I didn’t know how much time had passed, but slowly, I became aware of my breathing again. At first, it was faint. Then came the weight of my body.
The dull ache spread across my chest, my limbs, my back, as if every part of me had been pushed past its limit and only now decided to remind me of it. Sensation returned gradually, piece by piece, until I could finally feel the bed beneath me.
I opened my eyes. The room came into focus slowly.
My bedroom. And beside me was North.
She was sitting close, her posture slightly leaned forward, as if she had been watching me the entire time. The moment my eyes opened, her expression changed instantly.
"You’re awake," she said quickly, reaching out and holding my hand.
I let out a low groan and shifted slightly, trying to sit up, but my body protested immediately.
"Looks like it," I replied, my voice still rough as I looked at her.
Up close, I could see it clearly now. The worry in her eyes. The tension she hadn’t let go of.
"It’s alright," I said, lifting my free hand and gently pinching her cheek. "I’m fine. Just took a bit of a beating, that’s all."
She didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, she let out a long breath, as if she had been holding it in for far too long.
"How did it go?" she asked, her voice softer now, but the anticipation was clear.
I glanced away for a moment and pulled up my quest window.
There it was marked as completed.
A small smile formed on my face.
"It’s done," I said.
For a second, she just stared at me.
Then, "Yes!"
Her face lit up instantly, and before I could react, she threw herself onto me, wrapping her arms around me tightly.
"Whoa, hey," I winced slightly. "I’m still injured, you know."
She didn’t move. Instead, she buried her face into my neck, holding me even tighter.
"Doesn’t matter," she murmured.
I let out a small chuckle despite the lingering pain and rested my hand on her back, pulling her closer.
For a few moments, I didn’t think about anything else. Just her warmth, her presence, the steady rhythm of her breathing against me. The chaos, the fight, the strain, it all felt distant now, like something that had already passed.
But my mind eventually settled where it always did.
The path ahead.
There was only one requirement left before I could push to Saint.
Soul height.
Everything else was already in place. The merit points were done. Every stat had reached Pre-Origin. All my major laws had crossed into Level 5. And now, the system quest, the one that stood like a wall in front of me was complete.
I had done it. I tightened my hold around North slightly, a small smile forming on my face as I stared ahead.
Life like this felt... good.
******
Steam still lingered in the bathroom as I stood in front of the mirror, droplets of water sliding slowly down my skin. My breathing had steadied, my body felt lighter after the bath, but the reflection staring back at me carried a change that hadn’t been there before.
My eyes shifted to my chest.
The gear-shaped tattoo was still there, resting just above my heart, the mark I had received on the day of my awakening. It had changed once before, evolving as I grew stronger.
But now there was something new.
A scar.
It ran diagonally from my shoulder, cutting across my chest in a clean but jagged line, as if reality itself had been torn and forced back together. I had tried healing it more than once. Each time, the scar would close perfectly for a moment and then reopen.
It did not hurt or bleed. But it opened anyway.
Just... inevitably.
It was the result of Aurora’s attack.
The dream law woven into it was too deep. It wasn’t just damage. It was something that kept rewriting itself, refusing to be erased, as if it had already decided that this was how my body should be.
I stared at it for a few seconds longer.
Then let out a quiet chuckle.
"I’ll remember this, Aurora," I muttered to myself.
I turned away from the mirror and got ready, dressing in a clean, fitted suit that sat comfortably over my body. The material was light but sharp in appearance, carrying a subtle authority that matched the presence I had grown into.
When I stepped out, North was already waiting.
For a brief moment I just stopped.
She stood near the entrance, dressed in a black flowing gown that fit her perfectly. The dress hugged her body just enough before falling naturally, giving her a graceful look.
Her brown hair rested loosely over her shoulders, framing her face, and her eyes, those calm, warm brown eyes met mine with a smile.
She looked...beautiful.
I walked up to her and took her hand without saying anything.
"You look so handsome," she said softly.
"Nothing in front of your beauty my love," I replied.
"So cheesy." she chuckled.
I smiled and directly teleported with her.
In the next instant, we appeared in the capital, right in front of the main headquarters hall. It was part of the new construction that was still going on and this was supposed to be the celebration hall as told to me by Primus.
The guards at the entrance straightened the moment we appeared.
"Lord Sovereign Billion Ironhart and Lady North Winter have arrived!" one of them announced loudly.
The doors opened.
I stepped forward, North beside me, and entered the hall.
It was already filled.
People had gathered from across different places. I could see my summons standing together, Steve nearby, talking casually. Primus was present as well, along with members from the demon headquarters.
From Vaythos, I spotted familiar faces, my grandmother, Edgar, Arkus, and even Emperor Lucian, accompanied by his generals.
The atmosphere was different tonight.
I gave a small nod to those who met my gaze as I walked toward the center of the hall. A servant approached, and I picked up a drink from the tray, holding it loosely in my hand.
I looked around once.
Then spoke.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," I said, my voice carrying clearly across the hall. "Tonight is not about strategy or battle. It’s a night to breathe."
I raised my glass slightly.
"Enjoy it. Because what comes next... will demand everything from us."
A faint smile appeared.
"So take your time. Relax and enjoy as much as you can."
The tension eased almost instantly.
Conversations began to flow again, people gathering into groups, laughter slowly filling the space.
And just like that, the night before the storm that would overwhelm the Blue Spiral galaxy began.