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It has been a while now, few months, in normal human time-based world progression, and there has been no disturbance in this Shell.
The Star Island has grown more than ever. What started as a personal sanctuary, a base of operations, and an experimental haven in the Cardinal World, is now a place he can finally call home.
Elyvra was not his; it was Elara's. Though it is peaceful and comfortable, it will never compare to the Star Island.
The Star Island has elevated far beyond what the Star Realm itself could ever hope to become, all because of the presence of these fragile creatures called humans and their feelings.
The geography of the island has not changed in the literal sense, but it is large enough for all of Kalidor's creatures to fit perfectly. Asterians are not discriminatory, after all, the Island is home to people like them.
Adding war refugees like the Star Dragons and those two Dark Stars was more of a blessing than a burden. It meant the Island was no longer home to humans and monsters alone, but to celestial creatures and void-born entities.
Kenos struggled to adapt to this new world, but gradually Magos showed him the ropes, even while still learning himself.
I personally gave the duo separate tasks to complete alone, tasks that involved interacting with the other species. I could not allow them to isolate themselves in their shells; Asterians would notice their behaviour, a distinction I did not want. That distinction led to the Rebellion and now the Star War. I cannot let that happen again.
The Dragons lit the Island with their cosmic presence. Those with humanoid forms blended into the civilisation, and lately, I have even seen a dragon-human couple. It would not be long until they announced their engagement, and I am already waiting for that day.
That relationship would bridge the gap between the two races. Personally, I think marriage between two species is one of the best ways to erase the line between us.
Thanks to Hinata becoming the new Queen of Dragons, the Monarchs have no authority over any dragon, and with that, free will has manifested for the first time. The concept of nobility is nothing but a title now, because here there is no king-servant structure.
My human heart went out to Annie. I could only imagine and replicate how she felt, knowing Atlas was not coming home. By putting myself in her situation, I could not imagine my life now without my wives. I did not tell her Atlas had been corrupted, only that it would take him a long time to heal.
"But I assure you, I will bring him home." I made her that promise. The least I could do now is break it by killing him, if need be.
But I just hope it would not come to that.
The two Goddesses, my "mommies" now live with us, though only a handful know who they truly are. Ereshkigal relinquished her status as the Goddess of Destruction; it was her wish, and the least I could do was grant it.
While Erekayla remains blindly obedient to Orivielle, she is practically without purpose now that Shiro, formerly known as White, has taken over her role.
Either way, she stayed with us, choosing to spend time with her sister after recreating Elara and sending her back to the Star Realm. The war is over, but Elyvra still needs its Omni.
Speaking of the Omnis, Belenos visits us occasionally. Though existentially superior to Erekayla, Belenos is still somewhat attached to her. I do not want to think about the relationship between the two; it is a waste of my time and resources.
Sensei has awakened as an Omni following the war. Given his loyalty to his creator, he stayed in the Star Realm, though his Domain has not yet been assigned. Still, I am happy for him. If anyone can awaken to the Omni Tier, it is him.
Adhara, whom I am not acquainted with, has also resumed their previous service to the Star God.
Alnath, or should I say Lusath, is too prideful to have someone above his throne. How Luciferi-like. I do not blame him; that is simply a side effect of awakening one of Ether's Aspects.
He left the Shell in search of a way to bring back his friend, his brother, Achernar. I have a feeling where this is going, but I would rather not pry.
Unfortunately, for those killed by the Aspect of Death, I could not bring them back. I took a step I was not supposed to take, bringing back what is long dead and forgotten.
But I did it once, for a friend. I resurrected Magisa, now pure as a newborn Star. The Dwarf Star manifested in the form of a newborn baby, but it was undoubtedly her.
"The memories of her past life are completely erased," I said, watching Errai hold his sister with tears in his eyes.
'He's emotional.' I thought, smiling.
"Thank you, Antares. I do not know how to express my gratitude, but it is the least I can say," he said between sobs.
