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When the dust settled and Stelle first set foot into the Eternal Page, she knew there was one person she needed to see immediately with her own eyes.
Picking up her pace, the young woman jogged past the people of Amphoreus, unfamiliar and familiar alike. Some called out to her, hoping to speak to the Saviour of Amphoreus, but she would only only leave them with a quick wave as she dashed off. She knew it made her look rude, but at this moment, she didn’t care.
In the end, Stelle found her target, the man who haunted her dreams, standing alone in the Dome of Stars, staring pensively at the galaxy before him. His back was towards her, but there was no mistaking the tousled white hair, the broad shoulders and the clean cut of his coat and cape, fluttering in the non-existent breeze. The last time Stelle had laid eyes on him, he swept in front of her just like their first encounter, dissolving into specks of golden light before she could say goodbye.
Ignoring the wave of nausea, she shoved the rest of the thought away as she broke into a run.
Perhaps by intuition, the man turned around. Stelle caught the look of surprise on his face, his mouth opening to call out to her. But the grey-haired woman beat him to it.
“Phainon!” His name had never sounded more heart wrenching as she launched herself at him, holding him tightly in a hug.
Phainon yelped, stumbling back a bit before regaining his footing.
“Partner, hey!” He grinned, wrapping his arms consolingly around her. “It’s nice to see you again too.”
Stelle had already prepared a witty one-liner for the reunion, but when she tried to say something, to her abject mortification, tears began to gather as she swallowed the sob that threatened to escape. She tried to wipe them away with the palm of her hand, but they continued to fall, staining her skin and the floor below.
“Stelle, it’s alright, I’m here.” Phainon held her as he stroked her back gently.
Turning her face into Phainon’s chest, she squeezed her eyes shut as she willed her traitorous body to contain the sudden flood of emotions. Stelle was still getting used to this new change that started since she stepped foot onto Amphoreus - it was as if someone had removed a muted filter, and her joy, grief, fear, desire, rage and love bloomed for all to see. Yes, the tears were bitter and her throat stung from all the unspoken words she held back, but it was proof that she was more than just a Stellaron container, that she was alive. The warm, unyielding body within her arms, the soothing scent of sunlight and cedarwood that surrounded her, was proof that Phainon was real, that he was here with her.
And so they stood, locked in an embrace underneath the infinite tapestry of stars. Stelle felt unmoored from the world, her only anchoring points being Phainon’s face, buried in the crook of her neck; his breath, warm against the shell of her ear; his arms, firm around her waist.
It could have been a few seconds or a few minutes, but when they finally untangled themselves from each other, Phainon smiled at her, like sun after rain.
“You did it, Stelle.” He brought his hand up to thumb away the vestiges of wetness from the corner of her red-rimmed eye. “You saved me, and you’ve created a new tomorrow for all of us. Stelle, the Saviour of Amphoreus, and my saviour.”
“No!” With a ferocity that surprised even her, Stelle grabbed Phainon’s face and pulled him closer, their noses almost touching. “I only stepped in to do what you couldn’t finish. Phainon, you, Cyrene and all the other Chrysos Heirs saved Amphoreus. And we couldn’t have done it if you hadn't kept Irontomb sealed.”
The man remained still as he allowed her hands to trace the contours of his face; to her relief, where she expected cracks, there was only unblemished skin.
“Phainon, you have always been the hero of my heart.”
At this, the white-haired youth blushed.
“U-using my words against me? That’s unfair, partner.” He laughed, but was cut short by Stelle’s thumb brushing against his lower lip.
“And I want you to know, my heart has always been yours to keep.”
Stelle didn’t really know who made the first move - Phainon mouthed something wordless, but the next thing she knew, his lips were upon hers. He kissed like a starved man, ferocious and desperate. His fingers threaded through her grey tresses, cradling the back of her head gently.
She had so much to say to Phainon; her longing, her anguish, her desire, everything that she could not find the words for - they found an outlet through the kiss. Stelle wondered if he could still taste the salt of her grief.
When they finally stopped to catch their breaths, Stelle held onto Phainon’s hand tightly.
“I had a dream once, that you never came back after Irontomb died. I couldn’t stop crying even when I woke up.”
“Cyrene is gone now, I can’t lose you too. If you disappear once more, I don’t think I’ll ever be alright again.”
She hadn’t gone through more than 33 million cycles, but the losses, the knowledge of the horrific fates of Cyrene and Phainon, the memories of the entire universe were enough to make her feel as if she would shatter at the slightest touch.
“Just, don’t go where I can’t find you. Don’t go where I can’t follow.”
Phainon gripped both her hands tightly.
“I promise, I won’t leave you anymore. Now that the Flame Chase Journey is over, there will be no more losses.” His voice was unwavering. “I can’t guarantee the road ahead of us will always be smooth, but when you’re with me, I’ll make sure our time together will always be filled with joy and laughter. And when Amphoreus is reborn, I will find you once again. Wait for me in the real world, Stelle, so that we can one day finally be reunited under the real sky.”
“I swear I will.” For the first time since stepping foot into the Eternal Page, Stelle smiled. To seal their vows, Phainon kissed her so sweetly, she trembled in his hold, her ears drumming with the thundering of her heart.
Stelle knew deep down that this was no longer the epilogue of As I’ve Written, but the first page of their romantic story, this time different from the one that had come before.