Why did he do it? Even he didn't know. Did he not trust Elena? That wasn't the reason. He just wanted her to be safe. He wanted a guarantee.
So rather than providing her a bodyguard, he was providing her a human shield. A one-time-use item that could protect her from death.
Considering her attitude before she left, if he tried to give her anything more, it'd be a mistake.
But just giving her one more safety measure didn't improve Damien's mood at all. The rain encapsulating the Central Continent was endless.
'Have I not been growing?' Damien questioned. He didn't even realize how much he had left to learn until Elena said it to his face. If he couldn't even recognize his faults, didn't that mean he was still stuck? Was all his talk of growing just for show?
'No.' He realized it instantly. He had definitely grown from the person he used to be. 'But my starting line wasn't the same as everyone else's.'
He regressed emotionally and became a beast in the dungeon. From there, he had to regain his humanity before anything else. Only after that was he able to focus on solving his own trauma. In that time, he didn't have any chance to consider anyone else.
After all, personal mental health was more important than anything else. Sacrificing one's own mental health for someone else was just as, if not more, toxic than their relationship had been so far.
It could be said that he was absolving himself of blame again, but it was simply the truth. How could a Damien who was running away from himself accommodate others?
When he completed the Trial of Self, he broke even. He was finally on the starting line.
But everyone else was already many laps ahead.
Time didn't wait for him to grow. The knots of his relationships didn't stop getting further tangled just because he wanted them to.
He was already too late by the time he was ready.
It was a situation where everyone was a victim, but Elena definitely took the brunt of the pain. Damien at least had Rose by his side, while Elena was alone. Damien's other struggles kept his mind away from these kinds of problems, but Elena was submerged in them for years.
There wasn't a right or wrong in this matter, and that was why Damien couldn't get mad at her and couldn't deny her words at all.
'To meet again when we're the best versions of ourselves, huh…but, I don't think I'll be able to achieve that at the same time you do.'
Damien sighed heavily. The rain became fiercer. He didn't know what to do.
But he had to move forward.
Elena was gone, but she wasn't gone forever. If he wanted to be together with her when she returned, he needed to improve himself.
'Strength is important, but the mind is as well. Perfect balance between the body and mind, this is the peak state that I wish to reach.'
Maybe it wasn't possible before Elena returned, he could accept that. But he couldn't accept not making any progress in the time he had.
Now that he knew his mistakes, all that was left was to fix them. And then, he could prove that he was worthy of Elena's devotion, the very same devotion he neglected until it was no longer by his side.
About what he had, what he lost, and what he took for granted. His parting with Elena truly made him reflect on it.
Perhaps the skies wished to remain filled with rain. It was a seasonal change that the Central Continent rarely got to see.
But it was enough. The skies had cried until their tears ran dry. The Central Continent thoroughly understood its sorrows.
So, the rain would have to give way to the sun's rays at some point.
And time would drift on regardless.
Damien stood up, his mind free of extraneous thought. His body flickered like a candle wisp and faded from existence.
2 days later, the rain finally stopped.
And 3 months after that, the Cloud Plane's purge ended as well.
***
Somewhere in the starry sky, thousands of kilometers away from the Cloud Plane, a woman sat atop a flight artifact that drifted through space.
But her pace was slow. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off the direction of the world she was leaving.
She sighed to herself. She made the decision to leave after a great deal of thought. Even though her timing in announcing it made it seem like it was directly related to her issue with Damien, that simply wasn't true.
Regardless of how their conversation went, she was still going to leave.
And that was why it hurt so much.
'I wonder how long it'll be until our next meeting…?' She wondered inwardly.
If she was being honest, she wasn't as mad at Damien as she made it seem when they talked. She was plenty aware that she also played a large part in their twisted relationship.
But her bottled-up emotions influenced her in the moment and caused her outburst.
And although those emotions were plenty real, they weren't how she was feeling anymore. The knots in her heart loosened greatly after she finally voiced her inner negativity.
But perhaps, it was best that way. With the way she parted from him, they were both filled with determination to move forward.
And that was all she could hope for.
'Haa…the goodbyes are all done, but I still haven't left. Won't it be embarrassing if they see me?' Elena joked, trying to cheer herself up.
But there was nobody there to answer her. Her mood became somewhat downcast.
Everything in the world represented duality. Within the good there was bad, and within the bad there was good. Regardless of her words, Elena's memories of the time she spent with Damien and his party were mostly memories she cherished.
The issues in her heart didn't stop her from thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere created within the small group.
But, now that they were gone, now that she had to continue onward alone for a nondescript period of time, she regretted acting hastily.
'No, this is a necessary step. If I want to keep up with those geniuses and stand by their side, I must train constantly and get stronger. Just like I've always done.'
She spent nearly 24 hours a day in the dungeon after Damien fell. She ate in the dungeon, slept in the dungeon, and hunted in the dungeon.
Although her situation was far better than Damien's since she had the option to leave the dungeons, along with access to anything Earth had to offer, it wouldn't be a mistake to say she spent 2 years trapped in the dungeon as well.
All she needed to do was channel that spirit, remember her drive from back then…
And then capitalize on that drive to gain power.
So she remembered.
She remembered how hungry she was back then, how she devoured all the experience the dungeons provided her…
Elena's eyes shot open. They glowed in sapphire-white light as her purpose was reaffirmed.
With one last look at the Cloud Plane, she turned her flight artifact around and shot off into the distance, her destination unknown even to her.
