Lucian sat on the patch of grass, the cold strings of night brushing his skin as he stared at the stars. He looked calm… but his mind was anything but. Thoughts raced through him like restless winds.
"How is Aphrodite?" he asked at last. He couldn't communicate with Heaven, not anymore but the Red Knight could. And that was enough.
Irene's lips curved into a small pout.
"It's not even up to an hour since the war started."
Lucian said nothing, but Irene was right.
Time in Heaven was painfully slow compared to the Primordial Realm. While he had spent weeks here, barely a minute might have passed above. But in a gods' war… one minute was more than enough for irreversible tragedy. A breath was enough to end pantheons
He knew Aphrodite would be targeted, Olympian or not. Her pantheon headed the war
His chest tightened.
He drew a breath. "Never mind."
He understood Irene's tone, he could feel the distance she tried to place between him and Aphrodite's name. Her feelings were real, but they weren't love. Something deeper, something tangled, something she herself didn't want to confront.
He hoped he was right.
Irene looked away as if hiding her thoughts behind her lashes.
Silence fell heavy, full, thick with tension neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
Finally, she inhaled sharply.
"Are you ready?"
There was a hidden emotion in her voice, stronger than worry, softer than fear. Irene had tasks she didn't want Lucian to know about, secrets tied to her origin, her duty, her shadows. Lucian slowed her down… yet she remained beside him.
Lucian nodded. "Alright."
He wasn't sure if the word was meant for her or for himself.
His mission wasn't born out of affection for the Primordial Realm, no. It was because of Mercedes. And even without her, Lucian would have no choice. If the Primordial Realm fell, Heaven would be the next target. The Void beings would feed on fear, on chaos, grow stronger, and these was bountiful in the primordial realm… and these were just the minions.
If these were minions… how strong were the masters?
Lucian exhaled deeply, then closed his eyes.
Slowly, he traced his fingers along the jagged edges of his blade, the familiar cold metal grounding him. Irene watched every motion closely, her breath hitching slightly.
Then, with a swift, controlled movement, he dragged his pinky across the blade.
Blood spilled.
At first, it was white.
The moment the blood touched the ground, a massive life force surged outward like a tidal wave. Trees thickened and expanded into towering giants. Animals warped into ferocious, demon-like beasts. Creatures in the shadows trembled as new instincts awakened, they became sentient.
Irene's eyes widened.
"Lucian… you've created another problem for mortals," she muttered.
But behind the annoyance was awe. And fear. And something unspoken.
Lucian didn't turn.
"I will deal with it after."
His voice echoed, deep, powerful sending shivers through the forest. He made sure all the sentient in the forest heard, it was a warning and they understood.
Then came the second blood, a purplish drop that didn't fall.
It floated.
The moment it left his skin, it radiated a deep purple glow that illuminated the whole forest. The ground quaked violently. Thunder cracked overhead. Winds erupted in spirals, forcing the giant trees to bow.
Irene smirked slightly, but her eyes held reverence.
"Seems the Primordial Realm knows who's standing here."
Then she began chanting.
Otaenian words flowed from her lips, ancient, sacred, terrifying. With each syllable, the Primordial Realm trembled harder. Mortals,everywhere, felt the urge to kneel. Their hearts pounded. Their souls bent.
And not too far, in her small tent… Mercedes awoke.
The drop of Lucian's blood had transformed her world. Her body shifted into that of a ten year old, her bones strengthened, her mind expanded with sudden wisdom far beyond her age. The forest creatures sensed the blessing and reached out with warmth. She felt them. Heard them. Understood them.
"Master… is truly no ordinary being…"
She trembled, lowering herself in instinctive worship.
Lightning struck. The ground shook beneath her palms.
Even she, born mortal couldn't resist bowing.
A gentle hand touched her shoulder.
Mercedes froze.
She hadn't even sensed him appear.
Lucian stood behind her, looking down with a mix of confusion… and amusement.
"What are you doing?" he asked. "And how did you grow so fast?"
Mercedes, who was now bent over with her butt raised, tight clothes clinging to her new body, nearly choked on her own embarrassment.
"I am… smelling the ground. Exotic plants," she whispered in a tiny voice.
Lucian stared for a long second, then sighed.
"We don't need them. Stand up. And change your clothes."
He already knew the truth, she grew because of him.
She bowed because his essence demanded worship from lesser beings. But teasing her was easier than explaining.
He threw a set of clothes at her, a purple gown with slits at both sides, along with trousers, all crafted from his power.
Irene watched silently, eyes narrowing for a moment, just a moment before her expression turned neutral again.
Mercedes clutched the clothes tightly.
"Yes, sir."
She didn't know it yet but this was the beginning of her becoming something far greater than she ever imagined.
And Lucian… had just unknowingly changed the fate of another being forever.