Storm Wolf: Tranquil waters - 37. Time crystal

Time crystal: An eternal, unchanging spiral, dancing in the chaos of entropy's retreat.

"Consciousness union, more bluntly put, is the 'power of belief,'" I said as I dismantled the scale model of the Empire's Heart into its most basic components, including every drone, all the gas and liquid pipelines, various functional cabins, reactor modules, and engine units, before handing them to Luther.

He took over, trying to reassemble the pieces. Throughout the process, he frequently scratched his ear in confusion and occasionally stole glances at me.

Hmph, nice try. I'm not going easy on him this time.

"At its core, what is a planet? Isn't it just tectonic plates floating on molten magma, with a massive, high-density metal sphere at its center?" I summoned a model of Gaia from a nearby table, disassembling its layers as I explained.

"Mm-hmm," Luther replied absentmindedly, clearly not paying attention.

"And what about a starship capable of traveling between planets? Isn't it just various metals, polymers, and different coatings?" I sighed inwardly as I watched Luther persistently try to fit two incompatible structures together.

"Ah, I was thinking the same thing just now," Luther said in a serious tone after I demonstrated the correct assembly method, making me roll my eyes.

"And life? What is life?" When Luther connected the condenser tube to the reactor's liquid intake, I almost wanted to stop him. It was obvious he hadn't prepared properly, but I was curious to see how long he could bluff before admitting defeat.

"Growth, metabolism, reproduction, and response--possessing these four characteristics defines life."

At least he didn't misplace the bridge, the cafeteria, or the living quarters. It's clear that hands-on experience makes a difference. Maybe I should have him rotate through the different departments? It might be a good idea since everyone learns differently.

"Some opinions believe evolution should be added to the definition. But everyone agrees that life is an emergent property."

Luther adopted a different strategy, starting by reassembling billions of drones into the outer armor, constructing the exterior of the Empire's Heart. But he mixed up the order of the ablative and reflective armor, which left me puzzled. Isn't that an obvious mistake?

"All the traits considered as life phenomena, if viewed at the microscopic level, are just particles interacting with each other. Free radical attacks, phosphate group transfers, ion flows, protein conformational changes..." I spoke while delving inward, feeling the intricate workings of every tiny reaction. From the waveforms, I concluded that I was still very weak but slowly recovering. "And from these reactions, a new phenomenon--life--emerges." I've always found this fascinating. I really hope that someday Luther will understand this incredibly mysterious microcosm or at least develop some interest in it.

I checked Luther's progress--he was one step away from getting the entire crew killed.

"Life produces consciousness, and consciousness defines the self. This definition has immense power within the rules of psychic abilities." I reassembled the model of Gaia and set it back on the table, feeling my frustration with Luther's carelessness growing. "The existence circle is essentially immune to the interference of other psychics. I can exhaust all my willpower to make Arthur's stomach cramp for a few seconds." I was a little curious to see what Luther could do, but it's better not to encourage him. "And that same power is enough to trigger nuclear fusion. This shows just how unshakeable the existence circle is."

"Why did you want to make the captain’s stomach cramp?" Luther asked while continuing to assemble the remaining components with a trial-and-error approach.

"In simple terms," I said, tilting my head as I recalled the scene, "he confiscated Gray Snow, and I wanted it back." Luther gave me a puzzled look. "Our first meeting didn't go as I had expected." It involved a bar brawl with too many participants, a few broken ribs, and some bruises.

I pointed at the model of the Empire's Heart, signaling Luther to focus on the more important matters.

"Similarly, I could sink a starship in space with any sufficiently hard object, but I can't directly dismantle the starship. I could hurl a small asteroid, large enough to cause an extinction-level event at Gaia, but I can't crush the planet directly." Luther was almost "finished" now, trying to force a structure that didn't belong into the remaining space. "Because the consciousness union would resist me. The more people, the stronger their belief in being part of a whole, and the more they wish to maintain the current state, the stronger and more unshakeable the consciousness union becomes, making it nearly impossible for a psychic to affect. And if even the weakest Epsilon-class psychic is involved in reinforcing the union, it becomes infinitely more resilient."

I scrutinized Luther's work, and the mutt immediately looked away, avoiding my gaze.

I snapped my fingers, and the model of the Empire's Heart disintegrated, with all its components scattering randomly in every direction.

The sight stung my nerves.

"Do you know why this happened?" I straightened my tail and locked my eyes with Luther as I asked.

