The chirping of birds and the strong wind blew through Gheo's hair. The bright light had risen again, and Gheo simply stared silently at the sun, enjoying the cool breeze and the grass beneath his feet. He gazed at the sun from the beautiful garden behind the village, but strangely, the sun looked different—its shape was odd, as if there were three suns. He stared intently.
"Eeek!"
Suddenly, Gheo jolted in surprise as someone abruptly tapped his shoulder. He turned around—it was Raphiel, smiling at him.
"Oh, Raphiel... what is it?"
"Huh? You can speak fluently now? That's great! Who taught you?"
"Uh... well... Ivonix?"
"Hmm..."
Raphiel hummed, studying Gheo closely—his hair, shoulders, everything. He looked at him in amazement, as if he had never seen someone so unique before, then burst into laughter, leaving Gheo confused.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing... that's all."
Raphiel calmed himself before continuing.
"Your hair is beautiful, and your golden skin is stunning... but you're so short."
He laughed loudly again, making Gheo wonder if it was an insult. Gheo slowly stepped back, wanting to distance himself, but Raphiel suddenly stopped laughing.
"Oh, sorry... did I scare you?"
"Was that an insult?"
"Eh... maybe? But it's just teasing. Anyway, you're really unique, aren't you? Green hair, golden skin... I bet your green hair comes from concentrated acid."
Gheo didn't move away anymore, but he stayed silent. Raphiel, however, stepped closer and roughly ruffled Gheo's hair before resting a hand on his shoulder.
"You know what? Nothing in this world follows the right laws. Ever since... whatever happened, I'm sure of it. This is just a temporary planet. We live on Earth, but only for a while."
"Why is that?"
"Because... the Aphothema have started losing themselves. They were supposed to protect us, but instead, they've become weaker than the Xenon."
"Xenon?"
"Yeah, Xenon. Me. Xenon means 'subordinates of the Aphothema'—the trusted ones, like... disciples? I don't know. But I was chosen as a Xenon, destined to live
eternally... just like you."
"So... am I a Xenon?"
"Eh, I don't know yet. Xenon are chosen by the Aphothema themselves."
Raphiel smiled, then turned and walked away. Gheo was left bewildered—why did he leave in the middle of the conversation? Even though Gheo still had so many questions, Raphiel just... left. Does he always do this when talking to people?
"Huh... I didn't even get to ask what is Aphothema ..."
"Gheo!"
A sudden call snapped him out of his thoughts. A girl's voice shouted his name from afar. Gheo turned and saw her running toward him, panting heavily as she reached him.
"So you're here... I've been looking everywhere for you..."
She placed a hand on Gheo's shoulder, catching her breath before straightening up.
"Are you... okay?"
"Yes! I'm fine." She waved it off.
"You'll be doing self-training later this evening with Master Thareon, okay?"
"Okay..."
"Great! If you need anything, I'll be at Raphiel's house! Bye~"
She left just as quickly as she came, not giving Gheo a chance to ask anything else.
"They both have blond hair... and the way they interact... are they siblings?"
Gheo pondered things he probably shouldn't overthink. Now, he was alone again in the empty field, with only the wind and grass for company. Not wanting to stay idle, he turned and headed back to the village to rest until evening, when his training with Master Thareon would begin.
In the empty field, surrounded by grass and wind, Gheo waited for Master Thareon as the afternoon faded into dusk. His mind swirled with questions—about the world, the meaning behind the words of the two blond strangers, and whether what he saw earlier was real.
"Was that really three suns...?"
Before he could dwell further, something sharp grazed his cheek, drawing blood. Gheo flinched and quickly stood up, turning around in alarm.
"Why so tense, Gheo?"
"Who are you?"
"What do you think?"
The man chuckled, stepping closer. Gheo remained frozen as the towering figure approached.
"Hmm... you're still so weak, huh? Not surprising..."
"Who are you…"
"Thareon. Who else?"
Gheo stiffened. He hadn't expected Master Thareon to look like this—tall, heavily built, with scars covering his hands and face.
"Sorry I'm late, Gheo. My kid was crying, and my wife couldn't handle it alone. But tomorrow, we'll start your self-training. Be ready. For now, listen carefully."
Thareon sat on the thick grass, and Gheo joined him.
"You see, the world is vast—the universe even more so. About you... rumors say you were born from destruction. Unlike him."
"Him?"
"Prince Ghevian. The Prince of the Central Stars, the Almighty. But... disasters don't discriminate. That meteoroid—no one knows which planet it came from—made the Aphothema rage against their own existence. And the truth is... our entire universe, unilotus. is upside down. We're just on the surface, like a petal. The laws of the world are splitting, reversing their nature. And the one who turned the universe upside down... was a single human girl living out there."
"A... girl?"
"Yes. Just her."
Silence fell. Gheo's mind raced with disconnected fragments of cosmic truths. Was this the beginning of a long journey? Probably.
"Master Thareon... have you ever seen three suns? Is that real?"
Thareon paused, then looked at Gheo with a knowing smile. He ruffled Gheo's hair roughly.
"What you saw was real. They split into three after the birth of the Golden One."
"Golden...?"
"Yeah. Who else but you? But... don't worry. I'm sure someone will fix this universe someday."
Thareon's last words hung in the air as they watched the sunset together. Gheo sank deeper into thought, his mind expanding with incomprehensible knowledge.
"Master Thareon!"
A voice called from behind—Raphiel, jogging toward them. He plopped down beside Thareon and Gheo.
"What now?"Thareon grumbled.
"Why so rude! Well, Nothing important, just felt like joining the brooding session."
"Ugh, you brat."
"What's wrong with that? I'm 26."
"I'm 55, kid."
"Pfft—old man."
Thareon scowled, but Raphiel just grinned. Gheo stayed quiet, unsure how to join their banter.
"What did you just call me?"
"Ehh... you guys joke dangerously, huh?"
"That's what happens with kids like him."
A brief silence followed. Then—
"...Old man."
"What now?" Thareon's voice was gruff.
"Noruva... still no news."
Thareon's expression darkened. Noruva—the Gray Star—had been missing since the incident.
"...Let's just wish her the best. We don't know where she is—out there or somewhere on Earth."
Gheo didn't fully understand their words, or the weight they carried—but something inside him stirred. A small echo, perhaps a memory not yet remembered, whispered that his existence was more than a coincidence. That maybe… he had been shaped by the stars themselves.
As the last rays of sunlight faded, he looked up once more. The sky had begun to change—colors folding into one another, like silk dipped in ink. The wind whispered names he didn't know, yet somehow recognized.
And there, far above, the three suns blinked in and out like watchful eyes.
Something was coming. He didn't know when. Or what. But it would find him. Eventually.