Torrent woke the next day with plans to attend an online meeting with his workplace. He spent the next few hours addressing his coworkers and subordinates, his voice steady and authoritative as he guided the conversation. In the middle of the meeting, a call from an unknown number interrupted him.
Despite the mystery of the caller, Torrent answered. The others in the virtual meeting glanced at each other, unsure of how to react but unwilling to challenge him.
"Morning, boss," came the voice on the other end, it was Kai's.
"Oh," Torrent replied, his tone indifferent, "it's you."
"Yeah," Kai responded, his usual upbeat tone slightly subdued. "I just wanted to call and apologize for yesterday. I'm ashamed of how I acted."
"What are you apologizing for?" Torrent asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "You did nothing to me."
"Then let me rephrase," Kai continued. "I want to thank you for helping me out."
Torrent fell silent for a moment as Kai pressed on. "And to show my gratitude," Kai offered, "I'd like to treat you to lunch at my place."
"You don't have to do that," Torrent said, his lack of enthusiasm evident.
"Please," Kai insisted, "let me do this, at least."
After a moment of contemplation, Torrent sighed, relenting. "Fine," he muttered, which was enough to bring a smile to Kai's face.
Ending the call, Torrent turned his attention back to the meeting. A few seconds of awkward silence passed before one of the attendees spoke up.
"Sons, am I right?" the man said, attempting to break the tension with a chuckle.
Torrent's expression tightened with slight irritation, but he chose to ignore the comment. "Sure," he said curtly, redirecting the discussion back to work.
As the afternoon settled in, Torrent arrived at Kai's apartment building. Standing at the front door, he watched as Kai emerged, his trademark smile already in place.
"Please, come in," Kai said warmly, holding the door open.
Torrent followed him inside, and they made their way to the apartment. Upon entering, Torrent removed his shoes and walked further in, scanning his surroundings.
"I want to thank you again for yesterday," Kai said, his voice earnest.
Torrent stayed silent, his gaze drifting across the room until he noticed movement from the corner. A young girl stepped cautiously into the living room. It was the same girl Torrent had seen the day before, hiding under the table when he brought Kai home.
The girl had timid eyes as she quickly moved to stand behind her brother. Kai turned to her with a reassuring smile before addressing Torrent.
"I'd like you to meet my little sister, Nina," Kai said, his face beaming with pride.
After introducing her, Kai crouched down in front of Nina and began to communicate using sign language. Torrent watched in silent surprise, realizing for the first time that this was necessary. When Kai finished, Nina's lips curled into a soft smile, and she stepped forward to give Torrent a gentle hug.
Kai chuckled as his sister embraced Torrent. "She's saying thank you," he explained, "for helping me out last night."
Torrent's brow furrowed slightly. "Is she unable to speak as well?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Kai nodded. "Unfortunately, she's both deaf and mute," he clarified. Then, with a wider smile, he added, "But she's still a very strong girl."
Nina caught her brother's smile and mirrored it back at him. She moved closer to Kai and began signing rapidly. Kai watched her hands before turning back to Torrent with a grin.
"She says..."
Before he could finish, Torrent crouched down in front of Nina. His imposing presence made her tense up, but Torrent raised his hands and began signing, "Thank you."
Seeing him speak her language, Nina's face brightened with a warm smile, which Torrent returned before standing back up. He glanced over at Kai, who was smiling even more broadly than before.
"I think that's the first time I've seen you smile," Kai remarked.
"Well, don't get used to it," Torrent replied, the brief smile fading from his face.
A few minutes later, they gathered around the dining table for lunch. As they ate, Torrent noticed that the spread was more lavish than he had anticipated.
"Isn't this a bit much?" Torrent asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I wanted to show my gratitude," Kai replied with a grin. "So, I went all out."
Torrent's expression hardened slightly. "Listen," he said firmly, "you've already told me about your financial situation. Just saying thank you would've been more than enough."
