"The name is James," James answered. "James Von Ainsworth, and I've decided to take a stroll in the Abyss. Are you interested in coming with me?"
Lux was about to say yes, but he remembered something just as important.
"Can you please give me a few minutes before we go?" Lux asked. "I need to say goodbye to some people."
James nodded. "You do that. The place we're about to go is a very dangerous place, and there is a chance that you might not return. I'll come back to pick you up in an hour."
The old man then whistled and an eight-legged Stallion descended from the sky. James mounted its back and gave Lux a brief nod before lightly tapping the horse's neck. A second later, both of them disappeared right in front of the Half-Elf's eyes, making Lux wonder if he was just imagining things.
If not for the fact that his subordinates had also seen James, he might have thought that the old man was just a figment of his imagination, born from his desire to go to the Abyss to reunite with Aurora again.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lux pressed his hand over his chest and muttered.
"Heaven's Call."
A moment later, five beams of light descended from the sky and landed around the Half-Elf.
"Lux!" Aina immediately hugged the Half-Elf and held him tightly. Aurelia and Ari did the same, leaving Iris and Cai to look at their friend in confusion.
The three ladies hugged Lux tightly, not willing to let him go. The Half-Elf closed his eyes and hugged them all, feeling their warmth and love seeping into his exhausted heart.
Luna had taught him a lesson that, no matter what happened, he must properly say his goodbye to those whom he held dear in his heart.
He only summoned Aina, Aurelia, Ari, Iris, and Cai since Valerie and Ali had forgotten about him.
Also, Valerie was a Dragon Princess from Karshvar Draconis. Her absence would definitely cause a ruckus, which might make the Dragon King do something reckless.
A few minutes later, he reluctantly took a step back and looked at his lovers with a bitter smile on his face.
He told them about what happened in Agartha and how Aurora sacrificed her life to protect everyone from getting annihilated by Nyarlathotep's Genocidal Attack. When they all heard about Aurora's death, all of them teared up, including Aina, who had spent many nights together with Aurora during the year that everyone had forgotten about Lux.
Both ladies had supported each other, and their relationship had grown closer during the few months that they were together.
"I am going to the Abyss to find her," Lux said with a determined look on his face. "I don't know how long I will be away, but I will not return until I bring her back. Eiko will remain here to protect everyone, so you can ask her for help. No matter what happens, make your safety your top priority and wait for my return"
All the ladies nodded their heads and asked Lux to be careful.
They knew that since he had already decided to go to the Abyss, he would not stop until he found Aurora.
All of them believed that if the same thing happened to them, Lux would have done the same, which was why they supported him even though they were very worried about him.
"Ari, look after Valerie and Ali for me," Lux said as he hugged the handmaiden, whose tears were falling nonstop. "I didn't know that you were a crybaby. You never cried when I tied you up with ropes and let candles drip on your skin."
"Although that's painful, the pain I felt this past year when you were gone was greater than that," Ari replied. "Please, after you find Aurora, look for a way to make Valerie and Ali remember. It pains me to see that the two of them have completely forgotten about you."
Lux nodded. "I will. I promise."
The Half-Elf then raised her chin and kissed her lips, making Iris' and Cai's eyes widen in shock.
Neither of them was stupid, so it didn't take long for them to realize that Aina, Aurelia, and Ari, had a relationship with Lux.
A faint pain flashed inside their head, but the two endured it as they watched Ari kiss Lux back with tears streaming down her cheeks. When the kiss ended, Ari took a step back and allowed Aurelia to take her turn.
"I'm glad that you haven't forgotten about me, Aurelia," Lux said softly as he brushed away the hair that had covered the Dragon Princess' face due to the gust of wind that was blowing in their direction.
He then kissed her forehead before kissing her lips, which Aurelia loved very much.
Among the Half-Elf's lovers, it was Aurelia who loved kissing the most. It had been too long since she had been kissed by her lover, and it made her heart melt due to how bittersweet it was.
"Help Ari look after Valerie and Ali," Lux said. "I will," Aurelia replied. "Valerie always visits me, and aside from losing her memory about you, she seems to be in good health."
"That's good," Lux smiled. "Take care of yourself, Aurelia."
Aurelia nodded. "Mmm."
The Dragon Princess then took a step back, allowing Aina to take her turn. The first thing the doll-like beauty did was raise both of her hands. Lux understood what she wanted from him, so he crouched down, allowing his lover to wrap her arms around his neck before kissing him on the lips.
When their kiss ended, Lux smiled and pecked the beautiful Dwarf's forehead.
"During the year that I was away, I met your sister, Luna," Lux said, which made Aina look at him in disbelief. "You met my sister?" Aina asked. "You met her on Earth?"
Lux nodded. "She is now an actress, and she's doing really well. I promise to talk more about her when I return from the Abyss."
"You better." Aina looked at the Half-Elf with a solemn expression on her face. "I want you to tell me everything from start to finish."
"I will," Lux replied. "I promise."
Aina reluctantly let go of the Half-Elf, allowing him to walk towards Iris and Cai, who were both looking at him in a daze.
Their heads hurt a bit, but it wasn't painful enough for the two of them to blank out and lose consciousness.
"I know both of you have many questions, but I'm afraid that I don't have the time to answer them now," Lux stated as he hugged his two fiances, pulling them closer to him. "But please, wait for my return. I will answer your questions then."
Iris and Cai glanced at each other before nodding their heads.
Lux then kissed both of their foreheads before taking a step back. The reason why he didn't kiss their lips was because he was afraid that they would remember him, and their memories would once again be tampered with by the laws that prevented them from remembering him.
"Goodbye, everyone," Lux said. "The next time we meet, Aurora will be right next to me."
All five of them nodded in acknowledgment of Lux's promise.
The Half-Elf then waved his hand, and the five of them once again transformed into beams of light, returning to where they had been before he summoned them.
Although there was still time before the promised time of his return, the Half-Elf heard the neigh of a horse behind him.
When he turned to look behind him, he saw the Old Man, who reminded him of a shameless Bandit in one of the novels that he had read in the past.
For the time being, Lux pushed this thought aside because there was a more important matter that he needed to handle.
"I am ready to go to the Abyss," Lux said.
"Good," James replied before lightly tapping the back of his horse. "All aboard the Sleipnir Express."
Lux nodded and jumped on the horse's back, securing himself in place.
All of Lux's Named Creatures and Members of his Covenant all merged with his body. This time, they would accompany their Master to the Abyss and protect him from anything that wished to stop him from achieving his goal. Once James was sure that the Half-Elf wouldn't fall off from his mount, he lightly tapped Sleipnir's neck, making the horse gallop toward the sky, where the endless Abyss was waiting for them.
