- 9 hours ago
I choose that halfblood prince New Ep,25 RS
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The agony of having my divine core ripped out was still tearing through my chest, raw and relentless.
00:05I lay sprawled across the altar as Castian's fingers plunged into my chest without hesitation.
00:10He carefully lifted the core fragment and presented it to the nymph before him.
00:15Lyanna, from this moment on, you are a true goddess.
00:17His voice carried a tenderness I had never once received.
00:20If not for deceiving her into giving up half her divine core, I would not have spared her a second
00:24glance.
00:25He tore out my divine feathers one by one.
00:27He shattered my divine bones inch by inch, and Lyanna looked down at me from above, her smile laced with
00:33poison.
00:34Thank you, sister. Thank you for giving your life to make me whole.
00:38In my previous life, to help the man I had grown up with survive the ninefold thunder trial,
00:42I carved out half of my own divine core with ausitation.
00:46The first thing he did after ascending the throne of storms was drive a blade straight into my heart.
00:51Then darkness, deep as the abyss, swallowed everything.
00:55I snapped my eyes open and found myself standing beneath the vast, radiant dome of Mount Olympus.
00:59Lightning flickered faintly within the clouds above.
01:02Aurelia, give me your answer. Who will be your king consort?
01:05Zeus, king of the gods, sat upon his golden throne.
01:09Hera, seated on her peacock throne, studied me with a gaze that pierced through everything.
01:14In the center of the hall stood dozens of ambitious heirs among the divines.
01:18I am Aurelia, daughter of Apollo, god of the sun, and Eos, goddess of the dawn, the most noble bloodline
01:25on Mount Olympus.
01:27Zeus had once decreed that whoever I chose as my husband would rightfully inherit the supreme throne of storms.
01:33And now, carrying the phantom pain of my torn heart, I had returned to the very moment where fate would
01:38be decided.
01:39Your majesty, I choose...
01:43Wait!
01:44The arrogant voice cut me off without warning.
01:46Cassian stepped forward, wearing the divine blade I had once begged Hepnetus to forge for him.
01:50The most handsome prince on all of Mount Olympus.
01:53The man who had killed me with his own hands in my past life.
01:55Dropping to one knee, he glanced at me with undisguised disdain.
01:58Father, I know Aurelia is hopelessly infamorated with me, but the only one I truly love is Lyanna.
02:03The hall erupted into stunned whispers.
02:05Zeus' face darkened, while the princes who had shown little interest moments ago now watched with burning intensity.
02:11Everyone knew what marrying me meant.
02:13Power, dominion.
02:14But I understand Aurelia cannot live without me.
02:16Cassian adopted a tone of false generosity.
02:19I am willing to show mercy, and allow her to keep her title as princess, and remain by my side
02:24as a consort.
02:25Lyanna and I have already sworn a blood oath before the fates.
02:28If I betray her, may I fall forever into Tartarus.
02:31Zeus flew into a rage.
02:32The thunder scepter slammed against the ground, shaking the entire divine hall.
02:36Insolence!
02:37A lowy nymph who stole her place among the divines compare herself to the daughter of the sun?
02:42Cassian turned toward me, impatience, clearing his voice.
02:45Aurelia, what are you waiting for?
02:46I have already granted you the honor of staying by my side.
02:49Hurry and thank the king of gods.
02:50I stared at his face.
02:52My fury hardened into a cold, mocking smile.
02:55Lyanna, that nymph.
02:56After the Titan War, my mother gave birth to me on scorched land and hid me in a cave.
03:01That nymph's family discovered my unawakened divine core, and in their madness sent their own daughter to Mount Olympus disguised
03:07as a divine princess.
03:08For a full century, she fed like a leech on the glory and privilege that were meant to be mine.
03:13It was only when the phoenix flame within my fully awakened that her lies were burned away.
03:17My mother enraged, had intended to bring down divine punishment.
03:21Lyanna fell to her knees clinging to her ankle and begging for mercy.
03:25And somehow managed to cling to her worthless life.
03:28Her parents, however, were later torn to pieces during a B-spawn attack.
03:31In my previous life, I had even felt guilty for that and yielded to her at every turn.
03:36Until the moment I died, when she whispered in my ear with a smile.
03:39The B-spawn had been lured there by her own hand to silence them.
03:43The hatred was so intense, my nails dug deep into my palms.
03:47Golden divine blood dripped onto the polished marble floor.
03:50The phoenix flame within me roared, my skin burning like heated iron.
03:55But I forced the killing intent down.
03:57Death would be far too merciful for them.
03:59I wanted them alive, watching as they sank into endless ruin.
04:02I drew a slow breath, the corner of my lips lifting into a cold, predatory smile.
04:07Your majesty, I have made my choice.
04:09All eyes locked onto me instantly.
04:11Cassian lifted his chin, his face full of a victor's arrogance.
04:14I stepped forward to the throne, etched a name into Zeus' palm with divine power,
04:18and conveyed my plan through divine will.
04:20His pupils tightened slightly.
04:22Surprise flickered for only a moment before turning into cold approval.
04:26Since you have decided, I will prepare a wedding unlike any the world has ever seen.
04:30Zeus' sharp gaze shifted past me and struck Cassian.
04:33As for you, return to your palace and remain confined until the wedding begins.
04:38Cassian lowered his head, unable to hide the satisfaction curling at his lips.
04:43He believed this grand wedding was a compromise made for him.
04:47What he did not know was that the bride was not me.
04:50It was that wretched nymph.
04:52When I stepped out of the side hall, Cassian was still waiting in the corridor,
04:56with Lyanna clinging to his arm, looking fragile and pitiful.
04:59Sister, she said as she approached, her eyes shimmering with tears.
05:02Thank you for your generality, for making this possible.
05:06Canyon immediately pulled her into his arms.
05:08Aurora, Lyanna's parents died because of you.
05:11Shouldn't you at least offer a few relic artifacts as compensation?
05:14I watched the nauseating performance in silence.
05:17Seeing that I did not respond, Cassian's tone softened just slightly.
05:20Though reluctant, languid beneath it.
05:22Aradia, I have one more request.
05:26Lyanna's power is too weak.
05:28She cannot withstand a divine pot.
05:30I need to borrow your divine core.
05:33For a brief moment, my mind rang with a sharp, piercing hum.
05:38I was seconds away from losing control.
05:40From letting the flames at my fingertips erupt and reduce them both to ash.
05:44But that would be far too crude.
05:46Just as the tension thickened into suffocating silence, a low, magnetic voice cut cleanly through it.
05:52Princess Aurora, his majesty the king of gods has sent me to escort you.
05:56The speaker was a young man with black hair and dark eyes.
05:58Tall and composed.
06:00With a pair of partially formed horns at his crown.
06:02A mark of a divine bloodline not yet fully awakened.
06:05A symbol of his half-blood identity.
06:06On Mount Olympus, where bloodline meant everything, he was branded as inferior.
