Chaos surged. Orson dipped forward, slipped through the mirror web, and appeared beside Oliver.
"You…"
Under Oliver's stunned gaze, Orson placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "Child, accept my apology. I failed you and your mother."
Oliver froze, feeling the warmth on his face. Enemy or kin. He ran through every word he knew, desperate to answer this man, yet nothing came.
"We should go see the brightest starfields."
Orson looked up, voice soft, eyes on the glittering river of stars.
Earth's divine realm was small, a speck of dust among the constellations, yet nothing stopped it from birthing a sovereign of war.
Oliver's eyes shook. It was true.
Whether Earth or the united divine realms, in the vast scale of the galaxy they were tiny. The storied core regions were ancient and mysterious, known only through the whispers of offworld trialists.
"The gods there are beyond belief. With your strength, you might not rule with a single hand," Oliver said gravely.
