She rose from the bed without even moving her legs. Just floated up, slow and eerie, like the air itself carried her.
Her eyes locked on him, cold as stone.
"You are my responsibility now," she said. Her voice didn't waver, didn't soften. "If you die, I get implicated too. So you better stay alive."
Kaiden froze, scratching the back of his head. His whole body felt awkward, like a kid caught lying.
"Uh… yeah, about that," he muttered, "on the subject of my promise… you know, that whole thing where I'm supposed to get stronger and help you someday…" His words trailed off. "How exactly am I supposed to get stronger?"
The goddess didn't answer right away. She just stared at him, long enough for Kaiden to feel sweat bead on his forehead. Then she chuckled, but it wasn't the kind of laugh that made anyone comfortable. It was hollow, sharp, like ice cracking in the dead of winter.
"The road to getting stronger," she said finally, "is long. And challenging."
Kaiden blinked. His jaw actually dropped.
"Challenging? What are you talking about?"
His voice was higher than usual. His chest was tight, and he had no idea why. Maybe because of how calm she sounded, like she was already laughing at his funeral.
The goddess sighed and shook her head slightly. Then she muttered to herself, like he wasn't even worth talking to.
"He has no idea how wicked the cultivation world is. He's gonna die."
Kaiden's face burned. He wanted to argue, to throw something back at her. But his body wouldn't let him. His tongue stayed stuck to the roof of his mouth.
Because deep down he knew. She wasn't just talking. She was a god. If she wanted to kill him, she could do it without even lifting a finger.
She leaned closer.
"Let me explain this to you in simple terms," she said.
Kaiden's heart thumped in his chest.
"If you trust the wrong person…." she paused, her gaze drilling straight into him, "you die.
If you enter the wrong ruins…. you die.
If you're careless…. you die.
If you offend the wrong person…. you die.
If you make a mistake when breaking through, your body fails, your spirit collapses… you're crippled forever. And if that happens…." she tilted her head with a chilling smile, "I'm going to kill you myself."
The room fell dead silent.
Kaiden's lips parted but no sound came out. Every time she repeated "you die," something inside him clenched tighter. It wasn't just words. Her tone, her aura, the absolute certainty in her voice… she wasn't lying.
His throat felt like it was closing. He wanted to laugh it off, but his laugh would've cracked.
A shiver ran down his spine. He hadn't even noticed he was stepping back until his calves hit the edge of the mirror frame. His arms trembled, and he couldn't hide it.
This wasn't about courage. It wasn't about willpower. This was the gap between a mortal and a god. Between someone who could bleed and someone who decided who lived or died.
Even if he tried to fake bravery, even if he told himself not to fear her, there was something deeper, buried inside his very soul that shook uncontrollably in her presence.
The room was still quiet when she spoke again, her voice drifting like smoke.
"But you don't have to worry too much about making mistakes in your cultivation."
Kaiden raised his head, blinking at her silhouette. "Why?"
Her tone didn't waver. "Because I'm here to guide you. And I'll be giving you the best cultivation technique."
Kaiden's throat tightened. He swallowed hard, nerves rattling through him. "And… what if I can't cultivate this technique you're talking about?"
The air shifted. She didn't laugh, but she made a sound. A short exhale, sharp, dripping with amusement.
Even though he couldn't see her face, even though her figure was nothing but a blur of fog and shadow, Kaiden knew damn well she was smirking.
"If you are unable to cultivate the technique I give you," she whispered, each word cutting deeper than a blade, "then I'll kill you."
Kaiden's lips twitched. He clicked his tongue and looked down at the floorboards.
"Figures," he muttered under his breath.
This was going to be rough. Real rough. But thinking about it wasn't gonna fix anything. He didn't have options. Reject her? That was probably a one-way ticket to death. Argue with her? Same thing.
All he could do was play along, hope he survived long enough to get stronger.
So, after a long pause, he lifted his head helplessly and forced the words out.
"When do we start?"
Her aura stirred faintly, like the fog rippled when he spoke. He thought he saw her head tilt, almost approving.
And deep down, even with his nerves screaming at him, a different thought sparked in his chest.
Maybe this wouldn't be the worst thing. If she really did hand him a powerful technique… if he really did grow strong faster than normal… then he could speed things up.
Revenge.
Lucian, Darius, Selene. Even if it took years, he'd carve their lives apart. Slowly, painfully.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward.
But just when the goddess opened her mouth to speak again—
Knock! Knock!
The sound snapped him back to reality.
Kaiden rubbed his cheek nervously and turned toward the door.
"Who's there?" he called.
A smooth, feminine voice floated through. Soft, but respectful. "His Highness the King requests your presence in his chambers."
Kaiden blinked, caught off guard. He rarely got disturbed in his own room.
"Alright," he answered. "I'll be on my way."
When he turned back to glance at the bed, his chest tightened.
The goddess was gone.
No sound, no trace, not even a ripple in the air. It was as if she had never been there at all.
Kaiden let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down his face.
This woman—no, this god—was something else. Cold one moment, threatening his life, then vanishing like smoke the next.
"Guess I'm really in this now," he muttered.
He slipped on his sandals, tightened his robe, and headed out the door.
Using Kaiden's memories, Drex's steps carried him confidently through the hallways of the palace. He didn't need to think about where to turn—his body remembered it for him.
The corridors were lit by soft torchlight, the shadows long against the stone walls. The closer he got to the King's chambers, the brighter it became. He could already see faint light leaking from beneath the heavy door.
Bang! Bang!
He knocked carelessly, letting his knuckles rap against the wood.
"You asked for me, Father?"
The King's voice came deep and steady from within.
"Yes. Come in."
Kaiden pushed the door open and stepped inside.