After they finished eating, Torrent made sure to leave plenty of leftovers for them to have later. As Kai tucked his sister into bed, evening settled over the apartment. When he returned, he and Torrent continued their conversation. Kai mentioned his plans to make up for the lost income from being fired and even talked about picking up another job to fill the gap.
"Just don't overwork yourself," Torrent advised, his tone more gentle than usual.
"I won't," Kai said with a nod, earning a sigh from Torrent.
As their conversation continued, Kai excused himself to use the bathroom. Torrent sat quietly, lost in thought until his phone suddenly began to ring. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Sage, the God of Mind. With an irritated sigh, he quickly silenced the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.
"Damn Sage and his nosy attitude," Torrent muttered under his breath, his annoyance evident.
"Sage?" Kai asked as he returned to the room, having overheard Torrent's grumble. "You mean, like the God of Mind?"
Torrent's eyes widened in surprise, not at being overheard but at Kai's unexpected knowledge of Sage's name.
"You know about the Gods?" Torrent asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Of course," Kai replied with an easy smile. "I studied Onyx Mythology growing up."
Torrent was caught off guard by this revelation, and Kai's enthusiasm only grew as he continued. "I know all about it. The stories of the monster kind living alongside humans until they started hunting us down. And how that one God, the God of War, clad in golden armor, protected humanity."
"I'm surprised you know so much," Torrent admitted, still taken aback.
"It was my favorite subject," Kai explained, his tone light and genuine. "And to me, it's like a part of history."
Torrent's surprise deepened. "You actually believe in the existence of the Gods?"
"It might sound strange," Kai said, "but yeah. I mean, how else do you explain humanity's existence?"
Torrent remained silent, listening intently as Kai shared his perspective. "People have all these different theories about how we came to be," Kai went on. "Some talk about the universe being born from a big bang or other cosmic accidents. But to me, all those theories sound just as conveniently far-fetched as the idea of multiple deities creating us and watching from above."
Torrent found himself impressed by the boy's reasoning. For a moment, he almost smiled. "What do you think of them, then?" he asked. "The Gods, I mean."
"Well, I don't know too much about them," Kai admitted. "Especially since most of what we know are from stories told by the God of War, Siege."
"Interesting," Torrent said, his curiosity deepening. "And what did those stories say about Torrent?"
"The God of Water?" Kai echoed, thinking for a moment. "hmmm... If I remember right, the stories say he's hot-headed and unnecessarily aggressive."
Torrent's expression darkened instantly. "Is that so?" he said, his tone laced with irritation.
"Yep," Kai confirmed. "The stories paint Torrent as a grumpy figure, always with something negative to say and constantly frustrated with everything."
Torrent's annoyance was evident. When Siege had descended to Main World for the monster eradication, the Gods had chosen not to interfere. Thus, they were unaware of the tales Siege had spun.
"That damn Siege," Torrent muttered to himself, barely containing his frustration.
"Though it also mentions that he's the most trusted God among them," Kai added, drawing Torrent's attention back to him. "Despite his harshness, Torrent is known for his honesty. He never holds back from telling the truth, and that's why they trust him so much."
Torrent hadn't expected that turn. "Interesting," he said, doing his best to conceal any emotion at Siege's supposed praise.
Kai continued, enthusiastically recounting tales of the other Gods he remembered. Torrent listened with quiet amusement. Some descriptions were comically off the mark, considering he knew the Gods personally, but many were surprisingly accurate. As the conversation flowed, the topics shifted, and they continued chatting as the evening deepened.
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"With everything you do," Torrent said suddenly, "what are you truly passionate about? What do you see yourself doing in the future?"
Kai smiled, his answer clear in his mind. "Once I have a stable income," he began, "my first goal is to send Nina back to school so she can meet new friends and play with other kids. As for me... I want to explore the world."
Torrent listened quietly as Kai spoke, his voice filled with a hopeful longing. "I want to see new places," Kai continued, "places I never imagined I'd get to visit. I also want to make new friends and build bonds like I did with you. You're pretty much my only close friend right now."
Torrent was taken aback. Kai's naturally friendly nature made it hard to believe he struggled to make friends. As night fell, Torrent decided it was time to head home.
