The moment those words slipped from Niara's lips, Darian's world stopped.
His expression froze. His eyes widened, and for a moment, the man who could command the laws of the universe became completely catatonic. It was a kind of shock that no battle or enemy had ever caused him.
Niara, watching his reaction, couldn't hold back. A soft, crystal-clear laugh escaped her, overflowing with radiant satisfaction. Her joy wasn't just a sound; it felt like a force that lit up the entire room.
In that second, Darian's heart started racing.
He had never seen her like this. Her smile was so sweet, so genuine, it pierced straight into the deepest layers of his soul, engraving that image with fire and light into his memory. For Darian, that moment became eternal.
Tears still shimmered in Niara's eyes, but she was so radiant that her energy seemed to flow into him, revitalizing every fiber of his being. From the depths of his soul, Darian felt an overwhelming desire: he would do anything to keep her exactly like this forever.
In mere seconds, the panic and fear of the unknown evaporated from within him. The uncertainty was swept away by the wave of happiness coming from her, filling the emptiness in his chest.
Darian took a deep breath, trying to speak, but Niara was faster. She threw herself at him, pressing her lips against his in a kiss full of desire.
...
Minutes later, the silence between them was comfortable. They stared at each other, their faces just inches apart. Niara's cheeks were still flushed, but her eyes shone with a soft triumph, and the smile never left her lips.
"Was this what you and my mother were hiding?" Darian asked, his voice coming out as a soft whisper, filled with affection.
Niara nodded lightly, her fingers playing with his hair.
"After we had a long talk... when Mother-in-law understood what I truly felt for you, she told me: everything was finally ready. I didn't fully understand what she meant by that, but she gave me all the 'Power of the Book'. She said it was to make sure the chances of success were... reasonable. She also taught me a few other things..."
Darian's eyes shifted. So that was why...
Those bold and surprising attempts Niara had made recently, things that left him speechless, now made perfect sense. He let out a deep sigh, a half-smile forming on his face. It definitely hadn't been bad, but he would've never expected that kind of "strategy" from his mother.
'What did my mother mean by "everything was finally ready"?' The thought crossed his mind for a brief second.
He chose to ignore it for now. Knowing his mother, she would never do anything to harm them. Eventually, her secrets would come to light, but right now, the mystery was secondary.
"Dan..." Niara murmured, her voice breaking his train of thought.
Darian turned his full attention to her and felt his chest tighten. Niara's radiant expression faltered for a split second, replaced by a shadow of doubt and apprehension.
"Are you... Are you happy?"
Darian froze again, but this time for a different reason. Seeing that hint of insecurity in the woman he loved so much felt like a fatal blow.
He quickly nodded, pushing away any trace of hesitation from his mind. In that moment, he understood his new mission. Nothing in the universe — not laws, not gods, not destiny — mattered more than the woman in front of him.
"It was a surprise," he said, leaning in and brushing his nose against hers. "But I'm happy. Definitely happy."
The effect was immediate. The light returned to her eyes, and the radiant smile he loved so much lit up her face once again.
"Hehe..." she let out a soft, cute giggle, resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh of pure satisfaction.
Darian felt the warmth in his chest expand. He had seen Niara as a goddess, as a warrior, and as a sovereign, but he had never seen her as vibrant and enchanting as she was now. In that moment, the man who had defeated death realized that his greatest victory was only just beginning.
...
After that moment, the two got out of bed and decided to spend some time together outside.
They both sat at the top of a hill, side by side. Niara rested her head on his shoulder, holding onto his arm. Like that, they admired the beautiful nature, feeling the fresh air and the calm atmosphere.
At that moment, they used that time to talk about everything. During that whole year, Niara hadn't wanted to stop for long, so they barely talked.
First, Darian started telling her everything he had gone through after reincarnating.
Niara became very emotional when she found out that, even without his memories, Darian hadn't forgotten her.
She had already prepared herself psychologically in case, back then, since Darian wouldn't remember her, he ended up with someone else. That was why, when Ruri gave her that chance, she wanted to rebuild their connection as quickly as possible through this pregnancy. That way, she could make sure Darian wouldn't be able to drift away from her.
At that moment, Darian finally realized that thought of hers. He was very surprised.
"Memories are never lost. We just have temporary amnesia. Everything you and I lived through is still part of what we are in other lives, becoming something instinctive. When I said I loved you and would live with you forever, it wasn't just empty words."
He spoke softly, and she nodded, her eyes filled with tears. Darian sighed. Niara was really different from what he remembered. Maybe it was because of the millions of years she had lived, or the pregnancy. She had always been intense, but now she was much more emotional.
After that, Darian kept talking about everything he had experienced in that universe.
Then Niara started talking about what she had lived through... but even though it had been millions of years, she spent less time talking than he did.
Her life had been very monotonous and repetitive. It was only after she became a sort of half-missionary of Heaven's Will, and visited some universes to solve problems, that she experienced a few things that were at least somewhat different and worth mentioning.
***
The months passed smoothly. Darian and Niara stayed focused, day and night, on each other.
Soon, they started traveling around the universe, observing the natural beauty and the different things that existed. Day after day, Niara and Darian enjoyed the feeling of watching that little child grow.
