Chapter 575: Old Memories (4)
Chapter 575: Old Memories (4)
Gao Ziyue carefully observed his expression, the way his eyes lit up whenever he spoke about that man.
It was remarkable how he changed when talking about Rurik. His voice grew warmer, his face softened, and his posture relaxed. There was respect, gratitude, and a deep affection that would transcend both time and distance.
She smiled, a smile that reflected the joy she saw in him.
“I imagine he’s very proud of you.”
Kyrian remained silent for a few seconds, processing her words. Then he answered honestly, his voice low, almost a whisper.
“I hope so.”
She rested her chin on her hand once again, her eyes fixed on his face.
“Is he a mortal too?”
Kyrian nodded, a simple movement.
“Yes.”
“That makes sense.” She smiled faintly, an expression of understanding.
“You were born a mortal. It’s only natural that the people who were part of your childhood were mortals as well.”
She paused briefly, her eyes becoming gentler.
“Is he still alive?”
“He is.” The answer came immediately, without hesitation, as though that certainty were an anchor in his life.
Gao Ziyue’s smile grew warmer, a genuine light shining in her eyes.
“That’s wonderful to hear.”
She looked out the window for a few seconds, her expression becoming thoughtful before continuing. Her voice now carried an almost melancholic serenity, as though she were sharing wisdom she had gained through her own experiences.
“Then there’s still a place waiting for you.”
Kyrian remained silent, allowing her words to settle in his mind.
She continued slowly, each word carefully chosen.
“We cultivators…” She slowly swirled the wine in her glass, watching the liquid dance.
“We live for a very long time. Much longer than mortals. Sometimes so long that we end up forgetting how short their lives are, how precious every single moment is to them.”
Her eyes returned to Kyrian, and there was tenderness in them, a sincere sense of care.
“Don’t wait too long before going back.” Her voice held no trace of preaching or lecturing. It was simply heartfelt advice, offered with the honesty of someone who truly cared.
“You’re still young. You have decades ahead of you, in fact, centuries, perhaps even a thousand years. But for him…”
She paused briefly, allowing the meaning of her words to settle.
“Every year is far more precious.”
Kyrian slowly lowered his gaze, absorbing her words like dry earth drinking in rain. He knew she was right. He had thought about it more than once during the quiet moments of his travels.
From the moment he had left the mortal lands, the awareness that time flowed differently for Rurik had weighed upon his mind.
He took a deep breath before answering, his voice a little quieter than usual.
“I know.” The admission was simple, yet heavy with meaning.
“After visiting the Central Region…” He paused, his eyes losing focus for a brief moment.
“I plan to go back someday.”
Not immediately, he knew. There were still many places to visit, much cultivation ahead of him, and many answers he needed to find. The world was vast, and his journey had only just begun.
Even so, that journey was part of his plans, a promise he had made to himself.
“It hasn’t been that many years since I left home.” He said calmly, as though arranging the facts within his own mind.
“Rurik should still have plenty of time ahead of him. He’s strong, and resilient. But…”
A faint smile appeared on his lips, a smile meant more for himself than for her.
“I’ll return. Without a doubt.”
He looked once more at the illuminated auction below, yet his eyes seemed to be seeing something beyond the lights and the crowds.
“He…” His voice became a little quieter, more intimate.
“He’s the only person who would still recognize me if I returned to my homeland. The only one who’s waiting for me.”
The words lingered between them, hanging in the air like leaves carried by the wind.
Gao Ziyue did not answer immediately. She simply watched Kyrian’s profile, her eyes tracing the lines of his face, the way the lantern light played across his dark hair.
There was a quiet loneliness in that sentence, a loneliness she knew well. She herself lived surrounded by thousands of people, and yet she often felt alone. Perhaps that was precisely why she could understand him so easily, because both of them carried an emptiness that words could never fill.
Without thinking much about it, she slowly extended her hand across the table, her fingers moving as though they had a will of their own. She did not quite touch his hand but left it close, a silent offer of connection. A small gesture, almost imperceptible. Yet one filled with meaning.
“I’m sure…” She said softly, her voice like a thread of silk.
“That he’ll be very happy when that day comes.”
Kyrian looked at her, his violet eyes meeting hers. For a moment, something passed between them, an understanding that transcended words. Then he smiled. This time, a smile slightly broader than before, one that reached his eyes.
“I think so.”
Silence returned once again. But now it was no longer the silence between two people who had only just met, filled with hesitation and uncertainty.
It was the comfortable silence of two people who were gradually beginning to understand one another, to recognize the sorrows and joys each carried. It was the silence of two souls that had found an echo within each other.
Down below, the auction continued its inexorable course. Treasures were sold, fortunes changed hands, and the guests erupted with excitement at every bid.
But inside that private room, none of those events seemed truly important. The outside world could continue turning, yet there, in that moment, time itself seemed to have stopped.
For the first time in many years, Gao Ziyue was not thinking about cultivation, nor her position, nor Azhura’k. She was simply talking, sharing moments, being herself.
And for the first time since leaving the mortal lands, Kyrian realized that speaking about his mother and about Rurik did not bring only pain.
It also brought longing, a bittersweet longing that hurt, yet also warmed his heart. And, strangely enough, it brought comfort.
The night was still far from over, and the auction continued on its course. But at that moment, neither of them was in any hurry for it to end.
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