The journey back to The Undercroft took most of the day.
They moved slower than before—Kaelen's arm was still healing, and all three of them were exhausted from the fight with the alpha wolf. But there was something different about them now.
A sense of purpose.
Ryker kept glancing at Kaelen like he was seeing him for the first time. "So, when you said you destroyed the world... you meant literally destroyed it?"
"Every last piece of it," Kaelen confirmed. "The forests. The cities. The people. Everything."
"And that thing inside you—Crust—he's the one who did it?"
"We both did it. I released him. He rampaged. My father stopped him by sealing him inside me."
Lira frowned. "And now he's just... living in your soul? Talking to you?"
"Pretty much."
"I prefer the term 'residing,'" Crust said. "'Living' implies I'm alive. I'm more of a... concept given form."
"He says he's a concept given form," Kaelen translated.
"That's creepy," Ryker muttered.
"Tell me about it."
They walked in silence for a while, navigating through the ruins. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the wasteland. In the distance, Avalon Prime floated in the sky like a jewel—bright, pristine, untouchable.
"Do you think people up there know?" Lira asked suddenly. "About the old world? About what happened?"
Kaelen shook his head. "I doubt it. It's been millions of years. Even if records survived, they've probably been lost or forgotten. The people up there... they think this is just how the world has always been."
"Lucky them," Ryker said bitterly. "Must be nice, living in ignorance while the rest of us suffocate down here."
Kaelen didn't respond. Because Ryker was right.
The people of Avalon Prime had everything. Clean air. Natural light. Resources. Power.
And they hoarded it all, leaving The Undercroft to rot.
"You could change that," Crust suggested. "With enough power, you could tear down that floating city. Make them suffer the way your people suffer."
"That's not the answer."
"Isn't it? They oppress. You liberate. It's simple."
"Nothing is simple."
"Only because you complicate it."
They reached the breach just as the sun disappeared below the horizon.
The Undercroft was already dark—the few working streetlights casting weak, flickering pools of yellow across the cracked pavement. People hurried through the streets, heads down, avoiding eye contact.
This was the most dangerous time of day. When the desperate came out. When the predators hunted.
"Stay close," Kaelen muttered.
They moved quickly through the alleys, avoiding the main streets. Kaelen's Divine Sense was active, tracking every presence within fifty meters. Most were just people trying to survive. But occasionally, he'd sense something else.
Malice. Intent.
"Three men," Crust warned. "Following you. Twenty meters behind and closing."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "We're being followed."
Ryker's hand went to his knife. "How many?"
"Three."
"Can we lose them?"
"Not without running. And if we run, they'll know we're worth chasing."
Lira gripped her pipe. "Then what do we do?"
Kaelen thought fast. The shelter was still ten minutes away. Too far. They needed to deal with this now.
"Turn left at the next corner," he said quietly. "Into that dead-end alley. We'll ambush them."
"Are you serious?" Ryker hissed.
"Trust me."
They turned into the alley—a narrow space between two collapsed buildings, littered with trash and debris. Kaelen positioned himself at the far end, hidden in shadow. Ryker and Lira took positions on either side of the entrance.
And they waited.
Footsteps echoed. Getting closer.
Three figures appeared at the mouth of the alley—men, rough-looking, armed with makeshift weapons. The leader carried a length of pipe wrapped in barbed wire.
"Well, well," the leader said, grinning. "Looks like the little scavengers got lost."
"We're not lost," Kaelen said calmly, stepping forward into the dim light. "And we're not easy targets."
The leader laughed. "Kid, you're four years old. You're the definition of an easy target."
"Try me."
The man's grin widened. "Oh, I like you. Got some fire. Tell you what—hand over whatever you're carrying, and we'll let you walk away. No harm done."
"No."
The leader's expression darkened. "Wrong answer."
He raised the pipe and charged.
Kaelen didn't move.
He just raised his hand.
[Divine Shield]
A translucent barrier of golden light materialized in front of him—circular, shimmering, solid.
The pipe slammed into it with a metallic clang.
The man stumbled backward, staring at the shield in shock. "What the—"
Kaelen dropped the shield and stepped forward. "Last chance. Walk away."
The other two men hesitated. But the leader snarled and lunged again—
Ryker's knife flashed.
The blade caught the man across the forearm, drawing blood. He screamed and dropped the pipe.
Before the other two could react, Lira swung her own pipe, catching one of them in the knee. He crumpled with a shout.
The third man turned to run—
But Kaelen was faster.
He reached out with his power, not to attack, but to grab.
Invisible force wrapped around the man's ankle and yanked.
He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs.
Kaelen walked over and crouched beside him. "Spread the word. The kids with the glowing hands? We're off-limits. Tell your friends. Tell your boss. Tell everyone."
The man nodded frantically. "Y-yeah. Okay. Off-limits. I got it."
"Good." Kaelen released him. "Now get out of here."
The three men scrambled to their feet and ran, limping and bleeding.
Kaelen turned to his friends. "You two okay?"
"That was awesome!" Ryker was grinning like a maniac. "Did you see his face when you grabbed him? Priceless!"
Lira was breathing hard, but she nodded. "Nice work. But you realize we just made ourselves targets, right? Word's going to spread. People are going to want to know what you can do."
"Let them," Kaelen said. "Maybe it'll keep others from trying."
"Or it'll attract bigger predators," Crust said. "But that's fine. You need the challenge."
