"How does this look?" Evilyn asked, wiping her face with the back of her hand. A faint streak of grease ran down her cheek, but she didn’t seem to care.
Adrian humd as he studied the screen plate in his hands. "Perfect. You tuned the reflector well. I can see everything clearly."
On the display, the golem’s vision unfolded in sharp detail. Thanks to the rune he’d inscribed, the golem emitted enough illumination to mimic daylight. Under normal conditions, that much light would have overloaded the reflectors—but Evilyn’s modifications made it possible.
She had tinkered with the golem’s inner circuits for hours, adjusting, realigning, and fine-tuning until the feedback stabilized. Adrian didn’t know half of what she’d done, only that her engineering genius had turned a re construct into a precise, silent scout.
He exhaled in quiet admiration. "Really, you’re impressive. I’d love to visit your workshop soti and learn a few things from you."
Evilyn froze for a heartbeat, staring at him. The great Runesmith, whose creations had once subjugated the Darkness itself, wanted to learn from *her*?
"What?" Adrian asked when he noticed her wide eyes.
She shook her head quickly, a shy smile creeping onto her face. "I’m just... shocked you’d say that. You—learning from ?"
Adrian chuckled softly. "It seems Raven wasn’t wrong when she said I used to be a prick."
Evilyn laughed, the tension easing. "I wouldn’t say *prick*, but yes—you were a little too proud of your abilities back then. You barely let anyone suggest improvents."
Adrian gave a small, playful bow. "Then I apologize for any arrogance I might have shown."
Her smile softened. "No need. People grow." She brushed her hands together and nodded toward the golem. "So, do you need any more adjustnts?"
Adrian checked the panel again, scanning for any interference. "No, it’s perfect. Thanks, Evilyn."
"Good," she said, stretching her arms. "Then get sothing to clean my face, will you?"
Adrian turned to call out to Ariana—only to pause. She was sitting on the bench, head tilted, fast asleep.
Evilyn followed his gaze, her brow lifting slightly. "She looks exhausted."
Adrian sighed, a trace of fondness in his voice. "Yeah... she was running around all day."
He walked over and gently lifted her into his arms. Ariana stirred faintly, eyes fluttering open just long enough to et his gaze. The warmth in his eyes seed to lull her instantly, and she drifted back to sleep against his chest.
"I’ll take her upstairs and bring you so water," he said quietly.
Evilyn nodded, smiling as she reached for the table. "Go ahead. I’ll enjoy the food till then."
She grabbed an entire cake—one that looked like a snack in her massive hand—and took a bite, humming contently.
Adrian carried Ariana inside, the quiet of the villa wrapping around him as he made his way up the staircase to the second floor. The soft rhythm of her breathing filled the silence, steady and peaceful, as he disappeared into the dimly lit hallway.
He entered the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. Just as he was about to straighten up, he felt a light tug at his shirt.
Adrian paused, glancing down to find Ariana’s fingers weakly gripping the fabric. Her eyes fluttered open slightly, the faintest trace of guilt in them. "I’m sorry," she whispered.
He exhaled a quiet sigh, his tone soft but firm. "As I said, I’ve already forgiven you."
Ariana’s lips curved faintly, her gaze lifting to et his. "Then... kiss to prove it."
Adrian let out a small, helpless chuckle before leaning closer. His hand brushed her hair aside, and their lips t—slowly, unhurriedly—each movent tender and warm. The world seed to fall silent around them, leaving only the steady rhythm of their breathing and the faint rustle of sheets.
When their lips finally parted, Adrian rested his forehead against hers and murmured, "Happy now?"
Ariana humd in response, her voice drowsy but content. "Mm... I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t take too long."
He smiled softly, brushing a thumb across her cheek before standing up. "Sleep now," he said, ruffling her hair gently. "I’ll be back in a minute."
A faint smile lingered on her lips as she closed her eyes, and Adrian turned quietly toward the door, his steps light as he slipped back into the stillness of the hallway.
