In a few moments, the eight stood in silence amidst the devastated land. Ruri waved, and soon after, Rununa and Deryu returned to their beastly world. The whale turned to the four behind him; they all heard what was said and remained silent, all looking strangely at him and Ruri. The whale remained indifferent, but Almin noticed something evident in his brother.
"I was about to complete the pill recipe. I have to return quickly now that everything is over," said Almin, feigning indifference.
The other three understood the message. Thea was the first to speak up. "Sir, leave this to me. I have mechanisms ready to take all the new residents to the city quickly. Corin and Rehvka can assist me with the Qi. Leave them with us; in a day, they will be safe in the city."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The whale sighed and continued. "I’ll leave this to you then. Ruri and I still have matters to attend to in the sect. In a few days, we’ll be back."
They smiled faintly and began to move as if fleeing. Ruri accompanied the four. She communicated to all of her people that they would be safely taken to the sacred city. The four were honored with the status of heralds of the divine being; those who would lead them to the new world.
The inhabitants of Montide departed quickly. It was still night, and within hours the world of those thousands of humans had completely changed. Thea equipped metallic objects on their backs, simulating a spiritual root; in no time, everyone began to fly magically. They advanced at a moderate pace over the forest. The consumption of Qi was intense, but with four alternating between providing and protecting everyone against beast attacks, the journey would be smooth.
Shortly after they departed, Ruri slowly returned and landed in front of the whale. She looked into his eyes, somewhat anxious, while Alm and Bruno watched her in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
Ruri lowered her gaze, gripping her skirt tightly, her heart beating uncontrollably in her chest. There was no need to say anything; what needed to be discussed and clarified between them was clear. The status of their relationship would have to be finally defined, for better or for worse. Alm and Bruno couldn’t pretend to be with her just to solve all the problems. They knew her feelings; it would be cruel to prolong the uncertainty and feed false hopes.
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Internally, Bruno remained silent, letting Alm take control of the situation. Alm understood Bruno’s thoughts perfectly; if it were up to him, everything would have been clarified and taken seriously long ago. Bruno didn’t worry about the future; he wanted to live each moment as if it were the last with her. However, accepting this reality would be like setting a time bomb on their souls.
As her disciple, there was a physical and emotional distance that separated them, although their relationship was already peculiar. But committing fully would mean surrendering completely and becoming increasingly attached to her with each passing day. Both knew that once Ruri completely enveloped them, there would be no turning back. If something happened to her in the future... not even Alm could imagine how he would overcome it again.
Minutes passed, and the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon. Ruri slowly lifted her eyes and met his, sensing her master’s internal conflict. She couldn’t judge him; she knew everything he had been through. She knew his traumas and had even relived his memories. Just remembering the infinite pain she felt coming from him in that memory... but... she wanted this, she wanted to do more than just hold his arm. She wanted to feel united with him body and soul.
"Master..." She forced the words out, trembling. "I may not be Isla, but... I swear I won’t be a burden. If I can’t keep up with you, you can abandon me... just... give me a chance..."
Alm saw her eyes welling up with tears, and a terrible pain pierced him.
’Can you really reject her and continue living?’ Bruno commented mentally. ’I am you, I know what you feel. Think for a moment, who are we now? Are we still Bruno or Alm?’
Alm remained silent, watching Ruri, who stood firm with determination in her eyes.
’Since we accepted her as our disciple, we haven’t just changed her life, but we’ve been completely transformed. She’s not just our student or someone we trust,’ Bruno continued slowly.
’She taught us love again, in many different ways. Now, whenever we do something, we think of her first. I’m sure she does the same; we both inspire each other to live. In this world of chaos and death... to have something like that, even if it lasts for a short while, is a blessing.’
’Do you think we can defeat the queen just with our knowledge and help from the system? How many other missionaries have failed? Think about our current power, and Ruri’s power. Do you think we achieved everything on our own?’
Alm sighed inwardly. Indeed, Ruri was just a talent from an ascending world. But now, she was at a level that few would reach even in the divine world. They contributed, but they couldn’t have done all of this on their own. Every day she grew stronger and stronger, very quickly and on her own. They gave her the tools, and she worked hard to elevate herself with them. This proved that Ruri could overcome any obstacle. Her will was infinite, and they shaped it in the right direction... the problem was that the direction intertwined with them.
