Everything was dark at first.
Then—
He saw them.
His mom. His sister.
They were just... there. In the old kitchen. Mom humming as she cooked, his little sister kicking her legs at the table like always.
Sunlight poured through the windows, warm and golden, making the whole house feel soft and alive.
Satoshi stood there, stuck in place, feeling like he was floating.
His mom turned and smiled at him. Her eyes were warm. Familiar.
"You're up early today," she said.
He tried to speak. Nothing came out.
His sister giggled. "Mom, Satoshi's acting weird again!"
It sounded so normal. So real.
His mom just laughed. "That's your brother for you."
His chest ached.
She turned back to stir the pot on the stove.
"Come sit," she said over her shoulder. "Breakfast is almost ready."
He wanted to. So bad.
He wanted to sit down. To stay here. To pretend this was home again.
But deep down, he knew—
It wasn't real.
His mom was gone. His sister too.
And Satoshi?
He was alone.
The warmth started flickering. The house began to blur.
His mom's voice drifted away. "Satoshi?"
His sister's smile faded. The light dimmed.
He clenched his fists.
He didn't want to go. Not yet.
But the dream was already falling apart.
And the last thing he saw before it all crumbled—
Was his mom, smiling at him one last time.
Satoshi's eyes snapped open.
Gone.
No light. No warmth.
Just the palace. Cold. Empty.
He stared at the ceiling. Didn't move.
Then let out a long breath.
"...Damn it."
He turned on his side, curling slightly. His chest still hurt.
For a while, he just laid there, staring at the wall.
Then he shut his eyes again.
Trying to hold onto the dream. Even if it was gone.
Sunlight bathed Ephemeral in gold.
The palace looked like something out of a myth—pillars, courtyards, mosaics telling stories of gods and lost empires.
But the air?
It felt heavy.
Satoshi felt it the second he stepped outside.
Not the sun. Not the breeze.
No.
It was the kind of pressure that came before everything went to hell.
He wandered until he found Amelia and Camila in the lower courtyard.
Amelia's violet eyes glowed. She moved like a shadow, flicking away illusions of enemies with the barest motion.
Camila just stood there.
Then she took one step—
And time broke.
The air twisted. Everything slowed.
Satoshi leaned on a stone pillar, watching. Grinning.
"Wow. You two get up early."
Amelia glanced his way but didn't stop. Another illusion crumbled.
"You slept in."
"First comfy bed I've had in a while," he replied.
Camila, still not looking at him, just said, "You're late."
"Late for what?"
"To prepare."
He stretched, his Eyes of Sloth flickering. "Prepare for what, exactly?"
Camila stopped. Her golden gaze locked onto him.
"War."
His smile dipped a little.
Camila kept going, her tone clipped and cold.
"The three kingdoms are finalizing war plans now."
"So Liam's with them?"
She nodded. "Meeting the rulers. They're launching the attack soon."
His Eyes of Wrath flickered. "That soon?"
"It's already started. We're just getting thrown in late."
Amelia let out a breath, her shadows twisting around her fingers.
"Once it starts, there's no going back."
Satoshi crossed his arms. "What's Liam's role in this?"
Camila's eyes darkened. "He's their strongest."
Satoshi smirked. "Only stage two though, right?"
Camila gave him a look. "You say that like it's not a big deal."
"I fought him. He held back."
She stepped closer.
"You don't get it. Liam's second stage isn't just raw strength."
He raised an eyebrow. "Then explain."
Camila nodded.
And she did.
"Liam's hit stage two," Camila said, pacing a bit. "And with it, he's got control over basically everything."
Satoshi squinted. "Everything?"
Her golden eyes gleamed. "Let me show you."
She raised a hand—
And time slowed down like the whole world held its breath.
"Liam wields the Five Great Elements."
Satoshi stayed quiet, listening.
Camila's voice got heavier. Almost like she was reading out prophecy.
Earth—the base of everything. Land—structure and stability. Fire—destruction and rebirth. Flame—the upgraded version of fire; it can twist even energy. Water—eternal and patient, stronger than fire. Wind—sharp and invisible, cuts through time. Space—the void that swallows all.
She looked at him.
"Still following?"
"So far," Satoshi said. "Let me guess—there's more?"
"Oh yeah."
Her voice dropped a little.
"He's aligned with both Holy and Demonic energies."
Satoshi blinked. "That's... kind of a contradiction."
Camila smirked faintly. "Exactly."
He let out a low whistle. "So he's not either... he's both."
She nodded. "He's Chaos."
"Damn. That's cool."
But she wasn't done.
"He also has Aspectual Magic—he can bend the laws of nature themselves."
"And?"
Camila exhaled. "Blessed Body."
