CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 163 – THE QUIETEST EVENING

The countryside wind blew gently through the open balcony doors, carrying with it the scent of summer grass and aging jasmine. In the warm, softly lit living room, the fireplace crackled gently, casting a golden shimmer on the walls. Time had slowed here—not just in the world outside, but in the hearts of those who lived within.

Aoi sat curled up on the couch in a light shawl, a cup of warm herbal tea in her hands. Her silver-touched hair caught the flickering firelight, and though the years had traced soft lines around her eyes, her gaze still held that same lively sparkle—the same one that had once called Ren out of his shell.

Across from her, Ren finished setting an old record onto the turntable. It crackled for a moment before blooming into a slow jazz tune, one they used to listen to in their university days. He turned back, smiling softly. His once-black hair had streaks of grey now, and his movements were slower, but purposeful. The arc reactor that had once been part of his body was gone. So was the lab, the suit, the machines... all shut down. Only Lucia remained—a quiet guardian now living as a memory archive and gentle house companion.

He walked to Aoi and offered his hand, just like he had on the night of their wedding.

She looked up with a smirk and then, slowly, put her teacup down.

"You really want to dance, old man?" she teased.

"With you? Always."

They stood together, their bodies closer than they had been in a long time. The music wrapped around them like a memory, soft and slow. Ren placed one hand at her waist, and she rested her head gently against his shoulder. Their movements were not perfect. They were slow, even a little clumsy, but none of that mattered.

It was just them again.

The world outside didn’t matter. The years behind them faded into the background. In that moment, it was no longer about time passing—it was about this single evening, this dance, this warmth. Their lives had seen danger, loss, victory, passion, and birth—but here, in the quiet, was the reward they had always longed for.

"I never thought we’d get this far," Aoi whispered, voice soft.

Ren leaned closer. "I always knew. Because you never gave up on me."

She squeezed his hand tighter. "You never gave up on us."

The fire crackled on. Lucia, from the wall panel, dimmed the lights slightly, playing their wedding video in silent, soft projection above the fireplace. Images of young Ren and Aoi, laughing in white, flickered behind them as they danced.

No words were needed anymore. They had said all that needed to be said—now, they simply felt.

And for just a moment, time stood still.