Chapter 683
The Goddess's Kiss
After saying "She's had it tough too," Adele glanced at Cohen, her eyes holding a tacit understanding that only the two of them could comprehend.
Without saying anything more or looking at Aetherel's reaction, she gathered her hair over her shoulders, turned around lightly, and walked towards the small door on the other side of the palace that led outside.
He left this space, along with the being within it who had waited for so long, to Cohen.
The small door closed silently, leaving only two people in the spacious main bedroom.
The air seemed to change after Adele left.
Aetherel stood still, without making a move immediately.
Her gaze slowly shifted from the door where Adele had disappeared back to Cohen.
Cohen remained standing in the same position as when Adele left, only slightly turned to face her gaze.
She looked at him, at this face that was both similar to and different from the one in her memory.
She lacked the perfection of a deity, but gained the vicissitudes and sharp edges of a mortal. However, the determination between her brows and the familiar, all-seeing yet untamed look deep in her eyes transcended life and death and time, perfectly overlapping with the imprint deep within her soul.
Ms. Chenxi approached Cohen quietly, very close, close enough for her to smell his faint scent.
It was the scent of the mortal "Cohen Corleone," slightly different from the divine aura of the Shadow God in her memory, yet it still made her heart tremble and her eyes burn.
She raised her hand and trembled as she touched his cheek.
The moment her fingertips touched her skin, a warm, vibrant sensation surged through her arm like an electric current, striking her heart.
The divine power at her fingertips instinctively wanted to surge, but she forcibly suppressed it, fearing that the overly strong divinity would burn this mortal body.
Her movements were incredibly gentle, as if she were touching a fragile dream.
Her fingertips slowly traced the defined lines of his jaw, her gaze almost greedily tracing his eyebrows, eyes, and nose, comparing every detail with the image in her memory, ultimately culminating in a sigh filled with endless longing and torment:
“You’re still the same as in your past life…” Her voice was soft, with a barely perceptible sob, yet exceptionally clear. Every word was like a fine needle coated in honey, piercing her heart, yet carrying the immense sweetness of something lost and then regained. “…But it’s different now.”
Cohen didn't move, letting her hand linger on his face.
He could feel the divine power that she was trying so hard to suppress at her fingertips. That power was warm and vast, yet cautious, like the gentlest halo.
He looked into her pale golden eyes, where the emotions surging within were so intense they almost consumed him.
He raised his hand and covered the back of her hand that was caressing his cheek, and he uttered that affectionate name that belonged only to him and had been sealed away for too long:
"Ariel, these years... have hurt you."
These few simple words acted like a key, precisely unlocking the long-sealed gates of emotion in Aetherel's heart.
All the waiting, all the searching, all the torment of despair and hope, all the loneliness of being a goddess of light yet unable to illuminate one's own heart... all burst forth in the face of this call.
Aetherel's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and her pale golden eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Unable to contain the surging emotions within her, she threw herself into Cohen's arms.
Cohen felt the woman in his arms was burning hot. Aetherel trembled slightly, then finally raised her head, closed her eyes, and her alluring red lips awaited his touch.
Cohen gave a wry smile, his fingers brushing against Aetherel's red lips:
"Ariel, I am still a mortal."
I'm afraid it won't be able to withstand the divine aura you unconsciously exude.
No matter how much tempering a mortal's flesh and blood undergoes, it is difficult to withstand the divine influence of a supreme god in a completely relaxed state for an extended period of time.
Aetherel froze, then suddenly realized—yes, he was still mortal.
His body and his soul, though their essence remained unchanged, were now enveloped by the fragile human shell.
Her uncontrollable radiance and divinity, however, could be a deadly poison to him at this moment.
"I……"
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.
The tears in her eyes finally welled up and formed two droplets, which slid down her smooth, flawless cheeks and dripped onto her plain white dress.
Looking at her tears, Cohen felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he tightened his grip on her hand.
"It's alright, sit down and talk slowly."
Cohen took her hand and led her to the soft couch in the rest area next door.
He sat down first, and then gently pulled Aetherel into his lap.
Aetherel's pale golden eyes stared at him intently, as if trying to etch his image deep into her soul once again.
Then, Aetherial began to recount, in fits and starts, her days of watching over the realm of the gods, her aimless search in the endless void, how she repeatedly ignited hope only to fall deeper into despair.
