Chapter 343: Will you ....??
The evening quietly embraced the world.
The cheerful voices of the children at Daisy’s Happy Home slowly faded behind them as the car left the peaceful streets of Silverwood Town. The orange glow of sunset disappeared little by little beyond the horizon, making way for a calm blue sky that was welcoming the night.
Inside the car, neither of them spoke for several minutes.
The silence was comfortable.
The kind that only existed between two people who no longer needed words every moment.
Chloe leaned comfortably against her seat, still holding the small daisy flower the little girl had gifted her.
A gentle smile refused to leave her face.
She looked outside at the passing forests before turning toward Miles.
"What a day it was."
"I don’t think..."
She paused, searching for the right words.
"I don’t think I have ever been this happy in my entire life."
She looked at him with eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you... for today."
Miles smiled without taking his eyes off the road.
"I told you..."
"There is one final place I want to take you before the day ends."
Chloe tilted her head.
"Another surprise?"
Miles shook his head.
"Not exactly."
"It is a promise."
"A promise I have wanted to fulfill for a long time."
"A promise?"
Her curiosity immediately returned.
Miles smiled.
"Do you remember..."
"I made you a promise beneath the stars at the Eiffel Tower."
Chloe blinked.
"I..."
She frowned slightly before laughing.
"Did you?"
"You don’t remember?"
Miles asked, pretending to sound disappointed.
Chloe pressed her lips together.
"I remember that night."
"I remember almost everything."
"But..."
She smiled sheepishly.
"I don’t remember every single sentence."
Miles chuckled quietly.
"I thought so."
The road gradually began climbing upward.
The buildings disappeared behind them.
Soon, only tall, perfectly straight pine trees surrounded both sides of the road.
The deeper they drove, the darker it became.
Moonlight filtered gently through the branches, painting silver patterns across the road.
Chloe instinctively reached over and lightly held the sleeve of Miles’ suit.
"It’s getting dark."
"What kind of place is this?"
Miles smiled without answering.
Instead, he pressed a button.
The sunroof slowly slid open.
Cool air immediately drifted inside.
Miles looked upward.
"Look."
Chloe slowly lifted her head.
The moment her eyes reached the opening above...
She stopped breathing.
The sky stretched endlessly.
Countless stars glittered across an ocean of perfect darkness.
There were no city lights.
No buildings.
Nothing stealing away their brilliance.
Every constellation shone clearly, as though someone had scattered diamonds across black velvet.
Her eyes remained fixed above.
The memory of Paris quietly resurfaced.
Ghost...
Standing beside her beneath the Eiffel Tower.
His gentle voice.
"One day I will take you somewhere where the stars are truly beautiful."
Her lips slowly curved into a smile.
"So..."
"This was your promise."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"A simple promise..."
She looked at the stars again.
"...can become something this beautiful."
"My childhood..."
She smiled to herself.
"I almost forgot..."
"How the night sky really looked."
For several more minutes...
Neither of them spoke.
Only the sound of the engine accompanied the peaceful night.
Eventually the car reached the top of the hill.
Miles gently parked beside a simple wooden fence.
Beyond it...
Only darkness and endless stars.
Miles stepped out first.
He walked around the car before opening Chloe’s door.
He extended his hand.
"Come."
"Let’s walk beneath the starlight."
Chloe nodded softly.
"Hmm."
She placed her hand in his.
Their fingers naturally intertwined.
For a brief moment...
Neither moved.
They simply looked into each other’s eyes beneath the endless sky.
Then together...
They began walking.
Step after step.
The cool breeze brushed against their clothes.
Grass swayed softly around them.
Ahead stood a simple metal gate.
Miles gently pushed it open.
The hinges made a quiet sound before revealing a vast open field beyond.
Chloe slowly looked around.
"I never knew..."
"There was somewhere like this so close to Star Harbor."
Miles smiled.
"This place has a name."
Chloe looked toward him.
"What is it called?"
Miles lifted his eyes toward the stars.
"It is called..."
"Your Eyes Can See Infinity."
Chloe quietly repeated it.
"Your Eyes Can See Infinity..."
"What a beautiful name."
Miles nodded.
"Perhaps..."
"We may never reach every place where that light comes from."
"But..."
"We are always free to dream about reaching it."
Chloe slowly loosened his hand.
She walked several steps ahead into the middle of the open field.
The moonlight wrapped gently around her dress.
She spread her arms.
Then twirled once across the soft grass.
The breeze carried her hair behind her.
She laughed.
A free...
Pure...
Happy laugh.
Miles simply stood there watching.
His eyes never left her.
She slowly stopped spinning.
