Upon hearing Lily’s words, I couldn’t hide my astonishment.
The Outer Gods I had seen in the Necronomicon were, without exception, beings closer to phenomena than living creatures—literal gods.
A meeting of such beings… I couldn’t even imagine the topics they might discuss.
It was self-evident that any decision made at this meeting could influence the entire universe.
But more than that, I was worried…
“Is Lily going to be okay? What if she encounters a hostile Outer God?”
Given her already weakened state, I feared for her safety above all else.
“Don’t worry about that. Outer Gods never start conflicts in the Absolute Abyss. They’re careful not to let ‘Him’ hear anything.”
“Him?”
When I questioned him, Lily quickly covered up her slip with a look of alarm.
“It’s nothing. Anyway, you don’t need to worry.”
“So, how long until she goes?”
At my question, Lily’s expression darkened.
“…I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Probably the meeting itself won’t take long. Human meetings are on a different scale compared to theirs. The problem is that the meeting takes place in the Absolute Abyss.”
“Is it far away?”
“It’s not just far—it’s a place that transcends space and time. I don’t know how much time there will differ from here. It could be just a few seconds, or it might be several decades…”
“…”
Several decades without seeing Lily…
It was as good as telling me to die.
“Isn’t there a way for her not to go?”
“…No. The entity hosting this meeting is essentially the ruler of the Outer Gods. We don’t know what might happen if she doesn’t attend.”
“But…”
Desperately as I tried to think, the answer was already set in stone.
With the scale now cosmic in size, nothing I could do as an ordinary human would make a difference.
The feeling of utter helplessness weighed heavily on my chest.
Then, Lily’s hand cupped my cheek.
“Don’t worry. There’s no guarantee it will take decades. I might return right away, and if it takes too long, I’ll find a way to come back.”
Lily tried to reassure me with a forced smile, but the awkward smile only made me feel more uneasy.
As I held her that night, I lay awake with wide eyes.
What if I never saw Lily again?
Despite trying to imagine a hopeful outcome, my mind immediately conjured the worst one, making my hands tremble.
I tightened my grip around Lily, clutching her hand firmly.
I didn’t want to let her go.
Was there truly no way to stop her from going?
The same thought had crossed my mind hundreds of times, and once again, the conclusion was the same.
“…Lily.”
“…Yes?”
“…”
In her response, I detected the faintest tremor in her voice.
It was a voice trying hard to suppress emotion, not wanting to make me feel any sadder.
It was obvious that Lily cared for me deeply, likely worrying more than I did.
Even so, her decision to go showed that there was really no alternative.
I bit my lips hard and buried my face in her chest.
“If only we could stay like this forever…”
—
Lily could feel Arthur’s body trembling.
When she sensed the dampness on her chest, her carefully contained emotions nearly bubbled over.
Suppressing her sorrow, Lily replayed the tens of thousands of simulations she had already run, splitting her thoughts into fragments.
The probability that she would swiftly return to Arthur was extremely low.
Returning to a specific point within an infinite timeline was almost impossible.
Still, Lily refused to give up, continuing the simulations.
She devoted half of her thoughts to the simulations and the other half to fully experiencing every sensation of her body.
To remember this embrace forever.
If she returned and too much time had passed, and Arthur was no longer in this world…
The thought was terrifying, and worst of all, it was the most likely outcome.
Lily’s vision blurred.
No matter how tightly she tried to contain her emotions, they seeped out like water through cracks.
A tear rolled down her cheek, wetting the pillow.
Clamping her lips shut, Lily silently cried.
“If only we could stay like this forever…”
Both Arthur and Lily prayed deeply that this night would never end.
—
When the morning sunlight began to filter in, Lily and I turned to look at each other simultaneously.
From our red-rimmed eyes, we realized we had both spent the night in tears and exchanged faint smiles.
Then, we rushed toward each other and our lips met.
As our lips touched, Lily whispered.
“Today…”
I finished her sentence.
“We’re not going anywhere.”
We shared a long kiss.
Sometimes passionate, sometimes calm,
though it was definitely time for the first class, it felt like nothing mattered.
Thinking we might never meet again, I didn’t want to part.
If only what happened yesterday were just a lie.
But Lily’s puffy eyes contradicted that wish.
We tumbled around for a while in bed before finally rising after all the morning classes had ended.
