Damien's return to society should've been celebrated greatly, but he didn't allow Elvira and Lynn to spread the news.
After all, his current visit would be a short one.
His original doubt of whether or not entering the Sanctuary would count as abandoning his post was solved quite easily when he put his mind to it, but not completely.
He could come as long as his clones were active outside, but if he left for too long, his clones would disperse and his presence would truly leave No Return Pass, which…wouldn't be good for anyone.
But, he was happy he came.
The fresh air of this place and the homely feeling of the universe's laws hugging him was more refreshing than anyone, and seeing the faces of those he'd been missing and worrying about eased his heart.
'My entrance was greater than expected. Who would've thought they'd be talking about me?' He thought to himself with a grin.
He was obviously planning to make a surprise entrance, but the timing was absolute perfection.
And…
While Lynn didn't show it, being a woman who hardly ever dropped her cold exterior, Elvira was extraordinarily warm, giving him a proper welcome home.
The second she realized his presence wasn't an illusion, she rushed forward and pulled him into a hug.
Damien's eyes widened.
"This…"
"Shut up and accept it. We've missed you."
"Hmm…"
Damien smiled. His relationship with Elvira was…subtle, but she'd never done something like this before.
"I'll allow it for now."
He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her warmth for a few seconds before separating.
"How's everyone doing? It hasn't been too hard, right?"
"Hah, you're saying that to provoke us, right? There can't be another reason.
Damien turned to Lynn with his head tilted curiously.
"Hm? What could you possibly mean by that?"
"Tch, you're always the same."
"Would you like it better if I changed?"
"No, and that's why it sucks."
"Hahahaha!"
Damien laughed jovially.
He'd wholeheartedly missed an atmosphere like this.
"I'd love to catch up with you, but we have plenty of time to do that later. I guess I have a few visits to make first."
"Mm," Elvira responded understandingly.
"Putting the rest aside, Xue'er has missed you dearly. She hasn't stopped talking about you since the last time you left."
"Ah…"
Damien's expression turned wry.
The more his schedule tightened, the less time he had to spend with her.
'She's an adult now, huh…'
It was genuinely ridiculous to think about.
That little girl was an adult?
It was impossible in his mind.
It almost made him scared to go see her, but that was just an "almost."
After bidding goodbye to Elvira and Lynn, he immediately made his way to Theavel.
Not only to see his little sister, but also the rest of the family he'd built through his travels.
He paid special visits to Lucius, Bai Yuxuan, Feng Yuxiang, Bianca Snow, Tephit, and even Elitra, who'd somehow become a leader amongst the younger generation despite her…strange personality.
He was delighted to see the growth of his people. It was a surprising feeling, considering how he tried to remain uninvolved with their matters and let them grow on their own.
But no matter what it was, it made him so happy his Mind Prison defenses almost broke and let his ego flood back into his mind.
More than anyone else though, he spent time with Xue'er.
At this point, she was already around 20. She had grown up into a beautiful young woman, and her power already surpassed most of her elders.
Damien only had two or three days to spend here. It wasn't enough at all.
But he did everything he could with it.
Everything had changed.
The Sanctuary wasn't the Sanctuary he knew anymore, and the people he knew had evolved into more mature forms of himself that were entertaining to see.
But it pronounced his feeling of being separated from society severely.
It made him feel like he was the only one standing still in this ever-changing world.
But perhaps even he was changing in ways he couldn't see.
Day turned to night and night turned to day. Xue'er happily took Damien around the Sanctuary and showed him the sights he hadn't seen, and throughout the entire time, she never mentioned her grievance.
She was old enough to understand him. Rather than holding a grudge, she felt sorrow at his situation and wished she could do more to help.
Nevertheless, it was a time of peace.
By the time Damien returned to Elvira and Lynn, a day and a half had passed.
He had to break the peace now.
He had to face the reality he'd been avoiding for the past 5 years.
'Hmm…'
As he followed the two women through Avalon and listened to their updates on the Sanctuary's progress, he spread his senses to feel for foreign presences.
Unfortunately, there were none.
'Have they not come since I left? Or perhaps it's just been a long time.'
He shook his head.
'No, perhaps it's better that way.'
He wanted to have the warm reunion he'd been waiting for, but now wasn't the time.
He came here to understand what was happening outside.
Because there were only 26 days before his imprisonment period ended.
Shouldn't he start preparing to re-enter the scene?
Elvira, Lynn, and Damien walked until they made it to the same office where Damien and Lynn had their past conversation about his mother.
They sat comfortably on the couches on the side wall instead of moving to the desk, and their conversation began.
"I know you're curious about what's been happening to me, but we'll have to save that for later. I need to know."
The two women's expressions fell slightly.
The mood was jovial until then, filled with the air of reminiscence, but such an atmosphere wouldn't be able to continue any longer.
It was truly a shame.
"Do we have to start now? Can we not take a few days to rest first?" Elvira asked.
Even though she understood how meaningless her words were, she still felt the urge to say them.
Damien smiled apologetically.
'As expected, they've been suffering.'
He felt bad for putting them back into the solemn feeling they'd held for who knows how long, but there was no choice.
"I have to know. Just how bad has it gotten?"
Elvira hesitated, glancing over at Lynn, who sighed.
'Of course it's going to be pushed onto me.'
She straightened her back and fixed her expression, looking Damien directly in the eye as she started speaking.
"Bad is an understatement. Viewing the overall situation, it can be considered abominable."
With yet another sigh, Lynn began explaining from the start.
From the relatively stable war from when Damien first left, to what was currently taking place, now that hope had become faint.
There wasn't much fluctuation in Damien's expression.
No, it only got worse and worse with every word she spoke.
The more he heard, the more his anger boiled, and the more his emotions fell out his his control.
The current situation…
He couldn't really speak on it as an outsider.
But hearing about it…
…frankly, it was numbing.
