The Wilde estate’s private exhibition hall; Eden had been here before—everyday, multiple times a day, from the moment he’d learned to walk. It was home to the Wilde family’s most guarded possession, their best kept secret, and the love of Eden’s life: Anon, plucked from a bygone era and suspended in cryosleep.

For a lifetime, Anon’s cryochamber was Eden’s altar of worship and a cradle of unrealized fantasies. But now, with the hiss of its seals releasing and the slow draining of the preservation fluids, Eden’s dream was on the cusp of becoming reality. The frost that had once clung to the chamber’s transparent lid was melting away and the air was thick with a cold, sterile scent.

He stood there, awestruck by the illuminated figure—Anon, lying beautiful and vulnerable within their cocoon of technology. Eden’s gaze urgently searched for any sign of life, any twitch or flutter of an eyelid that would signal Anon’s awakening. After innumerable nights spent gazing at their motionless body encased in cryostasis, that subtle expansion of their lungs seemed nothing short of miraculous to him.

Eden’s grey eyes widened, the heavy lids lifted by a surge of nerves as he registered that Anon was waking up. The moment was dense with desperation and aching want. He was ready to pour out his love, his adoration, his apologies for waking them, and his explanations for everything that had come to pass—their shared history as he saw it, the dreams, the promises.

Eden’s breath hitched, his chest throbbing with the swell of emotions. He was ready to do anything to keep Anon by his side.

“Good morning, starlight…” Eden’s voice was a murmur, soft and tremulous. He crouched beside Anon, his lanky frame folding awkwardly as he reached out. Eden’s shaking fingers barely skimmed the air above Anon’s skin, not daring to touch quite yet. “You’ve been asleep for so long… But I’ve been here, waiting. Always waiting for you.”

Eden’s smile was fragile. He brushed against Anon’s arm with the shadow of a caress—careful, so very careful. “You came to me in my dreams again last night, love,” he continued, the word ‘love’ spilling forth effortlessly. “I knew it was time… Time to set you free. You’re safe—you’re home, with me… Eden. Your Eden.”

There was a sincerity to his words, a belief so deep it bordered on religious fervor.