The sunlight on the horizon shone on Lucian, yet it carried no warmth.
Shorekeeper sat quietly on a pale blue lawn, lost in thought, unaware of what she was contemplating.
Lucian slowly approached her. Hearing his footsteps, Shorekeeper slightly turned her head: "You've made it here too…"
Lucian paused, rubbing his chin: "Is this also your memory? What time is it now?"
Shorekeeper froze: "Memory?"
"No, this is the 'Wanderer's Endpoint.'"
"Did you just enter that crystal?"
Lucian nodded slightly: "Yes."
A faint smile appeared on Shorekeeper's lips: "Hmm, that crystal contains the memory of you just before you left."
Shorekeeper then asked: "What… did you see in that past memory?"
Lucian chuckled: "I saw the past you and the past Port City of Guixu."
With that, Lucian asked tentatively: "What I did in the crystal won't change the future, right?"
Shorekeeper shook her head slightly: "It won't. This crystal is merely a medium. Sacrificing a part of oneself to ensure the continuation of another part."
"This is my past and the proof of my existence to this day."
"As for what you did in the crystal, while it will be preserved, it won't affect the original memory."
Lucian cleared his throat: "But in that crystal, I made a great promise with you, and now I've fulfilled it."
"Though it was a promise made in the crystal, according to the 'Lucian Promise Law,' no matter the circumstances or realm in which a promise is made, it requires both parties to formally confirm it before it's complete."
Shorekeeper looked puzzled: "A promise?"
Faced with the crystal Lucian handed her, Shorekeeper hesitated for a moment before reaching out with her delicate hand to take it.
Her beautiful eyes slowly closed as she sensed the new memory within the crystal.
About half a minute later, Shorekeeper opened her eyes, slightly surprised:
"I've never seen a promise made in such a way…"
Lucian stood with his hands on his hips, proudly saying: "Now you have!"
"This is the unique promise-making method of our Lucian family."
"And our family's promises, before they're complete, must be confirmed by both parties!"
Shorekeeper's delicate brows furrowed, and she seemed a bit shy: "Then… how do we confirm it?"
Lucian glanced at Shorekeeper's pink lips and smiled: "You should have seen how we made the promise, right?"
Shorekeeper bit her lip lightly and nodded slightly.
Lucian immediately began spouting nonsense: "Though making a promise with a kiss isn't common, it's not unheard of."
"And since I made this promise to you, that means after I fulfill it, you need to confirm it for me."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
Shorekeeper was silent for a moment: "Mr. Lucian, you mean that you made the promise by kissing me, and to confirm the promise is complete, I need to kiss you?"
Lucian gave a thumbs-up: "As expected of the Tethys System's administrator—your logical thinking is impressive!"
Shorekeeper lowered her head slightly: "But…"
Lucian waved his hand: "No buts! Shorekeeper, please confirm the completed promise! After all, this concerns my personal safety!"
Shorekeeper's brows furrowed, not understanding why this promise was tied to personal safety.
"Personal safety? Why is that…?"
Lucian said seriously: "In our family, if a completed promise isn't confirmed, one faces extremely harsh family discipline!"
"Shorekeeper, you don't want to see me punished, do you?"
Shorekeeper: "?"
"Uh, well…"
Shorekeeper hesitated, still unable to fathom why anyone would make a promise with a kiss…
But seeing how serious Lucian looked, it didn't seem like he was faking it.
However, this was where Shorekeeper's understanding of emotions fell short.
If Rover's Speaker were here, it would surely say: "One look, and it's clearly fake."
"Well… alright… but…"
"Won't Rover get angry…?"
Though Shorekeeper had been fooled by Lucian, she was still somewhat worried, as she knew about Rover and Lucian's relationship.
Lucian was amused by Shorekeeper's innocent demeanor. He glanced around at the breathtaking scenery, clearly devoid of anyone else.
Lucian spread his hands: "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know—how could Rover possibly find out?"
"Besides, didn't you feed me tea with your mouth before? A kiss is a small matter compared to that."
Shorekeeper was puzzled: "But wasn't that because Mr. Lucian likes drinking imported tea…?"
As Rover's Speaker had said, Shorekeeper still had much to learn.
Naive as she was, she still thought "imported tea" meant its literal meaning.
"Since that's the case, just don't see the kiss as something romantic. Think of it as a way to complete the promise, and that's fine, right?"
"Hmm… that… makes some sense…"
Shorekeeper lowered her head slightly, looking a bit shy.
But she made up her mind. She reached out, grabbed Lucian's arms, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Shorekeeper intended to pull away quickly, but just as she moved a fist's distance, Lucian held her head in place.
They were so close they could see their reflections in each other's eyes.
Lucian smirked at Shorekeeper's face, so close to his: "Shorekeeper, how about we make another promise?"
Shorekeeper's small mouth parted slightly, looking adorable: "Another promise? But…"
Lucian placed a finger on her lips: "I know, you want to bear all of this alone, even at the cost of becoming the new core, right?"
Shorekeeper's eyelashes trembled, a faint trace of sadness in her delicate brows. Her eyes darted away, as if Lucian had seen through her.
Lucian seized the moment: "But do you know?"
"The brilliance of the stars, if no one gazes upon it, is merely the silent sigh of the cosmos."
"And you said before that no one else should get hurt…"
Shorekeeper's brows furrowed: "But…"
Lucian raised his hand and gently tapped her pert, delicate nose, smiling: "You're so eager to understand what emotions are, so let me ask you a question."
Shorekeeper looked over curiously. Lucian continued: "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to keep everyone in the Black Shores safe?"
Lucian asked again. Shorekeeper's beautiful eyes dimmed with sorrow, perhaps unaware that her emotions were already so vivid in Lucian's eyes.
Shorekeeper pursed her thin lips and slowly nodded.
Lucian pinched her cheek: "But have you ever considered that if you harm yourself to protect others, will those who love you truly be happy because of it?"
Shorekeeper's head snapped up, meeting Lucian's gentle gaze. Her heart trembled, and she felt at a loss, unable to comprehend why she was experiencing such complex emotions.
"Those who love me… I…"
Before Shorekeeper could finish, blue data particles surged from her feet, slowly dissipating her body.
Shorekeeper instinctively tightened her grip on Lucian's arm, panic in her eyes.
Lucian smiled faintly, wrapped his arms around Shorekeeper's slender waist, and gently kissed her soft lips.
"Don't be afraid. I'll save you. This is… the new promise."
Shorekeeper gazed deeply at Lucian's face, so close to hers, as if trying to etch him into her memory forever.
Just before the light particles fully dissipated her, she raised her pale hand, touched Lucian's cheek, and gave a faint smile:
"…Mm."
With that, Shorekeeper's figure vanished completely, and the scene before him shifted, dissolving into chaos.