Lightning Is the Only Way

While all the other Heaven's Magnates felt great that one of them managed to ascend, Gravis only looked at everyone with a distant gaze.

So what if their reason for feeling happy was fake?

It was a party of irrelevancy.

It didn't matter anyway.

Peaceful Serenity was gone.

Now, only Gravis and Child of Heaven were left as the strongest Heaven's Magnates.

Child of Heaven acted mysteriously and like he knew more information than the other Heaven's Magnates, but he actually wasn't any different.

All of them had been blinded by Orthar.

As the last person able to rival him, Child of Heaven watched Gravis for a bit. His eyes didn't show animosity or nervousness but neutrality.

Child of Heaven knew that Gravis wasn't interested in his position.

After a while, the other Heaven's Magnates left, leaving only the Black Magnate and Gravis behind.

"You surprised me by quite a bit, kid," the Black Magnate said with a snort.

Gravis didn't look at him and only looked at the ground with furrowed brows.

The Black Magnate had already noticed that Gravis was acting weird. In his mind, Gravis should be exhilarated. He should be smiling the entire time. After all, Gravis had reached his goal, right?

Yet, Gravis acted more like a soldier that knew that his empire was about to be destroyed.

It was like Gravis was looking at a dark cloud on the horizon.

The Black Magnate didn't know why Gravis was suddenly acting this way. It didn't fit him at all.

"I need to talk to father," Gravis said quietly to the Black Magnate.

The Black Magnate took note of the subtle hint and snorted. "Fine, but I will get my time with you later. I still want to pay you back for all the surprise and shock you've brought me, okay?"

Gravis only nodded absentmindedly.

The Black Magnate threw one last glance at Gravis before teleporting away.

Now, only Gravis was left above Opposer City.

For a while, Gravis only watched Opposer City below him. It was his birthplace, and he also considered it to be his home.

Yet, for how much longer would it exist?

After some minutes, Gravis slowly flew towards his father's room, phasing through the walls like they didn't exist.

The Opposer was sitting in the same place as always, his eyes closed.

The Economistress stood beside him, smiling at Gravis.

"You've become strong, Gravis," she said with a bright smile. "I can't even throw you around anymore without your consent."

Gravis looked at his mother with a bitter smile. "Thanks, mom," he said.

The Economistress saw Gravis' expression, but she wasn't surprised.

She walked closer to Gravis and slowly pulled him into an embrace. "Now, don't be so glum. You've become a Heaven's Magnate! Isn't that worthy of celebration?"

Gravis reciprocated the embrace, but he didn't say much.

The Economistress only smiled. "Do you honestly believe that I have learned nothing over my long life?" she asked.

Gravis' body shook slightly when he heard that.

"You know about it?" he asked silently.

The Economistress nodded slightly. "When you've lived for as long as me, it's not hard to see the signs. I might not be privy to all the information, but I've known you and your father for a very long time."

"I might not have comprehended all the Laws on my own, but I still know how to tell the emotions of you two."

The Economistress slowly stopped the embrace as she put both her hands on Gravis' shoulders, looking into his eyes.

"I know what's about to come," she said.

Gravis took a deep breath.

Everything had been fine when nobody knew, but as soon as he saw someone that actually knew what was about to happen, it became far more difficult to keep everything suppressed.

"Then, how can you be so optimistic when you know what's coming?" Gravis asked slowly as he looked at his mother.

"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked with a bright smile. "Do you think I have never thought of the future? I've thought of the future for my entire life, and I have been confronted with these thoughts for longer than you have been alive."

"With enough time, you learn to make peace with your future. Waiting for the end is only something you do when you are new to this situation. I'm not new to this situation."

"Besides," she added, "it might sound cruel, but you are also only waiting for the end if you still have some hope."

"When you still have some hope?" Gravis asked.

His mother nodded. "When you see a chance of a brighter future, you seek the end. You worry because you feel like you can do something."

"As soon as you realize that there is nothing you can do, you learn to accept your circumstances."

"I have long accepted my circumstances."

Gravis took another deep breath.

"Why do I feel no resentment coming from you?" he asked. "If you know about it, shouldn't you at least feel a bit of resentment? After all, I still have a choice."

The Economistress slowly shook her head. "It isn't a choice," she said. "I might not have been a Cultivator in the past, but I know what it means to be one. You all seek freedom, and you want to achieve your goal."

"Additionally, the world has remained unchanged for long enough. Staying here isn't bad, but I also wouldn't miss it."

"I've had a long, long life, Gravis," she said. "I've had plenty of children, and all my children live for such a short time that it might as well have been no time."

"We all have our inner troubles, Gravis. I'm not special. I might always appear chipper and happy, but I also have my worries. I have simply learned to live with them."

As the Economistress said that, her voice began to shake a bit.

"I just hope that you manage to get through everything alive," she said as a small tear ran down her right cheek.

Gravis' heart shook, and he immediately pulled his mother close into another embrace.

Gravis felt immense guilt and grief wash over him.

"I'm sorry."