Akashic Records of the Bastard Child Engaged to a Goddess

Winter Break Arc

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(POV: Akashic Records)

Lumiere's hands froze on Ravenna's shoulders, his grip tightening as he tried to process her words. "This isn't the time for that," he stammered. "We'll talk about anything you want later."

Ravenna stepped back, her eyes pleading with him to listen. "No, Lumiere, please," she implored, her voice shook even more. "Just hear me out."

Confused, Lumiere reluctantly nodded, urging her to continue. "What is it?" he asked.

Ravenna twiddled her fingers nervously, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I know this might seem pushy, but..." she trailed off. "I was wondering if you could be my first kiss."

Lumiere's eyes widened, his mind reeling as he grappled to understand the sudden shift in conversation.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Ravenna, this isn't the time for something like that!"

To him it was absolutely frustrating. Ravenna was a strange one, he could never really understand her and now her she was being even more confusing; harder to understand. He was tryinh to make her understand that she didn't need to hate herself because of her sin, instead, she needed to correct herself. But, she was saying something entirely different.

She looked away. With a barely audible voice she spoke, "I've never kissed a boy before," she sounded a tad vulnerable. "I don't know how it feels, and I just thought..." Her words progressively dulled until it vanished.

Lumiere felt both anger and confusion.

"Now is not the time for this," he exclaimed. "We need to focus on finding a way to..."

But then...

Something caught Lumiere's attention.

It was something that if he didn't see it himself then he wouldn't believe it.

It was something that made him scared. Something that made him know that he wasn't really the untouchable "everything goes my way" guy that he thought he was.

Ravenna let out a gasp of pain, her face twisting in agony.

A deep, cracking sound echoed through the air as a network of fractures spread across her delicate features.

Lumiere's breath caught in his throat, fear gripping his heart.

"Ravenna!" he cried out. "W... W... What's happening... to you?"

Coughing violently, Ravenna spat out a mouthful of blood, her face now marred by the growing web of cracks. "It seems... I don't have as much time as I thought," she struggled to say, her voice weak and strained.

Lumiere felt his entire body go numb, his mind overwhelmed with grief. "Wh... What do you mean?" his voice trembled, his grip on her increasing more and more.

It felt like if he let go, then she'd disappear.

And in a sense, that was true...

"I'll die any moment, and well, when my soul fades away, I'll be reduced to nothing... I'll melt away like snowman-san in summer."

"W..."

"Hah~ remember? Just like you said..."

"I... I don't understand," Lumiere stammered, his heart pounding in his chest. "Where are you going?"

He completely understood, but simply chose to misunderstand.

A weak smile flickered across Ravenna's pale lips, a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. "I wish I knew," she whispered, completely uncertain. "Maybe that way I'd be a little prepared. Sometimes I don't really like surprises."

Lumiere's hand reached out instinctively, as if trying to tether her to the present moment. "Please," he pleaded, his voice shaky. "I could heal you, maybe there's something I can..."

And then it hit him to a pause... realization...

There was nothing he could do to save her. Nothing in his arsenal could restore her. He didn't have anything powerful enough to interact with the soul, and that aside, there wasn't anytime to form a theory via his [Lord of Theorems] sub-skill.

Everything was hopeless...

But this hopelessness didn't become apparent after Lumiere saw that he didn't have the facilities to restore her— it was when he observed their current situation better.

The only reason the Imperial Dragons would let a walking purge like Ravenna free was if they were certain she wouldn't be able to harm anyone.

Initially, he thought they let her go because she couldn't access her skills anymore.

But no...

It was because they knew she'd die any moment from then...

Even Stellaria knew, and she didn't tell him. He was certain that she knew, if not, she wouldn't have told him to not get romantically involved with Ravenna.

Lumiere's body trembled uncontrollably as he struggled to find the right words. His emotions threatened to overwhelm him. It wasn't just the bitter cold that sent shivers down his spine, but the weight of Ravenna's impending fate that tugged at his heartstrings. He was lost and confused, unable to understand the pains that would come... If she was gone.

"So please, can you do it..." Ravenna's weak voice begged.

"Huh?" Lumiere stammered.

But before he could utter another word, Ravenna's shattered face contorted into an expression of self-doubt.

"Oh," she said.

In disappointment, she looked to the side.

"I'm not sure you'd want to kiss this," she murmured, her voice strained. Lumiere's gaze traveled over the intricate web of cracks etched upon her once-beautiful face, each line telling a story of pain and suffering.

The cracks were so much he could barely make out which was which.

Lumiere tightened his grip on Ravenna, pulling her closer.

Without hesitation, Lumiere leaned in, his lips meeting Ravenna's despite the blood that stained her mouth. The metallic taste mingled with their kiss, but Lumiere didn't falter. Instead, he poured all his love and longing into the embrace, his tongue wrapped gently with hers.

For her, it was sweet.

For him, sorrow.

As they pulled away, saliva mixed, leaving a trail of smeared blood on their lips.

Ravenna's eyes glistened with tears as she mustered a weak smile.

"My first kiss... I wish I could do it a little longer..."

Lumiere's voice quivered with desperation as he pleaded, "I don't... I don't want you to go yet."

Ravenna shook her head. She accepted this long ago.

"Everyone has their time, Lumiere," she whispered. "I've lived through countless ages, and now it's my turn to face the punishment I've awaited for so long. It's only fair that I meet my end."

"NO!" He vehemently disagreed.

Ravenna's eyes shook.

"I haven't done enough for you... Ma... Maybe if you told me... Maybe if you told me, then, I'd have treated you better, I'd have made our day out more fun... I wouldn't have wasted it by hiding in the hostel and talking to people you don't even know..."

"No..." she smiled. "This was perfect..."

"It wasn't! I was always talking about tomorrow or the day after! I didn't know you didn't have that much time... I didn't know..."

"Before I met you, the last time I was truly happy, was several centuries ago, when I still lived my normal life as a small village girl. But I watched all of them leave me... All the people that made the happiest memories of my life... I watched them leave, so I'm happy — I'm happy I don't have to watch you leave, you'll be alive..."

Veins appeared on Lumiere's head. "But I have to be the one to watch you die?!"

"No, not really..."

"W... What...?" a tear rolled out of Lumiere's right eye.

The cracking sounds intensified.

Ravenna coughed even more blood.

"I'm... I'm really tired..." she said, the strain on her voice was worse.

Weakly, she lifted her right hand and touched Lumiere's cheek, she then smiled affectionately.

"You're the first and last person I'll love in this century..."

"..."

"I'm scared... I don't want to be away from you... So please, can you absorb the remnants of my soul..."

"..." he tried to talk, but no words besides choked cries came out.

"Let me rest inside you..."

"B... But I don't wan..." he paused.

As fragile as glass, and as fleeting as energy particles, Ravenna shattered into a million pieces.

But she wasn't the only thing that was shattered that day.

So was Lumiere's mind and heart.