He flattened his ears against his head, shook his head, and tucked his tail. But this level of laziness isn't something he can get away with just by acting cute.

"Because of 'understanding'!" I couldn't control the volume of my voice, causing the mutt to flinch. "If you don't even know what the Empire's Heart is supposed to look like, including all its structures and functions, you can't protect the flagship with a consciousness union!" I took back control, rapidly reassembling the Empire's Heart in my mind. "If that's the case for the flagship, how much more so for the other ships in the fleet? The strength of a consciousness union diminishes with distance, but the level of understanding remains the primary variable." I shoved the assembled model into Luther's arms, and he tucked his tail even tighter. "With your half-assed attitude, even a moderately skilled psychic could crush a starship with fewer crew members into pieces." I pointed out the window, shouting in frustration. "Do you want to see that? Do you want to know how many people your incompetence could kill?"

Luther froze, remaining motionless, his head hanging in silence. It's rare for this mutt not to retort, but I was too angry, so I flicked his ear hard. Luther let out a low whimper and curled up even more.

But at that moment, I noticed something unusual.

A diffraction of... consciousness waves. The amplitude was very small--if I weren't familiar enough with Luther, I would have missed the change in consciousness density. There was something... barely perceptible there.

I enhanced the perception abilities of my domain, analyzing the somewhat blurry area.

Once I recognized the composition of that structure, I was stunned for a moment.

It was two concentric of mirror circles in different directions, with the outermost layer covered by an inversion shield, and it also had a command permitting me to pass through. Such a delicate design... it wouldn't hinder the transmission of waves, would make me unaware of the shield's presence, and could still achieve the initial purpose of the inner mirror circles--to hide the feelings and emotions of the domain's owner.

I never imagined Luther could plan--let alone construct--such a complex domain. Clearly, I'm among those who underestimated him. But more importantly, why did he go to such great lengths to hide his feelings? Unless...

"Luther." I stepped forward, taking the Empire's Heart from his hand and, using Domination, placed the model back on the table. "Drop the barrier."

Luther still wouldn't meet my gaze, so I repeated my command. Only then did he comply.

I felt the sharp, jagged waveform and the relatively muffled but still distinct, slow throb... had he been enduring this level of pain all along?

"Luther, take off your shirt." I tried to hide the quiver in my voice, but it was clearly a failure. My ability to control emotional expression has always been abysmal, worsening with age.

"This is an abuse of authority!" He turned to face me, protesting. "You can't order me..."

"Luther," I pleaded, changing my tone. "Please, take off your shirt."

The stubborn mutt held out a bit longer, but finally, he relented, lowering his stance and pulling off his white shirt. He looked at me with a gaze full of grievance, ears drooping at either side of his head.

"Turn around." I indicated with my eyes that I didn't want to repeat myself, and he reluctantly turned his back to me.

I gasped, my fur standing on end as I clenched my fists, the anger rising within me so intensely that it tinted my vision with red.

Luther's back still hadn't fully grown back the short hair that had been shaved off, revealing pale pink skin underneath. But the most striking thing was the horrifying scars. Twisted and knotted, they tore across almost his entire back, from his neck to his waist, crisscrossing his upper body. In places where the skin had been completely ripped away, the wounds hadn't even healed yet, oozing a pale-yellow fluid. Worse still, I noticed these injuries were layered over deeper, already scarred skin.

"You told me..." I tried to keep the growl out of my voice, but the furrow in my brow didn't help. "...that Karl had handled everything."

"I said, 'Karl handled everything he could'..." Luther murmured, looking down at the floor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I lightly touched one of the scars that appeared to have scabbed over, making him flinch and hiss in pain. "I'm going to kill that golden retriever." I tried to assess the injuries, but the feedback waveforms were too ghastly to bear. "I'll tear him apart molecule by molecule..." To hell with the Empire's civil war and the Council's rules--I was going to wipe that Rationalism damned breed off Gaia... no, off the entire sol.

"Because I knew you'd react like this!" Luther pushed me away, complaining. "I didn't want this to escalate into a war." He pulled his white undershirt back on, turning to face me. "And you'd definitely insist on linking with me, even though we both know you're too weak for that right now!" Luther crossed his arms in front of his chest, adopting a defiant stance.

That made me swallow back what I was about to say. I had to admit that I was indeed too weak right now, and even if we somehow managed to link, controlling his force--wild and violent as a black hole--would be impossible. And I wasn't confident that Luther could follow my instructions to the letter to heal himself.