06:12But I remembered him.
06:14Lucian.
06:15In my past life he had been like a cold shadow.
06:17Quiet, withdrawn, never seeking favor.
06:20Always lingering at the edges.
06:21Until the day I died.
06:23While the gods stood by and looked upon my corpse with indifference.
06:26Only he broke through the barriers in a frenzy and dropped to his knees in the pool of my blood.
06:30His trembling hands gathered what remained of me.
06:32And scorching tears fell onto my face.
06:34He buried me at the peak of Mount Olympus.
06:37Planted a golden apple tree.
06:38Then drew his sword and alone and without hesitation, charged toward Cassian's throne of storms.
06:43He went to his death for a woman who had never once truly seen him.
06:47I studied him for a long moment.
06:48Then the flames around me faded.
06:50And I offered him a completely unguarded smile.
06:52Let's go.
06:53Stop.
06:54Cassian's voice cracked like a whiff as he stepped forward, glaring at Lucian.
06:57You worthless half-flood.
06:59What right do you have to stand beside Aurelia?
07:01He is my future king consort.
07:02That alone gives him the right to walk at my side.
07:05I did not spare Cassius even a glance.
07:07Instead of throwing a tantrum here, you should go prepare for the ascension trial in five days.
07:11Try not to die in the lightning.
07:12Lucian stiffened for just a moment.
07:14A flicker of surprise crossed his dark eyes.
07:16And a faint flush crept behind his ears.
07:19At the mention of the trial, Cassian's anger instantly gave way to arrogance.
07:22A mere divine trial means nothing.
07:24Even without your divine core, I will crush it underfoot.
07:27Five days from now, you better be ready to become my woman.
07:29I ignored the barking behind me and walked down the corridor with Lucian at my side.
07:34The king of God's plan.
07:35I said, you already know it?
07:37Lucian stopped.
07:39Then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee.
07:42Your highness, I, Lucian, swear this oath before the fates.
07:45If I ever betray you in this life, may my soul essence be torn apart, and may I suffer eternal
07:50torment in Tartaros.
07:52A blinding dark gold light burst from his brow and shot into the sky.
07:56Thunder roared across the heavens.
07:57This was a supreme law, witnessed by Zeus himself.
08:00A vow bound by the soul.
08:02Unbreakable.
08:03I removed the starfall pendant from my waist.
08:05It was a sacred artifact forged by Selman, goddess of the moon.
08:08I fastened it onto his belt with my own hands.
08:10I believe you.
08:11Princess Aurora.
08:12His voice trembled, horny with emotion.
08:14Even if I burn my bones and blood to nothing, I will never fail you.
08:19My palace stood at the easternmost edge of Mount Olympus, where it welcomed the first
08:23light of dawn each day.
08:24At the center of the courtyard grew a golden apple tree, nurtured by my mother from a branch
08:29of Yggdrasil.
08:30It symbolized home and sanctuary.
08:32For a hundred years, I had tended it with the light of dawn, and nourished it with moonlight
08:37until it grew into a towering giant.
08:39But when I stepped through the gates, what greeted me was a silent ruin.
08:43My maid, Myra, stumbled forward and collapsed at my feet.
08:47Her translucent wings were tattered, her dress stained with dirt.
08:51Your highness, they cut down your tree!
08:53I shoved the gates open.
08:54The golden apple tree, the one that carried a century of my devotion, had been severed
08:58at its base.
08:59The massive trunk lay fallen, golden leaves scattered across the cold stone like divine
09:02tears of blood.
09:03Golden sap poured endlessly from the wound, while unripe fruit fell into the dirt, shriveling
09:07and rotting in moments.
09:08Everything was destroyed.
09:10Slowly, I lifted my head.
09:12My eyes burned red with overwhelming fury.
09:15Cassian stood casually in the center of the wreckage, idly twirling the divine blade forged
09:20by Hephaestus.
09:21Drops of golden sap still clung to its sharp edge.
09:24His expression was relaxed, as though he had merely crushed an insignificant insect.
09:28What gives you the right to touch my tree?
09:31My voice was soft, colder than winter wind.
09:34It was just a useless tree.
09:35Cassian shrugged, unconcerned.
09:38Lyanna likes Lumaine Rose.
09:39Starting tomorrow, this place will be cleared and replanted with roses.
09:41This is my domain.
09:42You are about to belong to me.
09:44Cassian's expression darkened at my defiance.
09:46He strode forward, towering over me.
09:48Aurelia, understand your position.
09:49If you anger me, I can withdraw my offer to marry you at any time.
09:52When that happens, even if you beg at my feet, I would not spare you a glance.
09:55He was waiting for fear, waiting for submission.
09:58But I only looked at him coldly, as if I were staring at a rotting corpse.
10:02Cassian, put away that disgusting arrogance.
10:05My future husband could be a hound from hell, and it still would never be you.
10:07For a split second, the killing intent in my eyes unsettled him.
10:11Then he let out a mocking laugh.
10:12Other than me, who on Mount Olympus would dare marry you?
10:16Do not forget, the King of Gods personally ordered preparations for our wedding.
10:20Of course.
10:20In his arrogance, he believed that grand ceremony was meant for him.
10:24He could not possibly imagine that, on that very day, the bride waiting for him would be the monster he
10:28cherished most.
10:29Enjoy your last days of glory, Cassian.
10:32I watched his retreating finger, a cruel smile curling at my lips.
10:35In five days, I will show you exactly what it feels like to fall into hell.
10:38Five days later, the Abyss of Thunder.
10:40A terrifying chasm carved deep within the mountains of Mount Olympus.
10:44A scar left behind when Zeus split the earth with his thunder scepter.
10:48The abyss plunged endlessly into darkness.
10:50The charred rock walls bore the violent marks of ancient lightning strikes,
10:54while within the eternal black, violet gold lightning slithered and hissed like venomous serpents.
10:59The gods had gathered.
11:01Zeus sat upon the supreme throne at the edge of the abyss.
11:03The twelve principal gods arrayed on either side, their presence pressing down like a raging sea.
11:10Unexpectedly, Lyanna had dared to come as well.
11:12She wore a flowing white gown, her golden hair adorned with lumina roses,
11:16clinging delicately to Cassian's arm as though she were already a crowned queen.
11:20Cassian caught sight of me from afar and immediately strode over with Lyanna,
11:24a confident, calculated smile on his face.
11:26Aurora, today's trial will depend on the divine core within you.
11:30I answered his shamelessness with silence.
11:32Then his gaze shifted past me and froze.
11:34Luian stood quietly at the edge of the abyss.
11:36He wore plain black leather armor, his posture straight as a blade.
11:40At his waist hung the starfall pendant, glowing softly with moonlight.
11:44How does a mung like you possess the starfall pendant?
11:46Cassian's veins bulged at his temples, fury nearly consuming his reason.
