Luca froze before suspiciously asking,
"…Any wish?"
"Anything."
She nodded with mischievous gaze, seeing that he was picking up on the bait.
"Whatever you desire—no matter how impossible, no matter how far beyond mortal comprehension—it will be yours. I will make it real."
He stared at her, speechless for a long moment.
"…You're serious."
"Completely."
Hearing this confirmation, Luca's heart started racing.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints. He swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat as his mind began spinning with thoughts he hadn't allowed himself to think in years.
His hands trembled slightly and for a second he looked like someone standing on the edge of something vast—something both terrifying and hopeful.
"You mean literally anything." He said again, just to be sure.
"Anything." The Goddess repeated gently. "And I already know what you'd wish for."
The look in her eyes made it clear—she did know.
Luca's expression faltered. He looked shaken. His chest rose and fell faster, his gaze distant.
For a moment, he wasn't here in this divine void, he was somewhere far away, back in a past he'd buried.
It was a beautiful and tragic past—woven together like silk threaded with thorns.
A past that brought him laughter so pure it had made his stomach ache, and joy so overwhelming it felt too large for his chest. But just as vividly, it had brought him pain. Loss that hollowed out parts of him. Memories that still bled, no matter how many years had passed.
And now…
To think there was a chance—a real chance—to bring it back.
It made Luca shudder. His hands clenched slightly at his sides, his breathing uneven. The weight of the offer hung in the air like gravity around his ribs.
But even as the flood of longing surged through him, so too did hesitation.
Was it right? Could it even be called the same if he brought it back?
Would it truly be them? Or would it just be echoes… shadows… warped imitations pretending to be what once was?
That thought terrified him more than anything.
He didn't know the answer. He didn't know what he was supposed to feel.
His heart was a storm, his mind a tide crashing against memories he'd tried so hard to bury.
And amidst it all, one single question played in a relentless loop—over and over and over again:
"Do I dare?"
He kept asking it—over and over again.
Each time, his mind spiraled through possibilities, through futures that could fracture, through consequences and disturbances he couldn't fully see.
Joy, regret, chaos, hope—everything tangled together until his chest felt tight.
Finally, as if the noise in his head had grown unbearable, Luca closed his eyes.
It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't sudden.
It felt…final.
A long breath left him, slow and shaky, as though he were standing on the brink and choosing whether to step forward or pull away forever.
When he opened his eyes again, something had changed.
There was resolve there now—quiet, heavy, uncertain, but real.
And yet, beneath it, doubt still lingered. Not gone. Just…contained.
He drew in a breath, lips parting as he prepared to speak—ready to voice the choice he'd reached, or perhaps to overturn it at the very last second—
When suddenly—
"Stop—stop, stop!"
The Goddess panicked, her composure cracking.
"Don't say it. Not yet."
And while he looked confused, she spoke awkwardly, words tumbling out far less gracefully than before.
"At first…I thought you'd already decided. I was sure I could predict what you were going to say." She hesitated, then let out a small, uneasy breath. "But when I actually thought about it…you're not predictable at all. You're chaos incarnate."
Her gaze softened, conflicted.
"I realized I have no idea what choice you'll make. None."
She shook her head slightly.
"That's why I don't want your answer right now. It's better if you think about it—really think about it. Carefully. Take your time."
Then, gently, she added, "Tell me your answer at our next meeting."
Hearing this, Luca also felt a slight wave of relief wash over him as he too wasn't fully ready to give the answer he had in mind.
"That's fine with me as well." Luca said, accepting the reprieve before asking in doubt, "But by giving me this time, do you truly think that time alone will help me change or alter my decision?"
To that, the Goddess smiled gently.
"Rather than time itself, I believe the people you'll spend that time with. The demi-humans you'll live among, the ones you'll protect, the ones who'll laugh and cry beside you. Maybe they'll change your heart a little."
"Maybe they'll make you want to accept this destiny after all."
Luca thought about this for a moment, considering the possibility in mind before saying quietly
"Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows. Only the future can tell."
Then he looked up, his smirk sharpening into something more confident, almost mischievous.
"But for now, our main priority should be to improve their livelihoods and fix all the problems that are right in front of us. That's what really matters. I'm not about to run around telling people to..." He gestured vaguely. "...get into doggy-style position just because the heavens says so."
The Goddess chuckled softly, shaking her head.
"Fine, fine. Have it your way. But don't come crying to me later when the problem turns out to be the exact opposite."
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
Her smirk widened. "Oh, I just mean that even if you don't go looking for them, they'll come looking for you."
"That's not funny."
"I wasn't joking." She said teasingly, folding her arms. "You have no idea how many desperate prayers I've been getting lately. Once they learn who you are and what your purpose is, you'll be the one doing the running away. Not the chasing."
But Luca, instead of arguing, tilted his head with a shameless grin.
