CHAPTER 18: STITCH ACCOUNT

Grimmaw GUILD.

The name flickered in Lucius’s mind as he lay back on the couch, he had finished analyzing the file and Elara did good work.

Grimmaw just came to mind because they were one of the few side guilds that actually stuck with him in the novel.

He remembered their brief appearance — how their grit, their refusal to be swallowed by larger guilds, had made them strangely memorable.

A guild that clawed its way through harsh seasons despite ranking at the bottom.

Although the author never said they were this low in the yearly Guild Ranking, the damage wasn’t beyond repair.

Grimmaw could be salvaged.

"I really liked the few Chapters they showed up in," Lucius muttered, tossing his phone aside. "I’ll join them. Raise their ranking. Why not?"

Of course, that wasn’t the full truth.

What really pulled him was Vanessa — Grimmaw’s ace and the only reason they’d been notable at all.

Hot-blooded, yes, but not nearly as reckless as the rumors painted her.

And Vanessa was connected.

She was senior sister to none other than Emilia von Eldhart, prodigy of blood magic and one of the story’s heroines.

But Lucius wasn’t interested in Emilia — the heroine belonged to Elliot, and he could keep the yandere.

Lucius wanted Vanessa.

A mature woman.

Someone he could actually talk to.

Someone who wasn’t from 2030.

"Well, whatever," he muttered, pushing himself upright. "It’s settled."

He called out:

"Elara! Are you done?"

His phone slipped from his hand to the bed.

Who had time to fiddle with Stitch account setups when he had Elara?

The door creaked open.

Elara entered, cheeks tinged pink.

She carried her phone, settled on the bed beside him, and smiled shyly.

"Master, I finished setting it up."

Lucius leaned in.

On the screen:

[LuciusHohenbergOfficial 🔹]

[Followers: 0]

[Posts: 0]

[Would you like to launch your page?]

His brow twitched.

"Wait. Why is it already verified?"

Elara tilted her head, lips curving. "I registered it with your official Awakener ID. Since you’re recognized as the Awakener with the highest potential, they granted automatic verification."

Lucius blinked.

The old Lucius never even had an account — he’d run back to the clan too quickly, in a fit to get Lily back.

That choice had cost him his freedom.

"I see," he murmured.

Things were already turning out for the better.

"Launch it," he ordered.

Elara’s fingers tapped the screen. The account went live.

"Time to make our first post, shall we?"

⸻

[Meanwhile — Luna]

Luna paced her apartment, glancing out the window.

It took a few minutes but the delivery truck pulled up, the words painted on its side.

They were AvantiDeliveries, the most secure company for ordering your stuff.

A knock rattled the door.

She tugged her headphones down, signed for the package, and shut the door.

Her heart fluttered.

"Finally."

She dragged the box to her bed, tore it open, and pulled out two dresses.

One was black: a sleeveless gown with a daring side slit and a silver trim that traced curves like moonlight.

The fabric shimmered faintly, designed to cling just enough to suggest, not scream.

The other was purple: softer, flowing, embroidered with faint runic patterns that caught the light like constellations.

It was elegant and romantic — royalty without the crown.

Both cost her 30,000 Royals each.

A steep price for anyone else, but she had already got support from watchers.

Fame paid well.

She tidied her sheets, laid the dresses out neatly, and snapped a photo.

Caption typed:

[Which one should I wear? 🖤💜]

Post launched.

Phone down.

’Just letting them decide. That’s all,’ she told herself.

But the truth was different.

Luna loved the attention.

The likes.

The comments.

The validation.

She had always yearned for it and now she was getting it.

And, of course — she wanted Lucius to notice.

She’d already made a reservation for tomorrow.

"It’ll probably get ten thousand likes," she muttered.

Her phone buzzed.

She glanced down and froze.

[Which one should I wear? 🖤💜]

[500k ❤️]

[Comments: 100,000]

Her jaw slackened.

Half a million likes in minutes?

Scrolling, she skimmed through comments:

⸻

[@BloodlineQueen: Black. Always black. Absolute perfection. 🖤 ((9.4k❤️))]

[@SilverfangRogue: Purple. Elegant fits you more. 💜 ((7.2k❤️))]

[@Watcher777: Why not both 😏🔥 ((5.8k❤️))]

[@DukeofAshes: How much each?? Totally worth it. ((6.1k❤️))]

[@HeartsforLuna: Black. You’ll kill it. 🖤🖤🖤 ((4.7k❤️))]

[@RoyalTeaTime: Purple! You look like a princess already. ((3.9k❤️))]

[@SkyWarden: Spin in purple for us 😍💫 ((3.3k❤️))]

[@MoonlitArrows: Both are insane fits but black ((4.5k❤️))]

[@LuciusStan01: Guys guys GUYS — Lucius just opened a new account and it’s FEATURED!! ((15.2k❤️))]

⸻

Her eyes widened.

She dropped her phone, scrambled to pick it back up, and immediately navigated to Stitch’s main page.

And there it was.

[LuciusHohenbergOfficial 🔹 — Featured New Awakener]

Featured.

On his first day.

Something no one ever got.

"And the hell... it’s already verified?"

She tapped.

His profile had already soared to 1,000,000 followers.

A perk was attached: following him granted users 10 free gifting coins for their favorite streamers.

"Damn. They really treat important people different," Luna muttered.

She scrolled down.

His very first post made her heart stop.

It was a selfie.

Lucius, fresh out of the shower.

His damp black hair framed his sharp face, water still beading on his skin.

The black robe clung to him, loose at the collar.

But it was his eyes — those glimmering purple eyes that burned into the screen like gems under starlight.

He was so fucking handsome.

Caption:

[🙂‍↕️🤚 Fresh out of the shower]

[2.0m ❤️]

[Comments: 200,000]

Luna’s breath caught.

She scrolled into the comments.

⸻

[@VelvetBloom: Excuse me?? HOW are you real?? 😳🔥 ((24.3k❤️))]

[@AwakenedGirlsHQ 🔹: Lucius Hohenberg already redefining what a protagonist looks like. 👑 ((30.1k❤️))]

[@ScarletDagger: Sir... you are NOT allowed to look like this for free. ((19.8k❤️))]

[@ThirstTrapCentral: Help... I can’t breathe. ((22.7k❤️))]

[@FrostedWine: Purple eyes. Wet hair. Black robe. This is ILLEGAL. ((28.6k❤️))]

[@MysticMirror: No one else compares. Literally no one. ((15.2k❤️))]

[@AwakenersWeekly 🔹: Already trending #1. LuciusHohenberg 🔹 is THE Awakener to watch. ((41.7k❤️))]

[@SirenSong: He looks better than 99% of the actors I’ve ever seen. ((13.9k❤️))]

[@AshenWolf: BRO IS HIM. THE ONE. ((18.5k❤️))]

[@BitterTruths: He’s overrated. Just another face. ((1.2k❤️))]

|_@FairyDust98: shut up jealous ((8.7k❤️))]

|_@SwordLover88: Delete your account dude. ((6.3k❤️))]

|_@MoonfireFan: Touch grass. ((9.9k❤️))]

⸻

Luna set the phone down slowly.

Her chest tightened.

’I want to be with him tomorrow. ’She thought and then looked at her hair.

’Should I get this done?’