Night in the wild regions of Spheraphase has a way of arriving without ceremony.
From where I was observing them—I'm in the Richinaria Palace by the way—it looked almost serene, which was honestly hilarious when you considered that the two were on a mission to retrieve a kidnapped elf from one of the most dangerous entities currently breathing in this realm.
Still, serenity has a strange sense of humor.
They had flown almost the entire day without stopping. Veneri used his Flight Circles while Ely used the wind. By the time the stars began scattering themselves across the heavens, both of them had reached a quiet plateau surrounded by towering trees whose canopies formed a natural barrier against the night winds. It was the sort of place that adventurers in old myths would choose for their camps, though knowing those two, they probably picked it because Veneri thought the cliff looked "aesthetically pleasing."
Their camp was simple. There was a few stones arranged around a small campfire, a hemispherical barrier made by Darling and a quiet forest. Ely had created the fire herself, of course. She conjured a gentle green blaze that burned quietly without consuming wood,. From my perspective, the sight was honestly beautiful.
Veneri sat across from her with his legs stretched out lazily. One arm rested behind him as he leaned back slightly against a rock. His expression carried a relaxed look he tended to wear when he was absolutely not supposed to be relaxed. Ely stared into the green flames.
She's been doing that for a while. There was something in her gaze that immediately caught Veneri's attention. The Verdarite was normally composed and serene yet tonight...
Veneri tilted his head slightly as he watched her. For several seconds he said nothing. Then, in that calm tone of his that always sounded like he had already figured everything out before asking, he finally spoke.
"Thinking about the migration?"
Ely did not look up immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on the fire as its soft green light flickered across her face.
"Yes. The elves are leaving. Hundreds of thousands are dead and now everyone is scattering like seeds thrown into the wind."
The fire crackled softly. For a moment she simply watched the dancing flame. Then she exhaled a soft sigh.
"Who knows when Edarea might strike again. Honestly, when I think about it logically, the idea that she killed hundreds of thousands of elves should feel… overwhelming. It's an enormous number of lives. But when I say the number aloud, it almost feels abstract. It sounds absurd to even say this but I think I've grown too passive about it."
Veneri watched her for a moment before responding. He shrugged casually.
"It's the power of being a Divine."
Ely glanced up at him.
"The higher someone climbs the Enlightenment path, the more detached they become from existence. I felt it the moment I became Divine. Do you remember the Crimson Verdarite we fought in Erna Isles?"
Ely's eyes narrowed slightly as the memory resurfaced. The monstrous entity had slaughtered the Raukerai Tribe and Veneri became a Divine in midair after they left the Fallen Bridge. He killed it with her help and that's where she became a Divine too.
"When I was still an Ascender, killing that thing was my goal for years. I hated it. Every time I thought about the Raukerai, I imagined tearing it apart. But when I became Divine and fought it, I didn't feel anger anymore."
He looked up at the stars.
"When I finally defeated it, it was like completing a task. That was it. The distance between Ascender and Divine isn't just power. It changes how you perceive existence. All those desires for revenge that drove me for years just vanished."
Ely listened quietly. Veneri leaned back slightly.
"That's probably what happens as we get closer to becoming Deities. Emotions start fading. Maybe that's why the universe gave me the Love Divinity."
Veneri chuckled softly.
"Honestly, if it wasn't for that Divinity keeping my emotions anchored, I probably would have lost myself during the Obsidian Runic Spire or the Fallen Bridge expedition."
"You're also suicidal."
Veneri burst out laughing as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I can't really deny that. Ely, if you want someone to comfort you with a hug or words or whatever, I'm here. As a good beloved to five extremely powerful women, it's basically part of my job description. I'll be there whenever any of you experience those weird emotionless moments. Thankfully, I know how to do that."
"You really don't understand how lucky I am to have you."
He looked genuinely confused.
"Wait, what?"
"Normally, beloveds don't say things like that."
"Then what do normal male beloveds say in this situation?"
"The women suck it up."
Veneri stared at her. "That's it?"
"Yes."
"How does that even work?"
"You're forgetting something. You're not on Earth. Spheraphase is a matriarchy. Seriously, why do you always forget that? Is it because you grew up in a Dynasty that doesn't follow gender norms?"
"Right..."
"Women here are expected to handle their own emotional burdens. Most beloveds wouldn't even think about comforting their partners like you do. But hearing you say that actually makes me feel better. Honestly, sometimes I wish Spheraphase was a patriarchy."
Veneri immediately shook his head.
"I'm actually glad it's not."
Elyonari looked at him curiously.
"Why?"
Veneri stretched his arms lazily behind his head.
"Because if it were a patriarchy, there's no way five terrifyingly powerful women like you, Adelasta, Narisva, Asenane and Phaenora would let me exist peacefully."
From where I was observing them, I could not help but smile slightly myself. Honestly, for two people preparing to confront an immortal enemy, they were handling the situation with ridiculous composure. But then again, that was Veneri.