The rain poured down in sheets, cleansing the vast city.
Above the ocean, countless water-spouts rose like dragons, piercing through the clouds as mist surged and spread across the sky.
Hurricanes stirred tidal waves, lightning and thunder flashed in an instant, turning the darkened heavens as bright as day.
In the blink of an eye, Germain stood upon the teleportation stone array of the City of the Deep Sea, gazing around at this ancient place that had lain hidden beneath the ocean for countless years.
Seaweed, coral, barnacles, and sand were everywhere.
But what dominated the scene were the strange palaces, towers, courtyards, and stairways.
They were not symmetrical, yet arranged with a peculiar harmony—layer upon layer, piece by piece—stacked together in a twisted fashion, forming an ancient city that rose high into the sky, spiraling like a colossal tornado.
From beneath Germain's feet stretched a long stairway, winding upward in a spiral, leading all the way to the city's summit.
At its peak was a vast platform, spread out like an enormous umbrella that blotted out the sky.
From where the heavens connected with the city, Germain could hear thunderous blasts—he could not tell whether it was the roar of lightning, or the bellow of some great beast.
Without hesitation, he stepped lightly on the rain-slick stairway, and in an instant, silver wings unfurled behind him.
Ignoring the spiral path, he soared straight toward the platform.
The higher Germain flew, the more of the City of the Deep Sea came into view beneath him.
Most of the city was in ruins.
Some buildings had been flattened, others shattered into fragments, while still more had been pierced straight through, their remains scattered in every direction.
The great platform at the city's summit was no different—it bore scars of destruction everywhere, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface.
When Germain reached the skies above the platform, he saw that almost nothing remained there.
Only emptiness stretched across the ground, save for two massive fallen creatures.
They looked almost identical—octopus-headed, their faces bristling with writhing tentacles, leathery bat-like wings spread across their backs, and armored scales covering their bodies.
Germain quickly recognized one of them—it was the Gatekeeper, the very same being that had departed alongside him not long ago.
The other, though nearly identical, was clearly the Gatekeeper of the Western Sea Gate.
Now, both lay collapsed within a massive crater in the heart of the platform.
Germain walked over to the Gatekeeper he had left only a few hours ago, and immediately sensed that it was on the verge of death.
Its body was covered in wounds, blue blood seeping from countless cuts, staining the ground beneath it.
Its breathing was shallow and ragged, like a broken bellows struggling to pull in air.
Sensing Germain's approach, the Gatekeeper weakly opened its eyes.
It carefully looked him up and down, and only after recognizing him did it release a faint sigh of relief.
A small smile formed on its lips.
"It seems… you've won the battle on the other side… That's good… The 'God of the Deep Sea' was right to believe in you. Truly… the most correct choice…"
Its gaze shifted toward the distance, where its kin—another Gatekeeper—lay fallen.
It let out a soft, regretful sigh.
"Such a pity… we were too weak. One of us died in battle, and the other… has little life left as well. We couldn't be of any help to the 'God of the Deep Sea'…"
Germain tried to transfer some of his strength into the Gatekeeper, to heal its wounds.
But the Gatekeeper refused, shaking its head ever so slightly.
"Do not waste your strength… You are someone who can fight alongside our God. Please, carry our will… and go to the skies above."
"Our God is struggling in battle… and desperately needs your aid. To see you reach that place before I die… it is enough. That alone… makes us… satis…fied…"
Its voice grew slower and weaker with every word.
Then, before Germain's eyes, the Gatekeeper exhaled its final breath.
Its dimming gaze lingered one last time in the distant, unreachable sky.
Germain too looked up at the ever-shifting heavens, where the crimson moon had already become three-quarters full.
What exactly was happening up there in the sky…?
He gently patted the Gatekeeper's body, offering a brief, solemn farewell.
Then, standing atop the highest platform of the City of the Deep Sea, he spread his wings wide and soared upward.
Whoosh—
Like a streak of silver light, he shot across the heavens.
But instead of falling to the earth or sea, he rose toward the place he was always meant to be.
—
The wind stirred the curtains softly.
Sunlight spilled into the room, bright and clear.
Germain awoke to the faint sound of laughter, soft and lingering, as though it came from a dream.
He opened his eyes and found himself seated on a chair, the warmth of sunlight spilling across his body.
Standing up, he stretched slightly before walking a few steps forward. Rounding a corner, he discovered the source of the laughter.
There was a long wooden table set neatly with several plates. Upon them lay flour, a rolling pin, water, and egg whites—ingredients carefully prepared for baking.
Beside the table sat two figures. One was Shizuku, whose once girlish charm had matured into the grace of a woman, her long black hair falling in a straight, shining cascade.
The other was a smaller version of her, almost a reflection, but younger, livelier, and brimming with innocence—Sharna, their daughter.
