The heavens shimmered with an endless brilliance, clouds drifting gracefully like waves across an infinite ocean. Above, the divine halls gleamed brighter than stars, their radiance unmatched by any mortal realm. Every step within that sacred palace seemed alive, echoing the power of those who walked upon it.
One by one, the gods entered the Grand Assembly Hall—each presence carrying its own weight, each aura shaking the skies themselves. And seated high upon the throne of eternity was the one who ruled above them all—The Heaven's Lord.
The gathered deities bowed low in reverence, their voices united as they proclaimed:
"All respect to the Heaven's Lord, King of the Heavens."
"Welcome, all of you," the Lord's voice resonated, steady yet warm. "I am grateful you have gathered here in obedience to my call. This Assembly holds weight for the balance of our realms."
The gods lifted their heads and took their places upon the radiant seats that lined the hall.
"Dear Lord, it is our honor to be summoned," one god spoke, bowing once more.
"You may raise your heads," the Lord replied. His eyes, sharper than lightning yet calm as still waters, swept across the room.
But soon a voice rang out, breaking the respectful silence.
"Lord, forgive me, but one has not arrived."
Murmurs rippled through the hall as the god continued, his tone growing stern.
"Every deity of worth is present here… except him. Time after time, he refuses to obey your summons. It is a disgrace to this holy assembly!"
More gods rose in agreement.
"Yes, Lord—it is always the same with him."
"He disregards your will!"
"This cannot be tolerated any longer."
The name was whispered with discontent—The God of Wind.
A mysterious being, known yet unknown. No one truly understood his nature. No one knew his true face, his true purpose.
The Heaven's Lord raised his hand, and silence instantly blanketed the hall.
"I have heard your grievances. But you must understand—he is not like the rest of you."
The gods looked at one another uneasily as the Lord's voice deepened.
"His existence… his position… is apart from yours. He does not meddle in the affairs of heaven, nor does he obstruct them. Forcing a god such as him to obey a summons would not strengthen us—it would weaken what we stand for."
"But, Lord—" the same god protested, standing once more, "is this not open defiance of your authority?"
The Lord's eyes narrowed, cold as steel.
"He is no child to be lectured. He is a god. It is his choice whether to attend. And I will not force him."
The god clenched his fists, trembling under that piercing gaze. Then, bowing reluctantly, he returned to his seat.
"Enough about him," the Heaven's Lord declared. "The Assembly will proceed."
The atmosphere grew heavy. Another god rose nervously.
"Dear Lord… forgive me, but there is another matter. We believe his son… may be plotting something dangerous."
A murmur of agreement filled the chamber.
"Yes, his movements are suspicious."
"We must act before it is too late!"
The Heaven's Lord listened in silence, his expression unreadable. Finally, his voice cut through the air like thunder:
"Do you truly know he plots something… or do you only assume?"
The hall froze. No god dared answer directly.
"His actions do not prove wickedness," the Lord continued. His gaze hardened, his words like blades. "You should remember well who wronged whom."
Shame rippled through the assembly. Heads lowered. None wished to admit the truth.
"You took everything from that child," the Lord thundered. "And you dare to claim righteousness? Do not forget—you are gods, not tyrants. You are not free to do whatever pleases you."
His voice grew colder, shaking even the pillars of heaven.
"This time, I will not allow the same mistakes to repeat. I will watch each of you carefully."
The gods trembled, their divinity itself quaking under the weight of his anger.
A trembling voice dared to rise.
"L-Lord… what we did was necessary. She was a threat to—"
The Heaven's Lord's eyes flared like storms.
"A threat… to who?" His voice was ice and fire at once. "Speak it plainly!"
The god stammered, his knees buckling. "Sh-she… it's nothing, Lord… Forgive me for speaking out of turn."
"I will hear no excuses," the Heaven's Lord declared, his tone merciless. "No one will harm that child. Do I make myself clear?"
The hall fell into suffocating silence.
"Do I make myself clear?" His voice roared again, thunderous.
Every god shouted together, their voices trembling. "Yes, Lord!"
"Good," the Heaven's Lord said at last, his tone softening only slightly. "Then this Assembly is concluded. You may leave."
One by one, the gods departed, their faces pale with fear and heavy with frustration. Yet once outside, their whispers returned.
"We can't act under the Lord's gaze…"
"But there may be others who can help us."
"Yes. The Knights. They can watch him more closely than we can."
Soon, a small group of gods approached the Elder Knights—ancient warriors whose loyalty and strength rivaled the gods themselves.
The eldest knight eyed them warily. "Gods? At our gates? This must be urgent."
The deities bowed. "Forgive the intrusion. We need your aid."
The knights listened as the gods revealed their fears, their suspicion, their plan.
"So," the elder knight said after a long pause, his voice low, "he has finally grown enough to make his move. No surprise… he is her son, after all."
He turned his gaze toward the heavens, whispering a name that trembled with both warning and respect:
"Aaki…"
---
Back at the Palace
Aaki and Miyuna entered the room together, the air thick with unspoken history. Behind them, the prince and princess crept quietly, their curiosity burning. Miyuna shut the door softly.
The prince frowned. "Now what? How do we spy on them if the door is closed?"
The princess smirked. "I have an idea. The balcony."
The prince's eyes lit up. "Brilliant! Let's go."
With some struggle, the two managed to climb up. Panting, the prince muttered, "That… was not easy."
"At least we're here," the princess whispered, peeking inside. "Let's listen."
Inside, Aaki sat on the bed. Miyuna took a seat beside him. As he opened his mouth to speak, she raised a hand, stopping him.
Her lips curved into a playful smile. "Before we begin… shall we deal with the two fools on the balcony?"
Aaki blinked. "You noticed them already?"
"Of course," Miyuna chuckled.
In an instant, she vanished from sight.
"Wh—where did big sis go?!" the prince and princess gasped.
A calm voice behind them made their hearts stop. "Right here."
They spun around in shock, only to topple off the balcony in fright. By the time they scrambled back up, Miyuna stood there smiling.
"Wh-when did you… how did you—" the prince stammered.
"Just a second ago," she replied lightly.
She flicked her fingers against their foreheads, scolding gently. "Spying is bad manners."
Both lowered their heads in shame. "We're sorry, big sis… we were just curious."
Her sternness melted into a warm smile as she patted their heads. "Curiosity is fine, but not like this. Promise me it won't happen again."
"Yes, big sis!" they chimed, faces brightening.
"Good. Now come inside with me," Miyuna said.
"With you? Really?" the princess asked, eyes sparkling.
"Yes," Miyuna laughed. "Since you're so curious… I'll tell you everything."
The siblings followed eagerly. Inside, Aaki glanced at them with an arched brow.
"So, the two of you were spying on us?" he asked dryly.
The prince rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Well… yes. Sorry."
"It's fine," Aaki said with a faint smile.
They both sat on the bed, anticipation glowing in their eyes.
Miyuna's expression softened, but her voice was serious. "Then listen carefully. It's time you both learned the truth."