The Future

"You should have eaten something, my dear."

Luci didn't respond. Her face remained cold, lifeless, as she stared at the untouched plate before her. Her lips barely parted as she muttered, "I'm not hungry."

Her tone wasn't one of sadness. It was ignorance—detached and numb. The voice of someone too broken to feel hunger anymore.

Her father sighed heavily, shoulders hunched with exhaustion. "The gone is gone," he said, walking a few paces behind her. "You should focus on the future. That's all we're left with."

Luci still didn't react. Her eyes were glued to the window, where sunlight bled into the marbled halls like a slow wound. Her hands remained still, her breath soft, barely audible.

Frustrated and helpless, the Lord of Love waved a hand toward the door. "Maid!" he bellowed, voice cracking with fatigue. "Make her eat. Do whatever it takes."

Turning back to his daughter with gentler eyes, he added softly, "You must be fine soon, Luci. You are soon going to marry Kaiser. It's been decided."

And with that, he left.

As the door closed behind him, Luci's lips trembled. She didn't scream. She didn't cry out. She simply let one lone tear fall as she looked out the window. Beyond the horizon lay the memories she once shared with a boy who was no longer in this world.

Scene Shift

In the verdant chambers of the Royal Garden, surrounded by whispering trees and flowing magic, the Lord of Nature knelt respectfully before the throne.

"My Lord," he said, "soon your son will marry. We should begin preparations—for the wedding and for declaring the next crown successor."

King Diamond sat upon the jade throne, eyes heavy with time. "I am getting older," he murmured, almost to himself. "So old. I've done everything I needed to… betrayal, lies, killings…"

The King trailed off, his fingers tracing the edge of the armrest.

"…sometimes I think of changing. Of… redemption."

A deep silence fell.

The Lord of Nature tilted his head. "That's… kind of you, my Lord."

But King Diamond suddenly laughed, deep and sharp. "Kind?" he scoffed. "You fool. Did you really think I was being serious?"

The Lord of Nature flinched.

"Kindness is weakness," Diamond growled. "I have no space for it on my throne. Now listen carefully. Send word to the Lord of Fire. I have plans—stronger blood must unite with stronger. Not your brittle, leafy nobility."

"My Lord—"

"Silence," Diamond snapped. "You're not intelligent enough to be trusted with what's to come. Go. And don't return until you've summoned Fire himself."

The Lord of Nature clenched his jaw but obeyed. "As you command, my King."

That Night

The halls were dark when Luci stepped into her father's study, her hand resting lightly on the pommel of her sword. Her father sat by a candle, scribbling papers with a tired gaze.

"I don't want to marry Kaiser," Luci said quietly.

The Lord of Love looked up. Then, to her surprise, he laughed.

"I can confirm that for you," he said. "But in return, you must accept something just as binding."

Luci narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"You'll join the King's Guard. As a Commander. To protect the very man you were meant to marry."

Luci's expression didn't change. "It would be better to protect that lad than to marry him."

Her father's smile faded into a serious nod. "You start tomorrow. Training squad. You'll be exiled for three years to the northern wilderness. No shortcuts. No titles. Only survival."

He stood, walked over to her, and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "But I promise you something, Luci," he whispered in her ear. "I'll find Ryan for you. Even if I must burn through the Devil Continent itself."

Luci's eyes widened, and for the first time in weeks… she smiled. One fragile smile, born of a hope too stubborn to die. A tear slid down her cheek—not of grief, but of resolve.

The Next Morning

The sun hadn't fully risen when Luci stood at the gates, armored in silver and white. Her sword was strapped to her back. Her hair was tied, and her eyes were sharper than they'd ever been.

She rode a white horse through the training valley, where a small group of elite recruits had already gathered.

Among them stood Rimu.

Luci's eyes widened.

She approached, dismounting. "What are you doing here?"

Rimu smiled, her pale hair dancing in the morning breeze. "I'm joining the squad."

Luci folded her arms. "Must you follow me everywhere?"

Rimu chuckled softly. "I gave my heart to Ryan."

Luci's breath hitched.

"If he's alive… I'll wait for him," Rimu continued, staring at the sky. "And if he's not… I'll wait for my death. So I can see him again."

Luci's hands shook.

"I was there…" Luci whispered. "I could have saved him. But I didn't. I failed."

She dropped to her knees, pain ripping through her chest.

Rimu gently knelt beside her and pulled her into an embrace. "You can't change the past, Luci. But you can shape the future. We both can."

The wind grew colder. The sky darkened.

A sudden booming voice echoed across the valley.

"It is time, my dears."

Everyone turned. Standing tall at the head of the training ground was none other than the Great Lord of Love—Luci's father—in full war regalia. His aura flared like a crimson sun.

"I will personally guide your training," he announced. "Three years of exile. Three years of fire, blood, and blade. If you survive—you return as warriors."

Behind him, a swirling portal shimmered into existence, like a liquid mirror.

"This portal will remain open for five minutes," he declared. "After that, it shall not open again until three years pass. If you wish to return home, speak now."

No one moved.

The silence was a pact. Each of them had their reason to stay.

Luci stepped forward, her sword gleaming under the light.

Rimu caught her hand. "Let's go."

And together, the two girls walked through the portal—into exile, into pain, into transformation.

Into the future.