Lira, Nyx, Selene, and Mirielle had gathered nearby, their faces still carrying awe from the battle and the divine encounter they had just witnessed. Each of them was drawn...almost unconsciously...toward the radiant being in Lucas's hands. The Ice Belle shifted slightly, opening her luminous eyes that shone like twin shards of blue crystal. Her wings fluttered faintly, scattering frost that sparkled like stardust in the air.

"She's so beautiful…" Selene whispered, her voice soft with wonder.

Nyx, who usually hid her emotions behind calm composure, reached out hesitantly. "She doesn't feel cold," she murmured. "Even though she's made of ice."

Mirielle leaned in, smiling faintly. "It's like she's alive with light."

Lira, unable to resist, brushed a strand of hair from her face and added with quiet amazement, "I can feel her Qi… it's vast."

Lucas chuckled softly, their reactions pulling a faint warmth into his heart. "Go on," he said, holding out his hands. "You can hold her."

The girls exchanged uncertain glances, then stepped closer. Lira was the first to reach out, cupping her palms carefully beneath the Ice Belle. The small creature blinked up at her and then stretched its wings lazily, letting out a sound that was halfway between a hum and a purr. A faint ring of frost spiraled through the air, glowing faintly before fading into the wind.

"She likes you," Lucas said with a faint smile.

Lira grinned softly, her eyes shining. "I didn't think something so divine could feel so… gentle."

Selene leaned closer, resting a hand on Lira's arm as she studied the creature. "She feels like… purity itself," she said. "If the world is being eaten by rot, then this little one might be the first spark of hope we've seen in a long time."

The Empress, watching from a distance, nodded slightly at Selene's words. "Do not underestimate her," she said. "The Ice Belle may be small now, but within her lies the power to restore balance or destroy it completely. She is the child of divine frost and celestial flame. How she grows will depend on how you nurture her."

Mirielle's gaze softened as she reached out to stroke the Ice Belle's silken fur. "Then we'll all protect her," she said earnestly.

Lucas looked at the four of them, his expression warm but thoughtful. "She seems to like you all," he said. "Maybe that's a good thing. If she's going to grow fast, she'll need all of us."

Nyx nodded in agreement. "Then we'll help you nurture her," she said simply. "Whatever it takes."

Lucas smiled faintly, his eyes lingering on the small creature now resting in Lira's hands. The Ice Belle gave a soft chirp, spreading her wings slightly as if acknowledging their words. Her glow brightened for a brief moment, wrapping them all in a faint warmth that chased away the cold around them.

Lucas turned toward the Empress slowly, the faint light from the Ice Belle's wings casting pale glimmers across his face. His eyes, calm but probing, searched hers through the veil.

He took a step closer. "So," he began quietly, his tone even, though there was a sharp edge beneath his calm, "this was why you brought me along, wasn't it?"

The Empress did not answer at once. Her eyes shimmered faintly beneath the veil as she looked up toward the fading horizon. For a long moment, the only sound between them was the soft hum of the Ice Belle, her wings fluttering faintly in Lira's hands.

Finally, the Empress turned back to him and gave a slow nod. "Yes," she said, her voice low and steady, "that is precisely why I brought you."

Lucas's brows drew together. "You used me."

She tilted her head slightly...not in denial, but in acceptance. "I guided you here," she replied. "Used is not the word I would choose, though you are not wrong. I needed you, Xavier. Or rather, I needed what lies within you."

Lucas held her gaze, the wind whipping his cloak behind him. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.

The Empress sighed softly, as if weary from carrying too much truth for too long. "Do you truly think it was coincidence that the guardian showed himself to you? Or that the Ice Belle...something divine and pure...chose you the instant she awoke?" She stepped forward, her presence commanding yet oddly gentle. "I have been to this mountain many times, Xavier. I have knelt before its heart, offered tributes of Qi, power, and reverence. I sought the guardian for years, and yet… he never appeared to me. Not once. Until you came."

Lucas's eyes flickered faintly, and he looked down at the small creature still glowing softly in Lira's hands. "You couldn't awaken it," he said quietly.

The Empress nodded once. "No. I could not. The guardian has always ignored me. Even my celestial nature meant nothing to him." Her gaze grew distant, her voice low and edged with frustration. "I had long desired to claim the Ice Belle as my soul beast. I believed it was destined for me, that with her divine frost I could protect the empire and the balance of this world. But I was wrong."

She turned to him again, her expression unreadable behind the veil. "It was never meant for me. It was waiting for someone like you."

Lucas frowned slightly. "Someone like me?"

"Yes," she said, her tone soft but firm. "Your soul… it is unlike anything I have seen. It does not repel or dominate. It binds. It connects. It harmonizes the way light and shadow meet. That is why the guardian acknowledged you. That is why the Ice Belle was drawn to you. Your Qi may not yet be as strong as ours, but your soul holds something far rarer than raw power."

Nyx, who had been listening silently, glanced at Lucas. "That strange bond you have with us…" she said quietly. "It's because of that, isn't it?"

The Empress nodded slightly in her direction. "Exactly. That power...your essence...forms a connection that cannot be forced. It is a gift that attracts beings of purity and will alike. Even the guardian sensed it. You did not defeat him with strength, Lucas, but with resonance. You made the divine yield through balance."

Lucas was silent for a moment, the wind howling softly between them. He looked at the Empress, his eyes thoughtful. "You knew this before the journey," he said slowly. "You knew you couldn't get the Ice Belle without me."

The Empress inclined her head. "The first time I felt your Qi, I sensed the energy of divine bond. I realized then that you might be the key. Whatever my reasons were, know this, Xavier. I did not bring you here to die. I brought you because I believe fate itself chose you for this. You may not yet understand your gift, but the heavens and the earth already do."

Lucas held her gaze for a long while, searching for any deceit, but found none. The Empress stood unflinching, her silver aura glowing faintly through the frost-laden air. He knew the power of his soulbound technique and dual cultivation...but he never expected it to pull something as crazy as this. He had underestimated his own powers too much.

He exhaled slowly and looked once more at the little Ice Belle resting safely in Lira's hands. "Then I suppose fate made its choice," he said softly. "And now we have to make sure it wasn't in vain."