Chapter 66: Officially Fated

Lumi took a deep breath and looked at herself in front of the long mirror.

The dress fitted her beautifully, its soft fabric falling gracefully around her figure. She wasn’t used to seeing herself dressed like this, especially not knowing that she was about to attend a ceremony that would officially strengthen the Fated Connection between her and Evan.

"You are beautiful..." Reeta said, adjusting the dress around Lumi’s legs before suddenly clasping her hands together. "Ah—I am too excited!"

She covered half her face with her palms, looking as though she were the one getting married.

Lumi gave her a small, nervous smile. "You seem more excited than me..."

"Of course I am! I’ve been waiting for this! I thought Evan might not have a Fated Guide because of his personality, you know..."

"You’re not invited, and personally, my personality is better than your Sentinel," Evan suddenly stepped inside the room.

Reeta slowly lowered her hands and stared at him.

Lumi turned toward the door.

Evan’s gaze immediately fell on Lumi, and for a moment, his expression softened. He hadn’t expected to see her like this.

The dress suited her far more than he had imagined, and the soft fabric made her look almost unreal under the morning light. His eyes remained on her for several seconds, quietly taking in every detail as though he had forgotten that anyone else was in the room.

Lumi noticed his silence and slowly turned toward him. "Evan?"

He blinked, finally seeming to remember where he was.

Reeta, who had been watching the entire thing from the side, immediately grinned. "Oh my..."

Evan’s eyes shifted toward her. "Don’t."

Reeta covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "I didn’t say anything."

"Your face did."

"I was just admiring how completely stunned you looked." She chuckled and gently turned Lumi to face Evan. "But she is indeed beautiful... So I’ll leave both of you alone for a while before the ceremony begins."

She paused at the door, then glanced back at Evan with a mischievous grin. "And Evan, hold yourself. Tch, tch, tch... the drool."

"Reeta."

She laughed and happily walked out, closing the door behind her.

Evan ignored her and looked back at Lumi. "You look beautiful."

Lumi’s cheeks immediately turned pink. She lowered her gaze, suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands. "Thank you..."

Evan stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her for another moment. "You’re nervous."

Lumi nodded slightly. "A little..."

He slowly reached for her hand and gently held it. "About your family?"

Lumi’s fingers tightened around his.

Evan gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I notified them just now. They need to be present because the Pei family is still your legal family, and the ceremony requires a family representative to acknowledge the bond before the official registration is completed."

Lumi’s expression stiffened slightly at the mention of her family.

Evan noticed immediately, "But if you don’t want them here, you don’t have to see them."

Lumi looked up at him.

"I can ask them to provide a written statement acknowledging your decision instead. The Committee can accept that as their formal acknowledgment, so you won’t have to stand in front of them."

Lumi was quiet for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

"No, it is all right..." She lowered her head again, her fingers gently curling around his.

She didn’t want to admit what had suddenly crossed her mind.

’What if they don’t come?’

Even after receiving Evan’s invitation, there was no guarantee that her family would actually bother showing up. They had never cared about her choices before, so why would this ceremony suddenly matter to them?

Evan seemed to notice the change in her expression. "You’re thinking about whether they’ll come."

Lumi’s eyes widened slightly. "How did you..."

"You have that expression whenever you’re worrying about something."

She looked away, embarrassed. "I was just wondering..."

Evan gently squeezed her hand. "Whether they come or not doesn’t change anything."

Lumi slowly looked back at him.

"This ceremony is about us. Not them." His voice was calm and certain. "So don’t let their decision decide whether today is important to you."

Lumi stared at him for a moment before a small smile appeared on her lips. "Okay."

"Good." Evan lifted her hand slightly. "Then let’s go.

******

The rose garden had been prepared for the ceremony, with a small ceremonial platform surrounded by blooming roses and a quiet seating area arranged for the few people who had been invited.

Unlike the previous ceremony, there were no crowds of influencers or reporters this time.

Evan’s parents did not attend.

Only Leon came on behalf of the Caesar family, standing a short distance away with a calm expression as he watched his younger brother finally stand beside his actual Fated Guide.

On Lumi’s side, however, her entire family appeared.

Felix and Esther arrived together, with Rei following behind them, while Celestine quietly walked alongside her family. Lumi’s gaze briefly met her twin’s before she quickly looked away.

Evan noticed but said nothing.

Instead, he simply held Lumi’s hand a little more firmly.

The ceremony itself was surprisingly simple.

There were no elaborate vows or lengthy speeches. The officiant guided them through the three stages, allowing the Fated Connection System to confirm their compatibility before moving into the mental synchronization.

Lumi felt Evan’s consciousness slowly reaching toward hers, familiar yet different from the times she had entered his mind during his Rampages.

This time, there was no chaos.

No pain.

He was inviting her in willingly.

Once the synchronization was complete, the officiant announced the final stage.

"Fated Stabilization."

Lumi’s heart began beating faster. She remembered what Evan had explained earlier.

She looked at Evan but he was already looking at her.

"Still okay?"

Lumi nodded shyly.

Evan slowly raised his hand and cupped her cheek. Then he leaned closer.

The moment their faces drew near, the Fated Connection around them suddenly reacted.

A translucent barrier instantly formed around the two of them, separating them from everyone outside.

Lumi’s eyes widened slightly. "It really does this..."

Evan smiled faintly, "Focus..."

The sounds from the garden became muffled behind the barrier, leaving only the two of them inside their secluded space.

Lumi’s nervous gaze met him.

Evan’s thumb gently brushed against her cheek.

She swallowed softly before nodding, and right that second, he leaned in again.

Their lips met.

At first, the kiss was gentle, almost hesitant, as though both of them were still adjusting to the fact that this time they were doing it intentionally.

But as the Fated Connection responded, the kiss gradually deepened.

Lumi’s fingers unconsciously curled into the front of Evan’s clothes while his arm settled around her waist, drawing her slightly closer.

The energy surrounding them began to flow more intensely, and the faint light of the Fated Connection spread across the barrier.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

A sharp emergency alarm suddenly cut through the peaceful atmosphere.

Evan’s eyes immediately opened.

The barrier flickered.

Lumi pulled away, startled. "What...?"

Another alarm sounded, louder than the first.

[EMERGENCY ALERT]

[ALL SSS-RANK SENTINELS: IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT REQUIRED.]

Evan’s expression changed instantly.

The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by the cold, focused gaze Lumi had seen so many times before.

"What happened?"

A second notification appeared.

[ANOMALY BREACH DETECTED.]

[LOCATION: HELL DUNGEON.]