Satoshi froze. "Wait, you mean..."
"His body is made of divine blessings. You take that away, you're basically killing him."
Satoshi's grin returned. "Oof. That's nasty."
Her voice dropped again.
"And then there's God's Gazza."
The air around them actually seemed to tighten.
Satoshi's Eyes of Sloth flickered. "That name sounds like a curse."
"It kind of is."
God's Gazza.
A power that doesn't kill. Doesn't destroy.
It just makes you wish you'd never existed.
It binds you to your sins. Makes you feel every one. Forever.
Satoshi's face darkened a bit. "Yeah, okay. That's terrifying."
Camila nodded. "Even the strongest don't want to meet his gaze."
She wasn't done.
"He's also got Angelic Armor. Absolute Swordsmanship. Blessing Creation."
Satoshi chuckled. "So he's just a walking divine cheat code."
Camila sighed. "Basically."
Satoshi stretched, rolling his shoulders. "And in our fight, he was only using like... what, ten percent?"
"If that."
"God. I really want a rematch."
She ignored him.
Then her expression shifted.
"This is what we're throwing at the Abyss Clan."
She looked him dead in the eyes.
"Now you know why we can't lose."
Satoshi let out a breath. His grin stayed, but something behind it changed.
His Eyes of Wrath flickered.
"Yeah," he said. "I get it now."
And the air buzzed around him.
The morning sun lit up Ephemeral like a painting. Streets were alive with chatter, laughter, the sound of carts and boots on stone.
Satoshi stretched as he stepped onto the palace terrace, soaking in the view. The city went on forever.
Yesterday had been chaos—war councils, battles, revelations.
Today?
He just wanted to breathe.
Before he could take a single step—
"Satoshi."
He turned.
Athena stood there, the sun catching in her golden hair, her rings floating quietly behind her. She looked powerful—but also kind of nervous.
Satoshi smirked. "Princess."
She tilted her head. "Where are you going?"
"Just looking around. Didn't really get to see the place yesterday."
She hesitated. Then stepped forward.
"Can I come with you?"
He raised a brow. "You? The royal shut-in?"
Athena nodded. Her gaze was serious.
"I've never seen the city before."
Satoshi blinked. "Wait. Never?"
She shook her head.
"Always wanted to. But… Liam never let me."
His smirk faded. "Why?"
"Because of the Abyss Clan."
She looked right at him.
"They've tried to take me. Twenty-three times."
The air stilled.
Satoshi's Eyes of Sloth flickered.
Not once. Not twice.
Twenty-three.
"...Damn."
Athena gave a small nod. "So I was never allowed to go anywhere. No school. No friends. Just this palace. These walls. I could see the world, but I was never really in it."
She smiled, a little sad. "Until now."
"I want to go."
Satoshi looked at her.
Then grinned.
"Well," he said, turning toward the city.
"Let's go."
The streets of Ephemeral felt like something out of a dream.
Buildings carved from enchanted stone rose high above, covered in soft-glowing runes. Everything shimmered, pulsed with quiet magic. It was beautiful in that almost unreal kind of way.
Elves moved with calm grace, dwarves argued with merchants like they were about to start a fight but didn't mean it, and beastfolk weaved through the crowd like they owned the place.
Athena couldn't stop staring.
She had read about all this. Imagined it. But being here—feeling it, hearing it, smelling it—it was overwhelming in the best way.
Her golden eyes widened as they passed a market stall packed with fruit that smelled like spice and summer. Kids dashed past, laughing. No guards. No fear.
A bard stood on the corner, playing some kind of floating harp-lute combo, casting illusions in the air that danced with the music.
Off in the distance, she heard quiet singing from a temple.
And it hit her.
All the stuff she never had.
Satoshi watched her, grinning as she looked around like she'd just landed on a new planet.
"You good?" he asked.
She nodded quickly, still looking everywhere at once.
"Yeah. This is... this is more than I ever imagined."
He chuckled. "What did you think it'd be like?"
She paused.
"I didn't really know."
Then her smile faded a bit.
"I hate my power."
His grin slipped. He glanced over. "Why?"
Her hands curled slightly at her sides.
"Because of it, I never got to live."
Her voice was soft, but every word landed heavy.
"I was born able to create anything. Any ability. Any rule. And because of that..."
She looked away.
"Everyone was afraid. My brother kept me hidden. Locked away. I couldn't go to the academy. Couldn't meet anyone. I wasn't allowed to just... be."
Her voice cracked just a little.
"So I stayed in my room. Alone."
She tried to smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"This is my first time walking with my people."
Satoshi's chest tightened—not because he pitied her. But because he got it. In his own way, he really got it.
