The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 163: Final Words

Joar’s form dissipated, his features blurred, like mist caught in a gentle breeze. His body, once a shimmering presence, turned into wisps of ethereal light, gradually becoming more translucent. The room grew colder, and the ambient light seemed to dim as if Joar’s departure was drawing the warmth and light away with him.

"Answer me!" Jerrick shouted, his voice desperate and trembling. He needed the truth to protect his Songbird, to make sense of the chaos swirling around him.

"Jasmine deserves happiness. It’s fine if she forgets me," Joar’s voice echoed softly in the room, though his form was now almost entirely gone. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, filling the space with a haunting, bittersweet resonance.

Jerrick’s heart pounded, a mix of fear and determination coursing through him. "She needs the truth, Jerrick..." Joar’s voice echoed in bits and pieces, fragmented and fading. "Tell her the truth..."

Jerrick’s breath caught in his throat. The truth? The word reverberated in his mind, stirring memories and emotions he had buried deep within. He clenched his fists, the weight of his own secrets bearing down on him like a crushing force.

Joar’s voice, now a mere whisper, seemed to seep into the very walls of the room. "Only the truth will set her free... and you, Jerrick..."

Jerrick’s knees buckled, and he sank to the floor, his hands trembling. He had spent so long hiding from the truth, from the pain it would cause. But now, with Joar’s final plea lingering in the air...

"Tell her..." The whisper echoed one last time before fading into silence, leaving Jerrick alone with his thoughts and the weight of his unspoken confessions.

"Ahhhh!"

The quiet night was shattered by Jessamyn’s anguished scream, echoing through the garden. Her body trembled, wracked with sobs as she clutched her chest, feeling as though her heart was being torn apart. The gentle warmth Joar left behind was replaced by a cold, hollow ache that seemed to consume her entirely.

She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if the very essence of her being was being ripped apart, the agony of losing Joar again, this time forever, too much to endure.

Jerrick rushed out, bursting out the door of the house, alarmed by her cries. He found her crumpled on the ground, tears streaming down her face, her hands clenched tightly over her heart. Without hesitation, he knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Jessamyn," he called gently, kneeling beside her and pulling her into his arms. "I’m here. I’ve got you."

She buried her face in his shoulder, her sobs muffled against his coat. The pain of Joar’s departure was unbearable, and the thought of living without him was a weight she didn’t know how to bear.

"I’m here, Jessamyn..." he kissed her head. "I am here..." Patting her back, he repeated those words again and again.

She clung to him desperately, her sobs shaking her entire body. The warmth of his embrace offered a small comfort, but it did little to ease the searing pain in her chest.

Minutes passed, and her sobs gradually subsided, leaving her exhausted and drained. Jerrick continued to hold her, his presence a steady anchor in the storm of her emotions.

"I can’t... I can’t do this," she gasped between sobs. "It hurts so much, Jerrick. It hurts too much."

Jerrick held her tighter, his own eyes filled with sorrow. He didn’t know how to take her pain away, but he knew he had to be there for her, to help her through this unbearable moment.

"I know, Jessamyn," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I know it hurts. But you’re not alone. I’m here with you... I’m here..."

For what felt like an eternity, they stayed like that, Jerrick holding Jessamyn as she cried out her grief. Gradually, her sobs began to subside, leaving her exhausted and drained.

As if the sky echoed her mood, big raindrops began to fall. "I’m bringing you in," Jerrick said softly, covering her with the fur coat left abandoned on the ground. He lifted her gently, cradling her in his arms as he carried her inside.

He brought her to the other bedroom. He might be humble enough to comfort his fiancée as she wept for another man, but he didn’t have the heart to bring her to the room she shared with Joar. It would have been too painful for both of them.

He placed her on the bed, her body still trembling with residual sobs. Holding her close, he rocked her gently, whispering soothing words.

"Jessamyn... Let me know what you need... Take whatever you want from me..." His voice was tender, filled with a desperation to ease her pain, to be the balm for her shattered heart.

He didn’t mind it if she wanted to bite into him again. He tried to kiss her to offer her solace, just like she sought him back in the forest.

But her anguish was a storm he couldn’t calm. She lay in his arms, her tears soaking into his shirt, her breathing ragged. The weight of her sorrow was almost unbearable, and Jerrick felt helpless, unable to take away the pain that consumed her.

"Shh, I’m here, Jessamyn. I’m here..." he murmured, his fingers brushing through her hair, trying to offer what little comfort he could.

He felt the enormity of her loss, the depth of her love for Joar, and it tore at him.

He wanted to be her anchor, her safe harbor, but he knew, deep down, that he could never replace Joar. All he could do was be there for her, to hold her as she cried, to listen when she needed to speak, and to support her with everything he had.

In the quiet of the room, with the rain tapping softly against the window, Jerrick held Jessamyn close.

After being physically unable to keep on crying, she fell asleep. Jerrick helped her get comfortable on the bed and covered her.

Oddly, he had an understanding of her pain. He went through the same pain after all. He kissed her forehead.

"I am here..."

He didn’t know if Jessamyn could forget Joar. But he surely would find a way for her to find happiness.

Jerrick did think of the last words of Joar. Truth, he said. Which truth? Did he mean all the truths?

Jerrick let out a deep breath. Holding Jessamyn in his arms, he fell asleep.