System's POV

Shana slowly opened her eyes, waking up from a sad yet happy dream.

A few days ago, Princess Xynalia had slept beside Thirteen in an attempt to wake him up.

Although she knew the Succubus Princess didn't mean him any harm, the Saintess also decided to sleep beside her beloved, ready to protect him just in case the princess tried to mess with his mind.

As soon as sleep embraced her, she found herself in a dream, where she had possessed someone else's body.

A kind, yet pitiful lady who had fallen in love with someone whom she shouldn't have fallen for.

But she couldn't help it and loved with all of her heart… even when she knew that only heartbreak awaited her.

A tear slipped from her eye, falling on Thirteen's cheek, whom she held in an embrace.

Princess Xynalia opened her eyes just in time to see Shana looking at Zion with such a broken-hearted expression.

The single tear that dripped from her eyes made Thirteen's brow flutter.

Slowly but surely, he opened his eyes. His first view was Shana, doing her best not to cry in front of him.

He then reached out to touch the side of her face, and the young lady pressed her hand over his own as if cherishing the warmth of his touch.

"Welcome home," Shana said softly.

In truth, she planned to say "welcome back," but for some reason, she used the word home instead. It simply felt more fitting… perfectly suitable for the System of Cannon Fodders, who had lost many precious things in his life.

"Thank you," Thirteen replied, his gaze softening a bit as he used his free hand to hold the back of Shana's head, gently guiding her face close to his. "I missed you."

The Saintess didn't resist and planted her lips firmly on Thirteen's forehead before kissing his lips.

"I missed you too."

The two kissed, kissed, and kissed once more, as if they hadn't kissed each other for a hundred years.

Princess Xynalia, who was right beside them, wanted to say, "Hey! Am I a joke to the two of you?!" but she held herself back and simply sighed in her heart.

A part of her wished to switch places with Shana and also kiss Thirteen as soon as he woke up.

After seeing his past, which she believed was real, she could no longer look at Zion Leventis the same way again.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened, and a cry of shock and joy reached her ears.

Sherry didn't hesitate to run toward the bed and hugged Zion tightly. She also started to peck his cheek, then lips, as if she hadn't kissed him for a very long time.

Even Thirteen was quite surprised at Sherry's reaction. Among his lovers, he believed her to be the most reserved of them all.

Still, he returned her hug and kissed her back. He even apologized for making her worry, and the two of them cuddled for a few minutes before the young lady reluctantly pulled back.

"I'll go tell the others that you're awake," Sherry said before leaving the bed as fast as she could to look for Erica and Princess Aracelle.

"… Couldn't she use her Communicator?" Thirteen blinked. "Uh… my body feels so stiff. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Two weeks," Erica answered as she entered the door with a smile on her face.

Unlike Shana and Sherry, she controlled her emotions properly.

But deep inside, she wanted nothing more than to make love to him then and there.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Erica," Thirteen said.

"I'm not that worried," Erica replied. "I knew you'll come back to us." At that moment, Tiona also appeared.

"She's lying," Tiona said with a smile. "She's so worried about you, she barely slept at night nor ate properly in the past week."

The young lady was in her human form, and after seeing Thirteen, she didn't hesitate to kiss him, just like everyone else except for Erica.

Princess Aracelle also arrived but held back just like Erica.

Truth be told, she just didn't want Princess Xynalia to see her unlady-like appearance after giving in to her emotions.

But the moment the succubus princess stepped out of the room, she would definitely hold her lover and show him how much she had missed him.

For the time being, none of the ladies told anyone that Zion had woken up.

Once they did, the news would spread like wildfire, and all the top dogs of the military would come knocking on their door, something they didn't want to happen right now.

They wanted to spend some private time with Thirteen first. Once he was dragged to work, he'd be too busy to see them.

"Thank you, Princess," Thirteen said to the succubus princess after he had hugged and kissed his lovers. "Thank you for waking me up from that dream."

"I didn't do anything special," Princess Xynalia replied. 'Except merging with Kate to make love with you.'

She didn't dare ‌say this out loud, especially with all the young man's lovers present.

However, her gaze lingered longer on Shana, as if coming to a realization.

The Saintess, on the other hand, simply hugged Thirteen as if refusing to let him go even for a minute.

"I'll be going now," Princess Xynalia said as she stood up from the bed. "I'll talk to you in private soon, Zion."

"I understand," Thirteen replied. "I would also like to meet you in private soon."

Before the princess left, Thirteen's lovers thanked her for her help.

If she hadn't come to help him, the young man might have slept longer. Maybe his dream would've looped his memory of Kate on that rainy day, when the young lady sought shelter under a tree.

She was still immersed in Thirteen's memories. After all, she had spent many years with him inside his dream.

From the things she learned from the young man's dream, she started to wonder about the battles he waged in places none of them could ever hope to see.

Princess Xynalia had seen a glimpse of that battle, but she didn't see how it played out.

However, one thing was for sure—the things she had seen were ones she shouldn't have seen or known.

It got her thinking… Just what was his true identity?

Zion Leventis or Thirteen.

More likely, he was both of them.

For the time being, she decided to put this matter aside until she and Zion had a proper talk.

Also, she was wondering who among his lovers was Kate.

'None of them looked like her, and none of them felt like her either,' Princess Xynalia thought. 'Have they already met in this lifetime? Or maybe not yet.'

As she pondered, she left Thirteen's room with a faint smile on her face.

She had already seen a miracle happen right before her eyes, and she was looking forward to reuniting with that person, whom she now considered a very old friend she shared many memories with.

After all, even the Saintess who cried after Thirteen's departure had reunited with him in this next life.

The princess was certain they could continue the promise that they had made on that fateful day, which lasted like the fleeting sands in an hourglass.

Princess Xynalia remembered the words that the God of Ceremonies, Ceremion, had said.

———

"No matter how far the distance," Ceremion's voice softened. "No matter how long the wait, love will always find a way. It does not wither with absence, nor does it vanish with death. It is the thread that defies time, the flame that refuses to be extinguished.

"Even if you are parted by realms, even if centuries pass and lifetimes are reborn, this bond you forge today will remain. It will call to you across silence, across sorrow, across time and space. Remember this truth… love will never abandon those who believe in it."

———

Back then, Princess Xynalia thought that the God was merely saying those things to make Medea feel better. But now… she believed it with all of her heart.

'Congratulations, Shana,' Princess Xynalia mused as she left the building. 'I hope that this time, the two of you can be together for eternity.'

That was how she truly felt, and just like what Ceremion said…

Love would always find a way.