POV: Kael Lanpar
Right now, I found myself trapped in a dilemma that felt nearly impossible to solve.
Even though I'd been fortunate enough for my consciousness to travel across realities and reach the place I now stood in, I still lacked the clarity to choose the right path.
The problem is, when life offers you only one option, it becomes painfully difficult to create another—a way out of a reality already imposed upon you.
I had lived through this feeling a thousand times before: the choice between acting or not. Sometimes, it's necessary to let things play out as they must, without interference...
But what if the lives of the ones you love are at stake?
"What do you suggest then?" my grandfather asked, clearly furious. "Are you absolutely certain this war the Midorians want to start can't be solved through diplomacy?"
"Damn it, boy!" he went on, slamming his fist against the marble wall. "You're just as stubborn as your father. If they had listened to me... If we had eliminated them in time..."
"That was never an option," my father interrupted, voice calm but firm. "The massacre of another clan won't solve anything. It will only bring more chaos and division than we already face."
And that's where my conflict lies: duty versus personal choice.
Even though I was hidden behind the massive wooden door, listening to my grandfather's curses and my father's restrained tone, I felt as if I were right there in the room with them, planning the future of the kingdom and of our family.
More than once, I've found myself being the one to make the final decision. My greatest mistake was allowing myself to be consumed by the thirst for revenge, back then.
That's why I admire the emotional control my father possesses. Always composed when needed, human when it matters most—yet still a cold, brilliant strategist.
"Luis, you need to understand that we're not going to act—yet," my father said. "I understand your frustration. We have evidence, yes, but that means nothing without the people's support."
"Do you at least have good news?" my grandfather asked, arms crossed tightly over his chest.
"Of course I do. If you had read the letters I sent, you'd know we've regained full control of Luzarion, Valdeluna, and Calaris," my father replied, voice steady and confident.
When I saw the confusion flash across my grandfather's face, a knot formed in my stomach. I had been the one who burned the letter meant for him.
"This is my fault," I whispered under my breath… or at least, I thought I did.
"Kael, what are you doing here?" my father asked, turning toward the door. "You should be asleep."
I stepped slowly out of my hiding place, nerves prickling under my skin. Something stirred inside me—something strange, something that didn't feel natural. Not again.
"I went to get a glass of water and... somehow ended up here," I stammered, obviously lying. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"How much did you hear, Kal?" my grandfather asked. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Not much," I replied, lowering my gaze. "I only caught that we've taken back the capital... and the other cities."
I saw my father allow a faint smile to escape. Then he walked toward me, picked me up in his arms, and held me at eye level, looking at me with a mixture of tenderness, sorrow, and exhaustion.
"You've grown so fast, Kal… so fast that I didn't even notice when I lost you," he whispered. "I think it's time for bed. Tomorrow's a new day for you to continue spying on us."
"I wasn't spying," I thought with a frown. "I was gathering information. If I want to do something... if I want to try, I have to understand the problem before I can fix it."
"Luis... tomorrow... can we go for a walk around the estate?" I asked my grandfather, looking up at him with a sad expression.
From the tremble in his arms and the racing of his heartbeat, I could tell—that wasn't what he truly wanted to say. He was lying… hiding a truth too painful to speak aloud. A truth I didn't fully understand yet.
"Of course," he replied with a long sigh. "I'll try to free up my morning so I can guide you two. I've been missing having the whole family together again."
My father nodded in silence and began to walk down the hallway, carrying me in his arms.
We made our way through the mansion's corridors, guided only by the starlit night that pierced the cold darkness of the day.
It was sad to see him like that. I wanted to cheer him up, but he was tired.
"Dad, are you okay?" I asked, fighting off a yawn. "Are you angry with Grandpa?"
"No, Kal, I'm not angry at your grandfather, don't worry," he replied, gently ruffling my hair. "You don't need to worry about me. Your father is strong—don't forget that."
"Yes, you're very strong," I murmured, yawning one last time as my eyelids began to close. I rested my head against his chest and started to drift off.
Maybe it was because I felt safe with him... or maybe because I had finally accepted that I was a child again.
When exhaustion finally overtook me, I couldn't fight it anymore. I slipped into a deep sleep, letting my thoughts fade into the darkness of my mind.
Hours passed—though they felt like mere seconds in that place of nonexistence—until a sudden brightness began to sting my eyes, breaking the much-needed rest I had fallen into.
"The body needs sleep to form ideas... Without rest, how am I supposed to solve the Midorina issue?" I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head in an attempt to fall asleep again. "Finally... back to resting..."
Crash!
"Good morning, Kal!"
The booming voice—undeniably my grandfather's—combined with the violent swing of the door bursting open, made me jump out of bed in pure panic.