"It's just a flesh wound," he reiterated. "We lower-class folks have been through worse."

Luther's angular face, trying to put on a tough front, was quite convincing. But I had carefully read his service record, so I knew this mutt was completely bluffing, quoting some storyline from who knows where.

But I just sighed, reflecting on how I had been ready to ignite another massacre while Luther was trying to prevent a war. Perhaps it meant that his judgment on this matter was better than mine.

"If you're sure it's fine, then let's leave it at that." I spread my hands, conceding and respecting his decision. "But I won't accept it without a medical officer's approval."

Luther nodded, agreeing to undergo further examination.

After our shift ended, I probably should have apologized to him and discussed some other issues... but that could wait.

"Let's call it a day. You're clearly in no condition to continue." I activated my terminal, contacting the various regional heads of the Empire's Heart. "I'll arrange for you to rotate through different workstations on the flagship, allowing you to experience different environments firsthand." I retracted the terminal back into my arm, pretending not to see Karl's immediate reply with a clear objection. "That should be more helpful than reading flat data," probably, though I should have done this earlier--I wasn't too sure. "You need to know everything about this fleet as well as you know yourself." My respect for Qana increased again--how had he put up with me back then?

I walked over to the metal table by the observation window, poured myself a cup of coffee, and then returned to my desk, taking a sip of the dark liquid. But what I didn't expect was that Luther sat down in the chair across from me.

"The lesson's over. I thought you'd..." I tilted my head, suddenly realizing I had no idea what Luther usually did when he wasn't on assignment. "...find something to do?"

"I'm particularly curious today." Luther put on a mock-serious expression, which made me involuntarily smile. "Besides, I've lost all my credit points to Abel."

"Playing cards with a fox would likely end that way." I teased Luther after sitting down, and he awkwardly scratched his ears. This wasn't a stereotype--I probably should have warned Luther earlier that the foxes are the custodians of all things mathematical.

Leaning back in my chair, I glanced around the living cabin, finally letting my gaze settle on something suitable on the display shelf. Extending my consciousness, I pulled the transparent six-sided crystal over, placing it on the table between Luther and me.

"Augira Crystal, a unique product of Ceres. I highly suspect this was made using Darkfang's powers." During the last "Escort of the Merchant Ship" mission, we received a fist-sized piece from the dragons as a token of thanks. "This thing has some very interesting properties."

I felt rather embarrassed, even with only Luther around. But I cleared my throat, trying to overcome the awkwardness, taking a deep breath.

I tried to hum at the correct pitch, but I could tell from the waves in the consciousness domain that I was off-key, and the Augira Crystal naturally didn't react.

I had to clear my throat again to cover my embarrassment, continuing to try to hit the right note for the crystal. Still, it showed no reaction.

"Uh..." Luther tilted his head. "Are you... singing?"

"No." I think I answered too quickly again, the heat rushing to the tips of my ears. "I'm just trying to find the right pitch."

"Oh." He laughed, showing his white canines, and his eyes squinted slightly in amusement. That made me even more embarrassed, my flattened ears nearly burning.

Luther tilted his head slightly at my reaction, seemingly pondering something. Then, he placed both hands on the table, bringing his snout close to the crystal, his ears standing up in a look of concentration.

Luther hummed something softly.

The Augira Crystal began to flicker with red light.

"Wow, that's interesting," Luther said, continuing to hum in different pitches.

I watched as the crystal's light changed colors in sequence, synchronized with Luther's hums--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and finally, white light.

Some kind of... emotion welled up from within my chest.

I had to admit there was certainly some jealousy, but I knew there was something else.

"I think I get it now," Luther said with satisfaction. I responded by tilting my head, folding my right ear down.

Raising his gaze, Luther glanced at me, then he began... to sing.

"Twenty-three million, five hundred fifty-seven thousand, one hundred thirteen kilometers.

This is the path I must walk until I see you again.

There will always be those who mock me, wondering why I'm willing to sacrifice everything for a promise so distant, something I've never seen.

I must tell them, it's a vow ingrained in my very blood, a bond forged alongside it; a truth that is self-evident, a yearning that will never change.

I know that only when we hold each other's hand will I truly be alive, will I truly know how to breathe.

The grass will be greener, the sky bluer. Not for any reason, but simply because it's through your eyes that I can truly see the world.

Chains and fences, walls or iron curtains, they may hinder my steps but can never stop my pursuit.

