The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 91

Chapter 91: A Night of Sparks and Sugar

As we stepped off the Ferris wheel, the sky behind us was painted in shades of lavender and gold. I stretched my arms and turned back to my wide-eyed crew: one noble, a head maid, a baby, and a very patient husband.

“Alright,” I said, throwing my hands up in mock surrender, “I won’t cause any more trouble tonight.”

Elowen looked suspiciously. “Why does that sound like a trap?”

“It’s not a trap,” I said confidently. “Think of it as a treat. We’re getting something sweet… like churros or a funnel cake. Pick your poison.”

Livia crossed her arms. “What are churros?”

“Oh. “My God,” I gasped. “Prepare to meet the greatest invention of Earth’s snack culture. It’s fried dough, rolled in sugar, slightly crispy, warm, and chewy. You can even dip it into something like chocolate if you’re living luxuriously.”

Elowen blinked. “That sounds… illegal.”

“It should be,” I said with a grin. “Come on.”

We walked toward a glowing snack cart near the center of the park, where the smell of sugar and fried food mingled with popcorn. I bought four churros, handed one to each of them like I was bestowing divine relics, and kept Lyra’s hands safely away from mine before I got cinnamon all over her.

Elowen took a cautious bite, and then her soul briefly left her body.

Livia examined hers with a little more skepticism, but one bite in and she was muttering. “It’s better than anything we’ve ever served at the Royal Palace.”

I turned to Noah, who had already devoured his, and gently held mine up to him as if daring him to take a bite.

He leaned forward before I could react, took a large bite, and then glanced at me with a smirk.

How could I be mad when he shows me such a face? I nearly melted on the spot.

As we walked to the lakefront viewing area, lights began to dim across the park, and soft music started to hum in the air. The crowd around us shifted, everyone facing the sky.

I leaned against Noah’s side while holding Lyra close to my chest.

“Alright, last surprise of the night.”

“What is it? Elowen asked, licking cinnamon off her fingers.

I pointed upward, “Sky fire.”

Livia raised a brow. “That’s not a thing.

“It is now,” I said. “And it’s going to blow your minds.”

Then the first firework burst, a golden blossom unfurling across the sky with a thunderous crack.

Elowen jumped and grabbed Livia’s sleeve, who shared a similar expression.

Dozens more followed, bursts of green, red, and blue, cascading sparks raining down like falling stars. The music swelled, synchronized perfectly with each explosion. It wasn’t just loud or colorful but majestic. Every burst painted a piece of the night with fleeting wonder.

Lyra, while cradled in my arms, looked up into the sky with fascination written all over her cute chubby face.

“Of course she’s unbothered,” I murmured. “Her existence is of the divine; she probably invented fireworks in a past life.”

The two other older females were still in awe of the spectacle, both their mouths wide open during the show in stunned silence.

“That’s what I want to bring back,” I whispered to them both. “It will boost our people’s morale and make the North a far more appealing place to live.”

Noah’s hand tightened around mine, and together we watched the sky burn beautifully, like it was trying to match the fire we all now carried inside of us.

Everyone piled back into the car after the fireworks display, still bathed in the afterglow of explosions and sugar.

I slid into the driver’s seat, buckled up, and let the engine purr to life while the others settled in. Livia and Elowen took the back with Lyra sleeping peacefully between them, and Noah sat beside me in the passenger seat.

As we pulled out of the parking structure and into the quiet roads beyond the park, I glanced over my shoulder.

“Alright,” I said with a grin, “review time. What did you think? Best night ever?”

Silence filled the air for some time as I watched everyone in the car contemplate their feelings.

Then Elowen blurted, “That sky fire thing… fireworks… It was like someone painted the stars and then made them explode.”

“And the churros,” Livia added with what I think might’ve been actual reverence in her voice, “were… dangerously good.”

“See?” I said with pride. “Earth is dangerous, ridiculous, and addictive.”

I turned toward Lyra, who I saw in the rearview mirror was staring up at me. “What about you, little one?”

She stared at me with those wide, gleaming eyes for a moment and then let out a soft, delighted giggle.

The whole car melted at her reaction.

“I’ll take that as a glowing review,” I said, heart squeezing in my chest.

Noah reached over and touched my hand. “You gave them something they’ll never forget.”

“We gave them something,” I corrected. “You’re a part of all this too.”

The drive back toward the city was quiet for a while… peaceful, even. Then I took a sharp turn off the main road and pulled into an empty, open lot behind a shopping center. There were still lights from nearby signs and streetlamps, just enough to see the whole place.

Noah glanced at me. “This isn’t the motel.”

“Nope,” I said, shifting the car into park. “It’s time for a driving lesson.”

His brows lifted slightly, “Now?”

“I promised,” I said, shutting off the engine after coming to a complete stop. “There’s no traffic right here; perfect timing.”

I opened my door and stepped out, stretching before coming around to his side.

“Come on, Archduke,” I said, tapping the hood. “It’s time to conquer a new kind of beast.”

