The air outside was sharp and biting, but the cold within the cave was deeper, a quiet chill that seemed to cling to the stone walls.Gabriel carried Meredith in his arms, her weight unsettlingly light, as though the energy of her body was being siphoned away.His golden eyes burned with worry, darting to the fiery mark on her chest that pulsed in erratic rhythm. It glowed brighter with each passing moment, its intensity casting flickering shadows across the cavern's jagged walls.He gently lowered her onto the smoothest part of the stone floor, his movements careful but tense. Meredith let out a faint, pained sound, her breaths coming in short gasps as she clutched at her chest. The mark blazed like a living thing, as though trying to consume her from within."Meredith," Gabriel murmured, his voice low but edged with urgency.He knelt beside her, his hands hovering near her trembling form, unsure whether his touch would soothe her or only worsen her pain. "Stay with me."The cavern's dim light seemed almost hostile against the fiery glow of the mark, a stark contrast that mirrored the storm inside Gabriel. He'd seen enough transformations to know the signs. The mark was nearing its peak, signaling that her body was preparing to shift into its dragon form.Once that process began, there would be no stopping it. Her humanity would vanish, and the Meredith he knew would be lost forever.His fists clenched as his wings shifted restlessly, a faint shimmer catching the dull light.Gabriel's gaze flicked to Meredith's face, her features twisted with pain, yet her eyes still held a faint flicker of defiance.She wasn't giving up. Not yet.His breath hitched as he stared at her, the silence of the cavern broken only by the faint hum of the mark's fiery rhythm. The thought of losing her, of her becoming a creature, twisted something deep inside him.Gabriel exhaled sharply, his golden eyes hardening as he leaned closer, his fingers brushing against her damp brow.For all his strength, for all his celestial power, Gabriel felt the cruel weight of inevitability pressing down upon him.Meredith's breaths came in shallow gasps, each one hitching as the pain from her mark surged through her.The fiery glow flickered across her skin, lighting the cavern in an unearthly hue. Gabriel knelt beside her, his hands steadying her trembling frame, his golden eyes searching hers with a quiet intensity that made her heart ache.Her voice was barely a whisper, fragile yet filled with determination."Gabriel," she began, her lips trembling as she forced herself to meet his gaze.Her hand moved to the mark on her chest, her palm hovering just above the searing heat. "I can feel it... pulling me away. Changing me.""If... if this is the end for me—" She faltered, the words catching in her throat, but she pushed through, her fingers curling around his wrist as if anchoring herself.He cupped her face gently, his touch steady despite the storm raging within him.Meredith's fingers curled tighter against Gabriel's wrist as her thoughts spiraled, unbidden, to Fresia's final moments.I love you, Meredith. I always have.Fresia's words had cut through her like a blade, raw and unguarded, leaving a wound she couldn't close.She told me, and I never said anything back. I didn't know how. I couldn't even process it.A wave of guilt surged through her chest, almost as painful as the heat of her mark.Fresia gave everything for me. Her words, her life, her love.The memory of Fresia's dragon form—majestic and heartbreaking—flashed in her mind.And now, here I am, still afraid to speak my truth, still hiding behind my own walls while everything slips away.Her voice trembled as she forced herself back to the present."If this is all I have left," she continued, her voice breaking slightly, "then I want it to be with you. I want—" She stopped, her chest heaving with both pain and hesitation. The words felt impossible, tangled and heavy, but she refused to hold them back anymore."Before my humanity is gone, I want to be yours, completely," she whispered, her cheeks flushed not from pain but from the vulnerability of her admission. "Will you have me as your bride?"Gabriel froze, his golden eyes widening in shock. The weight of her confession hung between them, heavy and raw."Meredith..." he began, his voice faltering for the first time."I know it sounds foolish," she said quickly, her voice trembling but insistent. "If this is the end, Gabriel... let it be with you." Her grip on his wrist tightened as her gaze bored into his.The silence stretched, the pulsing glow of her mark the only movement in the stillness of the cavern.Gabriel's expression softened, the harsh lines of his face easing as he leaned closer. His hand moved to cover hers, pressing it against his chest where his heart beat steady and sure. The gesture felt small against the enormity of what she had confessed, and the storm raging within him.As her trembling words hung in the air, Gabriel's mind unraveled, memories flashing unbidden—each one tethered to her.He saw her as a child, bold and bright, weaving a crown of daisies and offering it to him with a confident proclamation."Will you marry me?" Her eyes had been wide and earnest, as though the question was as natural as