In the Heavenly realm of Deirion, within a magnificent dining hall, a man cloaked in darkness sat alone. His form was entirely obscured, resembling a shadow or a living mirage. This was the High god, the figure introduced in the prologue.

A small angel fluttered nervously by his side, serving him his meal with trembling hands. The High god gently patted her head, and her tense expression softened before she quickly flew away.

The High god then summoned six marbles into his hand, idly toying with them before tossing one into his mouth and consuming it with a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, the grand doors swung open, and Barbados, the god of Time, entered the room. His red eyes, with clocks ticking within them, fixated on the High god—the ruler of all gods of the worlds under his control. This was the being who controlled not only their solar system but also a second one in the opposite to theirs. No one under his control could match his power, however the High god appeared far less intimidating than one might expect.

"High god, thank you for granting me this audience. I am deeply grateful," Barbados said with utmost reverence, kneeling before the High god. Compared to their sizes the High god was much larger than Barbados.

"Anything for my children. So, what is it you wish to discuss, Barbados?" The High god's voice, beautiful and soothing, seemed to calm the very air, momentarily softening even Barbados' wary heart. But Barbados quickly regained his composure. He had lived long enough to know the true nature of the High god, and he wouldn't be easily deceived by this facade.

"I have seen the future—what lies ahead for the next twenty years," Barbados began, his voice betraying his anxiety. "There is one being whose actions could lead to the destruction of our world."

"Oh, so you've finally seen it," the High god replied, a sinister grin spreading across his unseen face. The sight of it sent a shiver down Barbados' spine.

'That grin... it's terrifying,' Barbados thought, trembling.

"Arrange a world meeting with the mortals in three months. It's clear I need to address how things will be managed," the High god commanded.

"Thank you so much!" Barbados responded, his relief evident.

"And have you informed the Sacred of Time about Aurianna Vanluad?" the High god asked, his tone curious.

"Yes... I have," Barbados replied, his voice laced with nervousness. He hesitated but decided to probe further, hoping to discern the High god's intentions.

“Why are you interested in her, if I may ask?” Barbados inquired nervously, his hand trembling as he noticed the cold stare the High god directed at him.

“Personal reasons,” the High god replied curtly. “I want to meet her at the World Summit where the meeting will be held. I shall not explain myself further.”

With that, he snapped his fingers, and a portal materialized beside him. Rising from his seat, he prepared to leave.

“Where are you going, High god, if I may ask?” Barbados ventured again.

“I have other worlds to manage. Catch you later!” The High god giggled, his tone light-hearted, before stepping through the portal and disappearing.

---

“How can he be so nonchalant about the world's destruction?” Barbados scoffed as he sat at a tea table in the Hall of Cosmic Knowledge, Azarath seated across from him.

“That’s because he doesn’t care, or perhaps he’s been planning something sinister all along,” Azarath mumbled, taking a sip of her tea. Barbados’ gaze flickered nervously.

“Why would he want to destroy his own world? I don’t understand him. Was the war three hundred thousand years ago not enough?!” Barbados yelled, biting his lower lip in frustration.

“With all the years we’ve spent by his side, do we truly know him? I doubt that the Great War was enough to satisfy him. I’m just relieved he hasn’t done anything drastic yet,” Azarath stated coldly.

“No, we don’t know him well enough,” Barbados muttered, his fists clenched, a deep frown etched on his face.

“And in your vision, who was the one destroying the world?” Azarath asked, her voice as cold as ice. Barbados remained silent, looking away.

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“That’s your answer. We must be prepared for when our god turns his power against us,” she continued, as if already resigned to her fate.

“But wait—there was one person who was able to fight him on equal footing!” Barbados blurted out.

“Who was it?!” Azarath asked, her curiosity piqued.

“A girl, but I couldn’t see what she looked like,” Barbados replied nervously.

“Could she be the woman who earlier interfered with our vision of the future?” Azarath asked.

“No, it’s not her,” Barbados shook his head. “The girl was much younger. What’s more, that woman—after I regained my memories—I couldn’t find any trace of her. It seems she erased an important memory of mine, something I’ve been stressing over these past years. She’s extremely dangerous. But maybe she’s connected to that girl, which is why she stopped us. She doesn’t want us to know about the child!”

"We must find out who she is!" Azarath insisted, her voice trembling. "That child may be our only trump card against the High god. Once we locate her, we must do everything in our power to gain her trust. It’s pitiful, really—despite being a goddess, I fear my own creator so much that I’m willing to rely on a child to stand up to him. That High god... he’s a madman, just waiting for the right moment to consume us all," she mumbled, her hands shaking.

