Chapter 1554 - 84: Golden Skyline

Aisha gazed out at the dim sky beyond the window, where leaden, heavy clouds were continually extending toward the horizon’s edge, until they completely obscured the blue remembered from memory, leaving only a golden outline at its edges.

Dawn has arrived.

The last time she saw dawn was more than ten years ago.

Aisha soothed the baby in her arms, murmuring to herself, "I think that a person’s life should be lived for something, for a certain ideal."

"I understand, that’s the pursuit of life’s value, but you must know, Aisha, the reason humans stubbornly pursue something is precisely because their lifespan is short—before welcoming death, they must do something to satisfy their empty hearts, so that when Death God arrives, they can serenely and confidently say they lived a wonderful life."

Serey sat beside Aisha, gently stroking her back, "But we’re different, we’re the Undead, we don’t need to deliberately pursue something to satisfy our souls, after all, we possess almost limitless time."

Aisha fell silent, staring directly at the golden skyline, as if recalling the days when she basked in sunshine, a mist covering her eyes, with a desolate expression.

"Are you hating me, Aisha?" Serey whispered, "I thought you were different."

Looking at those almost shattered eyes, Serey recalled the countless women he had encountered in his life, those words like curses resounding in his ears, words he once spoke to others.

"Time long enough can change many things; even the most blazing love will ultimately turn into lingering hatred that can’t be dispelled."

Aisha shook her head, displaying a gentle smile on her face, "No, I don’t hate you, Serey; I am just... just a bit troubled."

She spoke, reaching out to ruffle Serey’s hair, bits of blood coagulated among the strands, sticking them together.

Serey asked, "Troubled by what?"

"Troubled by the fact that you’re quite like a child."

Aisha’s gaze seemed to penetrate Serey’s soul, "You think I’m just like them? No, the problem isn’t that I’m like them, but that my thoughts conflict with yours.

Even having lived so long, you are still immature; what you long for isn’t some kind of love, but rather something you can Control, that will never change... a pet?"

As if his inner darkness had been exposed, Serey suddenly felt a bit panicked, and after a brief moment of distraction, he mocked himself in low tones, that he should fear Aisha, he who is the Night Race Lord, a powerful Seeker of Glory; if he wished, Aisha would turn to ashes in an instant... but he unexpectedly feared, feared the words she would say next.

"The endless time makes you feel almost despairingly lonely; you long for someone to fill your heart, thus you seek one woman after another, like a game; when you completely understand a person, they become like a book that’s been read fully, losing your interest just as disposables, giving you transient satisfaction."

While saying these words, Aisha still maintained that calm smile; Serey spent decades trying to understand this woman, thinking he knew Aisha well, yet suddenly discovering he seemed not to have stepped into this woman’s heart.

Perhaps he had stepped in, but chose to ignore certain things.

Serey struggled to Control his emotions, "What exactly do you want to say?"

"I want to say... with no pursuit, merely idly passing time, isn’t living the same as being dead?"

Aisha lamented, "Time long enough will dilute many beautiful things into paleness and barrenness."

After saying this, Aisha remained silent, saying nothing more; the oppressive atmosphere made Serey unable to help but flee, feeling himself gradually losing Aisha, yet he was helpless.

Serey slowly retreated, gazing at Aisha again, and looked at the child in her arms, his own offspring, his daughter, yet upon seeing her curled-up form, Serey’s heart did not stir with emotion, observing her as if just a hunk of flesh.

"No... no no, Aisha, you’re not some pet."

Suddenly, Serey halted his retreat, stepping forward again to embrace Aisha, murmuring, "I’m already making efforts to change."

"Your growth is too slow."

"There’s no choice, being the Undead, aren’t we?" Serey shook his head helplessly, "We’re always so sluggish."

Due to the brevity of life, humans promptly engage in certain things, like busy ants longing to burst forth more color within a limited time span, but the Undead have no such worries; under infinite time, nothing chases after them, thus everything becomes so slow.

Serey recalled once wanting to scale the Mountain Ridge, and that thought was from decades ago.

Aisha gently kissed Serey’s cheek, and Serey thought he had soothed Aisha well, yet never imagined this was merely the start of a countdown.

Since then, life returned to normalcy, Aisha nurturing the ever-growing Olivia, while war accompanied Olivia’s growth, expanding and intensifying continuously.

Serey rushed on the front lines; under his sword, more and more territories and populations were incorporated into the Eternal Night Empire’s realm, and the Dark Iron Curtain likewise extended, under a world without light, expanses of forests withered away, flora became dry, as far as the eye could see, nothing but desolation.