Lightning Is the Only Way

"There is no one that elicits these kinds of feelings from me," Mortis answered. "I see so many different Cultivators, but they all look the same to me. They are either strangers, friends, enemies, or whatever. There is no difference."

"So, do humans need some kind of connection with a stranger for love to exist in the future?" Azure asked. She was genuinely curious about all of this.

Mortis' brows furrowed. "No, not really."

"Then why does that have to exist for you to try?" Azure asked.

For the first time, Mortis didn't answer immediately.

Why didn't he just get to know more people?

Was it really necessary that his spark had to exist for a relationship to blossom?

Obviously not.

There were plenty of mortals and Cultivators that got together with people after just being friends for years on end.

There had been no romantic attraction between them in the beginning, but they had eventually ended together.

For some reason, a kind of pressure appeared in Mortis' insides.

'Is it because of my past?' he thought. 'I've felt how Gravis have felt for so long. I've felt these intense bursts of warmth and love inside myself so many times.'

Mortis looked into the distance. 'Is it because I fear disappointment? Do I fear that my eventual love won't be as vibrant as the love Gravis feels for Stella?'

A moment of silence passed.

'And then, this entire thing with Joyce happened, which confirmed my fear. I was attracted to Joyce, but I never felt anything remotely as intense as what Gravis felt for Stella back then.'

'And then, Joyce died, and I felt like my ability to love died with her.'

Mortis glanced over at Azure, who only looked into the distance with a thoughtful expression.

'I think I fear disappointment,' Mortis thought. 'It might be possible that I'm afraid of losing my hope. I can dream about how great love is and how it makes me feel, but I'm afraid that my imagination is off.'

Another moment of silence.

'If even love turns out to be a disappointment, what else is there left but greyness in my life?'

'If love doesn't live up to my expectations, what reason do I even have left to live?'

"Azure, why do you cultivate?" Mortis asked.

Azure was surprised by the question. How did Mortis even come up with that question?

"Why do I cultivate?" Azure asked.

Mortis nodded.

Azure remained silent.

"I don't know," she said after several seconds. "Honestly, I haven't really thought about it. Living just feels natural to me, and it's like something I just have to do."

"Is there something in your life that you don't want to lose, no matter what?" Mortis asked.

Azure remained silent for a bit longer as her expression became uncomfortable.

"Not really," Azure answered with an unsure voice.

you keep fighting? Why do you keep comprehending Laws? Why do you go through the fear and pain of

out of necessity since we want to become more powerful. And why do

we have something in our life that we don't want to lose. We don't want to feel the pain of a loved one dying. We want to spend

asked, looking at Azure. "From what you've said,

Azure remained silent.

silent for several

Mortis regretted his

asked some things he was curious about, but he realized that his words might have had an

He was

comparison, Azure had never

obviously have something to

an internal struggle.

we humans have. For you, power might have

invalidate your reasons for living by comparing them to humans. You're not a human, and you already accepted that, right? Why search for something unimportant to you?"

his earlier

that's not the case," Azure said as she looked at Mortis with confusion and nervousness. "I know what you're trying to do right now, but your worry is

Mortis raised an eyebrow.

something I have never felt before," Azure said. "That's why it was so

you

emptiness," Azure said. "It's like a black hole that sucks out all

uncomfortable, and he felt guilty

was a feeling he was very

"Hey, listen-"

mortal. I'm a Star God, and I've gone through worse. You don't

Azure skeptically. After all, he knew

didn't try to convince Mortis immediately. Instead, she wanted to tell

"I've never had an issue with life, and I felt satisfied with simply becoming more powerful. However, as soon as you brought my attention to the

wouldn't have felt anything like this in the past. I haven't felt anything even remotely like this,

get a Spirit when we become Star Gods, right?" Azure asked. "So, when we get a Spirit, does it also mean that our emotional concepts become more

also fell into thought

Could she be right?

Mortis couldn't

Azure

Heaven's Magnates?" Azure asked. "You said you

about it?"

tried to think of a way to comprehend it, but I never came up with one. You know why? Because

about the Law of Empathy,"

Mortis' eyes widened.

Right!

would a beast even go

it took to comprehend the Law of Empathy since he knew it, and he

be impossible for a

Magnate become a Heaven's Magnate if it's impossible for a beast to feel like a

think that you can now feel

"I think so, but I can't be

she looked at

to try?" she

Mortis froze.

That…

you

it doesn't work, we can just stop. After all, even if I can't feel it, I know a bit about how it works, and I know that it would hurt you if I couldn't reciprocate. So, we can just try, right? If it works, we can both experience love, and if it doesn't, we can just

scratched the back of

don't know," he

confused. "I see no downside, only upsides. We will come out with

Then, Azure remembered something.

it because I'm not attractive to you?" Azure asked,