Days passed.
Lucien settled into a steady rhythm.
The Split Bodies returned to him one by one. Their refined divine energy folded seamlessly back into his core. Once absorbed, he released them again without pause. Each resumed the slow, methodical refinement of Spirit Crystals.
Over time, his inner realm changed.
Divine energy thickened in the air again. It no longer felt depleted or fragile.
Lucien observed the shift in satisfaction.
Still, he practiced restraint.
He activated the Law of Reflection.
Reflection spread outward like a transparent layer laid over existence. Within it, Lucien simulated the process in real time, watching outcomes unfold without consequence.
Bodies formed. And failed. Again and again.
At first glance, the reflected vessels were flawless. They breathed. They maintained form. Some even reacted correctly to simulated soul contact.
But Lucien looked deeper.
They lacked weight.
Not physical mass but causal mass.
