(Meanwhile, deep within the Time-Stilled World, Motherak's POV)
As soon as Leo entered the domain of the Time-Stilled World, Motherak's ancient soul, buried deep within the stillness of slumber, began to stir faintly.
Though countless ages had passed since the world last felt his awareness, something about the new presence pressed against his senses with unbearable familiarity.
It was faint at first, like a breeze brushing through stagnant air, but then the realization struck him, and his mind growled with ancient fury.
Since Zhanrok had branded Leo as a thief, the lizard god's aura lingered faintly upon his body, intertwining with his very soul.
And so, it wasn't truly Leo that Moltherak had sensed, but rather the lingering presence of that hateful being whose mark now tainted his body.
"That old lizard dares enter my domain?"
Moltherak's thoughts rippled through the ocean of his consciousness like distant thunder, his fury rising even through the haze of his exhaustion.
Yet when he tried to cast his gaze across the fog of his slumber, and try to locate the source of the disturbance, his vision blurred and twisted, offering him only fragments of shape and light.
Through that haze, he saw not Zhanrok, but a lone young man, his form wrapped in shadows and his face illuminated just enough to be seen.
That face... it felt familiar.
"That boy... where have I seen him before?"
He tried to remember.
His ancient mind searching the vast emptiness of memory for a brief encounter, but the past came to him only in fragments.
'When did I see that boy? Was it yesterday? Or a thousand years ago? I can't recall....'
He wondered, as the thought slipped away as quickly as it came.
His body felt impossibly heavy, his strength too faint to hold on to consciousness, as the world around him darkened once more, his old nemesis slumber dragging him back into its depths.
For now, he was too weak to awaken, and too tired to care. As long as Zhanrok himself had not entered his realm, there was no reason for him to forcibly rise.
'So be it,' he thought lazily, his voice fading into silence.
'If the boy and I are fated to meet, he will find my grave someday--'
He thought, as he slept once more, forgetting completely that his grave was built at the most inaccessible spot in the whole dimension.
When choosing his resting spot, he decided to sleep in one of the most secluded corners of existence— a lone floating island adrift in the middle of the vast tainted sea that covered nearly sixty percent of this world.
It was a place no sane explorer dared approach, for the ocean below was vast and tainted, its waters harbouring some of the most dangerous beasts of the planet, while simultaneously being corrosive enough to dissolve steel within days.
The island hung suspended above that endless expanse, held aloft by invisible currents of ancient energy, its surface scarred by the passing of time.
And it was at the center of this floating island where inside an ancient temple, Motherak slept, its coordinates long lost to the pages of history.
So now, without those precise markings, finding the island was next to impossible, for it was improbable for one to just stumble upon it while searching the planet.
---
(A few hours later, Skyshard City, Leo's POV)
After concluding the most important meetings that took priority over everything else, Leo finally set out to meet his family, who had not seen him for more than three years.
Although only a few days had passed for him in the outside world, over eleven hundred days had gone by for them inside the Time-Stilled World.
And hence knowing how long they had waited, Leo decided to visit them first, certain that they were just as eager to see him as he was to see them.
The new Skyshard Mansion was a lot smaller than their old home back on Vorthas, but it was still a modest seven-bedroom bungalow with a small private garden and neat compound walls that kept out the city noise.
It wasn't grand, but it was peaceful, with blooming red vines running along the outer gate and the faint scent of mana lilies drifting in from the nearby street.
When Leo walked up the short stone path and opened the front door, the first thing he saw was his mother who came rushing out of the kitchen to check who opened the door, only for her face to light up with joy when she realised it was her beloved boy.
"Leo..." she said softly, her voice trembling between relief and disbelief, before she moved forward and hugged him tightly.
However, while Leo felt happy and warm to embrace his mother, he also felt taken aback by how many wrinkles and white hair had appeared on her face, as the signs of aging had finally started to show.
She was smaller than he remembered, frailer somehow, yet her embrace still carried the same strength it always had.
When she finally pulled back, her eyes shimmering with tears, Leo looked at her with concern written all over his face, yet he said nothing.
"You've lost weight again. You always forget to eat when you're working too much."
Elena scolded, as Leo smiled faintly at her words.
In his heart he knew that it was impossible for him to lose weight even if he did not eat for months.
He was a Transcendent, and his metabolism did not depend on just food for sustenance anymore.
However, he also knew better than to argue with a caring mother, and hence he accepted his fault without much discourse.
"I'll try to do better next time, mum."
He said, as before she could reply, another familiar voice echoed from the hallway.
"Let him breathe, Elena. You'll smother the boy."
His father, Jacob, walked in from the living room, his beard now streaked with silver, his once-straight posture slightly bent, though his presence was no less commanding.
He gave Leo a firm pat on the shoulder before pulling him in for a brief, strong hug.Yet as their arms met, Leo couldn't help but notice that his father also felt smaller and weaker than he remembered, as alarm bells began to ring sharply in his head.
"You're gonna be so happy to meet him," Jacob said, his eyes twinkling with mischief, as Leo blinked, slightly confused.
"Meet who?"
He asked, as Jacob didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned toward the kitchen and raised his voice. "Leonardo, come here!"
*Step*
.
.
.*Step**Step*
Tiny footsteps echoed on the tiled floor, quick and uneven, before a small boy came running out—barely two or three years old, his dark hair messy and his eyes bright with curiosity.
He skidded to a stop, then shyly hid behind Jacob's leg, peeking out just enough for Leo to see his face.
The resemblance was unmistakable. The boy had Luke's eyes, but Alia's smile and dimples, along with a hint of Leo's own sharp expression.
Leo's eyebrows rose slightly. "Is that...?"
Jacob nodded proudly. "Your nephew. Luke and Alia's boy. They named him Leonardo after you."
For a moment, Leo didn't say anything, his eyes still fixed on the little boy who was now watching him cautiously from behind Jacob's leg. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at his lips.
"I'm an uncle now..." he thought to himself, a quiet warmth spreading through his chest as the boy's curious gaze met his.
"I am a cool uncle now."
(More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)