11:50Lucian did not even bother to draw his weapon.
11:52He simply met Cassian's gaze, cold and distant, as though looking at a speck of dust.
11:56Sensing the tension, Lyanna quickly pressed herself against Cassian's arm.
11:59My love, do not be angry.
12:01That pendant must be a cheap imitation Aurelia found.
12:03A lowly half-blood like him would probably turn to ash before surviving even the first
12:07strike of lightning.
12:08Cassian regained some of his arrogance and let out a cold snort,
12:11casting me a finna-warning glance before tumming away.
12:15The trial began.
12:17The son of Ares was the first to leap into the abyss.
12:19A deafening roar followed as violet gold lightning crashed down upon him.
12:23His scream tore through the air as he was hurled violently against the rock wall.
12:27The sound of shattering bones echoed clearly.
12:30He barely survived the first Heaven's judgment before losing all ability to continue.
12:34The challengers that followed fared little better.
12:37The strongest among them managed to endure only three strikes of lightning.
12:42A shadow darkened Zeus's gaze.
12:46Cassian.
12:46At last, it was his turn.
12:49Cassian strode into the center of the abyss with absolute confidence, and to everyone's
12:53shock, Liana gathered her skirts and followed him.
12:55Gasps erupted across the crowd.
12:57Even the risinal force of the abyss could tear a fragile nink apart in an instant.
13:00Do not be afraid, my love.
13:01Cassian caressed her cheek.
13:03With Aurelia's divine core protecting me, I will not let you suffer even the slightest harm.
13:08Liana closed her eyes, deeply moved.
13:10Then she opened her mouth and forcibly adjusted her life core.
13:12It was a thumb-sized crystal glowing faintly green.
13:15The moment it left her body, her once radiant skin rapidly withered, turning dull and lifeless.
13:19Her golden hair faded to gray, and deep wrinkles spread across her face like crack bark.
13:23Liana, have you lost your mind?
13:25Cassian shouted in suscrot.
13:26For you, I would give everything.
13:27She gasped weakly, forcing a fragile, sorrowful smile.
13:31Completely moved by this twisted display of devotion, Kasia's eyes reddened.
13:35He took the green crystal and fused it into his own heart.
13:39Then he raised his head and spread his arms toward the sky.
13:42He intended to summon all nine strikes of the trial at once.
13:48The heavens were instantly swallowed by storm clouds as dark as ink.
13:52Violet gold lightning transformed into colossal dragons, wringling through the sky.
13:57The destructive pressure bore down so heavily that even the assembled gods struggled to breathe.
14:03Has he lost his mind?
14:04Zeus rose to his feet, the thunder scepter blazing with light.
14:08To invoke all nine heavens judgments at once?
14:10This has never happened in all the history of Mount Olympus.
14:13At the center of the storm, Cassian locked his gaze onto me, his eyes filled with desperate hunger and expectation.
14:18Luria! Give me your divine core! Help me through this trial!
14:22My response was to stand there, arms crossed, cold and unmoving.
14:27The phoenix flame within me lay still, like a silent abyss, offering not even a trace of protection.
14:33Cassian's smile froze him.
14:34Auraria! What are you doing?
14:37Are you still throwing a tantrum?
14:40Do you not want to marry me anymore?
14:42For the first time, the arrogance etched into his face began to crack.
14:46Panic spread through him like poison.
14:49If all nine strikes fall, I will be annihilated!
14:52Will you really just watch me die?
14:54I remained moanless, like a flawless marble statue.
14:57A thunderous explosion shattered the sky.
15:01The first heaven's judgment fell.
15:02The violet gold lightning enveloped Cassia instantly.
15:05Amid the deafening roar, his scream tore through the storm.
15:08Blinding arcs of electricity scorched his golden hair and pierced straight through through the armor forged by Hephaedreus.
15:13He coughed up a mouthful of blood, streaked with flecks of gold.
15:16The lightning was destroying his divine bloodline from within.
15:21A more horrifying scream followed.
15:23Because Lyanna's life core had been fused into Cassian,
15:26the destructive force of the heaven's judgment surged back through the blood oath and struck her as well.
15:31The fragile crystal cracked with a sharp snap,
15:34fractions spreading across its surface before it shattered completely.
15:38Her life force drained away like a broken floodgate.
15:41In mere moments, her youthful body collapsed into that of a shriveled old woman,
15:45her skin wrinkled and grotesque.
15:47No, do not look at me! My face! Cassius, save me!
15:51She wailed, rizzling on the ground in despair.
15:53But Cassius could not even save himself.
15:57He dropped to one knee like a dying beast, his armor shattered,
16:02his body torn open with wounds deep enough to expose bone.
16:05There was nothing left of his former pride.
16:07He struggled to lift his head.
16:09The arrogance had vanished from his bloodshot gray-blue eyes, replaced by raw, primal fear.
16:14Lyria, save me.
16:16At last, I moved.
16:18The sound of my heels echoed against the marble as I walked forward,
16:23one step at a time, toward the edge of the abyss.
16:25Hope flared wildly in Cassian's eyes.
16:28Then, before his desperate gaze, I turned cleanly away and walked straight toward Lucian.
16:32I took his hand, large and rough, and laced my fingers with his,
16:36raising them high for all to see.
16:38My voice, amplified by divine power,
16:41rang clearly across the entire abyss of thunder.
16:44Who said I would marry this worthless man?
16:46The only one worthy to be my King Concord is Lucian.
16:50The starfall pendant stands as witness.
16:52Silence fell over everything.
16:54Then, in the next instant, an uproar more deafening than the ninefold thunder itself
16:57erupted throughout the entire divine hall.
16:59The daughter of the sun chose a half-flood?
17:02Look, that is the starfall penned of the moon goddess.
17:05Gasps of shock rippled through the gods one after another.
17:07At the bottom of the abyss, Cassian seemed to collapse entirely,
17:11as if the strength had been stripped from his bones.
17:13He lay there in despair.
17:15No, that is impossible.
17:17The one you loved was me.
17:18Above, the second heaven's judgment had already taken form.
17:21It was no longer violet gold, but a deep violet black.
17:25The true color of chaos lightning.
17:27A force of absolute destruction.
17:29Aurelia!
17:31His final scream tore out of him like the last cry of a dying beast.
17:37The second strike fell.
17:40The violet black storm swallowed him whole.
17:43His screams were so agonizing, they sounded as though they came from the deepest fires of hell.
17:48When the lightning finally dissipated, the entire assembly drew in sharp breaths.
17:52The once-radiant prince now lay like a charred husk in a pool of blood.
17:56His golden hair had turned to ash.
17:57His armor melted into his flesh.
17:59His limbs twisted at unnatural angles, and it was impossible to tell whether he still clung to life.
18:03Zeus let out a disappointed sigh.
18:05With a light tap of a scepter, the storm clouds and vanished instantly.
18:10Spare his life.
18:11He still carries the blood of the divines.
