CHAPTER 367: CHAPTER 366 - ‘WHY AM I HERE?’

Darkness.

It was endless. The kind of darkness that didn’t echo, didn’t breathe—didn’t even remember what warmth felt like.

For a long while, Raven floated in it, weightless and hollow, unable to tell whether he was dreaming or merely gone.

Then—something changed.

A soft light began to pulse somewhere deep inside him, faint at first, then stronger, like a heartbeat that refused to stop.

His world slowly bled into color again.

That is when the smell hit—wet grass, blooming flowers, and the soft perfume of mana-infused dew.

A gentle breeze brushed past his hair, carrying with it the sound of chirping birds.

Raven’s eyes fluttered open.

He was lying on the ground—no, not ground, but a bed of flowers. It was soft and glowing faintly under the light of a crystal-blue sky.

Green leaves were swaying lazily above him while a waterfall whispered somewhere nearby.

Everything around him breathed life itself.

"...Where—am I?" He muttered, his voice hoarse.

But before he could rise, or even think that he might’ve died, something slammed into him hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

"IDIOT! Reckless, suicidal, idiotic mortal!" A voice shouted, muffled against his chest. "Why is it that every time you fight seriously, you almost die?!"

Raven blinked, dazed, unable to understand what was going on, as his head was still not in the right place.

But as he caught the streak of silver cascading over his shoulder, the soft warmth pressed against him, and as the faint glow of divine mana made the air shimmer, he didn’t even need to guess.

"...Arietta," he sighed.

The goddess’s fingers clutched his tunic tightly. Her body trembled against his, and he could feel it—she wasn’t angry. She was terrified.

Raven exhaled softly. "So... I’m in your domain."

Arietta didn’t answer. Her sobs did.

Raven, on the other hand, tried to remember how he got here. The last thing he recalled was Argon’s hand on his chest... a flash of light... dragon heart... Lia’s name... and then nothing.

He frowned. ’Why am I here?’

He knew that a link was required to summon him here, and he wasn’t in a situation where he could give permission, so how?

He wanted many answers, but as he looked at the trembling goddess in his arms, his confusion softened.

Whatever had happened, he’d deal with it later. Right now, someone was crying her heart out because of him.

He gently brushed her hair back and said, "Hey... It’s okay. It was the only way. If I hadn’t done that, the others would’ve—"

"You think that makes it better?!" Arietta snapped, lifting her head slightly, her red eyes blazing with tears. "Your life isn’t something you can just throw away for a ’plan’! Your life matters more to me, and that alone changed everything!"

"Well, I just can’t tolerate the thought of seeing people die, you know—" Raven tried to reason, but Arietta cut him off again, glaring at him. "And you think I’ll let those people, who caused your death, live?! I would let that world live?! I would do whatever it takes to kill every one of them if you died!"

Raven paused for a second, staring at Arietta’s face, showing rage so real that it made him wonder if she was the same goddess who was always full of smiles whenever she met him.

In the end, he sighed quietly, a faint smile ghosting over his lips. "I’m alive though, right? So... it’s fine, isn’t it?"

Arietta froze. Her tears stopped midstream.

Then she whispered, voice trembling, "...No. You did die."

Raven’s world paused.

The air around him seemed to vanish as his pupils dilated and his heartbeat slowed.

Her words didn’t make sense—no, they did, but his mind refused to believe them.

He remembered it now—

Right when he was about to enter the portal with Argon, there was this cold feeling spreading through his chest.

He had felt the last drop of mana leaving his body.

In that moment, his consciousness was pushed into an unending darkness.

’So... I died...’ he muttered inwardly.

The faces of people he cared about flashed past his eyes, imagining what kind of faces they would make when they realized he had died, but before he could dwell too deeply into that thought—

Arietta’s next words pierced through the numbness.

"If I hadn’t given you my blessing secretly last time... you wouldn’t have come back."

"...You did what?" He rasped.

She looked down, avoiding his eyes as if ashamed. "Back then, you said you couldn’t become my follower. But that didn’t mean I would give up, so I gave you a blessing. One that would revive you if you stayed dead for more than a few seconds."

Raven’s eyes widened. "So that means... I’m alive?"

"Yes," she said, wiping her tears. "But that’s not the point. You died. If it weren’t for my blessing—"

She didn’t get to finish.

