The sky was still filled with eyes.
Cosmic rifts hung in orbit like wounds that refused to heal. Violet light spilled across the ocean, tinting the waves with an alien glow that made the world feel as though it no longer belonged to humanity.
On the cracked deck of the ship—
Arga knelt, gasping for breath.
The wings of light on his back were slowly fading, but the golden symbols etched across his skin still glimmered faintly. His eyes had returned to normal… at least, mostly.
Sinta stood closest to him.
"Arga, listen to me."
He gave a weak nod, though his entire body was still trembling.
Bimo turned toward Kai, his expression unusually serious.
"Okay."
He pointed at Arga.
"Our friend nearly exploded, the sky has eyes, and now he's talking in two different voices."
He took a step forward.
"We need answers."
Dika moved to stand beside him.
"This time, don't dodge the questions."
Farhan closed his laptop.
"There are too many things only you know."
Lila clutched her tablet against her chest.
"And if you keep leaving us in the dark, we're all going to die."
Silence fell over the deck.
The sea breeze swirled gently around the ship.
Kai stood facing the ocean, his back straight.
But for the first time—
he looked tired.
Arga raised his head.
"Kai…"
His voice was hoarse.
"Who are you, really?"
For several seconds, Kai said nothing.
Then he drew a long, weary breath.
"I had hoped I would never have to tell you this."
He slowly turned around.
A faint golden glow flickered in his eyes.
"I'm not an ordinary human."
Bimo folded his arms.
"Yeah, we kind of figured that part out."
Kai ignored him.
"I was born… long before the first city was built."
Everyone fell silent.
Farhan blinked.
"Wait. How long ago are we talking?"
Kai lifted his gaze to the sky.
"Before kingdoms. Before maps. Before the continents had the names we know today."
Lila took a step back.
"That's impossible."
"For humans, yes."
Kai walked toward the edge of the deck. Below him, enormous waves crashed against the ship's hull.
"I belonged to the Order of Ancient Guardians."
The name hung in the air.
"We were the first group chosen by the World Core to maintain the planet's balance."
Dika narrowed his eyes.
"Guardians who came before the ones we know today?"
Kai nodded.
"We existed when the world was still young."
Arga stared at him without blinking.
"Then why are you still alive?"
Kai looked down at his own palm.
For an instant, ancient lines of light shimmered beneath his skin.
"Because my life was never a gift."
He clenched his fist.
"It was a punishment."
The wind suddenly turned cold.
Bimo stopped joking.
"What did you do?"
Kai closed his eyes.
Then the memories began to spill from his voice, like an old wound being torn open.
Long ago—
when humanity still worshipped the sky out of fear—
the world had once begun to fracture.
The Earth's core had awakened too soon.
Wild energy erupted from the oceans, deserts, mountains, and forests.
Continents split apart.
Rising seas swallowed ancient cities.
The sky burned for seven nights.
And from the depths of the planet's core—
something arose.
Terra Ultima.
Not a monster.
Not a god.
But the will of the Earth itself.
Had it been allowed to roam free back then, the young world would have been destroyed by its own power.
"We tried to reason with it," Kai said quietly.
"But Terra Ultima did not understand the language of humans."
Sinta spoke in a whisper.
"So you fought it?"
Kai gazed out at the ocean.
"We contained it."
Farhan froze.
"You… sealed Terra Ultima?"
Kai nodded once.
"Using the Seven World Core Seals."
Lila immediately understood.
"That's why there are seven Cores…"
Kai turned toward her.
"Yes. But the seals were never sources of power."
He paused.
"They were the keys to a prison."
The deck seemed to grow even quieter.
Arga tightened his grip on the MBG Lunchbox.
"If Terra Ultima was sealed…"
He swallowed hard.
"Why is it awakening now?"
Kai looked at Arga, his expression heavy.
"Because the seals could only hold as long as the world remained in balance."
He pointed toward the sky filled with eyes.
"The Void arrived."
Then he pointed at the MBG Lunchbox.
"A new resonance was born."
Finally, he pointed at Arga's chest.
"And the heir has finally appeared."
Everyone turned toward Arga.
Bimo slowly raised a hand.
"I really don't like the word heir."
Dika fixed his gaze on Kai.
"You still haven't answered one question."
He stepped closer.
"Why have you been here from the beginning?"
Kai fell silent.
Then he answered in a voice that almost broke.
"Because I failed once before."
The wind stopped.
"I sealed Terra Ultima…"
He hesitated.
"…and sacrificed the person I trusted most."
For the first time, Kai's eyes trembled.
"I've lived for thousands of years, waiting for a chance to make things right."
Sinta's expression softened.
"Is that why you've kept protecting Arga?"
Kai didn't answer immediately.
He stared at Arga for a long moment before walking toward him.
Every step seemed heavy, as though thousands of years rested on his shoulders.
When he finally stood before Arga, he spoke softly.
"Not just because he's important."
He drew a shaky breath.
"But because I recognize his energy."
Arga froze.
"What do you mean?"
Kai looked straight into Arga's eyes.
The gaze of an ancient Guardian, confronting a secret he could no longer keep buried.
Kai's voice was low.
Deep.
And it shook everyone who heard it.
"I've seen Arga…"
He paused.
The sky above them pulsed.
Dozens of cosmic eyes blinked in unison.
Then Kai finished his sentence.
"…before he was born."