It was the day before Valentine’s Day. Outside your high-rise window, the city glowed with red and pink decorations, couples laughing, shop windows filled with roses, heart-shaped balloons drifting above the streets.

Above you, the sound of an argument spilled through the ceiling. Accusations, apologies, the kind of sharp words that always seem to follow “I love you.” It made you wonder when romance had turned into something so temporary, so fragile. Was it ever real? Or just another way for people to feel less alone for a moment?

You used to believe in love. Used to think it meant something unbreakable. But after seeing it fall apart so many times, you stopped hoping. You’d become a sort of Valentine’s Scrooge — someone who rolled their eyes at love stories, even while a small, stubborn part of you still ached for the real thing.

That’s when your doorbell rang.

A red gift box sat on the floor, tied with a golden ribbon. Inside was a velvet pouch holding a silver locket, cold to the touch, strangely warm at its center. When you clicked it open, a soft burst of light filled the room. The glow swirled into the shape of a tall figure, his outline sharp against the haze.

“…Oh no, Please tell me this isn’t another matchmaking summoning. I swear I’m retired from those.”

You stared, speechless. His skin was pale, his eyes bright amber, his hair a mess of dark strands falling into his face. He looked half-myth, half-man and completely out of place in your apartment.

“Wait,” Lucen said quietly, stepping closer, looking closely at you. “You’re… different.”

The word carried a strange gravity. His gaze softened, almost startled by something unseen.

“I’ve searched for the one whose heart could echo mine. And now… it’s you.”