Twenty-three million, five hundred fifty-seven thousand, one hundred thirteen kilometers.

I will walk along the railway, until we meet again."

When Luther sang the first line of the song, I lost all focus on Augira Crystal's changes. I couldn't feel my own pulse; I could only let my breath rise and fall in time with the melody. Even the beating of my heart seemed to vanish, drowned out by the echo resonating from my chest.

His voice... I don't know how to describe it accurately, but it felt like walking barefoot on snow reflecting the bright moonlight in the deep winter after the blizzard finally stopped.

The light of the Augira Crystal dimmed as the song ended. I was still immersed in the resonance of the melody, the lingering tune in my ears left me unable to react in any other way, only able to stare straight into Luther's brown eyes.

I don't know how much time passed before I finally blinked, confirming that I had broken free from the song's influence--this mutt must have some siren blood in him.

"Did Abel teach you this?" I guessed that Luther had perfectly interpreted the song.

"Not exactly." Luther tilted his head, looking like he was trying to recall something. "I heard him sing it a few times when... everyone was a bit drunk."

"And you just learned it like that? Clearly, you have a natural talent in this area," I remarked, also sinking into my own memories.

"I tried to search for the full version of the song online, but there didn’t seem to be any related information, so I could only imitate what I remembered," Luther said, leaning back in his chair.

"You won't find it," I said calmly, not intending to directly answer the questioning look from the mutt. "This is 'Railroad,' a song about..." I paused to think about the most precise way to express it. "Freedom, and those who long for it."

"Does this have anything to do with you and Abel mysteriously disappearing together on the first day of every landing ceremony holiday?" Luther asked. I tried to detect a hint of jealousy in his tone--there was none.

"Don't try to get anything out of me. If Abel wants to tell you, he will." I had a pretty good idea of how Luther lost all his pay. "Some things just take time."

"I know, but it's just..." Luther waved his hand in frustration, making a few meaningless gestures. "It feels like I'm not being trusted."

"Hmm..." I placed the Augira crystal back on the display shelf, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "Are you trying to 'hint' at something?"

"No." Luther crossed his arms defensively.

I shrugged, indicating that I believed him.

"You just mentioned 'making it with our abilities.' What did you mean by that?" Luther asked.

Today, his curiosity was really piqued.

"Those of us at this level of psychic ability can interact with matter on a very microscopic level." I summoned a ball of adamantine, breaking it down into fine sand to form a model representing a helium atom, all the way down to the fundamental particles. "This gives us the ability to create materials with unimaginable properties." I removed a few up quarks and added some neutrinos--I had no idea what I was doing. "Psychics who specialize in transmutation topology are already rare, and those with the power to actually manipulate it are even rarer, so most of the time, both sides are a null set." I could still occasionally remember the days when the Alchemists faction was hunting me down relentlessly.

"You mean like... turning lead into gold?" I saw some thoughts in Luther's bright eyes that clearly violated the Rules.

"Way cooler than that." I restored the adamantine to its spherical form and placed it back, summoning another black box from the display shelf. "Time crystals."

Luther tilted his head, bringing his snout close to the box.

"That's a decoding component, a very precise instrument. Don't break it--I don't know how to fix it." I explained as I carefully slid out a cartridge from one of the recessed latches at the bottom of the box.

The outer material of the rectangular structure was the same as the black box, encasing a transparent glass-like panel inside.

"Is this time crystal?" Luther squinted as if trying to see more clearly.

"You won't be able to see it that way." I slotted the cartridge back in. "The time crystal is coated on the surface--you can touch it with your consciousness." I tried to recall how to operate the decoder.

If you carefully investigated, the ripples generated when Luther extended his consciousness could no longer be described as ripples--they were more like the powerful surges of a receding tide.

"They're just... spinning continuously," Luther said, tilting his head.

"Exactly, that's the point." I completed the final few steps and activated the decoder. "This is one of the solutions to the heat death of the universe--converting 'everything' into data and storing it in time crystals so that it never disappears." Luther's expression clearly showed that he didn't understand what I was saying. "But that's far beyond the scale we need to worry about. Practically speaking, some psychics like to use time crystals to store data because of the personalized encryption methods. By encoding the speed or angle of the crystal's rotation, the stored information becomes nearly impossible to crack."

The black box emitted a few flashes of light as it started up.

"I--Richter von Deutschland--hereby declare the following..." I hurriedly turned off the decoder, completely forgetting that this cartridge contained that particular recording.