"Well, I suppose I suppose that makes sense to a certain extent." He said. "After all, I am a rather charming man. I mean, let's be honest, I could snag a few beauties here and there without even breaking a sweat."
He looked rather haughty in the moment, but then realised something pivotal which made him frown.
"But hold on a second. You're talking about me having to father an entire continent's next generation, right? How's that even supposed to work?!"
The goddess looked at him curiously as he started waving his arms.
"Like seriously—what am I supposed to do, go around meeting every single woman one by one? Sit down, have a cup of tea, get to know their feelings, talk about the weather, and then—what? Magically jump into bed right after?"
"That'll take centuries! I don't have that much time in my life!"
She couldn't help but laugh softly, a sound like a chime in the void.
"Relax." She said calmly, holding up her hand. "You're overthinking it. You don't need to meet every single one personally. I'll handle most of the communication myself."
"Handle...how exactly?" Luca asked suspiciously since the last communication from her only backfired on him.
She smiled confidently before saying,
"First, I'll make a proper broadcast to all the female members of the demi-human races—every tribe, every kingdom, every settlement. And unlike that mess the Goddess of Fertility caused, I'll actually explain everything clearly."
"I'll tell them why you were sent, what your purpose is, and why your existence is vital for their future."
Luca groaned. "So basically, another announcement that's going to make me sound like some breeding bull sent by the heavens."
"Yep." She said proudly. "Except this time, they won't be terrified of you. They'll understand."
"Oh, that's so reassuring."
She went on as though she hadn't heard him.
"And as for your concern about meeting everyone individually—there's no need. You only need to focus on the key figures. The royals, the chieftains, the queens, the matriarchs—those who lead their people."
"Once you gain their acceptance, the rest of their clans will follow their lead. Every race, every settlement, every tribe—they all take direction from their rulers. Convince the top, and you convince the rest."
She leaned closer, a teasing gleam in her eye.
"It's basically a buy-one-get-many-free offer. You charm one queen or matriarch, and you get the entire clan's loyalty—possibly more."
Luca stared at her for a moment before laughing under his breath.
"Oh my god...Did you seriously just say that?"
"Of course." She said without missing a beat, crossing her arms with a playful smirk. "You get the idea now, don't you?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I do...I really do."
He then turned his gaze toward the glowing portal beside him, the light shimmering softly across his face.
"Well then." He said, stretching his arms with a lazy sigh. "I guess I've asked all my questions for now. It's probably time for me to get going. The elves are probably losing their minds back there wondering where I vanished to."
He took a few steps toward the portal, then paused and turned back to her with a curious smile.
"But before I go, can I ask you something?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What is it?"
"Well, I've been calling you 'Goddess of Space' this whole time." He said. "And I'm sure you have an actual name, right? Something a little less formal. I didn't get to ask last time, so...what is it?"
Hearing this question that came out of nowhere, she looked thoughtful, before a mysterious, almost playful glint danced in her eyes.
"You're right—I do have a name. But…" She smiled, her tone soft and deliberate. "Not this time."
Luca blinked. "Huh?"
"The next time we meet." She said. "When you've found your answer, when you've made your decision, then I'll tell you my name."
"...Until then, you'll have to keep wondering."
He let out a small laugh and nodded. "Alright, alright. You've got yourself a deal."
He took a step back into the portal, giving her a small, half-sarcastic salute.
"See you later then, Lord of Space."
She chuckled lightly. "It's Lady, you fool."
"Eh, close enough." Luca said with a grin, waving as the light began to envelop him.
And with that, he stepped backward into the portal, the glowing mist swallowing him whole—returning him once again to the tranquil forest of the elven village.
He was back.
But the moment Luca's boots touched the mossy ground of the elven forest again, he didn't even have a second to process what had just happened with the Goddess as the air around him was filled with an acrid, smoky scent and when he looked ahead, he was shocked.
Thick, black smoke was rising in the distance.
At first, he thought it might have been a bonfire, maybe a part of the ongoing ceremony Nyx had mentioned earlier.
But as he stared closer, he realized this wasn't the steady smoke of a festival flame.
This was too much, heavy, spiraling, almost choking the sky above the canopy and seeing this, his expression hardened immediately.
"Oh, great." He muttered, breaking into a sprint. "Can't even leave for five minutes without something catching fire."
He ignored the guards rules about staying put and bolted through the forest, his feet moving so fast that even the sentries perched high in the trees barely caught a blur of him rushing past.
Branches whipped by him, leaves scattered underfoot, until he reached a clearing where light from the fire glowed fiercely through the night.
And when he emerged from the thicket, his breath hitched—a massive tree stood ablaze.
It wasn't one of the grand ancient trunks that held the village homes, but it was still large enough to be imposing, its flames licking upward into the night sky.
The crackle of burning wood echoed through the forest as elves surrounded it, throwing buckets of water, shouting incantations, trying desperately to control the fire.
"What the hell…" He whispered, wondering if male party of elves had attacked the village while he was gone.