Both of them froze, clearly caught off guard.
"You already know I carry Inferni blood," Lucien went on, not giving them any room to cut in. "Inferni have a higher resistance to Corruption than most races. When the Eclipse happened, I think I awakened some kind of ability. Last night, after I slept with someone, it reminded me that I can actually reduce a person's Corruption… as long as the contact lasts long enough."
He paused briefly, then added, more evenly, "I first noticed it a few months ago. The process involves absorbing it into myself, then releasing it over time. I didn't tell anyone because of the risks involved. You two are the first."
Under the contract, when it came to explaining his purification method, Lucien wasn't allowed to lie. They both knew that, and it showed. Edric’s expression tightened, discomfort written plainly across his face, while Seren remained quieter, her reaction harder to read.
“How do you even know it actually works?” Edric asked, skepticism creeping into his voice. “And you do realize how sensitive that is in a post-Eclipse world, right? Especially for someone close to Stage 2.”
He hesitated, then glanced at Seren.
“There’s the risk of pregnancy, and beyond that…”
His words trailed off.
Seren, surprisingly, didn’t look as shaken as he expected. Her head had dipped slightly, her brows faintly drawn as if she were turning something over in her mind, weighing it rather than reacting to it.
Lucien caught the implication immediately.
"I can sense Corruption," Lucien said as calmly as he could, even though he felt a twinge of guilt. "I tried it for about an hour last night. From what I can tell, I reduced it by around five percent. That estimate assumes a full scale, by the way. Like bringing someone from a hundred down into the nineties, not shaving five to ten percent off something like ten."
Edric still didn't look convinced. It sounded ridiculous. How was something like that even supposed to work? Was it just an Inferni thing?
"I know this sounds insane," Lucien muttered, running a hand roughly through his hair. "But you should know I wouldn't lie about something like this. Sure, I mess around women now and then, but I've never forced anyone or treated them like they're just there for my own pleasure."
"I…" Edric started, his voice rising slightly before he let out a strained sigh. "I know that… I do. But still, this just sounds…"
“Do you have anyone else we could try this on?” he asked. “Just so you can see it for yourself.”
Edric’s gaze drifted off to the side. “That’s going to be difficult.”
Lucien pressed his lips together. "Then I guess the contract won't be of much use."
“I don’t mind doing it now.”
The new voice cut in, drawing both of their attention.
Seren.
She sat a little straighter than before, her expression still restrained, but there was a hint of determination in her expression now.
“If… if it really can reduce the Corruption,” she said, her voice steady despite the slight strain underneath, “I don’t mind.”
“Seren, you don’t have to push yourself,” Edric said immediately, turning toward her, concern sharp in his tone.
She shook her head.
“No. You don’t understand, Father.”
Her voice remained soft, but it wavered slightly.
“I can’t keep handling it the way it is,” she continued, her fingers curling slightly against the fabric of her skirt. “The headaches won’t stop. They’re constant now… and at night, my body feels so weak I can barely move, but I still can’t sleep.”
Her gaze lowered, unfocused for a moment.
“My mood keeps dropping,” she went on quietly. “To the point where I start thinking about… ending it all. Sometimes, it feels like my body isn’t even mine anymore, like I’m already starting to turn into those things.”
She swallowed, her voice trembling. "I'm still lucid, but I'm struggling with intrusive violent thoughts, paranoia, and depression. I… I can't take this anymore. If there's something that can reduce it, I want it. As soon as possible."
I didn't notice any of that… Lucien thought.
That could mean she had been hiding it well. Or worse, she had already started giving up and simply stopped caring.
Lucien looked at her, as if confirming. "Are you certain about this?"
"Yes."
This time, Seren nodded firmly. She took a breath, then turned to her father with a look that tried to reassure him.
"Father, I know you've done everything you can to find a way to cure me quickly. I'm grateful for that. I'm sorry for starting to give up, but if this keeps going, I'm afraid I won't last. Please, let me do this."
Edric hadn't realized his daughter had already started losing hope. The thought left a bitter weight in his chest, a quiet sense of failure as a father.
For it to come to this…
He let out a heavy sigh.
"…If that's what you want, I won't force you."
After a brief pause, he turned to Lucien, unease still lingering in his eyes.
“Lucien… I know we’re friends,” he said, voice low, “so please—treat her gently.”
Lucien didn’t respond with his usual easygoing attitude this time. He simply met Edric’s gaze and gave a small, firm nod, his expression serious.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Even if I picked up some of those Inferni habits… I’m still half human.”
A faint, dry edge touched his voice.
“My sense of boundaries is still intact.”
***
With that out of the way, all that's left now is preparation.
They both took a bath first to clean themselves. Seren went ahead, which naturally gave her more time to prepare. While she was in her room, she drank a small vial of moonbloom tincture, the standard oral contraceptive in Aethos brewed from a specific blend of herbs. On top of that, she applied a warding salve as a topical contraceptive.
Once that was done, she rubbed a faint touch of lavender oil along her wrists and collarbone, more out of habit than anything else, then changed into a loose sleeping shift. The undyed linen hung lightly over her frame, falling to her knees, leaving her shoulders and collarbones exposed. She didn’t bother with anything underneath. Her bare feet pressed faintly against the floor as she adjusted the fabric.
Her hair remained down, still a little tangled from sleep. She ran her fingers through it once, then paused, deciding to leave it as it is.
A knock came at the door.
"Lucien Mordren."
She stiffened slightly at the sound, then answered quickly.
"Come in."
Lucien stepped inside with a quiet "Excuse me," glancing around the room with mild interest.
So this is an alchemist's room…
It was modest, with a narrow bed sat against the wall, while a desk opposite it was cluttered with tools, notes, and small glass containers sealed with wax. A few shelves sagged under the weight of books and loose papers, and a wooden trunk rested near the foot of the bed. The air carried a faint mix of herbs and old parchment.
Lucien took it in with a brief glance before his attention shifted back to Seren.
Seren sat on the edge of the bed, her posture straight, hands resting neatly on her lap. Her expression remained neutral, as always, but there was a faint tension in the way her shoulders held and the slight stiffness in her breathing.
Lucien had known her for years. She had always been rigid, difficult to sway once she made up her mind. Most of his interactions with her had been transactional, dealing with healing vials, alchemical supplies, and, after the Eclipse, anything meant to interfere with the Hollow. She was skilled and reliable, someone people could count on.
He’d tried, more than once, to flirt with her in the past. Even asked outright, a few times. Every attempt had been shut down flatly and immediately without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Still… she’s taking this better than I expected, he noted, slightly surprised.
He wasn’t the type to force anything, but even so, being asked to do something this intimate with someone you weren’t attracted to… most people would show more resistance than this.
Maybe it really did come down to her being bad at showing what she felt.
As the thought crossed his mind, Seren drew in a small breath and lifted her gaze to meet his.
“Should we begin?” she asked, her tone steady.