?


    This wasn''t unfamiliar. I''d been here countless times with Jace over the years, sitting through gatherings at Cloudscape Monastery.


    But I never imagined I''d one day be sitting here listening to him deliver a sermon-not as Jace Johnston, but as a spiritual guide of the Harmonist faith.


    Hayden helped me into a seat quietly, and Jace began to speak, reciting teachings from Harmonism. But I couldn''t focus. Not a single word registered.


    I just watched him, piecing together his recent strange behavior. It all made sense now- he''d been on this path for a long time. Even while dealing with the chaos around him, his heart had already detached from the world.


    That''s why, when his parents died, he didn''t grieve orsh out. He just... epted it. Jace had let go of everything, seeing life and death as part of somerger cycle.


    When his sermon ended, he walked over to us.


    Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. "Jace... how could you do this?" I thought I''d made peace with so much. But seeing him like this? I realized I hadn''t. "This brings me peace," Jace said softly, his gaze steady, his eyes clear like still water. Happiness without burden."


    “[This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    I wanted to argue, to say something, but his eyes stopped me. What could I say? Looking at everything he''d been through, maybe this really was the right choice for him.


    "Hayden," Jace said, turning to him, "you came here for answers, didn''t you?"


    "Yes," Hayden replied. "I want to know how you brought Thorsten and Cole under control. When I was overseas, they were my biggest concern." Jace didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he said, "Follow me."


    11


    Without hesitation, we followed him along a winding path. The monastery sat high on the mountain, and the road was uneven. Hayden kept a firm grip on my hand, steadying me with every step.


    Jace nced back at us a few times but quickly turned away each time. He didn''t say anything, but I could feel it-he still cared. Eventually, he led us to a secluded building. The faint, rhythmic sound of wooden beads filled the air, signaling deep reflection. Through the doorway, I saw a figure seated inside, dressed in in robes, their posture serene. My heart stopped.


    ?? ????


    1/2


    "Mrs. Drago?!" I whispered, stunned.


    Jace had told me she died in the fire. He had lied. Not just to me, but to everyone- including Thorsten and Cole. In that moment, it clicked: this was how Jace had subdued the Dragos. Mrs. Drago held their fates in her hands. "She''s chosen a life of reflection and atonement," Jace exined quietly. "She asked me to bring you something."


    Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a small, ribbon-tied bundle and handed it to me with both hands. "She spent 999 days preparing this. She wanted you to have it-as protection and goodwill."


    I epted it, lowering my head slightly in a gesture of gratitude toward Mrs. Drago, who remained silent in meditation.


    e


    Jace straightened and turned to again. "Rea, RiverwaveCorp is shut down. Gavin will handle what happens next under your direction. That includes the family estate and cars. Sell them, donate them-it''s your choice."


    So this was what Gavin wanted to discuss.


    “Rea,” Jace added, "I want to give you a wedding gift. It''s the first money I ever earned, and it''s clean. Please don''t refuse it. Think of it as a dowry- from your brother."


    His voice trembled slightly, his eyes glistening.


    “Jace..." I started, but he shook his head, cutting me off.


    I didn''t know what to say. Watching him like this, so calm yet so distant, made ache in a way I couldn''t describe.


    "Hayden," Jace said, his voice turning firm. "Take care of her."


    my


    chest


    With that, he nodded, turned, and walked away


    We watched as he disappeared down the mountain path.


    Tears poured down my face, unstoppable, like rain.