"What the hell's wrong with you, old man?!" I shouted, a small wind spear already formed in my hand. "Didn't anyone teach you to knock first?"
My grandfather blinked at me in confusion, then turned to glance at the completely shattered door behind him, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple.
"Okay, maybe I overdid it a little," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Your grandma's going to kill me for this... but if she doesn't find out... What do you say? A little secret between grandson and grandpa?"
"No," I replied flatly, dispelling the wind spear and starting to tidy up my bed.
"You really don't love me, do you?" he said with a laugh. "Anyway, setting that aside... I've got great news for you! Your training starts today!"
Training...? I thought, momentarily forgetting all my other worries.
I had already developed my astral magic to an exceptional degree. On top of that, I had mastered control over the five main elements, and apparently, I even possessed some sort of evolved form of magic.
The real question was:What more could I possibly learn if I already felt like I had everything?
"What kind of training?" I asked, genuinely curious. "You do know I've already been trained by others, right?"
"Of course I know," he said, still with that unshakable joy in his voice. "After begging your mother nearly to death to let me train you, she finally agreed. She even told me all about your achievements."
Hmmmm...
Now that I thought about it, no one—except my sister—knew I had awakened all five elements. She had even admitted that she didn't really know whether that was good or bad, especially since my awakening had been... far from normal.
Back then, due to the attack on the capital, I hadn't had the time to investigate further. Neither my mother nor father knew about it, and maybe... now that they were here, it was time to tell them.
I could also use the old man's knowledge to better understand my current state.
"About your training," my grandfather said suddenly, "I'd like to know if you have any knowledge of sub-elements."
"Yes, I do," I replied while slipping on my shoes. "They're elements bound to the bloodlines of certain clans—either by choice or..."
"By ancestry," he finished, his voice firm. "That's where my goal lies: I want you to unlock your crystal sub-element. It's your legacy, as our heir."
A sub-element would be a crucial advantage right now... especially now that it was clear I wouldn't be relying on the help of my parents or my sister.
I could defend myself—yes.
But what I've faced so far is nothing compared to what lies ahead. I don't know exactly what I'm going to face... but I have a feeling I'll end up fighting a god.
"I'm ready," I declared, walking beside my grandfather through the mansion's long corridors.
The warm sunlight bathed the courtyard, and a cool breeze stirred the trees in gentle harmony.
The wind brushed against my face, playing with my hair in soft waves. I felt a deep, needed calm—a mental truce after so many days of anxiety and unanswered questions.
"Weren't we all supposed to go for a walk around the estate today?" I asked, settling down near a tree, seeking the comfort of its shade.
"As you said—it was supposed to happen," my grandfather replied, plucking an apple from one of the branches. "But your father and I have other plans for you."
"My daughter... well, she doesn't agree with it."
He paused for a moment, then hurled the apple high into the air with surprising force.
"But Kal... we don't know how much time we have left in this world. The only thing we can really do is enjoy it... and prepare. Because sooner or later, the end will come."
The end.
That's what I faced when I died.
And I didn't die a hero, or a savior—just a simple human, burdened with guilt and regret for wasting the life I had. For accepting a burden I never should've carried.
Now that I've been given a second chance, I've been forced to confront my mistakes face to face.
I've realized I always had other paths—other destinies. And though many of them might've led to death too... they were still infinitely better than dying alone, without glory, and being forgotten.
"So... what are we going to do now?" I asked, breaking the silence. "What kind of training will it be?"
"The first thing you need to do," my grandfather said with a mischievous grin, "is stop daydreaming and get your feet back on the ground. Come on! Time is gold."
I let out a deep sigh, shaking off the memories that still tried to hold me back. I leaned against the tree trunk and pushed myself up, step by step, feeling the fire of my own determination burn inside me.
I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes.
This time... I wanted to draw a clear line between who I was and who I would become.
"First things first—how many elements do you possess?" he asked, with genuine curiosity. "It's essential to gauge how developed your Astral affinity is."
"I possess all five main elements," I replied firmly, locking eyes with him.
"Five main elements?" he repeated, stunned. "That's completely impossible. It's like—"
Before he could finish the sentence, the elements began to stir around me.
A crown of fire blazed above my head—not one that burned, but one that radiated command.
The ground beneath my feet rose and shaped itself into a towering throne of stone.
Electricity and water clashed in the air, turning the sky dark and warping the weather.
A sword of wind struck the earth beside me with a thunderous crack that shook the air.
"What the hell...?" he shouted, startling a flock of birds from the trees. "This is absolutely impossible! Not even your father... or his father... What kind of prodigy are you?!"
This only confirmed what Mayrei once told me.
This goes far beyond anything considered normal in this world.
And while I still don't know if there are consequences to wielding such overwhelming power... that uncertainty is exactly what worries me most.
