman who had birthed me. I stepped forward, voice trembling. "Will you... come to see me again, Mama?"
She smiled, stepping closer. Her hand brushed my cheek, and she pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I hope... in the next life, I get to raise you, my child."
She gave me a gentle push. "And tell my father... that I loved him, and not to feel guilty. Got it?"
And then the void began to shrink, the threads of light curling around us like a final embrace. Papa gripped my hand tightly.
Mama’s voice echoed faintly as we fell into the light: "Remember, my child... live, laugh, and... make sure that you forgive your love!"
And just like that, the world around us collapsed, leaving only warmth, light, and the bond between a father and his daughter.
***
[Osric’s POV — Imperial Chamber]
Two days.
Two days without a sound. Without a blink. Without even the smallest sign of life from either Emperor Cassius or Lavinia.
And we... we hadn’t moved either. Not a single step. Not a single word. The room was a frozen tableau of worry, exhaustion, and fear.
Sera, Marshi, Solena... even the elves stood like statues, eyes fixed, breaths held. Even my father... he hadn’t shifted an inch. It felt as if the world itself had stopped, waiting for them to return.
Minutes—or maybe hours, I couldn’t tell—passed in heavy silence.
Then... a flicker.
Marshi’s sharp eyes caught it first. Her hand trembled slightly, pointing. Marshi nudged Sera and sera followed Marshi’s eyes as he whispered, "Look!"
I followed her gaze. Their hands. Emperor Cassius and Lavinia’s hands... clutching tighter, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm, as if reaching for one another across some unseen chasm.
"They’re coming..." Eryndor’s voice was barely audible, awe and relief tangled together. "Uncle... they’re coming."
Every head turned as if drawn by some magnetic force. We all watched. Waited.
And then—slowly, impossibly—they opened their eyes.
Emperor Cassius’s dark, stormy gaze met ours first, sharp yet soft, as if he had returned from the edge of everything and carried the weight of worlds behind him.
Lavinia’s eyes followed, golden light piercing through the veil of exhaustion. Her hand rested against his, still trembling, still alive.
A collective breath escaped the room. The frozen air melted. Hope, relief, and awe collided in that instant.
They were back.
And yet... I stepped back.
Even as my chest ached at the sight of her, even as my heart ached for her smile... I felt unworthy. I had done nothing. Nothing to save her. Not in her past life. Not in this one. The Emperor had brought her back. And here I was, a man who loved her, and all I had done was pray. Pray that she wouldn’t be abandoned... by me, by anyone.
My hands curled into fists, nails biting into my palms. I wanted to tell her—no, to scream—that I loved her. That I would have moved mountains for her. But could I even call myself worthy? Could I even touch her hand without shame twisting my insides?
I was a shadow. A spectator to her pain. A coward watching her be claimed by the love and devotion of everyone else.
"My precious...!!!"
Thalein’s arms wrapped around Lavinia as she stirred, tears threatening to spill again.
Her elf brother rushed forward, enveloping her in a protective embrace. "Lavi... why did you trap yourself in the void? Why? Did you not think of us?"
"I’m sorry, brother..." she murmured, a faint smile on her lips. "I didn’t know I would awaken my quarter power."
Thalein patted her head gently. "It’s alright, my precious. At least... the void didn’t shrink you."
Lavinia’s golden eyes glimmered. "Because... Mama didn’t let me drown in my pain, Grandpa."
Thalein froze. His gaze snapped to Emperor Cassius, whose scoff carried its own unspoken understanding. She had... met her real mother.
Thalein’s hands trembled. "You... met... her..."
She smiled again, calm and bright as sunlight piercing through the dark. "I really met Mama, Grandpa. She wanted me to send a message... not to blame yourself. She... she always loved you."
And just like that, Thalein broke. Tears fell freely as relief and love poured through his body, shaking him to his core.
Lavinia turned, hugging Marshi, Solena... even the Emperor. Each embrace grounded her, warmed her, and claimed her in the circle of family she had longed for.
And me?
I stepped back, my chest tightening, my fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms. I belonged nowhere in that circle. I had no arms to hold her, no eyes that could offer solace, and no hand that had brought her back. I was nothing. A shadow. A witness.
I swallowed hard, heart aching with helplessness. I had prayed, yes—but praying was a coward’s weapon. I had hoped she would survive, that she would return... and yet here she was, radiant and alive, while I... I remained on the edge, watching my love be claimed by others.
For the first time in days, I understood the weight of powerlessness. And the bitterness of unworthiness.