Days filled with silence, sweat, and struggle. Jin Shang — once the Abyssal Heir, now the Supreme Immortal Deity — spent those days carving power into his bones, preparing for the final battle with Zhel-Vorah. But for all his victories in training, one wound never healed.
Velka.
No matter how many worlds he searched, how many dimensions he pierced, she was gone. A silence deeper than any abyss answered him every time he reached for her.
Eventually… he stopped searching.
Not because he forgot.
But because he couldn't bear the emptiness anymore.
And so, to save their beloved son from the darkness inside his own mind, Jin's family — Athena, Chris, Lillian, even Han Jin-Hyuk — came together with a single request: a wedding. His wedding. With Lia.
At first, Lia refused.
"It's too fast," she said quietly. "He's still hurting… still lost."
But she couldn't ignore the pain she saw in Jin's eyes. After the incident, the hollowness that grew every day. And when Lillian placed her hands over hers and said, "You are his light. Don't let him forget the joy of love,"—Lia's resistance faltered.
In the end, she smiled softly and said:
"…Alright. I'll marry him."
The moon hung high, bathing castle in silver serenity. The night before the wedding had arrived — and a quiet hush had settled over the celestial halls.
Jin Shang sat alone beneath the Heartlight Tree, staring at its glowing leaves. The wind brushed past like an old friend, and for once, it didn't howl with memories. He held the pendant Velka had left him. He had given up on finding her… yet tonight, he wasn't drowning in regret.
Because tomorrow, he would marry Lia.
Behind him, a soft voice broke the silence.
"She loved you, you know."
It was Eva, his mother — radiant and graceful as ever. She stood beside Han Jin-Hyuk, who placed a comforting hand on Jin's shoulder.
"You don't have to forget her," Eva said gently. "But you deserve happiness, Jin. Let your heart live again."
Jin looked down at the pendant. "She gave me this… not to possess me, but to stand beside me. I never understood her then. I do now."
Eva smiled faintly. "She loved you in silence. And now, Lia loves you out loud. Don't let the past bury your future."
There was a long pause between them — not of silence, but shared understanding. No words needed.
Han Jin-Hyuk finally broke it with a half-smile. "You know, when I married your mother, I cried like a fool."
She chuckled. "He tripped over the altar rug and blamed it on 'battle instincts.'"
Jin let out a small, genuine laugh — the first in a long time. "Were you scared?"
"Terrified," Eva said. "Because I knew I was handing my heart to someone who could break it. But he didn't."
"And you won't either," his father said firmly. "You were born to protect, but you're also meant to be held."
Jin's throat tightened. He stood and hugged them both.
"I'll try," he said. "I'll try to live. Not just fight."
[Flashback – One Week Ago]
It was midnight.
Jin had finally drifted into sleep after days of finding his Velka.
Then—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A whisper at the door. "My Lord. Forgive me for waking you. We found something."
Jin rose quickly, his heart already heavy with the weight of the unknown.
Nyreth led him silently through the garden and into the outer woods.
There, beneath a hollow tree… a piece of cloth soaked in dried blood. Clutched beside it, a torn letter written in shaky script — ink mixed with crimson streaks.
Jin took the paper with trembling hands.
To Jin...
I don't know if you'll ever read this.
Maybe by the time you do, it'll be too late.
Maybe I'm already gone.
I tried. I really did.
I tried to be strong, to smile beside you like I wasn't breaking.
I laughed so you wouldn't see my tears.
But it hurts, Jin.
It hurts to exist in a world where I am invisible to everyone — even you.
I was never someone important.
Not loved. Not chosen.
My mother left me.
And sometimes, I think… maybe I deserved it.
Maybe I was born wrong.
I kept thinking if I stayed near you long enough, I'd find a reason to breathe.
But even you turned away.
And when you did…
Everything fell quiet.
Like the world decided it didn't need me.
I wanted to stand beside you.
Not as a weapon. Not as a shadow.
Just… as someone who loved you.
You didn't want that.
And I understand now.
I was too broken. Too much.
So I'll give you peace.
I'll leave — quietly, like I was never here.
I hope we never meet again.
Please live. Please be happy.
Forget me, like everyone else did.
That's my final wish.
— Velka
The words bled into him like poison.
Jin fell to his knees. The forest fell silent.
He whispered her name once. Then again. Louder. Desperate.
But only the wind answered him.
He screamed, his voice shaking the stars.
Velka was gone.
And he hadn't even known.
He hadn't smiled like this in a long time.
[The Present – The Night Before the Wedding]
Jin stood before a mirror. His eyes were tired. But there was something new in them now.
Resolve.
Lia appeared behind him, draped in soft moon-colored robes. Her hand found his.
"You're still carrying her," she said softly.
He nodded. "Some names we inherit. Others… we choose to carry."
She looked at him, waiting.
