Silver rain drifted gently across the heavens, veiling the floating city of Astralis beneath a shimmering curtain of light.
Thousands of islands, each large enough to hold entire districts, hovered above an endless sea of clouds as if the sky itself had become an ocean upon which civilizations were built.
Crystal bridges stretched between the islands, glowing faintly with divine energy while elegant airships glided silently through the open sky.
Towering temples, academies, and noble estates reached toward the stars, their silhouettes illuminated by countless runic lights that never dimmed.
To every citizen of the God Civilization, Astralis was not merely a capital.
It was the center of creation itself, where gods were born, worlds were nurtured, land of opportunities, and the fate of countless civilizations was decided.
Among the twelve great noble districts that surrounded the Celestial Palace stood the ancestral estate of House Aelwyn.
Unlike the ostentatious mansions favored by many aristocratic families, the Aelwyn Estate possessed a quiet majesty.
White stone halls wound through gardens filled with ancient silver trees whose leaves shimmered softly beneath the rain.
Streams of crystal-clear water flowed through carefully sculpted courtyards, carrying tiny fish formed from pure divine energy. Massive towers overlooked the surrounding district, each engraved with countless runes that had protected the estate for generations.
The estate did not need excessive decoration to display its prestige. Its very existence carried a weight that few places within Astralis could rival.
For Noah Aelwyn, however, it was simply home.
The twelve-year-old boy sprinted through one of the garden paths with a wooden sword in hand, laughing as he chased after a small silver bird that darted effortlessly between the trees.
His black hair had become thoroughly soaked by the rain, but he paid little attention to it. Every now and then he swung his sword toward the bird with exaggerated determination, only for the tiny creature to evade him at the last second before chirping triumphantly.
"You’ll never catch a spirit sparrow if you keep swinging like that."
The familiar voice caused Noah to stop immediately.
He turned to find his father standing beneath the archway leading into the gardens. Alaric Aelwyn wore a simple black robe embroidered with silver threads rather than the elaborate attire expected of a noble lord.
Despite the simplicity of his clothing, his presence alone commanded respect. The servants working nearby immediately bowed before quietly excusing themselves, leaving father and son alone.
Noah’s face brightened.
"Father!"
He hurried over, only to receive a playful tap on the forehead.
"You left your stance open again."
"I almost hit it."
"You almost frightened it."
"I was close."
Alaric chuckled. "Being close only counts when telling stories."
Noah rubbed his forehead dramatically before grinning. "Then next time I’ll actually hit it."
At that moment, a gentle voice drifted across the garden.
"I wondered where the two of you had disappeared."
Elena Aelwyn approached beneath a transparent umbrella formed entirely from divine energy.
Unlike many noblewomen who surrounded themselves with attendants wherever they went, she walked alone through the rain with quiet elegance.
Her emerald eyes carried the warmth that Noah had always associated with home, and despite the years that had passed since her own awakening as a planetary goddess, she still smiled with the same kindness she had shown him since childhood.
"You’ve both skipped lunch."
She looked first at her husband before turning to Noah.
"And one of you has completely soaked himself."
Noah glanced down at his clothes before shrugging.
"It was raining."
"It has been raining for an hour"
Elena sighed in exaggerated defeat before extending her hand toward Noah.
"Come inside. The cooks have been waiting."
As the three of them walked back toward the estate, Noah found himself talking excitedly about school.
His history instructor had assigned a report on the First Expansion Era, when humanity had first spread across the stars after discovering Planet Seeds.
He enthusiastically described the legendary gods whose planets had grown into civilizations spanning entire galaxies, occasionally embellishing the stories enough that both parents struggled to suppress their smiles.
"Teacher said the strongest god in history conquered over ten thousand divine worlds."
Alaric nodded thoughtfully.
"Some records claim even more."
"Do you think I’ll become that strong someday?"
His father glanced toward him.
"What do you think?"
"I think..." Noah paused as he considered the question.
