For a while, nothing complicated happened and somehow, that ended up being the most disarming part of it.
Phaenora talked more than the others, though not in an overwhelming way. She moved between topics effortlessly, jumping from something as small as the texture of the food to something as random as how different this city felt compared to wherever they had come from.
Elyonari complemented that energy rather than competing with it, responding when needed and adding small observations that somehow grounded everything Phaenora said.
Marcelline found herself listening to them.
The food was warm and carefully prepared. Phaenora insisted she try everything at least once. She kept sliding portions toward her without hesitation while Elyonari occasionally adjusted the servings so that the pigeons didn't get too bold, gently reminding them to keep their distance even as she let them linger nearby.
Veneri spoke less, but when he did, it carried weight without needing to dominate the conversation. His remarks were often laced with a dry kind of humor that caught Phaenora off guard just enough to make her laugh harder than expected.
Marcelline fit into it and to her, that was the part that unsettled her the most.
She spoke when spoken to, added small comments here and there, accepted the food offered to her, and even found herself reaching for more without consciously deciding to. The pigeons remained close, occasionally wandering between them. She absentmindedly continued to feed them scraps. Her fingers brushed over their small heads whenever they got too close.
Half an hour passed without her noticing.
It wasn't until Phaenora suddenly paused mid-conversation.
"Wait."
Elyonari glanced at her.
"What?"
Phaenora blinked, then sat up slightly.
"We forgot the dessert."
Elyonari's eyebrows drew together just enough to show mild disbelief.
"How did we forget that? That was the highlight of this entire picnic."
Phaenora groaned softly, dragging her hand down her face.
"I know. I literally said we shouldn't forget it. It's at that cake store we passed earlier."
"We should go get it then."
Phaenora nodded immediately.
"Yeah, I'll go."
"I'll come with you," Elyonari added without hesitation.
Veneri shifted slightly, already moving as if to stand.
"I'll—"
"There's no need to rush," Phaenora cut in lightly, waving her hand at him. "You can stay. Keep Miss Marcelline company. We won't take long."
The two of them gathered what they needed quickly and within moments, they were already heading off. Their figures gradually blended into the flow of the park as they disappeared from sight.
Veneri exhaled slowly.
"You can drop the act now."
Marcelline tilted her head slightly.
"I don't know what you mean, Mr Veneri."
Veneri let out a quiet scoff.
"It's not that hard to recognize you, even in a different world. There's no way I'd forget your voice or your mannerisms."
"..."
"And Marcelline? That was your original name before you were adopted. Before you became Greshina Emberforge, I mean."
For a moment, Marcelline didn't respond. It took her some time to answer back.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He just looked at her. And in that gaze, there was nothing. She saw no resentment, anger or warmth. It hit harder than anything else could have. She stared at him for a moment longer and smiled. Her hand rose slowly with her fingers brushing against the edge of her hood.The fabric slipped away, revealing her face fully for the first time. That was the first time she saw shock in the handsome man's face.
Even in a world where beauty wasn't rare, where beings far beyond normal standards existed casually, she stood apart. Her skin was almost luminescent under the muted daylight. Long, wavy amethyst hair ran down past her shoulders while her vivid amethyst eyes glowed.
There was something else too. She had an aura around her. It was like the space around her adjusted itself to accommodate her. She didn't look like someone pretending to be a deity.
She looked like one and she was one.
"Do I look ugly?"
Veneri blinked once, then let out a small breath while slightly shaking his head.
"It's been a while since I've been amazed by a woman's beauty."
"It's been ten thousand years, you know."
"For you..For me, it's been less than forty."
"Oh."
The word came out softer than expected, followed by a quiet exhale as she looked away briefly.
"Our transmigrations were completely different."
"Edarea Avinaris, huh?"
Her attention returned to him.
"She's the one who wiped out Elyonari's Elves. She's also the one who almost killed me in the Sucking Void. Is that you?"
"What do you think?"
Veneri didn't hesitate.
"It's not. It's the same person but you're the original." Edarea Avinaris is just a part of you, isn't it?"
"Bingo."
Greshina didn't look away from him after she said it. The faint smile on her lips didn't fade either.
"I did the same thing you're doing now. I split myself. Edarea Avinaris is my transmigrated version. She has no memories or awareness of what she really is. I'm the original."
Veneri didn't react immediately.
"So you're a Deity."
Greshina gave a small nod.
"Yeah. I represent Death. I don't do everything personally. My Grim Reapers handle the process."
"You really haven't changed, Greshina."
"Oh?"
He leaned back on one arm.
"That's why something felt off about Edarea Avinaris. She didn't look like you."
"It's not like I would be the same after—"
"You are."
He cut her off without raising his voice.
"Your tone is the same. You still have that calm, almost seductive British accent. Even when you're speaking Spheran, it's still there. You don't hide it."
"Veneri—"
"Your mannerisms haven't changed either. The way you pause before answering, the way you look at people when you're deciding how much to tell them and also your expression. It's still you—"
"Stop. It's over between us."
Veneri didn't react the way someone should when hearing that.
"You're lying to yourself. If you were actually over me, you wouldn't be here."
"..."
"You didn't come here for nothing and you definitely didn't come here by accident. Elyonari and Phaenora don't know who you are. If they do, they'll kill you."
Greshina stared at him for a second. Then she let out a soft, almost incredulous laugh.
"You're serious? I'm literally permanently immortal. As a Split of Death, I can't die. They could try but it wouldn't matter."
Veneri didn't argue that point. He just accepted it, letting it sit there without challenging it.
"How are you?"
Greshina was caught slightly off guard by the change in direction. She then glanced upward toward the gray sky.
"It's the seventieth day since the Second Epoch Cycle began. It's when every realm in the Hidden Citadel starts feeling it. The Second Krepsuna War is coming. So until then, I came to help you."
That made him tilt his head slightly.
"Why?"
"Because I still have feelings for you."
Veneri didn't look away.
"I don't."
Greshina's expression didn't break. In the next few seconds, she closed the distance between them in a single second. Her hand caught his shoulder as she pushed him back against the picnic blanket. Veneri's back hit the blanket softly. He was more surprised by the suddenness than anything else.
Before he could react further, she was already over him. Her weight kept pinning him down just enough to keep him in place. at. Her amethyst eyes looked onto his pink eyes as her hand rested lightly against his chest.
"You're lying. You never got over me even after you transmigrated, did you, Veneri Clementine?"