Main POV]
"Sulpicia…" I murmured, taking a step toward her. My voice rang truer than it had in the past thirty years. Words that had been caught in my throat for decades finally broke free. "I thought I was protecting you by leaving. But now I see… I hurt you more than any enemy ever could."
She turned her gaze away, like someone grappling with memories they'd rather leave buried. Then, she spoke.
"I was your ally. Your accomplice. And you never saw it. Even now… my soul still leans toward you. And it's tearing me apart. It's consuming me."
Hearing her, a long-buried sorrow stirred within me. I had always feared she might still harbor feelings for me — and now, that fear was taking shape before my eyes. With that in mind, I tried to speak as clearly as I could.
"Sulpicia… this can't be. From the very beginning, these feelings were doomed. We all knew it. Aro took you in when you were orphaned with the intent that, one day, you'd become his mate. And beyond that… even with everything you are — with how incredible, how sublime you are — I was never sure you were the one."
She stayed quiet for a moment. Her eyes locked onto mine — and for a fleeting second, I saw in them a sorrow so old, so sacred, that no stretch of time had been able to erase it.
Then, with a soft but steady voice, she said,
"I know. I've always known. Even when I refused to admit it."
She drew a breath — unnecessary for us, yet it felt like she needed it to summon the strength to go on.
"Aro gave me a home… a purpose. But you — you gave me life. And when you left, you took something with you that I've never been able to get back."
[Sulpicia POV]
For years, I maintained the posture — the elegance, the loyalty. I fulfilled the role assigned to me at Aro's side as if I'd been born for it. No one ever questioned my performance. But they didn't see what I felt — the hallways I avoided, the rooms where his scent still seemed to linger. Not even Didyme, my friend. Not Marcus. And certainly not Aro.
The castle built by Morpheus — everything about it reminded me of his smile, his gaze. The entire place felt like a constant silence... and in that silence, his name echoed.
Fortunately, I suppose, we moved from the old castle to the central regions of Sparta after the official founding of our coven. But the pain remained — unyielding and real.
I had been trained to be discreet, obedient, strategic. But no one prepared me for the emptiness he left behind. For the way every second stretched into a century, and each passing moment weighed heavier than the last. I watched the world spin beyond those walls — alliances shifting, faces coming and going — but what mattered to me had left without a goodbye.
Pretending became my craft. Pretending I didn't care. Pretending I was content with the future laid out for me.
But when I heard whispers of his return... something inside me reignited. A hope I should have let die.
And now he was here — telling me he was never sure if I was the one.
[Main POV]
"I was never sure..." she repeated aloud, as if testing the bitter taste of those words. Then she added,
"And even so... you were the one thing I was sure of in this life."
A tense silence settled between us, heavy as stone. Time itself seemed to have turned back—only to come collecting its debt.
She didn't cry. She couldn't. But something in her body—an almost imperceptible tremble in her fingers, the tightening of her jaw—betrayed the wound still raw inside her.
"So tell me, Morpheus," she whispered at last, her voice laced with sorrow, "why did you come back?"
I paused for a moment before answering.
"The Volturi coven is my home. And as long as I draw breath, it will remain my home."
I said it with eyes full of regret and sorrow—because she had meant a great deal to me. We had grown up together. I was by her side until the day I left for Egypt.
"Is it truly impossible?" she asked. But the way her voice carried, it felt more like a quiet statement of truth than a question.
I felt the weight of her words, and then I told her,
"I don't believe it is. Not because I fear Aro, but because I need to be honest—with you and with myself—in a way I haven't been. Even while I was here, you needed a partner who truly loved you. And if I still have doubts… that's not fair to you. And even less fair to me."
I said that last part as I stepped closer, stopping just inches away from her. The silver moonlight bathed us from behind, outlining our silhouettes like the heavens themselves were bearing witness. The scent of the courtyard—earth, flowers, memory—hung in the air, as vivid as the memories stirring in my mind. Everything seemed to thrum with a cruel intensity... but deep down, the universe—and I—already knew: this was goodbye. The epilogue to a story born doomed, dead before it could ever bloom, like a flower that wilts before it blossoms.
