"I am trustworthy because I've lived through so much," Professor Charles Xavier said slowly, his voice firm and solemn. "My faith has never wavered, and I believe everything I do is for the benefit of mutants. I protect them."
Ethan listened quietly, then nodded slightly.
"Professor," he replied calmly, "you can't expect me to have lived the same life you have. And you can't doubt my beliefs simply because I haven't gone through the same experiences."
He leaned casually against the balcony railing, looking down at the lively square below.
"I may be young," he continued, "but my thoughts are naturally… profound. Maybe that's a gift from God."
His tone was light, but his eyes were serious.
"I don't think you have any reason to question my intentions. If being a good person really is that difficult, then the world would be a pretty tragic place."
Charles fell silent.
The young man in front of him sometimes sounded arrogant, even shameless. Yet none of that automatically meant he was lying.
And the truth was that tonight had already shaken Charles more than he liked to admit.
He had encountered a mutant whose power might rival—or even exceed—his own and Magneto's. That same mutant had built an entire hidden town and was now calmly discussing ideals and the future of mutantkind.
Every instinct Charles possessed told him to remain cautious.
At that moment, Ethan suddenly sensed something.
He lifted his hand casually.
Another portal opened beside him.
Jean Grey and Storm stepped through it side by side.
Ethan had never closed the portal after Logan entered earlier. He had simply adjusted its coordinates.
Both women looked alert and ready for danger. However, when they saw the group sitting peacefully around a table while a celebration unfolded below in the square, their expressions shifted to confusion.
Scott immediately stood up.
"Why are you two here?" he asked. "Did something happen outside?"
"We didn't know what was going on," Jean replied. "You hadn't come back out, so we came to check."
Storm glanced around at the glowing bonfires, the music, and the crowds laughing in the square.
"What exactly is going on here?" she asked.
Wolverine had already lit a cigar. He leaned back against the railing, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and spoke casually.
"We're starting to think this guy might actually be a decent person," he said. "Now we're just confirming it."
Storm and Jean exchanged a glance.
Neither of them had any idea how the conversation had reached that conclusion.
Professor Xavier raised a hand slightly.
"Everyone, relax," he said calmly.
Then he turned his attention back toward Ethan.
"Mr. Voss," he continued, "given what we've seen in this town and what you've told us so far, I'm willing to believe that your intentions might be genuine."
He paused briefly.
"But there are still several things I need to understand."
Ethan gestured politely.
"Go ahead."
Charles's first question came immediately.
"Where exactly are we?"
Ethan studied each of them quietly before answering.
"That's… a complicated topic," he said slowly. "I'm not sure you're ready to hear the full explanation. The truth might be difficult to accept."
Logan and Scott exchanged interested glances.
Charles remained serious.
"Trust me," Ethan continued, "learning too much about certain things too early won't benefit you. I can explain it this once, but I hope that afterward you'll keep what you hear buried deep in your hearts."
His expression became solemn.
"If you're not prepared for that, then you might want to enjoy the celebration downstairs instead. Some truths are easier for the professor to handle alone."
No one moved.
Curiosity had already taken hold.
Ethan sighed softly.
"Well," he said, "I don't know whether you believe in God… or Odin, Thor, and Loki from Norse mythology… or Zeus, king of the Olympians."
He paused.
"But the truth about this world is simple."
"They all exist."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?"
"That's impossible!"
"You're lying."
Shock spread across the group as the X-Men stared at him.
Even Charles's composure cracked slightly.
Ethan lifted his hands in a calming gesture.
"You can think of them as gods," he said. "Or incredibly powerful aliens."
He shrugged.
"Fortunately for humanity, many of them behave roughly the way the legends describe. To some extent, they've protected this world."
His tone grew darker.
"Unfortunately… the enemies described in those same legends are real too."
He glanced toward the night sky.
"Demons from hell. Creatures from the underworld. Vampires. Werewolves."
His voice lowered.
"They all exist beneath the peaceful surface of this world."
"And the reason they can exist here is connected to something else."
"Magic."
Of course, Ethan couldn't reveal the real truth.
If they discovered that he was the master of this entire realm, they would never trust him enough to return.
So instead he told them a carefully crafted story.
He described this place as a lost land hidden by ancient magic, a forgotten sanctuary he had discovered by accident after obtaining a mysterious key.
While he spoke, Ethan quietly used his telepathy.
Not to control them—but to subtly reinforce a sense that his words felt believable.
The X-Men listened in stunned silence.
The revelation that mythical beings existed was shocking enough.
But discovering a hidden land untouched by the outside world was even more unbelievable.
Ethan wasn't finished.
He leaned forward slightly.
"Whether people like it or not," he continued, "the world is moving toward chaos."
"Sooner or later, monsters will appear in greater numbers. Disasters will follow one after another."