18:14The king of gods delivered his cold judgment.
18:16To everyone's surprise, Cassian's will to survive flared violently.
18:19Dragging his shattered body, he crawled towards me through the blood.
18:22Each movement left a grotex trail set behind him.
18:24Then, with a dull thud, he collapsed to his knees at my feet.
18:28The man who had once carved out my heart and killed our unborn child now knelt before me like a
18:33broken animal.
18:34Aurelia, I was wrong.
18:36His voice rashed like sand scraping against stone.
18:39Please, I swear I will only love you from now on.
18:42I looked down at him.
18:43The ocean of hatred from my past life surged within me, transforming into a cruel sense of satisfaction.
18:47Without hesitation, I lifted my boot and kicked him to the ground.
18:50He fell onto his back.
18:51His clouded eyes went with disbelief.
18:52I bent down gracefully, my face close to his ear.
18:55The stench of burnt flesh nearly made me recoil, but I maintained a cold smile.
18:59Cassian.
19:00I whispered softly, so only he could hear.
19:03When you carved out my divine core in our last life, did you ever imagine you would end up like
19:07this?
19:07His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
19:09Confusion turned to shock.
19:10And then to a terror so deep it seemed to drag him into an abyss.
19:14At last, he understood.
19:16He was not the only one who had been reborn.
19:19You...
19:19You also came back?
19:21From that future?
19:22His teeth chattered uncontrollably.
19:24I straightened without answering.
19:26He collapsed completely, trembling in the pool of blood.
19:34I turned and took Lucian's hand, firm and warm, pulling him towards the center of the abyss.
19:40Go.
19:42This time, I will stand with you.
19:46But his feet did not move.
19:48He remained at the edge, as if rooted in place.
19:51What is it?
19:51I asked, turning back.
19:53Behind us, Cassian suddenly burst into vicious laughter, clinging to his last shred of hope.
19:58A coward!
19:59You chose a worthless man who does not even dare enter the trial.
20:02Lucian ignored him completely.
20:03He lowered his gaze to me, those dark eyes deep as endless night,
20:07filled with a kind of quiet, overwhelming tenderness I had never seen in anyone, in any lifetime.
20:11Your Highness, this time, I want to do it myself.
20:14He said, his voice low and steady.
20:16I froze.
20:16The fury of the lightning will damage your divine core.
20:19I will never allow your foundation to be harmed.
20:21His thumb brushed lightly across the back of my hand, sending a faint shover through me.
20:25Before I could argue, he released my hand.
20:27Then he turned, like a warrior stepping onto the battlefield, and walked straight into the abyss of
20:31thunder.
20:32When Lucian's tall, dark figure stepped into the golden pool at the bottom of the abyss,
20:36murmurs rippled through the stands.
20:38A half-blood with impure rensity.
20:40How many strikes could he possibly understared?
20:42I heard none of it.
20:43Every sense I had was locked onto the man standing below.
20:46He stood at the center of the abyss like an unwielding war god.
20:48He removed his heavy black leather armor and cast it aside, leaving only a thin linen shirt clinging to his
20:53body.
20:53The golden water soaked through the fabric, outlining the powerful planes of his chest and the sharp definition of his
20:57abdomen.
20:58A form so perfect it would have left even the greatest sculptors in awe.
21:01He closed his eyes, fists clenched at his sides, allowing the power within him to break free of its restraints.
21:07Above, storm clouds gathered once more, but this time there was no wild lightning.
21:12Instead, a suffocating stillness spread through the sky, as if some ancient beast, slumbering for tens of thousands of years,
21:18was slowly opening its eyes.
21:19Only one bolt?
21:20A god scoffered.
21:21The laughter died instantly.
21:23What formed in the clouds was not ordinary lightning.
21:25It was a pure black bolt that devoured all light, like the primormidial darkness at the birth of chaos.
21:32There was no thunder, no roar, only absolute destruction.
21:36As it descended, space itself tore apart, revealed fractures of shifting color beneath reality.
21:40Primordial lightning.
21:41Zeus rose abruptly from his throne, his expression shaken.
21:44This is lightning from the dawn of the universe.
21:47I have not seen it in tens of thousands of years.
21:50The black bolt struck Lucian squarely across the back.
21:54There was no explosion, no flame.
21:56Only darkness swallowed him whole.
21:58Seconds later, the darkness receded.
22:00Lucian still stood.
22:01He had not moved a single step.
22:03His soaked linen shirt remained intact, as if what had struck him was nothing more than a passing breeze.
22:08Silence fell.
22:09Then the entire assembly erupted.
22:11Not a single injury?
22:13That is impossible!
22:14On the ground, Cassian's face twisted grotesquely with envy and despair.
22:20Lucian did not open his eyes.
22:22His jaw remained tight.
22:23The second strike fell.
22:24Two bolts of primordial lightning descended together.
22:27He stood unmoving.
22:28The third, three bolts intertwined.
22:30The fourth, four converged strikes.
22:33The fifth, five massive black bolts wove into a net of destruction, enveloping the entire abyss of thunder.
22:39Even the unbreakable rock walls began to collapse.
22:42At last, blood appeared.
22:43Black arcs scorched his bronze skin, leaving terrifying marks.
22:47Crimson seeped through his clothing.
22:49His brow tightened.
22:51His teeth clenched.
22:52Clearly enduring agony that tore at the soul itself.
22:54Yet he did not make a sound.
22:56The fifth strike ended.
22:57I thought he would stop there, just as he had in my previous life.
23:01Enduring five Heaven's judgments alone was already enough to elevate him among the greatest on Mount Olympus.
23:06But he did not move.
23:08He stood like an indestructible blade embedded in scorched earth.
23:12I stepped forward before I realized it.
23:13A tremor in my voice I did not recognize.
23:15Lucian?
23:16He opened his eyes slowly and looked at me from afar.
23:19Blood streaked across his sharp features.
23:21Yet he gave me a faint smile, wild and gentle at once.
23:24Your Highness, I can still fight.
23:29The sixth Heaven's judgment descended with catastrophic fury.
23:32Six bolts of primordial lightning merged into a single pillar of darkness.
23:35As vast as a column holding up Mount Olympus itself and crashed down.
23:40The space around it groaned under the strain.
23:43The beam swallowed him entirely.
23:45And my heart clenched violently.
23:47When the light faded, Lucian was on one knee.
23:49His body was torn with deep, jagged wounds.
23:52Blood poured from him, staining the golden pool, a dark crimson.
23:56His face was pale, his muscles trembling from exhaustion.
23:59Yet he planted his hands against the ground and forced himself upright.
24:01He did not fall.
24:02Six strikes of primordial lightning, a feat unmatched in thousands of years among the Divines.
24:07Zeus trembled with excitement upon his throne.
24:09Good.
24:09Excellent.
24:10This is the true brilliance of the Divines.
24:13Lucian breathed heavily.
