The guard blinked in surprise, visibly caught off guard by the display. For a moment, he simply stared at her before awkwardly clearing his throat. "Forgive me, my lady. I think it would be best if you retired for the night."

"I think so too," Verity replied smoothly.

The guard stepped aside and began escorting her away from the corridor. Verity did not look back, but she knew Rosalind was still hidden there, and deep down, she hoped whatever they were trying to do tonight would succeed before anyone discovered it.

Only after the corridor finally fell silent again did Rowan turn toward Rosalind.

"No more distractions," he said sharply, his voice low but firm enough to sound like a warning.

Rosalind parted her lips, wanting to explain that she had only been startled, but he had already taken hold of her hand again and started pulling her forward before she could say anything.

He led her down the stairs and Rosalind followed quickly behind him. At that moment, her fear of the darkness became nothing compared to her fear of being caught. She stayed close to him until they finally reached the underground pool.

The water glinted faintly in the darkness just as it had before, almost inviting, but this time Rosalind was not there to swim. She was there to leave the palace behind forever.

Rowan entered the pool first, stepping carefully down the submerged stairs until the water soaked through his trousers. Rosalind removed the outer layer of her clothing, leaving only the thinner garment beneath before she reached for his hand and he held it firmly for her.

"Remember not to panic about anything. I’m with you," he reassured softly.

Rosalind nodded firmly despite the fear twisting inside her chest.

Rowan gave her one final look before taking a deep breath and disappearing beneath the water. Rosalind inhaled sharply as well before following after him, bubbles rising to the surface as they submerged.

At first, the water above them still carried faint traces of light while Rowan guided her forward, his hand tightly holding hers. Rosalind looked around beneath the water and noticed how the further they swam, the darker everything became. She forced herself to stay calm, reminding herself this was no different from swimming and besides, Rowan was with her.

He led her through the underwater passageways, around old pillars covered with moss and years of neglect. The deeper they moved, the colder the water became until the chill seeped into her bones. Rosalind kicked her legs steadily behind her while using her free hand to help herself move forward.

Even though she could barely make out Rowan clearly anymore through the dark water, the firm grip on her hand reassured her that he was still there.

But slowly, the strain began to build inside her chest.

They had already passed the amount of time she normally stayed underwater, and now the lack of air was becoming unbearable. Her lungs burned painfully and her movements started slowing little by little.

Rowan glanced behind him to make sure she was still following and when he saw her still moving, he continued swimming forward.

Rosalind tried to keep going, but the pain inside her chest worsened. She wanted to signal him that she could not do it anymore, yet she had already exhausted most of her strength trying to keep up. Her body began responding more slowly until eventually Rowan tugged on her hand again and realized she barely reacted.

His eyes widened instantly.

He quickly swam back toward her until he reached her level. Rosalind’s eyes had already slipped shut beneath the water.

Without wasting another second, Rowan grabbed her and pressed his mouth against hers beneath the water, forcing air into her lungs again and again until finally her eyes fluttered open.

She looked at him weakly through the darkness while he held her face for a brief moment before immediately turning and swimming forward once more, pulling her along with him.

At last, after what felt endless, they reached shallower water.

Rowan surfaced first, dragging in a harsh breath the moment his head broke above the water. Rosalind emerged moments later beside him, coughing lightly as air rushed desperately back into her lungs.

Her chest rose and fell unevenly while Rowan immediately moved toward her. He crouched beside where she leaned weakly against the stone wall.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.

Rosalind slowly nodded as she struggled to steady her breathing.

"I thought I was never going to make it," Rosalind admitted weakly because back there in the darkness beneath the water, she truly had not believed she could continue any further. Her lungs had burned painfully and her body had nearly given out on her completely. Even now, she could barely remember what had happened between losing consciousness and suddenly finding herself here, alive and breathing.

Rowan wrapped his arms around her gently and patted her back. "It’s alright. You’re safe now," he said softly.

Even he had been terrified beneath the water when he noticed her slowing down. The thought of what could have happened if he had not looked back in time still unsettled him deeply.

He sat beside her on the damp stretch of sand and stone beneath the large boulder while their legs remained partly outside the water. Above them, the moonlight spilled faintly across the sea, casting silver reflections over the waves.

"Do you think they’ll make it?" Rosalind asked quietly, referring to her mother and Mallory.

She still did not fully understand how Rowan had managed to arrange everything so quickly, yet he had spoken with such certainty earlier that she had simply trusted him without question.

"They will," he assured her.

After that, silence settled between them again while they waited beneath the shelter of the boulder for the boat Rowan had promised would arrive. He had said the person guiding it would carry a torch, and ever since reaching the shore, Rosalind had found herself searching the darkness for even the faintest light.

Her fingers slowly intertwined with Rowan’s wet hand and he looked down briefly at the way she held onto him. His throat tightened painfully at the reminder that this was the last time he would ever sit beside her like this.

"Rosalind," he called quietly.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him.

"I just want you to know this was worth it," he said gently, his eyes fixed on hers while darkness and silence surrounded them.

"What was?" she asked softly, uncertain whether he meant her escape or something else entirely.

"Us," he answered.

Her heart skipped painfully at the word.

Rosalind felt her chest tighten and her eyes began turning misty again. "You know you’re not supposed to remind me about things like that right now," she started weakly, but he cut her off before she could finish.

His lips met hers in a deep kiss that stole the breath from her lungs entirely. His damp hands rose to cup her cheeks carefully while a tear slipped down her face.

She still did not understand why he could not leave with her, why this had to become a goodbye instead of a beginning. Why, after everything they had found in each other, it still had to end like this.

Rosalind leaned into the kiss, kissing him back desperately as though trying to memorize him one final time.

Then suddenly, through the darkness, a light appeared across the water.

The boat they had been waiting for slowly emerged from the sea while one person paddled and another held up a torch, guiding it toward the large boulder where they sat hidden.

Rosalind’s eyes opened immediately at the sight of the light and she slowly broke the kiss.

"They’re here," she whispered unsteadily as she rose to her feet.

"You should go now," Rowan said quietly.

Rosalind nodded slowly.

"Here... take this," he said before removing his outer shirt and handing it to her. "I know it’s wet, but at least it’ll keep you warmer."

Rosalind took it from him without hesitation because somehow, it felt like taking a piece of him along with her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

They embraced one last time before Rosalind finally pulled away and stepped carefully through the shallow water toward the waiting boat.

"Lady Rosalind?" the person holding the torch called out.

She nodded.

The man immediately reached out to help her into the boat before they began paddling away from the shore.

Rosalind turned for a final glance at the large boulder she was leaving behind and the man standing beneath it. Their eyes met across the dark water before Rowan finally turned away and disappeared back into the shadows while the boat drifted farther into the sea.