Chloe had already explained everything to Anya, so by the time Marcus arrived, she knew exactly why he had come. She understood what was in his heart, and she didn’t need to hear an explanation.

The moment she saw him, all the hurt, loneliness, and heartbreak she had carried for years melted away. She threw herself into his arms without hesitation, burying her face against his chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Anya!"

Marcus wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her close, holding her as though he never wanted to let go. The girl he had hidden in the deepest corner of his heart was finally in his embrace again. He breathed in her familiar scent and felt their hearts reconnect. The feeling was almost overwhelming. Sweet, warm, and so complete that neither of them wanted the moment to end.

Anya clung to him just as tightly, her arms locked around his waist as she rested her head against his shoulder, quietly savoring the presence of the man she loved most.

"Miss..."

Watching them hold each other with such raw emotion, Chloe felt her eyes sting with tears. For years, she had watched Anya suffer in silence, and now it finally felt as though all that pain had been worth enduring. With a thought, she condensed Thunderbird’s Feather back into a blue bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist. Then she quietly closed the door Marcus had opened and retreated to her own room, leaving the two of them alone.

Even as she walked away, she was still stunned. Marcus possessed that level of martial skill? The shock hadn’t faded, but beneath it was excitement and pride. With strength like that, nobody would ever dare look down on him again. She was genuinely happy for him. Happier than she had been in a very long time. Maybe this would finally change her family’s opinion of Marcus. Maybe things could still begin the right way and reach the ending everyone hoped for.

Before shutting the door completely, Chloe stole one final glance in his direction. By then, Marcus had already withdrawn his Human Rock energy while holding Anya, leaving no trace of martial arts on his body.

’Amazing,’ she thought.

"Marcus..."

After a long while, when the flood of emotions had finally settled enough for her to speak, Anya relaxed in his embrace and leaned fully against him. "Marcus... how could I not love you? I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. And every day after that, I loved you a little more. Do you know what it felt like when I received your letter? It was the happiest day of my life."

She lifted her head and smiled at him. It was a radiant smile, one filled entirely with warmth and affection. Seeing it, Marcus felt a surge of tenderness so strong it nearly stole his breath.

Then her smile gradually faded. Sadness crept back into her eyes. "Marcus... when my grandfather passed away, I was devastated. And more than anything, I wanted to see you. I wanted to hear your voice. I called you so many times, but I couldn’t reach you. When I finally returned to school..." Her voice trembled. "You were already with Serena. Do you know how much that hurt?"

Marcus froze. He remembered. During their sophomore year, shortly after the semester began, Anya had called him several times. Back then, he was still angry with her. Serena had also begun entering his life, little by little, until she became part of his world. So he never answered. A wave of regret hit him. If he had simply picked up the phone, none of this might have happened. They might never have spent years hurting each other. They might have been together long ago.

Yet another thought followed immediately after. If he had answered, perhaps he never would have been with Serena. Perhaps Snow would never have come into his life. Life really was a mess. Even now, he couldn’t decide whether ignoring those calls had been right or wrong. He felt helpless when he thought about it, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret everything that had happened either. Sometimes fate simply enjoyed playing cruel jokes.

"Anya..."

Looking into her eyes, Marcus felt only tenderness and remorse. He tightened his arms around her and lowered his gaze to her beautiful face, intending to speak, but Anya continued before he could.

"Marcus... all those years, watching you and Serena together..." Her voice became softer. "I was so sad. I was so jealous. All I could do was stand far away and watch. I couldn’t do anything except envy her."

Fresh tears gathered in her eyes. "Marcus... you’re the only man I’ve ever loved. And you’ll be the only man I ever love." Her cheeks flushed red, but she didn’t look away. She spoke with complete sincerity. "No matter what happens, I want to be with you. Forever. I want to stay by your side."

Pressing herself against him, she looked up with hopeful eyes. "Marcus... is that okay?"

