Lucien went looking for Lilith.

After reaching the Eternal Realm, she had already hidden her name from the universe.

Strangely, however, Lucien had never forgotten it.

Genesis Forger.

That was what she called herself now.

Others, however, had begun calling her the Divine Forger.

Soon, Lucien found Lilith at the edge of the Stillness Palace.

She stood alone, looking down at Lootwell.

The wind moved lightly around her. She stood straight as always, dignified, strong, and composed.

But from behind, she looked lonely.

Lilith had already reached the Eternal Realm. Her presence was deep and stable enough that ordinary people would have felt pressure simply standing too close.

And yet, in that moment, Lucien could not help thinking she looked like a child who had lost something precious and was pretending she had only come outside to check the weather.

His chest tightened.

Knowing she liked him did not make this easier.

He did not want to hurt her.

But he also did not want to become the kind of man who accepted affection simply because it was offered.

Seraphine had said she was open to him having other companions.

That did not make Lucien comfortable yet.

This was not a political contract.

This was not a trade deal.

This was a heart.

And hearts were far more difficult than Origin Core fragments, Abyssal Arch-Lords, or dungeon batteries.

At least those had visible strings.

Lucien breathed in slowly.

Then walked forward.

"Sister Lilith."

Lilith turned.

The change was immediate.

Her eyes lit up before she could hide it.

The loneliness vanished so quickly that Lucien felt even guiltier for noticing it had been there.

She straightened.

"Luc..."

Her voice remained calm.

He smiled gently and stopped beside her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Below them, Lootwell moved in thousands of lights. People laughed somewhere far below. The territory breathed, alive and vast, much of it standing because Lilith had built what Lucien imagined.

Lucien looked out over the city first.

Then he said, "Thank you."

Lilith blinked.

"For what?"

"For working so hard," Lucien said. "For the branches. For taking every impossible thing I casually ask for and making it real before I can regret how unreasonable I sounded."

Lilith’s lips pressed together faintly.

"That is my duty."

"It is more than duty."

She looked away.

Lucien continued, "Thanks to you, the West Continent stabilized faster than it should have. Lootwell’s branches stood earlier. Our reach expanded. Our people had homes, halls, markets, roads, and defenses because you kept building."

He turned to her fully.

"And I was late in saying something else."

Lilith’s gaze returned to him.

Lucien took out the wrapped hammer.

"It is late, but congratulations on reaching the Eternal Realm."

Lilith went very still.

Lucien offered the gift with both hands.

"I made this for you."

For several breaths, Lilith did not move.

Then slowly, she looked down.

The cloth unfolded.

Dawnbirth Anvilheart rested in Lucien’s hands.

Lilith’s pursed lips parted.

The composure on her face cracked.

Enough for Lucien to see the girl beneath the Eternal.

"You made this?" she asked.

Lucien nodded.

"For you."

Her hand rose, then stopped halfway.

As though she was afraid touching it might break the moment.

Lucien smiled.

"It should resonate with your Law of Genesis Forging. The handle is linked for divine-vessel response."

Lilith stared at him.

Then at the hammer.

Then back at him.

Lucien added, somewhat helplessly, "I thought you might like a hammer."

For one heartbeat, silence held.

Then Lilith laughed.

It was soft, surprised, and painfully happy.

She took the hammer.

The moment her fingers wrapped around the handle, the artifact awakened.

A pulse moved through her body.

Her Law answered.

Genesis Forging rose around her. The hammer adjusted in her grip and its weight shifted until it fit her perfectly. Golden clauses ran briefly along the handle and into her palm, then vanished as though entering her veins.

Lilith’s eyes glowed.

She inhaled sharply.

Lucien watched her expression change from surprise to wonder to something almost reverent.

"It responds," she whispered.

"It should."

"No," she said, gripping it tighter. "It really responds."

The hammer hummed once.

Lilith smiled.

A genuine smile.

Lucien had seen her satisfied before.

He had never seen her smile like this.

It caught him off guard.

For an absurd moment, he forgot what he intended to say next.

Lilith’s smile grew wider.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I like this."

Lucien swallowed once.

"I’m glad."

They stood together at the terrace edge after that.

The conversation began awkwardly at first, then softened.

Lucien laughed.

Lilith did too.

The burden around her eased little by little.

For a while, they were simply old friends standing above a city they had built together.

Then silence came again.

This one was different.

Lilith looked at the hammer in her hand, then at the lights below.

Her voice, when it came, was quieter.

"I thought if I worked enough, I would become too busy to feel foolish."

Lucien’s expression softened.

"Did it work?"

"No."

"At least the branches benefited."

Lilith stared at him.

Then both of them laughed.

The laughter faded slowly.

When it did, Lilith looked at him fully.

There was no more hiding then.

"I think I like you," she said.

Lucien froze.

Lilith saw his expression and laughed.

Then she shook her head.

"No," she corrected herself, almost gently. "That is too small."

Lucien’s back went straight.

Lilith’s gaze did not waver.

"Maybe it is love."

The wind moved between them.

