The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 193: Chapter 194: The Love We Couldn’t Protect

Two months passed.

The curtain opened again.

Kael stood beside the river.

He was alone.

He looked toward the place where Elena usually appeared.

He waited.

A day passed.

Then another.

The lighting changed to represent the passage of time.

Kael returned.

He waited again.

The same river.

The same forest.

The same flowers.

But Elena never came.

Eventually, Kael sat beneath a tree.

His expression had changed.

He no longer smiled.

"I wonder what she’s doing now..."

"I’ll wait a little longer."

He whispered.

"Am i... really inlove?."

Another scene.

He waited.

Another.

He waited again.

The audience began to understand.

He had been waiting for two months.

Then Kael finally stood.

"If she can’t come here..."

He looked toward the distant castle.

"...Then I’ll go to her."

The scene changed.

The castle.

Music began playing softly.

Kael stood outside the grand gates.

He was stopped by several guards.

"I need to see Elena."

"Her Highness is unavailable."

"I need to speak with her."

"You need to leave."

Kael pushed forward.

"Tell her Kael is here."

One of the guards looked at him with pity.

"You don’t understand."

Kael froze.

"What?"

"Her Highness is getting married."

Silence.

The audience became completely still.

Kael’s face changed.

"Married?"

The guard nodded.

"Tomorrow."

Kael stared at the castle.

"No..."

His voice was barely audible.

He stepped backward.

"No, that can’t be."

The music became quieter.

Then Elena appeared.

She was wearing a beautiful white dress.

Not a wedding dress.

Something close to one.

Her eyes were red from crying.

She saw Kael.

Her body froze.

"Kael..."

He stared at her.

"Elena."

For a moment, neither moved.

Kael stepped toward her.

"Let’s leave."

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

"Kael..."

"Come with me."

"I can’t."

"You can."

Kael reached toward her.

"I’ll find a place."

He spoke faster.

"We’ll leave the kingdom. I’ll work. I’ll do anything."

Elena cried.

"You don’t understand."

"I understand that you love me."

She covered her mouth.

Kael’s voice became desperate.

"Then come with me."

Elena shook her head.

"I can’t."

"Why?"

"Because..."

Her voice broke.

"I can’t abandon my family."

Kael stared at her.

"Then what about us?"

Elena lowered her head.

"I’m sorry."

Kael stood completely still.

"Is that it?"

Elena couldn’t answer.

Kael laughed quietly.

It wasn’t a happy laugh.

It was the sound of someone who had finally realized that there was nothing left to say.

"I waited for you."

His voice trembled.

"Every day."

Elena’s tears fell.

"I thought you would come back."

"I wanted to."

"Then why didn’t you?"

Elena closed her eyes.

"Because I was afraid."

Kael looked at her.

She continued.

"I was afraid of losing my family."

She opened her eyes.

"And now..."

She looked at him.

"I’ve lost you anyway."

Kael remained silent.

Then he stepped backward.

"We promised to eachother, didn’t we?"

"Goodbye, Elena."

"Kael..."

He turned away.

Elena reached toward him.

But she stopped.

Kael walked away.

The audience remained silent.

Several students had already begun wiping their eyes.

One instructor lowered her head.

Another quietly whispered,

"That’s heartbreaking."

"They’re like a professional."

The curtain closed.

---

The next scene began.

Years had passed.

Kael had continued living as an adventurer.

Elena had married the noble family chosen by her parents.

Neither had forgotten the other.

The two lives continued separately.

Until one day—

their paths crossed again.

The stage showed a village under attack.

People were running.

Flames filled the background.

Several monsters had broken through the village defenses.

Kael entered the stage.

He was older.

His clothing was worn.

His face was more serious than before.

He was no longer the young adventurer who had dreamed about building a small house beside the mountains.

He had become someone hardened by years of traveling.

Then he saw her.

Elena.

She was standing among the villagers.

