Golden Melody (Editing)

Chapter 103

Chapter 103 – The Birthday That Never Ends

Miexha sat up, every muscle screaming in protest—but her mind refused to rest.

She had to plan.

How could she survive this place? How could she change Xefariel?

She needed answers.

What year was it now? What happened to the outside world?
Why were she and Jayson being held captive?
Where were their children?

And…
Where was Zatariel?

Her fingers curled into fists, nails biting into her palms.

The chains around her waist shimmered faintly in the gloom—veins of molten silver that twitched when she moved, as though breathing.

She took a shaky breath and reached for them.

The moment her fingers brushed the metal, it reacted—writhing like a living thing and tightening viciously around her waist.

Pain exploded through her.

She screamed.

Then froze.

Her ring pulsed.

It moved—coiling, adjusting, a parasite fused to her finger like a brand. It had eyes. They blinked.

A rush of panic surged through her throat.

"Calm down, Miexha. You can’t afford to fall apart."

She sucked in air through clenched teeth. Her entire body trembled, but she forced herself to sit straighter.

For Jayson.
For their children.
For the broken girl who called herself daughter.

She staggered to her feet. Her knees buckled.

—CRASH!

The door creaked open.

Miexha’s hand shot up defensively.

BOOM.

A surge of wind erupted from her body, slicing the intruder in half. The door shattered. Light and smoke flashed in waves.

She stared at her hands, chest heaving.

"Did I… do that?"

Alarms screamed. Sirens wailed like dying things.

Footsteps thundered.

Thyron appeared through the smoke, face pale with shock—yet a trace of relief bloomed in his expression.

"I knew you'd remember something," he muttered with a crooked grin,
"and try to run again."

But then came Xefariel—drifting in like a specter, her golden hair gleaming under the flickering red emergency lights.

She laughed softly.

"That almost scared me," she said, brushing soot off her coat.
"But seeing your stupid face, Mother… now I can breathe again."

She reached into her pouch and tossed something to the floor.

It hit with a metallic clink.

A necklace.

Miexha bent down, and her breath caught.

Inside the capsule hanging from the chain…
was ash.

Xefariel's smile widened.

“It’s Jayson,” she said brightly. “You wanted to keep him close, didn’t you?”

Thyron growled, storming forward, reaching for Miexha’s wrist—but—