The moment Aria disappeared into the heart of the valley, Liam felt a strange pull in his chest, like an invisible string tugging him forward. The magical flora swirled around him, glowing brighter with every step, until it seemed to swallow him whole. His breath hitched as the world shifted, the colors of the valley bleeding away into a soft, golden light. He blinked, trying to ground himself, but when his eyes adjusted, he found himself standing in a place he hadn’t expected.
It was a cozy cottage—much smaller than what he’d imagined his future home might be. A fire crackled in the hearth, and a warm, inviting smell of fresh bread filled the air. There were small, mismatched mugs on a wooden table, shelves lined with books, and in the corner, a guitar leaned against a wall, its strings glinting in the light. Everything was so… normal.
And then, she appeared.
“Liam?” Lia’s voice was soft, almost hesitant, as she stepped into the room from what looked like a small garden outside. She wore a simple dress, her hair loose and wild around her shoulders, and she had a smile on her face that made Liam’s heart skip a beat. Lia.
For a moment, Liam was frozen. He hadn’t seen her in what felt like a lifetime—since he’d begun this crazy journey with Aria and the compass. But now, standing here, with her right in front of him, it felt like all of his worries melted away. She was real, she was here, and everything was exactly as it should be. Right?
“Lia?” His voice cracked slightly as he said her name, and he felt his throat tighten with emotion. “Is this… real?”
She laughed softly, that light, melodic sound he had missed so much. “Of course it’s real, silly. What else would it be?” She wiped her hands on a cloth and walked over to him, her eyes full of warmth. “You’re home now.”
Liam blinked, his mind racing. Home? But this wasn’t home. This was—what was this? An illusion? A dream? He looked down at his hands, half-expecting the compass’s magic to still be pulsing through him, but there was nothing. Just his own skin, his own breath, his own heartbeat, pounding in his ears.
He felt Lia’s hand on his arm, gentle and familiar. “You’re safe here,” she said softly, her voice soothing. “There’s no more danger. No more magic. Just us.”
Liam’s heart clenched. No more magic. He’d imagined a future like this before—one where he wasn’t constantly running into danger, where he wasn’t fighting for his life or struggling to keep up with the powers around him. But as much as he wanted this to be real, there was a part of him that couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
He looked around the room again, his eyes catching on the little details. The soft pillows on the couch, the stack of papers on the desk, the small wooden frame with a picture of them—him and Lia, smiling, happy. It was everything he had ever wanted. But it wasn’t real.
“I—” Liam’s voice faltered, and he pulled away from Lia, his heart pounding. “I don’t think this is right.”
Lia frowned, her eyes filling with concern. “What do you mean? Liam, this is what we’ve always talked about. A life together, without the chaos, without the danger. Just us.”
He ran a hand through his hair, his mind spinning. “But… how? How can this be real? One minute I’m fighting off vines, and the next I’m here, in this—this perfect little cottage?”
Lia stepped closer to him, her hands resting on his chest, her gaze soft and pleading. “Because this is what you want, Liam. Isn’t it? A life with me, without the magic, without the fear of being hurt or losing each other. You can finally have that.”
Liam’s chest tightened, his thoughts tumbling over one another. He did want that—didn’t he? A peaceful life with Lia, away from all the madness. But then his mind flashed to Aria, to the compass, to the journey they were still on. The dangers weren’t over, and he couldn’t just walk away from it all. Could he?
“Lia…” he began, his voice uncertain. “This doesn’t make sense. I’m not done. We’re not done. There’s still so much we need to do. The compass, the journey—there’s something bigger going on here.”
Lia’s smile faltered for a moment, but then she sighed, shaking her head. “Liam, you’ve always been the one who tried to carry the world on your shoulders. But you don’t have to anymore. You’ve done enough. We can walk away. Live the life we always dreamed of.”
Liam’s stomach twisted with doubt. He wanted to believe her, wanted to believe that they could just walk away from everything, but deep down, he knew it wasn’t that simple. The weight of the world wasn’t something he could just shrug off—not when so much was at stake.
“What if I’m not enough?” The words slipped out before he could stop them, and for the first time, he admitted the fear that had been gnawing at him since the beginning of their journey. “What if I can’t do this? What if I fail?”
Lia’s expression softened, her eyes filled with understanding. “Liam, you’re more than enough. You always have been. But you don’t have to prove anything. Not to me, not to anyone. You can just… be.”
Liam’s chest tightened with emotion. He wanted that so badly—to just be with her, to live a life free from the burden of magic and danger. But something inside him wouldn’t let him accept it.
“I don’t know if I can let go of this,” Liam admitted, his voice barely a whisper. “What if walking away means turning my back on something bigger? What if I’m running from what I’m meant to do?”
Lia cupped his face in her hands, her eyes filled with warmth. “You don’t have to save the world, Liam. You can save us. Isn’t that enough?”
Liam closed his eyes, the weight of her words pressing down on him. He could see it now—the life they could have. Peaceful mornings, laughter, a family, a future where he didn’t have to fight anymore. A future where they were safe, together. He could finally be at peace, free from the chaos, free from the fear of failure. But was it enough?
He opened his eyes, looking into Lia’s gaze, his heart torn in two. “What if I’m not ready to walk away from it all?”
Lia smiled sadly, her hands dropping from his face. “Then I’ll wait for you. But you don’t have to be afraid, Liam. You can come home whenever you’re ready.”
The room around them shimmered, the golden light flickering as if the illusion itself was unsure of what came next. The perfect cottage, the fire, the smell of bread—it all felt so real. Too real. But deep down, Liam knew it was a choice he couldn’t make lightly.
Lia stepped back, her smile gentle but fading. “This life is waiting for you, Liam. All you have to do is choose.”
And then, just like that, she was gone. The world around him shifted once again, and Liam found himself standing in the valley, the vibrant flowers and towering vines swaying in the breeze. His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt a strange emptiness settle over him.
He had been offered everything he had ever wanted—a life with Lia, away from the danger, away from the weight of the magical world. But could he live with himself if he chose that path? Could he walk away from the adventure, from the fight, knowing that the darkness was still out there?
Liam’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he looked at the compass in the distance, glowing faintly in Aria’s hand. The choice was still lingering in his mind, tempting him with the promise of peace. But at what cost?
Before he could fully process the weight of the decision, the ground beneath him trembled, and the vines around him stirred once more.