He looked at her.
And smiled.
"Well," he said, "it's not gonna be your last."
Athena blinked at him.
"We're gonna fix this," he said. "We're gonna save this place. And when we do—you'll go wherever you want."
She looked at him. "You say that so easily."
He shrugged. "That's 'cause it's true."
They walked in silence for a beat.
Then Satoshi grinned wider.
"Oh. By the way."
Athena raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
He winked. "Since we met yesterday, you're already my friend."
She froze.
He didn't stop grinning.
"Yeah. That's how it works. We talk, we hang out, I make fun of Liam, you laugh. Boom. Friends."
Athena just stared at him.
Then her hands trembled.
Before she could stop it—
Tears started falling.
Slow at first. Then more.
She tried to wipe them away, keep it together. She really did.
But she couldn't.
Because in that moment—
Satoshi wasn't joking.
And for the first time—
She wasn't a princess. Wasn't a weapon. Wasn't some ticking time bomb.
She was just... a girl. Crying because someone had called her a friend.
Satoshi scratched his head. "Uh... you okay?"
Athena nodded, trying to clean her face up.
Then she laughed. Quiet. Shaky.
"...Thank you."
Satoshi smirked. "Hey. I do what I can."
And in that moment—
Right in the middle of a city bracing for war—
A wandering king, and a caged princess stood side by side.
And for the first time ever—
Athena felt free.
By the time Satoshi and Athena got back to the palace, the vibe had shifted.
What was once golden and grand now felt tight. Tense.
Knights were everywhere—shouting orders, clanking through corridors, checking every corner like they expected the walls to come alive.
And right in the middle of all that chaos—
Liam.
He wasn't smiling.
His golden eyes were lit with fury, and divine power swirled around him like a storm just waiting for a reason.
The second he saw Athena walking beside Satoshi, his jaw tightened.
He stepped forward, voice low but sharp. "Athena."
She stopped. "Brother—"
But his gaze locked on Satoshi.
"What did you think you were doing?"
Satoshi blinked. "Taking a walk?"
Liam's energy flared. Intense. Heavy. "You think this is funny?!"
Satoshi scratched the back of his head. "Not really. But you're kinda making it funny."
Liam's fist clenched. "Do you know what could've happened if she was taken?"
Satoshi smiled.
"Yeah. That part's easy."
He stepped forward, Eyes of Wrath glowing faintly.
"Nothing."
Everything got quiet.
Liam narrowed his eyes. "Nothing?"
"Yeah," Satoshi said, grin still there. "Because I wouldn't have let it happen."
Tension snapped through the air.
Liam didn't say anything.
So Satoshi kept going.
"I get it. You're her brother. You've done everything to keep her safe. I respect that. Really."
His smile dimmed a bit.
"But you can't keep treating her like a bird in a cage."
Athena drew in a breath.
Satoshi's tone stayed calm, but there was steel underneath.
"She's strong. Just like us. She deserves to breathe."
Liam looked like he wanted to argue.
But then—
Athena stepped forward.
"He's right."
Liam turned to her, his golden eyes softening—barely.
She didn't back down. "I don't want to be locked up anymore."
There was silence.
Then Liam exhaled, letting the divine pressure fade.
He turned away.
"...Go inside."
Athena looked at him, then nodded and walked past.
Satoshi watched her go, then turned back to Liam.
Their eyes met again.
"Stay out of my way," Liam muttered.
Satoshi grinned. "Yeah, yeah."
And walked off like nothing had happened.
Satoshi found Camila and Amelia in the war room, surrounded by maps so old they looked like they'd crumble if you sneezed on them. Symbols, borders, glowing rift marks—all spread out across a massive table.
Camila didn't even look up when he walked in.
"The attack's tomorrow."
Satoshi's smirk twitched. "...That soon?"
Camila nodded. "Council's done talking. If we wait any longer, the Abyss Clan's gonna dig in too deep."
Amelia crossed her arms. "We knew this was coming."
Satoshi ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, guess I was hoping for a little more breathing room."
His Eyes of Sloth flickered.
"Alright then."
He looked up.
"Let's make it count."
Morning of the attack. The Palace grounds were chaotic.
Soldiers in armor, mages preparing spells, elite units lining up. The place buzzed with energy and nerves.
Satoshi adjusted his coat, stretching like he just rolled out of bed.
Then—
A voice behind him.
"Well, well. Didn't think I'd see you here."
He turned.
Standing there in enchanted battle robes was Aurelia.
The elf from the Adventurer's Guild.
Her silver hair was tied back, violet eyes sharp and amused. Magic shimmered around her like it was part of her skin.
Satoshi smiled. "Hey, I remember you."