24:14Though his movements were slow, he maintained the dignity of a warrior.
24:17My thanks, Your Majesty.
24:17Turning toward Zeus, he bowed his head.
24:19He began to leave the abyss, dragging his blooded body behind him.
24:22Wait.
24:23I loosened my outer robe and stepped past the boundary of the abyss without hesitation.
24:27Entering the battlefield, he stood in.
24:30Your Highness.
24:31For the first time, fear appeared in Lucian's dark eyes.
24:35I walked straight to him and took his burning hand, ignoring the blood that covered him.
24:39Do not be afraid.
24:40I looked up at the storm clouds still churning above.
24:43Three strikes remained.
24:44Aurea.
24:45Have you lost your mind?
24:47Zeus's voice thundered overhead.
24:50The fire within you is the origin of Divine Flame.
24:53If it is damaged...
24:55I ignored him.
24:56Closing my eyes, the phoenix flame within me erupted like a waking volcano.
25:01Golden red fire surged into the sky, forming a great phoenix that spread its wings around us, shielding us both.
25:07The seventh heaven's judgment roared as it descended.
25:12Seven bolts of primordial lightning merged into a monstrous dragon.
25:16Its abyssian jaws wide as it roared and plunged downward.
25:19Lucian instinctively tried to pull free from my grasp to shield me with his body.
25:22But I tightened my hold.
25:24Our fingers locked together.
25:25This time, we face it together.
25:28The black lightning dragon swallowed us whole.
25:31Pain beyond words tore through every nerve.
25:34Primordial lightning rampaged through my veins, clashing violently with the Divine Flame at my core.
25:38It felt as though my bones were being crushed piece by piece.
25:40I bit down hard enough to taste blood.
25:42Driven by sheer will, the phoenix flame surged, wrapping itself around the destructive force and forcing it, little by little,
25:48into submission.
25:48When the lightning faded, we were still standing.
25:51Our hands still tightly joined.
25:54Lucian's voice was hossy with pain.
25:57Your Highness.
25:59Your hand.
26:00I glanced down.
26:01Dark, charred cracks had spread across the back of my hand, golden divine blood seeping through.
26:06I wiped the blood from my lips without concern.
26:09It is nothing.
26:11Two more remain.
26:12The eighth Heaven's judgment descended.
26:14Eight bolts of black lightning wove together into a vast net of darkness, sealing off the sky as it crashed
26:20down.
26:22The pain was ten times worse than before.
26:24A sharp fracture rang from my Divine core as fine cracks spread across it.
26:29The phoenix flame flickered violently on the verge of collapse.
26:32My vision blurred, but I did not let go.
26:35Lucian's grip tightened around mine like iron.
26:37A force, both fierce and strangely gentle, surged through our joined hands, pouring into my body.
26:42We endured the eighth strike.
26:45My skin was covered in fractures like shattered porcelain.
26:49Luian was worse.
26:50Drenched in blood, as though he had risen from a crimson abyss.
26:54Yet when he looked at me, his eyes burned like living stars.
26:59The ninth strike.
27:01The final judgment.
27:02The storm clouds contracted violently, compressing all their destructive power into a single point.
27:08What emerged was a thread-like black needle, so fine it was nearly invisible.
27:12Zeus rose abruptly.
27:15His expression shaken.
27:17That is the needle of chaos.
27:19Auraria, leave the abyss immediately.
27:21I did not retreat.
27:22Instead, I stepped forward, placing myself slightly ahead of Lucian.
27:26The black needle pierced through the phoenix flame effortlessly.
27:31It tore through my flesh and bone, driving straight into my core fragment.
27:35A sharp crack echoed.
27:38Fractures spread through my divine core like a collapsing canyon.
27:42Pain surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming everything.
27:46At the moment my core was about to shatter completely, Lucidian let out a wild roar.
27:55He pulled me into his burning embrace, pouring all of his soul and power into me.
28:00His strength was fierce, yet impossibly gentle, wrapping around my breaking core, forcing it
28:07back together, reshaping it.
28:09He was willing to drain every drop of his divine blood to keep me alive.
28:14The ninefold thunder trial was broken.
28:16The storm clouds vanished in an instant, replaced by a radiant golden light that pierced the heavens.
28:23It was Zeus's blessing.
28:25Divine power flowed over us like long-awaited rain, repairing our bodies.
28:29Within my restored divine core surged a terrifying new strength.
28:33Lucian's transformation was even more astonishing.
28:36The small horns atop his head grew rapidly, forming majestic dark gold crown horns.
28:41His tattered clothing turned to ash, replaced by a suit of black armor etched with flowing
28:47ancient runes.
28:48An ancient, primordial pressure awakened within him, a presence powerful enough to rival Zeus
28:53himself.
28:56The gods fell into stunned silence.
28:59Even Hera's eyes flickered with unease and shock.
29:02In the distance Cassian lay collapsed, like a lifeless husk, his spirit utterly broken.
29:07This was no inferior half-blood.
29:10This was the purest, direct lineage of the primordial god Uranus.
29:14Older and more noble than any bloodline present, Zeus descended from his throne, something he
29:20had never done before, and approached the edge of the abyss.
29:23My child, from this day forward, you are the first heir to the throne of storms.
29:29Your grand wedding with Aurelia will be held in three days.
29:33Lucian dropped to one knee, offering a flawless knight's salute.
29:37I submit to your will, your majesty.
29:39I stood beside him, watching as the man who had once lingered in shadows finally stepped
29:44into his rightful light.
29:46The frozen weight of hatred that had bound my heart across lifetimes quietly melted away,
29:51undone by his unwavering devotion and quiet resolve.
29:54Three days later, Mount Olympus welcomed the most extravagant wedding in thousands of years.
30:00The entire divine mountain shimmered beneath radiant magic.
30:04In the courtyards, golden fragments of starlight hung from every branch, while garlands woven
30:09from lumina roses and laurel leaves stretched for miles.
30:11The fates themselves appeared in divine form to bestow their blessing, and the nine muses
30:18played golden harps, their voices carrying songs of eternal love.
30:23I wore a wedding gown woven by my mother from the very first light of dawn.
30:28Its long trail burned with sacred golden fire borrowed from my father's chariot of the sun,
30:35dazzling beyond words.
30:37At the far end of the crowd, Lucian walked toward me with steady steps.
30:41He wore a sharply tailored black suit, the starfall pendant resting at his waist.
30:46In his dark, endless eyes, there was no trace of gods or power.
30:51There was only me.
30:54He knelt before me, gently lifting my hand.
30:57My princess, will you allow me to be your blade and your shield, and walk eternity at your side?
31:03I clasped his hand in return, my fingers brushing the callies on his palm.
31:08I will.
31:08The moment our vows were sealed, a rain of golden light poured from the heavens.
31:13Fate itself had been rewritten.
31:15The celebration lasted for three days and nights,
31:19the laughter of the gods nearly shaking the stars themselves.
