Zane POV:

“...You’re here.”

I entered the large room that was covered in darkness. The moonlight seeped through a few of the windows, resting against my face. It highlighted her light grey hair that reached down to her knees.

“Why did you do it?”

I got straight to the point; my eyes swept over her body dyed in darkness. She sat on a chair that was attached to the elevated floor. Her slender fingers moved away from the armrest and pressed against her soft lips.

“Zane, you don’t know the full story...”

“Then explain. Why did you massacre those people in District 4?”

I folded my arms as my eyes narrowed. I waited patiently for her to give me her reasons, for her to at least try to justify the abhorrent crimes she carried out.

“...Sebastian Cruiser wasn’t the one... He was a selfish man, who only cared for his own district... If he had taken over District 4, the Ruler at the time, would have sent his forces down there to make an example out of him...”

A small sigh escaped my lips, and I turned around; I had heard enough. I walked towards the exit when her panic-stricken voice cried out.

“...Zane... where are you going...?!”

My feet came to a halt as I glanced back at her. She leaned forward in the chair; the moonlight illuminating her pale skin. Her stretched-out hands trembled. Her fingers grasped the air in front of her, trying to grab a hold of me from afar.

“You took the lives of many innocent people.”

“...I warned him first! I told him to stop! But he didn’t listen to me... Just like everyone else...”

Silence descended upon the room, but my lips soon parted once more.

“I’m putting an end to our relationship.”

“Wha...? Y-you... Can’t do that! You... You told me that a Pantheon can only love once!! You said that I was... Your only one...!”

I shifted my gaze to the moon glowing in the sea of darkness. Pantheons took pride in only devoting themselves to one person for eternity. Even when our other half dies, we live on for their sake, choosing to stay alone and remember the time we spent together. Due to this, we didn’t really date per se, often jumping straight to engagement.

“I will live on alone.”

I had morals and values. The massacre of innocent people went against my own beliefs. She might claim that it was for the greater good, and she may even be right. But that time had never happened, so how could she be so certain?

If Sebastian had taken over District 4, who knows what aid he would have received? Who knows if his perspective would have extended past District 4 now that he had an even clearer grasp of how bad the situation was? There was a chance, however small it may be, that things would have flowed differently to how she had predicted.

“D-don’t say that...! P-please... Forgive me...”

“I’ve already forgiven you, but my feelings for you don’t blind me from the truth.”

I took a step toward the open door when I heard her get out of the chair. She stumbled forward, struggling to keep her balance as I refused to look in her direction.

“...If you’ve forgiven me... Then stay... I made a mistake, but I’ve reflected on myself... Since you had to leave, I just wanted the best for this place... I wanted to make you proud.”

That was the reason she had chosen to stay behind. She couldn’t be a leader, so she wanted to find someone who could continue on what I had started, but people had other agendas.

“...Will you really leave me?...”

My eyebrows twitched, and I took another step forward. A slight warmth rested against my back, forcing my feet to not go any further.

“You can’t... Because you love me...”

Her words tugged at my heart, and my body turned to face her. She was tall and wore a white flower-patterned dress that matched her light grey eyes. Her figure was stunning in every area, drawing you into the allure of her beauty. To someone who didn’t know her, she looked elegant, refined, and beautiful.

Our eyes met, and a deep shade of red gave her pale cheeks colour. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, occasionally dripping down the sides of her face.

She ignored it.

She batted her long eyelashes, inviting me to close the distance further. Otherwise, she would.

“Keuk...!”

She flickered back into the middle of the room, flopping to the floor. Her head smashed against it, and blood gushed out of her nose. She stretched out her hand in my direction; the trembling of her body soon turning into violent convulsions. Saliva spewed down the sides of her open mouth, that tried to produce sounds.

“It’s alright. I’m here.”

I flashed forward, wrapping my arms around her. The violent tremors spreading throughout her body gradually calmed down as my heart throbbed.

“G-guh...! Zkns...z..”

She struggled to talk; her tongue refusing to form the words that she wanted. I stroked the back of her head in a constant rhythm while parting my lips.

“Relax, relax. Take a deep breath.”

I felt her blood splatter all over my back as she coughed multiple times. She already had a condition beforehand, but overusing her ability so much just made everything worse.

The tremors refused to subside. Her pained moans continued to escape her mouth despite her best efforts to fight against her episode. She gripped the back of my clothes, pulling me closer toward her.

“Yumi, I’m here.”