It had been years since the Divine War, and in the blink of an eye, Sharna had already grown up.
"Ah!" Sharna, who had been happily stirring something in a bowl with a wooden spoon, looked up and spotted Germain.
Startled, her eyes widened, and she quickly cried out, "Daddy!"
She dropped the spoon in a panic, throwing both hands out in a clumsy attempt to shield the plates on the table.
But her tiny arms could never hope to hide them all.
"Daddy, you broke your promise!" she puffed her cheeks angrily, her little nose scrunching up. "You said that if we didn't wake you, you weren't allowed to peek!"
Germain froze for a moment, then remembered. Before dozing off on the chair earlier, he had indeed agreed to his daughter's terms.
How could he have forgotten? Perhaps after so many peaceful years, his mind had grown a little too relaxed, a little too dull.
Shizuku, rarely showing such a tender expression, smiled softly. Reaching over, she pinched Sharna's cheek with maternal affection before revealing a cruel truth.
"Sharna, I actually told Daddy last night that you were planning to bake a cake for him."
Sharna's head snapped toward her mother, her eyes wide with disbelief. A moment later, her lips trembled, and tears welled up until they finally spilled over.
"Mom, you tricked me again! You promised you wouldn't tell Daddy!"
Shizuku tilted her head slightly, as if pondering. "Did I really promise that?"
"You did! You always forget the promises you make to me! I knew I shouldn't have told you—I should've gone to Bisky Gra—Bisky big sis instead!"
Sharna's eyes reddened as she cried, her pouty face only making her look all the more adorable, even as she tried to argue her case against Shizuku with all her might.
"Sorry… Mommy really forgot."
Shizuku smiled softly as she ruffled her daughter's short black hair, then pulled her into a warm embrace before glancing toward Germain.
"Mommy is a little clumsy, so… Sharna, the fact that you only look like me already makes me very happy."
She turned her head toward Germain with a smile as gentle as flowing water, one so tender it felt as though she might melt into him.
Then, shifting her gaze back to the little girl in her arms, Shizuku reached out and lightly pinched Sharna's cheek.
"You should be more like your father."
"Don't keep pinching my face! Gra..Bisky—um, Sister Bisky said it'll make my face get bigger."
Sharna pushed away her mother's hand in protest, though the tears in her eyes had already disappeared.
Shizuku chuckled softly, pulling out a handkerchief and gently wiping away the lingering streaks on her daughter's cheeks.
Sharna hesitated for a moment, then reached out to grab her mother's fingers, whispering quietly:
"I don't think looking like Mommy is bad… I never meant I don't like you."
"Really? Then Mommy's very relieved." Shizuku answered with a gentle smile.
Sharna turned her eyes toward Germain, staring for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. She folded her arms across her chest, looking like a tiny adult.
"Well, since Daddy already found out, there's no helping it… That's right—this is the birthday surprise we prepared for you!"
Germain had been silently listening to the mother and daughter's exchange. Only now did he walk over, pull out a chair, and sit down.
"Thank you… Do you need me to pretend I don't know?" Germain asked quietly.
"No need! You already caught us. Daddy, you're even clumsier than Mommy."
Sharna shot him a glare, then wriggled free from her mother's arms. She grabbed a spoon and began stirring the thick batter inside the bowl with all her strength.
Shizuku laughed softly and joined her daughter in the work.
"Daddy, just sit and watch. Tonight, you'll be able to taste it."
"…Alright." Germain nodded, settling down into his chair as his gaze lingered on the two of them.
For a while, he simply watched their movements, then let his eyes wander around the room. His expression wavered, but eventually, determination flickered across his face.
After a moment, he stood up and said, "I need to step out for a bit. I'll be back soon."
"Okay, come back early," Shizuku replied, giving him a small nod.
"Come back soon, Daddy!" Sharna lifted the spoon high, waving at him enthusiastically.
Germain placed his hand on the doorknob. But instead of opening it, he froze. Slowly, he turned back to look at Shizuku and Sharna again.
"Are you not going to stay with me?"
Shizuku and Sharna exchanged a glance, then both tilted their heads toward Germain.
The mother and daughter mirrored each other perfectly.
"Why would we stay? Didn't you say you'd be back soon?"
"Yeah, Dad, didn't you say the same thing?"
Germain paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.
So that's how it was.
"What are you laughing at, Dad?" Sharna asked curiously, sucking on a finger and blinking her wide eyes.
Shizuku also looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Germain hesitated briefly before speaking. "Every living being has wishes and dreams they want to fulfill. Often, these appear in the landscapes of their imagination."
"But if you truly want such dreams to become reality, the first step… is to wake up."
"Thank you both… for not letting me get lost in gentle dreams."
Shizuku and Sharna exchanged another puzzled glance, struggling to grasp the meaning of Germain's words.
"To truly see all of you… I have to wake up."
*******
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