breathing.He had laughed then, a sound so rare it startled even himself."You're too young," he'd replied, only for her to answer with a defiant shrug, "I'll grow up."And she had.The memories shifted, faster now—he saw the moment he took her to the underground cave, and how she defied him by shedding her clothes.Her joy when she learned to wield a blade under his tutelage, her stubbornness when she faltered but refused to give up.He remembered her boldness in the war council, her refusal to let anyone—angel or mortal—define her limits.And then there were the quieter moments.Her teasing laughter echoing through the camp, the way she stole fleeting seconds to show kindness amidst chaos, and her unwavering resolve to protect the people she loved.How many times had she proposed to him in her own way? Whether with words, gestures, or the way she looked at him like he was the one constant in a world that wouldn't stop unraveling.He couldn't ignore it any longer: she had always chosen him.Gabriel's grip on her hand tightened, his golden eyes searching hers, now glistening with unshed tears. Her pain was real, but her determination was fiercer still.Faced with Meredith's trembling confession, Gabriel's internal conflict reached a breaking point. He knew he couldn't protect her, nor could he fight the inevitability of her transformation alone.Yet here she was, offering him something far greater than defiance—something that tethered her humanity to him, even as it slipped through her fingers."Meredith," he said softly, his voice steady now, though his heart thundered beneath her palm. "You've always been certain of me. And now, I'll be certain of you."Gabriel lowers himself beside her, his hands trembling as he clasps hers, their warmth meeting in a fragile union.Meredith, weak but resolute, nods, her gaze unwavering despite the pain. Gabriel's voice is soft yet clear as he begins to speak the vows. Meredith joins him, her voice steady but layered with emotion.Ego te accipio, ut carissimum et aeternum consortem. In tenebris et in luce, te sequar et te servabo.I take you as my beloved and eternal companion. In darkness and in light, I will follow you and protect you.Amore et fide, anima mea tua erit, et tua, mea. Promitto tecum manere, usque ad finem temporum, meum cor et spiritus tibi tradita.With love and loyalty, my soul will be yours, and yours, mine. I promise to remain with you until the end of time, my heart and spirit given to you.Their voices entwine, and the cave seems to hold its breath as the final words fall into the still air. The faint glow of her mark flares brightly, illuminating the cavern walls, as if responding to the bond now sealed between them.The consummation that followed was slow and deliberate, a merging of two souls teetering on the brink of something vast.Gabriel's golden eyes softened as he removed his clothes, the glow within them dimming to something more human, more vulnerable—a side of him rarely, if ever, shown.His usual composure dissolved, replaced by an openness that made him seem almost unearthly in a new way: raw, present, and entirely hers.Meredith's trembling fingers brushed along the sharp planes of his face, exploring the curve of his cheekbone, the subtle ridges of his brow, and the firm line of his jaw.Her hands moved as though they needed to memorize every detail, to hold onto him beyond the reach of this fleeting moment.Gabriel's hand rose to her face, his palm warm and steady as he cupped her cheek. His thumb swept gently across her skin, soothing and reverent, as though she might shatter under his touch.Slowly, he leaned closer, and her breath caught as his lips brushed against hers—a soft, lingering kiss that carried the weight of everything unspoken between them.Meredith proceeds to remove her clothes. Her body responded instinctively, leaning into him, her hands slipping to the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as the kiss deepened.His lips were firm yet yielding, moving with a patience that seemed to defy the urgency simmering just beneath the surface. Each kiss felt like a vow, a silent promise forged in the space between their shared breaths.The glow of Meredith's mark pulsed faintly, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls, as if responding to the connection they forged. A soft heat coursed through her, more intimate and consuming than the pain that had plagued her earlier.Gabriel's hands slid from her face to her waist, his touch both guiding and grounding as he lowered her onto the soft cloak spread beneath them.The rough stone of the cavern floor was forgotten, replaced by the warmth of his body pressing against hers, steady and protective.Meredith's heart raced as his kisses moved from her lips to her jaw, then lower, trailing along the sensitive curve of her neck.Her breaths came in soft, unsteady gasps, her hands roaming his broad shoulders, tracing the defined muscles.His touch grew bolder, fingers skimming the curve of her hip, his movements unhurried but deliberate, as though savoring each moment.She arched slightly beneath him, her body responding to his in ways that felt both natural and overwhelming.Gabriel's breath was warm against her skin as his lips returned to hers, capturing