From Dawn World, the Storm Heavens Mystic Realm, Azure Rain Star, and Death Emperor Star to Calypto, Eien, the Wild Continent, the Ancient God Clan, and finally Beast Emperor Star; in the almost 10 years since he left the Human Domain, Damien never stopped moving.
He became stronger and stronger, and even fumbled a few times along the way. He met countless friends and enemies alike, and suffered untold pain to rise as fast as he could.
Somehow, he'd been able to propel himself from the very beginning of 4th class all the way to its extreme peak in the same amount of time most people took to just cross 50 or so levels, and yet, he was never satisfied.
The longer he stayed in the wider universe, the greater he felt those forces that held him down and the more he realized the need for forces that kept him grounded.
It was difficult to think about "family" in Damien's situation.
After all, if he ever allowed himself to waver, he'd fall. He'd been on an incline ever since the Fifth Primal Sovereign died, but the steeper the incline became, the easier it was for the smallest touch to send him tumbling back down the mountain.
To adapt to this pressure, his mind changed and elevated itself, viewing the world similarly to an Emperor, though Damien's behavior didn't match his mentality.
It had been several years since the last time Damien truly thought of his family, barring the traumatic illusion the Marionette Lord showed him not long ago.
He didn't want to admit it, but he'd pushed them to the back of his mind because he didn't believe he'd be able to see them any time soon.
It was the same thing that happened when he first surfaced on Apeiron and realized how difficult it'd be to return to Earth, only, the scale was far, far more massive.
However, recently, with the Grand Assembly approaching, Damien had been gradually preparing himself for that moment of meeting again, so he could embrace his loved ones at his full capacity.
Still, for someone as in touch with himself as Damien, his feelings always manifested vaguely.
And he was forced to step back and ask himself:
Just…what was he supposed to be feeling right now?
***
The Valhalla Mystic Realm wasn't like most others. Rather than a Mystic Realm with a task that needed completion before it opened, it was a prison realm that trapped its successors until it felt they were ready to leave.
Elena stayed there for years on end, trying her best to grasp the abilities of the Valkyries, but as she did, she realized that the grand race of the past had several flaws.
Aside from their black-and-white perception of the universe, they were extremely reclusive and rarely had contact with outsiders. Even when birthing new members of the clan, Valkyries would get pregnant on the outside and return to their clan land, cutting all contact with the father without making him aware of the baby's existence.
It was a cruel method of survival that the Valkyries felt justified as it "maintained the sanctity of their clan," however, as a descendant, Elena couldn't agree with this philosophy.
The longer she stayed in the Valhalla Mystic Realm and learned about the Valkyries, the more she believed there was a justified reason for the clan's downfall, and a large part of it was their own fault.
Therefore, she vowed to never become like them.
Being honest, Elena's past self wasn't much different from them. She also had such a decisively one-sided view of justice that separated the world into black and white, and when it came to interacting with others, she was never the best at expressing herself, making it difficult for her to find people she could genuinely trust.
And in a fit of youthful impulsivity, she ran away from those people with her black-and-white worldview guiding her actions.
She always believed she was right in leaving, and that didn't change because of what she saw, but she came to regret the "method" by which she left.
It was hurtful and cold, almost as if she was casting aside those she cared about.
Her outlook began to shift, and as if acknowledging that shift, the Valhalla Mystic Realm opened its doors for her.
Almost like it was also aware of the flaws of the Valkyrie race.
Nevertheless, from that point, Elena traveled to Eien and spent years fighting on the deathly battlefield, making several connections and enemies of her own and establishing a position in the universe.
Even though she hadn't spent much time climbing the Dimensional Leaderboard, her name was quite well-known in certain sectors of the universe.
And as she grew, her desire to return to the Human Domain only heightened.
That was, until she one day saw a familiar name at the top of the Dimensional Leaderboard.
She suddenly realized that something must have happened in the Human Domain, and if she wanted to meet all her loved ones at once, returning wasn't the best solution.
Instead, she turned her eyes to the upcoming "Grand Assembly" that she heard so much about from her comrades,
Supposedly it was a meeting of the universe's top forces that only the most prestigious could attend. It was said that all sectors would come together, even the ever-elusive Human Domain, to plan a true counterattack on the Nox.
However, the only people allowed at the Grand Assembly were those top forces, as well as the best of the younger generation from these forces.
Thus, as someone who'd wandered as a vagrant for so many years, Elena needed to find a force to join.
Didn't the Genesis Bead reveal itself at the perfect time?
Elena originally planned to gain both the treasure and the Golden Dragon Clan's support in this escapade, granting her a spot in the upcoming event, but an entirely unexpected turn of events took place and landed her here, on a bed somewhere in the Golden Dragon Palace, a higher existence than she was than she arrived.
Yet, regardless of the elevation of her being, she was still at a loss for words.
She could confidently say that at this moment, she was prepared for every possible situation except for the one she was in.
And she couldn't form a single cohesive thought on how to proceed.
***
In the silence of the small, isolated room, two people stared into each other's eyes, never breaking the connection between their gazes even as minutes passed by.
Noticing something odd about the situation, the physicians and medical staff excused themselves several minutes ago, but Damien and Elena didn't even notice.
They were still lost in each other's eyes, neither able to formulate thoughts or words to break the ice.
Damien could feel his palms becoming sweaty. It was a strange feeling, one he'd forgotten with his control over bodily responses.
However, today wasn't a day where "control" held much value.
In the end, he raised his eyes and cracked a half-smile, letting his words flow as they wanted.
And the result…
"Uh…hi…?"
…made him want to bury his head in the concrete and die.
