The morning light filtered gently through the curtains as Furina sat down to her customary breakfast: bread with butter and jam, accompanied by a steaming cup of coffee.
But today, her mind was elsewhere.
She chewed her buttered bread slowly, eyes unfocused, lost in thought.
"Something on your mind?"
Lucien stood across from her, his voice soft.
"No... nothing."
She shook her head lightly, not meeting his gaze. Instead, she lowered her eyes, finished the bread in quick bites, and downed her coffee in one long swallow.
Rising, she moved to the full length mirror to check her appearance. On a whim, she glanced behind her through the reflection.
Nothing. Only empty space.
When she turned around, there he was. Not too close, not too far. His head tilted slightly, confusion flickering in those deep blue eyes.
"It's nothing."
She shook her head again, forcing herself to focus.
That momentary glimpse of Lucien in the mirror... it had stirred something. Something she couldn't quite name. Envy? No. Absolutely not.
She drew a deep breath, pushing the thoughts down, and rubbed her cheeks with both hands.
Calm down, Furina. Calm down. You still have your duties.
Without another glance at Lucien, she turned and walked toward the door. As she moved, her expression began to shift. In the span of a few heartbeats, the vulnerable girl who had stolen a glance in the mirror vanished. In her place stood Focalors. The god.
Lucien watched the transformation unfold, a quiet question forming in his mind.
Was she... playing a role?
He didn't know. But he followed.
---
Furina's schedule was, in truth, remarkably simple. Though she was a god, her duties required little of her. Most of the time, she sat in her private box at the Opera House like a critic, observing plays or presiding over trials.
This was her life, day after day.
The Palais Mermonia. The Opera House. Then back again. Simple... and monotonous.
Today's trial, however, proved unexpectedly engaging. A murder case. One side presented overwhelming evidence, yet the suspect possessed an ironclad alibi. The implication was clear: either someone was lying, or a mistake had been made.
The two sides clashed fiercely, their arguments growing sharper by the minute. Tension crackled through the air, and even the audience below began murmuring among themselves.
"Silence! Silence!"
From the Iudex's elevated seat, Neuvillette struck the floor with his cane. The dull thud, amplified by a subtle infusion of elemental energy and mental force, rippled through the entire Opera House.
Instantly, silence fell. Every eye turned to the Chief Justice. Even the two heated debaters were forced to compose themselves.
The trial resumed its civil tone. Both sides, now calm, began picking apart each other's arguments, searching for weaknesses. The defense grew genuinely fascinating.
Twists and turns emerged one after another. Both parties had come prepared, each determined to destroy the other's case.
The final verdict no longer seemed to matter. The spectacle of the trial had become far more compelling than the truth it sought to uncover.
Furina watched the proceedings with interest. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Lucien beside her.
The young man stood with his head bowed slightly, one arm crossed over his chest, the other hand cupping his chin. He seemed lost in thought.
The image drew her attention inexplicably. The fascinating trial below faded into background noise. Her gaze lingered on the figure beside her.
Then she saw it.
Lucien extended his hand slowly. At his fingertips, something began to gather. A droplet of water.
He was using elemental power!
Furina's breath caught.
More Hydro gathered at his fingertips, but he didn't push further. Instead, he simply held the orb of water in his palm.
He opened his hand, and the water began to shift. It flowed and reformed under his silent command, taking shape after shape. A table with chairs. A delicate vase. Tiny ornaments. Each transformation was vivid, intricate, impossibly real.
Amazing...
Furina couldn't look away. The trial below, now reaching its climax, ceased to exist for her entirely.
The water orb in Lucien's hand continued its dance. It spun into fine strands, then slowly, deliberately, began to form something new. A flower blossomed from his palm.
A blue rose.
Lucien stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He held the rose out to her, those deep blue eyes fixed on hers without hesitation. Without wavering.
Furina froze. Her gaze traveled from his eyes to the rose in his hand, then back again. And in that moment, all she saw in those blue depths was sincerity. Pure and unguarded.
"Th... thank you."
The words escaped her lips, barely a whisper.
But he heard.
Lucien nodded slightly. Then he smiled. A radiant, unguarded smile that transformed his features. And he stepped back, returning to his place at her side.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Furina accepted the rose. This flower crafted from pure Hydro, from nothing but water and will.
Questions swirled in her mind. So many questions. So many things she wanted to ask.
Why had she only managed to say thank you?
---
Below, the verdict was delivered.
The suspect's lies crumbled, exposed for all to see. Defeat came swiftly, inevitably.
Neuvillette, seated high on the judgment platform, pronounced the final sentence and brought the trial to its close.
The audience erupted. Voices clamored, excitedly dissecting every twist and turn of the day's entertainment. This performance had truly satisfied them! It was perfect!
Some among the crowd, caught up in the fervor, remembered tradition. They looked up toward the highest box, the seat reserved for their god alone. They waited for her evaluation. For the perfect ending to this perfect performance.
But for some reason, their god did not appear. She did not rise to pass judgment from on high as she always did.
What had happened?
Clorinde sensed that something was wrong. She stepped forward from her position behind the seat, only to find the young Archon staring blankly at a blue rose cradled in her hands.
"Lady Furina?"
"Ah... ah! What is it?"
"The trial has concluded."
"Oh? Oh. I understand. Let us go. What's next on the schedule?"
Furina spoke quickly, her words tumbling out. Clorinde paused for just a moment, then recovered smoothly.
"Next is the weekly meeting. The one requesting an audience this time is..."
"Yes... let's go."
Furina urged, still somewhat distracted. Clorinde, noting the unusual state of her charge, let her gaze drift to the blue rose held so carefully in Furina's hands. Then she nodded quietly and turned to lead the way.
Perhaps it was nothing. A passing fancy.
In the distance, Neuvillette watched the departing Archon. His gaze lingered on that blue rose.
"Energy fluctuations of this magnitude... and such pure Hydro..."
He looked away, surveying the still noisy audience below. His hand tightened on his cane, then struck the floor.
"Court adjourned!"