Clearly, just a little while ago, he had no interest in me. More precisely, he seemed to hold curiosity but found me bothersome; that expression would be more fitting.

However, why was he looking at me with such eyes now?

It felt like I was under the illusion of seeing the familiar Lucian that I knew.

“…Won’t you let go of this?”

I recalled the day Lucian was thoroughly beaten by Cassandra.

It was disheartening to see someone with exceptional swordsmanship being helplessly stabbed. The words ‘Why didn’t you respond more cleverly?’ rose to my throat, but I refrained from uttering them. I had a vague expectation of what might happen.

However, I never thought a day would come when I would understand his feelings so desperately.

Despite it being unmistakably Lucian’s appearance, I couldn’t ignore the fact that a different soul resided within him. Although the body still belonged to Lucian, I had no desire to recklessly manipulate his soul.

A complex mix of emotions seeped through my face.

Enzo, with Lucian’s face, stared at me for a while without saying anything and then asked, lifting one corner of his mouth.

“Confused?”

“…No.”

“Your response is a bit late. Lucian would be quite upset if he heard this.”

Despite knowing it was a trivial remark, I couldn’t help but be shaken.

That didn’t make sense.

How could I confuse him with Lucian?

However, perhaps accumulated experience over many years couldn’t be ignored. Enzo, with a firm grip on my wrist, exerted more force and tried to probe my vulnerabilities.

“It probably wouldn’t be that different, considering the point of view of men and women from the Payton and Leon families? Also, the fact that you’re a saint with divine power?”

Though I didn’t say it, how did he know without me mentioning it? Indeed, there seemed to be a reason for the different colors emanating from the necklace.

“Are you curious, or have you already figured it out?”

The fact that he could perceive without me saying anything a trait so similar to Lucian. It left me increasingly speechless. The more this went on, the more the grip on my wrist became uncomfortably tight.

“How could you not know? Yes, the emotions you felt as longing were not a misconception.”

As his voice intensified, his expression also gradually resembled Lucian’s. The reason for this was unclear, but I could sense that he was seeing someone through me.

This couldn’t go on.

I didn’t just love Lucian’s external appearance. I loved everything inside him. Therefore, I couldn’t afford to be deluded any longer.

“…Give it back.”

“What? The necklace? Ah, this was originally yours.”

The perfectly mad golden eyes bending toward me sent a chill down my spine.

Examining it closely, it was vastly different from what I had just mistaken for Lucian.

However, rather than relying on the visible appearance, I needed to look deep inside. Lucian, even in his obsession, never looked at me with such eyes. Surely, his eyes always conveyed affection towards me.

“Not the necklace, give back Lucian. It’s not your body, and I am not the saint you loved.”

My words, thrown with determination, caused Enzo to freeze momentarily like a broken doll. After a deep breath, he grinned widely and spoke.

“This necklace wasn’t crafted to respond to just any divine power. If that were the case, it would emit light even when held by a priest. Do you think I would have made it like that?

He listed every error in my words.

“I specifically designed it to respond only to the sacred power of a saint. More precisely, to Selena’s divine power. So, why did it emit light when it came into your hands? And why did a saint suddenly appear? The temple is still in this state, isn’t it?”

There was a saying I once heard: you couldn’t possibly be a wizard with a normal mind. Natural magical ability is necessary, but more importantly, a brilliant mind is crucial. In other words, unless they are a born genius, it’s difficult to exhibit exceptional skills as a wizard.

He began pinpointing exactly what God had said based on a few situations and evidence.

“It was a war even involving God, meant to completely eradicate the Demon King and demons. Rumors at the time said that it was a place chosen by God, and the cities that were not included in the empire envied it. That’s how the empire, created with everyone’s attention, came to be.”

I didn’t want to hear his words, but it was difficult to block out Lucian’s voice, whom I loved. Ah, a possessor is truly a vile existence.

“However, the barrier was not properly completed due to some idiot. Moreover, it was barely sustained by the saint, the daughter of God, who threw her whole body into the barrier. Think about it, Ray. No matter how much of a saint she is, no matter if she’s loved by God, can she truly become a part of the barrier? It’s an unavoidable structure that will inevitably lead to side effects.”

