In the strange place, Lucan found a cave huge enough for all the golden butterflies with him.
He grinned, "Good, Child guy! I never knew you could be this useful!"
Fate guy laughed, "After all, he is my race, right? He will obviously be like me!"
Child guy said, "So... these are indeed the golden butterflies. Oh heavens, I can't believe this! How lucky are you, Lucan!"
Lucan replied, "Hehe, but I don't know much about anything. Could you explain the mythical golden butterflies! And..."
Child guy glared, "And... what? Hmm."
Fate guy spoke, "Bro, just do whatever he asks for! Trust me, he is really smarter than us! I mean anybody I ever knew."
Child guy sighed, "You are too naive. I wonder how you are going to do that..."
Lucan's gaze shifted past Fate guy as he watched keenly.
Fate guy stumbled, "Me? Do what?"
Child guy tried to open his mouth.
But Lucan waved his hands, "I know. Let me move away, and whenever you finish, call me back! Hehe, I won't interrupt you guys."
Fate guy laughed, "See, he is really a trustworthy friend!"
Child guy whispered, "You see, he is actually dangerous. Avoid him, listen to me!"
Fate guy stopped his laughter as he frowned, "What? Are you still thinking Lucan is evil?"
Child guy sighed, "Ok, don't believe me, just come with me. I will show you proofs and a lot more..."
Fate guy nodded, "But... if you aren't right, I will never, ever meet you again!"
Child guy froze in disbelief, "Wait... what? What did you just say?"
Fate guy snorted, "Yes, you heard it right! You didn't mishear it!"
Child guy took him deep into the cave, away from Lucan and the golden butterflies.
At its end, he said some strange spell as both of them fell down the cave—falling into a pitch-black pit with seemingly nothing inside.
Fate guy hit the ground as he asked, "Did we fall into a pit? Bro, you are too pathetic!"
Child guy used his cosmic energy as he said another strange spell.
Lights lit up across their surroundings, revealing a huge library full of dusty old books and many weird items. A huge statue shaped like a figure stood up there.
Fate guy felt a strange feeling as his head started to hurt. He grabbed it and fell to the ground, "Help me... friend..."
Child guy said, "Don't worry, it's harmless. Just undergo the pain and you will come to know about everything!"
Fate guy collapsed unconscious as Child guy caught him.
He sighed, "Don't die on me, master! I had to act and lie all along just to trick that bastard Lucan. He tricked you..."
But he heard footsteps behind as he felt a chill down his spine.
A voice spoke, "Oh, so this was the library I saw! Nice, this place is very crucial for reaching my goal, hehe!"
Child guy turned around to see Lucan, grinning widely.
Meanwhile, on Earth:
Lucan's dad was standing by the window in absolute silence.
His face was pale and his lips were curled down. Lucan's mom walked in as she sighed, "Honey, ever since then, you are always standing and gazing at the sky at night. Is something wrong?"
Lucan's dad was about to speak as he shut his mouth tight.
He thought, "Lucan... I don't know whether you are alive or not! But I have made a promise not to reveal you! That's still a promise, even if you die or I die! But... my heart just hopes that you are still alive, just a bit busy..."
Lucan's dad said, "Oh, it's nothing! I just like gazing at the stars. It's because Lucan was interested in space, you know right?"
Lucan's mom teared up, "Lu... yes, I still regret my decision of ignoring his goal! He was still a child; I shouldn't have acted that way... It's all my fault!"
Mary was standing outside the room as she clenched her fists. "If only... I hadn't tried to correct Lucan and had encouraged him instead. He could still be alive and well! Because of me, everybody is suffering!"
She started to cry. She thought, "If only..."
At the same time, her mother and father thought too, "If only... I could see him one more time! I don't want anything else in this world. I just want to see his face, talk with him, and apologize for my fault."
At that same instant, the golden butterfly entered the sky, dazzling with its golden-yellow wings—flying with golden sparks falling off its wings.
It smirked as it flew towards the window.
Lucan's dad hugged his wife, "No, it's not your fault or Mary's! It's mine. If only I had properly asked him about his goal and helped him, this wouldn't have occurred..."
At that exact moment, all three of them felt a strange feeling.
They saw themselves inside a white room.
Lucan's dad had his mouth twitching as he screamed in joy, "GOLDEN BUTTERFLY! THAT MEANS, THAT MEANS... LUCAN, YOU ARE STILL ALIVE!"
He laughed crazily like a maniac, so loud that even his wife and daughter were stunned.
They had never seen him go insane like this. He cried tears of joy as he hugged the walls of the white room.
"Golden butterfly, thank you... thank you... I don't know how much I owe you for protecting Lucan from his side!"
Lucan's mom had a stunned reaction, "Lu... is still alive... what do you mean, honey..."
Mary wiped away her tears, "Brother is alive... What! Dad!"
Lucan's dad swallowed hard as he thought, "Oh shit, I messed up! I broke my promise in the excitement; now they know his secret... Hehe, what am I? A dad who can't help his son fulfill his goal and instead burdens him with my own goal. A husband who can't even keep his wife happy and well; I instead made her worry too much and stay gloomy. A dad who can't even prevent his princess from crying, instead letting her shed tears daily. In the end... I am nothing but a useless and worthless person. I wish I were dead; at least then, others wouldn't have needed to suffer this hell."
A paper appeared in front of them as golden-yellow letters emerged:
'Don't worry, Lucan's dad. He said you no longer need to bear that stupid promise!'
Lucan's dad gasped, "What... does that mean! I didn't mess it up? For real? Oh my god!"
He spread his arms wide as he reached the peak of happiness, crying tears of joy.
He grinned widely with the same "Hehe" as Lucan.
He rushed over and hugged his wife and daughter, "I am sorry, I need to tell you both something now!"
Lucan's mom asked, "Wait... why are you crying, though?"
Mary shook her head, "No, he's actually laughing!"
The paper's letters disappeared as a new set of letters reappeared:
'He is actually doing both, hehe. Crying is the peak of happiness!'
In big, bright golden-yellow letters.
Lucan's dad let out a long sigh, "So the thing is..."
He started narrating Lucan's journey, right from when he caught Lucan sneaking out until now.
The golden butterfly secretly smiled as it thought, "Lucan... your family really loves you more than anybody in this cosmos, hehe... excluding me! Hmph."
As the night passed, a blue sky replaced the dark night sky.
Stars vanished as only one huge star rose; it was already morning.
Lucan's dad said, "And... that's all about Lucan that I knew! I know you both are probably mad at me for hiding this. Please forgive me... if you want, you could even hit me or slap me!"
Lucan's mom lifted her palms and held Lucan's dad closer.
She patted his head, "Honey, we have indeed suffered, but you..."
Mary finished, "Our suffering is nothing compared to yours... we thought he was dead and kept living. But you... literally knew he was alive! And... could die at any moment in space, constantly wondering whether he was alive or dead! Now, let go of all your pain. You and brother are both the same, huh—hiding your pain and deep feelings while wearing a fake smile!"
Lucan's dad said, "But... won't it trouble you? My pain is mine! Why must you face it?"
Lucan's mother snorted, "So, what are we to you? You share our pain, but we can't do the same?"
Lucan's dad said, "But..."
Mary hugged him from behind, "No buts... let it all out, Dad!"