CHAPTER 89: SAND CASTLE

They were on the shoreline now.

Waves lapped gently at the sand, retreating and returning as though in rhythm with Nyala’s laughter.

Azel stood barefoot, flexing his toes against the warm sand.

He took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes.

’She really wasn’t lying,’ he thought. He could feel them now — his aura veins.

They pulsed faintly, delicate streams of energy outlined by the goddess’s divine touch.

They weren’t physical, not something to be seen with the naked eye, but he could sense them clearly as if someone had drawn bright lines through his chest.

They connected directly to his heart.

And then there was the core.

A bit above his heart, like a glowing sphere, brimming full of holy energy.

Whenever he drew aura, just a little carelessly, that holy energy slipped in through his mana veins and blended with it.

The result was terrifying, a destructive combination of both and although it worked, he still liked to be in control of his power.

"Seems like I’ll have to meditate once I get back to the world of the living," Azel muttered under his breath. "Otherwise, one wrong move and I’ll end up blasting half a town apart."

When he opened his eyes, Nyala was crouching down a short distance away, her golden hair cascading like sunlight over her shoulder, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

He smiled. "Alright, let’s make a sandcastle."

Nyala tilted her head. "You said this when we were on the water, we’re making a castle... with sand?"

"Yes." Azel chuckled. "It’s usually something children do at the beach, but it’s a lot of fun. Trust me."

The last time he had been at a beach was when he was ten years old.

He could almost see flashes of himself then — running with a plastic bucket, laughing with a stick in hand, piling up messy heaps of sand that barely resembled castles.

At least he hadnt been an introvert then.

At his age now, he never imagined he would be back at it. But this time, it wasn’t for him.

It was for her.

"First," Azel explained, "we have to gather a lot of sand."

Nyala nodded brightly, raised her hand, and with a wave of divine authority, summoned an enormous mound of sand that collapsed directly on top of Azel.

"Wha—?!"

He yelped as he disappeared under the pile, only to crawl out moments later, spitting sand and shaking himself off like a drenched dog.

"Not that much sand, Nyala!"

The goddess pressed a hand to her lips, failing miserably to stifle her giggles.

"I can control everything in this Plane," she said proudly. "If you need sand, I can get you as much as you want."

Azel raised his hand in mock protest. "That’ll make the whole thing less fun."

"Less fun?" Nyala blinked, tilting her head again.

She couldn’t quite understand.

Why gather and move sand when she could conjure it instantly?

Why work when she had divine authority?

"Because sometimes the way you build it is what’s fun," Azel explained gently.

He pointed at a spot closer to the water. "Come on, let’s use our hands to make a place where the water can flow."

So they knelt side by side. Azel dug with his palms, carving a shallow moat into the sand.

Nyala hesitated at first but then joined him, pressing her hands into the warm grains.

The sand clung to her fingers, soft and gritty, slipping between them in tiny streams.

And to her surprise — she liked it.

She giggled softly as she scooped more sand. "It feels... strange. Messy. But fun."

Azel grinned. "See? Told you."

They dug out a circle together, forming a wide base.

Azel showed her how to mound up the walls, patting them down with flat palms.

She copied him, her motions clumsy at first but soon growing more confident.

For the first time in centuries, Nyala was doing something entirely mundane — something no divinity was needed for.

And she loved it.

It was far better than carving it with magic.

When the circle was complete, Azel took a handful of wet sand closer to the waves. "This works better for shaping towers. Watch."

He stacked it carefully, pressing it down, then molded the sides until it looked vaguely like a turret.

Nyala’s eyes shone like a child seeing magic for the first time.

"I want to try!" she said eagerly, scooping up her own pile of wet sand.

Her first attempt collapsed into a messy blob.

She pouted, puffing her cheeks.

"It doesn’t look like yours."

"That’s because you’re rushing," Azel said, chuckling. "Here—"

He placed his hand over hers, guiding her fingers as they pressed and shaped the sand slowly, smoothing the edges together.

Nyala’s heart fluttered unexpectedly.

She wasn’t used to needing help — she was the goddess of this Plane, after all.

But being guided by him, working on something so simple, made her smile widely.

Together, they finished her turret. It leaned slightly to one side, but it stood.

Nyala clapped her hands with glee. "I did it!"

"You did." Azel chuckled. "Not bad for your first sandcastle tower."

Piece by piece, they worked.

Azel carved a winding moat while Nyala stacked turrets.

They built walls connecting them, and then Azel showed her how to drizzle wet sand to make decorative spires.

Nyala gasped in delight at each discovery, laughing with a bright, melodic sound that rang across the beach.

She even found seashells scattered along the shore and pressed them carefully into the walls of their castle.

White, pink, and golden shells lined the edges like jewels.

"Look!" she said proudly. "Our castle sparkles."

"It does," Azel agreed, brushing sand from his hands. "A royal palace for the goddess of light herself."

Her cheeks flushed faintly at his words.

She lowered her gaze, brushing her fingers against the shells. "...It’s more fun than I expected."

"That’s the point." Azel smiled. "Sometimes fun isn’t about being perfect. It’s about enjoying the moment."

Nyala looked at him then, really looked at him, and her heart stirred.

’Stop making me fall deeper for you...’ She thought biting her lips, ’At this rate I’ll want to keep your soul here forever.’

After all this time, she just realized how much she missed feeling alive.

The waves rose gently, lapping at their moat, filling it with water.

Nyala gasped in delight. "It’s working! The water flows like a river!"

"Exactly." Azel leaned back, resting his arms on the sand. "Now it’s complete."

They sat together, admiring the crooked but beautiful sandcastle glistening under the eternal dawn.

Nyala hugged her knees to her chest, smiling faintly. "I never thought I’d do something like this."

"Neither did I, it’s been a long time," Azel said softly.

Her golden eyes met his, and for a moment, there was nothing divine about her at all.

Just a woman, sitting by the shore, laughing beside someone she wanted to stay with.

Then she suddenly scooped up a handful of sand and flung it at him.

Azel blinked as it hit his chest, leaving streaks across his shirt.

"...Did you just—"

"Sand fight!" Nyala declared mischievously, already grabbing another handful.

’Ugh... I want to kiss him but I still don’t want to be easy!’ She thought.

Azel groaned, diving sideways as the next volley flew. "You’re incredibly full of mischief!"

And she laughed again, she continued laughing until her ribs hurt.

That was how fun it was being with her lover.

[Author’s Note]

While some people may not like the goddess character development, Phew it’s needed to flesh out the goddess even more.

After all she’s a being that has just seen what real joy and excitement feels like for the first time in centuries, We’ll begin the Winter Region arc from the next Chapter.

Phew thanks for reading.