"I want my planet to become the happiest one."
Elena smiled warmly.
"That’s a wonderful dream."
"But happy people are weak."
Both Noah and Elena turned toward Alaric.
He smiled faintly before continuing.
"Not because happiness makes them weak, but because those who are happy often forget that someone must protect that happiness."
Noah frowned slightly.
"I don’t understand."
"You will someday."
The conversation drifted naturally to other topics before Noah could ask more questions.
When they entered the grand dining hall, the atmosphere felt... different.
Normally, the room buzzed quietly with servants preparing meals while estate officials delivered reports to his father between courses.
Today, however, Noah noticed several unfamiliar faces among the attendants.
Men wearing silver military uniforms stood near the entrance, speaking in hushed voices with the estate’s chief steward. One of them carried a sealed document bearing the crest of House Aelwyn.
The moment Noah entered, the conversation stopped.
The officers bowed respectfully before withdrawing without another word.
Noah watched them leave.
"Were they soldiers?"
His father calmly unfolded his napkin.
"They were."
"What did they want?"
"Routine matters."
Noah accepted the explanation, though he noticed his mother’s eyes briefly meeting his father’s across the table.
Neither of them looked particularly relaxed.
Lunch continued much as usual. Elena insisted that Noah finish his vegetables before dessert, while Alaric listened patiently as Noah explained how one of his classmates believed dragons had once served as planetary guardians.
Only occasionally did Noah notice servants quietly entering the room to whisper something into his father’s ear.
Each time, Alaric’s expression grew just a little more serious.
After the meal, Noah wandered toward one of the estate’s upper balconies.
From there, he could see nearly the entire noble district stretching across the floating island.
Then he froze. Dozens of enormous silver warships had appeared above the city.
They hovered silently in perfect formation beyond the estate walls, their hulls reflecting the afternoon sunlight like floating fortresses.
Thousands of armored figures moved across their decks while streams of smaller vessels arrived every few minutes to join the growing fleet.
Noah had never seen so many military ships gathered in one place.
His curiosity quickly overcame him.
He turned and ran back through the corridors in search of his father.
As he rounded a corner near his father’s private study, he slowed his footsteps after hearing unfamiliar voices beyond the half-open door.
"...the Valerius Clan has already crossed the border..."
"...the Seventh Legion has fallen back..."
"...if we wait any longer, the ancestral territory—"
Another voice interrupted sharply.
"We leave before sunset."
Silence followed.
Noah stood frozen outside the door, confused by words he barely understood.
"Border?:
"Legions?"
"Ancestral territory?"
Before he could think further, the study door opened.
Alaric stepped into the corridor and immediately found Noah standing there.
For the briefest of moments, Noah thought his father would pretend nothing had happened.
Alaric had always been good at that. Whenever work became difficult or matters concerning the clan demanded his attention, he never allowed the burden to reach his family.
To Noah, his father had always been a patient teacher who corrected his sword stance, listened to his stories, and smiled whenever he made a particularly childish observation.
Yet this time, something was different.
Alaric looked at him for several seconds before dismissing the officers waiting inside the study with a simple nod. Without questioning the order, they gathered their documents, bowed respectfully, and disappeared down the corridor.
Only when the hallway had fallen silent did Alaric kneel before his son.
"Were you looking for me?"
Noah hesitated before nodding.
"I saw the ships."
His father smiled gently, though it failed to reach his eyes.
"There are certainly quite a few."
"And... I heard people talking."
The smile slowly faded.
"They said something about the ancestral territory."
"They mentioned another clan."
"They sounded... scared."
Alaric remained silent for a moment before placing a hand on Noah’s shoulder.
"You weren’t meant to hear that."
"So it’s true?"
His father did not answer immediately.
Instead, he looked through the nearby window toward the distant fleet floating beyond the estate.
"The world is much larger than your classroom, Noah."
"I know."
"And sometimes..." he said quietly, "...there are disagreements that cannot be solved with words alone."
