Blackout Ascension: Return of Primordial Heir-Chapter 39: Confession

The morning wind in the Zephyros Kingdom had calmed down, but tension in Luna started rising. The frigid knives of air turned into a gentle, cool breeze.

Luna Zephyros walked down the busy cobblestone pathways of the capital city. He had his hands shoved into his pockets as usual. He wore his loose black training clothes, looking like a guy who desperately wanted to take a long nap.

Walking right beside him was Soltheia Sylphyros. She was shimmering in the morning light. Her ocean-blue traveling cloak fluttered wavy in the wind. She looked around at the market stalls with wide, excited eyes.

"You seriously need to walk faster, Luna," Soltheia said, suddenly turning around to face him. She walked backward just to tease him. "You move exactly like a tired old man."

"I am actively saving my physical energy," Luna replied gently, letting out a loud yawn, "walking fast is a complete waste of stamina. The market isn’t going anywhere. It has been sitting on this street for many years."

She drifted her bright eyes and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him expeditiously toward a crowded, loud food stall. The smell of roasted meat and sweet spices filled the air.

"Two spicy chicken skewers, please!" Soltheia ordered, handing the bulky vendor a silver coin.

She handed one hot, steaming skewer to Luna.

"This requires chewing," Luna stated with a mocking smile, staring at the meat. "Chewing is a lot of unnecessary work."

"Just eat it, you lazy bat," Soltheia laughed beautifully, taking a big bite of her skewer. Her eyes lit up with joy. "Ummm, this is delicious. The spices here in Zephyros are so much better than the boring food back in my kingdom."

Luna took a very slow, tiny bite. "It is acceptable," he mumbled casually. He secretly thought it was delicious, but he simply didn’t want to admit she was right so quickly.

They walked closely together through the crowded, colorful merchant district. The busy vendors shouted their prices. Heavy blacksmiths hammered hot iron. Small children ran past them laughing and playing tag. It was a normal, peaceful day.

It felt unreal to Luna. Just a week ago, he was fighting brutally for his life in the Crystal Colosseum. He had watched Kairos defy a terrifying God. He had felt the crushing, suffocating pressure and power of a Calamity Rank monster.

But right here, right now, holding a simple spicy chicken stick next to the girl he truly liked... the world felt simple, and he genuinely liked simple things.

They eventually left the noisy market behind and walked slowly up a steep, grassy path. It led to a beautiful, quiet hill watching the entire capital city. The vast sky above them was a radiant blue, wavering with large, fluffy white clouds.

Soltheia sat down gracefully on the soft green grass, carefully smoothing out her blue cloak. Luna simply collapsed onto the ground right next to her, leaning on his back with a loud, dramatic sigh of relief.

"You are so weird," Soltheia chuckled, looking down at his lazy posture.

"I am highly efficient," Luna corrected her, keeping his pale eyes closed. "Laying completely flat on the ground is the peak of human evolution."

Soltheia ignored his lazy philosophy and looked happily up at the sky. She pointed a slender finger high upward.

"Look at that cloud over there," she said happily. "It looks like a cute, fluffy bunny rabbit eating a large carrot."

Luna slowly opened one pale eye and looked up, staring blankly at the fluffy white cloud hovering in the blue sky.

"You are blind, Soltheia," Luna said in a serious voice. "That does not look like a bunny. That clearly looks like a morning star mace crushing a goblin’s skull."

Soltheia lowered her hand and stared at him in disbelief. "A heavy mace crushing a goblin?"

"Yes. See the long part? That’s the heavy iron handle. The fluffy part at the top is the blood splattering," Luna explained seriously, tracing the shape with his finger.

Soltheia burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. "You are ruined, Luna! You spend way too much time fighting dark monsters in dungeons. Your brain is totally broken."

Luna actually smiled. It absolutely wasn’t his arrogant smirk. It was a genuine, warm smile. "Maybe. But look at that long one over there." He pointed at a thin, wispy cloud. "What do you see now?"

"Hmm," Soltheia hummed, gently tilting her head. "It looks like a beautiful silk ribbon blowing softly in the wind."

"Wrong," Luna said instantly. "It is obviously a sharply curved assassin’s dagger. It is perfect for slitting throats in the dark."

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Stop turning everything into deadly weapons! You are dumb!"

"I am a high-ranking General of the Zephyros army," Luna reminded her lazily, closing his eyes again. "We actively see weapons everywhere. It is a highly necessary tactical skill."

They laid there quietly on the soft grass for a very long time. The comedic, mundane time slowly died down into a comfortable, peaceful silence. The cool wind brushed gently over their faces.

Luna slowly looked sideways at Soltheia. The bright morning sunlight caught the edges of her hair, making it shine beautifully. She had a very soft, genuinely happy smile resting on her lips.

Luna’s heart suddenly beat a little faster.

