Hi everyone!I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be going on holiday for about four weeks. Because of that, updates will be a bit slower than usual — I'll only be able to post around one new chapter per week during this time.
I'm really sorry for the slower pace, especially with the story being at such an intense point right now 😭Thank you so much for being patient with me and for continuing to support this story — it genuinely means more than I can say.
As a small thank-you (and apology), here's a short non-canon side story (non-canon cuz of the timeline rn...it is bl dont worry!!) to hopefully hold you over 💙I'll be back properly soon, and I promise the main story will keep moving forward!
— Author 💫 (aka HualianBL
Side Story — "Absolutely Not a Date"
(Non-canon, light comedy)
The problem started when Lucien said the words:
"So… hypothetically."
Mika immediately narrowed his eyes. "No."
"I haven't even finished the sentence."
"No," Mika repeated anyway.
Kuro looked between them. "What's happening?"
Lucien grinned. That was always a bad sign."Hypothetically, if the three of us were trapped in town for a day with no missions, no monsters, and nothing trying to kill us—"
"That's not hypothetical," Mika said flatly. "That's impossible."
"—what would we do?"
Kuro blinked. "…Sleep?"
[Wow. Aim high, Kuro.]
Kuro ignored Elvastia. {You don't get tired.}
[Exactly. I'd watch chaos unfold.]
Lucien clapped his hands together. "Great! Then it's settled. We're going to the market."
Mika stared at him. "Why."
"Because," Lucien said smoothly, "Kuro has never actually been to a proper fantasy market."
Kuro froze. "…I haven't?"
Lucien's smile widened. "See? Cultural education."
Mika sighed like a man accepting his fate. "This is not a date."
Lucien raised an eyebrow. "No one said it was."
[Everyone knows it is.]
Mika shot a glare into the air. "You are on thin ice."
The market was loud. Colorful. Alive.
Kuro's eyes lit up at everything — floating lanterns, enchanted sweets, weapon stalls glowing faintly with magic.
Lucien leaned in. "You look like a kid in a candy shop."
Kuro smiled shyly. "It's… nice."
Mika watched him from the side, expression unreadable.
[He's smiling. That's rare. Don't screw it up.]
Mika muttered, "I'm not screwing anything up."
Lucien paused mid-step. "…Why did you just say that out loud."
"Shut up."
They stopped at a food stall.
Lucien bought three skewers of something suspiciously green.Kuro took a bite.
"…It's sweet?"
Lucien blinked. "That's not supposed to be sweet."
Mika took one bite and immediately spat it out. "That's poison."
The vendor gasped. "Sir! It's an acquired taste!"
[Acquired by the dead, maybe.]
Kuro tried not to laugh. He failed.
Mika noticed.
"…Don't laugh."
Kuro smiled wider. "Sorry."
Lucien watched the exchange, eyes gleaming."Oh. I get it now."
Mika's ears reddened. "Get what."
"This," Lucien said, gesturing vaguely between them. "Whatever this is."
"There is no 'this'."
[Sure, Mika. Sure.]
Kuro looked up at Mika. "…This was fun."
Mika hesitated. Then nodded once.
"…Yeah. It was."
Lucien smirked."Definitely not a date."
[Absolutely not.]