303 ONE LAST TIME

"Is this the end of my story? And the urban doctor who turned into a Crowned Princess got stuck in the dungeons forever."

Zoe smirked to herself as she stared at the four corners of the royal dungeons. 

"Raigon was right. A normal mind would go insane being stuck here forever even with all these glamour. And I am just stuck here for I don't know hours."

She recalled the first time that she was in the dungeons and she and Raigon solved an outbreak for one whole night.

"Will we ever do that again?" 

She sighed as she stared up the ceiling. She was tired of crying. It seemed like she was doing that all her life. This time, she wanted to take action. 

"But how can I if I'm stuck in this mess?"

As if someone had heard her thoughts and pitied her enough to answer them, a knock came on the door of her dungeon. 

Zoe immediately sat up and bolted towards it, wondering who it could be.

"You never stay quiet, do you?"

Erin walked through inside the room like she just threw open an ordinary door and not a prison house.

"Erin!" 

Zoe's arms flew around her, making Erin pat her shoulders. "The best friend's here. I got your back."

As she hugged her, she also saw another loved one who had come to visit her. 

"Grandmother…"

Her reaction was a different one as her body went rigid. She slowly pulled herself away from Erin and faced Madame Lin.

She was also bestowed with honor, together with Lord Hou after the event three months ago. And she could now live freely in the Terra. 

Because of what Zoe has done bringing shame again to the family's name, Zoe could not even face her. 

"I.. I …"

But Madame Lin did not even let her finish. She approached Zoe and put her arms around her head.

"You don't need to say anything. I am on your side. You're a Lin and you will get through." 

Those words were like big boulders that were thrown over the dam that Zoe thought had already blocked Zoe's tears away. 

If she would be honest to herself, she felt like the whole world had turned against her. Even God. 

Her words were like a lifesaver thrown at her as she was already drowning in the sea of bitterness and regrets.

"Yeah, what do you think we're here for? Let's get you out of here?" Erin's lips sniggered into a devilish grin. 

"Wait, what?" Erin pulled herself out of Madame Lin's comfort and gave an incredulous stare at her friend.

"What, you are planning to grow old here and waste your life without even seeing your granddaughter? Or even your daughter? You don't have a child yet, yeah."

"No." Zoe shook her head.

"By luck, you are in the same prison as I have been before."

Madame Lin got a chair and stood on it, pulling a part of the bookshelf aside. Then she pushed a piece of brick on a wall.

Zoe and Erin's eyes went wide open as Madame Lin continued to show to them how she was able to escape then. 

"It's better to sneak out at night when it's midnight which will be five hours from now. That is, if you really want to. The choice is up to you."

Zoe gazed at them as she didn't really know if it was the right thing to do. Escaping means she will become a fugitive in Terra. And she cannot come back anymore.

'Can I really leave everything behind? Grandmother? Erin? King Artair and Princess Ara? And… Raigon?'

"Don't worry about us. We will be happier if you choose yourself this time. You've been living for others long enough." 

Erin gave her a reassuring smile which was agreed upon by Madame Lin as she nodded her head.

They both embraced her one more time before leaving her to make the decision.

Zoe paced back and forth as she bit her nails. She was like following the footsteps of her grandmother and mother then, ostracized and banned from Terra, escaping to the real world, hoping there would be people who would accept them as their own. 

Only this time, she came from that part of the world and she will just return. 

"Yes. This is not my real home. I will just return to where I belong."

As she resolved it in her heart to get out from Terra, her heart was unbelievably being torn into pieces. Like it's not yet broken enough.

"Stop it. You have no right to feel that way after everything you've been through here."

Her hand left the blanket that she was readying for her escape as she pressed it on her chest. 

Five hours have passed and even though Zoe was not seeing the moon, she knows now is the right time to leave.

As she was already readying herself, a knock came into the door.

Zoe's heart beat erratically as she stood up, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't see through her plan.

"It's me." He said as he threw the door open. 

Zoe gulped as she knew who owns that voice. 

A majestic colossal man walked into the room, making Zoe's feet unconsciously step backward.

She closed her eyes as she whispered to herself. 

"I will not change my mind."

To her surprise, Raigon was already a breath away as he responded. 

"'I'm not here to change your mind. I came to say goodbye."

Zoe's eyes widened in astonishment and as she did so, she saw the lonely gaze of the man that she has loved her entire life.

"They told me." He answered the questioning look on her face as his eyes gaze on every part of her from her head to her feet, as if memorizing them vividly.

"And you will let me leave just like that? How about you? They will know you've been here. They might -" Zoe inquired. But Raigon stopped her lips with his as he kissed her one last time.

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You know you have a lucky life if you have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.