The convulsions stopped. A sigh of relief left her mouth, and two soft lips kissed my neck several times. It was just like before when we were much younger.

An unpleasant memory drifted to the forefront of my mind. It was when she had an episode on the street at night, and some men tried to assault her.

That night, I almost killed the four of them as I repeatedly woke them up and beat them unconscious in a vicious cycle. That was the first and only time I ever truly lost my composure.

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“...I love you.”

“Stop using your ability. You need to recover your strength.”

I could feel that the strength of her heartbeat was much weaker than it was the last time I saw her. I should have convinced her to come with me back then, but that moment had long passed. All I could do now was take care of her to the best of my ability.

“Wrong... You’re supposed to say... I love you too~”

I got to my feet and carried her in my arms. Those were words that I couldn’t say easily, regardless of what was in my heart. Once I said those words, I felt that it would truly seal the Oath of a Pantheon. Though I knew that wasn’t how it worked, a part of me was afraid that it was still too early.

I levitated into the air, breaking through the glass window and rising high into the sky. I stopped in front of the moon, and her face went an even deeper shade of red.

“Yumi, where would you like to go?”

“It doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re together...”

My lips curved upwards. I kissed her forehead, and she buried her face into my chest while the gentle night breeze blew past us.

***

Lyon POV:

1 year and 6 months later.

I placed my hands behind my head as I stared at the clear sky. The rustling of the grass swaying back and forth in the wind created a pleasant sound that drifted into my ears. The corners of my mouth rose, embracing this tranquil atmosphere.

I had spent 2 years and 6 months living in Outer Astril and it wasn’t easy. Wars, sabotage, drugs, prostitution, epidemics, the list went on and on. One problem seemed to always appear after another, but eventually, we reached a point where stability was achieved.

‘!’

My eyes flashed open at the sudden shift in the air. I jumped to my feet when the sound of a familiar voice reached me.

“You’ve grown, Lyon.”

My lips spread into a wide smile as I saw my Master standing on the grassy patch of land in front of me. His deep brown eyes peered right through me, instantly grasping every battle and every difficulty I had experienced in Outer Astril.

A content smile appeared on his face, and he stretched out his hand towards me. It had been over 2 years since I last saw him: the man who had changed my life, the man who had given me courage and strength, who had always pushed me from behind. So how could a simple handshake be enough to express my gratitude?

“Master!”

I embraced him. His hand slowly tapped against my back, and a rare chuckle came out of his mouth while we stayed like this for a few moments.

‘!’

My gaze shifted to Nia, who stood with her hand on her hip in the distance. Her physique had developed further, and it was impossible not to notice her wide curvy hips that connected to her exposed flat stomach.

She opened her arms wide and made a cat-like expression, beckoning me to embrace her the same way. I approached her, unable to stop the blood from rushing to my cheeks. Even after all this time, I still found it difficult to maintain my composure in front of her.

I extended my hand towards her as my lips parted.

“Nia, I’m glad you’re doing well.”

Her eyebrows twitched; her eyes shifted to my hand then back to my face.

“What’s this? Zane gets a huge hug, but I have to settle with a little handshake instead?”

“Aha... Actually, you see, I’m in a—”

My face sank head-first into her large breasts. She wrapped her arms around me tight, and a faint heat rose from my cheeks.

“I’m proud of you.”

My lips curved into a thin smile as her sweet voice drifted into my ears. I had missed Nia as well, so reuniting like this was special to me.

‘!’

I suddenly came back to my senses and pulled away from her. I turned around and bowed deeply, giving my Master the appropriate respect he deserved. Nia reappeared a noticeable distance behind him, granting us some privacy.

“There’s no need to bow, Lyon.”

I straightened my back as we faced one another. His dark brown eyes flashed golden brown, and the smile that was on his face faded.

“Your training is complete. Our master and disciple relationship ends here.”

My eyebrows quivered at his words. Ever since I passed the 2-year mark here, I knew that this day would come soon.

“However, you are still my precious friend, Lyon.”

He extended his hand once more, but... I couldn’t accept it. It was an honour to even be able to speak with a Pantheon, let alone be friends with one, but he was my Master. I didn’t want to lose that unique bond that we shared.

“Please continue to be my Master.”

I bowed my head deeply, but his eyebrows furrowed. Cold sweat ran down my neck as I sensed his displeasure at my actions.

“Do you believe that you are worthy of continuing to be my disciple?”

