Lucian…
Even now, thinking about the first missions where I grew closer to him feels strange.
Back then, he never seemed dangerous to me.
In my first quest, I was simply assisting him in his laboratory, gathering materials:
Poisonous mushrooms, rare herbs, flowers that bloomed only at night…
Just typical relationship quests.
A quest window popped up on the screen:
[Quest Completed]
Lucian: "Thank you."
Even his voice at that time sounded like just another "charismatic NPC voice."
And yet…
Even then, his appearance stood out—
Tall, slender body wrapped in a white robe, his long, elegant fingers peeking from his sleeves.
The character model was clearly designed with extra care.
Sharp facial features, eyes so dark blue they almost looked black.
And deep within those eyes… was a kind of darkness.
Even inside the game, he was captivating.
⸻
Quest: Midnight Walk in the Forbidden Garden
I arrived at the meeting point with Lucian.
The garden glowed white under the moonlight.
The petals of the flowers trembled softly, as if the wind itself whispered secrets into the night.
Lucian was waiting for me.
His white robe almost shimmered in the pale light.
Platinum blonde hair fell gently over his shoulders, glowing faintly like a halo under the moon.
His eyes locked onto mine.
"This place is forbidden," he said, with his usual calm voice.
"And yet… you're not afraid."
The cutscene started.
My character stepped closer to him.
Lucian took a step forward and suddenly grabbed my hand.
The sensation of that touch… felt far more real than usual.
My fingers stiffened slightly on the keyboard.
"You trust me," Lucian whispered.
The animation continued.
We walked side by side.
As we moved through the flowers, his hair swayed gently.
His eyes turned toward me once again.
"Under the moonlight… your eyes shine even more beautifully."
My heart began racing.
A small relationship point increase flashed in the corner of the screen.
⸻
Once the romantic quests unlocked, the usual dialogue scenes started:
Wine tasting, late-night conversations in the tower…
Lucian: "Why do you trust me?"
The game offered several dialogue choices.
Me: "Because… you intrigue me."
These choices increased the relationship points.
In reality, it was just harmless fun.
And now…
The man I once called an NPC was standing right in front of me.
A few steps away. Breathing. Watching me.
He's no longer pixels.
His golden hair cascades over his shoulders.
He's so tall, I have to tilt my head up to meet his gaze.
His deep eyes fixate on me, and a strange pressure wells inside my chest.
Just his presence alone makes it harder to breathe.
The final mission I did keeps flashing through my mind—
The night I maxed out Lucian's relationship bar.
The tower was dimly lit by flickering candles.
Moonlight streamed through the window.
When the quest window appeared, I hesitated for a moment.
Lucian: "Come closer."
I moved my character forward.
The in-game Lucian leaned in.
And then… the kissing animation started.
Graphics. Effects. Simple commands.
But even then…
As my fingers rested on the keyboard, a strange warmth spread inside me.
"Now I understand why Lucian has so many fans," I had whispered to myself.
But now…
This is where things get complicated.
Because… considering the situation we're in,
and from Lucian's perspective…
we technically have kissed.
And now he's standing right here, in front of me.
The same eyes.
The same tilt of his head.
The same golden hair gently falling forward…
And all of it—
Real.