Phaenora and Veneri stayed quiet for a while, admiring the view of the realm they were know trapped in.
The Hidden Citadel stretched before them in impossible scale. Towers were the size of mountains. The bridges were thick enough and massive. It was as if the city had been built by beings who never once considered the concept of small. Everything was upside down. Buildings hung from the sky like stalactites of stone and crystal. Their foundations were pointing into the clouds below. Roads curved upward, vanishing into clouds that drifted lazily beneath them. It should have been disorienting but instead, it was beautiful.
The sky was frozen in eternal sunset with no sun in sight. The light never shifted. Time felt paused here, like the Citadel existed in a memory rather than a present.
Phaenora lifted her hand and activated her system. Soft chimes echoed as translucent holographic panels formed around her, quietly cataloging the view. She took several photos, adjusting angles instinctively, capturing the inverted skyline, the colossal pillars and the endless glow of the horizon that refused to move.
"This place is ridiculous. Giants definitely lived here. Or gods who thought gravity was a suggestion."
Asenane slept soundly against Veneri. Her breathing was steady now with her arms loosely wrapped around his torso like she might vanish if she let go completely. Her warmth had stabilized, for now. Phaenora lowered the panels and turned to him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm good."
She glanced down at Asenane, then back at him. "She's really attached."
He shrugged slightly, careful not to wake her. "Can't blame her. Dragon fever is a nightmare for her."
Phaenora leaned back against one of the massive stone railings with her legs dangling upward into open space, unfazed by the lack of ground. She stared out at the city again.
"We really came a long way, huh?"
Vastarael didn't answer immediately, but he didn't need to.
"Years ago, we were just Ascenders trying not to die in Erna Isles and barely scraping by. Now look at us. We're Third Enlightenment Divines, standing in the Hidden Citadel which was the first home of the First Generation Deities. If someone told me this back then, I would have assumed they finally lost it."
Vastarael nodded slowly. "Same."
"Most Divines aren't so lucky, though. Anyone not blood-related to the Dynasties lost their Divinity completely. They still have their Divine bodies. No Divinity, though. They're basically absurdly strong people with divine-shaped muscles."
He snorted.
"At least the loss reactivated their Base and Pinnacle Tethers," she went on. "So they're not helpless. Just… downgraded."
Vastarael shifted his gaze toward the horizon.
"What did you think about the vision of the past?"
Phaenora sighed.
"Oh that?" She shrugged. "Honestly… it makes sense. The weird part is I don't feel anything about it."
Vastarael looked at her.
"I feel like I should. Anger, fear, grief, something. But it's all just… information. An Omniscient like me existed eons ago, when Spheraphase was young, exploring the universe with an excited Aeterium Prince."
"What if that Second Prince is still alive? What if he told you to stay with him?"
Phaenora turned slowly and looked straight at him.
"I'm never leaving you," she said without hesitation. "Thyrexxa gave me to you for a reason. Primordials don't do things randomly. They see a bigger picture, one we usually can't."
Vastarael nodded,
"I'm a Dynasty Monarch now."
"Yeah."
"And soon, there'll be a war between the Second and Third Generation Deities. Krepsunas will show up eventually too."
Phaenora listened quietly.
"Richinaria's the strongest Dynasty in the world now which means I don't get a choice anymore. I have a responsibility to save it."
"You never wanted to save the world."
"Nope."
He remembered Narisva's words back in Erna Isles. He's not choosing to save the save the world. He's obligated to. All his childhood was spent in training. He spent his teenage years becoming a mage. In his late teens he went to Erna Isles, fighting just to survive. When he finally reached adulthood, he spent five years as a Dynasty Monarch, cleaning up the chaos the Nexuses left behind.
Peace had always been something other people talked about.
"Honestly, all you ever wanted was a quiet life."
"Yeah. And it's never happening."
She stepped closer and rested her hand on his shoulder. She looked out at the eternal sunset.
"It will be fine. After all, you'll keep moving forward anyway. We don't need to solve everything today. We just move on one step at a time."
Vastarael closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"Thanks."
Phaenora stepped closer. Vastarael noticed it immediately but he didn't comment. He rarely did when it came to things like this. He simply adjusted his posture slightly, making sure Asenane was still comfortable against him with his arm instinctively tightening around her waist.
Phaenora tilted her head, studying him. The golden-and-sapphire glow in his eyes was dimmer now, no longer sharpened by exhaustion or urgency. He looked peaceful. Tired yes, burdened beyond reason, absolutely, but there was a softness there she didn't often get to see when the world was actively trying to kill him.
"You know, for someone who claims he doesn't want responsibility, you're really good at carrying it."
"Don't spread that rumor."
She smiled and reached out, brushing her fingers against his cheek. The contact was light, like she was testing whether the moment would shatter if she pushed too hard.
Vastarael leaned into her touch without even realizing it, his eyes lowering just a fraction.
"I'm really glad, that out of everything like eons, past lives, Primordials and stupidly large responsibilities. I ended up here with you, Darling."
"I am too."
She laughed quietly then leaned in just a little more. Their foreheads brushed. Vastarael shifted his head close enough that—
"Mm… too warm…"
Both of them froze.
Asenane muttered again as she pressed her face deeper against Vastarael's chest. Her arms were tightening possessively around him.
"Don't go…"
Phaenora pulled back instantly, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Vastarael bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. For three full seconds, they stared at each other before they laughed, shaking their shoulders as they tried not to wake her. Phaenora leaned away, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, while Vastarael carefully adjusted Asenane again, lowering his chin to rest gently against the top of her head.
"Well," Phaenora whispered once she regained control, "guess the universe didn't want that."
"She has terrifying timing," he whispered back.
Asenane shifted again, murmuring something unintelligible about heat and settled down. They waited. When it was clear she was fully asleep again, Vastarael exhaled softly.
"We'll try again later," Phaenora said brightly.
"Yeah. By the way, you think you can contact Shimmer and Runner?"
"I can try. It's just… this realm is different. My Omniscient perception hasn't fully synchronized with the Hidden Citadel yet. Everything here feels foggy."
She raised a hand. Holograms appeared all around her as she focused.
"It will take time."
"That's fine. No rush."
She glanced at him. "You're worried."
"Always. But, Runner's stubborn and Shimmer's stronger than she thinks. If they're together, they'll manage."
Phaenora smiled softly. "They take after you."
He groaned quietly. "Believe me Phae, that's not comforting."