Three years had passed since that fateful day.
Jay was still affected by the events of the invasion. Thoughts like "what if that hadn't happened" or "what if I had been faster" constantly invaded the poor child's mind.
Poul was even worse.
Nightmares haunted his sleep, his hatred only growing stronger, and the "what ifs" also lingered in his thoughts. At some point, the father's heart had almost completely closed off—except when it came to his son.
With Jay, he was still gentle and caring.
Whenever he returned from work and saw his beloved child, Poul remembered his purpose.
After another long day at the barracks, Poul came home exhausted from intense training. Wearing his blue uniform with red stripes, he tossed his bag onto the sofa and sat down beside it.
He lifted his head and let out a heavy sigh.
'I'll avenge you, Maria… I'll kill those bastards. One by one.'
Lowering his head, Poul noticed a child staring at him.
"Ehhh."
"What is it?" Poul asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about how my dad works so much and still can't buy more books from TB," Jay said casually.
"Brat."
…
Jay looked at him with disapproval.
"Well, it's true, isn't it?"
Jay sighed and returned his attention to his precious book.
"Yes, it is."
He flipped through the pages with incredible calm.
Poul frowned.
'How can an eight-year-old like reading this much… Look at how happy he is while reading. I just wish that same joy appeared when he saw me.'
A warm smile appeared on Poul's tired face.
After watching his son read for a while, Poul went to his room, leaving Jay behind.
The boy read until he slowly fell asleep.
A new day dawned.
Jay slowly opened his eyes, the morning sunlight barely slipping through the curtains.
Blinking a few times, he frowned.
'Damn, I fell asleep… I even lost my place. Shit.'
He stared at the page, trying to remember where he had stopped.
"Tsk."
'Damn it, I can't remember!'
He lightly bit his finger.
'Do I have to reread everything? …Well, at least I'll enjoy this volume even more.'
Lost in thought, footsteps echoed through the room. With a sleepy expression, Poul headed toward the kitchen.
'I wish I could sleep more.'
Well… that wish wasn't just his. It belonged to every soldier.
His gaze landed on the sink.
'Well, that's true… no reason to complain.'
After a while, the smell of food coming from the kitchen filled the living room.
Jay, who had been deeply absorbed in his book, was abruptly pulled away by the aroma.
Drooling slightly, he sat down at the table.
Poul turned around with a teasing smile.
"You can't resist my cooking, Jay."
Wiping his mouth, Jay looked away.
"I-I can! That was just… just a relapse."
Poul raised an eyebrow.
"A 'relapse,' huh?"
Jay snorted, admitting defeat.
Some time passed as the two ate.
Well… it was hard to call that proper eating. Jay devoured the food like a wild animal.
Poul sighed in disappointment.
'Do I really have to teach him table manners after work? Seriously?!'
Then an idea crossed his mind.
'I know. I'll send him to Mary so she can teach him how to eat properly… even if it's a bit strange.'
"Jay!"
The boy froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth.
"Huh?! What is it… Dad?" he asked, mouth still full.
Poul frowned slightly.
"How about you go to Kyrai's house later today?"
Jay dropped his spoon.
"Sure, but why?"
'She'd probably invite me anyway,' Jay thought while wiping his mouth.
That was very likely—Kyrai invited him almost every day, and he was already close to her family.
'And I don't eat like this over there. I only do this to annoy my dad! Hehehe.'
"Well, I don't want you staying alone. I know I work late, so I want you to go out and play with other kids instead of reading The Beginning all day."
Jay looked away. The joy on his face vanished, replaced by a neutral expression.
"Okaaay…"
'I know you won't actually do that.'
Glancing at the clock, Poul saw it was almost time to leave. He stood up, picked up his plate, and placed it in the sink.
"Well, I'm going to get ready."
Heading toward the door, he noticed Jay nearly finished eating.
Pointing at him, Poul said, "Before I leave, I want that dish washed."
Jay opened his mouth.
"Ehhh—"
"No 'ehhh.' Go wash it. Then you can read The Beginning."
Jay climbed down from the chair, grabbed the plate, and went to wash it while grumbling.
In his room, while changing clothes, Poul's muscles stood out clearly—well-defined abs and several scars across his back.
