1399 Void Palace [4]
Damien was soon introduced to everyone else who made up the core of Void Palace, those who would be his family from now on.
First came Yiren Void, his adopted sister. She was the second youngest of the batch, but her seniority was above the rest because of her unique situation.
Second was a girl named Hestia Void. She was Claire's second child, his blood-related younger sister, and was the true youngest of the group.
She looked just like him, with the same hair, eyes, and sharp facial features, but her personality was far removed from his. She was shy, and hardly said a word when she was introduced, but it only added to her charm.
She had just turned twenty years old and she was already a 4th class practitioner. As for how she reached that level, Damien had no idea.
He only knew that the Void Clan's talent was unparalleled beyond belief.
Aside from his two sisters on his mother's side, he also had two brothers on Serena's side.
They were named Dominic and Darius Void. They were 150 and 100 respectively, older than Damien, but oddly enough, they didn't act it at all.
Rather, the second their turn came, they rushed up to him and asked him numerous questions about his adventures in the lower universe and his power, as if they were younger brothers who'd been waiting for their older brother to return from a trip overseas.
These two were powerful, and almost at the Demigod level despite their young age. It would likely only take them a few hundred more years to reach it at their current pace.
And while Damien expected there to be some grievance among them, he was wrong.
None of them found his presence unwelcome, including his uncle and aunt, the last two people in the room, Brontus Hugo and Persia Solstice.
Void Palace was truly a family.
Dante married Claire and Serena, while Brontus and Persia got married as well. In reality, their five clans could be considered one major clan. The only reason they were kept apart was because they each had their own specialty and purpose.
And Damien…he was their Young Lord without question.
The Young Lord position had always been designated for the first son between Dante and Claire. When Damien's fate was unknown, there was talk about giving it to one of the other sons, but when his life was confirmed, the spot was returned to him.
Yet, despite the twists and turns, there were no bitter feelings more than childish grievances among the heirs of Void Palace.
Dominic and Darius viewed Damien as their close brother, Hestia saw him as the older brother she'd always wanted, though she was too shy to admit it, and while Yiren is more resistant towards accepting him, she stopped doubting his qualifications after seeing his growth in the lower universe.
Obviously, Damien couldn't become close to each and every one of them in the short time he'd been here, but that was something that could be developed over time.
Once the introductions were finished and some conversation was had, the rest of the family departed from the area so Claire could have some alone time with her son.
It was clear they had a lot to catch up on.
They really did.
When they were finally alone, Claire practically broke down. Her tears didn't stop streaming for a very long time, to the point where Damien couldn't hold himself back either.
But they eventually got into conversation. Damien was able to tell her everything, from the moment he left her in Apeiron to the moment he saw her again in the Heavenly World.
Claire was a God. She had experienced her fair share of dangers and fortune, however, hearing the stories of her son was a completely different monster.
She almost had a heart attack hearing about smaller things like his fight against Sebastian, the butler. Her reaction when she heard about the Ancient Battlefield's happenings could be imagined.
She didn't want her son doing so much dangerous stuff, but since she couldn't do anything about it, she at least wanted him to exercise caution while doing so.
Knowing he was doing his best to stay alive was the most she could ask for.
Of course, Damien conveniently forgot to mention the time he actually died, but Claire didn't need to know that, did she?
"My son…"
There was a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"...I truly apologize for not being there for you."
She knew it wasn't enough to apologize, but she apologized anyway. She truly regretted not being there for him, but their circumstances didn't allow them to have the familial relationship everyone else had.
It made her infinitely sorrowful, but it was reality.
"No."
It wasn't reality unless Damien said it was.
"Mom, you can't be saying things like that. To me, you are the most perfect mother I could ask for. You did everything possible to give me happiness even when you were at your lowest. Back then, I was too young to notice it, but I'm an adult now. This time, let me take care of you. Just sit back and watch as your problems solve themselves. I'll show you what kind of man your son has grown into."
Those were his honest feelings. He had gripes upon gripes upon gripes with his father, but there was nothing of the sort for Claire.
His mother did everything she could with what she had. Asking for more was just entitlement on his side.
And she'd always felt guilty. If she was really a bad mother, would that feeling have any sort of place in her heart?
Damien didn't want her to feel it anymore. He wanted her to see him thrive and realize how great she did as a mother.
He wanted her to have peace and happiness for the rest of her life.
For that, he was prepared to do anything.
"Damien…"
The tears started again.
She was proud beyond belief. She truly couldn't find a way to express it properly.
Damien knew that as well, and he didn't need her to say anything.
Rather…
"Mom, remember how I introduced you to some people last time we met?"
Claire's expression suddenly brightened.
"Ah! That girl Rose and our little Elena, right? Of course I remember them. Don't tell me…"
She remembered his strange reaction from a while back.
And Damien nodded as if to confirm her thoughts.
"There are a few more introductions to be made."
He wanted to make his mother happy.
Wasn't the best way to do it by introducing her to her daughters-in-law?
He made sure to tell the girls about this meeting a bit back, and they'd been rushing to prepare themselves in the Sanctuary since then.
They dropped everything they were doing, from training to executive duties, and prepared their appearances and hearts.
And the time came.
Four women appeared behind Damien, each with their own unique charm and appearance.
Yet, the one thing they had in common was how they awkwardly squirmed as they struggled to compose themselves for this meeting with the parents that happened without nearly enough prior notice.
Claire looked at each of them individually before glancing back at Damien.
And the look in her eyes…
Well, what came next was definitely a spectacle.