I lightly dropped to one knee and narrowed my eyes. The truth was... I had never once thought I was worthy of bearing the Pantheon name. Being associated with the Pantheons came with a plethora of benefits, and I had even used my own Master’s name to inspire the people in the South at one point, but I wish I hadn’t.

All I wanted was to continue to learn from him because, to me, he was someone that I looked up to. He was my teacher, yet at times he felt like an older brother the way he watched over me.

“I’m not worthy.”

My lips parted, and I replied to his question with confidence. I didn’t need to hesitate because this was something I reminded myself of daily.

“No, that is exactly why you are worthy.”

He crouched down and placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, observing the satisfied smile spread across his lips and instantly understood why he had asked me that question.

It wasn’t because he was putting himself on a pedestal; it was because he wanted to assess my mentality. After all, I had seen first-hand how being a King changed people.

“Heh... Master, you’re still the same.”

He raised an eyebrow slightly, and the corners of his mouth soon rose. He offered me his hand, and this time, I grabbed it. We got to our feet, standing side by side.

Nia walked over and ruffled my hair with a wide grin on her face. I turned my attention to Outer Astril, taking a step towards the edge of the grassy land. I looked over it as memories of my life here flooded through my mind.

It was finally time to leave this place.

“Master Lyon, the Royal Guards are currently waiting for you in the meeting hall.”

Frida flickered by my side, dropping to one knee as she gave me her report. She wore jet-black clothes and her appearance was noticeably younger than before.

I watched her gaze turn to Zane and Nia. Her eyes popped; her forehead pressing against the ground a second later.

“I apologize for the discourtesy I have shown you, honourable Pantheons.”

“Raise your head, Frida.”

She reluctantly lifted her head, barely managing to hold eye contact with him. I noticed a few drops of sweat form on her brow as she steadied her breathing.

“May I ask... About my mother?...”

‘Her mother?’

My eyes narrowed. I shifted my gaze to my Master, who stood with folded arms. His lips spread into a comforting smile.

“She is well. Over a year ago, she made an appearance near the city of Losa, but fled the scene quickly.”

The sadness in Frida’s eyes multiplied. She focused on the ground in front of her, not moving an inch as Zane spoke.

“As The Night Owl, she has to tread carefully. If anyone finds out about your existence, the powerful foes after her will use you as a weakness.”

She winced at the news and bit her trembling lip. I made a mental note of all the new information I was hearing as I remained silent.

“...I am still a bother to her after all.”

“No. You know better than anyone how much your mother loves you.”

A rare expression of despondency appeared on Frida’s face. She looked at the ground with soulless eyes as a small sigh escaped her mouth. My Master crouched down in front of her while she quickly composed herself.

“I’m going to convince her to come and see you.”

Her eyes lit up as she gazed at him, only for the light to fade away.

“I don’t think that’ll work...”

“While she is stubborn, I will do my best. Also, Nia is a teleporter.”

A thin smile spread across her lips, and she bowed her head again.

“I am grateful for your constant consideration and care, Lord Zane.”

‘!’

“Frida, you need to stand up now.”

Nia abruptly stepped forward and helped Frida to her feet. She looked at Nia with a puzzled expression, unsure of how she should react.

“You’re pregnant.”

‘What??’

I looked at Zane, but he was just as surprised as I was. Frida almost collapsed to the ground in shock while Nia supported her. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her head on Nia’s shoulder.

“Nia, are you sure?”

“Of course I am, Zane. I can feel it...”

She splayed out her hand, and her eyes flashed. Nia examined Frida for a minute or two before giving Zane a confident nod.

I knew that Holder and Frida had been trying to have a child for over a year, but it never worked out. Margaret examined them both thoroughly, finding no irregularities or complications that would inhibit their ability to conceive a child together.

So she reached a different conclusion: the side effects from the KEDs must have made Holder infertile in a different way... That was the day Frida broke down emotionally, which was a sight that I never saw again... Till today.

“...Frida, we need to talk in private later, okay?”

There was a solemn look on my Master’s face as he observed Frida. She sobbed loudly into Nia’s shoulder, barely managing to nod her head in response.

“Is everything really okay?”

His lips curved into a thin smile. He got to his feet and tapped my shoulder.

“Everything is fine. Go and say your goodbyes. We’ll depart immediately once you’re done.”

“Yes, Master.”

I bowed my head and glanced back at Nia talking with Frida. I hoped that this time would be different and that her child would live.