Raven pulled her close and kissed her, hard enough to silence the storm in both of them.

Arietta stiffened, her eyes widening, before melting into him, her hands gripping his shoulders as his arm wrapped around her waist, fingers sinking into the soft warmth of her form.

When he finally pulled back, he whispered against her lips, voice rough but gentle, "...How can I not fall in love with you when you are so good for me?"

Arietta’s cheeks flushed red, her tears still glimmering.

"...Idiot," she murmured, pressing her forehead against his. "Just... stop dying."

Raven chuckled softly. "I’ll try, my lady. But for now," he grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "let me show my gratitude."

With that, he pushed her on the grass, and without a second’s delay, he broke free on her lips.

.............................

A while later.

The breeze was softer now—no longer the kind that stirred the grass but one that hummed gently, carrying the scent of lilies and mana-rich dew.

The garden shimmered faintly under an eternal dawn, its light neither rising nor fading.

Raven lay back on the velvety grass, his arm around Arietta, who rested her head against his chest. Her silver hair spilled like liquid light across him, her fingers lazily tracing invisible circles over his shirt.

For once, there was no tension. No danger. No weight of the world pressing on his shoulders.

Just quiet.

Arietta sighed contentedly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know... this is technically only your soul here."

Raven tilted his head to look at her. "Meaning?"

"Your body’s still in the mortal world," she said, her finger still drawing loops over his chest. "I can’t summon it without your permission—or your exact location. But your soul was easy to call because of my blessing."

Raven raised a brow, his lips curling. "So, this whole summoning thing... was it really necessary? Or did you merely want to drag me here for a scolding?"

Arietta’s hand froze. Her red eyes darted away, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "...I wanted to scold you."

Raven chuckled softly, his voice deep and amused. "Figures."

They stayed like that for a moment—the goddess pretending to be offended, the mortal quietly amused. The flowers around them swayed gently, whispering their secret laughter.

Then Raven asked, his tone softening, "How did you even know how I... died—" he paused, sighing. "Man, it feels weird talking about my own death."

Arietta giggled at that before her expression dimmed slightly as she replied to his question.

"When the blessing activates, I see flashes of what led to the bearer’s death," she said quietly. "It’s blurry, but enough to feel the pain you felt."

Raven’s hand tightened slightly around her waist. "Must’ve been unpleasant to watch."

She didn’t answer—only pressed closer, as if afraid he’d vanish again.

After a while, Raven’s gaze turned thoughtful. "By the way, what’s the time ratio here? It’s not like the divine realm, where time moves sixteen times slower, or is it different?"

Arietta smiled faintly. "There’s no time dilation here at all. This space exists outside time. You could spend an eternity here, and when you return, not even a heartbeat will have passed. You’ll go back the moment you die... just alive instead."

Raven blinked slowly.

"Outside of time, huh..." He exhaled, the corner of his mouth twitching into a wry smile. "Then this place must be eating through your divinity like crazy."

Arietta immediately looked away. "That’s... not important."

Which, of course, confirmed everything.

Raven sighed, stretching lazily before sitting up slightly. "Then I guess it’s time for me to go."

Arietta’s head shot up. "What? Already?"

He smiled softly. "You know I can’t stay. There are still things waiting for me back there—things that won’t let me rest peacefully until I solve them."

Arietta bit her lip before leaning forward, pressing her forehead against his. "You always say that."

Her arms slid around his neck. "Then at least... let me keep you here for a moment longer."

Her lips brushed his—once, twice, slow and lingering, the warmth between them making even the unmoving air feel alive.

Raven’s heart ached a little at the tenderness in her touch. He wanted to stay—if only for a little while longer—but he knew he couldn’t.

He didn’t want Arietta’s divinity to be sucked dry.

When they finally parted, his voice came out gentle. "I’ll come back. Next time... with my real body. That’s a promise."

Arietta smiled, tears glimmering, but her voice was steady. "You’d better. Or I’ll drag you here myself, body and soul."

Raven chuckled, his eyes softening. "Wouldn’t expect anything less from you."

As he began to fade—his form dissolving into threads of light—Arietta’s hand lingered on his cheek, her lips mouthing one last word.

"Idiot."

The garden shimmered once more, the air rippling softly.

Then, Raven was gone—leaving only the echo of laughter, the rustle of flowers, and a goddess smiling through her tears in a world where time stood still.