"Like fighting?"
"Yes."
"Who are we fighting?"
Again, there was silence.
Finally, Alaric answered, "Another great clan."
"Why?"
"Because there are things both sides refuse to surrender."
"What things?"
"Our home."
Noah frowned.
"But... we’re already home."
His father smiled sadly.
"This is one of our homes."
"Our family has protected many territories for countless generations. There are worlds where your ancestors first awakened their Planet Seeds, worlds where they built civilizations, and worlds where generations of our clan have lived and died."
He gently rested his hand against Noah’s chest.
"To us, those places are just as much home as Astralis."
The explanation only confused Noah further.
"If they’re ours..."
"...can’t they just ask nicely?"
Alaric couldn’t help but laugh softly.
"I wish the universe worked that way."
The remainder of the afternoon passed beneath an invisible cloud.
The servants continued performing their duties with flawless professionalism, yet Noah could sense the tension that hung over the estate. Messengers arrived every few minutes carrying sealed scrolls or glowing crystal tablets before hurrying away again.
The usually tranquil gardens had become training grounds where armored knights gathered in disciplined formations, while the sound of marching echoed through the marble courtyards.
Noah watched everything from a second-floor balcony.
For the first time in his life, he realized just how many people served House Aelwyn.
Even the airships arriving above the estate carried banners from distant territories that Noah had never heard of before.
Until today, all of it had simply existed in the background of his childhood.
Only now did he begin to understand that his family was much larger than just his mother and father.
That evening, Elena insisted on preparing dinner herself.
The estate employed hundreds of cooks, yet she dismissed them all with a gentle smile.
"I’ll cook tonight."
The servants bowed without question.
Noah watched curiously as she tied an apron around her waist.
"You haven’t cooked in months."
"I know."
"So why today?"
She paused only briefly before answering.
"Because your father always says my soup tastes better than anyone else’s."
Alaric looked up from where he sat.
"I’ve never lied about that."
Elena laughed.
"You flatter me too much."
"I merely state facts."
For a little while, the atmosphere felt almost normal again.
Noah helped carry bowls to the table while his father quietly arranged the plates. The three of them shared stories over dinner as though nothing outside the estate had changed.
His father recalled the first time he had accidentally destroyed an entire training field while learning to control divine energy.
His mother laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea.
"You conveniently forgot to mention that your grandfather made you rebuild every stone by hand."
"I learned responsibility."
"You learned humility."
"I learned both."
Noah laughed along with them.
If not for the distant rumble of warships outside...
He might have believed everything truly was normal.
When dinner ended, Alaric stood and walked toward a large cabinet carved from ancient silverwood.
Hidden within was a small black case.
He carried it to the table and placed it before Noah.
"I was hoping I wouldn’t have to give this to you for several more years."
Noah looked curiously at the case.
"What is it?"
"Open it."
Inside rested a simple black card bordered with intricate silver engravings. Unlike the luxurious identity badges carried by many nobles, this one appeared surprisingly plain.
Beside it lay a small bronze key attached to a chain bearing the crest of House Aelwyn.
Noah picked up the card first.
"It doesn’t even have my name."
"It doesn’t need to."
Alaric gently took the card and turned it over.
Tiny runes hidden beneath the surface shimmered into existence.
"This is an identity verification card."
"It contains a fragment of your divine signature."
"No one can forge it."
"No one can use it except you."
Noah’s eyes widened.
"It knows it’s me?"
"In a manner of speaking."
He then lifted the bronze key.
"This belongs to a private vault within Argent Crown Bank."
"I’ve heard of that place."
"I’m sure you have."
Argent Crown Bank was known throughout the God Civilization. It safeguarded everything from legendary artifacts to planetary deeds and divine inheritances. Even children knew its name.
Alaric carefully placed the key back into Noah’s hand.
"Inside that vault is something your mother and I prepared long ago."
"A birthday present?"
"No."