31:22On the final night, Lucian took my hand and led me away from the noise,
31:25into the palace gardens.
31:26I stopped suddenly, covering my lips in disbelief.
31:29Where ruin had once stood, a new golden apple tree had grown,
31:32already taller than both of us.
31:35Beneath the silver glow of the moon, it shimmered softly,
31:38its branches full, a few young golden fruits already beginning to form.
31:42I went to your mother and asked for a new branch of Yugdura.
31:45Lucian wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin lightly against my shoulder.
31:49His breath carried a faint trace of wine, his voice quieter than usual, almost shy.
31:52I am sorry.
31:53I used all my strength, and this is as far as I could grow it.
31:57My princess, can you wait for it to grow taller?
32:00Memories of the past flooded my mind.
32:02The shattered golden leaves, the tree that had been cut down without mercy.
32:07And now, this man had rebuilt it with his own hands.
32:11He had given me a home again.
32:13I turned, wrapping my arms around his neck,
32:16rising onto my toes as I pressed my lips to his.
32:19He froze instantly, rigid as stone.
32:21But after a brief moment, restraint gave way.
32:23His hand slid to the back of my head, pulling me closer,
32:26while his other arm tightened around my waist,
32:29drawing me firmly against his chest as the kiss deepened.
32:32Beneath the newborn golden apple tree, even the stars faded into the background.
32:36When the kiss ended, I rested against his chest,
32:39listening to the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
32:43I like it.
32:44He said nothing.
32:46He simply buried his face in my hair and held me tighter,
32:50as though I were something he had lost once and finally found again.
32:54All the defenses I had built, all the sharp edges I carried,
32:57quietly fell away within his embrace.
33:01The seventh day after the wedding,
33:02I reclined langely on a chaise in the courtyard,
33:05sipping divine wine from a crystal glass.
33:07Every morning, Lucien would nourish the golden apple tree with his powerful chaos energy.
33:10In just seven days, it had already grown several feet taller.
33:13Your Highness!
33:14Cassian and that Lyanna have come.
33:16They have been kneeling in the mud out outside the palace gates for an hour.
33:19I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, a cruel smile curling at my lips.
33:24At last, drag them in.
33:26Moments later, two miserable figures wrapped in tattered black cloaks were thrown into the courtyard like refuse.
33:33Cassian reeked, barely able to stand.
33:37Lyon lay sprawled on the ground like a lump of decay.
33:40The skin at her neck shriveled and lifeless beneath her cloak.
33:45Kneel properly.
33:46My voice was cold.
33:48Cassian stiffened instinctively,
33:50his old arrogance flickering for a moment before collapsing.
33:53His knees slammed onto the marble.
33:55Lyanna did not even dare lift her head.
33:58Cassian trembled as he pulled back his hood.
34:01The face that had once captivated countless admirers was now ruined.
34:05His golden hair had nearly all fallen out,
34:08what remained thin and ragged.
34:10His pale skin had turned a sickly gray-green,
34:12and from his neck to his cheeks,
34:14slick scales had begun to grow.
34:15The Heaven's Judgment had not only destroyed his divine core,
34:19it had twisted his bloodline.
34:21He was devolving into something base.
34:24Something like a fish.
34:26Cassian suddenly snapped,
34:27yanking Lyanna's hood away.
34:29Aurelia!
34:30I was cursed by this wretched woman!
34:32Lyanna let out a shrined scream,
34:34desperately trying to cover face.
34:36Too late.
34:37Her face was that of a withered corpse.
34:39Skin cracked like dead bark.
34:41Sparse white hair clung to a markled scalp,
34:43her clouded eyes bulging outward in a grotesque stare.
34:49Cassian shouted frantically.
34:51It was her!
34:52She cast a vile love-cursed on me,
34:54clouded my mind.
34:55The one I truly loved
34:57has always been you,
34:58Aurelia.
34:59He struck Lyanna across the face,
35:01sending her flying.
35:02Then he lunged at her like a mad beast,
35:05fists raining down.
35:06If it were not for you,
35:08I would not have lost everything.
35:10Die!
35:11Die!
35:11You are lying!
35:13Cassian, you said it yourself!
35:14If I helped you trick Avarian
35:16to giving up her divine core,
35:17you would make me queen!
35:18Lyanna curled on the ground,
35:20spitting blood mixed with broken teeth,
35:21her voice distrulled with hatred.
35:23Shut up!
35:23Cassian roared,
35:24panic flooding his voice.
35:26She screamed back.
35:27What did you say when you were on top of me?
35:29You said Aurelia was nothing but a tool to you!
35:32That once you had her divine core,
35:33you would snap her neck with your own hands!
35:37Cassian's face drained of all color.
35:39His fists fell harder,
35:41striking her again.
35:42I will kill you,
35:43you lying ret.
35:45I watched the farce with mild interest,
35:48until boredom crept in.
35:50Enough!
35:51The word was quiet,
35:52yet carried absolute authority.
35:55Cassian stopped immediately.
35:56He crawled toward me on his knees
35:58like a beaten animal.
35:59Aurelia, you heard it all.
36:01I am innocent.
36:02Give me another chance.
36:03Let me stay by your side.
36:04Lifting his scaled face
36:05and desperate feeling,
36:07he reached out with those webbed,
36:08repulsive hands,
36:10trying to grasp the hem of my dress.
36:13These were the same hands
36:15that had driven a blade
36:16through my chest.
36:17The same hands that had held
36:19another woman while mocking me.
36:21I lifted my foot,
36:22clad in golden armor,
36:24and crushed it down
36:25on the back of his hand.
36:29The crack of breaking bone rang out,
36:32followed by his scream.
36:33Cassian, do not hide behind talk of curses.
36:36That magic only worked
36:37because your heart was already twisted
36:38by greed for power.
36:39You did not love her,
36:40and you never loved me.
36:42You only desired my divine core.
36:44In this life,
36:44you have loved no one but yourself.
36:46His face turned ashen,
36:48his body trembling
36:48as though plunged into ice.
36:50No, that is not true.
36:52I withdrew my foot
36:53and wiped my boot
36:54with a silk cloth in disgust.
36:56Get out!
36:57You and your precious nymphs
36:58can rot together in the mud,
37:00tormenting each other
37:00until there is nothing left.
37:02I waved a hand.
37:03Throw them out.
37:04Spread the word.
37:05Anyone who dares
37:06approaches my palace again
37:08will be executed.
37:09The guards dragged them away roughly.
37:12Aurora,
37:13you cannot be this cruel.
37:15Cassian's screams
37:16echoed through the corridor.
37:17Lucian stepped out from the shadows
37:19and, with practiced ease,
37:21pulled me into his broad,
37:22warm embrace.
37:24His thumb brushed lightly
37:25against the back of my neck.
37:27Did that disgust you?
37:29I leaned into his chest
37:30and let out a quiet breath.
37:32I was just thinking.
37:33In my past life,
37:34he never once spoke of love to me.
37:37Now that he has fallen from everything,
37:38he suddenly can't stop saying it.
37:40Lucian's voice was low and cold.
37:43Because those cheap lies
37:44are all he has left.
37:45Only cowards beg with false tears
37:48after losing everything.
37:49I tilted my head up
37:50to look at him.
37:51His sharply defined jaw was tense,
37:53his dark eyes devoid
37:54of any hunger for power.
37:55There was only an intense,
37:56unyielding possessiveness
37:57towards me.
37:59Will you always love me?
38:01I looped my arms
38:02around his neck.
38:03He lowered his head
38:04and pressed a burning kiss
38:05to my forehead.
38:08Until the universe
38:09collapses
38:10and time itself ends.
38:14That night,
38:15I dismissed everyone
38:16and entered the heavily guarded
38:17divine treasury alone,
38:19carrying a lantern.
38:20Moonlight filtered
38:21through the glass dome above,
38:23illuminating rows
38:24of divine artifacts.
38:25These were all items
38:27I had once bestowed upon Cassius,
38:29now reclaimed after his fall.
38:31The blade forged by Hephaestus.
38:33Sacred water from Athena,
38:35the golden apple of Aphrodite.
38:37My fingers taste lightly
38:38over the cold metal
38:39before finally stopping
38:40on a chain that glimmermed
38:42with a chilling silver light.
38:44The God's Bear Chain,
38:45a tool used to bind
38:47and torment lesser divines.
38:49Once, Cassian had asked me for it,
38:52claiming it was
38:52for Lyanna's protection.
38:54I lifted the chain,
38:55weighing it in my hand,
38:57then deliberately placed it
38:58in the most visible spot
39:00near the ventilation opening.
39:02The next morning,
39:03Myra rushed in, flustered.
39:05Your Highness,
39:05someone broke into
39:06the treasury last night.
39:07It was that old witch Lyanna.
39:09She stole a silver chain.
39:10Is that so?
39:11I set down my golden cup,
39:13a knowing smile
39:13curling at my lips.
39:15Let her take it.
39:16The bait has been taken.
39:18Three months later,
39:19a scandal swept across
39:20Mount Olympus like a storm.
39:22Cassian was dead.
39:23He died in a remote,
39:24barren ditch
39:25granted to him by Zeus.
39:26His body was found
39:27floating in the foul water,
39:28completely decayed,
39:30reverted to its base form.
39:31A palm-sized golden carp
39:32covered in freshening soils.
39:33The remnants of his divine core
39:34had been forcibly carved out.
39:36The killer was Lyanna.
39:38The powerless nymph had,
39:40under the cover of night,
39:42used the stolen godsbond chain
39:44to strangle Cassian
39:46until he stopped breathing.
39:48Then she tore open his chest
39:49and dug out the ruined core,
39:51attempting to devour it
39:52to restore her beauty and power.
39:54But she was a fool.
39:56Cassian's core had already
39:57been destroyed
39:58by the Ninefold Thunder Trial,
40:00saturated with violent,
40:01chaotic energy.
40:02The moment she swallowed it,
40:04that power erupted within her,
40:05tearing her apart from the inside.
40:07She died.
40:10Her corpse reverted to its true form,
40:12a grotesque water spirit.
40:14She sprawled in the foul mud
40:15by the stream,
40:15its shriveled scales falling away,
40:17hollow eyes staring blankly
40:18at the ashen sky,
40:19its mouth and nose
40:19filled with filthy slum.
40:20It was said that when she died,
40:21she still clutched
40:23the godsbane chain in her hand.
40:25The barbs had pierced
40:26deep into her bones,
40:27fused with her rotting flesh,
40:29impossible to remove.
40:29It was also said that
40:30as she drew her final breath
40:32in the mire,
40:32she cried out for her mother.
40:33The very mother
40:34she had once lured
40:36beasts for me to devour,
40:37just to bury her own lies.
40:40When I heard the news,
40:40I was resting in Lucian's arms
40:42beneath the lush canopy
40:42of the golden apple tree.
40:44Myra described the gruesome scene
40:45in vivid detail,
40:46her tone filled with satisfaction.
40:47Lucian set aside the parchment
40:48in his hand
40:49and looked down at me.
40:50What are you thinking,
40:51my princess?
40:52I met his gaze,
40:53my smile bright as dawn.
40:54I was thinking of a joke.
40:55There is a flower
40:56in the mortal world
40:57called Lumina Rose.
40:58Liana loved adoring herself with it.
41:00Lucian raised a brow slightly.
41:02And?
41:02I have already sent people
41:03to plant fields of Lumina Roses
41:05all around the muddy pit
41:06where she was buried.
41:08He paused.
41:09Then a low, rich laugh
41:10escaped his chest.
41:11The expression in his eyes
41:13softened,
41:14filled with indulgence.
41:15He reached out
41:16and ruffled my hair.
41:17My princess,
41:18you grow more resistible
41:19by the day.
41:20I smiled and closed my eyes,
41:21resting my cheek
41:22against his warm chest.
41:23Sunlight filtered
41:24through the golden apple tree,
41:25and his embrace felt
41:26warmer than the sun itself.
41:27The hatred that had clung
41:28to me across lifetimes
41:29finally faded away
41:30within this quiet,
41:31peaceful world.
41:32Time passed swiftly.
41:33To the gods,
41:34a century was no more
41:35than the blink of an eye.
41:36The golden apple tree,
41:37once regrown from a single branch,
41:39had long since surpassed
41:40its former glory.
41:40Its massive trunk
41:41required three people
41:42to encircle it,
41:43its dense canopy
41:44stretching wide enough
41:45to block out the sky.
41:46The golden fruit it bore
41:47shimmered beneath the sunlight
41:48like countless miniature suns.
41:50Over the past hundred years,
41:51Lucian,
41:52as the first heir
41:52to the throne of storms,
41:54had worked decisively
41:55alongside Zeus
41:56to restore order
41:57to Mount Olympus.
41:58With overwhelming strength
41:59and unyielding justice,
42:01he earned the respect
42:02and awe of every god.
42:03Even Hera,
42:04known for her sharp tongue,
42:05once declared
42:06before the pantheon,
42:07Lucian is more worthy
42:09of that supreme throne
42:10than any other.
42:12The mystery of his origins
42:14had also come to light.
42:16His mother was no mortal woman,
42:18but the last sacred guardian
42:20of the lineage
42:21of the primordial god Uranus.
42:23To escape those
42:24who hunted her,
42:25she hid among mortals
42:26with Lucian in her arms
42:28until Zeus's vengeance
42:29he discovered them.
42:31As for me,
42:31my power had undergone
42:33a transformation
42:33after enduring
42:34the primordial lightning
42:35alongside Lucian.
