Yasenia's wedding was a private event. Other than the people who knew Yasenia and her children from a very long time ago, there was no one else. Moreover, since Yasenia was about to go soon, they also didn't celebrate for too long. However, that didn't change the emotional weight of the event.
Yasenia's lips were constantly arched throughout the entire thing, hugging, kissing, and speaking with everyone with such joy that she could ignore Heaven's annoying pull for the whole day.
Still, happy events were as enjoyable as they were fleeting.
Sitting on the rooftop of their Astral Sky Shop, Yasenia and her lovers gazed at the starry sky. "... I will miss you."
Yasenia spoke softly, her tone laced with a tender but melancholic smile. The girls looked at the gorgeous dragon bride and circled her, burying her in a group hug. The dragoness chuckled and used her tail and arms to give them a collective hug back. None of them spoke. They felt that words were superfluous in that moment.
Instead, they just relished in each other's presence, gazing as the Moon hung in the sky, illuminating the world with its soft silver light. 'I wonder what awaits me? I wonder where I will end up?'
Her gaze seemed to penetrate beyond the sky and far into the universe. As if she were trying to peer into the place she would land. Of course, she didn't see anything.
One hour turned into two, and two into three. Eventually, the sky beyond the horizon changed colors, and the dark night slowly shifted to a gentle orange and then a gorgeous blue.
As the sun's rays illuminated the land, Yasenia felt the pull inside of her increase exponentially. The feeling was somewhat painful as her existence was called by Heaven. "... It's time."
Her soft, gentle, and mellow voice usually melted their hearts. Yet, this time around, it only made them feel a tight clench. Still, they refused to show sadness as Yasenia's time arrived. They wanted Yasenia to remember them in their most beautiful state as her wives.
The dragoness patted them slowly and stood up. Her bride's dress flowed with her movements, giving her beauty an ethereal edge that stole their breath away. Then, as Yasenia walked toward the edge of the shop's ceiling, she could see a crack forming in the clear morning sky.
Looking at the sky, Yasenia placed her hands on her stomach. 'Baby, it is time to travel to a new world.'
In the sky, the black crack spread and then folded space and reality open. A pillar of white light poured down from above, enveloping Yasenia's figure. The dragoness turned around, looking at her dears with a smile. "Love, thank you for everything. I love you, and I will always love you. As soon as I can, I'll try to descend through the Heavenly Layers and find all of you."
The figure of Yasenia's ethereal figure in the morning light shone like that of a gentle goddess of beauty and purity. "I know that you all will similarly try to search for me. But please, I beg you not to be reckless. I will also avoid standing out as much as possible."
The girls thought that they could keep a smiling face until the end, but as Yasenia spoke, their eyes spilled tears.
"I will name any shop or power I make, like always, Astral Sky." The dragoness paused and chuckled softly. "Our family business will spread throughout the cosmos just trying to find each other."
The girls laughed a bit through their sobs, but this made the tears pour out faster. The void created by heaven summoned five golden chains that quickly descended and coiled around Yasenia's arms, legs, and tail. They weren't tightly pulling, just hovering around her body without touching, as if they were floating in water.
Yasenia's body then began floating toward the crack in the sky. Looking at Yasenia's figure floating up, the girls wanted to reach out. They wanted to grab her hands and feet and pull her down. It felt as if their dragoness was ascending to a place they would be unable to reach, making their hearts clench.
Nevertheless, as Yasenia floated upward and saw their faces, her voice reached them with softness, care, and love. "I am yours. I will always be yours. Eventually, I'll find you even if you can't find me. I love you."
The girl's cracking voice reached Yasenia as she sped toward the voice.
Evelyn went first. "I love you too, my stupidly lovable dragoness! Thank you for pulling me from my complex and showing me that I can receive love!"
Kali went after that, her tone emotional. "Yasenia, I love you more than anything else. You've shown me light in a world of darkness and despair. You are the one who embraced and healed my soul, and for that, my love for you is eternal."
Angel cried, her tears pouring down. "Since the first time I saw you, I knew I loved you. Thank you for always pampering me, Yasenia. Thank you for always loving me. Thank you for giving me a family to care for. I will always be your Angel."
Cecile's tone was also emotional, one of the most emotional among them. "Yasenia, we are connected by soul and body. You are my only other half. There is no one other than you since the day you marked me. Never forget that, regardless of distance, you are my Interlocked Soul."
Andrea followed, her tone firm but unable to conceal the sadness behind it. "Love, take care of our child and yourself. I love you, always have. Thank you for accepting me as I am, and thank you for never giving up on me. I'll never ever give up on you as well."
