The Milky Way stretched endlessly beneath him, rivers of light threading through the void. Kai hovered in the cold embrace of space, arms folded behind his back, golden eyes fixed on the galaxy he had once called home. Behind him, Ema's projection shimmered faintly, her starlight robes reflecting distant nebulae.
Kai's voice was calm, but there was weight to it.
"Part of me… the cautious part, wants to stay hidden. To observe the factions, to grow quietly until even the Primordials themselves can't ignore me."
Ema tilted her head, her golden eyes sharp. "And the other part?"
A low chuckle rumbled from Kai. "My bloodline refuses to crawl in shadows. Since awakening, I've felt restless. Bored. No enemies worth my strength. No opponents to remind me what it feels like to struggle."
He flexed his hands, faint sparks of golden aura leaking into the void. His grin widened.
"But now? The Knoll Empire sits fat and proud, thinking themselves rulers of this galaxy. And I… finally have the chance to stretch my hands."
Ema's tone was unreadable. "So, Kai… will you stay hidden, or announce yourself to the stars?"
Kai threw his head back and laughed, a sound booming across the silence of space.
"Hide? No. I've waited too long. If the universe won't send me enemies…" His eyes sharpened, glowing like twin suns. "…then I'll carve a path to them myself."
With a thought, he released it.
A sliver of his Sage aura spilled into the Milky Way. Just a thread, yet it rippled across the galaxy. Planets trembled, stellar arrays quivered, and the sensors of the Knoll Empire blared alarms that shook the core of every orbital station and planetary citadel.
---
Knoll Imperial Capital – Solakar
The throne hall quaked as starlight arrays flared, reacting instinctively to the overwhelming energy. Ministers shouted over each other, generals barked orders, nobles whispered in fear.
Lord Veylor Knoll, Emperor of the Milky Way, rose slowly from his throne, crimson starlight robes shimmering.
"That… that was Sage Realm. Impossible. No Sage has emerged in this galaxy for hundreds of thousands of years."
An elder minister trembled. "Could it be a messenger from the Primordial Humans?"
"No," Veylor snapped, eyes narrowing. "That was no messenger. That was someone declaring themselves."
Silence fell heavy in the chamber, pierced only by the murmurs of terror.
---
Knoll High Military Command – Orbital Fortress 'Iron Fang'
Alarms blared. Warships spun into defensive formations, energy shields flaring. Grand Marshal Thuran's fists slammed the command table.
"Report!" he barked.
"Sir—the aura… bypassed every scanner. The readings confirm Sage-level fluctuations."
"Then we're finished," muttered a commander. "Our strongest only sits at Peak Galactic… one flick of that power and the fleet is dust."
"No!" Thuran roared. "We cannot allow an unknown Sage to humiliate the Empire. Dispatch a message to the Primordial Humans. Reinforcements—now!"
---
Knoll Grand Council – Chamber of Ministers
In crystalline chambers, politicians and aristocrats screamed over one another.
"We must appease him!"
"Appease?! Are you mad? He could be a usurper!"
"If he is a Sage, the people will worship him before they bow to us!"
"Then silence the populace!"
Accusations flew. Factions formed instantly: those advocating submission, those demanding resistance, and those scheming to use the new Sage as leverage against rivals. One trembling minister whispered,
"This is the end of our monopoly. The galaxy will not be ruled by the Knoll name alone anymore."
---
Knoll Religious Order – Temple of the Eternal Flame
High Priests fell to their knees as Kai's aura washed over the altars. Divine fires bent toward the source instinctively, roaring uncontrollably.
"It cannot be…" gasped the High Flamekeeper. "Our prophecies spoke of a hidden star—one that would burn the Knoll Empire from within."
Common worshippers whispered in awe. Some began chanting:
"The True Sage has come! The heavens have chosen another!"
Faith, once anchored to the Imperial line, now stirred dangerously toward the unknown.
---
Knoll Intelligence Directorate – Black Vault
Spymasters in a sealed chamber argued with icy precision.
"If this Sage reveals himself fully, the Empire collapses overnight."
"Then we erase him before the populace knows his face."
"You speak as though we could kill a Sage."
Silence fell. The Director's eyes glinted coldly.
"Then we do not kill him… we contain him. By fear, by contract, by deception. Prepare our best infiltrators. Find his origin, weakness, and ties."
---
Knoll Border Worlds – The Common People
Farmers looked to the sky, feeling tremors in the atmosphere. Merchants whispered of gods awakening. Soldiers murmured in their barracks. Across colonies, rumors spread faster than censorship could chase.
"They say a Sage has awakened."
"In our galaxy?"
"Then who needs the Emperor? The stars themselves have chosen a new ruler!"
Rebellion stirred in hearts across dozens of worlds.
---
Back in Space
Kai hovered calmly, the empire's chaos resonating below him like music. His aura was now withdrawn, but the impact remained. Golden eyes glittered with anticipation.
"Panic. Scheme. Pray. It doesn't matter. You've already seen the truth—" he murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "—your galaxy has a Sage."
Ema's projection shimmered silently beside him, her expression unreadable.
Kai turned to the endless void, aura hidden. The galaxy had tasted fear, and soon, the rest of the universe would too. And this time, the game had only just begun.