As for them, they accumulated terrifying things and constantly evolved them; they even developed techniques of which they had no idea of the limits, or if there was a limit. It wasn’t all given by the system. Both their limits were expanding infinitely. Alone, life was a cold gray, judged only logically. With her, everything seemed clear and beautiful, even in winding paths.
The mental conversation lasted only five seconds. At that moment, Ruri’s face crumbled into tears, overwhelmed by overwhelming fear. She didn’t know what to do; she couldn’t continue like this forever. Her whole being cried out daily, just for his smell and warmth; she already felt completely enveloped.
The only way out was to move forward, and now that things were aligning... what if he didn’t accept her? Could she continue living by his side as if nothing had happened? The mere idea made her world collapse. She didn’t want that; she increasingly wished to be close to him; not just mentally or spiritually, but mainly physically.
"Master..." She paused as his hand moved gently and touched her face. The warmth of that hand made her body tremble. Their gazes met, and a tenderness comforted her.
Alm spoke softly. "You’re still young. We’ve only lived together for about seven years."
"No. Since the day I first saw you, in my other life, when I looked into the celestial karma and saw the future; I spent all that time wishing to be by your side. And also, every second of this new life, since the day you took over this body, I’ve felt this way. That’s why... I even took advantage of those young ones from the Divinestone clan; they beat me up and I didn’t care. I ran to you that day because I wanted you to look at me."
She spoke, and a sweet smile blossomed. "I love you, master. Even if eternity passes, I’ll still feel the same. Just give me this chance. If I die, live a little without me... but... I’ll soon be back by your side again... I’ll reincarnate and always seek you out... I love you."
Alm and Bruno felt something extraordinary with those words, a new and intense sensation blossoming within them. After a few seconds of tense silence, Alm let out a deep sigh. It was undeniable; he feared the idea of Ruri deeply entering their lives... but at the same time, he realized that it had already happened long ago. What they felt for her was no less than what she felt for them, definitely.
If the body they inhabited were destroyed, would they leave? No, it would be an irreparable loss, but they would start over from scratch with her without hesitation. If she died, would they allow her reincarnation? No, they would do everything to bring her back to life.
Focusing on her, Alm spoke slowly. "Let’s take it slow. As my disciple, I’ll take care of you forever as your master. It’s simple and straightforward. But if you truly want to be with me as a woman, a lot will change. It won’t be quick, and there are no guarantees. Let’s move forward step by step, strengthening our relationship, while unforeseen events may occur. Are you willing to risk everything like this?"
She heard that, and suddenly, the sunlight rising on the horizon seemed to focus all its brightness on her. Ruri seemed to have her own light, her emotions bursting out of her.
"Yes, I want to be your woman. I want to be by your side, no matter what happens." Her words came out as a radiant smile illuminated her face.
Alm nodded, trying to suppress what he felt. Her eyes stared at him intensely, her whole body warm, their breaths and heartbeats completely aligned. Her desire was fervent, clear, and direct. If they let things flow, they didn’t know if they could stop.
Even Bruno felt he should hold back on this for now. Things couldn’t be rushed like this. Ruri was like a beast wanting to devour them... or wanting them to devour her...
Alm sighed and mentally spoke to Bruno. ’Let’s even this out. You did it twice before, I only once.’ With that, Ruri felt herself levitating, being guided to draw closer to his face.
Being very close and feeling his breath, she felt a burst of heat coursing through her body and soul, an overwhelming desire that consumed her entirely. As the first rays of a new dawn illuminated the horizon, the sensation was as if a new chapter of their lives was about to begin.
Alm’s life ended when love was completely extinguished in him. Now, a new day was dawning, marking not just the start of a journey, but a deep and transformative new beginning.
The rising sun painted the sky with vibrant shades of pink and orange, reflecting the intensity of the emotions enveloping them. It was as if the universe was celebrating, making that moment even more magical and special. A fourth connection between them formed, but this time not just to unite their souls, but to seal their intertwined destiny indelibly.
As if moved by an irresistible force, Alm and Ruri drew closer slowly, their lips meeting in a passionate and deep kiss. In that moment, time seemed to dissolve, leaving only the sensation that they were one. It was as if they were completely surrendering to each other, their wills and minds mingling, and nothing else existed. And thus, under the radiant glow of the rising sun, they completely sealed the future of the two together.