Her narration was disjointed, and she would sometimes fall into long silences, simply looking at him.
Sometimes he would suddenly speed up his speech, as if he wanted to pour out all the words that had been accumulating for thousands of years.
The loneliness of those deities, their long waits, and the repeated torment of hope and despair were slowly uttered from her lips. Stripped of their divine halo, all that remained was the purest torment and longing of someone persistently pursuing the soul of their beloved.
Cohen listened quietly without interrupting, simply holding her hand and occasionally gently stroking the back of her hand with his fingertips, offering a silent response.
His gaze remained fixed on her face, watching the different emotions that welled up in her as she recalled the past, and the light in her eyes that sometimes shone brightly and sometimes dimly.
After an unknown amount of time, Aetherel's voice gradually faded, finally settling into a trembling question, filled with lingering fear and unbelievable relief:
"...After so long, so long...I was almost about to give up, thinking I would never...see you again."
Thankfully, thankfully you are still alive.
But Cohen, tell me, how did you do that?
After all this time, how did you... manage to reincarnate successfully?
I tried every method I knew, even seeking help from the prophetic god Madora, but all I got was chaos and fog.
This is almost an impossible miracle.
Cohen met her gaze and remained silent for a moment.
He seemed to be organizing his thoughts, trying to figure out how to explain this bizarre and even strange experience:
“I’m not entirely sure what exactly happened either. In fact, Ariel, this isn’t my first reincarnation.”
Aetherel's body tensed abruptly, and her pale golden eyes narrowed sharply, filled with astonishment.
Cohen continued, his tone calm:
"Before finally returning here, returning to the Prime Material Plane, and becoming 'Cohen Corleone,' my soul, or rather, my consciousness, had experienced a lifetime in another world."
He paused, as if searching for the right words to describe it.
"That is a place that is completely different from here, and from the entire multiverse system that we are familiar with."
A very small and remote dimension.
The rules there are peculiar; there is almost no magic, fighting spirit, or any other form of supernatural power as we know them.
The creatures there rely primarily on technology and industry to develop their civilization.
They use light signals to connect the entire world, illuminate the night with energy called 'electricity,' and even send people to the moon without relying on any supernatural abilities…
He described that world with a strange sense of nostalgia in his voice.
Aetherel was stunned, his pale golden eyes filled with disbelief and confusion, as if he were listening to a fairy tale.
A world without supernatural powers?
Light signal?
电？
These words were as foreign to her as the babbling of another dimension.
"I lived in that world, in that world's way, for about... twenty years."
Then, for some reason, my consciousness, or rather the imprint of my soul, shifted again.
Having left that world, I finally arrived here, in the main plane, and became who I am now.
As for why I was able to get off to a good start in this life and achieve all this in such a short time.
It's quite related to my experiences in that strange world in my previous life. In fact, I suspect that my reincarnation in my previous life was a preparation for this rebirth.
Cohen finished his story, and the palace fell silent once again.
Aetherel stared at him blankly, as if she hadn't yet recovered from this incredible reincarnation experience.
After a long while, Aetheril struggled to process this information. She gripped Cohen's hand tightly, as if afraid he would disappear again.
A world without magic or supernatural powers, relying instead on "technology" and "industry".
A completely unfamiliar life trajectory?
This also explains Aetherel's fruitless long search, and she quickly asked again:
"What exactly happened back then that forced you to perish and be reincarnated?"
My last memory is of you relentlessly pursuing and hunting down... Vasak. Vasak, the third-ranked of the Seventy-Two Demon Pillars, is known as 'Future Vision'.
Later, Vasak was also confirmed to have perished, his soul imprint completely dissipated, and the abyss trembled as a result.
This and your... and your subsequent disappearance, happened almost at the same time.
It's related to him, isn't it? What did Vasak do before he died?
Or... was the hunt itself a trap?
This is the core mystery that has plagued her for thousands of years: the fall of Vasak and the disappearance of Corleone. The coincidence of these two events at such a time makes it impossible not to connect them.
Cohen shook his head slightly:
"I can't remember very clearly. Even today, many key memories are still shrouded in a thick fog."
Especially regarding Vasak, regarding the end of that hunt, there are only some vague fragments.
I still can't recall the specific details.
I think that perhaps only when I rekindle the divine fire and reclaim all divinity and authority can those sealed or scattered fragments of memory truly return and piece together a complete picture.