Her gaze lifted beyond Miles.
Above him...
The bright North Star quietly shone.
Guiding travelers.
Just as it always had.
Chloe’s smile softened.
She slowly closed her eyes.
"Life..."
"May have been very cruel."
She took a deep breath.
"But..."
"I don’t regret any of it..... anymore."
She slowly raised one hand toward the sky.
"Mama..."
"Papa..."
"I am..."
"So happy today."
A pair of warm arms gently embraced her from behind.
Miles rested his chin lightly beside her shoulder.
He looked toward the same stars.
Then quietly raised his own hand beside hers.
For a moment...
They simply stood there.
Together.
Looking toward the same endless sky.
Chloe leaned comfortably against him.
"I love you, Miles."
Without hesitation...
He answered.
"I love you too."
Silence followed once again.
Not an awkward silence.
A peaceful one.
The kind shared only between two hearts that had already found home.
After a while, Chloe smiled.
"I wonder..."
"How did you even find this dreamland?"
Miles looked across the endless field.
"This place..."
"...was a gift."
"My Great Aunt Nora gave it to me."
Chloe blinked.
"Great Aunt Nora?"
Miles nodded.
"She told me..."
"She probably would not be able to attend the main event."
"So..."
"She wanted to give me her gift beforehand."
Chloe slowly turned within his embrace until she was facing him.
Moonlight reflected in her curious eyes.
"The main event...?"
....
Miles slowly loosened his embrace.
He took one quiet step back.
Then another.
Chloe watched him curiously, wondering why he had suddenly created a little distance between them.
The cool breeze moved gently through the grass.
The countless stars above seemed brighter than ever.
Miles looked at her one last time.
Then...
He slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
The night fell completely silent.
The stars behind him stretched endlessly across the sky, as though the entire universe had gathered to witness this single moment.
Chloe’s eyes widened.
Her breathing stopped.
Her heart suddenly raced so hard that she instinctively placed both hands over her chest.
It felt as though it might leap out at any second.
Her lips trembled.
"...Miles..."
Miles lowered his gaze for a moment.
He closed his eyes.
He inhaled slowly.
When he opened them again, they were already shining with tears.
He smiled gently.
"Back then..."
"I was little more than six years old."
"I was... lifeless."
"There was one person who truly understood me."
"Her name was Sky."
His smile became warmer despite the tears gathering in his eyes.
"She was like an elder sister."
"She looked after me."
"She secretly brought me snacks."
"I couldn’t even remember my own name."
"So..."
"She gave me one."
"Kai."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"She said it rhymed with hers."
Chloe’s eyes softened.
At that moment...
She finally understood why that name had always carried such meaning for him.
Miles looked toward the stars again.
"She always told me I was important."
"But..."
"I never understood her."
"She taught me something no one ever had."
"Goals."
He paused.
"The first goal I ever had..."
"...came after she sacrificed herself protecting me from our enemies."
His voice trembled.
A tear slipped quietly down his cheek.
"Only after losing her..."
"...did I understand how important I had been to someone."
"My first goal became revenge."
"I think..."
"She was the only person who saw there was still a human heart inside me."
Silence settled between them.
Only the breeze continued speaking.
"I wandered across the world."
"I saw how cruel people could become."
"I saw friends betray each other."
"I saw children murder their own parents for greed."
"I saw people throw away love as though it meant nothing."
He smiled bitterly.
"Or perhaps..."
"My eyes were only ever allowed to witness those things."
"There were people..."
"...who sacrificed themselves for those they loved."
"There were people..."
"...who fought to protect their families."
"But..."
"I could never understand those feelings."
He slowly looked down at his own hands.
"They were covered in too much blood."
"The world I saw..."
"...was only red..."
"...and black."
"My goals kept changing."
"But every single one of them..."
"...was filled with blood."
"Filled with vengeance."
"There were nights..."
"...when I asked myself..."
"’Who am I?’"
"’Why am I still alive?’"
"The only thing that kept me moving..."
"...was a nightmare."
"My mother..."
"...calling my name."
"...crying for me."
Miles lowered his head.
He pressed one hand lightly against his forehead.
For the first time...
He looked fragile.
Broken.
Chloe instinctively lifted one hand toward him.
She wanted to walk over.
She wanted to hold him.
But her own legs refused to move.
She simply stood there with tears filling her eyes.
Miles slowly looked back at her.
Then...
He smiled.
"My first goal..."
"The first dream of my life..."
"...that carried neither blood nor revenge..."
"...was you."
"...Chloe."
"The first time I saw you..."
"...I lost myself."
"Your eyes..."