her in a commanding and tender kiss. His hands sought hers, threading their fingers together.She felt the firm press of his body against hers, the heat between them rising in waves as their movements became more synchronized, more intimate.For a moment, the weight of the world lifted, the pain of her transformation fading into the background. It was just them—two beings claiming something neither had been allowed to name until now.Each whispered name, each lingering kiss, carried the weight of love, defiance, and the knowledge that this was theirs alone, untouched by the world outside the cavern.Though Gabriel does not yet notice, the glow of his wings begins to dim, flickering faintly with each passing moment.His celestial aura, once steady and unyielding, now wavers like a candle struggling against the wind. The first signs of his fall are subtle but undeniable, an ominous foreshadowing of what he has chosen to give up.When it is over, Meredith lies quietly against his chest, her breathing steady despite the mark on her skin still pulsing faintly. Gabriel strokes her hair, his golden eyes distant as he feels the faintest strain in his wings—an ache he does not yet understand."Rest," he murmurs, his voice low and soothing. But his mind is far from calm, the weight of his decision pressing heavily upon him.Then his attention was drawn to her mark.The fiery glow, once vivid and pulsating with intensity, began to dim. Slowly, the intricate sigil faded, its brilliance retreating until it was no more than a faint outline on her skin.Gabriel's eyes widened in astonishment, his breath halting for a moment as he processed what he was seeing.This wasn't supposed to happen. The mark, a symbol of Elyon's claim and her destiny as the royal dragon, had been unyielding—alive.Now, it was quiet, subdued, almost nonexistent.Gabriel's gaze lingered on it, the weight of its fading light pressing against his mind.Why is it disappearing? What does this mean?He held her closer, his thoughts spiraling as she remained blissfully unaware, her form completely still against him. The cavern was silent, save for the soft rhythm of her breath, as the mystery of the fading mark settled heavily over them both.---Elyon's throne room shimmered with an ethereal light, its vast expanse bordered by rivers of glowing souls trickling into the soul forge below. The faint hum of celestial energy reverberated through the air, mingling with the steady murmur of angelic wings.Cassiel stood to Elyon's left, his silver gaze fixed on the forge, his expression composed. Raphael lingered further back, his golden eyes shadowed, his wings folded neatly behind him.Elyon descended the marble steps of his throne with measured precision, his hand trailing over the glowing orb that hovered before him. Within the orb, Pyria was etched in delicate detail, its borders illuminated faintly by the pulse of celestial light."It teeters," Elyon murmured, his voice carrying the weight of ages. "Pyria's strength wanes, its people pushed to their limits. They will soon fracture, as all mortal kingdoms do."Cassiel inclined his head slightly, his wings shifting with quiet grace. "Their defiance holds for now, my lord. But they are finite. Their hope will falter, and when it does, they will collapse."Elyon's lips curved faintly, though his eyes remained fixed on the orb. "Hope is an amusing thing. It burns brightly in mortals—fiercely, even. But it is fleeting. Fragile. Like glass."Raphael's gaze flicked toward Elyon briefly. "And the royal dragon?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to his question, a subtle challenge.Elyon's fingers hovered over the orb, the image of Pyria flickering faintly as if disturbed by an unseen force. "Her mark awakens. Her humanity will burn away, leaving only what I designed her to be."But even as he spoke, Elyon's gaze sharpened, his golden necklace flaring brightly against his chest before dimming erratically.His smile vanished, replaced by a faint narrowing of his eyes. "No," he murmured, the word heavy with displeasure."My lord?" Cassiel asked, his tone cautious, though his expression betrayed nothing.Elyon's hand pressed firmly against the orb, the image of Pyria shifting as faint cracks appeared along its surface. "Meredith," he said coldly, his voice resonating with quiet fury. "She is lost to me."Cassiel remained still, his silver eyes flicking briefly toward the glowing rivers below. Raphael, however, studied Elyon with quiet intensity, a shadow of something unspoken crossing his face.Elyon's focus returned to the orb, his hand brushing over the fractured image of Pyria. "It does not matter," he said, his tone smooth but carrying an ominous weight. "Pyria will fall, with or without her. It was never built to endure."The light around the soul forge dimmed faintly, as though reflecting the shift in Elyon's mood. Destruction hung in the air, not yet manifest but inevitable, as though the kingdom's fate had already been sealed."Let it burn," Elyon murmured, his voice carrying a finality that reverberated through the throne room.Cassiel's wings stirred faintly, but he said nothing. Raphael, too, remained silent, his gaze lingering on Elyon before shifting back to the factory below.