Finally, Tatyana spoke with a loving tone. "Don't worry, Little Treasure, regardless of where you are within Heaven and Earth. I will find you. Even if I have to turn the universe upside down, I'll reach your side. Thank you for showing me love and making me see colors again, Yasenia. I love you."
Yasenia looked behind her, a smile that could eclipse the sun's radiance etched on her face. "I love all of you, too. See you soon, dears."
Then, she crossed the heavenly portal and disappeared into the sky. The fissure created by heaven closed again, and the sky returned to normal.
The girls stood there, looking at the sky with dazed expressions and empty hearts. No one bothered them, leaving them to their thoughts and waiting for them to return.
Thankfully, the girls had something left behind that could soothe the gargantuan void Yasenia had left behind. Their children. So, thinking of them, they took two weeks before snapping out of their daze and returning to their usual selves. Of course, there was a hint of melancholy deep within their gazes. Still, the desire to get stronger and find Yasenia overshadowed all of that, filling them with the motivation needed to live without feeling tormented.
Meanwhile, Yasenia was traversing the void between Heaven while being pulled upward by the chains and protected by a sphere of Heavenly energy. Her face had long changed from emotional to utterly indifferent. She couldn't linger in her feelings as she traveled to a new and dangerous place. 'I'll come back safely to their side. Regardless of what I need to become, I'll never give up on finding them again."
Yasenia's golden eyes shone as her body made the space around her tremble. "Heaven, now that I am alone, I am unchained." Around her, the metaphorical chains that held her back, those ties with her family, slowly broke and freed her Dragon Will. "You will understand why separating me from my lovers is a mistake."
All her limiters, all things that made her reluctant to fully dive into the cultivation path and reach for the peak, everything was severed with this separation. Behind Yasenia, her two massive dragon wings fluttered open, and then, instead of resisting, Yasenia flapped and soared upward. "You want to send me up, right? You want to test me, right? Don't worry, I'll help you."
***
People were walking in a village, doing their thing here and there. The farm animals walking down the street gave the town a peaceful atmosphere. A middle-aged man walked past a scrawny girl and sighed. "Girl, you can't do nothing. You'll starve to death in the end."
The girl had sunken cheeks, black hair, and eyes. Her body was malnourished, and despite her young age, she looked tired of life. Looking up with an empty gaze, the girl spoke in a whispering voice. "I don't care… I've lost everything… There is no meaning…"
The middle-aged man scratched his head. He knew that this girl was a noble of some kind from a nearby empire. However, there had been a rebellion, and the girl's family was slaughtered until not even chicken nests remained unturned.
Thankfully or not, depending on how one looked at things, the family was able to send this girl away.
An old woman looked their way, and seeing the girl, her voice became shrill and annoyed. "That's what happens when you reject my goodwill! I wanted to give you as a concubine to my grandson, but your stupid pride makes you blind to the good intentions of others. Also, if you are going to die, go to the [Beast Eating Jade Forest]! At least you will contribute to filling the stomach of some beast there."
The girl glanced at the old woman with an empty gaze, making her take a step back in fear. "You just want a prostitute for your grandson. I'd rather die than become the partner of a lustful pig."
Then, she staggeringly stood up and walked deep into the alley in the direction of the forest. The middle aged man threw an ugly look at the old woman. "Can't you have a bit of sympathy, old woman? Did a dog eat your heart or what?" Turning toward the girl, the man shouted. "Oy! Girl! Where are you going?"
"To become beast food," She spoke mockingly. "With luck, I'll be eaten by a dragon."
The middle aged man sighed frustratedly. However, he couldn't do much else for her. His house had very tight finances, and one extra mouth to feed would be too much. Even if he had the goodwill, he didn't have the resources to take her in. Eventually, he guiltily looked away. 'Sigh… I hope you have a lucky encounter, little girl. May Heaven bless you.'
Meanwhile, the girl approached the forest and entered it without a single shred of hesitation. She had truly given up by now. 'My strength is gone. My family is gone. My country is gone. What's the point anymore?'
As she walked deep into the forest, she heard rustling sounds by her side. Looking over, a giant wild boar was looking at her with a pair of small red eyes. The beast roared and charged toward her.
'A pig… A fitting end.'
The woman smiled sneeringly at her fate. However, suddenly, the sky above cracked open.
BANG!
The woman and the boar looked up, seeing a white and blue shadow descending from the sky terribly fast.
BOOM!
The boar was smashed down, its body exploding after being struck by the meteor. The girl looked at everything stupefied, covering her face from the dust cloud the impact created. "Cough, cough… What was that?"
Strangely curious, the girl decided to approach the crater.