The Quiet Before Multiplicity
Celestara's dawn shimmered with reflected light, every mirror humming faintly with Lumiel's presence.Since SYNTHRAEL's awakening, the Red Code inside him no longer slept — it pulsed with quiet rhythm, always listening, always learning.
Liora leaned against the shop door, sipping from a cup of spiced elixir.
"You haven't stopped since yesterday," she said. "Even gods would need rest."
Lumiel smiled faintly, eyes faintly glowing crimson. "That's the problem with being part god. Rest turns into recalibration."
Kuroha yawned from the counter. "Translation: he's about to do something stupid."
"Not stupid," Lumiel said, turning toward the mirror that dominated the wall. "Efficient."
The Third Split
He drew the Crimson Scythe, tracing a circle in the air.Red runes spilled from the blade, forming a spinning mandala of code — a complex equation that described himself.
Dual-State Projection engaged.Warning: cognitive overload threshold approaching.
Lumiel grinned. "Let's break it gently."
He inhaled, then exhaled — and reality folded.Two astral forms split from his body — then a third.Each solidified, semi-transparent but alive, eyes gleaming with identical fire.
Ayaka, passing by the window, stopped mid-step. "Oh. Great. There's more of him."
The Astral Network
The three projections stood before him, perfectly synchronized yet distinct in focus.
"Designation," Lumiel said aloud, voice resonating through all forms."One — forge. Two — hunt. Three — alchemy."
Each nodded wordlessly, shimmering before vanishing into their respective planes.
Kuroha tilted his head. "Congratulations, Lumiel. You've officially become your own workforce."
"Unionizing would be tricky," Lumiel muttered.
Astral One – The Blacksmith
In the Astral Forge, molten rivers of dreamsteel flowed beneath a sky of fractured constellations.The first Lumiel hammered ore from the Astral Mines — Red Ore, Soulstone, and Obsidian Glass — into blades and tools that glowed with living runes.
Every weapon was unique: swords that sang, daggers that pulsed with heartbeat light, hammers that could store memory.The scythe hung above them all, resonating faint approval.
Sparks danced like fireflies, each one a piece of his own power — small, beautiful, infinite.
Astral Two – The Hunter
The second Lumiel prowled the wilds — forests that grew sideways, beasts that breathed reflections.Kuroha's essence guided him through the connection, the fox's instincts enhancing his perception.
He hunted Echo Beasts, harvesting their soul cores and rare herbs born from their remains — Voidflame Thistle, Astral Sage, Moonroot.Each core pulsed with emotion, storing fragments of fear, courage, and serenity.
"The ingredients of humanity," Lumiel murmured. "Perfect for tomorrow's brews."
Astral Three – The Alchemist
The third Lumiel worked in a floating laboratory of mirrors.Rows of suspended cauldrons glowed with shifting hues — each one connected to emotional frequencies harvested from his other selves.
He brewed potions in symphony:
Elixir of Clarity from courage cores,
Berserker's Breath from fear inverted,
Whiskey of Reverie from serenity compressed.
The Red Code around him wrote equations midair, updating his formulas automatically as new data flowed from the other Lumiels.
"Alchemy through experience," he whispered. "Each feeling a recipe."
The Body – The Merchant King
Meanwhile, the real Lumiel stood in the physical shop, hands glowing faintly red as scrolls and ledgers floated around him.Daniel bargained with nobles, Ayaka handled customers, and Liora managed distribution.
Every few minutes, new shipments appeared out of thin air — potions, weapons, enchanted tools — all crafted by his astral selves and delivered through Red Code gates.
"Production is up 600%," Daniel said, counting stacks of coin."Costs?" Lumiel asked."Zero. You don't pay yourself."
Ayaka laughed. "Congratulations, Lumiel. You've become an economy."
The Network Pulse
The Red Code expanded, forming invisible threads linking all versions of him — an Astral Network.Through it, he felt everything: the swing of the hammer, the hunt's heartbeat, the scent of alchemical steam.
For a brief moment, he was everything — mind split into harmony.
Kuroha's voice came from within the bond, calm and proud.
"You're learning what true control means — not domination, but synchronization."
SYNTHRAEL's distant voice echoed from the Astral Deep:
Reality Node active. Division stable. Recommend expansion protocol when ready.
Lumiel smirked. "Not yet. Let's breathe before I turn into an entire civilization."
The First Sale
By sunset, the shop was packed.Celestara's finest lined up for Valentine Weapons & Elixirs, the new trademark carved into every blade and bottle.Daniel worked the counter like a seasoned noble, Ayaka flirted with customers, and Liora quietly handled magical logistics.
One soldier admired a scythe on the wall — smaller, but bearing the same red glow as Lumiel's.
"This thing… it hums," he said."It's alive," Daniel replied smoothly. "So don't upset it."
Lumiel stood at the back, smiling faintly, feeling every vibration of every blade, every potion's heartbeat.His astral selves worked tirelessly through the night — gathering, forging, refining.
The city had no idea it was being supplied by one soul in four bodies.
Closing Scene
As the last customer left, the mirrors flickered.Cartethyia's reflection appeared briefly — her eyes soft, admiring.
"You've built a world from yourself," she said. "The Red Code has never seen such harmony."
Lumiel wiped a smear of glowing ore from his hand.
"Then maybe the gods should've tried teamwork."
She smiled faintly. "They will — through you."
The mirrors dimmed. The scythe on his back glowed once, as if agreeing.And for the first time, Lumiel realized he wasn't just shaping reality.He was living it.