---
POV : The King of Coralia
The exhaustion gnawing at me after a three-day council meeting wasn't the kind that sleep could fix…
It was something deeper.
A quiet dread whispering that something terrible awaited me upon my return.
But the truth… was far worse than anything I had imagined.
Before my feet even crossed the palace gate, the message arrived.
My children… were not in the palace.
Not one of them—
Both. Gone.
My heart stopped for a full second, as if someone had clenched it with an icy hand.
I roared,
"WHAT do you mean… they're not here?! Who dared to—?!"
But no answer came.
My wings flared open, erupting with raw energy. My hair whipped around me as a blazing surge burst from my back, and I launched myself into the sky like a living inferno.
My wife was already beside me, her domain flooding the entire ocean.
Her voice echoed in my mind through telepathy:
"Every creature under my command is already searching—warrior mermaids, sirens, trained leviathans… we will leave no corner unchecked!"
I was faster than her, but her messages kept pouring in nonstop.
And every message… confirmed one thing:
Our children were nowhere they were supposed to be.
The nobles joined the search.
The sea, the sky, the coasts—
even the ancient tunnels beneath the continent were inspected.
Not once… not for a moment… did we imagine they were still on the island.
Everyone was certain kidnappers had escaped with them on enchanted ships or sub-marine magic craft.
Then suddenly, the sky was torn by violet light.
Lythandra Veridan appeared.
Eyes that could see time itself.
A woman who could make the past collapse… or repeat.
She simply said,
"Let me help."
She raised her hands—
and the world trembled.
The clouds split.
The ocean bowed.
And time itself… bent under her will.
Her temporal domain filled the entire continent, then pierced through it, reaching the Veridan continent and even Tsukinori beyond.
That alone was enough to remind us of the terrifying gap between her and the rest of us.
I lowered my gaze, swallowing bitter frustration…
But I said nothing.
This was not the time for comparison.
Not the time for jealousy.
Lythandra opened her eyes again, her voice cool and sharp:
"I found them… They're still on the island. But they are… trapped."
I didn't let her finish.
I shot forward, leaving behind a shockwave that split the ocean in half.
Her voice chased me through the wind:
"I know how you feel… you're not the only one who's been targeted."
I shouted back,
"They didn't just trespass on my continent—
they dared lay their filthy hands on my children!"
And then… I felt it.
A weak energy.
Warped.
Familiar.
Abyssal mana.
I hissed through my teeth,
"Are they mocking us? Sending mere insects?"
I ignited my infernal flames, ready to burn the attackers from afar—
but Lythandra grabbed my wrist.
"Stop! You're acting recklessly—everything will collapse if you attack now! Think like a king, you idiot!"
I turned toward her, my eyes blazing,
"What are you talking about?!"
Time froze around the attackers as she answered:
"They planned to sacrifice themselves to open an Abyssal Gate.
If that happened… nothing on the island would have survived."
My voice trembled for the first time in a century.
"Would my… children have died?"
She shook her head.
"No.
Because their friend… saved them."
Then her tone softened with grief:
"He chose to die to protect them."
My thoughts froze.
A friend?
My children never mentioned anyone…
I was always the closest person to them.
But there was no time to think.
The island appeared.
I prepared my body instantly and descended before anyone could notice.
I landed with such force that trees exploded around me.
My children's startled screams pierced straight through my chest.
I saw them—
and the world shattered around me.
My daughter… her legs twisted at a horrifying angle.
My son… no feet… an arm torn off, lying beside him.
His face pale, gasping for breath, unable to speak—only sobbing in pain.
I sprinted toward them, placed my hands over their bodies, and unleashed my power to stop the bleeding.
My wife arrived moments later—
and broke at the sight.
She pulled them to her, sobbing quietly, a sound that split my soul.
Lythandra stepped forward, hands raised—
time itself began to coil around her fingers.
But before she could restore them,
my son lifted his head, one eye half-closed, voice shattered:
"Don't… you dare…!"
Lythandra froze.
My wife trembled.
I flinched.
And then… the impossible happened.
A blue-gold light exploded from Caspian's body.
The energy shot into the sky, and a lightning bolt cleaved the clouds apart.
The earth trembled.
The air vibrated with an ancient hum…
as if a mythical spirit was awakening.
His severed limbs began to regenerate before our eyes.
Flesh, bone, skin—
all returning in a way no healing in our world could ever replicate.
And then—
the serpent appeared.
A colossal serpent, radiant and multicolored.
Golden eyes.
White horns.
Its body shimmering like a celestial rainbow.
It descended from the clouds and hovered above Caspian.
With a single breath—
it vanished into him.
Silence fell.
Even my wife—
even Lythandra—
stood frozen.
We all knew what this meant.
Caspian had awakened.
My son awakened early.
A thirteen-year-old… was now an Awakened.
A lethal smile of pride stretched across my face.
I turned toward Lythandra, who looked genuinely stunned.
I smirked arrogantly to myself:
"If I cannot surpass you… then my son surely will."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Are you seriously smiling at another woman like that—right in front of your wife?"
My blood drained.
I slowly turned toward my wife…
She was staring at me with eyes that clearly said:
You will pay for that later.
I opened my mouth to defend myself—
but the pillar of light shattered.
And Caspian stepped out.
He was taller… his blue hair now reaching his shoulders… his eyes golden… his pupils slit like a royal serpent's.
Blue scales covered his skin like a natural celestial armor.
The heavenly serpent coiled around his arm—
then solidified into a glowing tattoo, pulsing like a living creature before it fell still.
He swayed—
and collapsed.
I caught him before he hit the ground.
Resting my forehead against his, I whispered,
"You fought well, my son… this is the reward for your hard work.
Now rest."
He fell asleep instantly, a tiny tear sliding down his cheek.
My wife arrived carrying our daughter, fully healed.
Her voice was tired:
"Let's return to the city… we need to make sure they're both stable."
But before we moved—
Lythandra stood at the edge of the magma cliffs.
Staring down… her eyes heavy with sorrow.
I approached her.
"Come with us.
We need to talk… about everything you witnessed during their battle."
She lifted her head slowly… and nodded.
And then, as a family of rulers, as a single force—
we leapt into the ocean and returned to our underwater city, carrying our children…
And the countless unanswered questions that awaited us.
---