After catching her breath, Lily spoke in a choked voice.
“I’ll make some preparations first.”
Then, Lily moved quickly.
Casting spells all over the room, she cooked frantically in the kitchen.
With her focus, she managed to prepare an enormous amount of food that couldn’t possibly be consumed in a day or two.
In other words, food meant to last for a long time.
Worrying about me in case she was gone for a long period, Lily had taken precautions.
By the time the refrigerator was filled to the brim, Lily stopped cooking and said to me:
“I’ve fortified this place with protection spells. No one can enter without your permission.”
“The food will last at least half a year. And I’ve also cast a spell so it heats up as soon as you take it out.”
Pausing momentarily, Lily seemed to hesitate before continuing:
“And… I might know a way.”
“…What?”
“A way for me to return sooner.”
“Really?!”
The reaction startled Lily, and she looked slightly flustered.
It was the most hopeful outcome from the simulations she had been running all night.
“To be honest, I’m not sure if this method will work… but the probability is relatively high.”
“Tell me! What is it?”
“To ask Yog-Sothoth, the organizer of this meeting.”
Recognizing the familiar name, I exclaimed in surprise.
“Yog-Sothoth is the current head of the Outer Gods, isn’t he?!”
“That’s right. He’s also my cousin. Yog-Sothoth is a god present in all space and time. If I ask him, he might instantly bring me back to your time.”
“But…”
“However, Yog-Sothoth dislikes disturbances in the balance. And since this meeting was called for a serious topic, there’s a chance he won’t listen to me. It’s still quite a gamble.”
Even if it was a gamble, it seemed to have much better odds than before.
It was somewhat reassuring.
“Thank goodness…”
Lily then explained further about various precautions I needed to take.
Most of them sounded like nagging,
“…If anything happens… go to the Chancellor.”
“The Chancellor? But he’s the contractor of the Elder Gods. He might try to harm me if Lily’s not here.”
“Don’t worry about that. Arthur, trust me on this. The Chancellor will never do anything to hurt you.”
“And? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You can think of it as a kind of contract. In any case, you can trust the Chancellor. Even if nothing happens, go see him. He’ll help you.”
It was a rather surprising statement.
When Lily and the Chancellor first met, they were enemies ready to devour each other.
The Chancellor had once even tried to kidnap me, so Lily’s hatred for him was beyond measure.
Still, Lily trusted him now…
What in the world happened between them?
Though perplexed, Lily trusted and recommended him, so I decided to trust him as well.
“Huh…”
Finally, after finishing speaking, Lily slowly stood up.
Without thinking, I grabbed her hand.
It was an unconscious gesture born out of the desire for Lily not to go.
She looked down at the hand, then firmly grasped mine.
“I’ll definitely come back.”
“…You must.”
“Yes, I will.”
I extended my pinky finger.
Smiling faintly, Lily hooked her finger with mine.
“I promise.”
We pressed our foreheads together.
In an effort to remember the warmth of each other deeply, we embraced tightly.
Our kiss, which we both prayed would last forever, finally ended.
When our lips parted, I impulsively said:
“Lily.”
“Yes?”
“If you come back…”
I whispered softly into Lily’s ear.
“…!!”
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Staring at me in a daze, Lily finally smiled genuinely for the first time today.
“I need to hurry back then.”
“Of course.”
Lily slowly backed away from me.
“I’m going.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“Please say… ‘I’ll be back.'”
“…Okay, I’ll be back.”
I watched her go with wide eyes.
Before leaving, Lily cheerfully warned me:
“Don’t cry while I’m gone!”
“Ah, I won’t cry!”
“Hmm…”
With that bright, cheerful smile as the last memory…
…
“…Lily.”
“…”
“…”
“…Lily?”
“…”
Before I knew it, I was left alone in the room.
Staring blankly at the spot Lily had last occupied, I wiped my eyes when they blurred.
My fingers touched a damp trail.
“I said I wouldn’t cry…”
Realizing my tears, my heart clenched painfully.
“…”
A sob escaped, and I dove into the bed.
With my face buried in the pillow, I made muffled sounds.
Because Lily had told me not to cry.
If I cried, Lily might feel sad.
Still, I couldn’t control my emotions breaking out,
so quietly, so Lily wouldn’t hear, I cried quietly for a long time.
