Neo's eyes snapped open. For a split second, disorientation clouded him — then the pounding headache hit, making him wince. His body felt heavy, tethered harshly back to reality.
"Damn," he muttered mentally, pressing his palm against his temple. This is even worse than the summons.
When his blurred vision cleared, the first thing he saw was his mother.
Annovelle Castreed, the proud and cold Third Elder, was sitting at his bedside, her usual composure shattered. Her hand clutched his tightly — firm, but trembling ever so slightly.
Beside her, Lyra sat, hands folded in her lap, her head bowed slightly as though afraid to take up space. Her amber eyes flicked nervously between Neo and the sheets, the tips of her ears flushed red. She had followed Annovelle here, worry outweighing her natural shyness.
Across the room, Adrian paced like a caged beast, his steps sharp, arms crossed, muttering under his breath until he caught sight of Neo stirring.
"Neo." Annovelle's voice cracked as her eyes widened. The mask dropped fully, replaced with raw fear and relief. She leaned forward, gripping his shoulders. "Are you alright? What happened? Why did you collapse like that? Did your awakening hurt you? Did the mana backlash? Are you—"
Neo blinked at her barrage, then smiled faintly. For a moment, he saw not the intimidating elder but the mother who used to fret over him endlessly over minor sneezes and colds when he was just a baby.
"I'm fine, Mom," he said softly, tilting his head. "I… just had a weird dream, that's all. Some angel was saying some boring stuff, but honestly…" He shrugged. "I already forgot what it was about."
A smooth lie, but his eyes were calm, steady.
Adrian released a sharp breath, raking a hand through his blonde hair. "You scared me half to death, you idiot. Do that again and I'll kill you for real."
"Adrian!" Annovelle snapped, glaring at him.
But Neo only laughed, brushing it off. "Noted. Sorry for worrying you all back there."
Lyra's lips parted as if to say something, but her words came out a stammer. "I-I'm… I'm just glad you're okay." She ducked her head quickly, turning her gaze away, ears burning crimson.
Neo smiled warmly at her, but he didn't press — letting her retreat into her comfort zone.
The atmosphere lightened after that, their conversation eventually drifting to clan matters. Adrian filled the silence with his casual tone, though there was still a layer of sharpness in his eyes.
"Since you're awake, I'll tell you now. Good news, you'll be training in the clan headquarters' facilities soon to get used to using mana. Better news… tomorrow we're moving. You've never actually been to our real house. The mansion you've been living in with Mother? That's just a side estate." He grinned faintly, a touch smug. "The real one will make that look like a guest hut."
Neo raised his brows slightly. "Because of mom's illness… right?"
Adrian's grin softened into something more serious. "Yeah. She didn't want you exposed to clan politics until you were strong enough to stand on your own feet."
Neo nodded once, pretending to stifle a yawn. "Sounds good. Yawn. But for now, I think I'm going to sleep off this headache."
He let his head sink back into the pillow, his eyes fluttering shut. His performance was flawless — far better than when he had been a baby forced to fake his first cry.
Annovelle smoothed his hair back gently, then stood, motioning for Adrian and Lyra to follow her. She switched off the lights, casting the room in shadow.
The door clicked shut.
Neo remained still, keeping his breathing slow until he was sure. Then—
[Hacker's Eye].
His vision shifted, scanning the hallways beyond the room, cutting through shadow and light. No presence lurking, no shadows waiting. Satisfied, he smirked as he stood up from the bed and stretched his stiff limbs.
"Today was fun," he murmured under his breath. "I've made quite the gains."
A voice chimed in his mind, dry and amused. (You know you've just made enemies of not one but two of the greatest angelic factions, right?)
Neo grinned mischievously. "Yeah, so?"
Celeste materialized beside him on the bed, settling in cross-legged. Her oversized white-and-gold shirt hung lazily off one shoulder, a glowing controller already in her hands. She squinted at him.