Her expression changed immediately.

"Kael..."

He looked at her.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Kael smiled faintly.

"It’s been a long time."

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

A monster suddenly roared.

It charged toward Elena.

Kael moved without hesitation.

"Elena!"

He rushed forward.

The monster’s attack came down.

Kael stepped between them.

The weapon pierced his body.

The audience gasped.

Elena screamed.

"KAEL!"

Kael fell into her arms.

The monster was defeated by the other adventurers moments later, but Elena no longer noticed anything around her.

She caught Kael as he collapsed.

"No..."

She shook her head.

"No, no, no..."

Kael looked at her.

His breathing was weak.

"I’m glad... you’re safe."

Elena’s tears began falling uncontrollably.

"Why?"

Kael smiled faintly.

"Because you’re still someone I love you..."

Elena shook her head.

"You idiot..."

Her voice broke.

"You absolute idiot..."

Kael tried to speak.

"Elena..."

"Why didn’t you fight for us?"

She held him tightly.

"Why did you let me go?"

Kael remained silent.

"I loved you."

Her voice became louder.

"I still loved you."

She pressed her forehead against his.

"I should have fought for you."

Her tears fell onto his face.

"I should have chosen you, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry."

Kael’s eyes slowly closed.

Elena’s expression collapsed.

"Kael?"

Silence.

"Kael?"

She shook him.

"Please..."

Her voice became barely audible.

"Please wake up."

Nothing.

Elena hugged him tightly.

The audience was completely silent.

Her voice broke.

"I was so afraid of losing everything..."

She cried.

"And I lost the only thing that mattered."

She held him tighter.

"I’m sorry."

The music became quieter.

"I should have fought for you."

She lowered her head.

"I should have chosen you."

The stage lights slowly dimmed.

Elena remained kneeling there, holding Kael’s lifeless body against her chest.

The final line came quietly.

"If I had known..."

She closed her eyes.

"...I would have chosen you."

The lights went completely dark.

For several seconds, there was no movement.

Then the long curtain slowly began closing.

It moved across the stage.

Slowly.

Until Elena and Kael disappeared completely behind it.

The performance was over.

The audience remained silent.

Nobody immediately applauded.

The story had ended too suddenly for them to recover.

Then one student quietly sniffled.

Another wiped both eyes.

Someone near the front whispered,

"That was..."

Her voice broke.

"I actually cried."

The silence finally shattered.

Applause began.

Slowly at first.

Then louder.

The entire hall erupted.

Students stood.

Instructors stood with them.

Some were still wiping tears from their faces while applauding.

One instructor openly covered her mouth as tears continued falling.

"That was beautiful."

Another nodded.

"I didn’t expect it to be that emotional."

A student near the back shouted,

"Ares and Lyra were amazing!"

Another voice followed.

"That ending was cruel!"

Someone else laughed through their tears.

"I hate them!"

The applause grew louder.

Backstage, the actors remained still for several seconds.

Ares stood quietly.

The emotion of the final scene still lingered.

He looked toward Lyra.

She was breathing slowly, still partly immersed in Elena’s emotions.

Their eyes met.

Neither spoke.

Then the curtain completely closed.

Only after the applause had begun did the actors finally relax.

The performance was over.

And for one afternoon, Kael and Elena had existed on that stage as though their story had truly happened.

Ares quietly exhaled.

"...That was exhausting."

Rhal immediately appeared beside him.

"You’re not getting away from this."

Ares looked at him.

"What now?"

Rhal grinned.

"You were surprisingly good, I wish i could do that too"

Ares sighed.

"I never want to do this again."

Lyra approached them.

She was smiling.

"You were very good, Ares."

Ares looked at her.

"Yeah, you too your Highness."

She smiled.

"Thank you."

The audience outside continued applauding.

The story of Kael and Elena had ended.

But the emotions they had created would remain with the people who had watched them long after the stage had gone dark.

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