Then, perhaps I'll understand why my soul has undergone such a bizarre journey, why these two lifetimes, and why I was ultimately able to return here.
After a pause, Cohen looked directly into Aetherial's eyes and said, word by word:
"I will also find out what happened back then that forced me... to leave you." At this moment, the tears that Aetherel had been holding back could no longer be controlled.
Large, hot tears rolled down Aetherel's flawless eyes, tracing the smooth, jade-like cheeks.
The moment the tears left her skin, they were evaporated by the divine light flowing naturally across her body, turning into tiny specks of light that dissipated into the air.
But her weeping posture, her slightly trembling shoulders, and the sobs that still escaped despite her biting her lower lip were so real, so vulnerable, completely stripping away the aloof shell of the Goddess of Light.
It revealed the soul within, scarred and wounded by love.
She could no longer care about divine restraint. She opened her arms and hugged Cohen tightly, burying her face in his neck as if she wanted to meld him into her very bones and fill the void left by their long separation.
Cohen was caught off guard by her hug and leaned back slightly before regaining his balance.
He also reached out and wrapped his arms around Aetherel's slender waist, gently resting his chin on her blonde hair that radiated a soft glow.
He didn't say anything more, just held her like that, bearing her overwhelming emotions, responding to her longing and grievances that transcended life and death and time with silent companionship.
Only Aetherel's suppressed sobs remained in the palace.
Outside the window, the night deepened, and all was silent, as if the whole world held its breath, unwilling to disturb this broken yet reunited embrace.
Time flowed slowly amidst silent embraces and tears.
After an unknown amount of time, Aetherel's trembling gradually subsided, but she still did not let go. Instead, she hugged him even tighter, as if if she let go, the person in front of her would disappear again.
After a while, Cohen's voice finally rang out above her head:
“Ariel, I can sense that the entire multiverse is facing a huge crisis. You must be careful in all things, even in the Asgard.”
Aetherel tried to calm her breathing and replied softly:
"Yes, after I get back, I will have the Holy See of Light fully cooperate with all of Effie's actions."
Resources, intelligence, faith guidance, manpower... whatever the Vatican can mobilize will be given the highest priority to you.
I will personally issue an oracle to the Pope and several archbishops.
I will do everything in my power and mobilize all available resources to support you.
She looked up at him, and said, word by word:
“Cohen, no matter what lies ahead, no matter how many enemies there are, this time, I will never let you face it alone again.”
Cohen's heart skipped a beat. He reached out and stroked Aetherial's flawless face, whispering:
"In the realm of gods, protecting yourself is more important than anything else."
Leave the matters on the mainland to me. Don't worry.
He paused, his thumb gently tracing her smooth collarbone:
"When the time comes, I will definitely reserve the largest and best space for you."
May your divine kingdom descend peacefully and securely, and may no one disturb it.
Aetherel tilted her head back, letting his fingers linger on her face, and couldn't help but smile through her tears:
"I never thought that in the end I would still have to rely on you for help."
Even if you are just a 'mortal' right now.
Looking at her tearful yet smiling face, Cohen felt a gentle touch on the softest part of his heart, and he chuckled softly.
Do we really need to say all this to each other?
Having transcended life and death and endured the passage of time, worldly calculations had long lost their meaning between them.
They are each other's other half, the only one imprinted deep in their souls, a connection that cannot be severed even if heaven and earth were to turn upside down or the kingdom of gods were to fall.
Ether felt as if she were immersed in warm honey water because of his words. She raised her hand and gently touched Cohen's lips with her slender fingertips.
A bright and captivating smile blossomed on her face, the divine charm of the goddess of beauty, love, and light, which was no longer concealed at this moment.
The originally cool light in the palace seemed to have become ambiguous and hazy.
She parted her red lips slightly, her voice no longer soft and choked with sobs, but rather alluring, like a feather brushing against the heart:
"My love, please quickly re-establish the divine status."
My biggest regret back then... was not giving myself to you.
Upon hearing this, Cohen felt an indescribable surge of heat rise from his lower abdomen and instantly engulf his entire body.
Blood surged and roared in my veins, my heart pounded violently in my chest like a drum, and I could even hear the buzzing of my own boiling blood in my ears.