42:37My phoenix flame
42:38and his chaos lightning
42:39fused perfectly,
42:40evolving into something
42:41entirely new.
42:42Thunder flame.
42:44It carried both
42:45the endless vitality
42:46of rebirth
42:46and the absolute
42:47destructive force of chaos.
42:49The storm phoenix.
42:51Every spring
42:51in the mortal world,
42:52Lucian and I
42:53would leave behind
42:53the rigid formality
42:54of Mount Olympus
42:55and wander as we please.
42:56Sometimes we searched
42:57hidden valleys
42:58for trace of Lumita roses.
42:59Other times,
43:00we simply sat side by side
43:01atop a solitary
43:02snow-covered peak,
43:03sharing a flask
43:04of divine wine
43:04as we waited
43:05for the sunrise.
43:06Whenever I grew drowsy
43:07against his shoulder,
43:08he would gently pull me
43:08into his arms,
43:09shielding me from the cold winds
43:11with his cloak.
43:11You are the future
43:12king of gods.
43:14I teased him
43:15more than once.
43:16Why do you spend
43:17your days like a wandering poet?
43:18Each time,
43:19he would press a soft kiss
43:21to my temple
43:21and give the same answer.
43:23No throne weighs more
43:24than being by your side.
43:25One day,
43:26I stood beneath
43:27the towering golden apple tree,
43:29gazing up at the fruit
43:30that glittered like stars.
43:32Lucian came up behind me
43:33without a sound,
43:35his strong arms
43:36wrapping firmly
43:37around my waist,
43:38his chin resting
43:39against my shoulder.
43:40The scouts have returned,
43:41he said,
43:42his voice low and warm.
43:44In the eastern continent,
43:45the lumina roses
43:46are in full bloom
43:47this year.
43:48Entire mountains covered,
43:50like a sea of violet stars.
43:52Do you want to go see them?
43:56I turned to meet his glaze.
43:58A hundred years
43:59had left no mark
44:00upon his perfect features,
44:02only deepening
44:03the calm authority
44:04that came with power.
44:07Yet the way he looked at me
44:08had never changed.
44:09It was the same
44:10as it had been
44:11on that long day
44:12in the abyss of thunder.
44:13Intense.
44:14Unwavering.
44:15Certain.
44:16Of course,
44:17I said with a smile.
44:19We became two streaks of light,
44:21cutting through
44:21the layered clouds
44:22of Mount Olympus,
44:23crossing the vast,
44:24rolling waves
44:25of the Aegean Sea,
44:26and finally descended
44:27into a quiet
44:28Naming Valley
44:28eastern continent.
44:29Just as the scouts had said,
44:31lumina roses
44:31bloomed wildly
44:32across the mountains.
44:33Under the soft glow
44:34of moonlight,
44:34their violet petals
44:35shimmered with a dreamlike radiance,
44:37like a flowing galaxy.
44:38The evening breeze
44:39stirred the endless sea
44:40of flowers
44:40into gentle waves,
44:41their soft rustling
44:42like a lullaby
44:43whispered by the earth itself.
44:44Lucian held my hand firmly,
44:46as we walked deeper
44:47into that violet dream.
44:48Aurelia.
44:49He suddenly stopped,
44:50his voice carrying
44:52a rare tension.
44:53What is it?
44:54He turned to face me.
44:55The pale moonlight
44:56traced a silver edge
44:57along his tall,
44:58powerful form.
44:59Then the man
45:00who commanded
45:00the awe of all gods
45:02knelt before me,
45:03carefully,
45:03almost nervously.
45:04He drew out a ring
45:05from within his inner robe.
45:07It was not a divine relic
45:08adorned with jewels.
45:10It was a simple band,
45:11shaped from wood,
45:12its surface carved
45:13with two overlapping leaves.
45:15I cut a branch
45:16from the golden apple tree
45:17and carved this myself.
45:18His ears had turned
45:19faintly red,
45:20and for once,
45:21he avoided my glaze.
45:23It has been a hundred years.
45:25I still owe you
45:26a real wedding ring.
45:27I read the records
45:28of mortals.
45:28In their world,
45:29a ring represents eternity,
45:31without beginning nor end.
45:32At last,
45:33he lifted his eyes
45:34to meet mine.
45:35They burned with sincerity
45:37and quiet longing.
45:38Auroraia,
45:39will you marry me again?
45:40Not for the throne of storms.
45:42Not for the alliance
45:43of the divines.
45:44Only because I am Lucian,
45:46and you are Auroraia.
45:47I looked at the simple
45:48wooden ring in his hand.
45:49It held none of the brilliance
45:51of the starfall pendant.
45:52None of the sharp perfection
45:53forged by the god of craftsmen.
45:57It was only a piece of wood,
45:59shaped with patience and care
46:00into a circle
46:01that symbolized forever.
46:02And yet,
46:03in that moment,
46:04it was more precious
46:05than any crown in existence.
46:06I slowly extended my left hand,
46:08my voice trembling with emotion.
46:10I will.
46:10His fingers shook slightly
46:12as he slid the ring onto mine.
46:13The rough grain pressed
46:14against my skin,
46:15warm with his touch.
46:16In the next instant,
46:17he rose and pulled me
46:18tightly into his arms,
46:19his hand firm at my waist
46:20as he kissed me deeply.
46:21It was a kiss that bound
46:22soul and flesh together.
46:24Around us,
46:24the lumina roses swayed gently,
46:26their violet glow
46:27surrounding us
46:28like a tide of light.
46:29The moon hung high above,
46:30the stars bearing silent witness.
46:32Far away,
46:32the lights of Mount Olympias
46:33fleckered against the night.
46:34The gods might still be celebrating,
46:35the muses still singing,
46:36the fates still weaving
46:37their endless threads.
46:38And I,
46:39after enduring betrayal,
46:40pain,
46:41and fire,
46:41had finally found my eternity
46:42in the arms of the man before me.
46:44Later,
46:44my maid Myra once asked me,
46:46Your Highness me,
46:47you and Prince Lucio
46:48planted another golden apple tree
46:50in the mortal world.
46:51Why does it never grow any taller?
46:53I looked at the wooden ring
46:54on my finger and smiled.
46:55Because it does not need
46:56to grow anymore.
46:58Why not?
46:58She asked,
47:00puzzled.
47:00Never told her the answer,
47:02but I knew it well.
47:03Because a true home
47:05is never a cold palace,
47:06nor a towering divine tree.
47:08A home is a person.
47:10The one who will draw his blade
47:12and stand alone
47:12against the throne of gods
47:14when the world casts you aside.
47:15The one who will protect
47:16your shattered soul
47:17even at the cost
47:18of his own destruction.
47:19The one who,
47:20after gaining everything,
47:21will still carve a simple root
47:22for you with his own hands.
47:23The one who promises
47:24to love you for a hundred years,
47:26a thousand years,
47:27ten thousand years,
47:28and proves it with his life.
47:29And so,
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