He looked directly at them.
"One day, the world itself could be destroyed."
Storm frowned.
"That's a bit dramatic."
"Maybe," Ethan admitted. "But if that day comes, heroes will rise to stop it."
He gestured toward himself.
"But I'm not arrogant enough to assume they'll succeed every time."
He turned and pointed toward the town below.
"If the worst ever happens…"
"This place will become humanity's Noah's Ark."
"That's why the town is called Noah's Town."
The group fell silent again.
Storm eventually spoke first.
"You said those gods exist," she said carefully. "And that they protect humanity. If disaster really arrives… wouldn't they intervene?"
Ethan shrugged.
"They're gods," he said. "Not Earth's babysitters."
He smirked slightly.
"You might be surprised, but Odin has spent the past few years trying to discipline his two troublesome sons."
"And Zeus?" Ethan chuckled.
"He's probably hosting a wild party with a dozen handmaidens somewhere right now."
Storm stared at him in disbelief.
"So there's not a single responsible god among them?"
"They're gods," Ethan repeated. "The fact that they don't destroy Earth for fun is already a blessing. Let's not demand too much."
Professor Xavier spoke again.
"Then what about you?" he asked quietly. "What role do you plan to play in protecting the world?"
Ethan smiled.
"I definitely can't do it alone."
He leaned forward slightly.
"My plan is to assemble a professional team dedicated to saving the world."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"We'll call it…"
"The Justice League."
The X-Men stared at him.
"…What?"
After a long and surprisingly thorough conversation, the tension between them gradually faded.
Charles and the others finally began to understand Ethan's overall goal, and a fragile sense of trust slowly formed.
Eventually Ethan turned to Charles again.
"Professor," he said, "I think it might be time for you to open a branch campus."
Charles blinked.
"A branch campus?"
Ethan nodded toward the town.
"This place is completely safe. You could move many of your students here."
He continued calmly.
"There's plenty of space, and some mutant children have parents who truly love them. If those families wanted to move here together, that could be arranged."
Then he added another suggestion.
"And if possible, spread the word. Let other mutants know that they can live normal lives here."
Charles frowned slightly.
"Normal lives?"
"What exactly do you mean?"
Ethan answered immediately.
"In this world, I can suppress most mutant abilities."
The X-Men reacted instantly.
"If they choose to," Ethan continued, "I can place a temporary seal on their powers. For a while, they could live exactly like ordinary humans."
"No," Storm said firmly.
She shook her head.
"Mutant abilities are gifts. They shouldn't be suppressed."
Ethan glanced toward Professor Xavier, who remained silent.
He then looked back at Storm with a faintly mocking smile.
"That's easy for you to say."
He gestured toward her.
"You can control lightning. You command storms and clouds. Your abilities look incredible."
His tone hardened slightly.
"But have you ever thought about other mutants?"
He leaned forward.
"Most mutants don't receive powers like yours."
"Some develop abilities that leave them looking like monsters. Others become physically deformed."
"Even their own parents see them as cursed."
He spread his hands.
"They endure endless hatred from society."
His voice softened.
"But do they have the strength to defend themselves?"
He looked directly at Storm.
"For many mutants, their abilities aren't a blessing."
"They're a curse."
Storm fell silent.
Everyone turned toward Professor Xavier.
Charles sighed quietly.
"I've seen their hearts," he admitted. "Many of them are filled with pain and despair."
He paused.
"And yes… some of them desperately wish they could live normal lives."
Storm lowered her gaze.
Ethan continued calmly.
"The seal I place on their powers wouldn't be permanent."
"They would slowly regain their normal appearance."
"And if they ever wanted their abilities back, they could simply return here and remove the seal."
He shrugged.
"Besides, the suppression only works in this world. If they leave, their powers naturally return."
Ethan looked at each of them in turn.
"I'm not forcing anyone to do anything."
"I'm just giving them a choice."
"Whether they want to live as humans or mutants should be their own decision."
Of course, Ethan wasn't revealing the full truth.
Any mutant who entered this world had their abilities copied by him.
And those abilities strengthened him far more than ordinary people ever could.
Powerful mutants like Professor Xavier and Jean Grey alone could dramatically accelerate the growth of his Divine Kingdom.
But they couldn't remain here permanently.
That meant Ethan needed large numbers of mutants—even weak ones. Eventually, enough quantity would lead to a qualitative transformation.
At the same time, he couldn't risk making the X-Men suspicious.
Anyone leaving his realm would regain their original abilities the moment they passed through his portal.
However, mutants who wanted to live as ordinary humans would have only one real option.
They would have to remain here.
As this thought settled in his mind, another idea surfaced.
The research facility on Devil's Island needed to be dealt with soon.
After all, if anyone was going to run the business of suppressing mutant powers…
Ethan intended to be the only one doing it.