"Make sure to take care of yourself," Torrent said as he rose to his feet. "And look after your sister too."
Kai nodded, his smile broad and genuine. Torrent gave him a brief nod before stepping out of the apartment and heading home.
Back at his house, Torrent freshened up and set about making dinner for himself. He had grown accustomed to cooking, even though Gods didn't technically need to eat. In their current state, however, they were required to maintain some semblance of human habits.
As he meticulously chopped peppers on the cutting board, Torrent's expression suddenly darkened. He paused, his senses sharpening, before gripping the knife tighter. In one swift motion, he spun around and thrust the blade forward with immense force.
"Hello, Torrent."
At the sound of the calm voice, Torrent halted his hand mid-thrust. The knife stopped inches from the face of the figure standing behind him. It was Sage, the God of Mind. Sage's expression remained neutral, even as the knife hovered mere centimeters from between his eyes.
"Or should I say, Triston Rivers," Sage continued, his gaze fixed unflinchingly on Torrent.
Torrent sighed in annoyance, pulling the knife back from Sage's face and turning his attention back to the cutting board. "Sage," he said, his tone low and unamused, "to what do I owe this not-so-pleasant surprise?"
"I'm merely fulfilling my duty, checking in on each of us to monitor our progress in the Demigod Project," Sage replied, stepping closer to Torrent's side. "You would have known that if you had bothered to pick up my call."
"So, that was you?" Torrent replied, his sarcasm obvious as he continued slicing the peppers.
"As you were well aware," Sage shot back, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"Well, everything's going just swimmingly," Torrent said dismissively. "No need to worry about me."
"Is that so?" Sage said, his voice skeptical as he moved closer to Torrent's left. "Then where is this supposed wife-to-be?"
"I don't know. Somewhere in the city," Torrent replied, his tone revealing just how little he cared about the topic. "Perhaps."
"Torrent," Sage began, letting out a sigh of disappointment, "you understand the significance of our descent, don't you?"
"As I'm ceaselessly reminded, yes," Torrent answered, his irritation barely concealed.
"Then why are you choosing to ignore your mission and play father instead?" Sage asked, his frustration evident in his tone.
Torrent paused, the knife hovering over the last of the peppers. "Of course you'd be snooping around," he muttered, resuming his cutting before turning to the pot on his right.
"I wasn't at first," Sage said calmly, watching Torrent add the peppers to the pot. "But you tapped into a fraction of your power yesterday to interfere in a human's life. You know that action will cost us a few hours here in Main World, right?"
"Only a few hours?" Torrent replied with feigned innocence as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out some carrots.
"Torrent, you fail to realize this child isn't yours?" Sage continued, his patience wearing thin. "Why not create one of your own like we were tasked to?"
Torrent didn't respond immediately, instead focusing on his task. Sage's sigh filled the silence. "Listen," he began again, "time is running out for you to procreate and still be present for the child's birth. Don't lose sight of the main objective, sibling."
The room fell into silence, punctuated only by the steady rhythm of Torrent's knife against the cutting board. "I know," Torrent finally muttered, his voice soft, almost conceding.
Seeing there was nothing more to say, Sage left without another word. The tension lingered, settling heavily in the air.
The next day, while at work, Torrent's phone rang. It was Kai. He glanced at the screen but chose to ignore it. Sage's words had hit him harder than he wanted to admit, and he knew continuing to engage with Kai would only distract him from his true purpose. Time was slipping away, two months had already gone on Earth, and he needed to focus.
In the weeks that followed, Torrent reluctantly set about the task of finding a wife. He went on numerous dates with various women, but each encounter felt disappointingly hollow. Most of the women irritated him with their shallow morals or seemed overly driven by a lustful desire for his attention. Torrent knew he had no real passion for this pursuit, yet he also understood the necessity of his duty.
Days turned into weeks since Torrent last saw Kai. He had been avoiding Kai's calls, committed to his mission, but guilt began to gnaw at him. While at work one day, a strange sensation of unease gripped him. Deciding it was time to check in, he resolved to call Kai that evening.
When Torrent returned home after a long day, he dialed Kai's number. But instead of Kai's familiar voice, a stranger answered.
"Hello?" Torrent began, his tone wary. "Who is this?"
"Good day," came the voice of a woman, calm but unfamiliar. "I'm a nurse at the general hospital in New York."
Confusion struck him, but as he pieced things together, his confusion swiftly morphed into shock. "Where is he?" Torrent demanded, his voice turning sharp.
"Are you referring to Mr. Harrison?" the nurse asked. "He had a seizure and was admitted here."
"Is he still at the hospital?" Torrent asked urgently, already grabbing his keys and preparing to leave.
"Uhh, yes, I believe so," the nurse confirmed, sensing his urgency.
"Where exactly is he?" Torrent pressed, his tone leaving no room for delay.
"Last I checked, he was in ward 16," the nurse answered softly, but before she could continue, Torrent cut her off.
"I'll be there soon," he stated, hanging up abruptly as he rushed out of his house.
"Wait," the nurse tried to interject, "sir, I need to..."
But Torrent had already ended the call. He jumped into his car, started the engine, and sped towards the hospital. As he drove, a sense of dread twisted inside him, hoping desperately that the worst wasn't the case.
Arriving at the hospital, Torrent rushed inside, his eyes scanning the area. The receptionist looked up as he charged past. "Who are you here for?" she called out.
Ignoring her, Torrent bolted down the hallway toward ward 16, the number etched in his mind from the call. The receptionist's voice faded behind him as he raced down the corridors.
Finally, he reached the ward and burst into the room. Inside, he saw a cluster of doctors gathered around a bed. His breath caught as he saw Kai lying there, pale and still.
"What happened to him?" Torrent asked, his eyes wide with shock as he took in Kai's frail state.
The doctors turned, their expressions serious. One of them, a woman with a gentle demeanor, stepped forward. "Are you the one who called?" she asked softly.
Torrent nodded, his face tense with concern. The doctors exchanged looks before the woman began to speak.
"Mr. Harrison has been struggling with depressive disorder for several months," she explained, her voice calm but empathetic. "With all the stress in his life and no positive outlet, he eventually suffered a seizure."
Her words hit Torrent like a blow, and he felt a heavy weight settle in his chest as he stared at Kai's motionless form.
Torrent stood there, his breath shallow as he stepped closer to the bed. "Will... will he be okay?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with shock and horror as they fixed on Kai's still form.
The heavy silence from the doctors, as they exchanged glances, spoke louder than words ever could. After a few tense moments, the doctor who had spoken earlier turned back to him.
"Mr. Harrison... sadly passed away this morning," she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow.
Torrent's eyes widened, the news hitting him like a physical blow. The doctor continued, her tone filled with regret. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to treat him in time. The seizure was severe, and he had already been affected for quite a while before the medical team arrived."
A painful quiet settled over the room as Torrent's gaze stayed locked on Kai's lifeless body. For the first time in his existence, Torrent felt a deep, aching pain in his heart, a sensation that was foreign and overwhelming.
"His sister?" Torrent managed to murmur, his voice nearly breaking. "Where is she?"
The doctor's eyes grew somber, and she nodded toward a chair to the right of the entrance. Torrent turned slightly, following her gesture, and saw Nina sitting there. Her eyes were wide, filled with shock that seemed too heavy for a girl her age. Dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't rested for a long time.
"She was there when it happened," the doctor explained quietly. "Unfortunately, because of her condition, she couldn't explain what was happening when she called emergency services, so it took them longer to understand and respond."
A wave of dizziness washed over Torrent, but he stayed standing as the doctor continued. "The poor child had to watch her brother convulse on the floor until the medical team arrived," she added, her voice thick with sympathy. "She's... not in a good mental state right now."
Torrent's mind swam with every horrifying detail. He slowly approached Nina, his heart heavy with each step. She looked up as he neared, and the sight of him seemed to break something inside her.
