After spending the day with Stella, it was time for me to depart for the Eastern Continent with Seraphina. The goodbye with my family had been brief but warm—my parents and Aria seeing us off with the kind of casual affection that made leaving easier.
My mother still acted like everything was completely normal despite having revealed her true cosmic nature to me, which was honestly a bit jarring. But I was getting used to the idea that she wanted to maintain the facade for Douglas and Aria's sake. Some secrets were meant to protect the people we loved from truths they weren't ready to handle.
Seraphina and I reached Mount Hua Sect through one of the advanced warp gate systems that connected major locations across continents. The familiar surge of dimensional energy gave way to crisp mountain air and the sight of ancient buildings perched on impossible peaks.
