The sky remained silent.
Too silent.
As if the world itself was listening.
Leo stood still.
His breathing steady now.
But inside him—
Nothing was calm.
The crimson traces beneath his skin had faded.
But the feeling…
Remained.
Luna stepped closer.
"…Are you okay?"
Leo didn't answer immediately.
"…No."
A pause.
"…But I'm stable."
Kai let out a breath.
"…That doesn't sound reassuring."
Ryu crossed his arms.
"…What matters is control."
Milan looked at Leo carefully.
"…And right now… you still have it."
Leo closed his eyes again.
"…Not completely."
The voice inside him spoke.
"…Then come."
Leo's eyes opened slightly.
"…Where?"
"…To the truth."
Everything went dark.
Not outside.
Inside.
Leo's consciousness was pulled inward.
Falling.
Deep.
Beyond thought.
Beyond memory.
Until—
Light appeared.
Not bright.
Not warm.
Ancient.
He landed.
Or at least—
It felt like landing.
Before him stretched an endless space.
No ground.
No sky.
Only fragments.
Broken worlds.
Floating ruins.
Echoes of destruction.
"…What is this place?" Leo asked quietly.
The voice answered.
"…The memory of existence."
A chill ran through him.
Then—
A figure appeared.
Not fully formed.
Not completely visible.
But present.
Tall.
Endless.
Overwhelming.
Leo froze.
"…You…"
The figure looked at him.
Its eyes—
Contained everything.
Creation.
Destruction.
Time.
Void.
"…You finally see me," it said.
Its voice wasn't sound.
It was understanding.
Leo clenched his fist.
"…Are you the Ancient God?"
Silence.
Then—
"…I am what remains."
The space around them shifted.
Images appeared.
Not illusions.
Memories.
A universe forming.
Stars igniting.
Life beginning.
Then—
More appeared.
Another universe.
And another.
And another.
Countless.
"…The multiverse…" Leo whispered.
The Ancient God spoke.
"…I was its origin."
Everything stopped.
Leo's eyes widened.
"…That's impossible…"
"…And yet," the voice replied calmly.
The memories changed.
Darkness spread.
Not evil.
Not destruction.
Something deeper.
Void.
"…Before everything," the Ancient God continued,
"…there was nothing."
A pause.
"…And from that nothing…"
"…I was born."
Leo stared.
"…You're saying…"
"…You are the first existence?"
The figure didn't deny it.
"…I created balance."
"…Light and dark."
"…Creation and destruction."
"…Order and chaos."
The memories shifted again.
Beings appeared.
Massive.
Powerful.
Gods.
"…And they?" Leo asked.
"…My fragments," the Ancient God answered.
"…Divided power."
"…Given form."
"…To maintain existence."
Leo's mind raced.
"…Then why… are you sealed?"
Silence.
For the first time—
The presence felt… heavy.
"…Because they feared me."
The memories changed violently.
War.
Gods clashing.
Reality breaking.
Entire universes collapsing.
At the center—
The Ancient God.
Alone.
Fighting all of them.
"…They called it balance," the voice said.
"…But it was fear."
Chains appeared.
Massive.
Unbreakable.
Formed from laws themselves.
"…So they sealed you…" Leo whispered.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…Beyond the multiverse."
Silence fell.
Leo clenched his fists.
"…Then me…"
"…Why do I have your power?"
The Ancient God stepped closer.
The space trembled.
"…Because I chose you."
Everything froze.
"…Before the seal was complete…"
"…I divided my core."
"…And sent it across existence."
Images flashed.
Fragments of light.
Traveling through space.
Through time.
"…One of them…"
"…Reached your world."
Leo's breath slowed.
"…And became me."
"…Not fully," the Ancient God said.
"…You are not me."
A pause.
"…But you are my continuation."
Leo looked up.
"…Then what happens now?"
Silence.
Then—
"…That depends."
The space around them darkened slightly.
"…On whether you become my successor…"
"…Or my return."
A chill ran through Leo's entire existence.
"…What's the difference?"
The Ancient God's eyes glowed faintly.
"…One keeps your will."
"…The other erases it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Leo didn't look away.
"…And if I refuse both?"
For a moment—
Nothing moved.
Then—
"…Then existence will choose for you."
The space began to collapse.
"…Your world is already changing."
"…The gods are awakening."
"…The void is watching."
"…And I…"
A pause.
"…Am running out of time."
Leo stepped forward.
"…Wait—"
Everything shattered.
Light disappeared.
The space collapsed completely.
And Leo—
Returned.
Back to the ruined city.
His eyes opened instantly.
A sharp breath escaped him.
"…Leo!" Luna's voice reached him.
He looked around.
Everyone was there.
Nothing had changed.
But everything—
Was different.
"…I saw it," he said quietly.
Ryu frowned.
"…Saw what?"
Leo looked at his hand.
"…The truth."
Kai blinked.
"…That sounds serious."
Milan leaned forward slightly.
"…Explain."
Leo's eyes turned toward the sky again.
"…The Ancient God…"
A pause.
"…Is the origin of everything."
Silence.
"…And I…"
His voice lowered.
"…Am part of it."
No one spoke.
Because they didn't fully understand.
But they felt it.
The weight of his words.
The danger behind them.
Far beyond reality—
The chains cracked again.
A second fragment of the seal broke.
And the Ancient God…
Smiled.