He continued his words as if he couldn’t stop. The more he spoke, the more the pain on my restrained wrist intensified.

“No need to look far. Can’t you find the answer when you see the entities trapped in the barrier that have become ghosts, unable to pass on, wandering around? I, too, had to watch the flowing time without being able to die, sealed as I was. But what happened to your soul, which became a part of that barrier?”

He deduced the situation like a detective finding clues, eventually arresting the culprit.

“Your soul must not have been unharmed either. However, in the end, it returned here. Right?”

Indeed.

It was a feeling as if tiny feathers were tickling me. I found it increasingly challenging to manage my expression. Before I knew it, he was right in front of me. Not metaphorically, but literally right in front of my nose.

Where our breaths intersected, a voice mixed with ecstasy wrapped around my ears.

“So, if you’re not Selena, who else could you be?”

As he pronounced his judgment, Damien, Oscar, and Paul tried to approach, but it seemed like something was blocking them, and they couldn’t come near me.

Certainly, it was mentioned that spatial manipulation could not be used within the temple.

Could that mean they weren’t able to use magic?

Then, why could Enzo use it so easily?

“Why, what else are you curious about that you make such an expression?”

I felt as if he was unraveling me with an even more potent method than Lucian.

Attempting to speak with forced lips that felt as if they were glued together, at that moment, the temple began to resonate loudly with a thud. More precisely, it wasn’t the ceiling but the lower part that reverberated.

“…It seems like the barrier has reached its limit.”

Enzo, lowering his gaze towards the floor, muttered softly. Inside, I blamed God after hearing Enzo’s words. If this barrier had such a short remaining lifespan, why not tell me sooner?

The floor, once it began to resonate, undulated like waves. Nevertheless, it didn’t crumble easily.

“It’s still okay. There’s no need to be so scared, Ray.”

Ah. This time, I almost embraced him in real confusion. While his hand cupped my chin, the soft whispering voice and his actions were perfectly Lucian’s.

“Shh, Ray. I’m here.”

Watching Enzo blankly, I realized that he was an extraordinary magician, someone who could be written in the annals of history. He seemed to be imitating Lucian precisely, replicating gestures, expressions, and even the tone of his voice as if memorizing an entire scene.

I couldn’t prevent his face from descending closer to mine. His lips were so close to mine that I could feel his breath deeply just before his lips touched mine, and I raised my trembling hand.

“Ray, trust me.”

As he tilted his head, I grabbed his hair with the hand I had raised without hesitation. Immediately, as I took his breath deeply, the light of magic emanating from between his lips had two distinct colors.

Previously, when I saw Lucian’s magic, it wasn’t the dazzling golden light like his eyes; it was black. However, the magic I saw now was a combination of black and gold. This meant that Lucian’s magic and Enzo’s magic were flowing simultaneously.

“…Oh my, Ray.”

“Don’t do that with Lucian’s face.”

“Oh, no. Wasn’t it the same? Is that why you’re unhappy with it?”

“…Doing this doesn’t mean you can truly become Lucian.”

With my words, Enzo discarded the facade he had maintained until now, revealing a vivid and raw expression. His contorted expression looked completely different from the Lucian I knew.

“You’re Selena, why is your companion not me?”

“…Because I’m not Selena.”

Enzo pursed his lips with a flat and straightforward response. Soon, the golden eyes that I loved started to glisten with moisture.

“Why can’t we be together?”

His question seemed to dissipate into the air because it wasn’t a question directed at me.

There was no doubt that his story was a sad one. Nevertheless, the past could not be changed by human power. It would be the same even in a world where magic and divine power existed, unlike the past life.

The past needed to be let go.

Like trying to stop the flow of running water.

If the flowing water accumulated somewhere and turned into a river again, who knew? But for now, I need to learn to let go of the already-flowing water.

Instead, I couldn’t remember about it.

“I’ll remember. So…”

Enzo’s pupils shook significantly. I gently brushed away the hair I had been holding onto while absorbing his magic deeply.

“So, please give me back my Lucian, Enzo. I’m begging you.”

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