The carriage finally passed through the castle’s massive gates just as the morning sun began illuminating Eldoria’s white towers.

Max let out a long sigh as he felt the wheels leave the forest road behind and come to a stop on the stone ground of the main courtyard.

They had made it.

They were still alive.

Which, considering how the previous night had ended, honestly already felt like an achievement worth celebrating.

Don climbed down from the driver’s seat first and stretched his back a little.

"Well," he said, adjusting his suit. "I’m heading back to the Great City. I have a few errands to take care of."

He turned toward the group with a calm smile.

"Take care of yourselves."

Everyone climbed out of the carriage one by one.

"Thanks for the ride," Max said.

"And for not asking questions," Dorian added.

Don smiled.

"I learned years ago that it’s better not to ask questions when you’re all involved."

That was a completely reasonable observation.

Chloe tilted her head slightly, still learning the local social gestures.

"Thank you."

Don nodded approvingly.

"Much better pronunciation."

Chloe smiled widely at the compliment.

Neros helped Seraphine down from the carriage.

Or at least, he tried to.

The mage landed perfectly fine on her own and adjusted her dress as if nothing had happened.

Then Neros cleared his throat.

"There’s something I wanted to ask you."

Seraphine glanced at him sideways.

"Yes?"

Neros crossed his arms.

"Is it true that you weren’t actually drunk the other night?"

Max slowly turned his head toward Dorian.

Dorian was trying not to laugh.

Very badly.

Seraphine shot him a deadly glare.

"Dorian," she said in a dangerously calm tone.

The elf raised both hands.

"I didn’t say anything."

Which was a lie. Clearly.

Seraphine looked back at Neros and smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.

"Maybe."

Neros narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Seraphine tilted her head slightly.

"Why are you asking?"

Neros blinked.

"Because I want to know if you pretended to be drunk so I’d carry you."

Seraphine crossed her arms.

"And would there be anything wrong with that?"

Neros opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"...No. But why do you answer all my questions with more questions?"

Seraphine smiled.

"Does that bother you?"

Neros pointed at her as if he had just identified the core problem of the universe.

"There! You did it again!"

Dorian finally lost his internal battle and burst out laughing.

"This is exactly why it’s so obvious why you two got divorced."

Max nodded.

"I’m not gonna lie, yeah, that makes a lot of sense."

Neros let out a deep sigh, like a man gathering the courage to face an emotional dragon.

Then he looked at Seraphine seriously.

"Putting that aside."

Seraphine raised an eyebrow.

Neros swallowed hard. Clearly nervous.

"I would like..."

The entire group fell silent.

Even Max.

Even Dorian.

Even Chloe, who probably didn’t understand half the language but immediately sensed that something important was happening.

Neros continued.

"Despite our positions."

He pointed at himself.

"Me as a royal knight."

Then at her.

"And you as the kingdom’s most powerful mage and the princess’s teacher."

He took a breath.

"I think I’d like to try again. To continue our relationship."

Silence again.

Max could practically feel the tension in the air.

Seraphine watched Neros for a few seconds.

Then smiled.

"I was waiting for you to say that."

Neros’s eyes widened.

"What?"

Seraphine stepped forward.

"I want to try again too."

And before the cat-man could process it, she stepped closer and hugged him.

Neros froze completely. Red. His ears stiffened. His tail puffed up. He looked like he was on the verge of total collapse.

Dorian doubled over laughing.

"No way, he’s actually going to explode."

Max let out a laugh.

"I’ve never seen someone turn that red before."

Neros looked around like he was searching for an emergency exit.

"I don’t know what to do with my arms."

"You could hug her back," Max suggested.

"That seems logical."

Neros appeared to consider this revolutionary information. Then finally hugged Seraphine back. Much more awkwardly. But he did it.

Chloe watched the whole scene. Then looked at Max.

"You don’t need to speak same language to understand what’s happening there."

Max smiled.

"Definitely not."

Chloe crossed her arms and studied him for a few more seconds.

Then smirked.

"Looks like you should probably go find your fiancée too."

Max nearly choked on his own saliva.

"What?"

Chloe pointed at him.

"Your face changes when you think about her."

Dorian immediately nodded.

"Yeah, it’s pretty obvious."

"Seriously?"

"Very," both of them said at the same time.

Max felt heat rise to his face.

"Well, thanks for destroying any chance I had of looking normal."

Chloe let out a small laugh.

"Don’t worry about me."

She pointed at herself.

"I’ll be fine."

Then pointed at Dorian.

"And he looks responsible."

Dorian went silent for a few seconds.

Max raised an eyebrow.

"That is probably the biggest lie said today."

Dorian pretended to be offended.

"I just survived an infiltration, avenged my friend, and burned down a criminal organization."

He proudly pointed at himself.

"I am extremely functional."

"That’s debatable," Max said.

Dorian ignored the comment.

"Anyway," he said, adjusting his bag. "We should show the king that we brought back his beloved royal pet safe and sound."

Chloe sighed.

"That’s what comes next, huh?"

Max looked at her.

"Do you want to go?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

Then smiled a little.

"Also... I want real food."

"Now that is excellent motivation," Max said.

Dorian gestured toward the castle interior.

"I’ll escort Chloe."

Seraphine was still hugging an emotionally non-functional Neros.

"We’ll go as well in a bit."

Neros still seemed incapable of processing his own existence.

Max looked at the whole scene.

His friends. His group. The people he had met in this world.

And he felt that strange weight in his chest again.

His smile weakened just slightly.

Chloe noticed.

"Are you sure you’re okay?"

Max took half a second too long to answer.

Then forced a smile.

"Yeah."

A complete lie. But he couldn’t explain anything yet. Not yet.

Chloe watched him for one more second, like she didn’t quite believe him.

But eventually nodded.

"Okay."

Dorian started walking toward the main entrance with Chloe.

"Come on, king’s pet."

Chloe sighed.

"I still hate that title."

"I know," Dorian replied cheerfully.

Max watched them walk away.

Then took a deep breath.

His heart was beating way too fast.

Nerves.

Anxiety.

And something dangerously close to excitement.

He looked up toward the upper towers of the castle. Toward the private wing.

Toward where he knew Elanor was. His fiancée, the princess.

The girl he was, very unfortunately for his mental stability, starting to feel some very real things for.

’Great. I need to talk to her.’

He didn’t know exactly how to start that conversation.

He couldn’t exactly walk in and say:

"Hi, I think I’m in love with you, and also I may have to leave this world to prevent a dimensional apocalypse."

Way too much information at once.

Terrible strategy. Definitely.

But he still had to see her.

Maybe because, after learning that all his time in Eldoria came with an expiration date, the only thing he wanted was to spend more time with her.

Max swallowed hard. Adjusted his cloak. And started walking toward the castle’s private wing.