Everything finally seemed over. Ñout, with the invisible support of Mü Thanatos, had restored cosmic order. The laws had resumed their place, the gods and entities who had been reduced to mere mortals had regained their true essence. The mythical realms, momentarily plunged into chaos, breathed stability once more.
Everything… except one exception.
Sakolomé's double and his minions. They alone remained uncontrolled, lurking in the shadow of an uncertain future; they had not been brought back from Isissis's erasure.
Meanwhile, Jin Muleo and Lingyin told us about Edwin. They brought him back to Dimelda and Misarah. Apparently, Edwin was once linked to Dimelda… And to think that, once, my father had tried to save him. But his path had been blocked… by an angel serving Mü Thanatos.
The Dragon Heirs? No, they are not all gathered. Not yet. But Orlongue claims it will be possible… one day. Not now. So there is no need to worry for the moment.
Yet… it was strange. Everything seemed too perfect. As if the thread of reality had been twisted, hastily repaired. But despite this feeling, I savored the moment. Bakuran, Salomé, Shushu, Kai, and I… we had finally returned to the world of Existence. Kai claimed he wanted to watch over us… but, let's be honest, it was clear he enjoyed being here.
Mother… she was radiant. She welcomed us in her arms with tears of joy. Even Kai got a smile, and despite his cold and proud demeanor, I saw his eyes sparkle. He too was happy to be here.
Meanwhile, Rivhiamë and Saiko had taken advantage of my confrontation with Isissis to… get acquainted. And their rapport… had become strange. Too strange. I hope they aren't falling in love. That would be… complicated.
Anyway, Rivhiamë had gone back to join Velda in her dimension. And there, Velda told us something that chilled my blood:
For a moment, she too had been transformed into a mortal.
That meant one thing… Isissis's primordial domain could reach even pocket dimensions. Even closed realities. This power… was not mere domination. It was total contamination.
And that… made it even more terrifying than anything I had imagined.
Night had fallen, silent, studded with cold stars.
Sakolomé sat outside, alone, his gaze lost in the darkness. The night air brushed his face, but his heart still burned with the aftermath of the battle.
Light footsteps approached. Salomé stepped out of the house and came closer to him. Her soft voice broke the silence:
— Big brother… was it you who defeated Isissis?
Sakolomé lowered his eyes. A bitter smile brushed his lips before vanishing.
— No… he whispered. It wasn't even a fight… He took a deep breath, fists clenched on his knees. — I don't know how long it will take to defeat him… but I swear I'll do everything I can.
Salomé didn't answer immediately. She sat beside him. Together, they looked up at the sky. The stars sparkled, indifferent witnesses to their wounds and promises. No sound, except the wind, disturbed the nocturnal calm.
Then, without warning, Sakolomé wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
— Big brother? What's wrong with you? she asked, surprised.
He smiled faintly, genuine warmth in his voice:
— I'm just… so happy not to have lost you. Not for good.
Salomé felt his arms tremble. It was not weakness, but the weight of a fear he had kept to himself. When he finally released her, he took a deep breath and told her everything. Every moment. Every humiliation. Every word from Isissis that had struck like a verdict.
Salomé listened silently. The more he spoke, the more her face closed. When he finished, she understood. Isissis was not a simple enemy. He was a monster.
According to Ñout, he was not only powerful. He was the absolute master of the second zone of the Dream. A stratum so vast that it included the third and fourth zones.
The third zone? Ruled by Isissis III, the domain of tertiary gods.
The fourth zone? Under the authority of Isissis IV, the realm of quaternary gods.
And through these revelations, Sakolomé grasped the extent of their weakness. He, Ysolongue, all his companions… belonged to the fourth zone.
Only Velda and Orlongue escaped this overwhelming hierarchy.
This realization tightened his throat. Isissis's superiority… surpassed everything he had imagined.
They had to cross all these zones. A dizzying ascent, almost absurd.
Even Saiko, superior to most secondary gods, was nothing next to Isissis. Maybe he could rival in pure combat… but for everything else, the difference was an abyss.
The night silence was broken by Salomé's soft voice:
— Big brother… I want you to know… I have finally chosen my path.
Sakolomé quickly turned his head toward her, surprised:
— Really?
She nodded slowly, her eyes shining with newfound determination:
— I want to become the Mistress of Dragons.
He blinked, bewildered:
— The Mistress of Dragons? What do you mean?
Then Salomé explained. This title, this role… to be Orlongue's shoulder, a guardian, an heir to the draconic lineage. A step toward dragon divinity. It wasn't simple, but compared to the path Sakolomé had to take, it seemed less suicidal.
She said she had already spoken about it to Zelongue, Ysolongue, and Orlongue.
Zelongue had burst out laughing but hadn't said it was impossible.
Ysolongue and Orlongue, on the other hand, had encouraged her, even promising their help when the time came.
Sakolomé looked at her for a long time, silent. Part of him was proud, another… somewhat worried.
His gaze drifted to the sky. Up there, the starry immensity reminded him of Mü Thanatos. That entity which, without ever showing itself, had repaired everything Isissis had broken. She had done in a breath what had seemed beyond reach to him, who had risked his life.
He clenched his jaw. She… had not even deemed him worthy of a glance.
Maybe she has no interest in me, he thought bitterly. And why would she?
He lowered his head, eyes closed, a sigh escaping him. He was only a being of the fourth zone.
The lowest. The weakest. A speck on the scale of the strata… and yet, this speck already seemed so immense to him.
But his fingers clenched. His fists closed.
He opened his eyes. And in that gaze shone the same flame as when he had decided to confront Isissis, even knowing he would lose.
A whisper escaped his lips:
— No matter how long it takes… I will climb through all the zones. Sooner or later… I will succeed.
After all, Ñout had made him her temporary subject.
It was a sign. Proof that he was already on the path.
He had only one option left: never give up.