It felt like forever since John had been able to spend actual time with Matayal, instead of just meeting in passing. The Prismatic Chambers barely counted, as that was a time of combat and they were surrounded by others. That had led to the triplet’s most recent troubles, but finally everything seemed to be resolved… with all of them alive and generally happy.

John sighed, “A small mistake almost led to complete disaster.”

“That is the ultimate fate of many clans and sects,” Matayal mused. “We could have likely recovered, but it would have stymied the upward growth of our clans. In times like this, that’s no different than a sharp decline.”

“A golden age of cultivation. Makes me worried for what comes after.”

“Try to put it out of your mind. Phenomenon like this can last for a very long time. It wouldn’t be strange for it to last a generation or two, potentially past our natural deaths.”

“You say that…” John said, “But have you considered at what point our natural deaths will occur? Our most recent ancestors hadn’t even reached the Consolidated Soul Phase. Even now that he has, I doubt Luctus will live past one hundred and fifty years. Yet… it would be odd for either of us to not live past two centuries even if our cultivation stagnates here.”

“A reasonable point,” Matayal admitted. “Then we shall have to work all the harder to maintain our positions.”

The two of them were relaxing in a secluded cove near the Brandle clan, because even if Matayal was used to such things it was still quite pleasant. The warmth of the sun and the cool of the water nicely balanced each other, with the cove having just the right amount of breeze. They were able to spend some time in silence, just being with each other.

Alas, there were still duties that needed to be done and questions that had to be asked. “What do you think about the Ascending Soul Phase?” John asked. “The closer I get, the more uncertain I am about achieving it.”

“You should not doubt yourself. I know you have the talent and the drive. Even if it is a more difficult step, you will succeed.” She looked at him and smiled, “Soon, you will join me in the late Consolidated Soul Phase.”

“Hard to believe it was little Tirto who pushed you hard enough to advance, even if indirectly.”

“He’s gentle, but far from timid or weak. All of the triplets are strong in their own ways, and they will be able to resist the pressures we and the world place on them.”

John sighed, “Is it unfair to wish we could skip to the point when the clans were their responsibility?”

“I think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to think about,” Matayal nodded. “I would like to spend more of our year together.”

“... This was a stupid plan,” John said.

“It might be a couple decades late to tell our grandfathers that.”

“Could have been worse, though,” John said, squeezing her hand.

-----

Several weeks later, upon Kaimana which was primarily controlled by the Mulyani clan. Many prominent figures were gathered around, from various regional powers or allies. John and Matayal were present, as well as Luctus and Netanel. The triplets were also present. From the Mulyani clan, there were Asih and Harta, recent advancements in their cultivation allowing them to prop up the clan.

Finally, there was Kusuma. The question of her presence was a complicated one, with only her body definitely being present. Though she had undoubtedly been powerful, she was also known to push herself to achieve whatever she wanted. Fatigue and wounds from various important events had built up, and most likely she’d been hanging on through sheer willpower for years. It seemed that the relief of Asih and Harta being able to advance their cultivation, together providing structure for the clan, had allowed her to let go of her grip.

Dark clouds hung on the horizon, a common sight in the Shimmering Islands, known for its powerful if sometimes brief storms. It was not a coincidence the ceremony was being held at this time, nor would a storm actually disrupt the ceremony but rather was required for it to advance.

Asih was the first to speak. “Before Kusuma, there was little worthy of being called the Mulyani clan. However, in her lifetime she built up something great, providing a place for a clan that grew around her. It seemed as if she would last eternally, even if that wasn’t her desire for cultivation. But as we all know, everything must come to its end. She will be remembered.”

In the distance, lightning flashed. Rain began to fall as winds picked up.

Various others took a chance to step up, saying a few words. John, speaking of how she dragged him off for crazy training. The triplets, recalling her defense of them. Various others, speaking on how she was a whirlwind of destruction that showed up to save the day.

Luctus and Netanel also spoke of their youth, her ambitions to turn her family into a proper clan… and how crazy it seemed at first, even with the two of them having established clans. But with little but moral support, she pulled something together, fostering the later generations.

Harta was the last to speak. “Though my cultivation now closely matches hers, I know my power does not match her true intensity. She was a whirlwind that came to quick decisions, flipping about like the winds of a storm. And so we gather here to return her to the storm.”

As if punctuating his decision, lightning finally struck Kaimana. The storm continued, and as the storm passed over, the lightning strikes were drawn to Kusuma and amplified- turning her body to ash which was swept up in the powerful winds and carried away.

Several others had words to say, but Kusuma’s time had come and gone. A reminder of how people would eventually fade, but also what they could accomplish even in a single lifetime.

-----

As always, time continued to pass.

The triplets no longer remained together year-round, but had at least a few months out of the year together. When they were apart, they sent each other messages, delivered through the flight of shadowhawks- but there was only so much words on paper could say. But the times of separation came with the joy of reunion, and allowed them to grow independently, even if the purpose was still to support each other.

Luctus and Netanel withdrew into seclusion, focusing on their cultivation. They already had little remaining involvement in clan affairs, but as their ambitions were tied to the clan there was little better they could do but improve themselves for the remaining durations of their lifespan, measured in decades or less. They would make themselves available for the defense of the clan if necessary, but would otherwise be seen only rarely.

The younger generation of adults did not slack off in their training either, striving to keep up with the two clan heads. Advancing through the ranks of the late Consolidated Soul Phase was not something that happened quickly, but as predicted by Matayal soon enough John stepped into the thirty-fourth rank with her.