"Why are you so nervous? It wouldn't be something shady, would it?" Luther raised an eyebrow, glancing at the black box again.

I could sense his eager curiosity, and I was sure that if I didn't explain things to his satisfaction, I'd catch Luther one day rummaging through my precious collection.

"It's not." I rolled my eyes at him to make my position clear. "If the beneficiaries of a will know its contents in advance, the will becomes invalid."

Luther stiffened, uncomfortably shifting in his seat, his eyes darting around as if he wanted to change the subject.

"Creating time crystals isn't difficult for psychics at our level. I can teach you." I found another black box, placed it on my desk, and pushed it toward Luther. "That way, you can record anything you want to leave behind--until the end of the universe--literally."

Luther didn't say anything or meet my gaze, but he silently took the black box, cradling it gently in both hands.

"You..." He lowered his eyes, staring distantly at the black box, his fingers slowly caressing its surface. "You've already written your will?"

"Most people in the fleet have, given that it's still a high-risk job. There are too many dangers in space." I tilted my head, glancing at Luther. "And you haven't forgotten who I am, have you?"

"Isn't there some sort of feudal law or something? Why would you need a will?" Luther asked, and I was a bit relieved he still remembered I was an Archduke.

"I thought commoners liked to gossip about nobles." I said, taking the Archduke’s signet ring out of the storage compartment of my desk, feeling the weight of the platinum in my palm, then tossing it back into the hidden drawer. I suddenly remembered that the Council thought reusing the coat of arms would cause too many problems, so the crest no longer had those ornate and intricate patterns.

"Only about the Emperor--going further down, there are just too many." Luther said with a hint of bitterness. "Commoners have short attention spans."

"Wolfgang has no right to inherit." I sighed, pulling the topic back. "At least under current imperial law."

Luther tilted his head, folding down his right ear.

"My 'son'," I said with a hint of annoyance, snorting.

"I know." Luther emphasized, clearly not happy about being misunderstood. "What I don't understand is why he has no right to inherit."

"When each breed was officially recognized as a House, a genetic analysis was conducted, and genes with a high risk of causing severe defects were listed as disqualifying traits. Individuals with these traits would lose their right to inherit." I explained. "Most German shepherds have accumulated too many of these high-risk genes, so inbreeding within the family is bound to eventually produce offspring without inheritance rights." In fact, many of the purebred canine families were facing this problem, and the limitations of gene-editing technology exacerbated the situation, but this was the lesser of two evils. "My genetic code is entirely original, so theoretically, my offspring shouldn't have any disqualifying traits... But in Wolfgang's case, during gamete fusion, genetic imprinting occurred, causing some of my genetic material to be erased, and the result is... well, this." I spread my hands.

"So that's what Abel meant..." Luther muttered.

"So now, if I suddenly die, it will cause a lot of problems." I rested my chin on my right hand, poking at the electronic tabletop with my left. "Maya and Wolfgang would likely become targets for various assassins, and the crown wouldn't stay in the family for long. Almost all German Shepherds are facing the same predicament--none of the three major bloodlines are spared. Even the Belgian and Greenland branches can't find uncontaminated individual, which shows how dire the situation is."

I tapped my fingernail on the black box, recalling the details of my will and pondering how selfish I was to consider handling our predicament this way. I couldn't even look Luther in the eye now, but I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to explain to him what arrangements I'd made to resolve these issues. If Luther heard it from someone else, he'd probably feel even worse.

"Other ambitious House certainly won't miss this opportunity, not to mention the Goldens who've been eyeing Greenland for a while. Even if Hunter wanted to, he couldn't take on the entire Grand Duchy of Germany--some factions within the House wouldn't tolerate such a thing. They'd rather see everyone destroyed than lose their 'pride'--or whatever they'd call it." I sighed, pushing the images of those old faces out of my mind. "Even if a miracle happened and the conservative factions relented, the Siberians House would upset the balance of power in the Empire with two crowns, and the others wouldn't just sit by." Hunter probably wasn't someone skilled in political machinations, and Piq... the emperor would likely be more than happy to play the lyre and recite poetry as the flames of war raged. "Therefore, a bloody storm is the inevitable outcome." I raised my index finger, pointing toward the ceiling. "The most crucial question is the master of the Empire's Heart."

Leaning back in my chair, I placed my black box back on the display shelf and took a deep swig of coffee.