After my final words, she wrapped her arms around me, and we stayed like that for a while. I breathed in the sweet scent of her skin, felt the reassuring human warmth of her touch, the gentle rhythm of her breath. We no longer needed to breathe, but not breathing felt unnatural—something hard to let go of after a lifetime doing it. It takes time to lose the "habit."
When our embrace ended, I stepped back and said,
"You're still as dazzling as ever. And look at how you've grown... When I left, you were just a little brat."
I said it with a smile on my face.
She smiled back—though I could still feel the pain behind it—and replied,
"Morpheus, you jerk... Still always teasing. I bet you were the same way with Didy when you saw her again."
Hearing her say that—and knowing she was absolutely right—I chuckled at her words, and began telling her about some of the adventures I'd had over the past thirty years. I might have just turned her down, but our friendship was still very much alive. And even though my presence brought her pain, she still wanted to know how I was, if I was alright, if I needed anything.
I told her about Neberu, about the vampire guard I'd built, about my relationship with Ramesses and what a great ruler he'd become. I spoke of my achievements in maritime trade.
I told her about the ancient coven that existed long before ours. She was genuinely astonished. I spoke of the supernatural gifts of Zuberi, We Hao, and Eirikr. And then I told her of my war with the Hittites, and my battle against the First Hunger—how chilling it was to face him. The dread and grief his every blow carried were frighteningly real, and I made sure she understood that.
She listened intently, almost like a child, reacting with wide-eyed curiosity to every tale. It struck me—how lovely it was to see her like that. And so, we spent much of the night talking.
As the night neared its end, I looked at her and said,
"Sulpicia, I missed you. I may not be what you hoped for, I may not love you the way you want... but I'll always want what's best for you. You and Didy are my dearest friends—my only family."
When I finished speaking, she looked at me and replied,
"I only wish the best for you too, Morpheus—my little friend."
It made me laugh, her calling me "little," since I now towered over her. But it didn't matter. I could feel the love behind her words. I turned and began walking away from the courtyard.
As I crossed the grounds, now softly lit by the approaching dawn, I felt a presence drawing near. The unmistakable scent, the silent weight of his footsteps... I didn't need to look to know who it was. Moses—the only vampire who had chosen to follow me all the way to Sparta. It was meant to be a solitary journey, a path I had chosen to face my own ghosts. But fate had placed him beside me along the way.
When I finally turned my head, I saw the old man in his full, imposing form, wrapped in a cloak that seemed to drink in the morning light. His eyes, deep as the centuries, looked out at the world with the calm of someone who had seen empires crumble before they were even born. There was something in his gaze that saw all, felt all—like time itself echoed inside him. There was respect in his bearing, and a subtle weight in his presence. He didn't speak right away. Moses was never one to rush. Time had always been on his side.
Then I faced the one who not only followed me, but somehow guarded me. And I said,
"My dear Moses, to what do I owe the honor of your company?"
I asked, even though I was certain he had known for days that Sulpicia and I would have this conversation. Still, I asked, out of formality.
He met my gaze with his calm eyes and deep voice, replying,
"Young master Morpheus, both you and I know—I have seen all, and I know all. But I'm not here to comfort you, for you are strong. I am here to tell you—and to ask your permission—to look into your future. So that we may discover when you will meet your true love. Your life companion."
I fell silent for a moment after hearing him, unsure whether I should accept his offer. Then, after a brief reflection, I replied:
"Master Moses, I don't want to know. I believe time and fate will answer all my questions. So for now, I must decline. Please… let time take its course."
Upon hearing this, Moses smiled broadly—and I knew I had given the answer he hoped for.
"A young man who knows how to live in the present... How rare. What a precious thing."
To be continued…
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[A/N] If you've read this far, thank you! And since I'm terrible at handling compliments, please, insult me instead!