"My Planet Seed?"
His parents exchanged amused glances.
"No."
"Then what is it?"
His father smiled.
"If I tell you now, you’ll spend years thinking about it instead of focusing on growing."
"That’s unfair."
"It is."
"But you’ll forgive me one day."
Elena reached across the table and gently closed Noah’s fingers around both the card and the key.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice had become unusually serious.
"When you’re old enough to awaken your Planet Seed..."
"...take these to Argent Crown Bank."
"They will verify your identity."
"Only then will they open the vault."
"Not before."
"Do you understand?"
Noah nodded.
"I understand."
His father added quietly, "Promise me something."
"What?"
"No matter what happens..."
"...never sell these."
"...never lose them."
"...and never let anyone know what waits inside that vault."
Noah looked from the card to his parents.
"I promise."
The sun had nearly disappeared beyond the sea of clouds when the estate’s great bell rang.
Its deep, resonant sound echoed across the entire district.
Every knight immediately stopped what they were doing.
Every servant stood still.
The time had come.
Together, the three of them walked toward the estate’s eastern courtyard.
Beyond the gates waited a procession unlike anything Noah had ever witnessed.
Dozens of colossal warships hovered above the estate, each carrying thousands of soldiers. Dragons circled high overhead beside armored guardians mounted upon winged beasts, while countless streams of divine light connected vessel to vessel as final preparations were completed.
The banners of House Aelwyn fluttered proudly against the evening sky.
Noah instinctively reached for his mother’s hand.
"...Do you really have to go?"
She squeezed his hand gently.
"I’m afraid we do."
"For how long?"
She looked toward Alaric.
Neither answered.
That frightened Noah more than anything else.
Alaric slowly knelt before his son.
"I need you to be brave."
"I am brave."
"I know."
"But bravery isn’t about fighting monsters."
"It’s about continuing to move forward...
even when you’re afraid."
He placed both hands upon Noah’s shoulders.
"The clan will arrange everything after we’re gone."
"You’ll continue attending school."
"You’ll continue studying."
"And one day..."
"...you’ll awaken your Planet Seed."
His voice grew softer.
"When that day comes..."
"...become a god your people can trust."
"Not because you’re an Aelwyn."
"But because you earned it."
Noah nodded despite the tears beginning to gather in his eyes.
His mother embraced him next.
"So much of your future is still ahead of you."
"You’ll make mistakes."
"You’ll burn your meals."
"You’ll probably forget to wash your clothes."
"You’ll think living alone is impossible."
She smiled through glistening eyes.
"But every challenge you overcome will become part of the person you grow into."
"I don’t want to live alone."
Her embrace tightened.
"I know."
The boarding horn sounded.
Officers began calling the final departure orders.
Alaric stood.
For one brief moment, he simply looked at his son.
As though trying to memorize every detail.
Then he smiled.
"We’ll meet again."
Whether it was a promise...
Or simply a hope...
Noah couldn’t tell.
His parents turned and walked toward the boarding platform.
Neither looked back.
Perhaps because they feared they wouldn’t have the strength to leave if they did.
The great hatch slowly closed behind them.
Moments later, divine engines awakened.
One after another, the warships ascended into the heavens.
The entire fleet rose above the estate like a moving constellation before disappearing into the silver clouds.
Noah stood motionless in the middle of the courtyard, clutching the black identity card and the bronze key against his chest.
The cheers of the soldiers faded.
The thunder of the engines vanished.
Even the wind seemed quieter than before.
The estate remained exactly as it had been that morning.
The same marble halls.
The same silver trees.
The same endless gardens.
Yet somehow...
Everything felt different.
For the first time since he was born, House Aelwyn no longer felt like a home filled with warmth and laughter.
It felt like an enormous palace that had suddenly become empty.
And as Noah looked toward the patch of sky where the fleet had disappeared, he realized that although he did not yet understand why his parents had left...
His childhood had departed with them.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter