Chapter 560 – A Cold Bastard with A Calculator and No Libido
Lux’s head tilted as more system runes spiraled in front of his irises.
[Reading Dream Layer...]
[Decryption in progress...]
[Dream Architecture: Reinforced, Hybrid Elven-Infernal Matrix]
[Core Thread Anchor: Emotional Nexus]
[Target Identity = Eros]
[Subthread Conflict: Presence of Intrusive Entity... Masked]
[Warning: Entity Class Unregistered]
[Target’s ntal defenses sustaining continuous pressure.]
[Soul Fracture Risk: 42.3% and rising.]
[Recomndation: External assistance required.]
"She’s in there," Lux said quietly. "Fighting sothing."
Eros stiffened. "Fighting what?"
"I don’t know. I’m not Lullaby. Whatever it is... it doesn’t register. It’s cloaked, buried inside her dream layer, feeding off her internal bond structure. And get this, her emotional anchor’s you. That’s the reason she’s lasted this long."
Eros blinked, and the tips of his claws dug into his palms. "She’s holding it back. For ?"
Lux nodded. "Her dreamscape’s built like a fortress. She’s funneling power into a false sense of calm. But the truth is... her soul’s tired."
Ely stepped forward, voice soft. "How long can she hold on?"
Lux didn’t answer imdiately.
The candles shifted. The system flickered again.
[Soul Drain Calculated...]
[Estimated Ti Left Before Critical Collapse: 243 Days]
[After Collapse: Soul Dispersal Probability – 76.5%]
Lux inhaled. "Not much longer."
Silence fell.
Thick. Unforgiving.
Even the rune candles above Azithra’s body seed to dim again. Like they too were listening. Like they too had hope but were exhausted from holding it.
Eros didn’t say anything at first.
He just stared at her face. His wife.
His voice cracked a little at the edges, low and hoarse. "We have to do sothing."
Lux didn’t move. He just stood near the glass, hands folded behind his back. Always asured. Always precise.
Eros looked up again, eyes burning. "Lullaby."
Lux blinked once.
"House of Sloth," Eros said quickly. "Yeah. We need her. She’s the best dream-mind operator in the entire realm, right? I’ll go talk to her," Eros said, already spinning on his heel. "I’ll open a portal right now—"
Lux held up a hand and calmly stepped in front of him. "No."
Eros froze. "What?"
"You don’t need to go to Hell."
"Why not?!"
"Because," Lux said, voice even. "Lullaby’s in my mansion."
Eros paused.
Then blinked.
"...Wait, what?"
"She’s been staying with ," Lux replied, as casually as if he were talking about soone’s cat. "She’s on vacation. Or sothing that looks like it."
Eros stared at him like he’d grown an extra horn. "You brought Lullaby into your ho?"
Lux’s mouth twitched. "I didn’t exactly drag her. Sira brought her."
"Then bring her here!" Eros gestured wildly to the coffin. "You just said Azithra is fading, don’t you think now is a great ti for so professional dream-fishing?!"
"You know that’s not how she works, Eros."
"What?"
"She’s not my servant."
"She likes you, doesn’t she?"
"I didn’t say she doesn’t," Lux said. "But that doesn’t an I can snap my fingers and teleport her here like a butler."
Eros groaned. "Oh co on, you literally run Hell’s financial departnt! And you’re telling you can’t schedule one nap princess for an ergency appointnt?!"
Lux gave him a look. "She’s not a nap princess. She’s the Princess of Sloth."
Eros huffed. "So tell her. Tell her to get her royal ass over here."
"I said I have to talk to her first."
Eros raised both hands. "Okay then. Talk to her. Tell her my wife is locked in a soul-dream war with so unregistered brain parasite and she’s running out of ti."
Lux didn’t budge. His voice dropped slightly, serious now. "We have 243 days, Eros. Not 243 minutes. Less than a year is not a lot of ti. But I’m not going to treat it like it’s twenty-three seconds. You want Lullaby? I’ll ask her. But I’m not dragging her in against her will."
Eros paced two slow steps back toward the painting of Azithra. He stared up at it, jaw clenched. "You’ve changed."
"Or maybe I just learned how not to burn every bridge I walk on."
"I miss when you were a cold bastard with a calculator and no libido."
Lux shrugged. "So does my stress hormone."
Ely, who had remained mostly quiet up to this point, finally raised a shaky hand.
"Um. Guys?"
Both n turned.
She gave a half-apologetic shrug. "I’m maybe a little out of my depth here, but... Lullaby’s a demon?"
Lux nodded. "Yes."
"From the House of Sloth."
"Yes."
"Okay and... Sira?" She tilted her head. "She’s... also one?"
"Princess of Pride," Lux confird.
Eros cringed. "She’s here too?!"
Lux nodded. "I told you it was Sira who brought Lullaby."
Ely blinked. "So... just to make sure I’m tracking this correctly... You’re dating the daughter of Pride. Living with the daughter of Sloth, and now you’re... what? Visiting your cousin who used to be the prince of Lust?"
Lux nodded again. Innocently.
"I feel like I just walked into the demon version of Ga of Thrones if it was written by the producers of The Bachelor," Ely mumbled.
"Welco to his life," Eros said dryly. "It’s like Hell’s version of The Bachelor, but with more explosions."
Lux pinched the bridge of his nose. "That’s rude."
Eros shot him a look. "What part of that is not true?"
"I don’t do explosions."
Eros folded his arms again. "You know, you really could have married a spreadsheet. I bet it would never complain. You’d live in peace. Maybe die a virgin, but at least no one would be throwing lust-bombs into your mailbox."
"I’ll take that under advisent," Lux said, flat.
"Still," Eros added with a smirk, "I have to admit... you collect weird girls, cousin."
Lux didn’t deny it.
He just shrugged. "They’re the only ones that don’t bore ."
Ely made a small noise. "Should I be offended or flattered?"
"Flattered," Lux replied without looking at her. "You’re still standing here."
"Debatable," she muttered, wobbling slightly on her feet.
Eros groaned again. "Okay, fine. Talk to Lullaby. Politely. Flirt with her if you have to. I don’t care. Just convince her to co help."
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