Vastarael's eyes snapped open like someone had yanked him out of a dream by the throat. The belvedere dissolved, the ocean vanished and instead he found himself staring at a ceiling he actually recognized.
Ten faces were looking at him. All of them were crowded around him like he had been clinically dead for months and resurrected.
Elyonari's serene face was tight. Narisva's stars were burning dangerously bright. Phaenora looked like she ran simulations and lost in every single one. Adelasta just had that terrifying deadpan "if you died I was going to beat the afterlife out of you" expression.
The younger ones—Shimmer and Runner—were barely holding themselves together. Anamorsia looked like she was ready to rip open reality itself.
Vastarael lifted a hand casually. "I'm fine."
Their shoulders slumped in collective relief, but nobody moved. He sat up, rubbing the corner of his eye like waking up surrounded by ten high-powered, emotionally unstable loved ones was just another morning.
"Seriously. I'm fine."
Leon shook his head. "You—were out for a while. We didn't know if—"
"I already know what happened," Vastarael cut in.
Ten pairs of eyes locked on him.
Asenane frowned. "How?"
He gave a small shrug. "I have my ways."
Which, technically, wasn't a lie. Being yanked into a tea party with two Primordials definitely counted as "ways." They all exchanged looks, but none questioned it. He carried himself like someone who didn't need to justify anything and they all felt that shift. A Dynasty Monarch waking up was still a Dynasty Monarch. He swung his legs off the bed, planting his feet on the ground like he was grounding the entire room. His voice was steady, clipped, and frighteningly stern.
"Listen. Richinaria isn't crippled like the others. Our Divinities are intact. We can function. Our subjects still have their Divinities. Every other Dynasty below the ruling tier? Their people lost everything."
Shimmer stiffened. "So… Richinaria's the strongest Dynasty now?"
"The strongest in the world," Vastarael confirmed. "And thankfully, no one knows it."
Phaenora swallowed. "If they did—"
"They would go to war with us immediately. Dynasties with half power each aren't a threat. But a fully functioning Richinaria? They would unite against us overnight."
That grim realization settled on them.
Runner glanced at her sister. "It's like Stephos' son knew all this would happen…"
"Maybe he did. Doesn't matter now. What matters is we continue living as if nothing changed."
Adelasta shook her head sharply. "Nothing will go back to normal. The Aquatic Goddesses are dead. There's no way to advance to the next Enlightenment Stages."
"There is a way."
Everyone froze.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you yet but we're not stuck. None of you are."
Adelasta narrowed her eyes. "And you?"
"I need to get stronger," he said without a breath of doubt. "Which means I have to leave for a while."
Narisva tensed. "Leave? Why?"
"Because unlike you who only needs to complete your own objectives to gather your spatial fragments, I actually need to hunt down mine."
Phaenora blinked. "Fragments… for Time?"
He didn't answer. His silence already confirmed it. Then he stood. His beloveds definitely noticed. They exchanged tiny, flustered glances. He looked like a Monarch this time.
"We have six years until the war begins."
Anamorsia sighed. "We negotiated for that time."
"Yes, but let's be honest. If someone can shatter the concept of Divinity across a world of ten billion people, breaking a seven-year delay isn't hard."
A heavy silence hit the room.
"So no, we do not have seven years. We have as long as our enemies feel generous. Which is not long. We don't panic. We don't rush blindly. We prepare without alerting the other Dynasties to the fact that Richinaria is still at full strength."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm going with Asenane to the Hidden Citadel. I'm taking Shimmer and Runner with me."
Both girls stiffened with that electric thrill one gets when they're chosen for something that actually matters.
"Why them?" Narisva asked, still trying to mask the concern under her usual cockiness.
"It's complicated to explain. Also, walls have ears, so I'm not saying it out loud."
That alone told the room how serious this was. Vastarael only held back when the consequences could wipe out nations.
"But, it will be extremely dangerous. Don't mistake this for a simple quest. There's no guarantee we'll be able to contact the rest of you while we're inside."
Phaenora's teasing expression fell completely. Elyonari's fingers curled anxiously. Shimmer glanced at Runner, who just nodded.
"You have at least ten to twelve days to prepare. Pack for prolonged separation. Expect hostile environments and no assumptions of safety. In the meantime, I'll deal with what's happening here. I'll reorganize Richinaria, establish command structures, stabilize internal order and prepare protocols for the coming conflicts. So during that time, do not interrupt me."
They all felt the weight of that command. He was done asking. The Monarch was ordering them. Vastarael dragged a hand down his face and groaned.
"Damn it… I really don't like being a leader."
That one quiet line was the most normal thing he had said since waking up but the cold expression snapped right back into place as he strode past them. He left the room without looking back. Silence lingered for a long, long moment. Then Shimmer whispered.
"Is Dad even a normal person?"
All of of them said in perfect, unanimous sync:
"No."
And somehow, that made perfect sense.