The surrounding region likewise continued its surge in growth. Friendly groups like the Order of the Amber Heart, the Milanovic clan, and the Golden Tomb Guardians were among them. The same was true to a lesser extent for the Combining Luster Sect- though their geographical separation limited how much mutual support could come into play.

Though it was gradual and almost ignorable, the influence of the Molten Sea wormed its way through the Northern Sunfields until it reached Astrein- which never had the cultivators or the will to restrict movements in any manner. The Sky Islands also exerted their influence into the Darklands, pushing westward.

The motivation for such expansion was not clear for either of them, but both seemed interested in the Shimmering Islands.

-----

Melanthina’s father had reminded her quite frequently that nobody was perfect, and while at first she’d thought it was intended as some sort of disparaging remark to try to keep her from forming a deeper attachment to Nik, she came to learn it was likely the opposite. Prepared for some sort of revelation that Nik killed puppies for fun, she took some time to realize what was really meant. One of the things she liked about him was his silent stubbornness- his unwillingness to accept defeat at her hands. That was also a source of conflict, though not in the area of direct competition in cultivation. That pushed them both to develop further, and was only a good thing.

Instead, it was other areas where they ran into friction. His inability to be present all the time was understandable. Melanthina understood he had his own duties- and he had to train where it was best for him. When he was around, she enjoyed the time they spent together- but less so when it involved official matters.

He didn’t seem to take social events seriously. He was never a slob, but he would often show up to events with poor timing, or less than impeccably groomed. Sure, Melanthina could appreciate messy hair sometimes… but others would pick it out, commenting on it where they thought they were not heard. Or worse, when they thought they would, saying she should pick someone better.

But that last part was not his fault, directly. She just wished sometimes he would show them that he was better. But with her main problems being that sometimes he was a little bit messy or less formal than she would have liked, and that he was overly humble or didn’t rise to provocations of people that weren’t her, her list of complaints wasn’t that large. Which made them stand out all the more.

If she could just change those things, maybe he would be perfect.

“Don’t,” her father said as she complained about it.

“Don’t… what?”

“Don’t assume you can or should force him to change,” John said. “Maybe he will, given time. Especially if you speak honestly about how you feel. But focusing on the assumption that he will change for you, or that he won’t change in other ways, will ultimately lead to disappointment.”

“But you and mother-”

“We what? Have a perfect marriage? Of course not. We just don’t show our flaws in front of others. And, most importantly, we have resolved to work together continuously to manage our marriage. Your work isn’t done when you’re officially married, but just begun. Just make sure you know what is most important.”

“What’s most important to you?”

“Putting up with my crazy cultivation path,” her father grinned. “Though the two of you have made very similar choices there. Perhaps you’ll have enough struggle just from that.”

“Is dual cultivation so difficult?”

“With light and darkness? It will absolutely be. And remember-”

“Don’t mix cultivation and sex. I know. I don’t think either of us would like our organs liquified from a distraction.”

“It would be an absolutely embarrassing result for everyone involved. And your siblings wouldn’t let it go beyond your grave.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“And don’t forget you can talk to your mother if you have any questions about things.”

“I know,” Melanthina emphasized. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

“Tell me that in another decade or after you have a child and I might believe you.”

-----

The club once again met at the Tenebach clan, still the central location for all of their reincarnated and transmigrated members. Plus the honorary member Matayal, who had brought them together because of an important discovery.

“We figured out what they want,” Matayal said bluntly. “We’ve tracked their movements to the Kelp Spire Forest.”

“Who?” Deirdre asked. “The Molten Sea, or the Sky Islands?”

“Both. And no, it does not seem that they are working together. But something in the area seems to have drawn their attention.”

“It seems unlikely we can just ignore them,” Renato said. “If they’re in that area, they must be after…”

“The sea god. The leviathan,” Matayal confirmed. “Whatever you want to call it. And whatever happens with that… I can’t imagine it will be good for us. The Brandle clan, or the whole region.”

Lucanus added his thoughts next. “It bugs me that we’ve just let them get this far without doing something. Sure, personally Yustina and I are at the least risk, but we’re still making the area seem like easy targets.”

“Maybe we are,” John admitted. “We haven’t been letting them do as they please because we don’t care. They have the power to back it up. Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators and… an unknown number of Ascending Soul Phase cultivators. Any number above zero of which being a serious threat to everyone.”

“I don’t think our clans will be enough,” Matayal explained. “Which means we’ll need to draw in others…”

“And that means a proper war,” Renato nodded. “Unfortunate, but without things coming this far it is unlikely we would have been able to ask for the aid of many beyond ourselves and our closest allies. At best, we could have rallied Marble County and a few clans from each of the Shimmering Islands, the Sunfields, and the Green Sands.”

“We don’t want to show our hand too early,” Matayal said. “But we do need to raise support. That’s why I brought the information this way. Others in the Brandle clan know less, though perhaps others in the Shimmering Islands might have picked up on it. Though how these groups came to learn of the leviathan to begin with is a concern. I have not witnessed many others outside of our trusted allies diving even close to deep enough to encounter the leviathan. Perhaps our various visits tipped someone off. Though that would still require some locals to disseminate the information. We need to be careful of who we approach.”

With that, the meeting was adjourned. Some such as Lucanus would be less directly involved with recruitment. He was perhaps a step or two less reckless than when he was younger, but he still wasn’t suited for such tasks. Yustina, however, could handle it better- and the rest of them had more experience with such responsibilities.