The space around Lan Hao Tian twisted and warped. In the blink of an eye, he found himself floating mid-air, gazing down at a small island below.
"Where... am I?" he wanted to ask, but quickly realized he couldn't speak. All he could do was watch.
On the island, he saw two figures: an elderly woman and a young man.
The old woman, frail and leaning on a cane, stood on a golden beach, gazing out over the vast ocean.
Beside her was a strikingly handsome young man dressed in an elegant, deep-blue ceremonial robe. He wrapped his arms gently around her from behind, his eyes soft as he said:
"Isolde, this is the very place where we first met."
Feeling the warmth of his embrace, she smiled and teased:
"You still look so young… but I'm old now. I'm wrinkled and withered. Do you still love me, even like this?"
The young man chuckled and gently patted her head. In the next moment, his youthful appearance aged dramatically. The vibrant young man turned into a frail, elderly figure, as though death was just a step away. With tender affection, he spoke:
"Silly girl. I've told you countless times—aging is not something to be feared or pitied. I love you… because you are you. Besides, if we're being honest, I'm the true old man here. You're still just a young lady in my eyes."
Isolde chuckled at his words and replied:
"Oh, Water God, to remain young forever like you… what a blessing. If only I could stay by your side a little longer."
As she said those words, a hint of sorrow crept into her expression—not because she feared death, but because she knew the Water God would be left alone, enduring the endless years to come.
The Water God's youthful appearance returned in a flash. His aged form had only been a playful illusion to amuse her. This youthful form, after all, was the one he felt most himself in.
Standing before her, he smiled brightly and said:
"Just look at me—this handsome face is sure to attract plenty of admirers. You don't need to worry about me being lonely."
Isolde, though nowhere near his age, was no fool. She shot him a knowing glance and said:
"Hmph, don't think I don't understand you. You may feel emotions, but your desires are nothing like those of mortals. If they were, you wouldn't have lived in solitude for countless years before meeting me."
The Water God scratched his head awkwardly. Though he was a divine being—exalted and revered in the eyes of mortals—before her, there was not a trace of godly majesty. He looked almost... bashful.
Seeing his silence, she continued softly:
"Desire is nothing more than a fleeting trinket to the gods. But love—love is something entirely different. Desire lasts but a moment. Love… love is eternal. It is the one thing capable of moving even the heart of a god."
If anyone in this world ever claimed they had stopped loving someone, it could only mean they had never truly loved to begin with. What they experienced was no more than ordinary desire—nothing more, nothing less.
True love cannot be erased. A person might bury it deep within their heart, but never truly make it vanish.
The Water God did not argue. He didn't know how other deities might feel, but as for himself… he knew without a doubt that he had truly loved someone.
Despite the vastness of his divine mind, infinite in wisdom, he now found himself at a loss for words.
Isolde looked at him, then continued:
"I'm old now. I can feel my eyesight fading—your image grows more and more blurred each day. My body no longer listens to me… even walking has become difficult."
Seeing her lament the decline of her body, he gently tried to comfort her:
"Don't worry. If you can no longer walk, I'll guide you with the water, take you wherever you wish to go. If your eyes fail you, I'll describe the world around you with words until you can see it in your mind. No matter what happens to you… I will stay by your side. Always."
Touched by the sincerity in his voice, she smiled warmly. She knew he would never abandon her—but even so, she couldn't bear to become a burden on him one day.
"Water God." she said quietly.
"I don't want to become a useless weight you have to carry. While I still have some strength left, I want to ask you one thing. Will you let me go… peacefully?"
"These decades I spent by your side were the happiest days of my life. The day I met you was the most precious day I've ever known. Thank you—for everything."
The Water God stood frozen. And before he even realized it, a tear slipped from the corner of his eye—a clear, crystalline drop glowing faintly with the colors of a rainbow.
What stunned him was not the fact that he had cried…
But the nature of the tear itself.
There was a flicker of joy in his eyes—subtle, yet unmistakable. That tear... it wasn't ordinary. He cradled it gently, reverently, while performing a small, almost imperceptible gesture with his hand.
"You cried?" Isolde asked, a soft tremor in her voice.
"In all my years… this is the first time I've seen you cry. Your tears… they're beautiful."
She had always believed that gods didn't shed tears—but now she understood. It wasn't that they couldn't cry… they simply hadn't encountered something worth crying over.
The Water God, smiling with a rare, genuine light in his expression, looked at her and said:
"Isolde, I've found a way. A way to grant you a hundred more years of youth. With that… we can have another century together."
His joy was unmistakable—so pure it was contagious. Isolde's hands trembled from excitement, and without realizing it, she let go of her cane and threw her arms around him.
But her body weakened with age, and couldn't support her anymore. As she collapsed, he caught her swiftly in his arms, holding her close with warmth and care.
"Don't be so careless. We have so much time ahead of us." he whispered tenderly.
She flushed, slightly embarrassed. Even at her age, she still managed to act like a clumsy girl. It annoyed her just a little. She grumbled:
"Hmph. Don't lie to me. For someone who's lived billions of years, a hundred more can't possibly feel like much."
But the Water God simply smiled, then answered seriously:
"Eons of solitude may grant freedom to roam wherever I please… but they are nothing compared to a single year by your side. A hundred years with you—doesn't that sound like a very long time indeed?"
Love is powerful—so powerful that it could overshadow freedom, outshine immortality, and silence even the loudest storms of eternity.
Those who claimed that love was meaningless compared to eternal life… had never truly known either. They were not enlightened—they were pitiful.
Tears welled up in Isolde's eyes. This time, not from sorrow… but from joy.
She knew now—there would still be time.
Time… together.