The eleven weeks, six days we're finally up.
And the quiet hum of the night filled Kagen's bedroom. Outside, the neighborhood was completely still, illuminated only by the warm orange glow of distant streetlights.
It was their final night. The three months were up.
Lucien sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands. And beneath his skin, the dark, vein-like corruption was pulsing with a faint, violet light—a silent warning that his soul was beginning to strain against the rules of this world, the spatial rift between dimensions was slowly closing, pulling at his core like an invisible tide.
Kagen walked out of the closet and sat close beside Lucien on the mattress, touching his arms very carefully.
"Your marks are glowing brighter," Kagen whispered softly, reaching out to gently touch the side of Lucien's neck.
Lucien leaned into the warm touch, closing his eyes for a quiet moment. "Jerga says the doorway will collapse at dawn. If I do not return through the rift before first light... my consciousness will shatter, and the corruption will consume what remains."
Inside Lucien's mind, the demon's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, devoid of its usual mocking tone.
["Decision time has arrived."]
Kagen took a deep breath, resting his forehead against Lucien's shoulder.
"I've been thinking about this moment every single night since you got here."
Lucien turned his head, looking deeply into Kagen's dark eyes.
"And what have you decided, my love? If you wish to stay here on Earth... I will accept it. I will return to Edrath alone and seal the rift forever so no danger ever reaches you again."
"No," Kagen said instantly, his voice firm and unwavering.
Lucien blinked, startled by the sheer speed of his answer.
"I spent months thinking you abandoned me," Kagen said, taking both of Lucien's large hands into his own.
"I spent months trying to build a normal life here, but every single day felt empty. Being back with my family was wonderful, but my heart was still broken in half."
He locked eyes with Lucien, his gaze filled with fierce, quiet devotion.
"You crossed entire dimensions for me, Lucien. You abandoned your church, fought through a rift, and stood in my kitchen eating cereal just to find me," Kagen smiled through a sudden veil of tears.
"Therefore, I am not letting you go back to Edrath alone."
Lucien's breath hitched in his throat. "Are you certain? Your mother... your sister... your life in this world..."
"I talked to my mom earlier while you were showering," Kagen explained softly. "I didn't tell her about dimensions or magic, but I told her that I had to leave with you. I told her I found the person I want to build a future with."
He paused, a warm, bittersweet smile touching his lips.
"She held my hand and told me to be happy. She gave us her blessing."
Lucien stared at him, overwhelmed by the weight of Kagen's choice. He reached up with trembling fingers, cradling Kagen's face and pulling him into a slow, deep kiss that tasted of quiet promises and endless love.
When Lucien pulled back, his eyes burned with an intense, steady light.
"When we go back to Edrath, I will make sure to protect you and provide you with peace as comparable to Earth. It might not be the same but I will make sure that it happens." Lucien promised against Kagen's lips. "Far away from the capital, far away from the High Council and the church. We will build a small home near the sea. Just you and me."
"Just you and me," Kagen echoed softly.
And Lucien wrapped his arms tightly around Kagen's waist, pulling him down onto the bed as the first faint rays of dawn began to paint the horizon outside the window.
Together, holding hands in the fading shadows of the bedroom, they prepared to step through the light and begin their real future.
*****