Demos' eyes narrowed.
"…What ability?" he asked.
The voice hummed softly.
"My son… you wouldn't understand my divine ability, even if I explained it to you."
Demos frowned.
"Hey, come on… how would you know?" he protested.
A pause.
Then—
A playful tone.
"Okay, okay… but you'll have to call me Mother first."
A beat.
"Then I'll explain it to you."
Demos froze.
He wasn't expecting that.
The word… mother…
It felt foreign.
Heavy.
Unfamiliar on his tongue.
He had never known what it meant to have one.
Never said it.
Never needed to.
Now—
He was being asked to.
His mouth opened—
"…I—uh—no—I mean—what—wait—"
Nothing came out properly.
Just a mess of broken words.
The voice went silent.
Then—
Laughter exploded.
"Ahahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!"
Demos flinched.
"What?! No—I'm not ready—but why—no—hey—what?!"
She laughed harder.
"Calm down, Demos."
Her voice softened.
"When you're ready to call me Mother… Mom… or even Mommy…"
A pause.
"I'll be here."
Something in his chest eased.
Warm.
Unfamiliar.
But… comforting.
He hesitated.
Then asked quietly:
"…So… are you going to tell me what kind of ability it was?"
A small sigh echoed.
"Well—yes."
A pause.
"But not now."
Demos snapped instantly.
"What?! Why?! Is it because I'm too weak?"
"…Yes."
A beat.
"And stop interrupting me when I'm explaining something."
Demos stiffened.
That pressure—
That suffocating force from earlier—
Flashed in his memory.
He lowered his head instinctively.
"…Yes… Your Majesty."
Silence.
Then—
Laughter again.
Warm.
Bright.
"Ahahahahahaha!"
"Demos… to you, I am no queen."
Her voice softened deeply.
"Just a mother… trying to protect her only child."
Something broke.
Quietly.
Inside him.
For the first time—
He understood.
A fragment of what it meant…
To be loved.
A small smile formed without him noticing.
Tears slipped down his cheeks.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"…Thank you… Mother."
The system flickered.
Light pulsed once—
Then faded.
The voice stilled.
Then—
Soft.
Almost trembling with joy.
"My baby… finally called me Mother."
A quiet laugh followed.
"This calls for a celebration. Maybe I'll go visit that old man for once…"
A pause.
Then she continued.
"As I was saying—I gave you my own celestial veins so you could be healed inside the Chambers of Nothingness."
Demos frowned slightly.
"…So you're saying… your celestial veins made me your biological son?"
A beat.
"Is that right?"
"Correct."
Her tone brightened.
"You and I now share the same celestial veins."
"Nearly identical."
"About ninety-nine percent."
A pause.
"And the best part?"
A hint of pride crept into her voice.
"Unlike your father—who only possessed two colors of the Original Five-Colored Lightning…"
A soft laugh.
"You and I… possess all five."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Demos shot to his feet.
"MOTHER—DID YOU JUST SAY I WAS A FUCKING EXPERIMENT?!"
A pause.
Then—
Feigning innocence.
"I have no idea what you're talking about…"
Demos' eye twitched.
She spoke quickly—too quickly.
"Ooooh… it looks like your Spartan innate ability will awaken soon!"
Demos blinked.
"Hey—wait—don't change the topic—what do you mean innate ability—?"
He stopped.
Mid-sentence.
His thoughts shifted instantly.
Hooked.
"Spartan… innate ability?"
The voice softened.
"Alright, baby boy… I'll have to contact you again soon. The mana stone is about to—"
Static.
Crackle.
Silence.
The connection snapped.
"Mother?"
Demos stepped forward.
"Mother—Mother, say something!"
Nothing.
"I want to know what innate ability you're talking about!"
Silence answered him.
She was gone.
Somewhere…
Far beyond worlds—
She smiled.
Softly.
Remembering the way he said it.
Mother.
Back in the cave—
Demos stood alone.
"…Tch."
He cursed under his breath.
Frustration simmering.
Questions unanswered.
He exhaled slowly.
Then turned toward the cave's entrance—
"Tribe Leader, you're awake."
Akira.
Demos glanced at her.
"Yes. I'm fine."
A pause.
"Is something wrong?"
She shook her head.
"No… but six moons ago, we heard you scream."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"It startled the warriors outside."
"They were too afraid to enter without your permission."
Demos froze.
"…Six moons?"
His eyes widened.
Time…
Had passed that much?
He clicked his tongue.
Shook his head.
Then reached down—
And grabbed his axe.
"…Where is Gorthok?"
His tone hardened.
"That bastard tried to roast me."
Akira said nothing.
Her expression remained calm.
Unreadable.
She turned.
"Follow me."
The sunlight hit hard.
Blinding.
Demos raised his arm, shielding his eyes.
Slowly—
His vision adjusted.
And what he saw—
Was death.
A vast, broken plain.
Cliffs jagged like torn flesh.
Trees twisted and dying.
The air carried the stench of rot.
Bones littered the ground.
Old.
Cracked.
Forgotten.
This wasn't a land.
It was a graveyard.
Akira led him forward.
To a clearing.
Gorthok stood there.
Still.
Waiting.
The tribe gathered.
Whispers spread.
Eyes locked onto Demos.
Gorthok's single eye dropped—
To the axe.
Confusion.
Shock.
Fear.
His body tensed.
No wounds.
No scars.
Nothing.
Demos stood whole.
Impossible.
The murmurs grew louder.
Then—
Gorthok moved.
He dropped his bone spear.
THUD.
"I will receive my punishment," he said.
His voice steady.
"For underestimating the strength of the new Tribe Leader."
Silence followed.
Then—
A warrior stepped forward.
"I am Maverick," he said. "I would be honored to hunt beside you… Great Warrior of Sparta."
Another stepped forward.
"I am Ryker. I will follow you into the hunt."
A third.
"Thane. I stand with the Tribe Leader."
A fourth.
"Kael. I will fight at your side."
Akira watched quietly.
Eyes fixed on Demos.
Waiting.
What judgment would he pass?
Demos said nothing.
For a moment.
Then—
"I will not punish you, Gorthok."
A pause.
"Not yet."
He turned slightly.
Facing them all.
His grip tightened around the axe.
"Instead… I will hunt with you."
"With these four."
His voice hardened.
"We will bring down a massive beast."
A beat.
"And we will celebrate the rebirth of this tribe."
Silence—
Then explosion.
Cheers.
Roars.
Hope ignited.
Gorthok remained still.
But something shifted in his eye.
Gratitude.
"…Thank you, Tribe Leader."
Demos laughed.
Low.
Sharp.
"Ahahahaha…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Aren't you thanking me a bit too soon?"
A pause.
"Your punishment… will be life-threatening."
The warriors went still.
"But don't worry."
His voice dropped.
Cold.
Controlled.
"I won't let a single one of my people die."
He lifted the axe slightly.
"With this…"
A faint smile.
"We will be victorious."
A chill ran through Gorthok's spine.
But he smiled.
"I'm ready… Tribe Leader."
Demos nodded once.
"Then move."
END