(Seriously, remind me why I still stay here with you, weirdo?)
Neo smirked, rolling onto his side. "'Cause I'm interesting."
(That's one way to put it.)
They both fell quiet.
Then—
The air rippled. Not around them physically, but deep against their essence, like someone had plucked a string tied directly to their souls.
Celeste froze, her controller dissolving into motes of light. (Neo… what was that?)
Neo's gaze sharpened, then softened into weary amusement. "We have a visitor in the Soulscape."
Her wings twitched. (How can someone just… enter your Soulscape? That's supposed to be impossible.)
Neo exhaled through his nose, leaning back against the bed. "I don't know how that guy does half the things he does."
Celeste's eyes widened slightly. (Who—?)
Neo smiled faintly, eyes closing. "Avon found a way in."
He folded his hands behind his head, completely calm, as if this intrusion were just another part of his day.
"Let's go see what he wants."
His voice was even, relaxed… but the faint upward curve of his lips betrayed the spark of anticipation.
The instant Neo stepped into his Soulscape, his attire shifted — the familiar weight of a black-and-crimson jacket—woven from the memory of his old favorite jacket from earth—over dark jeans grounding him in the apartment's soft glow.
But the sight that greeted him made his eyebrow twitch violently.
Avon — the Primordial Angel of Chaos, one of the Pillars of Existence, member of the Celestial Council itself — was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of Neo's TV. Empty chip bags and pastry wrappers were scattered like battlefield debris around him. The table was littered with game disks, some still in their cases, others stacked haphazardly, along with at least three different controllers.
"Yo, Neo." Avon waved lazily without looking away from the screen, his thumbs tapping furiously at the controller. He was currently dressed in an orange tee, black jeans, and a blue unzipped hoodie — the exact image of a college dropout glued to his console except from the ever-present black crown that still hung over his eyes.
"Nice place you got here."
Neo just stared at him. His eye twitched again. "…Are you seriously—"
"HE RESET EVERYTHING!"
Celeste's wail shook the living room. She flopped onto the floor dramatically, arms flailing, wings twitching like a child whose candy had been taken away.
"Do you know how long it took me to max those levels?! Do you know how much grinding I had to do?!"
Avon smirked, not looking up. "Relax, kid. I gave you bonus lives. That's charity."
"CHARITY?!" Celeste screeched, rolling onto her back. "You wiped my save files!"
Neo pinched the bridge of his nose. Of all things… seeing the so-called embodiment of Chaos hogging his PS5 was not on his bingo card.
But before he could say anything, a presence stirred behind him.
He froze. Slowly, he turned.
A woman walked casually out of the kitchen, her bare feet making no sound on the wooden floor. She wore a slim blue gown cut just above the knee, draped with a light green trench coat. Her stride was unhurried, her gaze calm, as though this were her own home.
"Food's ready," she said softly.
Celeste shot upright instantly, her tantrum forgotten. With a joyous squeak, she bolted towards the woman, latching onto her arm like an excited little sister. "You're the best! Finally, real food in this dump!"
Neo blinked. Once. Twice. His brow furrowed as he watched the interaction, utterly lost.
The woman's gaze finally slid to him, serene and patient. Her eyes gleamed with unfathomable depth, like a bottomless well of stars.
"We've met before," she said simply, although with a touch of familiar warmth. "Though this is the first time you've seen me like this. In a human form."
Neo tilted his head slowly, suspicion lacing his expression. "Who… exactly—"
Celeste, noticing his confusion, puffed her cheeks and waved her hands dramatically.
"Neo! Pay attention! This is Soul."
The words hit like a hammer blow.
Neo stiffened. His gaze snapped back to the woman — Caeliora, Angel of Soul and the Pillar of Essence— sitting calmly in his Soulscape kitchen, dressed like she was here for a weekend brunch.
"…You've got to be kidding me. What the hell have I gotten myself into."
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