The weight of the future, with all its looming threats and political machinations, settled between them for a moment, a stark contrast to the tranquil lake and the fading sunset. But it was a weight they now shared.

"They will try to use those close to you," Khione stated, her voice quiet but analytical. Her ice-blue eyes were fixed on the still water, but her mind was mapping out strategies.

"Lux, Adam… me. They will see your friendships as levers to pull."

Nero's arm tightened around her. "I know. That's why my first move is to ensure those levers are made of unbreakable material. We trust each other. That's our first countermeasure. The second is my own strength. I'm not the boy they could easily push around anymore."

"My father will offer you the full protection of the Undine family," she continued, finally looking at him. "It will be a generous offer, but it will come with chains. He will want to bind you to us, legally and permanently."

A slow smile touched Nero's lips. "Are you saying your father will formally propose an alliance through marriage?"

A faint blush colored Khione's cheeks, visible even in the dim light. "It is the most logical step from his perspective. He is a clan head before he is my father."

"Then let him," Nero said, his voice calm and certain. "Let all of them make their offers. We will listen. We will be polite toward him. But we make no promises. Our loyalty is not for sale. Our future is our own to decide." He turned to face her fully, his ominous red eyes soft. "And I have already decided my future is with you. No contract or clan decree will ever be stronger than that."

The simple, unwavering declaration dissolved the last of the strategic tension. The problem hadn't vanished, but it had been put in its place. They were a team, and together, they would face what came.

"Enough of that for now," Nero said, standing and pulling her up with him. "I believe we have a lake to ourselves."

He grinned, a playful, challenging glint in his eyes, and before she could react, he scooped her up into his arms and sprinted for the end of the dock.

"Ner!" she shrieked, a genuine, unguarded sound of surprise and laughter as she clung to his neck.

He leaped, and they plunged into the cool, clear water with a tremendous splash. They surfaced, gasping and laughing, hair plastered to their faces. The water was invigorating, washing away the last remnants of their serious discussion.

What followed was a scene of pure, unadulterated joy. The stoic ice queen and the formidable lightning-wielder became like children. They chased each other through the waist-deep water, the splashes glittering like diamonds in the twilight. He would dive under and grab her ankles, making her shriek again, and she would retaliate by using a whisper of her power to create a small, localized flurry of snowflakes that dusted his head and shoulders before melting away.

At one point, he treaded water, watching her as she floated on her back, her white hair fanning out around her like a halo, her face serene under the emerging stars. He swam over to her, his movements creating gentle ripples that rocked her.

"It's beautiful here," she murmured, her gaze fixed on the cosmos above.

"It is," he agreed, but he was looking at her.

He leaned in, and their lips met in a cool, wet kiss that tasted of lake water and something infinitely sweeter. It was a kiss of shared secrets, of unshakeable partnership, of a love that had been tested in fire and ice and had only grown stronger.

Eventually, they waded out, shivering and breathless, and wrapped themselves in large, soft towels they had left on the dock. Instead of going inside, they lay down side-by-side on the weathered wood, their shoulders touching, and looked up.

The pocket world had no moon, but its stars were breathtakingly bright and dense, a brilliant, diamond-dusted tapestry stretched across the velvet black sky. The Milky Way was a vivid, swirling river of light, so clear it felt like they could reach out and touch it. The surface of the lake was a perfect mirror, creating the dizzying, magical illusion that they were floating in the very center of the universe, surrounded by stars above and below.

They lay in silence for a long time, hands linked, watching satellites—or whatever passed for them in this dimension—drift slowly across the expanse.

"Wherever they come from, whatever they try," Nero said softly, his voice barely a whisper in the sacred quiet, "they can't touch this. This is ours."

Khione squeezed his hand in answer. No words were needed. The peace of the night, the vastness of the starry sky, and the solid, warm presence of the person they loved most was the only answer that mattered. The world outside with its schemes and dangers felt a million miles away. Here, in their pocket of reality, there was only the two of them, the quiet lap of water against the dock, and the infinite, romantic beauty of the stars.

The silence under the stars was profound, but it was a comfortable, shared one. After a long while of simply lying there, immersed in the cosmic display, Nero shifted. He reached for his smartphone, which lay nearby with his discarded clothes. With a few taps, the quiet night was gently filled with the soft, melodic strains of an acoustic guitar, followed by a warm, male voice singing a ballad about constancy and devotion.

He stood, the towel wrapped around his waist, and offered her his hand. His ominous red eyes, usually so intense, were soft in the starlight.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, his voice a low murmur that blended with the music.

A small, genuine smile touched Khione's lips. It was a sight so rare and beautiful it made his breath catch. She placed her cool hand in his, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

There was no ballroom, no polished floor. Their dance floor was the worn, slightly rough planks of the old dock, illuminated only by the countless stars above and their reflections below. He placed one hand on the small of her back, the other holding her hand, and she rested her free hand on his shoulder.

And they began to move.

It was not a practiced dance. There were no complex steps or spins. It was a simple, slow swaying to the rhythm of the music and the beat of their own hearts. They moved as one, their bodies fitting together perfectly. He led with a gentle pressure, and she followed with an innate grace, her damp hair occasionally brushing against his cheek.

They didn't speak. Words would have been a clumsy intrusion. The music said everything—the promise in the lyrics, the tenderness in the melody. He pulled her a little closer, until her head rested against his shoulder, and she closed her eyes, surrendering completely to the moment. The scent of lake water on his skin, the solid strength of his chest against hers, the sound of his steady heartbeat beneath her ear—it was a symphony more beautiful than any song.

They danced like that for three songs, then four, lost in their own private world.

Occasionally, he would spin her out slowly, the stars whirling around her for a moment before he drew her back in, tighter and safer than before. She, in turn, would lean her head back, trusting him completely to support her, her face tilted up to the starlight as they swayed.

It was a moment of perfect, unvarnished romance. No grand powers, no looming threats, no titles or legacies. Just a boy and a girl, dancing on a dock at the edge of the universe, held in a bubble of music and starlight. For Nero, holding the most powerful and guarded girl in the world as she melted against him in complete trust, was a victory greater than any he could ever win with his lightning. For Khione, finding a sanctuary of such simple, profound warmth in the arms of a man who saw past her icy exterior to the heart she hid within, was a treasure beyond any her family name could offer.

When the music finally stopped, they simply stood there, holding each other in the sudden quiet, unwilling to let the moment end. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the lake against the dock posts, a rhythmic applause for their silent, perfect dance.