"If commanded by a psychic with both skill and power, the Empire's Heart would undoubtedly be the most formidable warship in the entire sol. But if it falls into the wrong hands, calling it 'unimaginable' would be an understatement." That reminded me—it was probably about time to let Luther practice controlling the drone swarm, assuming his mastery of consciousness union had improved. "So, yes, I need a will--a very detailed will." I forced myself to look into Luther's brown eyes, hoping he would catch some of the unspoken hints I couldn't bring myself to say.

Whether he did or didn't, Luther didn't give me a clear response. We stared silently at each other for quite a while, until the simulated environment in the living cabin shifted to dusk.

"Have you ever thought about..." Luther began, "what are you going to do after all this is over?"

"Are you talking about retirement?" I tilted my head, finding it hard to imagine myself sitting in a rocking chair watching the sunset--the final reckoning needs a... sacrificial offering. That might sound too dramatic, but it's something like that. Room for interpretation is a complicated art. "I haven't really thought about what I'll do after retiring. Maybe I'll consider it when things aren't so chaotic?" I lied again. I really hate this about myself.

"I think you could host a small theater or something like that, maybe even have your own channel on the internet." Luther tilted his head, tapping his chin lightly with his fingers.

"What?" I've never really understood the latest trends, so I wasn't quite sure what Luther was talking about.

"I think the scenes you create..." He lifted his hand, summoning a few orbs of adamantine onto the desk, transforming them into fine sand. "They're quite detailed."

A few indistinct creatures rose from the sand, their movements stiff and awkward. The absurdity of the scene made me laugh out loud, causing Luther to grumble in discontent.

"How are you doing that?" He tried to assist with commanding gestures, but it only made his control even more unstable. One of the figures crumbled apart.

"Practice is always the only path to perfection." For dramatic effect, I snapped my fingers, reorganizing the sand so that all the figures' faces now bore Luther's expression of frustration.

"You're so mean!" He released his consciousness and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, giving me a resentful glare.

"Don't be so sensitive." I teased him wickedly, manipulating the adamantine to create a new scene. "I've also thought of a post-retirement career for you."

A square stage rose from the sand, with a mutt standing center stage, arms stretched wide as if determined to gather everything into its grasp. He raised his snout, eyes tightly shut, revealing all his fangs in an expression of pure concentration, shouting with such force that the entire universe would hear his call. The audience around him was ecstatic, completely entranced, swaying with the rhythm.

When he expressed sorrow, the audience wept; when he sang with joy, they smiled brightly; when he spoke of hope, they raised their heads in anticipation. Finally, when he called for understanding, he opened himself up completely, embracing all differences. Like a bridge, he connected everyone's hearts, creating a resonance strong enough to overturn the world.

"I would never make such exaggerated expressions," Luther muttered in complaint.

"A bit of theatrical flair makes it more fun," I responded, continuing to add detail to the mutt's face, even rendering the texture of his fur.

"So..." He tilted his head, closely examining the audience models I had created. "Is this a bar performance?"

"What? You underestimate yourself!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Think bigger." I hooked my finger, making the stage rise further, multiplying the number of spectators until they flooded towards the center. "A universal superstar."

"Ha," Luther tilted his head, scratching his ear, and I noticed a slight blush coloring the tips. "I might actually like that title." He gestured a complex series of commands, making a row of seats appear at the front of the stage.

"What's this?" I asked curiously, glancing at Luther, who was now so focused that he was beginning to sweat.

"VIP seats," he replied with a mischievous smile. "Reserved for nobles who can afford to pay a hundred times the ticket price."

"Oh." I responded nonchalantly, watching as Luther repeatedly failed in trying to shape a particular figure--though the outline of a wolf was becoming evident, he had managed to capture the curve of the tail. "I'll just watch the broadcast," I joked to hide the sudden sting of emotion that welled up in my chest as I lightly placed a hand on his, stopping him from continuing. "I've never been comfortable in places that loud and full of people."

Luther shrugged, seemingly accepting my words, and set the unfinished wolf-like figure aside. He then began adding all sorts of details, including numerous gaudy, nonsensical decorations around the stage, bizarre and unnecessary laser, fire and dry ice effects, and even an audience member clutching their chest, fainting dramatically to the floor.

I truly couldn't compliment his taste.

We spent the rest of the time arguing over the costume details for the universal superstar. Eventually, we agreed that while lace cuffs might be outdated, one day, the boldest and most visionary trendsetters would undoubtedly bring this style back into the spotlight.