He picked the largest towel from the bathroom, walked out of the villa, and handed it to Evilyn. "Here you go."
Evilyn blinked at it and tilted her head. "You forgot to make it wet."
Adrian chuckled softly, taking out his wand. With a smooth swing, small fishes made of water swirled in the air before splashing gently across her face.
"Ehehe~" she giggled, delighted by the playful magic, then began wiping her face with the now-damp towel.
Once she was done, Adrian asked, "Do you want to eat sothing else?" His eyes drifted to the table nearby, where Ariana had earlier arranged several snacks. Now, only empty plates remained, stacked one over another.
Evilyn shook her head. "No, I’m good. I actually had dinner before I ca here."
She slowly plopped down on the ground, her small legs stretching forward as she asked, "Are you sleepy?"
"No, I’m good." Adrian took a seat on the bench across from her, the night breeze brushing through his hair. "So? How are things going on your side?"
The last ti he visited, a troubleso foe had been close to consuming the core of her planet. Because of the sudden crisis, he hadn’t been able to talk to her properly or explore her workshop as he wanted to.
"It’s all better now," Evilyn said with a faint, relieved smile. "We never let the real danger reach the general public, so the panic never spread." Her shoulders sank slightly as she added, "Really, at that ti... if not for you, I don’t know what I might have done."
"Hm?" Adrian leaned back, his tone gentle yet teasing. "I believe you would have found so way to deal with it. You always do."
Evilyn wryly smiled. "When your people, your seniors, and even your elders are looking at you hopefully—believing you can handle the problem with ease—the pressure can easily make soone panic."
She let out a soft sigh, her eyes montarily drifting toward the dim sky. "And I’m no exception to that."
Adrian nodded slowly. "I can understand. Well, I didn’t do much anyway."
Evilyn chuckled, her expression softening as her gaze lingered on him. "...This version of Avirin is quite different," she mumbled under her breath.
It still surprised her—how humble he was now. This version of him felt calr, more grounded. There were traces of the old Avirin in his speech and posture, but sothing fundantal had changed. The arrogance, the quiet storm that once surrounded him, had softened into sothing gentler—sothing almost... human.
"So? How did things go on Raven’s end? You visited her recently," Evilyn asked, gently breaking the silence between them.
Adrian humd, his gaze shifting toward the dim glow of the golem’s screen. "Are you aware of things on her planet?" His tone held a careful weight. If Evilyn didn’t already know, he wouldn’t betray Raven’s trust—her burdens weren’t his to share.
"Oh, yes..." Evilyn nodded softly. "Her world is still recovering from the famine, isn’t it?" Her voice lowered, her eyes turning distant. "I’ve been there before... back when her people were being persecuted. The ti when they were pushed to the verge of extinction."
"You an to say... a thousand years ago?" Adrian asked quietly.
Evilyn nodded again, her gaze far away. "Have you heard from Annabelle about the second wave of war that followed after you disappeared?"
Adrian exhaled slowly. "Just recently," he murmured. "I can’t even begin to imagine how much Raven’s people must have suffered."
They both fell silent for a mont. The faint hum of the golem’s runic core filled the air.
Raven’s planet—once vibrant and rich—had been branded by the heavens themselves. Her people were accused of harboring the Darkness, and most of the Acolytes that erged during that era had co from her world. The gods, in their judgnt, had turned away.
And when the Fallen God rose... that world must have been brought to its knees, stripped of light and hope until only ruin remained.
Evilyn exhaled a sigh, "Her life has been the toughest among us all. Back then too, when she was politically weak and had no one’s support, she remained standing like a pillar for her people."
After a brief pause, she added, "I heard your presence helped her a lot back then to prevent her from falling into despair."
That caught Adrian’s attention, "I heard sothing about this from Raven...exactly when did this happen?"
Evilyn’s brows elevated, "She didn’t tell you?"
Adrian shook his head.
Evilyn gently smiled, "Then you should wait for her to tell you. The only thing I could tell is that, for you, if soone was as important as your Idiot then it was Raven."
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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