Lucien felt sweat gather at the back of his neck.

He wanted to say something intelligent.

Unfortunately, every useful thought in his head had apparently leapt from the Stillness Palace and abandoned him.

Lilith stepped closer.

She looked strangely young in that moment.

Not weak. Not naive.

Just honest.

And the honesty made her dazzling.

"I know you already have someone," she said. "I know Seraphine is important to you. That frightened me before."

Lucien finally found his voice.

"Sister Lilith..."

She raised one hand slightly.

"Let me finish."

He closed his mouth.

Lilith smiled faintly.

"I avoided her because seeing her made the truth harder to hide. She is beautiful, strong, and certain. She stands beside you in a way I thought I had no right to question." Her voice softened. "But I cannot keep running from my own feelings. If I cannot even face my heart, then what right do I have to call myself an Eternal?"

Lucien stared at her.

Lilith laughed lightly.

"I am not asking you to answer everything tonight."

Lilith reached forward.

Her hand caught his collar.

Gently at first.

Then with the undeniable strength of an Eternal Solhorn.

She pulled him closer.

Lucien could have resisted.

Probably.

Maybe.

He did not test the theory.

Lilith looked into his eyes for one breath.

Then kissed him.

It was not shy.

Not hesitant.

Not possessive either.

It was a declaration.

Lucien’s eyes widened.

Then, for one heartbeat, his thoughts stopped.

When Lilith pulled away, her cheeks were red.

But she was smiling.

A real smile again.

"Now," her voice was softer but lighter than before, "I can work properly."

Lucien stared.

"What?"

Lilith stepped back.

Then, before he could recover, she leapt from the edge of the Stillness Palace. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Lilith descended through the air toward Lootwell below, hammer in hand, hair streaming behind her, laughter rising upward like bells struck by freedom.

It was hearty, bright, and unburdened.

Lucien remained rooted in place.

His collar was slightly wrinkled.

His lips still remembered her.

His mind remained embarrassingly late to the entire event.

Then he slowly raised a hand and touched his forehead.

He thought about Seraphine.

He thought about Lilith.

He thought about the fact that he had not resisted.

Not really.

Maybe not at all.

Then he struck his own head lightly with the heel of his palm.

"I’m a fucking scumbag."

A voice behind him said, "At least you are self-aware."

Lucien froze.

Very slowly, he turned.

Seraphine stood near the terrace entrance.

Her arms were crossed.

Her expression was calm.

Lucien’s soul attempted to leave his body.

"Sera."

She looked at him.

Then at the direction Lilith had flown.

Then back at him.

For several breaths, she said nothing.

Lucien considered jumping off the terrace too.

Finally, Seraphine sighed.

"You really are hopeless."

Lucien opened his mouth.

Seraphine walked closer and stopped in front of him.

"Did you kiss her?"

Lucien stared at her.

"I..." He paused. "She kissed me."

Seraphine’s eyes narrowed.

"And you resisted?"

Lucien said nothing.

Seraphine nodded.

"At least you are not lying."

Lucien lowered his head slightly.

"I’m sorry."

She studied him.

Then, to his surprise, her expression softened.

"I told you before," Seraphine said. "I am not afraid of someone else loving you."

Lucien looked up.

She continued, "I am afraid of you being foolish enough to hurt people because you refuse to understand your own heart."

That struck him much harder.

Seraphine reached up and fixed the wrinkle on his collar with clinical precision.

"Lilith is strong, but she is not made of stone. Do not treat her confession like a problem to solve. Treat it like a truth someone trusted you with."

Lucien’s throat tightened.

"I don’t know what to do."

"I know."

She patted his chest once.

"That is why I am educating you."

Despite everything, Lucien almost laughed.

Seraphine looked toward the sky where Lilith had disappeared into the lower city.

Then she smiled faintly.

"She looked happy."

Lucien followed her gaze.

"Yes."

He glanced at her.

Seraphine’s smile remained small, but real.

"I still want to befriend her."

Lucien exhaled slowly.

The tightness in his chest eased, though not completely.

"Thank you."

Seraphine looked at him.

"Do not thank me too early. You are still going to suffer."

Lucien blinked.

"What?"

She turned away.

Seraphine walked toward the terrace exit, then paused.

"And Luc?"

"Yes?"

"If you give her such a beautiful hammer and forget my next gift, I will conduct medical experiments on your common sense."

Lucien stood straighter.

"Understood."

Seraphine smiled.

Then left.

Lucien remained on the terrace alone.

Below, somewhere in Lootwell, Lilith’s laughter had faded into the city.

Above, the sky remained calm.

Inside him, fear of the Abyss, urgency for the future, pressure from the world, and the burden of the locked timeline all still existed.

But for a few moments, they were not the loudest things in his chest.

There was also warmth, confusion, guilt, and tenderness.

And the lingering feeling of a kiss given by an Eternal Solhorn who had finally decided that running away was unworthy of her.

Lucien looked down at the lights of Lootwell and sighed.

His life had become complicated in another direction.

But strangely...

He did not hate it.