"They were so deep..."
"I couldn’t understand them."
"I kept staring."
"I had left loose ends behind me that day in Paris."
"There were enemies who could have used that chance."
"But..."
"My heart no longer looked for enemies."
"It only looked for you."
His voice broke.
"I won’t hide anything from you."
"I have saved countless lives."
Looking at his hands "But..."
"I have taken countless lives."
"I don’t know..."
"If I am the right man for you."
"But..."
"Whenever I am with you..."
"I only want to leave everything behind."
"I want to walk beside you."
"Step by step."
"Through the busy streets of Paris."
"Across quiet beaches..."
"...leaving our footprints together."
"Under starlight..."
"...on hills like this."
"I..."
"...was a lost child..."
"...who finally grew up..."
"...because of you."
"I promised myself..."
"...that I would protect you with my own life."
"My secrets..."
"My past..."
"My present..."
"My future..."
"They all belong to you."
"I will become whatever kind of man makes you happiest."
"I will keep learning..."
"...how to live."
"...how to smile."
"...how to dream."
"My friends."
"My family."
"My happiness."
"Everything that is mine..."
"...is yours."
He slowly lifted his eyes toward the endless sky.
"With the heavens as my witness..."
"I promise you."
A small laugh escaped him with teardrops.
"I never imagined..."
"...that one day..."
"...I would say these words."
"...like an ordinary man."
His trembling eyes met hers.
"Chloe..."
"I want to keep walking beside you."
"For the rest of my life."
"Will you walk with me?"
Chloe could no longer hold back her tears.
She nodded.
Again.
And again.
Unable to speak.
Miles smiled through his own tears.
"There may still be hardships waiting for me."
"But..."
"I promise..."
"I will never let them steal the love between us."
"I want to build a beautiful life with you."
"Will you become part of that life?"
Chloe nodded once more.
Her tears refused to stop.
Miles slowly reached into his pocket.
He brought out a small jewelry box.
With careful hands...
He opened it.
A delicate ring rested inside.
Its elegant design shimmered beneath the stars.
Tiny pearls surrounded the brilliant center stone, giving it a gentle warmth instead of overwhelming brilliance.
Miles looked into her eyes.
Every word carried every feeling he had hidden for years.
"Chloe..."
"Will you..."
"...marry me?"
The distance between them vanished.
Chloe ran toward him.
She dropped onto her knees before him.
Her own knees barely noticed the grass beneath them.
Both her trembling hands reached forward.
She gently cupped his hands between hers.
Her tears fell onto his fingers.
"I..."
"I..."
She laughed through her tears.
Then cried even harder.
"Yes..."
"I will walk beside you..."
"...even if the road itself comes to an end."
"I want..."
"...to be part of your beautiful life."
She hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve, only for new ones to replace them.
"I..."
"...will..."
"...marry you."
She leaned forward.
Their foreheads gently rested against each other.
Miles closed his eyes.
His tears quietly continued flowing.
For a long moment...
Neither of them spoke.
Their breaths mingled softly in the cool air.
When they finally opened their eyes...
They found each other only inches away.
There was no hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Only love.
Miles slowly lifted one hand and gently brushed away the tears from Chloe’s cheek with his thumb.
She smiled through trembling lips.
Her eyes slowly closed.
Miles leaned forward.
Their lips met softly beneath the endless stars.
It was gentle.
Patient.
A kiss that carried years of waiting.
Years of searching.
Years of surviving.
Neither hurried to pull away.
Time itself seemed to stop.
The cool breeze passed quietly around them.
The stars continued shining above.
When they finally separated...
Only a small distance remained between their faces.
Both smiled.
Both laughed softly through their tears.
Chloe immediately covered her blushing face with both hands.
"You..."
"I cannot even look at you now..."
Miles chuckled warmly.
He gently caught her hands before they could hide her completely.
Slowly...
He picked up the ring once more.
Their eyes met again.
Without another word...
He carefully slipped the ring onto her delicate finger.
It fit perfectly.
The tiny pearls shimmered beneath the starlight.
Chloe stared at it silently.
Then she slowly lifted her hand to her heart.
Her fingers gently rested over the ring.
As though protecting the precious promise it carried.
Unable to stop herself anymore...
She stepped forward and fell into Miles’ embrace.
He wrapped both arms around her.
Holding her close.
As though he had finally found the place where he truly belonged.
Above them...
The stars continued shining.
Silent witnesses...
To two souls...
Who had finally found their forever.
[ A/N - Uhggggh , My throat hurts... Dear Miles, Have a grand Wedding and kids already.. I wish you luck my buddy ^_+]