He thought about Kairos. He thought about Pyrix bleeding on the arena floor. He thought about how fast a peaceful life could just end. A fast swing of a dark sword, a single spell from a Calamity-Rank monster, and everything was gone forever.

He had spent his entire life deliberately being lazy, avoiding hard work, making big, stressful decisions. He always took the easiest path available to him.

But looking closely at Soltheia right now, he suddenly didn’t want to be lazy anymore. He didn’t want to just hide safely in the background shadows. He wanted to be something real, and he wanted to hold onto it completely.

Luna sat up fast. Soltheia immediately noticed the sudden movement. She turned her head and looked at him, slightly confused by his unusual, sudden change in him.

"Luna? What is it? Did you spot an enemy?" she asked, half-joking.

Luna looked into her bright eyes. All the familiar laziness, all the boredom, and all the arrogant "Night Emperor" persona vanished from his pale face.

"Soltheia," Luna said clearly, his voice sharp and focused.

"Yes?" she replied, her warm smile fading into a curious look.

Luna absolutely didn’t hesitate. He didn’t use flowery, poetic words. He just looked right at her and dropped the question he had ever asked in his entire life.

"Will you marry me?"

The wind stopped. Soltheia froze, petrified. Her bright eyes went wide.

"W-What?" she stammered, her pale cheeks turning red. "Luna, what did you just ask?"

"I asked... Will you marry me?" Luna repeated perfectly calmly, but his pale hands were gripping the grass so hard. "I know we are young. I know a bloody war is coming soon. I know I am incredibly lazy, annoying, and I constantly see lethal weapons in the clouds. But I also know that I want you. I want you truly in my life."

Soltheia just stared at him in paralyzed shock. For an agonizing minute, neither of them said a single word. Luna’s heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He genuinely thought he had ruined everything.

Then, slowly, a beautiful smile spread across Soltheia’s face. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she wasn’t sad.

"You are an idiot," she whispered softly, quickly reaching out and gently grabbing the collar of his black shirt.

"Yes," she said. Her voice was firm and certain. "I accept."

Luna blinked, genuinely stunned by his own success. "You... you actually do?"

"Of course I do," Soltheia laughed, smearing a stray tear from her eye. "I always admired you, Luna. I have truly liked you for a long time. Even back when you were just a lazy student sleeping quietly in the back of the academy classroom."

Luna took a shaky breath of relief. "Then why didn’t you ever say anything to me before today?"

Soltheia looked down at her hands, a very soft blush remaining on her face. "Because I was unable to express my true feelings. I am a proud Princess of Sylphyros. I should always be very confident and composed. But around you... I was a very nervous girl. I couldn’t find a good reason or the right words to say it all these days."

She looked back at him, her eyes shining with pure affection. "I just couldn’t find the reason... until you just suddenly said it right now," she confessed warmly.

They sat incredibly close together on the grassy hill for the rest of the afternoon, talking quietly and happily about the future.

They didn’t care about the Great War. They didn’t care about the terrifying Calamity beasts. At that moment, they only cared about each other.

But eventually, the bright sun began to set. The wide sky turned a fiery orange. It was officially time for Soltheia to go back home.

They walked slowly back down to the Zephyros manor. Her pristine white royal carriage was waiting patiently in the courtyard, the armored horses ready for the long journey back to the Sylphyros Kingdom.

Soltheia stood beside the carriage door. She reached out and hugged Luna tightly.

"I have to go back now," she whispered against his shoulder. "My family expects me before nightfall."

"I know," Luna said, hugging her back tightly. He really didn’t want to let go.

She pulled back, smiling. "Train hard, Luna. Don’t be lazy anymore. I want my future husband to be the strongest General in the world."

Luna actually smirked, his arrogant confidence returning. "I am already the strongest. But for you, I suppose I can get a little bit stronger."

She laughed loudly, kissed him softly on the pale cheek, and stepped quickly up into the carriage. The royal guards closed the wooden door tightly. The driver struck the leather whip, and the carriage rolled out of the courtyard, slowly disappearing down the cobblestone road.

Luna stood alone in the growing dark. He gently touched his cheek where she had kissed him. His lazy, sleepy demeanor was gone, replaced by an intense fire burned in his pale eyes. He had a reason to fight now. He had something precious to protect from the coming storm. He could not afford to be weak while Kairos was out there fighting God-tier demons.

"I need more power," Luna whispered to the empty courtyard. "I desperately need to break my limits."

He turned, completely ignoring the manor. He didn’t go inside to his soft, warm bed.

Instead, he looked up at the peak of Moonspire Hill in the far distance. The shadows up there were incredibly deep and dangerous. It was the perfect place for intense dark magic training.

Luna cracked his knuckles with a rattling sound. Dark gravity warped around his boots. He immediately began walking toward the dark hill, unaware of the black nightmare that was currently waiting for him in the shadows.