Looking at the woman before him, Marcus felt his heart overflow. She was beautiful, gentle, and devoted. Pure in a way that made him want to protect her from everything. At that moment, all he felt was love. Boundless, overwhelming love.

"Anya!"

He nodded without hesitation. The moment he did, he lowered his head toward her face. He kissed away the tears lingering on her cheeks before finally finding her lips.

Anya didn’t pull away. Instead, she kissed him back. The years of longing, regret, and affection that neither of them had been able to express seemed to pour into that kiss. Their arms tightened around one another as they lost themselves in the warmth of finally being together.

Marcus’s hands rested on her waist, gently pulling her closer. A fire ignited between them. His first love. The girl he had never truly forgotten. Everything he had buried for years surged to the surface.

"Anya..." His voice was rough with emotion. One hand slid around her back, drawing her firmly against him while the other traced along her waist.

"Marcus..." Anya’s eyes had become hazy. She wasn’t resisting him. She held him just as tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and surrendering herself completely to the moment.

Marcus felt intoxicated. The last time he had held her close had been in the game, riding atop the Violet Thunderwing Steed. Even then, she had captivated him. But this was different. The misunderstanding between them was gone. Their hearts were finally connected. Only now did he understand that love was most beautiful when it was returned completely.

Time seemed to disappear. Their kisses deepened, and they held each other as though they were afraid the other might vanish. Marcus eventually lifted her into his arms and carried her toward her bedroom without breaking contact. Gently, he laid her on the bed before leaning over her.

Anya’s face was flushed red, but her gaze never left his. The atmosphere between them grew warmer and warmer. Soon, Marcus reached for her clothing, while Anya’s breathing became increasingly unsteady.

When he moved closer again, however, she suddenly raised her hands and pressed them lightly against his chest.

"Anya? What’s wrong?" Marcus looked at her in confusion.

"Marcus..." A complicated look appeared in her eyes. For a moment, she seemed caught between two choices. Reason told her she should stop. Her heart told her otherwise. In the end, her heart won.

"Marcus... I’ll do anything for you." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I don’t care about anything else. Even if it means losing my martial arts."

She had already made her decision. Even if it disappointed her family. Even if it meant abandoning twenty years of cultivation. Even if it meant becoming an ordinary person for the rest of her life. She wanted to be with him.

Slowly, she lowered her hands. Then she looked into his eyes and said softly, "Marcus... let me." Her cheeks burned as she reached for his shirt and began unfastening the buttons herself.

Marcus blinked in surprise. Then he smiled. So that was it. He thought she wanted to be the one to undress him.

"Okay."

Relaxing slightly, he allowed her to continue.

What Marcus didn’t realize was that Anya’s hesitation had been real.

Ever since childhood, she had cultivated the strongest technique passed down within her family: Phoenix Cry. Like the legendary phoenix itself, Phoenix Cry was a technique of pride, endurance, and rebirth through fire. It possessed incredible power, but it was also notoriously difficult to master. A practitioner had to begin training from a very young age. For decades, progress would appear almost nonexistent. Inner energy grew painfully slowly, and improvements in strength were barely noticeable.

But if a cultivator could reach the stage known as Phoenix Rebirth before the age of forty, everything would change. They would be reborn from the ashes. Their strength would soar, and they would enter the ranks of true masters. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Forty years sounded like plenty of time. In reality, it wasn’t. Across more than a thousand years of family history, aside from the founder who created the technique, only a single person had ever succeeded.

Anya, however, was different. According to the elders of her family, her talent was extraordinary. Not only did she have a chance of succeeding, but she would likely achieve Phoenix Rebirth before reaching thirty.

Yet Phoenix Cry carried one cruel condition. Only women could cultivate it. And those women had to remain virgins. The moment a practitioner lost her virginity, all the years she had devoted to Phoenix Cry would be wasted. Her cultivation would collapse. And she would never be able to practice martial arts again.