the last sovereign of infinity

Lucien had been retired for nine days.

This was, according to Orion, a new personal record.

Lucien remained unconvinced that one could retire from being oneself.

Unfortunately, the universe had apparently disagreed.

He had attempted to explain this on the second day.

Tomorrow had responded by handing him a blanket.

Astrael had given him tea.

The Dragon King had sat on the path leading away from the house for approximately six hours.

Lucien had decided that further discussion was unlikely to prove productive.

This, in his opinion, constituted emotional blackmail.

Everyone else referred to it as "healthy boundaries."

He disliked that phrase.

"You are thinking about leaving again."

Lucien looked up from the book in his hands.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Tomorrow sat beside him on the porch with entirely too much confidence.

"It has been exactly three days since the second light appeared."

"Interesting."

"You've looked at it forty-two times today."

"That number seems fabricated."

"It isn't."

Lucien had reached the conclusion that immortals counted things entirely too often.

This was likely a side effect of eternity.

The second light remained at the edge of the next universe.

Patient.

Waiting.

There was now a third light.

Interesting.

He had elected not to mention this development.

Unfortunately, Astrael had noticed immediately.

"There are three now."

Lucien remained silent.

"We know you're pretending not to notice."

"I have no idea what you're referring to."

"Lucien."

"What?"

"You named a flower after the first light yesterday."

Silence.

He had.

Interesting.

The Dawn Lily in question had somehow become larger than the others.

This remained suspicious.

"I maintain that the flower named itself."

"No, it didn't."

Fair.

The garden now contained over twenty thousand flowers.

Lucien had stopped counting after fifteen thousand on principle.

Apparently, peace agreed with him.

He found this deeply inconvenient.

A knock sounded at the gate.

Then another.

Then six more.

Interesting.

The number of visitors had increased dramatically over the past week.

Today alone, he had received:

- Three invitations to celestial festivals.

- One request to settle an argument between two stars regarding poetry.

- A dragon seeking relationship advice.

- And a letter from the moon.

They did not discuss the moon.

The moon, unfortunately, had not received that message.

"I'll get it."

Astrael hurried toward the gate.

A moment later, he returned accompanied by a young woman Lucien had never seen before.

Interesting.

That was unusual.

She couldn't have been older than sixteen and wore the expression of someone who had spent several days practicing what she intended to say.

She froze the moment she saw him.

"Oh."

"There it is."

Lucien stared.

"I'm beginning to dislike that phrase."

"You say it a lot."

Fair.

The girl bowed awkwardly.

"M-my name is Elise."

"Hello, Elise."

Silence.

The young woman immediately began crying.

Lucien remained perfectly still.

Interesting.

This continued happening.

"I apologize if I have inadvertently caused offense."

"What? No!"

"Good."

She wiped her eyes.

"My grandmother told me stories about you."

Dangerous.

That sentence had become increasingly common.

"And?"

"She said..." Elise hesitated. "She said if I was ever afraid and didn't know what to do, I should find the house with the lantern."

The porch fell silent.

Lucien slowly set down his tea.

Interesting.

He had not known the house possessed a reputation.

This felt like important information.

"My village is dying."

Ah.

There it was.

The familiar shape of a problem.

Lucien felt something inside him immediately stand up.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"We've had no rain for three years."

Silence.

"And?"

Elise looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"My grandmother said you'd know what to do."

Dangerous.

That was an unreasonable amount of confidence to place in a stranger.

Tomorrow quietly watched him over the rim of their teacup.

Lucien ignored them.

"I see."

No one spoke.

The entire porch had gone quiet.

Even the flowers appeared to be paying attention.

Lucien disliked attentive flowers.

They implied judgment.

"What are you thinking?"

Tomorrow's voice was soft.

Lucien considered the question.

Then, honestly—

"I am wondering if retirement was always intended to last only nine days."

Astrael immediately brightened.

"Oh! That's longer than I expected."

Silence.

"I'm sorry?"

"The Dragon King guessed six."

Traitor.

Lucien slowly turned toward the ancient dragon, who had somehow materialized nearby.

"You were taking bets."

"It was a reasonable assumption."

"I object."

"Noted."

"No, genuinely."

"We know."

Of course they did.

Elise looked between them in confusion.

"I'm sorry...were you all expecting this?"

The Dragon King nodded solemnly.

"Statistically inevitable."

"Lucien has a condition," Orion explained helpfully.

"I do not."

"You do."

"What condition?"

The old immortal smiled.

"He is physically incapable of ignoring lonely people."

Silence.

"That seems inaccurate."

"It isn't."

Fair.

Lucien looked toward the distant lights at the edge of the next universe.

Three now.

Waiting.

Patient.

Then toward Elise.

Afraid.

Hopeful.

Interesting.

The pattern remained remarkably consistent.

"You know..."

Tomorrow smiled before he had even finished speaking.

"Yes?"

"I am beginning to suspect that the universe is cheating."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

The First Dream laughed softly.

"It just knows you."

Dangerous.

That answer was dangerous.

Lucien stood.

Interesting.

No one appeared surprised.

"I'll help."

Elise's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

The young woman immediately threw her arms around him.

Lucien froze.

Interesting.

Physical affection remained deeply unexpected.

"Oh."

"There it is."

He ignored himself.

After several moments, he awkwardly patted her shoulder.

This appeared to satisfy everyone involved.

Tomorrow smiled.

"You're leaving already?"

Lucien considered the question carefully.

Then—

"No."

Silence.

"No?"

He looked toward the house.

The lantern hanging beside the door.

The garden.

The people waiting on the porch.

Then back toward Elise.

"I'm simply going for a walk."

The words felt right.

Comforting.

"I'll be back before dinner."

The entire universe went silent.

Tomorrow's eyes widened.

Astrael stopped breathing.

Even the Dragon King looked startled.

Lucien frowned.

"What?"

The First Dream was smiling.

No.

They were crying.

"Nothing."

"That is clearly inaccurate."

"You remembered."

"I remembered what?"

Tomorrow laughed softly through tears.

"The last thing you said before your first journey."

Silence.

"Oh."

"There it is."

This time, however, the words carried no sadness.

Only warmth.

Only promise.

And as Lucien stepped beyond the gate beside a frightened girl searching for hope, the lantern hanging beside his house burned just a little brighter.

Because after fourteen billion years, the universe had finally learned the difference between leaving...

And simply promising to be home before dinner.