Page 249 of Emylia

His chest rose and fell like he couldn’t catch his breath.

“Losing you wouldn’t just hurt, Bastian. It would ruin me. And if I’m ruined... so is everything else. I can’t risk it. I can’t risk you.”

“And Maalik?”

“It’ll hurt,” I admitted. “But it won’t end me.”

Silence split us wide open.

“I don’t know how to live in a world without you,” I whispered. “So I won’t risk a love that could break the whole world if it breaks me.”

He moved closer, like he didn’t believe it. Like he couldn’t. “I don’t want to be your safe choice,” he said.

“You were never the safe choice,” I breathed. “You were always the fire.” His hands clenched at his sides. “Loving you would be catastrophic. If I lost you… I’d burn this world down. No hesitation. No mercy. No one should have that kind of power over me.”

“But I do,” he whispered. “I’m the one who could destroy you?”

“And that’s why I can’t choose you.”

His shoulders folded. “So this is it,” he said. “This is the end of us.”

I couldn’t speak.

I just nodded.

He didn’t ask for more. Just pulled me into him like he was memorizing the shape of my body. Like he needed to hold me one last time.

Because itwasthe last.

“I knew,” he whispered. “I knew you had chosen him. I just needed to pretend a little longer.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, voice raw.

“Don’t be,” he murmured. “You were never really mine. I just… loved you like you were.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me—really look at me.

“If it’s not me…” he swallowed, “then I’m glad it’s someone who will protect you when I can’t.” His voice broke, but he didn’t stop. “And Gods… he sees you the way you deserve to be seen. I hate how much sense he makes for you."

Slowly, I reached for my necklace—the one he gave me. The one I hadn’t taken off since the moment he had given it to me.

I slipped it off with trembling fingers and placed the ring into his hand, curling his fingers around it. The one with the phoenix engraved on the underside. The one forged from my father’s ruby bracelet.

It glinted softly as I closed his hand around it.

His eyes collided with mine. “What’s this?” he asked, voice rough.

My throat tightened. “Something to remember me by.”

His brows drew together. “Em…”

“Remember it’s not because I don’t love you. But because I do. Too much.” I whispered.

His breath caught. He looked down at the ring like it might break him all over again and it did—he visibly crumbled.

“A phoenix. Ours.”

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “This isn’t just a goodbye gift,” I whispered. “It’s a promise,” I said. “That no matter what, you’d always have the first piece of me. Even if I can’t give you the rest.”

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