Death.
What does it truly mean?
By definition, it occurs when one ceases the constant act of breathing and the heart stops beating.
However, what happens during this process? What takes place after?
Rey mulled on these thoughts as he stood in the Domain Of Man, staring at Lucielle's lifeless body which was in his grasp. He had killed her before she could use [Reset], using his own version of the Skill to counteract her own.
Plus, the effects of [Evil Personified] were null in his domain, since it existed in a separate dimension from H'Trae.
In other words… she was truly dead.
Or was she?
'I could give up now.' Rey told himself. 'I could stop this and chase after Adrien.'
After all, he had already sacrificed enough for the cause. He had given up on finding true happiness in his comrades—many of which would undoubtedly perish in this war—and had simply chosen to focus on the task.
But…
'You're the only one left…' He looked at Lucielle's body, watching as it crumbled to dust in his arms. The white fragments danced around him, dissipating like smoke.
'... The only one left that I…'
Closing his eyes and inhaling softly, he controlled his emotions.
He remained that way for a few seconds, slowly opening it to reveal his golden eyes. And so, as his white hair fluttered in the darkness, he exhaled deeply and clenched his fists in both resolve and unwavering determination.
He had decided!
"I won't let you die… not you!"
How was he going to achieve this? By definition, she was already dead.
Based on the laws of H'Trae, time flowed in a linear fashion—like a story that was being told. Affecting the past was nigh impossible as a result of this concept, as one could only march forward as the story unfolded.
He couldn't physically travel to the past to save her, just as he couldn't travel to kill Adrien.
He had to find a solution in the present.
Rey thought for a moment, and he finally found the only route to take.
To begin, he called upon a Skill.
"[Clairvoyance]."
Using this SSS Tier Skill, he could peer into the past, present, and future… as long as he possessed sufficient storage. Peering into the future was compromised, since the world's connection to the System was rapidly eroding and the path it was heading in had deviated from its intended destination.
However, Rey could still see into the present as well as the past.
He chose his answer instantly.
'I will see through your past, Lucielle… from the moment you were conceived to your death!'
And so he began.
Rey witnessed Lucielle's birth, he saw her take her first walk, how she said her first word, and how she grew from a toddler to a slightly older child. He kept watching her in the void of space, present in all that she experienced in her lifetime.
He was there when she discovered her affinity for Magic, and was witness to her rise in the United Human Alliance—from a nobody to a powerful Mage.
As much as he watched her good memories, he was privy to the bad ones.
Yes, he witnessed her make breakthroughs in Magic… but he also saw how devastated she became when she got news of her sister perishing in the war. He witnessed her descent into madness and her rise from the clutches of insanity. He saw how she was used, and how she used others.
He witnessed her glorious rise… and then her tragic downfall.
'After Adrien sent me to Earth, he captured her and ran all sorts of experiments on her… perfectly fusing more Draconic Mana into her while brainwashing her thoroughly with Skills and altering her body chemistry.' Rey saw it all.
Of course, she resisted the Skill strongly.
Since her body was in temporal stasis thanks to her transformation into a younger version of herself, and then the mutation she induced on that body to become a Dragon, she had all sorts of resistance to Adrien's power.
But, ultimately, she lost the intense battle and succumbed to his power.
It was torture to watch, but Rey witnessed Lucielle's transformation into the most powerful Dragon in H'Trae… which was how she managed to awaken the Dragon Emperor's Skills and became Adrien's trump card.
Then, he revisited her battle with him; watching how she lifelessly attacked him...
… And how he killed her.
"With this, I now have all the information and memories about the one known as Lucielle."
Rey retrieved all of the memories he retrieved from [Clairvoyance] and condensed it to form a warbling orb. After he was done, he smiled at the completion of the first task.
"Now… for the second."
This time, he called upon another SSS Tier Skill.
"Architect."
With this, he could create pretty much anything: organic or inorganic.
He used this power to recreate Lucielle's body—every nook and cranny—missing no single detail. He completely reconstructed her Dragon Emperor body, once again laying eyes upon the grotesque entity she had become.
However, he wasn't stopping there.
Once he was done, her naked body stood right opposite him, and a small smile formed on his face.
The second phase was complete.
"For the third… [Alter]."
He used this Skill to completely transform the body before him—perfectly undoing the brainwashing effects and corruption that her body had endured. He strengthened her form and removed the weaknesses present therein.
He reverted her tainted appearance and restored her purity.
The long silver-white hair, her crimson eyes, and the clear pale face that seemed to belong to an angel—she had all of those features once again.
The Lucielle before him—while still being a Dragon Emperor-level entity—was as beautiful as he remembered her. She still had all her Skills and Class, but she was devoid of the blighted effects of Adrien's forceful mutation.
"And now… it's time for the fourth phase." Rey directed the condensed orb of memories to enter into Lucielle—forming a core for her soul.
This was the foundation that would make her into a living being.
The entire process thus far had already taken centuries upon centuries, yet they felt infinitesimal in the grand scheme of things.
He had to make no mistakes, and he had to connect every single dot perfectly.
After successfully integrating the artificial soul into the husk that was Lucielle, he proceeded to the fifth and final phase.
"Wake up, Lucielle…" He breathed into her, infusing her with his divine energy.
And then—
"Huu…"
—Her eyes fluttered open as she gave her first breath, completing the march of restoration that he had embarked on.
The first thing she saw within the darkness was light.
And within that light… was Rey Skylar.
"R-Rey…?"
"Yes, Lucielle… it's me." He smiled at her, widening his arms as he expected a hug when she rushed towards him.
However, it wasn't a simple hug he received.
Instead, her lips pressed strongly against his as she clung tightly with him in a passionate embrace.
This moment shattered the Domain Of Man, and the both of them found themselves floating high in the darkened sky—atop the crowd of warring soldiers and beasts.
"Rey… I…" Lucielle, finally realizing her actions, pulled away in hesitance. However, Rey drew her back in and gave her a more passionate kiss—one that paralyzed her entire body.
"You came back…" She whimpered as she held him tight, as if scared he would leave her once again.
Rey smiled as he witnessed this child-like display, but he indulged her as he whispered under his breath:
"Yes… and I'm never leaving you this time."