Another day cycle passed as Damien and Elena remained on the beach, but with a newly set time dilation supporting them, they had all the time in the world to waste.
At least for a bit.
For hours on end, the two talked about their experiences, their thoughts, and so much more. Even though they'd viewed each other's experiences already, there was a different feeling hearing it directly from the other party's mouth.
They laughed, they mourned, and they reached a point where they understood each other far more than they ever did, all in the span of that single day.
Only with the Void's quiet support was this possible.
And the duo themselves completely embraced the elusive force's pushing. After all, now that they were older, they truly understood how key communication was in a relationship.
When they were younger, this was another fact they thought they knew, but of course, considering how their relationship derailed so rapidly, it was clear that they didn't know anything at all.
What they thought was "communication" was just venting. They merely threw their emotions at each other and expected the other party to accommodate them.
But since when was that viable at all? If anything, it could even be considered toxic to an extent.
With calm minds and connected hearts, they solved any previous misunderstandings between them easily. Though they'd already moved on from these issues and grown out of them, it was still important to clarify so they could truly start over.
And that's what they did.
They ignored the universe, they ignored their responsibilities, and with this time they had alone, they made sure nothing would ever drive a wedge between them again.
"Jealousy" was the emotion Elena felt so fiercely back then, jealousy that clouded her positive feelings and drove her to act impulsively.
As for Damien…well, his main problem had always been biting off more than he could chew.
There was a common saying that it was impossible to love others if one didn't love oneself, and Damien somewhat embodied this concept.
He was never ready to have more than one wife, but in the heat of passion and romance, he'd forgone his better judgement and made a mess.
Did he regret it?
Not at all.
But did he feel sorry for the three women he disappointed with his bullshit?
Absolutely.
In the end, both of them were blaming themselves and absolving the other party of all blame. It took a very long time for them to finally accept that the problem was in the relationship's very existence.
Luckily, the past existed to reminisce on, not to live in.
"Do you were the Valkyrie aiming for the Genesis Bead, huh? That damn emperor should've mentioned a name or something, it would've saved me so much trouble," Damien complained as he lay back in the sand.
Elena chuckled, summoning the bead from her spatial ring. "It's the same for me. If I knew you were the one who needed the bead, I wouldn't have tried so hard to snatch it."
Damien shook his head. "No, it's fine. While I did sign a Mana Oath with the emperor to return the bead to the Ancient God Clan, nothing can be done if they don't accept it, right?"
He glanced at the bead and cracked a sly slime.
"Plus, it's not like it's possible for them to take it anymore, am I right?"
"You noticed quick. Even I don't know what happened. It suddenly appeared before me while I was stuck in that strange space and bound itself to me. I can feel that this bead is now truly a part of my body."
Elena reached out and touched the Genesis Bead, causing it to lightly ripple with light fluctuations, almost as if it was happily receiving her touch.
"That strange space…" Damien muttered, glancing at their interlocked hands.
The wisps of Void Mana surrounding their clasp didn't disperse even now.
"Elena, did you perhaps receive anything while you were in the cocoon?" He asked.
"Multiple things, actually," Elena said with a nod, "I found a path to the peak, gained immense comprehension of Life Laws, and I even gained a title."
"Title?"
"Mm, it says [Daughter of the Void]. Cool, isn't it?"
"Keuk…y-yeah, very cool," Damien stammered.
He slightly turned his face away, feeling heat rising to his cheeks.
'Is this what it feels like when your girlfriend gains the approval of your parents?' He wondered to himself, trying to calm down the slight fluttering in his chest.
If there was anything he expected, it definitely wasn't that!
Of course, while Elena knew about the Void Physique, she definitely didn't know about the strange relationship he had with the Void, thus leaving her unaware of the title's true meaning.
'Luckily, the Void hid anything about itself in our memory exchange, otherwise, I would be dying of embarrassment right now,'
While he didn't want to admit it, he was definitely already dying of embarrassment, but that didn't need to be mentioned.
'Putting that aside…'
"Being acknowledged by the Void is definitely a good thing. You're already at level 399, right? Stepping into the extreme peak should be a breeze now that you have the Void's backing," he commented.
"Right? I don't quite understand it, but I can feel that if I focus on Life Laws, I'll be able to grow stronger at least 10 times faster than I could before!"
"Haha, then you'll finally be able to keep up with me," Damien stated, puffing his chest arrogantly.
"Tch, you only know how to brag," Elena said teasingly, lightly punching his arm.
Damien glanced over, catching sight of her and inexplicably getting lost in her eyes.
Those deep, ocean-blue eyes that were even more beautifully pronounced with the true ocean in the background truly had his soul in a chokehold.
"Should we get going?" Elena suddenly said, looking into the air.
"Should we?" Damien repeated hesitantly.
"We have to," Elena said with a smile.
"Do we?" Damien asked again.
"Mm, we do. Your time dilation won't hold out for much longer, right?"
"I mean, we could always go to the Sanctuary…"
Elena's smile widened. She giggled lightly as she stood up and reached her hand out to him.
"What're you hesitating for? Even if there are things left unsaid right now, don't we have an eternity to say them?"
Damien returned her smile warmly, grabbing her hand and standing up.
"Indeed we do," he said, gazing into the beautiful horizon one last time.
He really, really didn't want to leave.
He was afraid that once he began working again, he would never have the time for a moment like this again, ironic coming from someone who could control the concept.
Yet, it was true.
He had a history of neglecting the most important things when he became too set on a task.
'Ah, what am I thinking about?'
Damien shook his head and cleared his thoughts. His eyes went down to his and Elena's hands as the smile on his face widened.
'An eternity…right, even if I'm absolutely romantically incompetent, even I'll be able to better myself if I have an eternity.'
Thinking too much was a habit that always wronged him, so he would crush it right here and now!
With that final thought filling the air with an aura of determination and spirit, Damien and Elena vanished from the mysterious world.
Their presence was the first in several million years, and perhaps it would be the last for several million more.
As time passed, perhaps the beach itself would be swallowed by the ocean current, and perhaps this entire world would become an aquatic paradise.
Yet, the vestiges of two lovers who finally reunited on its sands would remain with it for eternity.
Just as they would each other.
