Chapter 40 - The Double-Date (1)

Luca stared at the water for a long moment before speaking. The gentle lapping of ripples against the rocks filled the silence between them, soft and unhurried.

"...I’m just... tired," he said at last.

The woman tilted her head, waiting.

Luca’s voice was low, quieter than before. "It’s strange. Everything around me is bright—people laughing, healing, moving forward—but I feel like I’m... stuck in a shadow I can’t crawl out of."

He sat down near her, knees bent, hands buried into the grass.

"I keep thinking..." He trailed off, then gave a bitter smile. "That maybe none of it would’ve happened if I’d made different choices."

The woman didn’t interrupt. She just listened, her expression unreadable but open.

"I didn’t want to get involved. I didn’t want to be some... hero. Or martyr. Or whatever people think I am," Luca muttered. "I just wanted to survive. Keep my head down. Live."

His gaze darkened. "But the more I try to stay out of it, the more the world keeps pulling me in. Like it’s already decided what role I have to play. And now..."

He clenched his fists in the grass, jaw tightening.

"...Six people are dead."

The words slipped out—cold and sharp.

"They’re gone. Just like that. And I’m here. Alive."

A long pause.

The woman’s expression softened. But still, she didn’t speak.

Luca finally looked at her. "Do you know what it feels like? To have everyone say, ’You did great,’ or ’You saved lives,’ when deep down, all you can think is—’But I didn’t save

them

’?"

His voice trembled slightly, but he steadied it. "It’s like... I’m walking around with this invisible weight. And no one sees it but me."

He laughed once. Empty.

"...Sorry. You probably weren’t expecting a stranger’s emotional monologue by a lake."

The woman smiled faintly. "Maybe not. But I don’t mind."

Her voice was soft. Gentle.

"It’s strange," she added after a moment, "You sound like someone carrying the whole world... but still pretending you’re just a passerby in it."

Luca didn’t reply.

But the words lingered in his chest, warm and sharp.

He looked up at the sky, where clouds were turning shades of orange and violet with the fading sun.

And for the first time in days, he breathed a little easier.

The woman sat down beside Luca, her legs tucked neatly to the side as she gazed out over the lake.

"You know..." she began, her voice calm, melodic, "Have you ever watched a gardener tend to a tree?"

Luca blinked, confused by the sudden shift in topic. "A... gardener?"

She nodded. "There’s this old story from my homeland. A gardener once planted a tree on a hill—his pride and joy. He watered it, shielded it from storms, cared for its roots. But one day, a wildfire spread through the forest, and the tree burned down."

She paused, eyes distant as though she were reliving the tale.

"The gardener blamed himself. Cried for days. ’If I hadn’t planted it here, maybe it wouldn’t have burned,’ he kept saying. But the truth was... the fire didn’t start because of him. The wind didn’t blow because of him. The world turned, as it always does. And the only thing he ever controlled... was how he loved that tree."

Luca looked down, his jaw tight.

She turned to him, her violet hair dancing slightly in the breeze.

"You didn’t bring the storm, Luca. But you tried to shield others from it." She leaned in gently, her hand rising to cup his cheek—warm and reassuring.

"If that still hurts... if the guilt still lingers," she whispered, "then don’t run from it. Don’t bury it. Let it remind you what you

can

do."

Luca’s eyes widened slightly.

"Learn from it. Grow stronger. And next time... don’t just survive the storm—stand tall in it. Shelter others with your own roots."

Her words sank deep, like water into parched earth.

And in that moment—clarity.

She was right.

He had been drifting—lost in regret, in what-ifs. But what he truly feared... was making a choice. Because choices came with responsibility. And failure.

But what if... he stopped running?

What if he chose to walk forward—step by step—toward a future where fewer lives were lost?

Luca slowly stood, as if the weight on his back had finally lifted a little.

"...Thank you," he said softly, bowing his head with genuine respect. "Truly."

The woman smiled, her eyes half-lidded with quiet amusement as she watched him.

Without another word, Luca turned and walked away—back straight, his silhouette framed by the golden light of the setting sun.

And behind him, the woman murmured with a knowing grin,

"Interesting."

****

The morning sun filtered through the clouds, painting soft gold across the academy’s training grounds.

Luca stood in his usual corner, sweat already trailing down his temple as he pushed through another set of stamina drills. His muscles ached, but his mind was sharp—honed by resolve forged at the lake the day before.

I’ll grow stronger.

Stronger, not just for himself—but for those he failed... and those he hadn’t yet.

Although he wants to live, it’s not for the cost of other lives.

And who he was kidding if the Devil emperor is not defeated , he won’t be able to live long anyway, he was just running away from truth, but not now.

But today, another thought gnawed at him from the corner of his mind.

Tomorrow is the deadline.

Aurelia’s deadline.

He groaned internally.

What the hell am I supposed to say? "Sorry, I’m flattered, but I’m emotionally unavailable due to existential dread" doesn’t exactly sound convincing.

Before his thoughts could spiral further—

"Hey."

A familiar flat voice called out behind him.

Luca blinked and turned.

Lilliane stood there in her usual awkward pose, arms half-crossed, expression unreadable.

"...So, what’s the plan?"

Luca tilted his head. "Plan?"

Her frown deepened. "You said you’d help me win over Aiden. You haven’t forgotten, right?"

Luca stared blankly for a moment, then nearly groaned aloud.

Why didn’t she just forget that promise already?! That was a desperate bluff in a life-or-death situation!

But then...

A spark.

Wait... this could work.

Luca suddenly looked at her like she was a divine blessing dropped from the heavens.

Lilliane squinted suspiciously. "...Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing," Luca replied too quickly, waving his hand. "Actually—I

do

have a plan."

He leaned in slightly, voice lowering into a conspiratorial whisper. "You should ask Aiden out on a date."

Lilliane’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing instantly.

"D-D-Date...?! M-Me? With Aiden?"

She stammered as if the very word summoned judgment from the sky.

"But... I wouldn’t know what to do," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why would he even agree?"

Luca grinned. "Simple. Don’t

call

it a date. Say you want to hang out with friends. I’ll bring Aurelia along. It’ll be a ’double date’ for us, and a casual hangout for Aiden."

She blinked.

Then blinked again.

"...That could work."

Lilliane’s mind was already spiraling into a dreamland of accidental hand brushes and shy glances over dessert. She nodded repeatedly, looking as serious as someone planning a battle strategy.

"Let’s do it. When?"

"I’ll talk to Aurelia tomorrow," Luca said, already plotting ten moves ahead. "Let’s plan it for the weekend."

"Got it." She spun on her heel and walked off, stiff but determined.

Luca watched her go, a slow grin spreading across his face.

Perfect.

One arrow. Three birds.

Lilliane gets her romantic boost. He buys himself time from Aurelia’s proposal. And most importantly—

He finally has a way to obtain the hidden piece he desperately needs for the path ahead.

Sure, he was bending things a little.

But hey—

It’s not like I’m lying... just optimizing.

He chuckled to himself, the schemer in him fully awake now.