“I want you to be happy even if it’s not with me. But then, the opposite happened. So, imagine how angry I was before. I still am. My anger only fades away whenever I see you starting to smile again. And don’t you ever belittle yourself again. Ali, no woman is as brave and as remarkable as you are.” He smiled. “Maybe that’s the reason why I keep falling for you each day as I see you go through your life. And so what if you have a child? Did you already forget? I’m like Demi’s second father. She’s like a daughter to me, too. And I love her because she came from you. And she was as cute as you when you’re young.”
“Rem…”
That was the only thing I managed to say.
“If you’re not sure what to say, it’s okay. Just let me do the talking for a while. Do you still the dream I wrote in our elementary yearbook? That was true. My dream is still the same, it’s to become Alison Cabrera’s husband. But I know you so well. And that’s the reason why I also know that that would remain a dream forever.”
Jeremiah stood up and walked towards the door.
“Now that I’ve said what I needed to say, I… I think I have to leave and breathe comfortably somewhere.” He laughed. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath ever since I saw the picture on your table. But before I leave, I hope nothing will change between us, Ali. I hope you won’t avoid me. Because that would really hurt a lot.
“I could stay in the sideline all my life… loving you in my own way, being the best friend that you knew, while making sure that you are safe. I love you so much, Alison. And you can think of that love as a best friend’s love. I’ll always be here for you. I just wish you could stop breaking your own heart by still trying to hold onto him.”
I looked away.
“I’m not telling you to love me, Ali. I’m just saying that I wish you could give love another try. It doesn’t have to be with me. I just want you to be happy again, to have a life again. Because God knows that’s what you deserve.” He cleared his throat. “Before I forget, I bought your favorite ice cream. It’s in the fridge. I could have offered to take you home, but you already look uncomfortable. So, I better go. Be safe on your way home. Good night, Ali.”
I wasn’t able to let out a single word until he left.
Rem… what am I going to do with you?

(Alexandros)
“THAT’S enough, Alex. You’ve done the best that you could for more than eight years now. All of us had already accepted our fate. At least, take a moment to rest before this whole kingdom crash.”
My eyes watered but I didn’t listen to Nathan. I pointed my hands towards the incense’s direction, hoping I could slow it down. The crimson fire in my hands was slowly fading, a proof that I’m about to lose my remaining power. It was only a few hours left before the incense burns out, but here I was, still waiting for a miracle.
“There is God, Nate. Therefore, there is a miracle. The fact that we are all still alive up to this moment is already a miracle. And I want to believe that a miracle will still come, that this will not be our last night here in Arameth. I want to believe that something will come because I still want so badly to live. I still want to see Alison and our daughter, Nate.” My voice cracked. “Even for an hour or a few minutes. Because I still haven’t explained my side to Alison.
“I still haven’t told her that I didn’t intend to leave her. I wanted to at least, become one of her beautiful memories. God, Nate… I don’t want her to spend the rest of her life hating me. And I still want to ask about our child.”
My shoulders shook as I wept for the first time in eight years. “Had I known that the little girl I saw back then was my child, I would have taken her in my arms the whole time I was with her. I would have kissed her cheeks, and tell her how much I love her. I would have done so many things for her.”
But I felt like all my hope had died down when the fire in my trembling hands disappeared. I started coughing up blood. I fell onto the floor but I still continued trying to release fire.
But no fire was coming out of my hands anymore. “N-no… It can’t be,” I whispered when I saw the incense quickly burning out. “H-help me stand, please. I-I need to do something-“
“Alex, stop this, please,” Clavia pleaded while crying. She tried to embrace me but I pushed her away. I also heard the sound of our people crying.
I lowered my head. Even if my knees were still weak, I forced myself to stand. I slowly walked out of the castle. All the people I saw stopped, bent their knees, and bowed to me.
After a while, I felt Nathan’s presence. He followed me. He had become my assistant after I returned to Arameth.
“Where are you going, Alex?”
“Kindly prepare a carriage for me, Nate,” I said instead. “I want to go back to the places which Demi and I visited. If I were to die tonight, then I want to die in the very spot where I last saw her. I want to die… reminiscing our memories.”
Nathan called the knights. After a few minutes, the carriage arrived. When the men were about to assist me, I shook my head.
“I can do this. Just tell all the employees to go back to their own houses and spend this day with their families."