Snow fell in thick curtains over the Northern Military Training Center, each flake drifting through frozen air that bit at exposed skin.
Damian stood outside the massive gates, his breath misting in the darkness.
Beside him, Lily stood in her human form.
The journey here had been quiet after Agatha left.
His grandmother had disappeared the moment Damian mentioned the soul fragment’s attempt to possess him, leaving only a few words behind:
"I need to speak with the Northern Regional Governor immediately... Lily will escort you the rest of the way."
She’d kissed his forehead, told him to be careful, and vanished before he could ask questions, leaving him alone with the dragon who called him nephew.
Lily’s hand rose, patting his shoulder with what she probably thought was gentle affection.
"Nephew~ it was truly wonderful to finally meet you."
Pain exploded through Damian’s shoulder where her palm made contact.
His entire arm went numb, bones creaking under pressure she wasn’t even trying to exert.
’Dragons are so fucking strong.’
He kept his face neutral, refusing to show discomfort.
’Even in human form, her physical strength is absurd.’
Lily’s smile widened, completely oblivious to the pain she’d just caused.
"Now I’m even more excited to meet my niece as well."
Her hand lifted from his shoulder.
"I’ll take my mother to the central region once we’re done in the north. It’s been such a long time since she’s been there, you know?" She continued. "She’ll want to see Luna with her own eyes, to make sure her granddaughter is doing well."
Her words circled through Damian’s mind, pulling his attention away from the aching shoulder.
’So they’re planning to meet Luna as well.’
Luna’s face surfaced unbidden in his mind.
’With me gone and with Mom and Dad trapped in that portal, she must be feeling so alone right now.’
The realization settled heavily inside him.
’But now, at least Grandma and Lily can keep her company and make sure she’s safe.’
Relief spread through his chest, warm and unexpected.
Lily turned around, preparing to leave as her boots crunched against packed snow as she took her first step.
"Lily!"
Damian’s voice cut through the falling snow, making Lily stop in her footsteps.
"Has something happened to the Primordial Dragon clan?"
The question hung in the frozen air between them, sharp and weighted.
’How can someone who possesses bloodline memories not know their own origin?’
Damian wasn’t stupid enough to not see through her lie.
"..."
Several seconds passed where neither of them moved.
Then Lily’s head tilted slightly, though she didn’t turn around.
"Tell me something, nephew."
Her voice came out different now, cooler and more measured.
"How do you know about my clan? I don’t think humans of this world have enough knowledge about the Beast World’s various clans and their hierarchies... Especially the Primordial branches."
"My master gave me some information about the beast world."
Damian’s response came quickly.
Lily turned around slowly, a knowing smile curved her lips, but her eyes held something sharper.
"It’s alright if you do not want to tell me the truth, nephew." Her head tilted. "But there’s no need to lie directly to my face. We’re family, aren’t we?"
Damian’s expression shifted, awkwardness bleeding through.
’I better learn a lying skill.’
Lily stepped closer, closing the distance between them until she stood within arm’s reach.
Whoosh
Her hand rose and a barrier formed around them immediately.
Sound from outside cut off completely, leaving them in absolute silence.
Lily’s expression became serious, the playful warmth vanishing like smoke.
"Considering you already possess deeper knowledge than other humans should have access to, I’ll just say this much..."
She took a breath.
"A few decades back, the Oracle of the Lightbearers came to the beast world asking for help from our gods and demigods."
’The Oracle asking for help?’
Damian’s mind raced through implications.
’Only demons are stronger than the Lightbearers in the universal hierarchy.’
His face went grim, realization settling into his bones.
’For them to be desperate enough to ask other races for assistance, for their Oracle to personally travel seeking aid...’
Lily continued, unaware of his spiraling thoughts.
"And they didn’t just come to our world. The Oracle went across the entire universe, visiting every major race, asking help from all the demigods and gods they could reach."
Her hands clenched at her sides, knuckles becoming pale.
"The reason was simple... One of the Divine Rulers of the Lightbearers had been killed by the Demons."
"..."
Silence crashed down like a physical blow.
Damian’s breathing stopped, his entire body going rigid.
’One of the Divine Rulers... is already dead?’
