The caravan was ready to depart.
The horses waited in front of the Douglas residence. The soldiers were finishing securing the last crates while the servants checked the provisions one more time.
Lusian was adjusting his gloves when he felt the light.
It wasn't an intense light.
It was a presence.
Warm.
Gentle.
But undeniable.
The magic within him seemed to recoil for a moment, like a shadow before the dawn.
Lusian raised his gaze.
Emily was walking toward him.
Three priests accompanied her.
All three wore the temple's robes, and a faint radiance surrounded their bodies.
A visible mark of divine blessing.
Lusian watched them for several seconds.
So they've been blessed too.
He wasn't surprised.
If Emily was the chosen one, those men had probably been strengthened to accompany and protect her.
But there was something that did concern him.
The priests never took their eyes off him.
They didn't even try to hide it.
They already consider me their enemy.
Lusian knew the reason all too well.
His natural affinity was unusual.
And a divine blessing could completely change the balance of power.
If he received one...
He didn't need to finish the thought.
A Douglas heir with power equivalent to that of a hero chosen by the gods wouldn't simply be a powerful young man.
He would be a problem.
For the temples.
For the Heralds.
And perhaps for the divine campaign itself.
Emily stopped in front of him.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Finally, she smiled.
It was a small smile.
She was trying to appear calm.
She wasn't succeeding.
—Are you leaving without saying goodbye?
Lusian breathed slowly.
—I was going to do that now.
Emily lowered her gaze for a moment.
—The temple expected you to stay.
Lusian glanced at the priests.
None of them reacted.
—I figured.
Emily looked at him again.
—The kingdom is going through a difficult time.
—I know.
—And you...
She hesitated.
—You've always been important to it.
Lusian felt a weight in his chest.
There was no lie in her words.
Emily truly believed that.
That was precisely the problem.
Because she still saw him as the man she knew.
As her fiancé.
Not as the heir of a family the heroes had already begun to target.
Lusian looked away.
—The kingdom has heroes now.
Emily remained silent.
—And the duchy needs me.
He paused.
—Monsters aren't going to wait for the capital to finish organizing itself.
Emily slowly lowered her gaze.
—I don't want you to leave.
The words were barely a whisper.
Lusian slightly tightened his fingers.
I don't want to leave either.
But he couldn't stay.
Not after what had happened.
Not after seeing how much influence the temples were gaining.
Not after seeing Alejandro and Leonardo point him out in front of the entire court.
And above all, not after remembering the future.
Emily.
The same girl standing before him now.
The same girl who might one day become the woman who would raise a sword against him.
Not because she hated him.
But because someone could convince her that doing so was necessary.
Lusian swallowed.
I need to become stronger.
He didn't want to fight her.
But if the future really was going to repeat itself...
He would need to survive her.
Emily raised her head.
—Lusian.
He looked at her again.
—If you ever need my help...
Her voice trembled slightly.
—Tell me.
She took a small step toward him.
—I'll come.
Lusian felt something tighten inside his chest.
He wanted to say yes.
He wanted to tell her that she would never need to ask him for anything.
But he also knew that accepting her help could put her in danger.
And he didn't want that.
—Don't worry about me.
Emily frowned slightly.
—How do you expect me not to?
Lusian smiled sadly.
—Because you're the Hero of Light now.
Emily fell silent.
—You have responsibilities.
His voice grew softer.
—And you need to learn how to protect yourself.
Emily's eyes softened.
—I'll take care of myself.
—Do it.
—I will.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
The light around Emily trembled slightly.
Lusian noticed it.
It was barely perceptible.
But it was there.
Emily took a deep breath.
—Then...
She hesitated.
Her pride seemed to struggle against the words she wanted to say.
Finally, she asked:
—Promise me you'll come back.
Lusian looked at her, and for some reason, it hurt more than any threat from the heroes.
—I'll come back.
Emily took a small step toward him.
Her hand brushed against his.
Just for an instant.
As if she needed to make sure he was really there.
Lusian didn't pull away.
Neither did she.
Then Emily leaned forward and kissed him.
It was brief.
Soft.
But filled with everything neither of them dared to say in front of the priests.
When she pulled away, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
—Be careful.
Lusian nodded.
—You too.
Emily held his gaze for a few more seconds.
Then she turned around.
Her steps were quick.
Too quick.
As if she wanted to get away before she could change her mind.
The priests followed her.
But before disappearing down the corridor, Emily stopped.
She turned her head slightly.
Her eyes met Lusian's one last time.
She said nothing.
Then she continued walking.
Lusian remained motionless.
He watched her disappear.
The soldiers continued preparing the caravan.
The horses struck the ground with their hooves.
The servants moved back and forth.
Everything continued as normal.
But Lusian couldn't stop thinking:
I hope that the next time we meet, we aren't enemies.
Emily is still my fiancée.
That was the only thing he knew for certain.
Everything else...
belonged to the future.
A future he had sworn to change.
Lusian looked toward the road leading out of the capital.
—This time...
He tightened his gloves.
—I can't wait for them to make the first move.
He climbed into the carriage.
The caravan began to move.
And behind him remained the capital.
With its temples.
Its Heralds.
Its heroes.
And a girl who still loved him.
But who might one day have to choose between him...
and the will of her goddess.