The front door of the bungalow opened quietly.
Nora stepped inside.
The house was peaceful.
For the first time in several days, she allowed herself to relax.
She walked through the familiar hallway toward her parents' room.
The room remained exactly as they had left it months ago.
Nothing had changed.
The neatly arranged furniture.
The framed family photographs.
The scent of her mother's favorite flowers lingering faintly in the air.
Nora smiled to herself.
"It seems Mom and Dad are still staying on Planet Asterion after all."
The thought had barely crossed her mind when space behind her distorted.
Ripples spread through the air.
Two familiar figures stepped out of the distortion as naturally as if they had walked through an ordinary doorway.
Rylan.
And Seraphine.
Nora didn't jump.
She wasn't surprised.
Her Third Eye had already shown her this outcome several seconds before it happened.
Instead of reacting immediately, she simply turned around.
For a brief second...
She wanted to run toward them.
She wanted to hug them.
She wanted to complain.
She wanted to ask why they had stayed away for so long.
Instead...
She folded her arms.
Seraphine noticed immediately and smiled helplessly.
"I know..."
"We came home late."
"But you won't believe what your grandfather is planning."
Nora immediately interrupted her.
"Mom."
Seraphine blinked.
"You changed the topic."
"You know very well both of you arrived late."
"There wasn't even a welcome dinner."
Rylan burst into laughter.
"So that's what this is about?"
Nora looked at him.
"No."
"You also forgot to tell me how strong I've become."
"And..."
She crossed her arms tighter.
"You both left me to survive on my own."
Rylan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Seraphine walked closer before gently placing a hand on Nora's shoulder.
"You survived."
Nora sighed dramatically.
"Barely."
Seraphine smiled.
"No."
"You survived because you're stronger than you think."
Her gentle smile slowly became serious.
"Nora..."
"You've already stopped being someone who merely survives."
"You've become someone capable of protecting others."
Those words lingered inside Nora's heart.
Before Nora could respond, Seraphine suddenly turned around.
"I'll prepare dinner."
Just then, one of the household servants hurried into the room.
"Lady Seraphine."
"What would you like us to prepare?"
Seraphine shook her head.
"I'll cook today."
"You've all worked hard."
"Take the evening off."
The servants looked surprised.
Then they bowed gratefully before leaving.
Nora watched her mother disappear into the kitchen.
Sometimes...
She couldn't understand Seraphine.
There were moments when her mother treated her with overwhelming warmth.
Then there were other moments...
She deliberately kept her distance.
As though she feared becoming too attached.
Nora had noticed it for years.
But now...
She was an Initiate.
She had entered a world where impossible things happened every day.
If there truly was a reason...
She would uncover it eventually.
One mystery at a time.
---
An hour later...
The dining room had become unexpectedly lively.
The table overflowed with food.
Grilled meat.
Fresh vegetables.
Soup.
Rice.
Several dishes Nora hadn't eaten since childhood.
Rylan happily filled everyone's plates while Seraphine occasionally corrected him whenever he exaggerated part of a story.
"...Then the Sovereign monster looked directly at me."
Rylan dramatically stood up.
"It raised a mountain!"
Nora stared.
Seraphine sighed.
"It was a hill."
Rylan ignored her.
"So naturally..."
"I punched the mountain."
Nora blinked.
"You punched it?"
"Of course."
Seraphine calmly took another bite.
"He used Earth Authority."
"He didn't actually punch it."
Rylan looked offended.
"Details."
The room erupted into laughter.
One story followed another.
The two Sovereigns described their trials almost like bedtime stories.
The terrifying creatures became amusing villains.
Near-death experiences became funny misunderstandings.
Moments that should have been horrifying somehow became reasons to laugh.
Nora understood why.
Every survivor did this.
If they spoke about their trials exactly as they happened...
Nobody around the table would sleep peacefully ever again.
So they laughed instead.
It was easier that way.
Much easier.
---
After dinner ended, the atmosphere gradually became quieter.
Nora looked toward Seraphine.
"Mom."
"Hm?"
"What did you mean earlier?"
"The thing about Grandpa?"
Seraphine exchanged a glance with Rylan.
Then she sighed.
"Your grandfather has made his decision."
"He's preparing to challenge his Divine Trial."
Silence filled the room.
Even Nora's breathing slowed.
"So..."
"Grandpa is really going to become a god?"
Seraphine nodded.
"If everything succeeds."
"But because of that..."
"We'll remain on Planet Asterion."
Rylan continued.
"Someone has to protect the planet while he's gone."
"There are too many government problem."
"The government alone won't be enough."
Nora nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Although...
She couldn't hide the excitement inside her heart.
Another god.
Humanity might finally witness the birth of another Divine existence.
Yet...
That excitement quickly faded.
Her expression became thoughtful.
A memory resurfaced.
A single voice.
A single sentence.
The words spoken by Fate god.
Those words alone had nearly corrupted her.
Nora lowered her gaze.
Something wasn't right.
Her entire understanding of history suddenly felt incomplete.
According to every history book...
There had only been Eight Gods.
Yet...
She had personally encountered references to Fate god
Fate
Destiny
And
Fate god
Names that didn't neatly fit the accepted history.
She quietly wondered...
Was Fate God actually Destiny God?
Or were they two completely different beings?
If they were different...
Then humanity's history was wrong.
Not slightly wrong.
Completely wrong.
Her thoughts continued spiraling.
Another memory surfaced.
Her missing uncle.
Vaelith.
His disappearance.
No body.
No explanation.
Nothing.
If her suspicions were correct...
If Asterion truly became a god...
Would he also disappear?
Would he vanish just like Vaelith?
Would becoming Divine mean leaving humanity forever?
She didn't know.
They were only guesses.
Fragments of possibilities.
Yet every instinct told her they mattered.
Very much.
Then another thought crossed her mind.
Misty Mountain.
She would soon travel there with Awakened Rose's team.
Ancient ruins.
Forgotten caves.
Relics older than recorded history.
If anywhere still preserved the truth...
It would be there.
Nora slowly smiled.
"There has to be answers."
"And when I reach Misty Mountain..."
"I'll find them."
Somewhere beyond human civilization...
Beyond history itself...
The truth about the gods waited patiently to be uncovered.
And fate...
Had already begun leading Nora toward it.