When they finally reached the shelter, Mira was waiting.
She took one look at Kaelen's bandaged arm and went pale. "What happened?"
"Wolf attack," Kaelen said. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine! You're bleeding through the bandage!" She grabbed his arm—gently—and unwrapped the cloth.
The bite wound was still visible, but it had closed significantly. What should have taken weeks to heal had reduced to angry red scars in just hours.
Mira stared at it. "How..."
"I heal fast," Kaelen said simply.
"That's not—" She stopped herself, clearly struggling with what to say. Finally, she just sighed. "You boys are going to give me a heart attack."
"Sorry, Mom," Ryker said sheepishly.
"Don't apologize. Just... be more careful. Please." She looked at Kaelen. "All of you."
"We will," Kaelen promised.
But even as he said it, he knew it was a lie.
Because careful wasn't going to be enough.
Not for what was coming.
That night, Kaelen couldn't sleep.
He lay in his pod, staring at the metal ceiling, his mind racing.
The quest had given him answers. But it had also raised new questions.
If this world was the same world he'd destroyed—just millions of years later—then what happened to the other gods? To the beasts? To the magic that had once filled the air?
Had they all died in the apocalypse?
Or were they still out there, somewhere, waiting?
"You're thinking too much again," Crust said.
"Can you blame me?"
"No. But it's pointless. The past is gone. All that matters is what you do now."
"And what should I do?"
"Get stronger. Build your power. And when you're ready... take what's yours."
"I don't want to take anything."
"Then you'll die a fool."
Kaelen closed his eyes. "I'm not going to become like you."
"You already are, little god. You just don't realize it yet."
The next morning, something changed.
Kaelen woke to the sound of sirens—not the normal work alarms, but something else. Something urgent.
He scrambled out of his pod and into the hallway. People were running, shouting, panicking.
"What's going on?" he asked, grabbing a man by the arm.
"Enforcement drones! They're everywhere! Searching the shelter!"
Kaelen's blood ran cold. "Searching for what?"
"I don't know! Just go! Hide!"
The man pulled free and ran.
Kaelen stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing.
They're looking for me.
"Yes," Crust confirmed. "Someone reported you. Probably those men from last night."
"Damn it."
Kaelen ran to Ryker's apartment and pounded on the door. "Ryker! Mira! Open up!"
The door flew open. Ryker stood there, pale-faced. "Kaelen, what's happening?"
"They're looking for me. For us. We need to leave. Now."
"Leave? Where?"
"I don't know. Just—"
A loud, mechanical voice echoed through the shelter.
"ATTENTION. ALL RESIDENTS REMAIN IN YOUR QUARTERS. THIS IS A MANDATORY SEARCH. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN ARREST."
Kaelen's heart hammered. "Too late. They're already here."
Footsteps echoed down the hallway—heavy, metallic. Enforcement drones.
Kaelen looked at Ryker. "Stay inside. Lock the door. Don't come out no matter what."
"What are you going to do?"
"What I have to."
Before Ryker could argue, Kaelen stepped into the hallway.
Three enforcement drones rounded the corner—humanoid robots, sleek and white, with glowing blue visors and stun batons at their sides.
They stopped when they saw him.
"TARGET IDENTIFIED. FOUR-YEAR-OLD MALE. SILVER HAIR. MATCH CONFIRMED."
Kaelen raised his hands slowly. "I'll come quietly. Just leave everyone else alone."
"COMPLIANCE NOTED. YOU WILL BE ESCORTED TO AVALON PRIME FOR QUESTIONING."
Avalon Prime.
The upper city.
Kaelen's mind raced. This could be an opportunity. A chance to see the upper city from the inside. To learn more about the people who ruled this world.
Or it could be a trap.
"Go with them," Crust said. "See what they want. And if they try to hurt you... show them what you really are."
Kaelen nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll go."
The drones surrounded him, their movements precise and coordinated.
And as they led him away, Kaelen caught a glimpse of Ryker watching from the doorway, his face filled with fear and anger.
Kaelen mouthed two words.
I'll return.
Ten minutes later, Kaelen was aboard a transport ship.
It was small, sleek, and clearly designed for speed. The interior was all white metal and blue light, sterile and cold.
Kaelen sat in a restraint chair, his wrists locked in energy cuffs that glowed faintly. They didn't hurt, but he could feel them suppressing his power. Dampening it.
Clever.
The transport lifted off, rising through the smog and pollution, climbing higher and higher.
And then, finally, they broke through the cloud layer.
Kaelen's breath caught.
Above the clouds, the sky was blue. Bright, clear, endless blue.
And there, floating in that impossible sky, was Avalon Prime.
It was even more beautiful up close. Towers of white stone and glass, connected by bridges of light. Gardens hung in the air, suspended by gravity engines, filled with trees and flowers Kaelen had only seen in his memories of the old world.
This was where the rich lived.
Where the powerful ruled.
Where he would find his answers.
The transport docked at a landing platform, and the drones escorted him out.
A woman was waiting for him.
She was tall, elegant, dressed in a white suit that looked like it cost more than everything in The Undercroft combined. Her hair was blonde, pulled back in a severe bun, and her eyes were cold and calculating.
"Kaelen," she said, her voice smooth. "Welcome to Avalon Prime. My name is Director Voss. We have much to discuss."
Kaelen met her gaze. "What do you want with me?"
She smiled—a sharp, predatory smile.
"Everything."