Kaiden looked up at her fading silhouette. "So how are you gonna conceal it for me? My soul power, I mean."
She didn't answer right away. She just hovered there, that same quiet energy floating around her. "You don't have to worry about that," she finally said, her tone low and careless. "Just focus on cultivating. That's all you need to do."
He nodded slowly. "Right… cultivate. Easy enough."
"Good." She drifted in a small circle around him, her presence making the air hum faintly. Then she stopped behind him, and her voice turned distant. "I'll be gone for a few days. When I get back, you should already be at the academy. If you're not…"
Her words faded for a moment before cutting through the silence like a knife. "I'll kill you."
Kaiden blinked. "Wait—what? Hold on, I can't just leave like—"
But before he could even finish, she was gone. No sound. Just gone.
He sighed and rubbed his face. "Fucking hell…" he muttered under his breath. "That threat's starting to lose its effect, lady."
He shook his head and glanced toward the window. The moonlight poured softly into the room, painting everything in pale silver. He walked over and leaned against the frame, his eyes locked on the moon hanging high above the kingdom.
It was quiet. Peaceful. For the first time since waking up in this world, he wasn't running from anything, or dying, or being yelled at by a literal goddess. Just stillness.
And yet, his mind refused to rest.
He started thinking about tomorrow—his next step. He had to say goodbye to his father in the morning. Then leave for the academy.
He already knew how things worked there, thanks to Kaiden's memories. The academy wasn't some random place you could stroll into; it was the pride of the country. You didn't get accepted unless you were either insanely talented, stupidly rich, or had someone powerful enough to recommend you.
Luckily, his father still had a recommendation slot from one of the academy's elders. That was all he needed. Once that was used, he'd be inside.
Kaiden exhaled, resting his arms on the window sill as he looked at the stars. "Get enrolled. Get strong. Take revenge on my siblings. Help the goddess. And… go home," he said softly, listing them out one by one.
He chuckled a little after saying it. The way he said it made it sound so easy, like checking things off a to-do list. But he knew better. Every single one of those steps was gonna be a climb through hell.
Still… what choice did he have?
He turned away from the window, pulling off his robe as he moved toward the bed.
He dropped the robe to the floor and flopped onto the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. A quiet sigh left his lips.
"Damn, this feels nice," he mumbled.
It really did. The sheets were soft, the air was warm, and for once, he didn't have to worry about waking up hungry. On Earth, comfort was something he barely remembered. Every day there was a struggle—cold nights, empty stomach, no place to call home.
Here… even if things were crazy, even if death was around every corner, at least he could rest like a normal person for a bit.
His eyelids started to grow heavy as he stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, he'd start everything. The journey, the training, the revenge, the chaos—all of it. But for tonight, just this once, he could let himself relax.
He smiled faintly to himself. "Let's hope the academy isn't as bad as people made it sound," he whispered before closing his eyes.
Sleep came slow, but when it did, it was deep.
———
The goddess floated in silence.
Nothing surrounded her—no stars, no planets, not even a flicker of light. Just darkness. Endless and deep. It wasn't the kind of darkness that scared people. It was heavier, older… like she was drifting in the space between existence and nothingness.
Her body had no real form, just a shape made of soft light and shadows, bending and shifting as she moved through the void.
She had been gone from the human realm for only a few minutes, but here, time didn't work the same way. In this place, a second could stretch into a thousand years if the void decided so.
Then, without warning, the silence broke.
A low hum started in the distance—soft at first, then it grew louder, deeper, like the sound of metal grinding against the universe itself. The space before her began to twist violently, bending like glass under pressure.
Cracks of light split through the darkness. One by one, they spread, forming lines—thin, glowing, jagged lines—until the entire space before her shattered like a mirror.
From the cracks, fire poured out.
A massive gate formed, made of burning metal and pure flame, rising taller than mountains. Every inch of it dripped molten light that hissed as it fell into the void. The heat it gave off was unreal—strong enough to burn a planet to dust or swallow a star whole.
It wasn't just a gate. It was alive. Each pulse of its fire felt like a heartbeat.
She stared at it for a long second, unbothered by the heat that could've melted Demi gods themselves. Her shadowy figure glowed faintly, and without hesitation, she moved forward.
The gate reacted to her presence. The flames roared, opening just enough for her to pass through. The moment she entered, the gate slammed shut behind her, and the void outside went silent again—empty and cold, like nothing had ever existed there.
——
Where she floated now was no longer empty.
This was the realm of gods, a place that didn't obey normal rules.
The first thing that hit her was the light—soft, golden light that stretched infinitely, flowing through the air like liquid. Below her was no ground, but a sea of clouds that shimmered with colors, shifting from silver to crimson to blue, like the sky itself was breathing.
Massive floating islands drifted lazily in the distance. Some looked like continents, others like shards of crystal, glowing faintly with divine energy. Waterfalls of pure light poured from their edges, falling endlessly into the glowing sea below.
Above her, there were no stars—only colossal structures, temples carved from starlight and black stone, suspended in midair. The air carried a low hum, the kind that made mortals' souls tremble.
Every breath here felt heavier, older, divine.
She passed by one of the floating temples, and massive statues of beings long forgotten stared down at her. Some looked human. Others didn't. Wings, horns, eyes that never closed—each one radiating power far beyond comprehension.
It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
She floated deeper into the realm, her form flickering like a candle as she crossed paths with rivers of energy flowing through the air—currents of pure power that connected each floating island like veins.
She didn't speak. She didn't need to. Her presence alone announced her arrival.
Somewhere far above, at the peak of the highest floating island, a throne made of molten gold and light stirred faintly—as if it had felt her return.
The goddess stopped, lifting her gaze toward that distant light.
Then, slowly, she whispered to herself, "It's been a long time…"
The words vanished into the endless golden sky as she continued floating upward, her shadow blending with the light.