When Gods Knock on the Door
Peace did not return after that night.
It never did.
Sam felt them again hours later—nine familiar presences, controlled, deliberate, hovering just beyond the edge of his awareness. They weren't intruding. They weren't hiding either.
They were waiting.
He sat on the balcony alone, the sea still dark beneath the fading stars. Meera and Ruhi slept inside, their breaths steady, unaware of the tension tightening the air.
Sam sighed.
Instead of going inside, instead of confronting them where his family rested, he stood.
The world folded.
The beach vanished.
They stood in a barren field beneath an empty sky.
The ground was cracked and lifeless, stretching endlessly in every direction. No cities. No oceans. No collateral damage. A place chosen with intention.
The nine generals were already there, standing in a loose formation.
Sage stood slightly apart.
Sam appeared before them without sound.
"Are you stalking me?" he asked flatly.
The generals straightened instantly.
"No, Master," they replied in unison.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"…We have a question," Furnoss added, flames flickering uneasily around his shoulders.
Sam crossed his arms. "Then ask it."
There was hesitation. For beings who had faced gods and collapsed worlds, this pause was almost comical.
Beast King broke first.
"Why," he demanded bluntly, "is Sage always with you?"
The question hung heavy in the empty sky.
Horny Valkyrie stepped forward, arms crossed, expression uncharacteristically serious. "We serve you just as faithfully. We fight just as hard."
Dragon King's voice rolled like distant thunder. "We are your closest warriors."
Sage said nothing.
Sam studied them.
Not with anger.
Not with irritation.
With something closer to tired understanding.
"You want to know why?" Sam said at last.
They nodded.
"Because Sage doesn't ask."
Silence fell.
"He doesn't compete. He doesn't demand attention. He doesn't measure closeness like a title to be won." Sam's gaze shifted briefly to Sage. "He stands where he's needed."
The words settled heavily.
Beast King frowned. "So what are we to you?"
Sam exhaled slowly.
"My allies. My friends." His voice hardened just enough to carry weight. "But if you start treating my presence like a prize—this ends."
The generals stiffened.
After a long moment, Sam sighed again.
"Fine," he said. "You want answers? You'll meet my family. But behave like normal beings. No divine nonsense. No intimidation. No drama."
Every general bowed instantly.
"Yes, Master."
Meera did not expect visitors.
She was helping Ruhi braid her hair when the air shifted—not violently, but noticeably, like pressure settling before a storm.
Sam appeared in the doorway.
"You should sit," he said calmly.
That was never a good sign.
Minutes later, the room felt… crowded.
Furnoss entered first, fire restrained but visible, his presence alone warming the air.
Meera stiffened. "Sam…"
"Harmless," Sam said. "Mostly."
Outer Sky followed, hands clasped behind his back. "Existence," he mused aloud, "is a poem written by—"
"Uncle," Ruhi interrupted loudly, "short version."
Outer Sky blinked. "…Life is weird."
Ruhi nodded approvingly.
Season Seperant crouched slightly to Ruhi's level and shaped light into a small, glowing butterfly that fluttered between her hands.
"Yay!" Ruhi laughed. "Best uncle!"
Beast King lifted her effortlessly onto his shoulder like a living throne. "Tiny human rides well."
Meera stared. "Sam… are all of them like this?"
Zingari strummed her instrument gently, filling the room with a warm melody that made Ruhi start dancing barefoot across the floor.
Dragon King cleared his throat, then let out a restrained roar.
"Dragon uncle is cool!" Ruhi clapped.
Yaksh bowed respectfully to Meera. "You are fortunate. Few stand beside him."
Horny Valkyrie attempted to hug Meera without warning.
Meera snapped, "WHAT?"
Sam didn't even look up. "Ignore her. She flirts with furniture."
Through it all, Sage remained close—calm, respectful, quietly attentive.
Meera noticed.
That night, as laughter echoed through the halls, she leaned closer to Sam.
"Your life," she murmured, "is insane."
Sam allowed himself a faint smile. "You get used to it."
The sky darkened without warning.
Not gradually.
Instantly.
Pressure slammed down like a divine hand.
Meera felt it first—her breath hitching, Ruhi clinging to her instinctively.
Three figures descended from the fractured sky, forms massive and radiant, armies spilling behind them like a flood.
"Sam," one of them declared, voice echoing across reality, "we have come to end you."
The generals laughed.
Actually laughed.
Sage stepped forward—
Sam raised a hand.
"Zingari."
She smiled brightly.
Sound shifted.
A barrier formed, isolating the battlefield from the world beyond. Then the melody changed.
Harmony turned lethal.
Vibration tore through existence itself.
The army dissolved.
The gods vanished.
Silence returned.
Meera stared.
Ruhi stared harder.
"They're trained warriors," Sam said calmly, placing a hand on Ruhi's head. "For you."
Later, boredom struck.
The generals returned from their duties and gathered on the balcony once more.
"Master," Furnoss began, "a request—"
"A tournament!" Dragon King boomed. "Winner becomes closest to you!"
Sage frowned. "This is childish."
"I'll win," Horny Valkyrie smirked.
"No," Sam said flatly. "There will be no tournament."
The generals dispersed, disappointed.
The next morning, Ruhi pouted dramatically.
"Papa, I'm bored!"
Sam ignored her.
"I want to see the generals fight!"
"No."
"Please!"
Meera sighed. "Sam…"
He closed his eyes.
"…Fine."
Relief exploded.
"Endless Ebiees planet," Sam continued. "Full power. This planet wouldn't survive."
The sky bent.
A colossal arena formed beneath cosmic auroras, sigils glowing across the ground.
Ruhi clapped wildly. "Papa's generals—WWE version!"
Sam watched his warriors take their places.
And for the first time in centuries—
He smiled.
This chapter wasn't about battles.
It was about belonging.
Every general here is powerful enough to erase worlds—but power isn't what they're insecure about.
What scares them is something simpler:
"Am I replaceable?"
So here's what I want to know from you:
Who felt the most human to you in this chapter?
Was Sam being fair… or emotionally distant?
And be honest—did the family meet feel wholesome, or unsettling?
Comment one name + one sentence.
No overthinking.
Next chapter shifts tone completely—and not everyone is ready for it.