He turned to face her. For the first time in years, his voice trembled — not from fear, but from meaning.
"I chose Luneblood for a reason."
"The moon never burns — it watches, quietly. A light that stays even in the darkest nights. I want to be that kind of strength."
"And blood... Blood remembers. Blood binds. Blood sacrifices."
"Luneblood means to carry pain without letting it break you. To honor the fallen without losing your path. It means I'm not escaping who I was — I'm building from it."
Lia's eyes welled with tears. "It's beautiful."
He touched her cheek gently.
"I failed Velka. I failed many. But I will never fail again.
Not you. Not what we build."
Inside the divine palace, laughter echoed as Kaelros and Lysander stirred chaos in the name of celebration. They had somehow convinced the palace servants to let them "bless" Jin's final night as a bachelor.
Which, of course, involved:
Kaelros conjuring illusionary creatures that looked like baby dragons — one of which latched onto Lysander's face and wouldn't let go.
Lysander creating a glowing banner above Jin's door that read:
"R.I.P Jin's Freedom."
Athena, ever composed, entered the hallway with a glass of wine — only to slip on a conjured puddle of glitter.
Kaelros burst out laughing.
"Careful, Princess! That's what you get for pretending to be elegant."
Athena's eye twitched.
"Kaelros…"
Before he could escape, she kicked him across the corridor with a divine boom.
He crashed through a decorative pillar.
Lysander wheezed, "You'll never get a boyfriend like that, Athena!"
Athena replied, deadpan, "I'd rather stay single than end up with someone like him."
Kaelros laughed. " Unfortunately I am unavailable."
Jin walked past them all, shaking his head but smiling.
"For once… it feels like home."
[The Moonshade Wedding – Under the Stars]
Only a few stood in the sacred grove:
Athena, her expression unreadable, yet softened with approval.
Eva, Jin's mother, quietly clutching Han Jin-Hyuk's hand.
Rin, head bowed in silent respect.
Lysander and Kaelros, standing like twin swords behind him.
Arden, nodding to Jin with a warrior's acknowledgment.
Lillian, hand pressed to her heart.
Chris, whispering something no one could hear, but perhaps Jin did.
The Moonshade Tree glowed — petals silver and luminous, raining down like blessings.
Jin wore black robes with a new crest: a silver crescent over a crimson teardrop — House Luneblood.
Lia's gown flowed like moonlight over water.
Eva stepped forward, not as a mother, but as witness.
"You stand here, not to escape your past… but to carry it with grace.
In your union, you birth something new — not of bloodlines, but of choice."
Lia walked toward him slowly. Each step was like the soft beat of a heart trying to remember how to love again. And when she reached him, Jin whispered
"You look like the moon gave you her light."
She blushed and leaned close, whispering back, "And you look like a man finally ready to smile."
He took her hands.
"I vow this — I will be your moon in darkness. I will be your shield in storms. I will be your home."
Lia smiled, radiant. "And I will be your voice when you fall silent. I will remind you that love can still grow in blood-soaked soil."
The priest, Nyreth — an ancient seer robed in indigo silk — raised his staff as the divine glow of the tree blessed the sky.
"By the grace of eternity, do you, Jin Luneblood, take Lia — not as your queen, not as a symbol, but as your equal, your flame, your heart?"
Jin held her hand tightly.
"I do. In this life and the next."
"And do you, Lia, take Jin Luneblood— not as a god, not as a legend, but as your partner, your peace, your husband?"
"I do. Always."
Nyreth raised his staff. "Then let the stars remember this day."
The Heartlight Tree bloomed, blossoms falling like stars. The sky shimmered with clouds. Music echoed from the strings of angels. Even the Moon paused to watch.
And when they kissed — the world stood still.
The grove shimmered.
And so, Jin Luneblood and Lia Luneblood began a new journey — not as survivors of tragedy, but as creators of legacy
After the Ceremony, at the feast, Kaelros lifted a wine cup and shouted,
"Let's toast to the brave Lia — who willingly walked into the chaos called marriage!"
Everyone laughed.
Athena rolled her eyes.
"You're still single."
Kaelros raised a brow, smirking. "Because I haven't found anyone crazy enough to handle me."
Lysander added, "And because Athena keeps kicking every potential date away!"
Eva and Han Jin-Hyuk watched quietly from their seats. Their son was smiling again. That was enough.
Later that night, Jin stood alone under the Moonshade Tree.
He placed a white flower where Velka's cloth had been buried.
Not a grave.
A remembrance.
He looked toward the stars that night. He still missed Velka. He always would.
"I couldn't save you," he whispered. "But I'll carry you — not in sorrow. In strength."
Behind him,Lia touched his hand and leaned her head to his shoulder.
"You don't have to carry everything alone anymore," she whispered.
And he smiled.
"I know. Thank you… for walking beside me."