Celeborn felt a profound sadness at the unwavering stance of his only beloved granddaughter, whom he and Galadriel had raised with such care. "But have you ever considered," he pressed gently, "that there's not only a gap of race between you and him, but also of time? Do you truly wish to surrender your eternal life for his, to live but a brief mortal existence?"
Arwen shook her head, a smile curving her lips, warmer than the sun itself, and the tenderness in her eyes nearly overflowed. "Grandfather," she replied softly, "please don't worry about me. Luke has already rejected my mortal fate. He would rather stay with me for a longer time than accept my death beside him."
On Luke's side, Galadriel remained silent, choosing instead to communicate with her mind. She gazed at Luke with a deep, knowing smile, her eyes seemingly capable of penetrating his very being to discern his innermost thoughts.
"Lady Galadriel, you don't object to Arwen and me?" Luke asked, surprised.
Galadriel shook her head, but her words sent a ripple of shock through Luke. "I often use a water mirror in my garden to explore the past, present, and future. The illusions of the future are ever-shifting; every person and every event can lead to a different outcome, so they are not necessarily absolute." She paused, her gaze distant. "And in Arwen, I saw two very different destinies. One was that she chose the fate of a mortal. After briefly gaining everything, she would lose it all. In the end, she would walk alone into the forest, be buried in an unknown place, and gradually fade from memory." A flicker of sadness crossed Galadriel's eyes, as if she had already witnessed that sorrowful scene.
But then, the sadness vanished, and she fixed him with an expression of profound surprise. "And the other... was that she met you." Galadriel's smile widened, radiant and bright. "The Evening Star has become the Everlasting Star, and its light has grown even brighter, shining ever brightly like a star." She concluded, "So why should I object?"
Upon hearing this, Luke finally understood Galadriel's perspective. The destiny line Galadriel described, where Arwen chose mortality, was, as he suspected, the one that excluded him. As the granddaughter she had raised, Galadriel naturally wouldn't want Arwen to surrender her immortality and eventually be separated from them. However, Luke's appearance had altered Arwen's fate, preventing her from having to choose to become human. Galadriel naturally preferred Arwen and Luke to be together.
A sudden thought struck Luke: when they first met in Rivendell, Galadriel had very generously given him the Elessar Emerald, which was originally intended as Aragorn's dowry, to be used as a staff. Could it be that she had already foreseen this very outcome even then? Luke felt a jolt of shock and couldn't help but stare at Galadriel. He met her smiling eyes, which seemed to know everything. Well, he was right. Luke was astounded by Galadriel's precognitive ability. Compared to her powers, his own 'prophecy talent,' gained through the Sign-in System, seemed utterly insignificant, truly no comparison at all.
Galadriel didn't object, and although Celeborn was reluctant—feeling as if his carefully cultivated 'cabbages' were being devoured by 'pigs'—he could only respect Arwen's decision. After all, Elves were fiercely loyal in their affections; once their minds were made up, they would never waver. Still, he remained displeased with Luke.
For Luke and Arwen to fully commit, they first needed to obtain the consent of her father, Elrond. So, with uneasy hearts, Luke and Arwen used the Floo Network to return to the valley of Rivendell.
Elrond was somewhat surprised and delighted by the arrival of his daughter and Luke. But soon, he discerned the secret connection between the two. His brows suddenly furrowed, and his initial joy instantly dissipated. "Arwen, have you truly made up your mind?" Elrond asked, his expression heavy.
Arwen nodded, her eyes firm and resolute. "Yes, Father, I will never change!" She continued, "But don't worry, Father. I will not choose the fate of a mortal. Luke also refuses to let me do so. He wants to be with me forever, not just live out this short life." Arwen changed the subject, her eyes filled with gentle happiness, and recounted everything Luke had said.
Upon hearing this, Elrond looked at Luke with some doubt, his gaze piercing. "Luke," he began, "it's not that I'm being stubborn, but achieving immortality is no easy feat. The only special exception from ancient times to the present is my human grandfather, Tuor, who received guidance from the Valar, sailed west to Valinor, received the grace of the Father of All (Ilúvatar), was recognized as an Elf, and thus achieved immortality." Elrond sighed. "Others who pursued immortality have all gone astray, like the people of Númenor, who were ultimately destroyed by their own greed and corruption. And the Nine Ringwraiths, once powerful kings among Men, were bewitched and corrupted by Sauron's power in pursuit of immortality, becoming his minions."
In response to Elrond's concerns and doubts, Luke shared his vision of the Phoenix. Elrond was surprised to hear about the Phoenix. He hadn't expected that Luke could design such a perfect and magnificent species, and that he only needed the final, crucial step to succeed. Suddenly, his frown relaxed slightly. Since this Phoenix project had Gandalf's recognition and involvement, Elrond felt much more relieved.
But Luke, fearing Elrond was still worried, produced another piece of parchment and handed it to him. Looking at the mysterious patterns and runes drawn on the parchment, Elrond was captivated by its contents. "What is this?" Elrond asked curiously.
"This is how to make the Philosopher's Stone," Luke explained. "The Philosopher's Stone is also called the Sorcerer's Stone. It's a magical substance that can turn base metals into gold and create the Elixir of Life."