"I didn’t want to believe it at first, but the High god truly doesn’t care about his creations. We gods have the power to bring peace to the mortals, but the High god..." Barbados started.

"He rejected that," Azarath continued, her mind drifting back to the moment the High god dismissed her suggestion to bring peace to their world, Deirion. His words still sent a chill down her spine. "Where’s the fun in peace? Wars and death are what make life entertaining. Let the mortals do as they please. Do not interfere too much in their lives; instead, enjoy the show that is their pathetic existence," he had stated coldly.

---

Back in the Ruin, Kiana panted heavily, her body bleeding red as the blood seeped into the water around her. How many times had she died at Jugi’s hands, only for Aurianna to revive her? She could barely keep count.

“Please, continue to fight me, Jugi!” Kiana pleaded, clenching her fists.

“You haven’t even been able to resist any of my attacks. I see no point in continuing,” Jugi scoffed, clearly annoyed. Since accepting Aurianna’s mark, Kiana had challenged Jugi repeatedly, but Jugi always prevailed, with Kiana dying in less than ten seconds each time.

“I know, but I have to try. I want to prove to her that I’m not just a useless crybaby! I want to improve, to be stronger. I’ve been given a portion of her power, yet... I can barely do anything. I hate this feeling, and it might only go away if I can manage to land a hit on you!” Kiana declared fiercely, tears streaming down her face. She gripped her trident tightly, staring intently at Jugi, while Aurianna watched calmly.

“It’s alright, Kiana,” Aurianna said, her voice steady.

“Aurianna, you’re disappointed, aren’t you?” Kiana asked, her voice dry.

“I’m not. In fact, I’m quite proud. Did you notice Jugi’s eyes after your last attack? Seems like one of your spells partially blinded him for a few minutes,” Aurianna pointed out, and Kiana noticed that Jugi’s eyes had indeed dimmed slightly.

“It’ll heal right away, so I wouldn’t call that an achievement,” Jugi scoffed, crossing his arms.

“But I did do something!” Kiana squealed happily, swimming around in excitement.

“It seems the next door has appeared,” Boara noted, and the group left Jugi’s area, entering the resting area.

“Well, time to eat, everyone,” Aurianna announced, creating a large rectangular bubble of air where she placed an assortment of food, ensuring it remained dry.

Inside the air bubble were several delicious dishes, all prepared by Neil. Wasting no time, Kiana eagerly grabbed a few, sticking her head into the bubble and happily munching away. Aurianna, Zagan, and Hadina followed suit.

Jugi, however, hesitated. He stared at the food for a few minutes before huffing and finally taking a piece. As he tasted it, his face lit up with delight.

“So, what was your crime to end up in these ruins?” Aurianna asked casually as she ate.

“Well, it started with killing other races. I believed it was the right thing to do at the time. I was told all the other races were evil and that humans were the righteous ones, so I followed orders. But as I started noticing something was off, I stopped and began killing both sides once I learned the true reason why heroes were summoned,” Jugi explained, his expression serious.

“And what was that reason?” Aurianna asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked intently at Jugi.

“Are those angels listening in?” Jugi asked nervously.

“No, I have a special power that can block them from hearing our conversations.”

“A strange yet unique ability. I’ve never heard of anyone escaping the prying eyes of the angels and gods,” Jugi chuckled.

‘Only because of Eva,’ Aurianna admitted to herself.

“Heroes were brought into this world for two reasons. One was to entertain the High god. He promised us that whatever we took on this planet, we could keep, and we were free to do anything we wanted, bound by no rules. The second reason…” Jugi hesitated.

“Yes? What is the second reason?” Aurianna asked, her curiosity deepening as Jugi’s silence lingered.

“To be food for the gods, as well as nourishment for the land,” Jugi finally revealed. Aurianna remained unfazed, but Kiana's mouth dropped open in shock.

“We heroes are nothing special. We were just ordinary humans, but I always wondered why our powers were amplified when we came to this world. Then I realized why. Certain marbles were implanted in our souls to amplify our powers several times over, just to grow and feed on our souls. Once a hero reaches their peak, they turn into those marbles and die. Heroes weren’t the only ones with these fast-growing abilities—some natives of this world were implanted with them as well, and they, too, would ultimately die. We’re more like test subjects… or at least that’s what Jade said,” Jugi revealed, his fists clenched.

“So how are you still alive?” Aurianna wondered aloud.

“That’s because a few of us were able to overcome the marble and make that power truly our own. We are the ones trapped in these ruins.”