Elowen stuck her head out from the back window. “You’re letting him drive this… machine?”

Livia didn’t even bother hiding her smirk. “If he crashes, I’m going to spread a rumor about how the Archduke can’t control his mount.”

“Relax,” I said, opening the driver’s door for Noah like a proud instructor. “I’ll be right here the whole time. Besides, it’s not like he’s ever let go of the reins before.”

Noah got out with a nervous face as he rounded the front of the car, scanning the seat like it might bite.

“You’re sure this is wise?”

“You survived a runaway train.” I said, plopping into the passenger seat and patting the wheel. “This’ll be nothing.”

He climbed in and adjusted the seat. Noah buckled himself in and then looked at me with an almost unreadable face. But I knew the turmoil inside of him at that moment, with how much time we’ve been together.

“Show me.”

I smiled and reached out, taking his hand to guide it to the ignition.

“Alright… Noah. It’s time for you to become the first man in our world to drive a car.”

As he started the vehicle, I looked out into the quiet empty lot. It was really the perfect opportunity to try something like this when no one seemed to be around. There was little chance something would go wrong, as Noah was always someone very responsible.

It was the perfect training ground.

I turned to Noah, who was staring at the wheel like it was a puzzle from another dimension.

“Alright,” I said gently, “if you’re not comfortable yet, just stay in the lot. Drive in slow circles. You don’t need to go out on the road today.”

He gave a small nod, eyes flicking toward the dashboard.

“Good… Now, turn the key to the ignition, starting the car.”

He reached forward with slow, steady precision and twisted the key. The engine rumbled to life beneath us, the car vibrating softly like a sleeping beast waking up.

Noah blinked. “It lives.”

I grinned. “You’ve got this; I believe in you.”

After he gave a smile in my direction, he glanced at the pedals next, instinctively reaching his left foot out.

“Nope,” I said quickly, placing a hand on his knee. “Only use your right foot, always. There is a third pedal in some cars, but I have no interest in a manual transmission. This one’s simpler; just use your right foot between the two pedals.”

He adjusted quickly.

“Okay,” I continued, pointing down. “The pedal on the left is the brake. It slows you down. Let your right foot hover over it for now, since you don’t want the car moving by accident.”

Noah nodded, even more focused.

“The one on the right,” I said, tapping the air above it, “makes you go. Press down slowly when you’re ready.”

He smirked faintly and then looked forward.

“That thing with all the numbers,” I added, pointing to the speedometer, “tells you how fast you’re going. That little needle moves further the faster you go. But for now, just aim for a turtle pace.”

He gave a nod, “Understood.”

“Alright,” I crossed my arms with a proud grin as I sank into my chair. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

The car suddenly started to move after I instructed him to put it into drive. We accelerated very slowly. Elowen’s squeak from the backseat made me bite back a laugh.

Noah, on the other hand…

Had his hands gripped tightly on the wheel, his expression completely serious as he turned gently, steering us into a wide, slow circle.

“You’re doing it,” I said, beaming. “Look at you, guiding us along so smoothly. That’s driving.”

He didn’t reply right away. He just kept his eyes forward, adjusting, maneuvering, and testing the pedals with soft touches.

“I can feel it,” he murmured after a while. “The balance, weight, and the way it responds.”

I did my best to cheer him on, offering the confidence he needed. “Awesome!” I exclaimed as he made another wide turn. “It’s at your mercy. Unlike a horse, it isn’t alive. Every movement comes from you.”

Livia watched from the sidewalk with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed. She and Elowen exited the vehicle as soon as they understood what was happening. Lyra was also with them, considering it was dangerous being in the car with a man who’d never done this before.

As we passed them, I rolled down the window just long enough to call out, “You rode a log off a waterfall today, and you’re afraid of this?”

I sighed at these girls whose issues with the excitement of Earth would take a long time to remedy.

Noah continued driving at a snail’s pace and then suddenly said, “Seven.”

“Seven miles per hour,” I said with more pride than could be considered real praise. “You speed demon.”

He gave a long side glance.

I just smiled. “I’m going to teach you how to parallel park one day.”

His face scrunched up; it was obvious he didn’t know what I was talking about, but at the same time he understood it was probably something difficult. “Parallel… what?”

“Don’t worry,” I laughed. “That’s like the final boss.”

For now, he kept circling, smoother with each pass.

In the briefest, quietest moment, the world seemed to fall away. It was only the two of us in a box of steel and dreams, me watching him master something new while he clung to every word as if it were the hilt of a sword.

My heart swelled at the amazing husband I received in this crazy life, one that I’ve always wanted. I just never knew until I entered this brand-new life.

Our world will keep changing in the future for something much better than before. The North will turn into something that world can’t even comprehend.

At the same time I thought about the dangers that were still going to come to our doorstep. We had to be ready for that eventuality. No way were we going to give up what we built.

Given time our lands will become strong enough to conquer the world if we feel like it.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. After all, who would ever want to keep all that in order? It seemed like far too much work, and I would rather spend my time with the two I love more than anything in this life.