The next day felt strangely normal.
Asenane stepped out into the coastal town beside her husband... ahem, beside Darling. She was wearing a light summer dress that flowed just above her knees with thin straps resting on her shoulders. The material moved easily with the wind, brushing against her thighs every time she walked. She tied her hair loosely, letting a few strands frame her face.
Veneri, on the other hand, wore a loose white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. The top few buttons were undone casually. He also wore a pair of linen trousers and sandals. If anyone had been alive in that town, they would have thought they were filming a summer romance commercial.
Except the town was empty.
The streets were clean. The buildings were intact. Shops stood open. Signs hung neatly above doors but no one was there.
They walked down the main street slowly, side by side. By the way, Asenane didn't find it eerie despite the strange modern civilization she wasn't used to.
Silence wasn't foreign to her. She had gotten used to staying asleep and waking up in the Obsidian Runic Spire for centuries. Compared to that, this town felt peaceful. Also, she had a very distracting husband beside her.
Lucky bitch.
Anyway, they stepped into an antique shop. A bell above the door chimed.
The place has a scent of wood polish and salt air. Shelves were lined with old clocks, porcelain figurines, framed photographs, compasses, pocket watches, faded maps and other antique stuff. Everything looked old but none of it had dust.
She ran her finger along a wooden table. It was extremely clean.
"That's strange."
"It is. Not even Clean spells can do this meticulous work."
They left and wandered into a restaurant next. The door wasn't locked, which wasn't weird since it was during the day. Inside, tables were neatly set. The kitchen was stocked with fresh ingredients. Even the refrigerator hummed, indicating it was on.
"There's power but no people."
"Yes."
She didn't feel unsettled. If anything, she felt curious.
He walked her toward the back of town where the power infrastructure sat. She looked up at the web of cables stretching across the sky.
"What exactly is electricity?"
He smiled slightly and immediately slipped into lecture mode.
"Electricity is the movement of charged particles through a conductor. Think of it as energy flowing through pathways. These generators convert mechanical energy like turbines spinning into electrical energy."
She blinked.
"Mechanical?"
"Motion. Something that turns. That movement generates power. That power travels through those lines."
He pointed to the towers.
"The voltage is adjusted through transformers so it can safely power homes and devices."
She stared at the structures like they were divine artifacts.
"So humans created this?"
"Yes."
"To power what? Light?"
"Light. Heat. Refrigeration. Communication. Entire cities too. In Tokyo, one of the cities I visited in my high school, the view was amazing because of it."
"That's incredible."
"Earth's technology evolved rapidly. Power lines allowed entire regions to be connected. Cars revolutionized travel. Aircraft made continents accessible within hours."
She absorbed everything like a fascinated student. They walked past abandoned cars parked along the road. He tapped one lightly.
"This is an internal combustion engine vehicle called a car. It burns petroleum-based fuel to create controlled explosions that move pistons, which rotate the wheels."
She stared at him.
"Explosions."
"Small ones."
She looked impressed.
"And they trusted that?"
"Eventually."
They wandered toward a petrol station near the coast. The digital signs still displayed prices, which meant nothing considering the place was empty. A sleek motorcycle stood parked near the pumps.
It was not just any motorcycle. It was an expensive one that he always wanted as a teenager.
His eyes lit up.
"Do you want a ride?"
"A ride? On that?"
"Yes."
She looked at the open sky.
"We can fly."
"I know."
"So why would we ride something that slow?"
He walked over and examined the motorcycle.
"It's been ages since I rode one. I'd like to try."
"You remember how?"
He gave her a look.
"Asenane."
She rolled her eyes and nodded in defeat.
He checked the fuel which led to another shocking realization. The petroleum was fresh with no chemical breakdown. He took the nozzle and poured petroleum to the ground. It was completely fine, though the intoxicating scent of petrol made Asenane sniff it a little more than necessary.
"That's not possible."
"Why?"
"Petroleum degrades over time. It oxidizes. This should be unusable."
"But it isn't?"
He glanced around the empty station.
"We haven't seen any oil field in sight, or refinery or any transport systems active that would transport fuel."
"So where does it come from?"
He didn't have an answer. The generators were running. The refrigeration worked. Fuel was viable but no humans existed. Either way, he swung a leg over the motorcycle. The engine roared to life smoothly. He looked genuinely pleased.
"Still works."
Asenane sighed and walked over.
She climbed on behind him carefully, wrapping her arms around his waist. Even through the linen shirt, she could feel his warmth.
"Hold on."
They took off.
The motorcycle surged forward as they sped down the coastal road. Wind rushed against her skin, tugging at her dress and whipping her hair behind her. She leaned closer to him instinctively. After a moment, she spoke into his back.
"This is slow."
He almost laughed.
"I'm at top speed."
"This is top speed?"
"Yes."
She tightened her grip slightly.
"If you were human, this would feel extremely fast. But you're right. As a Divine, it's extremely slow."
She watched the scenery blur past. The ocean shimmered beside them with empty houses lining the road.
"You're right. It feels slow."
She didn't let go. The hum of the engine, the scent of saltwater, the warmth of her body pressed against his back, it was all signs of a date if he was on vacation. It's weird that he never did this with Greshina...
They drove across town, through long empty streets and along the coastline. Eventually, she leaned fully against him, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"This is nice."
"Even if it's slow?"
"Even if it's slow. This is really a good contraption."
He slowed down the bike because he wanted the moment to last longer. They rode past the sea, the empty town and the outskirts and yet, somehow, it didn't feel lonely. To them, it was a good day.