The memory of Past

Ten years had passed since Lucian had stood in the throne room, a figure cloaked in shadows and wrath. Now, the king of a realm he had never aspired to lead, he found himself more often in solitude than in the company of courtiers. The kingdom had stabilized under his rule, which was marked by fairness and a notable absence of the fear that had tainted Alderon's reign. Yet, Lucian felt no satisfaction in his power.

On a quiet morning, with the first light of dawn casting golden hues over the capital, Lucian stood by a large window in his castle. His gaze wandered over the city that had once cowered under his dark might, now thriving and peaceful. But the serenity of the scene could not ease the turmoil that lingered in his heart.

"How long has it been from the day I lost you, Aria?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely more than a whisper lost amidst the vastness of the hall.

Compelled by a longing that time had failed to diminish, Lucian left the solitude of his chambers and walked through the silent corridors of the castle. Each step took him deeper into his private sanctuary, a place few knew about and even fewer had seen.

He arrived at a small, secluded chamber, shrouded in gentle darkness. In the center, under a beam of light that seemed eternally focused upon it, lay a coffin made of glass. Inside, Aria looked as if she were merely sleeping, her features peaceful, untouched by the years that had passed. Lucian had used the most powerful preservation spells to keep her thus, a testament to both his inability to let go and his deep respect for the love they had shared.

Lucian approached the coffin, his hand reaching out to touch the cool glass gently. "It feels like an eternity and yet just yesterday," he continued, as if she could hear him. "I've kept my promise, Aria. The kingdom is free, the people are safe. But I have never been more bound, trapped by the memories we shared."

He paused, his eyes lingering on her face, the pain of his loss as acute as it had been a decade ago. "I have ruled as you would have wanted—justly, kindly. But without you, it feels like I am just the shadow of the man I hoped to be."

The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the weight of unspoken words and dreams unfulfilled. Lucian finally drew back, a silent vow renewing in his heart. "I will continue to build the world you believed could exist. And maybe, one day, I will find peace in it."

Leaving the chamber felt like leaving her all over again, but Lucian carried the strength of her memory with every step. He returned to his duties, to the life he had built from the ruins of his wrath, a king shadowed by the past but enlightened by the promise of a better future.

Outside, the kingdom awakened to another day, unaware of the quiet vigil their king kept. Lucian's rule had brought prosperity and peace, but the man behind the crown remained a figure of solitude, walking a path lined with shadows and light.