Demha and Lessa walked together through the heart of OMA toward the meeting hall. Awaiting them were three figures — one diplomat and two guards — from Planet DE.
Everything about them radiated authority: their robes shimmered with woven crystal, their jewelry pulsed with quiet energy, and even their posture carried a weight that made nearby people instinctively step back.
They sat down with perfect, practiced grace.
Demha remained serious, tense. Lessa, seated beside him, could feel the pressure in his shoulders and the storm behind his eyes. Sensing his silence might escalate the tension, she stepped in first.
She smiled politely. "Welcome. What brings you to OMA? And… who are you?"
"I am Adar," the diplomat said. "Envoy of DE. My people sent me to witness the rise of Earth's new hero." He smiled faintly. "After all, Earth was once one of our favorites."
Demha frowned, sitting forward. "You've misunderstood something. I'm not a hero." Then, narrowing his eyes, "And what do you mean we were your favorites? Have you visited Earth before?"
Adar tilted his head slightly, amused. "Ohhh… I suppose the ancient spell hasn't broken yet." He chuckled. "I thought Earth's return to the multiverse would restore all the lost memories. Strange."
Demha blinked. "What do you mean?"
Adar raised one elegant brow. "If you're truly interested in understanding… maybe we play a little game?"
Demha's voice dropped, cautious. "What kind of game?"
Adar smiled wider. "A deal. The next challenge to rank the rookie planets — the one that decides who joins the Life League — is near. If Earth survives and makes it into Life League… I will tell you everything. The truth about Earth's lost memories."
Demha asked flatly, "And if we don't?"
Adar shrugged. "Then you wouldn't be worth my time. You'll probably be enslaved… or destroyed. If not, and you merely survive but don't get promoted…" — he pointed at the two devices on Demha's hands — "I'll take those."
Demha's tone grew sharp. "How? They're attached. You mean you'd force me into your species as a slave?"
Adar burst out laughing. "Oh, human… no!" Then his tone dropped cold. "I'd cut off both your hands and take the devices with me."
Lessa stood up, her voice rising in fury, "You—!"
But Demha held a calm hand up, stopping her.
"Is that all that will happen?" he asked quietly. "Nothing will touch Lessa or Tena?"
Adar gave a small shrug. "Don't worry. We don't need them."
Then, after a pause, he added with a smirk, "Though I'm curious — you only care about those two? What about the rest of Earth?"
Demha looked him in the eye. "That's why you misunderstood. I'm not Earth's hero — and not out of modesty. I just don't care about what happens to people I don't care about."
Adar laughed again, eyes gleaming. "Yes! Good. That's how a king should think."
The meeting ended.
As Adar turned to walk away with his guards, he muttered just loud enough to be heard: "That was… interesting. Maybe we just met one of the old gods' favorites."
One of the guards frowned. "Weren't they all killed?"
Adar smiled darkly. "That's the interesting part." He laughed once more — and then they vanished.
⸻
Later, Demha and Lessa sat alone in their shared apartment — a private room above the city's main hall. She stood by the window, angry and pacing.
"You let him say all that — threaten you — threaten to cut off your hands! And you didn't even react!"
Demha remained seated on the edge of their low bed, watching her quietly. Then he spoke, calm but heavy.
"What we went through…" he said, "made me realize something."
He looked down at his own hands — the devices still pulsing faintly on his wrists.
"I'm weak. That guard could've killed all of us. Everyone in the city. Maybe everyone on all three planets. And we wouldn't even know how it started."
He looked up into her eyes.
"We have to evolve. We have to become stronger… or we'll die. I can't let anything happen to you."
Her anger melted into quiet sadness.
She sat down slowly, her knees brushing his. Her eyes glistened, but she didn't let the tears fall.
"I'll always be with you," she whispered, voice shaking. "No matter what we face."
She pulled him into a tight hug — and in that moment, there was no war, no multiverse, no DE.
Just them.
And the rising storm behind the stars
______________
One week later, the news shook the stars.
Across all three planets — now officially registered in the rookie league under the name "Earthsos" — the same announcement echoed through cities, forests, deserts, and skies:
The Promotion Challenge is coming.
In three months, the test that comes once every 50 years would begin. Across systems, they called it many names — but most simply called it:
The Worthy Test.
It was mandatory.
Every planet in the rookie league had to participate. And after the challenge, only two outcomes awaited them:
Win — and be promoted.
Lose — and be enslaved. Or destroyed.
On rare occasions, a losing species might catch the interest of a higher-ranked planet. In those cases, they were "claimed" — not quite free, not fully slaves. Treated as interesting pets or second-class citizens under another world's dominion.
But for Demha, that wasn't an option.
If Earthsos was claimed by a major planet, he would lose his devices — the very source of his potential, and the only weapons he believed could one day protect Lessa and Tena.
And even if Earthsos leaders appeared calm now, Demha knew — they were watching. They didn't trust him. The only reason no one had tried anything stupid… was because they feared his strength.
The strength that earned him the title:
Hero of Earthsos.
Demha sat alone in their big apartment on the top of the highest building in OMA that night, the city of OMA glowing quietly below, twin moons shining above — new moons that had only begun to appear since Earthsos joined the multiverse.
He stared into the stars and whispered to himself:
"I have one option.
To win.
This time… Lessa will be safe."
—
The Rules of the Multiverse:
1. Two Planet States:
Every universe contains two kinds of planets:
• Those who know about the multiverse and are connected to it.
• And those who remain unaware.
2. Entry & Consequences:
When a planet is chosen to join the multiverse, it faces a crossroads.
• If it wins — it joins.
• If it loses — it is either enslaved or destroyed.
3. Climbing the Ranks:
The more a planet wins, the higher it rises. With every rise come greater powers — but also more danger.
4. The Rookie League Path:
Once accepted into the multiverse, a planet begins with:
• Several Minor Challenges (local, exploratory).
• Then, one Global Challenge (with other planets).
Winning this promotes the planet into the Rookie League, where it gets basic access to multiverse resources — including technology, energy, power, and limited immortality.
But being in the Rookie League means little in the grand scheme — it's the lowest tier.
Every 50 years, planets must participate in the Promotion Challenge — the Worthy Test — with three possible outcomes:
1. Win and ascend to a major league.
2. Survive but remain in the Rookie League.
3. Fail and face enslavement or destruction.
5. The Three Major Leagues:
After Rookie, three main leagues exist:
• Life League
• Time League
• Death League
To advance from one to another, a planet must remain at the top of its league for 1,000 years.
Those who reach the Death League are the elites of the multiverse — beings who can reshape the laws of reality itself.
Beyond the Death League… no one knows what lies there.
6. Multiverse Blessing:
Upon joining the multiverse, planets gain unique advantages:
• Slowed aging (100 Earth years feel like 10).
• Access to rare technology, knowledge, and magic.
• Portals between allied planets.
• In some cases, even resurrection or memory manipulation.
⸻
Back in OMA, Demha watched the sky.
The two moons glowed above, a symbol of the merging of three planets into one fate.
He felt the silence press down, and without realizing, his mind drifted…
…to his mother's voice.
His sister's laughter.
The warmth of home — gone.
He clenched his fists.
"I won't let it happen again.
Not to me.
Not to Lessa.
Not to Tena."
Noone know how his family died. He didnt talk about this with details to anyone even lessa . But the pain was carved into him — the reason he escaped into lucid dreams. The reason he stopped trusting reality.
He had once detached from everything.
Until Lessa.
Now he had something to protect.
Now he had no choice but to become stronger.
Because this time…
The multiverse wasn't giving second chances.
End of chapter 8