Kazien stared, jaw slack, at the pair of immaculate, pearlescent wings unfurling from his back. They were vast, shimmering with a soft, ethereal light, and utterly breathtaking. Wings. He, Kazien, possessed wings. Wings like those eternally depicted on the statues of the Goddess Nirfelia herself.
Was this real? The thought was a disbelieving gasp in his mind.
He cautiously attempted a flap. A gentle, almost involuntary motion, and yet, he felt himself lift. Slowly, awkwardly at first, he began to ascend, floating a few feet above the divine marble floor.
"Wow! I'm flying! I can fly!"
An overwhelming, childish surge of elation rushed through him. The exhilaration of weightlessness, the sheer impossible beauty of the gift—it was intoxicating. But the reality of it, the power it represented, was sobering.
He turned to the Goddess, the divine aura of her presence making his voice barely a reverent whisper. "Goddess Nirfelia, I am truly honored by these beautiful wings you have blessed me with. But I must apologize, I have to refuse them! I simply wish to remain an ordinary human!"
The Goddess's golden eyes, which seemed to hold all the wisdom of the cosmos, remained unfazed. "You still require that power, Kazien. Your opponent in the future will be a God. Before him, even your immortality will be useless!"
Kazien's heart instantly chilled. His expression morphed from awe to profound apprehension. He had never once entertained the terrifying possibility that he might one day face a God in battle. Worry, a cold, heavy blanket, settled over him, not just for himself, but for the world he cherished.
"I... I will accept them," he conceded, the weight of a future responsibility settling on his shoulders. "But, can these wings be hidden? I cannot walk around with them like this."
The Goddess smiled, a look of profound patience. "Simply imagine them disappearing from your back."
Taking a deep breath, Kazien focused, concentrating intently on the image of the great wings retracting.
Fwap! The magnificent pinions closed with a sound like silk snapping in the wind, folding inwards before smoothly, impossibly, dissolving back into his skin. His back felt momentarily taut, but the sensation immediately vanished.
My back was just torn open to sprout those things. Why don't I feel a shred of pain, huh?
"You do not need to know the mechanics!" the Goddess interjected, answering his unspoken question. "Has your wish to conceal your wings been fulfilled?"
Kazien nodded eagerly, slightly abashed by her easy dismissal.
"I know what you desire, Kazien," the Goddess continued, her tone shifting to one of gentle purpose. "But you cannot meet with them. Simply hand this over to him."
She held out a scroll of parchment, tied with a simple, silver thread.
"Is this a letter for Alvin?" he asked, confirming the obvious.
"Yes, you are correct. The letter is for Alvin. Store it, along with the photos, in your dimensional storage. Once you return to your world, give that letter to him."
Kazien immediately took out his dimensional storage ring and began the transfer. "And what about all these photos?"
"There are two copies of each photograph. Hand one copy to them. As for the other, you may use it for whatever purpose you desire."
Kazien knew, with a certainty that made his heart clench, exactly what he would do with the remaining pictures, especially the one depicting Alvin alongside his parents. He tucked the duplicates safely away.
Suddenly, the Goddess gave a quiet, knowing chuckle. "I know your thoughts. But I'm sorry, I am a Goddess. It is impossible for me to marry you."
Kazien, who had completely forgotten that a Goddess could effortlessly read a mortal's mind, could only scratch his cheek, his face flushing crimson as he fought to contain his utter embarrassment before Nirfelia.
"But in the future, I will give you a surprise," she added, her eyes twinkling.
"A surprise?" Kazien asked, his curiosity immediately trumping his humiliation.
"Yes, a surprise! But I will keep it a secret from you. Wait patiently until that time comes."
Though consumed by curiosity, Kazien could only anticipate the promised surprise the Goddess held for his future.
"It is time for you to return to your world," the Goddess stated, the air around them subtly changing. "They have been worried sick about you."
"Thank you so much for everything, Goddess Nirfelia," Kazien said, bowing deeply.
"You need not worry. But be warned: in the future, you will certainly be hindered by greedy people as you carry out your mission to destroy the Dungeons. I am sure you can overcome it, however. Until we meet again, Kazien."
The world beneath his feet vanished. A gaping hole suddenly opened on the cloud-floor, and Kazien plummeted, falling through the sky at a frightening speed.
"What does that mean? I don't understand!"
"Hahh... Hahh... Hahh... Hahh..."
