Chapter 1470 Fear-Tainted Reunion

It was half a day after the end of the battle that Arthur suddenly felt it. A familiar presence, almost like the warmth of a candlelight directed toward his chest, had appeared inside the palace.

Arthur was sitting inside the throne room, with Ozyrae sitting on the opposite side. In front of them was a chessboard with the pieces carved a lot differently than their usual forms.

"My friend has arrived," Arthur said as he stared at the chessboard. "Our lesson will have to wait, but I do enjoy the game. It feels like… the gears in my brain are moving."

"Chess always nourishes the mind," Ozyrae said before she waved her hand, and the chessboard scattered like ashes. "I understand your sentiment. You can leave and meet her."

"Thank you, Ozy," Arthur said, which was a nickname he hadn't used before. The woman was silent, staring at him with dark eyes. Then, she smiled.

Arthur left without another word, almost skipping his steps in a rush to leave the palace. The feeling grew stronger, and Arthur knew that their long-awaited meeting was finally happening.

Instead of traveling down the countless stairs and towers, Arthur found a balcony which he used to jump down. He landed on the ground as if he was a ghost, and then jumped once more toward the city.

Arthur landed in the middle of the main road. Life returned to the city, making the street as busy as it could be. However, Arthur could feel her presence like a flame.

Memories of their first meeting resurfaced. Arthur was helpless then, taken to the duke's house to cure his daughter, when he stumbled upon a witty witch with ulterior motives. He never expected their bond to grow and transcend time and space.

He shuffled through the crowd, approaching the city gates. He spotted her in flashes between the gaps of moving people, and then finally came to see all of her, uninterrupted. She looked back at him.

Gala smiled.

"Arthur," she said.

Her voice was filled with emotions.

The last time that Arthur heard from her was in his visit to the Spirits Realm. He heard her voice right before she passed away, rejoining the cosmos. It was in a different timeline, and in this one, she was still here.

Arthur felt a lump in his throat for some reason.

Gala had changed.

Her hair was longer now and carried a bright violet hue. It cascaded down her robes. She was still shorter than him, but still felt like an older sister. The gem in her forehead glowed bright violet, causing the crowd to gawk at her.

"Gala," he said, fighting the lump in his throat. Arthur stepped forward, each step quicker than the last. Then, he stopped in front of her. "I can't believe it's really you."

"Have I been gone long enough for you to treat me like a stranger?" she asked with a grin as she spread her arms. "I missed you, Arthur."

Arthur was silent, and then nodded before reaching out as well. The two hugged each other, realizing that this wasn't just a dream. For the first time in a long while, Arthur felt some wounds were healing.

Their reunion was interrupted by the Knight of Loyalty, who had been the one to bring Gala over to this realm. He coughed, and the two broke their embrace.

Arthur could see Gala's eyes were red, and she was quick to hide her face by turning away. He turned toward the knight, who stared back awkwardly.

"I'm afraid I was late," Loyalty said. "Please forgive me."

"You did the best thing I could ask for," Arthur said. "I'll never forget this debt."

"Consider us even, then," Loyalty said with a grin. "I remembered a few things when I was in the Spirits Realm. We met, albeit briefly, right?"

"Right."

"If not for the alternate timeline, I would have been dead," he said while scratching the back of his head. "I don't know how that makes me feel."

"Take the time you need to process it, but I'm very glad that you're still here," Arthur said. "Send my regards to Solomon. We'll meet soon."

Loyalty lowered his hand and smiled. Then, he gave a bow, bid his farewells, and turned to leave. He walked into the forest and disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.

Arthur turned back toward Gala, who had a familiar cheeky grin. He remembered all the times that she challenged and provoked him into following his emotions.

"Look at you now, transcending realms and weaving bonds," she said while slapping his arm. "You even have two arms! I can get used to that."

"I have to admit that the bitter memories started to fade," Arthur said with a smile as he rubbed his arm, more in recognition than in pain. "But our time together never did."

"You got yourself a sweet tongue, huh? Is that how you coaxed my dear Diana into marrying you? You didn't even invite me to the wedding!"

"There was no wedding. In fact, we are still engaged," Arthur said and then paused. "I don't know how it works," he muttered with hesitation. "But I think I want you to officiate our wedding."

Gala blinked.

Her eyes stared at Arthur as if he grew multiple heads.

Then, she opened her mouth, and closed it.

"You can say no if it's too weird," Arthur said with a wave of his hand. "Furthermore, it's still a long time before it happens. We need to go back to the Spirits Realm, fight Invidia, and then we—"

"I would want nothing more," she interrupted him. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I still remember when you two first met. I never thought… we would get here."

"Are you crying?" Arthur had no idea what to do.

"More in joy than in sadness," she said. "Sadness that I wasn't here until now. When that knight found me, I thought something bad happened to you. I couldn't know for sure, because he just said that there was a battle against Devaheim. I was worried all the way here."

"I truly thought we would need the help," Arthur said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said. "I think I was just afraid of meeting you. That's why I left the legacy and left the first layer. I was afraid of reuniting."

"Afraid? Why?"

"Because you're a very important person to me," she said with a laugh. "I didn't know if you still felt the same about me. A long time has passed, and you made new friends, and I'm just one of them. But for me, you were…"

Gala trailed off.

Then, she muffled a sob and wiped away her tears.

"I was afraid it would be different than before. That I would come back, but it wouldn't be the same. We wouldn't fight, or we wouldn't share secrets like before."

Arthur listened with dawning realization. As he was here navigating the alternate timeline, Gala was on the other side of the world, doing what's best for him. She helped Diana and created the legacy for him.

She knew he would need it.

She knew his scars needed it.

Gala doubted herself, a lot, from the looks of it. She was dedicating a lifetime for someone who hadn't even bothered to look for her, or send a message through one of their mutual acquaintances.

Arthur knew he had no way to reach her.

But he understood her fears.

He let out a sigh.

Then, he hugged her tight.

"You have no idea how much I missed you too," Arthur said. "It tore me apart when I lost you once. And I think I was afraid too, of going through that thing again. You're important to me too."

Gala stopped crying and closed her eyes. Then, she smiled and patted his back, signaling for him to let go of her. She turned toward half of the crowd who was watching them.

"I think we've given them enough to talk about over lunch," she said with a laugh. "Let's go somewhere else. More private, so we can catch up."

Arthur nodded and led Gala back toward the Death Palace. He introduced her to everyone, including Ozyrae. The two women were of opposite natures, as Gala was connected to spirits, while Ozyrae was the embodiment of death.

Over the next few hours, Arthur and Gala walked around the palace while talking about everything that happened ever since their separation. Gala had a fair share of stories, just like Arthur.

Their conversation had to be cut short, because Arthur still remembered the most important task at hand—finding Invidia. Gala assured him that she could open a portal that would lead them toward the Sin of Envy, but it required a day to set up.

Ozyrae offered all the resources necessary and began preparing her army for their departure. Severis and the twin sisters would remain here in the realm, while Ozyrae, Nyxiel, and Vorathis would lead the army toward the stolen realm.

It was time for the final battle.

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