After Aaron disappeared, the only one left there was Gilgamesh, who returned to sit on his throne with the cold arrogance of a king who had seen all things. He leaned back as if what had just happened was nothing more than a small, meaningless disturbance.
Not long after, a faint light shimmered in the air, and from it appeared someone with **a pair of butterfly wings** that glimmered like fragments of a dream. The man had an elf-like appearance, handsome yet false, like a poisonous flower meant to entice.
"Well, what is this. After I get rid of one, another one comes…" Gilgamesh muttered, not bothering to hide the piercing boredom in his voice. The winged man descended slowly from his floating position and stood directly before him without bowing even slightly.
He stood without kneeling or offering praise, as if their positions were equal. His boldness made the air in the room feel tense, like a bowstring drawn too tight.
"Gilgamesh… you activated the holy grail just now, right after our faction succeeded in seizing the earth." His voice sounded soft yet heavy with accusation, like poison wrapped in silk.
Gilgamesh did not answer, only staring at him the way one would stare at an insect that wandered into a king's throne room. That silence was more degrading than any words he could have spoken.
"Answer me!" the man finally shouted, unable to bear the silent humiliation. His scream echoed across the grand hall, yet it did nothing to shake the great king of mankind.
"Hmm… since when does an insect speak so loudly," Gilgamesh replied flatly, his tongue cutting like a cold golden blade. The tone made the winged man grit his teeth.
"YOU!!" the man roared, losing his composure completely. His rage tore through the air, making his butterfly wings flutter wildly like a small storm.
In an instant, the two of them clashed, their powers colliding and shaking the entire chamber violently. The tremor felt like the rumble of a world about to collapse, yet Gilgamesh remained seated firmly like an unmovable golden mountain.
"Hmph… pathetic," Gilgamesh murmured softly but full of disdain. "Just because I am confined in this place does not mean I enjoy seeing what your faction has done… oh king of troublesome insects, Oberon."
"Tch, arrogant as always," Oberon replied with a bitter smile that never truly reached his eyes. His words stung like fine thorns purposely planted to wound the king's pride.
"Because of that attitude of yours, you lost everything." His words drifted in the air like an unwelcome whisper of a curse.
"Watch your mouth, insect…" Gilgamesh answered slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a lethal threat. "If so, what do you intend to do? The Holy Grail has always been part of my treasury, and no one can interrupt my actions, not the gods in the heavens nor you who allied yourselves to conquer the earth."
Oberon narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold like moonlight reflecting off a dark lake. "I understand… that is all I came for, and let us see how confident you are that those humans can defeat us."
"Hehehe… insect, let me give you a piece of advice," Gilgamesh said as he leaned back with the demeanor of a king untouched by the world. His tone sounded like mockery coated in gold.
"Hmm?" Oberon responded briefly, waiting for the continuation. His butterfly wings trembled faintly as if reacting to the unease he tried to hide.
"Do not underestimate the resolve of someone who has lost everything." The words slipped out softly yet carried weight like the burden of history only the king of humanity understood.
A sharp gaze clashed between them, like two predators unwilling to retreat even a single step. A moment later, Oberon's body vanished just like that, leaving Gilgamesh alone in the grand chamber.
Gilgamesh exhaled softly, his gaze turning to an empty point as if seeing a future only he understood. "This king places great hope in you… Aaron Reed."
…
"WHAT!?" I screamed and jolted when I saw my own reflection in the window of a clothing store on this so-very-familiar street. My body trembled because what I saw felt too real to be called a dream.
I glanced around, trying to understand where I was. The tall buildings towered as usual, and people passed by as if nothing else existed in the world except their daily activities.
What shocked me more was the date and the time on my phone screen. The year 2025, day xx, 11:30 AM—exactly the day that should have long passed for me.
'This is the exact day I was going to my interview, and this is on the way to Manhattan.' I swallowed as the thought became clearer, 'This is impossible… so that golden man was telling the truth!?'
Right after lunch, my job interview was scheduled, and I still had about an hour left to prepare. My legs felt weak when I realized I was truly standing on the busiest street in America—Wall Street.
This was real, and I had no time to process it calmly. I quickly straightened my younger appearance as best as I could before grabbing my phone and calling someone.
"Come on… pick up!!" I whispered in panic while walking quickly through the crowd. Every second that passed felt like something invisible was pressing against my chest.
Today, at exactly noon, a phenomenon would occur that would later be known as [The Awakening Day]. At that moment, gates from another dimension would appear and spew out foreign civilizations that would bring chaos to the entire world.
And when that day arrived, one of the tragic points would be a hospital in Queens. That was where my younger sister, who worked as a nurse, would live her final day without ever knowing what awaited her.
The gate that appeared inside the hospital brought forth the first monsters that saw humans as prey. The attack was so swift and brutal that there was no time for anyone to escape.
My sister would become one of the first victims to fall that day, a reality that haunted me until the end of my life. That was why today was not just a date, but a wound that had never closed for me.