The flashing light seared his eyes. He blinked, trying to make sense of what lay before him.

  A dull, relentless ringing filled his ears, a lingering echo of the chaos around him.

  As his vision cleared, the night sky stretched above him, filled with flickering stars — no, not stars. Explosions. Microbombs bursting in the distance.

  "Wait… those aren’t stars… those are Armatus being destroyed," he murmured, but his words gurgled in his throat, drowned by the metallic taste of blood.

  Every part of his body felt numb. His fingers refused to heed his commands.

  He lay there, sprawled on the ground, his glazed eyes fixed on the sky, watching the terror of war unfold.

  His vision sharpened just as a figure loomed over him.

  "Master… Ignius…"

  The Celestius mage stood battered, his royal fabric stained crimson. His white hair fluttered wildly against the howling wind.

  "Zetius! Hold on, my disciple!" Ignius rushed to him, his staff twirling in the air, casting searing flames toward the advancing enemies.

  With his off-hand, he extended his palm toward Zetius. "Iasis!" he recited, desperately attempting to heal his wounds. Yet, it wasn’t enough. When compared to the Celestius of Virgo, who possessed the mythic essence of Iasis, his own epic essence for restoration was outclassed.

  Cough! Cough!

  Zetius choked on his own blood. The healing spell was the only thing keeping him from slipping into Hades’ grasp.

  But the doors of death were ajar. Zetius’ life hung by a fragile thread.

  Composite metals, and scraps — what remained of the Armatus — littered the battlefield. Thousands of them, perhaps even ten thousand. Yet they were relentless. Their numbers seemed endless.

  Ignius grunted, clutching his staff tightly. "Empyrion~Bombard!" he roared, his voice strained with exhaustion.

  His arm felt numb. His mind lightened. The prolonged battle had drained him; his mana was beginning to falter.

  "I need to finish this with one devastating blow!" Ignius’s mind raced. As he steeled himself, his jaw tightened.

  Soon, his eyes ignited with fire. Unwavering determination burned within him.

  "May Ares bless me one last time!" Ignius roared. Spinning his staff, his body lifted into the air.

  The wind howled. Glowing butterflies, red as embers, swirled around him in a massive orb of condensed energy.

  A large fleet of Armatus surged toward him, preparing to strike before the Celestius mage could complete his ritual.

  "Ares' Empyrion!" Ignius bellowed. His voice ruptured the air in a shockwave.

  Hundreds of fire beams shot toward the enemy forces.

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  Explosions erupted in rapid succession. The air, the ground — everything trembled violently.

  The Armatus forces were obliterated, leaving nothing behind but ashes and dust.

  Ignius collapsed to one knee, panting. Then, forcing himself up, he crouched beside his student. "Come on, Zetius! Let's go. We’ll make you whole again."

  But it was too late.

  Before him lay a teenage boy, motionless on the battlefield, his body dirtied with blood and soil. His red eyes, frozen in place, stared blankly.

  Zetius was no longer breathing.

  ***

  "Huh?!"

  Jack’s eyes snapped open. He jerked upright in bed, his heart pounding uncontrollably. Sweat soaked his skin, heat searing through his body.

  Panting, he swept his agitated gaze around the room, grounding himself in the familiar surroundings of his bedroom.

  "What the heck was that?" he muttered, his mind reeling from the terrifying dream.

  "Ummmmmmm…" Lupus moaned softly and snuggled against her carrot-shaped pillow.

  Jack glanced back at her, finding solace in the serenity of her sleep. "It was just a dream…" he whispered, swallowing a lump in his throat.

  He turned toward the window. The dawn was breaking. The fractured celestial bodies hung low, reflecting soft light onto the glass pane.

  Jack studied the split moons, a reminder of when his life had spiralled out of control. From the vastness of space to a war-torn planet, defying death countless times — yet he had survived.

  "Is it my imagination, or are the split moons drifting closer together? Is it due to gravitational forces?" He pondered, trying to shift his thoughts away from the nightmare.

  "Jackie… come back to sleep," Lupus mumbled, her voice tinged with affection even in her half-asleep state.

  Obeying her, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before sinking back onto the soft, warm bed.

  Yet, minutes passed, and sleep remained elusive. The vision lingered, haunting him.

  War. Destruction. Thousands of human lives snuffed out just to kill a single child…

  "Zetius… Have I heard that name before…?"

  Instead of forcing himself to sleep, Jack slipped out of bed as quietly as possible. Lupus’ rest would not be disturbed. He understood the importance of quality sleep, especially for her mana replenishment.

  He stepped into the shower, letting the cold water jolt him back to reality, washing away his drifting thoughts.

  Afterwards, he dressed in a simple white tunic and pants before heading to the garden within the Hoffmann estate's perimeter.

  "Fresh air might help clear my head," he thought as his boots echoed against the polished floor.

  As he walked through the grand corridor toward the right wing, dim lights illuminated his path.

  The estate was eerily quiet, devoid of life — a stark contrast to the bustle of daytime. Usually, he would encounter at least one or two of the Hoffmanns loitering about. After all, more than twenty residents lived under this roof.

  As he turned a corner, the soft chirping of birds and the playful giggle of a child echoed from behind the garden door.

  "Huh? Are the twins up this early?" He frowned. The dawn had barely broken, and the sun had yet to rise.

  Jack pushed open the door. The lampposts surrounding the garden provided enough visibility. Though not vast, the garden was spacious enough to fit twenty people comfortably without feeling cramped.

  Flowers of various colors bloomed in neatly arranged sections, while a patch of edible vegetation flourished to one side. "Practical, as always," Jack mused. "One of the Hoffmanns is a botanist… What was his name again?"

  He stepped onto the stone path, the sculpted shrubs forming a low fence. A fresh, crisp breeze filled his lungs. He paused, taking a deep breath.

  "That’s better," he murmured, allowing a faint smile to grace his lips.

  Then, in the middle of the garden, a girl with fiery red hair sat on the dirt, her palms raised, playing with butterflies.

  Live butterflies, vibrant and in multiples, fluttered around her in delight. One landed on her hair ornament, mistaking it for its kin.

  "Huh. That’s probably the first time I’ve seen her without her prime guardian," Jack mused.

  "Hehehe!" Aurelia chuckled, her red eyes gleaming in wonder as she admired the flowers and the fluttering insects.

  Jack stood there, hesitating. “Should I join her?”