By the ninth month, the image of Niara with that beautiful belly and a wide smile was also carved into Darian's soul forever.
On a beautiful day, when the sun rose, Darian and Niara were inside the house when both of them felt a strange spatial fluctuation outside.
Darian opened the door and rushed out. Then he stopped, surprised.
"Big Sister, Mother..."
He saw those two women who looked very similar, but at the same time had a huge difference in scale. Both of them looked at him with faint smiles on their faces.
"We came to help her. Stay outside and wait," Ruri said quickly, leaving Darian even more confused.
Without any hesitation, the two of them moved, entering the house and closing the door, leaving him outside in silence.
A few minutes later, Darian heard Niara's slightly painful moans from inside the house. Only then did it hit him, making his eyes widen. They came because his child was about to be born.
Darian had never felt this strangely nervous in his life. Even though he had checked that child with his senses millions and millions of times — and was sure the baby had grown well and healthy — that nervousness was something primitive and instinctive.
...
A few hours later.
A very sharp crying sound rang out, making Darian jump and feel a chill run from head to toe.
Shortly after, the crying stopped.
Then, the door opened.
The first thing Darian felt was a strong smell of blood. Then, a pair of amber eyes appeared, and Niara stepped out the door with slow and slightly shaky steps.
Darian was stunned for two seconds, then moved toward her quickly. In Niara's arms, something small was wrapped in a red cloth.
As they approached and stood face to face, they exchanged looks full of feeling and meaning.
In a strange synchronicity, memories of when they first met surfaced in both their minds. They were in that dark, foul-smelling dungeon when Niara was imprisoned, and Darian was just a newly reborn soul.
Both of them smiled faintly. Then Niara slowly extended her arms forward, handing him over.
"Here is our son. He's a beautiful boy who will learn to be just like you." Her voice sounded melodic.
Darian, a little shaky, reached out and held that small and delicate baby.
He was awake, with his eyes open, but he wasn't crying. His hair was a celestial blue identical to his mother's, and so were his eyes, a vivid and bright amber.
The name had already been chosen by both of them. They had thought of a male and female name; neither Darian nor Niara had checked the gender beforehand, so they wouldn't lose that moment of discovery.
"Arion..." Darian murmured.
At the door of the house, Ruri and Meru watched the scene in silence, both with wide smiles on their faces.
...
A short while later, everyone was inside the house.
Niara was sitting on a chair, breastfeeding little Arion and radiating an almost sacred aura in Darian's eyes.
He was nearby, standing beside his mother and sister.
After his emotions settled, as he looked at that baby... Darian finally felt something different.
First of all, he activated his curse, but only saw a very light gray karma. That color was definitely very rare.
After taking a deep breath and focusing, he realized.
He felt a strange familiarity.
"Oh, you finally noticed?" Meru's voice sounded softly beside him.
Darian turned, looking at his Big Sister with a confused expression.
At that moment, Ruri spoke lightly. "That boy formed a karmic connection with you in your past life. Before... his karma was somewhat strange. It was dark and dense, but at the same time, it was already in the process of regenerating. His consciousness was already prepared for a great change."
"Your father noticed that and gave him a push... or a curse, depending on how you see it. In short, his soul was restored, and then he was sent to the most problematic and chaotic universes possible. That way, he went through the worst and hardest trials," she paused and looked into Darian's eyes.
"In the end, he not only cultivated and reached the peak of cultivation in those universes, becoming someone important there, but he was also recognized as a great hero. He helped found powerful organizations built to support the universe, leaving behind an incredible legacy."
"It wasn't just once. He died naturally and was sent to another... and another... during the time you were dead waiting for your new body to reincarnate, he lived a dozen complex lives. But in all of them, he didn't let himself be corrupted and rose as a just leader who saved many people, being remembered forever across the universes."
"Because of that, all his dark karma was almost completely purified. You could say he's neutral now. And now, since his karma and yours had already been connected before, he had what was needed to be born as your son."
Ruri finished. Both Darian and Niara listened in silence, very surprised.
Darian thought for a moment... who was that person before?
"!"
Suddenly, a single figure appeared in his mind.
It was a man with green hair and red eyes, with a huge hole in his chest, on his deathbed. He had a melancholic expression, but his final words carried satisfaction.
"V-Vanh..."
Darian stuttered, stunned.
That was the name of his cousin in another life. The son of a mother who loved him, but he himself had been a terrible person who deserved to die.
Darian first met him at the Earth Rookie Tournament, and he was a typical bastard Young Master. Niara and Darian fought together and didn't hold back at all in beating and humiliating him back then.
Later... at the Young Sage Tournament, Darian met him again, when Vanh had no memories. In that tournament, Darian taught him many things. But he never imagined it would have such a huge impact on that person.
When Darian returned, after being gone for ten years, he discovered that Vanh had completely changed. And during the long time spent in Niara's universe, where everyone was trapped... he became a hero who led the Spiritual Guardians and kept the galaxy protected.
Even so... fate was cruel to both of them. Darian and Vanh had to fight to the death.
Niara sighed, feeling the soft baby against her chest. Then she smiled, satisfied. Her son was someone who, even before being born, was already a loyal follower and admirer of his father. She couldn't be more satisfied.
