Shadow folded inward.
Not travel—return.
Rayon and Nyk stepped out of the darkness beneath the mansion in Isola Krein as if they had never left it. No disturbance. No residue. The shadows simply remembered them and opened.
Inside, the world was quiet.
Too quiet for gods—perfect for family.
Nexus sat against the headboard, her long hair loose, golden scales faintly visible along her collarbone and arms. She cradled the twins carefully. Lucifer slept peacefully in her left arm, while Esdeath—awake, calm, impossibly aware—fed without a sound.
Even exhausted, Nexus radiated divinity.
But it was tired divinity.
Rayon stopped at the doorway.
For a being who ruled the Endless Abyss, who had slaughtered stellar invaders minutes earlier without emotion—
this sight hit harder than any battlefield.
He stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold—
Lucifer's eyes opened.
Deep black.
Bottomless.
Curious.
The air rippled.
And suddenly—
fwsh.
Lucifer vanished from Nexus's arms and reappeared effortlessly in Rayon's.
No panic.
No shock.
Just instinct.
Rayon laughed softly, instinctively adjusting his hold.
"Look at this little guy," he said, smiling down. "Already moving through space like it owes him rent."
Lucifer stared up at him, faint golden scales along his ribs shimmering as if reacting to the darkness that was his father.
Rayon walked closer and leaned down.
"Hey, babe," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"
Nexus exhaled and leaned back against the pillows.
"I'm okay," she replied honestly. "I healed… mostly. But even as a god—" she sighed, eyes half-lidded, "this is exhausting. Taking a human form to give birth… I didn't expect it to hit this hard."
Rayon nodded.
She was a Dragon God—ancient, overwhelming, eternal.
But motherhood was new.
And it showed.
"Get some rest," he said softly. "I've got them."
Nexus smiled faintly, watching Lucifer yawn in Rayon's arms before drifting back to sleep.
Outside, Azelar sat beneath a wide canopy tree, sipping tea quietly. The sky was calm again—too calm for someone who had witnessed the heavens themselves shift earlier.
Inside another wing of the mansion, Christine slept deeply, exhaustion finally claiming her.
Nyk slipped into the room without sound.
He paused, watching her for a moment.
Then he leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and whispered, "I'm back, babe."
He pulled a sheet over her shoulders.
Christine smiled in her sleep.
Nyk left silently.
—
Far away.
Far beyond Averis.
In a realm where ruin had already won—
A group of beings stood amid fractured reality. No stars. No sky. Only the remains of universes that had failed to matter.
One of them spoke, voice layered and ancient.
"It appears darkness has taken form again."
Another laughed quietly.
"Not just form. Incarnation."
The leader—faceless, crowned in shifting void—raised a hand.
"Summon one of the subordinates."
A presence knelt.
"Call the Monarchs," the leader commanded. "Tell them the Endless Abyss has returned."
The subordinate vanished instantly.
The gears of war began to turn.
—
Back in Isola Krein.
Esdeath floated gently above Rayon's palms.
Her small body hovered without effort, as if gravity had politely excused itself. Her black star-shaped eyes rotated rapidly—too fast, too precise.
Rayon's smile softened.
He closed his eyes—
And let himself fall inward.
Darkness welcomed him.
He stood in a vast conceptual space—neither realm nor domain. A place of perception.
A woman stood there.
White hair cascading like snow.
Black star eyes—identical to Esdeath's—slowly rotating.
She did not turn at first.
"The Monarchs will move in a few days," she said quietly. "With their armies."
She lowered her head.
Did not meet his eyes.
Rayon walked forward and wrapped his arms around her.
The future-seer stiffened for a fraction of a second—then relaxed.
"It must be exhausting," he said gently, "seeing futures you don't want to."
She trembled.
"I know you're strong," Rayon continued, resting his chin lightly atop her head, "but power without resolve and purpose is just a shell."
She said nothing.
"I know what you're worried about," he said calmly. "But don't worry. They won't win."
Her head lifted slightly.
"They won't even get the chance to invade Averis."
He released her and stepped back.
"And don't forget," he added with a quiet chuckle, "I'm darkness after all."
Then he smiled.
"I'm also your father. You couldn't fool me in a million years, Esdeath—my daughter."
The woman finally looked up.
She smiled—soft, relieved.
"Thanks, Dad."
The darkness folded.
Rayon returned to reality.
Esdeath floated peacefully in his hands once more, eyes calm now.
Rayon looked down at both his children—Lucifer asleep against his chest, Esdeath humming with silent comprehension.
"Don't worry, Es," he said quietly. "I got it covered."
Outside, the world slept.
Unaware that fate had already chosen sides.