After nearly fainting—and coming dangerously close to a heart attack—my grandfather finally began to recover. He sat there, stunned, as if his mind were trying to calculate the impossible odds of what he had just witnessed.
"This is too much for an old man's mind," he muttered, sitting down in the grass, staring up at the sky with labored breath. "Out of everything I've lived through... I never imagined my own grandson would be... I don't even know what you are, Kael."
He went silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned his eyes back to me.
"Do your parents know about this?" he asked, his voice much more serious now.
"No. I haven't told them anything yet," I said as I sat down beside him. "And I don't really know what any of this means. That's why I wanted to ask if you knew how dangerous it might be."
I took a deep breath before continuing.
"Grandpa... my awakening wasn't normal like the others."
"Mine wasn't born from enlightenment... but from corruption. From something I couldn't control."
The look on his face said everything. Terror.
Not just because of the power I had just demonstrated, but because of how calmly I was speaking about it—like it was ordinary. Like something impossible had suddenly become inevitable.
"You're going to be the death of me, Kael," he murmured, swallowing hard. "For now... I can't help you. This... this might do you more harm than good."
His words left me confused.
He didn't have the answers I was looking for, but deep down... I knew where to find them.
Then his expression changed. He grew more serious. Darker.
"Kael… what I'm about to tell you is something only your father and a very, very small number of people know."
"This information is completely classified."
"I'm still unsure whether I should say it at all, but… your power—it isn't human."
That sentence froze the blood in my veins.
For a long time, even while living in this world, I had doubts.
I thought back to the past, to the ways it shaped the present. Leaving behind scars—deep, unforgettable ones.
Suspicions born from ancient books, vague tales, and the fragmented pieces of a history the Lanpar clan had always tried to cover up.
"During the war against the elves," my grandfather continued in a hushed voice, "the fear of something even worse pushed us to the edge. Some believed the attack was an act of will... but we were completely wrong."
I stayed silent. What was coming... I knew it would hurt.
"There was a greater danger," he said, his eyes dim. "A power that overwhelmed and terrified every clan."
"The elves were... controlled. We didn't know why, or by whom."
"All they did was massacre."
My grandfather paused. He closed his eyes, as if trying not to remember—though the images were already alive in his mind.
"Airis belongs to another race," he said at last. "In that, she was right."
"She's part of the Acronas: an extinct race, powerful... and for the Lanpar clan, a threat."
One night was all it took.
When the sun refused to rise, and the moon ruled the sky... the blood of her people flowed like an endless river.
The Lanpars, blinded by fear, slaughtered an entire civilization.
Children, families, innocents... annihilated, just in case.
"People still say you can hear the screams... their pleas."
The clans, desperate to protect their image, twisted the truth. They claimed the Acronas were cursed, insane...
But they were living beings. Like us. With emotions. With stories.
"Airis remembers everything," my grandfather added, lowering his head. "She's your age, Kal... but she watched her people die. She saw them hunted like animals until nothing remained but a myth."
I swallowed hard, a painful weight settling in my chest.
The irony hit me like a blade:
I, a Lanpar, now possessed the very same power.
Was it punishment? A curse passed down through generations, seeking justice?
"That's why I say I don't know how to help you," he said, rising to his feet. "Your condition is beyond human knowledge."
"Maybe the elves... maybe they can help you."
He paused. Then his gaze locked onto mine with quiet resolve.
"But your best option... is Airis."
Time seemed to dissolve with every word he spoke.
Each phrase was an echo from the past, forcing me to understand Airis... and to understand myself.
Maybe I, too, had made the same mistakes the Lanpars once did.
Because being responsible for the deaths of more than three billion people...
That's not something you forget.
You just bury it under lies.
POV: Matias Castleboard(Memory)
What I'm about to do... there's no turning back.
But I have no other choice.
I do this for them.
For those who believed in me.
For the spirits still clinging to this world, searching for peace.
"This isn't a good idea, Matias."
"You know that," Marcois said, his fists clenched in frustration. "I'll never agree with this. But... if you believe it's the right thing to do, then I'll support you."
Before us stood a monstrous creation of mankind—something capable of rivaling divine weapons.
Designed to erase an entire continent.
A weapon born from desperation... and cowardice.
"You chose your path."
"Now, face the consequences," I whispered, pressing the red button in front of me.
Time seemed to slow.
With each passing second, I felt more of my humanity slip away.
I was no different from the Prophet anymore. Just another man with his own version of peace—no matter the cost.
The granite floor trembled beneath my feet.
The hangar doors creaked open slowly, almost hesitantly.
But there was no going back.
Thousands of nuclear missiles emerged, slicing across the sky with silent fury.
They were about to wipe out cities, lives, entire civilizations...
Not out of justice.
But out of fear.
"Because I too have been the monster. I just didn't know it back then."