Tears poured from Nina's eyes, faster and more violently than before. She cried silently, her face contorted in agony, her mute condition preventing her from expressing the full extent of her grief. Yet soft, broken squeaks escaped her lips, the only sounds she could manage as she cried with silent sobs over her brother's death.
Torrent dropped to his knees before her, pulling her into a tight embrace. He held her close, feeling her anguish in every trembling breath and erratic heartbeat. They stayed like that for several minutes, her tears soaking into his shirt, until he finally stood and faced the doctor.
"She... has nowhere to go," Torrent said, his voice strained with concern.
The doctor's face reflected her empathy as she replied, "In cases like this, she would typically be sent to an orphanage, as she has no other guardian."
Torrent felt a surge of helplessness. He wanted to take Nina in, to care for her himself, but reality hit him hard. He wasn't going to be on Earth much longer. And, to make matters worse, because he hadn't taken the Demigod Project seriously, he hadn't found a wife who could care for Nina when he returned to Higher World. His failure felt like a weight around his neck, pulling him down deeper into despair.
Torrent felt the repercussions of his choices crashing down on him like a tidal wave. His heart ached with a deeper sorrow as the gravity of his actions in Main World became starkly clear. After a few moments of tense silence, he turned to the doctor, his face hardening with resolve.
"Make sure," Torrent began, his voice steady but filled with raw emotion, "that she lives the best life she possibly can. Make it your mission to find her the best home. I'll donate everything I have, just make sure it happens."
The doctor seemed momentarily hypnotized, her eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and sympathy. She nodded after a beat. "Understood," she replied, before turning to speak to the other doctors, who were already discussing the future arrangements for Nina, still sitting in her stunned silence, her world unraveling around her.
Torrent lingered for a moment longer, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on him. Finally, he turned and left the hospital, his footsteps heavy with grief and regret.
Two days later, Torrent sat alone on the couch of a small, unfamiliar apartment, far from the comfort of his previous home. The room was dim, blinds drawn and lights off, casting long shadows that mirrored the darkness within him. He hadn't been to work since that day; none of it mattered now. His mind was consumed by guilt and regret.
If he had been there, maybe Kai wouldn't have sunk so deep into despair. Or perhaps it was his very presence that had been the catalyst. By getting so close and then abruptly cutting Kai off without explanation, had he unintentionally driven the boy further into his depression?
Sitting in the suffocating silence, Torrent felt tears welling up in his eyes. At first, they came slowly, but soon they flowed freely, his shoulders shaking with sobs. It was the first time he had ever cried, and he did so in genuine pain. His head bowed, his body heaved as he mourned, the room filled with the sound of his grief.
After a while, Torrent's sobs subsided, replaced by a heavy, almost numb silence. Slowly, he raised his right hand and extended it forward. "Tidebringer," he whispered, his gaze still fixed on the ground.
A weapon began to materialize in his outstretched hand; a long, sleek trident with three razor-sharp tips, known as Tidebringer from the Divine Arsenal. Torrent held it firmly for a moment, and then, as if obeying an unspoken command, water began to swirl around it, enveloping the weapon in a churning vortex.
The water spun furiously around Tidebringer, and the weapon began to morph within its liquid cocoon after floating away from Torrent. Moments later, as the water stilled and settled, a figure emerged. It was a boy, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Kai. But unlike Kai, this boy's hair was a deep, oceanic blue, braided down his back. He stood taller, around 6'2", and wore a single earring on his right ear with a gemstone shaped like a downward-pointing pyramid.
"Hey, friend," the boy greeted with a warm smile. "Why do you look so sad?"
Torrent remained silent, his eyes still cast downward, lost in his sorrow. Sensing the weight of his pain, the boy approached, wrapping his arms around him in a comforting embrace. His smile was gentle, but his eyes soon dimmed with a question that seemed to surface from the depths of his mind.
"If you don't mind me asking," the boy spoke softly, "do you know who I am?"
Torrent took a moment, the weight of the answer settling in his heart. "Yes," he replied finally, his voice heavy but certain. "You are the son of the God of Water and my son. Your name... is Trent."