Kazien shot upright in a bed that smelled wonderfully of home, screaming the final words of his divine encounter.
All eyes in the room, wide with shock, were suddenly fixed on him.
"Ah… I'm back again! What the heck is—"
Before he could finish the thought, a figure launched onto his bed. Alvin, his fiancée, immediately wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed in overwhelming relief.
"Uwaaaaa!!! You're finally awake! Uwaaaaa!!!!! Sob… Sob… Uwaaaa!!!"
"Alvin? Why are you crying?" Kazien asked, utterly confused, while gently trying to extract himself.
He glanced around the room. He was utterly shocked to find his entire family surrounding the bed: Duke Elgard, Duchess Larina, and all his siblings.
"What happened? Why are so many people here?"
Duchess Larina pushed through and joined the embrace, holding both men tightly. "Thank goodness you're awake! I thought we were going to lose you, my dear."
Kazien's confusion intensified, a tight knot forming in his stomach. "Lose me? What do you mean? Mother, weren't we just having dinner?"
His mother pulled back, her eyes still teary. "You've been unconscious for over six months, dear. We truly thought you would never wake up."
Kazien gasped, the air leaving his lungs in a rush.
Six months? No! No! This must be a lie! I spoke with Goddess Nirfelia for no more than thirty minutes.Are they playing a cruel prank on me? Yet, they're crying like this. Even my brothers and sisters look genuinely sad.
"More than six months?" he pleaded, holding his mother's hands. "Mother isn't lying to me, is she? Please tell me this is all a lie!"
"It is the truth." she confirmed sadly. "You have been unconscious for that long."
"T-Then, what about their weddings and our engagement?"
"Selena, William, Virena, and Davin are all married now! And you and Raliana—Alvin—are officially engaged! Just look at the ring finger on your left hand!"
Kazien slowly raised his left hand. On his ring finger, a beautiful, intricately carved ring sparkled.
This is real! I'm engaged! But why is it on my left ring finger?
"Did I get engaged to Alvin while I was unconscious?"
"Yes, you did! We couldn't postpone it any longer, as so many guests had already arrived for the ceremony!"
"But why is this ring on my left ring finger?"
Alvin sniffed, wiping his eyes. "I put the ring on your finger, My Dear."
Because it was Alvin's choice, Kazien decided not to press the issue any further.
"Mom, Alvin, please let me go for just a moment."
As soon as he was released from the hug, Kazien threw open his bedroom window and looked up at the boundless blue sky.
"It's all because of you that I couldn't put our engagement ring on Alvin's finger. And I missed the happiness of my siblings on their wedding day! No wonder you said earlier that they were worried sick about me!"
He took a massive gulp of air, his voice raw with frustration and betrayal. "NOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, GODDESS NIRFELIA? ANSWER ME.....!!!!!!"
He panted, his chest heaving. He had screamed his frustration to the heavens, his throat nearly lost from the sheer volume. Everyone in the room was stunned into silence, and then, a single realization dawned on his family.
"My Dear," Alvin asked, stepping closer. "did you meet Goddess Nirfelia?"
"Yes, she's the one who called me there! But I never thought it had been more than six months here. Even though I was only there for less than thirty minutes." Kazien sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Alvin and the rest of the family could only stare, dumbfounded by the explanation.
Kazien then retrieved the letter and a photograph from his dimensional storage.
"Goddess Nirfelia gave me this! She said to give this photo and letter to you, Alvin!" he said, handing over the family photo and the sealed letter.
When Alvin looked at the picture, he burst into fresh, hysterical tears, gently caressing the image he held. "I miss them. Sob…"
"Read the letter, Alvin," Kazien urged gently. "Set your family photo down for a moment."
Alvin carefully broke the seal and began to read the script, his voice thick with emotion.
"Alvin, are you alright? Goddess Nirfelia allowed us to write this letter to you. She told us you have grown into a man and married a very handsome human. At first, I was shocked. But I feel relieved knowing you are so happy with him. Your father felt the same way. He was very shocked, but he was relieved to hear you are safe and have found your own happiness. There are so many things we want to tell you, but this letter is too limited to say everything. What is certain is that your father and I bless your relationship. May you both live happily ever after. We love you very much, Alvin."
Alvin shot up, immediately running back to Kazien. He cried hysterically, clutching him tightly. "Thank you! Uwaaaaa!!!!"
Kazien returned the embrace, stroking his back gently, offering silent comfort.