Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Seraphina’s Answer
Vahn, in his Shadow Transformation Art, moved like an untraceable shadow through the pre-dawn darkness, heading straight for Serenity’s Peak. He urgently needed to meet with Seraphina.
His decision to move now, coupled with his ability to evade the powerful Drunken Master’s surveillance, hinged on his unique abilities.
As for how he managed to sense the old man’s spiritual probe, it was because of his terrifyingly high Light Affinity. Each person’s Spirit Sense bears traces of their individual affinities. The old Drunken Master’s Spirit Sense was Light element infused, and Vahn could sense its approach long before it physically reached him. The heightened sensitivity of his Light Affinity gave him a massive, undetectable warning system.
Those confirmed affinity upgrades from his bonds with his wives were definitely not a waste. They gave Vahn terrifying control over his elements, making him highly sensitive to matching or opposing elemental signatures.
Once he reached the peak, he was met with serene scene.
He saw Seraphina standing near a cliff, watching the night horizon. She appeared perfectly calm and composed.
Seeing her peaceful demeanor, Vahn couldn’t help but be struck by doubt: "Was she not worried about me at all? Were all my efforts in increasing the Connection wasted?"
For a moment, he thought she might not even remember him; he was just a passing memory. He thought he should leave already.
But, Vahn realized, these were all his misconceptions.
Nevertheless, he had to do what he came here for. He needed to know her answer. At the very least, she wouldn’t hand him over to the enemies; he had this much faith in her.
So, he quickly came out of his shadow form and approached her from behind.
Seraphina noticed his presence almost immediately.
But as soon as she turned around, Vahn saw a truly heartbreaking scene. Seraphina’s eyes were brimming with shimmering tears, rolling down onto her cheek like a broken faucet.
Her face, usually serene and beautiful, now held dark circles that were visible even in the dim moonlight.
She hadn’t been calm at all; she was suffering too.
Then, without warning, she rushed toward Vahn like a desperate child.
She hugged him by the neck, pressing her body against his body as if wanting to melt into him.
"Vahn, you’re back... I am sorry, I am sorry..." she apologized as if this was the sentence she had been holding back and wanted to tell him so desperately.
Vahn was surprised she could recognize him even through the mask, still he didn’t miss the true emotions of this loving woman.
He, who was now almost similar to Seraphina’s height, caressed her golden hair from the back with a gentle expression.
From her tone, he already realized she might have already learned the truth of their forbidden marriage ritual.
"Seraphina, it’s not your fault," he said gently.
"B-but... I stole your power away..." She said quivering with guilt.
"Can you somehow get it back? I don’t want to carry this sin on my shoulders. Please!"
Her pleading was genuine and raw.
Vahn shook his head in response.
"Unfortunately not. Anyway we were all young and senseless back then. If I were that unreasonable, I wouldn’t have come to like you."
"You like me?" Seraphina moved away slightly, looking stunned by the unexpected confession.
Vahn affirmed. "Yes... I love you, Seraphina Dawnlight. I wish to make you mine, forever, for eternity."
Seraphina’s heart beat faster like a war drum. This was his first time hearing from his mouth that he liked her, he loved her.
Her heart, usually reserved, beat only for him, like a young girl falling in mad love for the first time.
But then, Vahn’s next conditions made her pause.
"But, Seraphina, if you truly want to become my family, you cannot stay on the land that took everything from me. You might even need to go against your Elders and Patriarch for me. Are you willing to go that length?"
He gazed into her blue eyes.
"Still, I will not force you, Seraphina. You can remain on their side as you are now. But the next time, we’ll be strangers, maybe even enemies. It is all up to you to choose..."
Seraphina was in internal conflict. Her mind screamed, "Going against my own Elders and kinsmen for a single man—will it be worth it?"
Her mind told her no. Going against her own elders, her kin, her entire lineage would destroy everything she had ever known.
But her heart whispered his name again and again.
Vahn.
The man she once hurt. The man she thought she had lost forever. Yet he stood before her, offering not hatred, but forgiveness and a love so deep it shook her very soul.
She finally stepped closer, tears gathering in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Vahn, maybe I am a fool... but I would rather walk into ruin with you than live a peaceful lie without you."
Her words hung in the cold air, soft yet powerful.
Vahn looked at her silently. For the first time, his usual composure faltered. His eyes softened and his breath grew chaotic.
"Seraphina..." he said her name as if it was sacred, something to be cherished.
She placed her trembling hands on his chest.
"No need say anything more, Vahn. I do not care if the world turns its back on me. You were my first bond, my first promise, and now, my choice."
Their eyes met. Words became unnecessary.
Seraphina slowly leaned closer until her lips brushed against his. The kiss began uncertain and tender, then grew deeper as all the emotions they had buried poured out together. It carried warmth, pain, forgiveness, and something entirely new.
Vahn’s heart pounded like a drum in his chest. The world seemed to fade around them. The faint fragrance of her hair, the heat of her touch, the trembling in her breath—everything was burned into his soul.
He had kissed a woman for the first time.
The sensation was thrilling and euphoric. As if a sudden, blinding jolt of warmth and connection that made him instinctively want more.
He hugged her by the supple waist tightly against his own, seeking to get more warmth from her. The kiss deepened rapidly, fueled by desperate need and long-repressed emotion.
Very soon, it led to the fumbling, intoxicating tongue battle of two inexperienced virgins.
It was a beautiful and chaotic expression of the love and commitment that had just sealed their new, perilous destiny.
When they finally parted, Seraphina rested her forehead against his chest.
"From this moment on, I belong to you. Even if the path ahead is filled with struggle and destruction, I will always be with you."
Vahn smiled faintly and ran his finger over tender lips he just kissed.
"You will not be alone. We all are going to be one big happy family."
As night deepened, the full moon bathed Serenity’s Peak in a gentle silver hue.
Two figures stood embraced beneath the night sky, bound not by duty or fate, but by the choice of their hearts.
[ Congratulations! Your Emotional Connection with Seraphina Dawnlight Increased by 21%, Physical Connection by 30% ]
Emotional Connection: 94%
Physical Connection: 65%
[ Rewards Gained: Light Affinity +200%, Fire Phoenix Wings (Art) ]