— Age Six —
A full year had passed since Caelum and Lysia first met in this world.
They were now six years old.
Still neighbors.Still classmates.Still attached to one another like the moon to the tide.
And lately, Lysia had started looking at Caelum with a strange softness — the kind not even she could understand yet.
A Sudden Request
It was a warm, breezy afternoon when she asked.
They were walking home from school, shoes scuffing the brick path, their backpacks bouncing against their backs.
"Cael?" Lysia asked.
He glanced sideways. "Mm?"
She slowed to a stop. Her fingers toyed with the edge of her skirt.
"Do you wanna sleep over tonight?"
He blinked. "A sleepover?"
Lysia nodded quickly. "Yup! Just you and me. In my room. And snacks. And we can build a fort. It'll be fun!"
She hesitated, then mumbled, "Also… just in case I have another weird dream."
That last part made Caelum's expression still.
But he smiled.
"Alright. Let's do it."
Permission Granted
Lysia's mom was more than happy to allow it.
She ruffled Caelum's silver hair at the door. "You're always welcome, sweetheart. Just make sure she actually sleeps before midnight."
"We will," Caelum said politely, clutching his little overnight bag — which included a notebook, his toothbrush, a second notebook, and a spare shirt he forgot to fold properly.
Lysia had already run upstairs, dragging every blanket she could find.
The Pillow Fort
Together, they built a magnificent fortress out of chairs, sofa cushions, and pastel sheets.
A string of little star-shaped fairy lights blinked gently from inside.
Lysia brought strawberry gummies. Caelum brought crackers.Lysia brought her plush bunny. Caelum brought a tiny hand-held telescope.
They curled up inside, the ceiling of the fort brushing their heads, cheeks warm, hearts strangely full.
A Story from the Past (But Not Really)
"Tell me a story," Lysia said, laying on her stomach and looking at him sideways.
Caelum tilted his head. "About what?"
"About a boy and a girl."
He paused.
Then said softly:
"Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to change the world. She was really, really smart. Way smarter than everyone else."
Lysia grinned. "Like me?"
"Exactly like you."
"And there was a boy who didn't believe in anything. But when he met her, he started to believe in kindness. In hope. In love."
Lysia's smile softened.
"Did she like him?"
"She loved him."
"And even though he was slow and quiet… he always, always protected her."
Quiet Beneath the Lights
The string lights inside their fort blinked slowly, casting tiny constellations across the sheets.
Lysia rested her cheek against Caelum's shoulder.
"Cael… do you think that story's real?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then nodded.
"I do."
She was quiet.
Then she whispered something new:
"I love you, Cael."
It wasn't dramatic.It wasn't shy.Just… honest. Simple. Six years old.
Caelum looked down at her.
His throat tightened.
He had watched worlds crumble.Battled gods.Lived a thousand lifetimes—
But hearing her say those words, here and now…
Felt like being alive again.
He Didn't Say It Back
Not because he didn't want to.
But because to say it now would be to say it for two lifetimes at once.
Instead, he laid his hand gently over hers.
And whispered:
"I'll always stay beside you."
System Log – Emotional Shift Detected
[GENESIS CORE SYSTEM – OBSERVER MODE]— Event: [Declaration of Love — Subject Age 6]— Soul Resonance: 17.6%— Memory Fragment Integration: Pending— System Note: Timeline stable. Bond reaching irreversible development.
"She has chosen you again, Creator. Without memory… but with her soul."