Aetherel's seductive words and her astonishing charm, befitting the goddess of love and beauty, instantly ignited the fire of desire within him.
It made his throat dry and his breathing suddenly become heavy.
Divine aura, the fragility of mortal body, restraint and caution... all were swept away by the overwhelming torrent of emotions and desires at this moment.
His body surged with shadow power, temporarily suppressing the interference of divine aura. He embraced Aetheril and sealed her red lips with his.
Aetherel let out a short, muffled groan, and then, almost without hesitation, began to respond frantically.
She wrapped her arms around Cohen's neck and hugged him tightly.
……
……
……
No matter how turbulent the torrent of passion was, the dam of reason ultimately did not completely collapse.
While the power of shadow can temporarily resist the erosion of divinity, it cannot last.
Aetherel's divine power was too pure and powerful, while his body at this moment was ultimately that of a mortal.
Such close contact, especially in such an intense manner, puts a tremendous strain on him.
Just then, a soft humming sound, which was not concealed, came from outside the palace.
Cohen was jolted awake, and the two slowly separated, a flash of silver light passing between them.
Aetherel gasped for breath, glanced outside, and then stared intently at Cohen with her pale golden eyes.
Cohen calmed his breathing, a hint of embarrassment rising in his heart, but his arms were still wrapped around Aetherel's waist, though he loosened his grip a little.
Looking at the breathtakingly beautiful face so close to him, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat was terribly dry.
Aetherel leaned in and placed a very light kiss on his tightly pursed lips, whispering:
"Someone is unhappy, and it's time for it to end."
"I'll be waiting for you in the realm of the gods, my knight..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the luminous power carrying the true form of Aetherel descended, starting from where she stood, from bottom to top, like faded golden sand painting, specks of light peeled away from her skirt, fingertips, and hair.
She traced countless soft golden trails in the air, eventually transforming into a warm, gentle halo of light that slowly dissipated, along with her entire being.
Cohen stood there silently for a while, then heard a "click" sound.
Adele walked in through the small door leading outside and stood right in front of Cohen, so close that she could smell the lingering scent of another woman on him.
Cohen naturally reached out to Yardelle, wrapped his arm around her waist, and gently pulled her into his embrace.
He rested his chin on the top of Yalder's head, which exuded a delicate fragrance, and took a deep breath, as if trying to draw some kind of calming power from her:
"Sis, you...you weren't listening to our conversation the whole time, were you?"
Adele let him hold her, her body softly nestled in his arms, her hand rising from Cohen's waist to touch the slightly wrinkled collar of his shirt.
Hearing Cohen's question, her fingers didn't stop moving; she simply raised her eyelids, glanced up at him, and gave a soft hum.
Am I that boring?
Hiding behind the small door, she pricked up her ears, listening to her husband and his former lover... reminiscing, pouring out their hearts, exchanging flirtatious glances?
Cohen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. He opened his mouth as if to explain something, but Adele did not give him the chance.
Adele's fingers traced the smoothed fabric of his shirt, moving gently upwards until they stopped at his chest. She said with a hint of reproach:
"You too, she is now a deity, the chief god."
With a supreme god... like this.
Aren't you afraid that her radiant divinity will burn you to ashes?
This was her real concern: to be in such close contact with a supreme god who was emotionally charged and overflowing with divinity was, for a mortal, no different from walking on the edge of a cliff.
When Cohen heard the undisguised concern in her words, the slight embarrassment in his heart was replaced by more complex emotions.
He tightened his arms around Adaline, buried his face in the crook of her neck, took a deep breath of her delicate fragrance, and said carefully:
“Aetheryel… she’s actually had a tough time too, all these years, she’s been all alone…”
He didn't finish his sentence.
Adele raised her other hand and gently covered his lips:
"Alright, alright, do you think I don't understand what you mean?"
I'm just reminding you two not to go too far; it's bad for your health.
Cohen repeatedly assured her that he would never do it again. As he spoke, his hand slipped inside Adele's collar, and he began dribbling with one hand.
Adel groaned, knowing that he had just been aroused by the goddess and had nowhere to release his desires, so she let him have his way, and said intermittently:
"I have...I have important business to attend to."
Bahamut Jin Hui, that dragon god, has sent someone over.
The agreed-upon matter must have come to fruition; the teleportation ritual is all prepared and we're just waiting for you to go... Be gentle! (End of Chapter)