[Morning – Seoul Safe Zone, Sector 12]
Aiden Park woke up to the sound of hammering, chanting, and a slime screaming in fluent Korean.
He buried his face in the pillow.
"...They found my address again."
From outside came the unmistakable voices of the ex-gods — loud, unholy, and absolutely uninvited.
"Balance, stop measuring the fence! It's symbolic!"
"Entropy, your pet is eating my broom again!"
"Faith, did you bless my coffee or poison it?"
"Order! Why are you wearing my slippers?!"
Aiden groaned. The saviors of humanity had somehow become his next-door neighbors.
[Ten Minutes Later – His Front Yard]
Aiden stepped out wearing his hoodie and the expression of a man two minutes from committing a divine war crime.
The ex-gods turned to greet him.
"Morning, Hero!" Faith waved cheerfully. "We made you breakfast!"
"That's my frying pan," Aiden said.
"Sharing is human culture," Balance insisted.
"No. It's theft."
Entropy grinned, flipping a half-burnt pancake.
"We call it 'Chaos Style.' Adds crunch."
Kevin the slime gurgled approvingly.
[Late Morning – Aiden's Attempt at Peace]
He escaped to a small café near the World Tree, the kind of place where the air smelled like beans and regret. He just wanted five quiet minutes.
Instead, the TV behind the counter was showing the Round Table replay — featuring Yurina Kaito.
Her calm voice filled the air again, commanding yet somehow… distant.Aiden's coffee went cold as he stared.
He didn't know why, but every time she appeared, something in him stirred — like an echo calling through a fog.
"She's got Evelyn's eyes," he muttered.
The barista blinked.
"Who?"
"No one," he said quickly. "Just… someone the world forgot."
[Noon – The Accidental Babysitter]
He came home to find Faith teaching neighborhood kids to "channel sunlight through song."
Order was lecturing pigeons about formation discipline.
Entropy had built a catapult out of furniture.
Balance was conducting a "teamwork seminar" with absolutely no volunteers.
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I just wanted one day off."
"You're welcome!" Faith said brightly. "Now your neighborhood's safer!"
"The pigeons are wearing armor," Aiden said flatly.
"Exactly."
Then Kevin the slime launched himself from the catapult, screaming triumphantly.
SPLAT.
[Afternoon – Quiet Moment Under the Tree]
When the chaos finally settled, Aiden wandered to the base of the World Tree. The wind was soft, carrying faint whispers through the roots.
He looked up at the vast branches stretching across the sky.
"You'd laugh if you saw me now, Evelyn," he murmured."A coward turned babysitter. The Hero of Seoul arguing with slimes."
The leaves shimmered faintly, as if listening.
For a moment, he thought he heard her voice — or maybe Yurina's — echo softly:
"You're not cowardly. You just kept surviving."
Aiden smiled weakly.
"That's the cruelest thing anyone's ever told me."
[Evening – The Karaoke Incident]
The ex-gods dragged him to the guild's karaoke night. The Observer was the host, wearing sunglasses and holding a mic like a weapon.
"Welcome mortals and downgraded divinities! Tonight's prize — one wish token!"
Faith sang first — angelic, literal sparkles.
Entropy screamed heavy metal. Kevin joined on backup vocals.
Order performed a Gregorian chant remix of "Eye of the Tiger."
Balance delivered a 10-minute motivational rap.
Then came Aiden's turn.
He sighed, took the mic, and quietly sang an old lullaby — the one Evelyn used to hum during the early days of the apocalypse.
The crowd went silent. Even Observer stopped smiling.
The song wasn't strong. It wasn't perfect.But it carried something real — grief, love, memory.
When he finished, no one clapped. They just sat in stunned silence.
Then Faith started crying.Then Kevin hugged his leg.Then Observer, voice soft, said:
"...And they call me dramatic."
[Night – Final Lines]
Aiden walked home beneath the stars, his voice still trembling from the song.
The ex-gods followed him, bickering, laughing, alive.And for the first time in years, he didn't feel completely alone.
Because maybe, just maybe, Evelyn's wish hadn't died —it had simply been passed on.
"The hero wanted rest. The gods wanted chaos. But in the quiet between them — the world began to heal."