"Do not mention it," I waved dismissively. I was only going to bring back one person from the place of no return: Arumsis, Aya, Vera, Tikvah, Apus… the list went on.
But after days of thinking, I decided most of them died fighting; they deserve to rest. Tikvah excluded.
She died with the feeling that she was betrayed by her best friends. I can bring her back, right here, right now, into Yanara's Lineage to start a new life. But we would eventually meet, and I will never forget how we parted ways. That is something I cannot fix, even though I could. Though all powerful, I had to let few people go.
With that realisation, I let go of her essence. She needs to rest; they all do. Just when I was about to randomly fire the Rebirth Fragment, I remembered Errai.
He came to mind because he was thinking about me. From the Star Island, I saw how broken Errai was, how corrupted he had become, left to hold onto the pain of losing a twin forever. I felt sympathy for the poor kid and chose him.
Magisa died protecting them. I can bring her back to start a new life. Not that I cared she died because of us in the first place. But I will do it, not for me, but for a friend.
The Cardinal World never knew about the Star Wars, but after everything, I returned to my old friends. All of them were doing well—Rimuru, Ramiris, and Guy. I could sit here in the shadows and continue my life alone, but all of this happened because of them. I should not throw away friends like these.
I visited them all and told them stories of the war and how it ended. I skipped the Apotheosis part and everything else—not because I was hiding who I am, but because I do not want them to see me as the hidden "Thing" behind Creation.
I want to preserve my image as Asteri, which is one of the reasons I dump responsibilities on Shiro.
Back at home, everything was blissful. Dragons, humans, demihumans, Dark Stars, and Goddesses, all living on the same island, not as a secret organisation but as a safe haven for all of creation.
I am the Source. I am their Father and their Mother. As a parent, it is my duty to watch over my children.
Speaking of children, I have my own biological crying cuties. Issei's stepsister is the oldest, as she came before the others. The stubborn child took all her mother's powers after birth, leaving the Mother of Dragons stripped of her rightful abilities.
Queen Towa delivered peacefully in the World of Doom, the birthplace of the Prince of Darkness, Nyxon. Coincidentally or not, the little prince arrived just like my Nyxon persona.
He has darkish purple hair like his mother's and he inherited his grandmother's personality. He has those tired, cute eyes, as if he is merely waiting for the day he can walk and run away form us.
Out of them all, he is the only one who rarely cries. He only does so when he is hungry; otherwise, his neutral expression is his default setting.
Nyxon does not smile or laugh even when tickled, which is what all babies usually do. He just looks at you, waiting for you to stop disturbing his peace.
Days after Nyxon's arrival, Elfaria gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. I allowed her to name them, and she chose Tiel and Ciel respectively.
Unlike the other two, these two are regular demihumans with elven ears like their mother. They did not come with disastrous powers, and I was glad for that. I do not want all my children to be like me. I want them to live a normal, eternal life.
As a result, I took away Aenara and Nyxon's powers, sealing them for good. This way, they would not grow up different or awaken as gods, but as something I can never be. That is all I want for my children now that my plans for Apotheosis have succeeded.
As part of those plans, Hinata and Towa both became near god-like figures so they could escape human limitations and we could remain together forever.
It was a backup plan designed to be part of the Star War in case I could not reach Ether's Consciousness. It was selfish, but love makes people do crazy, selfish things.
As for Atlas going dark side, it must have been when Entares amplified his death when we faced Magos in the past. I do not know for certain whether that was part of Entares's initial plan or not, but thanks to that, we now have a tougher opponent to face in the future.
Given that he does not understand his two Aspects, it will buy me some time. And personally, I think he will need an army if he truly wants to end the Matrix.
I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. My mind drifting form the chaos that will happen sooner rather than later. The scenery from this view was otherworldly.
I sat beneath the pale silence of winter branches, letting the world drift far away from me for a fleeting moment. The civilisation of Paradis spread out below me, below the hilltop, my personal space form everything.