Staring at himself in the mirror with lifeless eyes, he clicked his tongue in frustration.
'This body has more definition than strength… It's easier to get a body like this than the courage to face death itself. In the end, I'm just…'
A bitter laugh escaped him. Shaking his head, he finished getting ready.
He came downstairs with his hair neatly combed to the side, wearing his blue uniform with red stripes.
Entering the living room, he walked to the kitchen and saw the sink clean—and his son calmly reading his book.
"That's my boy. You washed the dishes before I even left. Good job, good job," Poul said, patting Jay's back.
"Well, Dad's heading out."
Jay nodded.
Poul left through the door.
When it closed, emptiness filled the house.
"…"
'I'll just read one more chapter… then I'll go to the park.'
Meanwhile, Poul walked in his uniform, tugging at the collar—it felt tight.
Upon arriving at the barracks, he greeted his superiors, filled out paperwork, and trained.
Panting after training, he grabbed the bottle beside him. Drinking deeply, he felt the cold water run down his throat to his chest.
Sweat ran down his muscles.
Around him were frozen swords, icy spikes, and shattered barriers.
Footsteps echoed across the training field, but Poul was lost in thought.
'I'm adapting well… to my element.'
He took another sip.
'But it's not enough!'
"Tsk."
A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Training hard as always, huh, Poul?"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Poul replied, "What else can I do?"
The man's lips curved into a smile.
"Same excuse as always, Poul. Don't you have anything else in that head of yours?"
"No, Jackie. I don't. And it's not an excuse—I really need to train if I want to earn my place."
"I'm glad you think that way!"
"Or are you afraid your rookie will take your captain's position?"
Jackie laughed.
"Well… I came to call you to the command room."
Poul sighed deeply, stood up, picked up his uniform, and put it on.
Meanwhile, Jay finished another chapter of The Beginning, placed his bookmark, and closed the book.
As he did, delicate fingers touched his face, and a purple aura wrapped around the hand.
A feminine figure appeared, wearing a black dress adorned with a yellow rose.
Jay kept staring at the book cover until she grabbed his head and turned it toward her.
With a warm smile, she asked,
"So? What did you think of the chapter, little reader?"
"As always, Nyx. The Beginning gets an eight and a half."
"I've already told you—you can call me Lilith, Jay," she said with a pout.
Jay sighed.
"Alright, Nyx… from now on, I'll call you Lilith."
His lips curved slightly, his cheeks faintly red.
Jay fell silent.
Her smile faded.
"Yes, of course I do, but…"
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
The silver-haired woman, surrounded by a purple aura, floated toward the sofa.
"But you're so interesting that I can barely restrain myself."
'This woman is…'
Placing a hand on her pale, beautiful face, she said,
"Tell me more about that book, you stubborn brat."
Jay frowned.
"Stubborn? Why do you insist on those nicknames?!"
The primordial goddess covered her mouth, speaking in a teasing tone.
"Oh my… can't a goddess tease an insolent mortal?"
"Since when did I become that?"
"Not yet, but…"
Toc, toc.
Lilith sighed in frustration.
"What a shame… I wanted to tease you more."
Jay crossed his arms, a crooked smile on his face.
"Yeah… what a shame."
"Liar. You're happy this goddess is leaving. Hmph!"
She slowly vanished, giving him a playful wink.
Jay simply waved.
'That goddess…'
Flashes of a blonde woman appeared in his mind, her smile warm and comforting.
Toc, toc.
"Coming," Jay said as he got off the sofa.
Opening the door, he saw his friend Kyrai wearing a dress.
"Let's go play, Jay!" she said energetically.
The boy nodded.
"Yeah… let's go."
"But we're going to my hoooouse!"
Jay raised his eyebrows, his mouth moving on its own.
"What?"
Meanwhile, above the forest wall, a soldier was on patrol when he noticed birds flapping their wings in panic.
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
Turning his head, he saw a massive mound of earth moving toward him.
And inside that mountain… there were—
'Bodies… of forest giants!'
His face went pale. Cold sweat ran down his spine as his legs trembled.
"A-Alert the commander that—" the soldier gritted his teeth in fear."There's an… elemental giant approaching."