Chapter 1,358 – Alley Celestial

The impenetrable fog parted, giving way to familiar colors and shapes. Helisent blinked a few times as she oriented herself. She was lying in her bed, as she had for the past few years. Her favorite flowers were placed in a vase on her nightstand. On the other end stood a small statuette. It was the first carving her uncle had given her, a version of the graceful goddess dancing among the heavens. It looked worn after eight decades on display, but it was still her favorite.

Helisent felt like she’d awoken from a long, long dream. She could understand why. Death was creeping close, and the Heavens had given her a moment of clarity to conclude her earthly affairs. Was it the reward for a lifetime of accomplishments? She’d toiled for decades, bringing the family to new heights.

Once a simple seed merchant, the Peck Clan had grown into a respected family with hunters of their own. They no longer sold seeds, instead growing Spiritual Herbs and processing the harvest. It was a life well-lived, and one with few regrets. Petryk had been waiting for her for over twenty years, and she had little reason to hang on.

And yet, Helisent felt the dark clouds draw closer. Rather than a gift, was the clarity a cruel taunt? Helisent sighed and turned to the large arched windows, startling the two attendants waiting nearby.

“Matriarch, you’re awake!”

“Would you open the blinds, dear?”

“Of course,” the maid quickly tied back the thick curtains, allowing the golden glow of late summer to pour into her room.

“Thank you. I’d like to see Uncle.”

“Master Atwood?” the maid said with hesitation. “The Master’s health has declined. He might not be in condition for a visit.”

“Humor this old lady and extend an invitation,” Helisent smiled. “I need to talk to him. Alone.”

The maids scurried out of the room, leaving Helisent with her thoughts. The sunlight pouring through the windows made her recall her ancestral home. The old store and its sun-kissed alcove on the second floor were long gone, destroyed during the beast tide nearly forty years ago. She’d rebuilt it, but it had felt like picking at the wound.

The lush gardens outside her bedroom better suited the family’s circumstances. They were also a reminder of life’s ups and downs. They’d risen quickly, and a century wasn’t enough time to create stable foundations. Markus hadn’t mentioned anything for fear of adding to her burdens, but how could Helisent fail to see the worries weighing on her son?

Even now, Helisent could hear the subdued whispers outside her chambers. She understood the content without making out the words. The Peck Clan’s twin pillars were about to collapse, and it would trigger a storm. Their strength was hollow. Their own cultivators needed more time to mature, and their protectors were outsiders. Hired hands and in-laws couldn’t be relied on when enough benefits were at stake.

Her uncle had always cautioned restraint, that slow and steady wins the race. Helisent knew he was right. She also knew that the chances to rise beyond one’s station were as rare as a phoenix’s feather. Helisent couldn’t bear the idea of her descendants toiling from dusk to dawn only to go to sleep hungry. She’d kept expanding, and her children continued the work she started.

The commotion outside grew louder, and Helisent frowned in complaint. Couldn’t these hapless descendants give an old woman some peace and quiet even in her final moments? The frown turned into a smile when the door opened. Anila and Eko, her two oldest grandchildren, tried to enter with Zac only to be ushered out with a few gentle words.

The door closed, leaving only the two. Helisent’s sight wasn’t what it used to be, and she only managed to get a proper look when her uncle sat down by the bed. Still smiling, Helisent felt a pang of sorrow.

“Uncle, you’ve gotten old.”

The once stalwart man whose piercing eyes were full of adventure and mystery had been reduced to skin and bone. Her uncle looked like a slight gust could drag him away. It was a miracle he made it to her bed. Even sitting, he needed to rely on his cane. Helisent recognized the piece of gnarled wood well. It was nearly two decades old and officially the last thing Zachary Atwood ever carved.

“It’s been a while, Helisent,” Zac said with a gentle smile as he clasped her hand.

“I’m sorry about the scene outside. Those fools will keep me worried in the afterlife.”

“Unchecked growth will leave the wood brittle. A tree needs to face the wind to temper and shape,” Zac said. “The Peck Clan has stepped onto the path of Immortality, a road that’s measured in eons. The journey needs to have ups and downs just like life.”

“Old man, still acting all sagely with a foot in the afterlife,” Helisent snickered. Her smile soon faded as he gripped her uncle’s hand tighter. “So this is it, huh?”

Zac only patted her hand. Most thought that Zac Atwood retired because he’d lost the touch, that he could no longer see the truths hidden in the wood. Only Helisent thought differently. The older and more ordinary her uncle appeared, the deeper the impression he left on her.

“Old man, do you have regrets?”

“A life without regrets is a life not lived.”

“I knew it. That’s what you get for picking blocks of wood over family,” Helisent huffed.

“Family? Don’t I have one?” Zac said with a gentle smile.

“You do… And for all these years… Thank you,” Helisent sighed, finding it harder and harder to keep her thoughts straight. She slowly turned to the old statue by the bedside. For a moment, Helisent felt like the goddess stared back at her. “Do you think there’ll be a chance for me in the next life?”

“Perhaps. The Cosmos is unpredictable.”

Helisent smiled as she closed her eyes. “Old man… The first time I saw you, I thought you were a celestial taking a break in our little alley. If I was right; please look after my descendants in my stead.”