The chair beneath me creaked softly like ancient wood breathing with age, its twisted frame curling around me like the roots of some forgotten tree. My robes fell loosely over my body, dark fabric layered over white silk, though I barely noticed their weight anymore. The only warmth I could truly feel rested against my chest.
The twins slept soundly in my arms.
One of them lay beneath my chin, small fingers curled tightly into my robe as though afraid I would disappear if they let go. The other rested quietly in the crook of my arm, cheek pressed against my chest where my heartbeat echoed beneath the fabric.
Their breaths were slow and delicate, warm against my skin, so fragile that even moving felt dangerous.
I lowered my head slightly, listening to them breathe.
For once in my lifetime, there was no war, no blood, no voices demanding something from me, no inner voice constantly scheming for something. The world outside Paradis could burn itself to ashes and I would not have cared in that moment.
Everything I had become, every sin stitched into my hands, every death tied to my name, felt distant compared to the unbearable softness of holding them.
Tiel carried his mother's hair, albeit darker, soft strands falling across their forehead exactly as mine once did. Ciel on the other hand looked calmer, lighter, almost untouched by the darkness that followed me like a shadow.
They looked so small against me, that fear settled quietly in my chest, because I understood how easily fragile things could be broken.
My hands, stained by years of violence, held them carefully as though they were made from glass and starlight.
I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the chair, allowing myself to exist only as this, not a ruler, not a Twin God, or as a 'Thing' feared by the world. Only as their father.
Beyond the quiet shelter of my chair, life continued in soft chaos.
Nyxon crawled recklessly across the ground with laughter in his eyes, chasing after Void Eater, as the fluffy burning puppy, Nero, darted between roots and scattered leaves.
Trails of harmless embers drifted through the air behind the creature while Nyxon stubbornly pursued it with all the determination his tiny body could manage. The Little Prince only softens to his mother and when playing on his on.
Not far from them, Eirlys sat cross-legged on the ground, endlessly fascinated by Mimu. The Star Slime pulsed gently with cosmic light as she poked at the squishy mass of living energy over and over again, completely absorbed by the way it changed shape beneath her fingers.
Each touch made Mimu wobble dramatically, earning quiet curiosity from her instead of fear. Before her, Athena, reduced once more into her child form, proudly displayed an arrangement of toys as though presenting sacred treasures.
She patiently explained the "rules" of the game to Eirlys with all the seriousness of a tiny empress commanding a kingdom, even while Eirlys clearly remained more interested in the slime than the dolls.
Then there was White, whom I've named Shiro and given a body like Nero and Nyro. Previously an armour, I've merged Nyro into Nero's body, not to leave him behind.
Shiro has short translucent white hair shimmered faintly beneath the pale light, almost unreal to look at. He had tried to mimic my Astral Body as closely as possible, but deliberately kept his pupils dark so he would not resemble me entirely. He is just the height of Athena, perhaps smaller, so he naturally blend in with the children.
Not that I'm free, I don't need them hiding within me. They should have physical forms of their own.
Shiro stood there for a moment watching the others, expression calm in the strange way only he could manage, before suddenly breaking into motion.
He scooped Nyxon up effortlessly into his arms just as the child nearly collided face-first into the dirt again, and together they chased after Void Eater while the burning puppy barked excitedly and fled deeper into the garden.
Their laughter echoed softly beneath the barren branches.
And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I allowed myself to believe this fragile peace was real.
Just as I was about to lower my guard, Shiro paused mid-step, narrowing his eyes towards the distance.
"It's alright. I accepted her invitation," I said calmly, easing his concern. He turned away without argument and went back to playing as if nothing had changed, while she descended.
Only I could see her. A mature woman with long blonde hair drifted down through the space above Paradis, stopping partway as she reached the limit of what could enter in this realm.
And from there, the world begins to tilt again. Because peace has never been an end. Only a pause between decisions already made elsewhere.
To be continued...