Seeing the tears welling up in Castorice's eyes, Lucian felt heavy-hearted as well.
Unfortunately, there was no other way—he still had to leave the script.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Cas." Lucian opened his arms and pulled Castorice into his embrace, speaking softly to comfort her. "It's just that I have something important to take care of, so I have to leave for a while. I promise I'll come back."
Castorice buried her face against his chest, staying silent.
"Cas, will you wait for me?" Lucian asked while gently patting her head.
"I will!" Castorice replied instantly without lifting her head, almost as if she didn't want him to see her tears. "How long... How long will you be gone?"
"A few years, probably..." Lucian gently made her look up, their eyes meeting. "I'll try to come back as soon as I can. I promise."
He moved his thumb to wipe away Castorice's tears, then continued.
"Well, let's go back to the nether realm. I should also say goodbye to Xia."
"Mm..."
With that, the two of them immediately returned together to the nether realm.
===
Deep within the nether realm, there was no change of seasons and no bustling daylight—only eternal dusk, a hazy world soaked in gentle starlight, and a sea of flowers stretching silently to the end of the earth.
Each petal of these flowers seemed to hold traces of deep-blue stardust, glowing softly, light gentle enough to reach even the depths of the soul.
In the center of this sea of flowers, three figures walked slowly side by side.
Lucian walked in the middle, his silhouette blurred by the bluish glow that filtered through the flowers.
Polyxia, her light lavender short hair shimmering like honey under the stardust glow, clung tightly to his left side, her pale fingers intertwined with his so tightly her knuckles turned white, as if she wanted to fuse her very being into his hand.
Resting her cheek on his shoulder, her beautiful eyes held only endless, quiet attachment.
Castorice, on the other hand, trailed half a step behind Lucian's right side, like a faint shadow that might vanish in the wind at any moment.
"Can't you really stay...? For me and my sister?"
Polyxia's voice broke the silence, tinged with a subtle hoarseness, as if it had been soaked by dew clinging to flower stems.
With his left hand still held tightly by her, Lucian stopped walking, turned around, and then his right hand rose naturally, gently brushing her cheek and wiping away the dampness at the corner of her eye with his fingertip.
Polyxia slowly looked up, gazing straight into Lucian's eyes, where the gentleness she knew so well had settled into an unshakable resolve.
"Would you two be willing to wait for me?"
Instead of answering, Lucian asked a question of his own as he gazed at Polyxia, then at Castorice.
""Willing!""
Castorice and Polyxia answered instantly.
However, as soon as their answers fell, both of them knew Lucian's departure was inevitable.
In the next moment, Polyxia suddenly let go of Lucian's hand—the motion was crisp, carrying a sense of abrupt decisiveness before she stepped lightly ahead, circling behind Castorice.
Before Castorice could even react, she felt a gentle but unyielding force press her forward from behind.
Castorice gasped, her body pitching uncontrollably forward, inevitably falling straight into a warm, solid embrace.
Lucian's familiar scent instantly overwhelmed her.
"Elder Sister! If you still hesitate, you really won't get another chance!"
Polyxia's voice sounded right beside Castorice, filled with burning urgency and encouragement.
"Are you just going to watch him leave with regrets? Are you really going to let yourself regret this?"
Polyxia's urging was so direct, so unavoidable—it was like a red-hot brand that pierced through every mask Castorice used to hide her feelings.
"I..."
Castorice looked down, feeling as if all the blood in her body rushed to her cheeks, leaving them blazing hot.
A while later, mustering all her courage, Castorice quickly looked up, her gaze locking with Lucian's deep eyes.
"Lucian..." Castorice, face flushed, said softly. "Would you... Would you accept my love...?"
Seeing her like this, Lucian, feeling an overwhelming sweetness in his heart, couldn't help but give her a gentle smile.
"Of course I would..." Lucian chuckled helplessly. "I mean, we've been together for years, so you should already know how I feel about you. Honestly, at this point, our feelings for each other are so clear that saying it out loud almost doesn't matter."
Upon hearing this, Castorice felt as if her body had gone numb, emptied out as she tingled all over, so weak it seemed like she would collapse.
Suddenly, Polyxia, who had been silently watching from the side, leaned in, slipped past Castorice, and kissed Lucian directly on the lips.
Seeing this sudden scene, Castorice was instantly stunned, the flush on her face vanishing at once.
What was that supposed to mean?
What was her younger sister doing?
"Elder Sister, you're a step slower than me again." Polyxia glanced at her sister and smiled teasingly.
"No way..." Castorice felt like she had been struck by lightning, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. "Did you two already..."
How could her quiet and reserved younger sister act so brazenly like this?
Of course, she was not jealous of her younger sister sharing Lucian—she just thought her sister's actions did not match the personality she remembered, completely the opposite, in fact!
When did it even start?
She had not noticed anything at all.
At the same time, Lucian was at a loss.
Holding the elder sister in his arms while the younger sister boldly kissed him right in front of the elder sister without hesitation—wasn't this going a bit too far?
Lucian looked down and saw that Castorice was staring at him with a particular look, but fortunately, it was not a peculiar one—it was a pleading one, as if she were asking him to treat her the same as the younger sister.
Lucian did not ask any questions and simply pressed his lips to Castorice's, which were trembling slightly from nervousness, sealing away all the noise, all the chaotic thoughts, all the panic about parting, and the uncertainty of the future.
A few seconds later, their lips finally parted, though Castorice looked a bit dazed.
"Elder Sister, are you satisfied now?" Polyxia giggled, then grabbed Lucian's arm. "Lucian, before you leave, play 'Overbearing Emanator' with me one more time."
Lucian naturally understood what she meant—she just wanted him to be 'rough' with her.
Castorice, on the other hand, looked completely ignorant upon hearing her sister's words.
"Play what?" Castorice asked, looking at the two of them in confusion.
"Elder Sister, you definitely wouldn't dare, so don't ask." Polyxia shook her head, acting mysterious. "Alright, time is precious. I want to play a few more times."
"No, I want to join too!" Castorice frowned and declared without hesitation. "As long as Lucian is here, I'm not afraid of anything!"
Upon hearing this, Polyxia flashed Lucian a triumphant smile and then looked at Castorice.
"Alright, I'll teach you."
Polyxia guided Lucian's hand, trailing it down the soft curve of Castorice's back with a gentle yet irresistible intent, until it rested firmly and possessively on her slender waist.
Even the wind in the nether realm seemed to soften in that moment, gently brushing across the sea of flowers, causing countless ghostly blue petals to silently sway and dance.
Before long, the view began to spin and blur, while the flowers, sparkling with starlight, seemed to turn into streams of light, weaving and twining at the edge of her hazy vision.
Castorice felt herself being gently but irresistibly pulled into this whirlpool as her body grew softer, her consciousness hazier, as if she were floating above a sea of stars.
"Don't be scared, Elder Sister…"
A warm breath brushed against Castorice's ear, along with a familiar voice tinged with playful mischief, gentle as a feather yet piercing straight through the haze.
Who else but Polyxia?
"Don't worry, I'll help you..."
Polyxia's voice was so close, soothing and comforting, yet carrying a secret, tempting heat.