Now, forever in the world | Bucky Barnes [ #2 of The Arcane Odyssey ]

In Brooklyn's peaceful streets, James "Bucky" Barnes and Lily Lawrence are bound together by the friendship-an unusually frustrating one, at least on Lily's part.

Their days are spent with banter that teases, and glances that flash and then hold a beat too long, suggesting feelings neither is willing to admit.

But as the world starts to break down under the pressure of war, their newfound love is tested in ways they never expected.

Time, previously plentiful, now seems like sand running through their hands. Each day feels borrowed, filled with fear and loss as the war doesn't just demand bodies-it demands pieces of the soul.

Lily, once bright and strong, begins to break under the weight of grief. The future she dreamed of slowly fades, and she is forced to face truths about herself that shake her to the core. And though their bond is strong, cracks appear under the strain of a new world.

This is a story of love and longing, of two hearts desperate to hold onto each other in a world too vast, too uncertain.

At every test, they wonder if the string between them will endure-if their hearts will ever find their Now Forever in the World.