Immortality // caius x oc // sequel to sanctity

CHAPTER FIVE /// Eclipsed truths

There was a certain freedom in her stance, an unbound grace that spoke of a deep connection to the natural world around her and yet, I could also see the sadness in her posture. The way her shoulders slightly slumped and the distant look in her eyes as she gazed out over the vast open sea.

She was ethereal in every meaning of the world.

But she was also broken, so very broken.

From a distance, she appeared almost happy. But the closer I got, the more I saw that she was simply masking her true feelings.

The night sky hung above us, a canopy of stars twinkling like diamonds scattered across black velvet and the sea stretched out endlessly before us, a dark, rolling expanse that merged with the horizon. The castle stood proud and solitary in the distance, the only structure for miles, its silhouette etched against the sky.

I walked closer to her.

Steps measured and deliberate.

I took in every detail – the way the moonlight played off the waves.

The distant sound of the surf crashing against the cliffs.

The whisper of wind through the trees.

Finally, I reached her, standing by her side I gazed out at the view.

"amore mio..."

I began, voice carrying with it the weight of my emotions and she turned slightly, her crimson eyes met mine, still filled with that distant sadness. She did not speak, but her silence invited me to continue.

"I have come to understand that I may have been too harsh, that I did not fully consider your feelings or the sacrifices you've made to please me."

I hesitated at first but chose my words carefully and her gaze softened some, however, she remained quiet listening intently. I took a deep breath, the cool air filling my lungs.

"Marcus showed me your mother's diary. I know now what you were willing to do, and I realize the gravity of my mistake in forbidding you."

Her eyes widened ever so, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

"I see now that I was wrong to make that decision alone. Your feelings, your desires—they matter just as much as mine. And I fear I've pushed you into a corner, made you feel as though you had no choice but to name Renesmee heir."

Rowen looked down, her fingers twisting the rings that rested on them.

"a mother i something I never knew. I never understood the unwavering love a woman can have for her child... and yet I crave it anyway."

I listened intently, heart aching for her.

"I had hoped that bearing a child wouldn't come at such a grave cost. What queen of immortals could I be if I were human? It feels like a silly dream, something that should be left for the singers."

My heart broke.

The idea of her, removing her immortality filled me with dread. I envisioned the worst: her lifeless corpse, laying there, drained of her essence, her powers not enough to save her.

The very thought made my chest tighten with a fear I had not felt in a millennia.

My focus had been fixed on the practicality and necessity of naming Renesmee as heir that I hadn't fully considered what Rowen's desires were, or the lengths she might go to achieve them.

I read it myself in the diary, Alana had almost lost her life during the process, and it was only her telekinetic abilities that had saved her.

But rowen...