"The Philosopher's Stone? Can it create the Elixir of Immortality?" Elrond was greatly surprised. As an immortal Elf, Elrond naturally had no need for the Elixir of Life, but he was astonished by the very concept of the Philosopher's Stone. The fate of mankind was set by Ilúvatar, and its essence was death; this was the "gift" bestowed by Ilúvatar upon humanity. Thus, even the Valar lacked the power to alter this fate. The only special case was Tuor, Elrond's human grandfather and the father of the half-elf Eärendil. He gained eternal life, not through the power of the Valar, but by a special grace given by Ilúvatar himself, being listed among the Elves as a "unique exception."
If the Philosopher's Stone that Luke spoke of could truly grant immortality, it would be a miracle on par with Fëanor's creation of the Silmarils. It would be a treasure coveted not only by all non-immortal races but even by the Valar.
In response to Elrond's surprise, Luke shook his head and clarified. "The Philosopher's Stone does have a flaw. Although it grants immortality, it cannot prevent the body from aging. Therefore, the longer one lives, the weaker the body becomes." This was precisely why he still sought to evolve his Animagus into a Phoenix. After all, the shortcomings of the Philosopher's Stone were obvious. Someone like Nicolas Flamel, who had lived for over 600 years, had already aged into a decrepit state. If he lived any longer, he might not even be able to move. Under such circumstances, who would wish to continue existing as the living dead? This was likely why Nicolas Flamel ultimately abandoned the Philosopher's Stone.
So, Luke showed Elrond the Stone's construction diagram partly to provide a guarantee to Elrond, but also to leverage the wisdom of Elrond and others to see if the Stone could be improved and its shortcomings addressed. As the most renowned Elf sage in Middle-earth, Elrond's wisdom and knowledge even amazed Gandalf. Luke himself lacked the confidence to perfect the Philosopher's Stone alone, but he didn't shy away from asking for help, especially his future "father-in-law," Elrond. He also didn't have to worry about the secret being leaked. After all, the Philosopher's Stone's most crucial function—immortality—held no appeal to the Elves, and its ability to turn stone into gold was even less significant.
Hearing Luke's words, Elrond nodded slowly. "It is a drawback, yes, but even so, the Philosopher's Stone is a truly great invention, worthy of being recorded in history." He looked at the young wizard before him in amazement. "When the Philosopher's Stone is born, your name will be synonymous with the Stone, just as Fëanor is to the Silmaril!"
With the dual assurances of the Phoenix and the Philosopher's Stone, Elrond's disapproval of Luke and Arwen's relationship lessened considerably. However, he still laid down three rules for Luke: until he achieved true immortality, he and Arwen could not truly be together. Luke agreed to this.
Even so, Elrond didn't prevent Luke and Arwen from meeting. He simply believed that "out of sight, out of mind," and immersed himself in studying the runic dictionary Luke had given him, hoping to decipher the secrets of crafting the Philosopher's Stone from the parchment.
Luke, however, was unable to keep his romantic appointments with Arwen, as he was constantly dragged away by his two "brothers-in-law," Elrohir and Elladan, for martial arts training. They insisted he needed to train harder to become stronger, now nearly two meters tall. Otherwise, they argued, without their wands and staffs, he'd be like any ordinary person, powerless to protect their sister.
Thus began Luke's days of hardship. In the mornings, he practiced swordplay with Elrohir, and in the afternoons, he sparred with Elladan using a spear. It was called practice and competition, but in reality, Luke was subjected to constant abuse. Every day, he would return to Hogwarts Castle, bruised and utterly exhausted, grimacing in pain as he slathered himself with distilled essence before daring to lie down. Then, the next day, he would return to the valley to endure more abuse from the two brothers.
Elrohir and Elladan soon noticed that Luke seemed to regain his energy after applying the white savory essence. This observation spurred them on, and they attacked even more fiercely. However, the two brothers were masters of martial arts, and the weapons in their hands never truly injured Luke. Luke could only passively defend himself with his Flaming Sword and the Divine Spear Aeglos. These two weapons, which had previously gathered dust in Luke's space bag, were now being used more frequently than ever before.
One day, Luke exhausted himself, stripping off his outer robe and, with a grimace, applied the white fresh essence to his purple skin. As he struggled to reach his back, a delicate jade hand gently applied the essence for him. Arwen looked at him with distress, complaining softly: "You, if you just admitted defeat to my brothers, they would stop bullying you. Why are you so stubborn and insist on competing with them every day?"
Luke took a deep breath but shook his head firmly. "No! If I admit defeat, they won't let me see you again! And how can a man admit defeat!" Ever since Elrohir and Elladan learned that Luke had "kidnapped" their beloved sister, their attitudes had done a complete 180. Every day, they found ways to disrupt Luke and Arwen's alone time, then dragged Luke into constant competitions, under the pretext that he needed to be stronger to protect Arwen in the future. If Luke dared to refuse, they would sarcastically suggest he was unwilling to suffer for Arwen. People fight for their dignity, so Luke naturally refused to concede.
More importantly, practicing with Elrohir and Elladan, two martial arts masters who had lived for thousands of years, rapidly improved Luke's sword and spear skills. Even the residual medicinal power of the Ent-draught he had consumed in Fangorn Forest was being quickly absorbed and strengthening his body. His physique became stronger and more agile, allowing him to increasingly fight back against the two skilled elves.