Ray finally spoke, his voice low and steady. "I did love her. And it was true. Every moment of it." His words hung in the air, stark and undeniable.
"Pffft!" Aetherion's laughter erupted suddenly, echoing through the hall. "You're… you're too much!" He clutched the armrest of his throne, his body shaking with laughter. "So stupid!"
His laughter grew louder, a wild, unrestrained sound that reverberated like thunder. "I don't think I've laughed like this in… I don't even know how many millions of years! You're a riot, kid. A true gem of comedy."
Aetherion wiped a tear from his eye, trying to regain composure, though his amusement lingered. "How naïve can you be? Look at her, boy. Do you really think she loved you?" He gestured toward Ember, his tone dripping with mockery. "Even the dogs of cultivators know better. Love? At our level? That's a fairy tale, a child's dream."
He leaned forward, his golden eyes gleaming with wicked glee. "No. Everything you experienced every smile, every word, every touch it was all part of the plan. Hers, her family's. Every moment, orchestrated."
Aetherion let out another laugh, barely able to contain himself. "Pfft! Hahaha… oh, this is priceless."
Ray remained silent, his expression unchanging as the Sovereign's laughter filled the hall. His silver eyes stayed locked on Ember, who still hadn't moved or spoken.
"So, it's true," Ray said at last, his voice quieter now, devoid of emotion. "You're just like the rest of them."
Ember didn't react. She didn't speak, didn't flinch. She simply stood there, her violet eyes fixed on him.
Ray's lips curved upward slightly, a bitter, hollow smile that held no joy. "I trusted you, Ember. You were the only one who ever earned it. And you broke it." His voice was steady, but the weight of his words was undeniable. "I am… disappointed in you."
For the first time, Ember's mask cracked. Her eyes fluttered shut, her lashes trembling as though she couldn't bear to meet his gaze any longer.
Ray's silver eyes lingered on her for a moment, cold yet searching. Then, ignoring Aetherion's roaring laughter entirely, he turned back toward Ember. His footsteps echoed softly in the grand hall as he began walking toward her.
Despite the sharp, searing pain coursing through his body, Ray moved with deliberate precision. His back remained straight, his figure towering. Each step was steady, without hesitation or wavering, as though the agony of his destroyed cultivation was an afterthought.
"Stop," a calm yet commanding voice rang out. The green-haired maid, standing by Ember's side, took a small step forward. Her aura, though restrained, radiated with authority.
"It doesn't matter," Ember said, her voice cold and detached. "Let him come. His cultivation is gone. He can't harm me… even if he wanted to."
But no one noticed the faint tremble in her voice. No one, except perhaps Ray.
He didn't stop. His pace didn't falter as he closed the distance between them. Now face-to-face, they stood so close that there was barely half an arm's length between them.
Ray's silver eyes bore into Ember's violet ones, his expression unreadable. "I can't fathom," he said, his voice steady but devoid of emotion, "what could drive someone to act as disgustingly low as you have."
His words cut through the silence like a blade.
"But then again," he continued, his tone still calm, "perhaps it was my own stupidity. I truly believed in you. I made a fool of myself."
Slowly, almost tenderly, Ray raised his hand toward her face. His movement was deliberate, his hand steady at first, as though he intended to brush his fingers against her cheek.
Ember didn't flinch. Her violet eyes locked onto his, searching for something anger, frustration, hatred. Yet, there was nothing. No rage. No malice. Just emptiness.
But then, Ray's hand paused mid-way, trembling ever so slightly. His gaze shifted away from her, tilting toward the vast expanse of space visible through the great hall's windows.
"Maybe… I'm the one who's truly disappointing," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "Maybe I shouldn't have been born into these higher planes. And if I was… maybe I shouldn't have fallen in love with you."
His voice was hollow, and the words hung in the air, suffocating in their finality.
Ember's gaze remained fixed on him, her face unreadable. Yet, her eyes drifted to his trembling hand. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it betrayed the immense pain he was enduring both physical and emotional.
Her own hand, resting by her side, began trembling slightly as well. But her expression remained cold and detached, as though his words hadn't pierced her.
Ray let out a deep, weary sigh. "You might be wondering how I destroyed my cultivation so easily and so quickly without hesitation." He finally spoke again, his tone still flat, as though recounting an insignificant detail.
"Actually, it was simple," he continued, looking back at her. "If I hadn't destroyed my cultivation, my Dao heart would've shattered. And if that happened… I would've died."
The room grew colder at his words.
Ember's lips parted slightly, a flicker of tremor running through them. "Dao heart destruction…" she murmured under her breath, her voice barely audible.
Her mind raced, a whirlwind of emotions and realizations threatening to consume her. My words… she thought, her heart trembling violently. Were my words so important to him that they nearly destroyed his Dao heart?
On the outside, she remained calm and emotionless, but inside, she was suffocating under the weight of the truth.
How much love… how much trust did he have in me for it to lead to this? Ember's chest tightened, though her cold facade remained intact.
Her thoughts grew louder, a storm of regret and guilt threatening to unravel her composure. Calm down, Ember, she told herself. It'll all be over soon. Just endure a little longer. Finish the mission. Then…
Her eyes flicked to Ray, and her resolve wavered. Then, I'll make it right. After he becomes useless, I'll give him what he wants. If he wishes to torture me, I'll let him. I'll restore his cultivation, even if it means sacrificing my forbidden Dark Angel Physique. This was the deal I made with my family. I had no choice. I didn't betray you, Ray. I never could. I loved you… I still do.
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