Demons had seven Demon Rulers, and Lightbearers had seven Divine Rulers of their own, equally powerful entities who stood as the universe’s shield against the Demons.
And although he’d learned about Gods and Demigods more recently, all these beings in his mind existed on a level beyond even those lofty titles.
’All of them should still be alive...’
His mind raced backward through memories.
’This shouldn’t have happened yet! The Divine Rulers were supposed to remain intact for a few more years. Has the timeline changed so much that even those beings are dying ahead of schedule?’
"So... that’s why the Oracle gathered everyone."
His voice came out barely above a whisper, understanding clicking into place.
Lily watched his face, reading the grim comprehension there.
"I don’t know what happened afterwards, but I do know that many Gods never returned from that war... Including my Ancestor."
The words fell flat, stating facts without embellishment.
"The moment our Ancestor was confirmed gone, our elders knew immediately that the Demons had gained the upper hand in the war."
She looked away, her gaze distant.
"Without our ancestor’s protection, without that divine presence guarding our realm..."
Her voice dropped.
"Demon Rulers could enter the Beast World without any restrictions. The dimensional barriers and protections that had kept us safe for so long were tied to his existence."
She looked directly at Damian.
"So the elders made a decision. They sent the young dragons away to different worlds across the universe, scattering the next generation so that even if the Beast World fell, our bloodlines would survive somewhere."
Her hand rose, touching her chest.
"I had one of the most pure bloodlines among my generation. Direct descent from the Primordial line with almost no dilution."
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
"So they sent me far away, to a world they believed would be safe even in the worst scenario."
’Wait.’
Damian’s thoughts caught on that.
’They sent her to Earth specifically. But...’
His confusion must have shown on his face because Lily continued without him needing to ask.
"I know what you’re thinking."
Her smile became slightly more genuine.
"Why would they send me to Earth? Your world is constantly under threat from portal invasions. Giants, Demons, Elves, all of them have access to your realm through dimensional rifts."
She tilted her head.
"It doesn’t seem safe at all compared to other isolated worlds that have never been touched by outside forces."
Damian nodded slowly.
Lily’s expression shifted, becoming something almost reverent.
"Before our ancestor disappeared, before the connection was severed completely..."
She continued.
"He passed down one final memory to all direct descendants through our bloodline. Something he wanted us to see and understand."
She closed her eyes, as if seeing something beyond the physical world.
"In that memory, the Demon Ruler of Envy was being besieged by Gods who had answered the Oracle’s summons. My Ancestor stood among them, fighting alongside deities from dozens of races."
Her breathing quickened slightly, hands trembling.
"There were Gods on the Demon side as well, beings who served the Rulers willingly or through ancient contracts."
She opened her eyes, meeting Damian’s gaze directly.
"The battle took place in one of the seven main worlds of the Lightbearers, the realm whose Divine Ruler had been killed."
Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper.
"Millions of Lightbearers were dying with every passing moment. Rivers of blood filled the entire world, corpses piling so high they created mountains of flesh and bone..."
Thump thump thump
Damian’s heart slammed against his ribs.
"No God could stop Envy."
Lily’s words came faster now, urgency bleeding through.
"Everything they used against him, every skill and Law and divine power, he simply replicated it! Turned their own strength back on them with perfect precision."
Her hands rose, gesturing helplessly.
"One by one, the Gods started to fall! Their corpses littered the battlefield, divine blood soaking into soil that would never recover."
She took a shaking breath.
"And the last fragment of the memory my ancestor sent, the final image before the connection broke..."
Her voice became filled with fervor.
"A figure appeared between Envy and the dying world."
She paused, letting her words sink.
"Crimson hair fell past his shoulders, his body completely covered in bloody marks that pulsed with power..."
Thump thump thump
Damian’s heart hammered harder, blood roaring in his ears.
"He stood alone."
Lily’s eyes blazed with intensity.
"Every God had fallen or fled! The Lightbearers’ final defenses had crumbled! Envy advanced toward the world’s core, preparing to consume everything that remained!"
She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that somehow carried more weight than a shout.
"And that single human, that one being who should have been nothing compared to a Demon Ruler..."
Her lips curved into something between a smile and disbelief.
"He stopped Envy cold!"
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