"What?!"
The roar shook the entire mansion.
Eiden's eyes snapped open. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the vast living room, warm and golden, illuminating drifting dust motes like suspended stars. He lay on the velvet couch, the fabric soft beneath him. His body felt strangely refreshed—lighter, stronger, as if every muscle had been rewoven overnight. He smelled faintly of soap and clean linen. Someone had washed him. He looked down. White linen pants. Bare chest. Just him.
He rose from the couch, stretching once, feeling power coil through his limbs like a living current. The mansion was quiet—too quiet. He checked the master bedroom. Empty. The library. Only the lingering scent of parchment and ink. But as he approached the kitchen—
Voices. Loud ones.
"Yup, and allll of us are… a hundred percent pregnant with Eiden's baby," Iris declared, her tone dripping with smug triumph.
Vaelus stood frozen in the center of the kitchen, emerald eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Selyndra was helping Morvath move heavy iron pans near the stove, her golden eyes glowing with a soft, knowing warmth.
"What about mine?!" Vaelus sputtered, pointing at his own chest as if betrayed by the universe.
"Looks like we'll see in nine months," Selyndra said lightly, flipping something in the pan.
Eiden stepped into the doorway, sunlight catching in his white hair. "Morning."
Vaelus spun so fast he nearly fell. "Eiden! You gave them a child?! What about us??"
Gavran didn't even look up from his tea. His massive white wings were tucked neatly behind him. "I don't really intend to have sex, Vaelus," he said calmly.
"No, no, no! I mean, Eiden gave the four of them a child, and now we have to wait nine months for our turn!"
Eiden's eyes glowed—a faint, pulsing white light. The air thickened for a heartbeat. Then the glow faded.
"Well," Eiden said, his voice deeper, resonant, "the babies growing inside the four of them contain all nine of our DNA strands. It is a collective legacy. However… it means we will have nine children in total."
Silence. Only the crackle of fat in the pan. Selyndra turned slowly, spatula limp in her hand. "Eiden… how many children does each of us carry?"
Eiden walked to the table, resting his hands on the back of a chair. "To ensure the First Divinity is fully realized, the nine children are distributed across the four of you: Selyndra, you carry two; Seraphaine, you have two; Iris, you are carrying three; and Agora, you carry two."
Morvath set the skillet down with a heavy thud. "Nine… You've sparked an entire generation in a single night."
Iris stared at her stomach. "Three? I'm carrying three at once?"
Dravien smirked from the corner. "You bragged about being a hundred percent pregnant. Looks like you won the jackpot."
Vaelus sat down hard. "Nine kids… and they all have a piece of me? I'm going to be a father nine times over by winter!"
THAT NIGHT
The mansion glowed softly under lantern light. The spouses gathered in the living room, tea steaming in their cups. Dravien lounged on the couch, tail flicking. Morvath sat on the floor, arms resting on his knees. Gavran folded his wings tightly. Vaelus paced. The wives sat together, hands drifting to their stomachs.
"I'm teaching them combat," Vaelus declared. "You're not training infants," Selyndra said. "Toddlers then."
Gavran sipped his tea. "Meditation." Dravien snorted. "They'll last three minutes." Agora smiled softly. "I want to show them the stars." Seraphaine brushed her curls back. "I want to teach them music." Morvath rumbled, "Cooking. Proper cooking." Iris sighed dramatically. "I want to teach them how to be stylish and terrifying."
They laughed. But over the next few days… they noticed something. Eiden was always outside at night. Always counting days. Always staring at the moon.
THREE NIGHTS LATER
A bird swooped down silently, landing on the porch railing. Eiden took the scroll from its talons. Behind him, the spouses slept peacefully. He opened the letter. His expression didn't change. But the moonlight dimmed.
A barren plain. A circular stone chamber rising from nothing. The Council of Gods assembled. Selphira's silver hair flowed like liquid light. Vorthan's presence bent the marble beneath him. Aelion's storm-swirled eyes crackled. Myrialis' floating scrolls turned their own pages. Kaelith shimmered with drifting constellations. Yulani's golden light bloomed around her wrists. Zathriel's mismatched eyes watched with surgical precision. Tharos dimmed the sunlight around him. Rah sat quietly. Larry slipped in, tail flicking.
The crystal orb hovered above the table. It pulsed.
"Council, this is urgent," the orb said. "Two nights ago, we detected a shift in the atmosphere. Civilar has obtained the Blade of Enchantment. He left his tomb, found the blade in the unclaimed lands, and returned to the Abyssal Frontier."
The room tensed. Eiden raised a hand. "It's fine." His voice echoed with calm authority. "I have allies prepared to defeat Civilar. The right people. Do not worry—I'll handle it."
Larry crossed his arms. "And who are these allies?"
Eiden's eyes glowed faintly. "The Seven Originals. Bengie and his two closest friends. Ou'weii, the Demon King. And Uzak'me, the God of Dominion."
Larry shot to his feet. "WHAT?! But you and Uzak'me killed each other!"
Eiden shrugged lightly. "We made the world think we were enemies."
One of the gods muttered, "Makes sense why Dyuke never delivered the bodies."
Eiden continued, "Tomorrow, I'll head to the Capital and meet with my allies. We will plan."
The orb pulsed again. "Eiden, Civilar wields dark magic and untamed Divine power. Facing him is too risky."
Eiden leaned forward slightly. "Tell me… can you picture defeating a man who can erase your existence with a thought? I can't. Because there isn't another being besides me who can do that."
Silence.
"When I face Civilar, I'll make sure he dies choking on his blood."
"Hm… then destroy the Blade of Enchantment when you find him," the orb said.
Aelion leaned forward. "Eiden… you found the Grimoire of Divinark? How?"
Eiden nodded. "Larry—the man you saw hand me a bag—I sent him to search every dungeon, tomb, and ruin tied to the Three Gods. He delivered it to me. And a few nights ago, I mastered all the grimoires… including Divinark."
The orb dimmed, then brightened. "The Grimoire of Divinark is too powerful. A curse. A curse to know you stand above all existence. But… you are the only being worthy of its power."
Eiden bowed his head slightly. "I understand. Now, if I may…" He rose from his chair. "I need rest. And tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving to handle Civilar for good."
THE NEXT MORNING
Soft morning light spilled across the mansion's polished floors. The air was still, quiet, almost reverent—as if the world itself knew Eiden was preparing to leave. He stood by the front door, fastening the last clasp of his cloak.
Footsteps approached.
"Eiden…?"
Dravien. He stood there, ears low, tail still, blue eyes uncertain. "You'll be safe, right?" he asked quietly.
Eiden stepped closer, cupping Dravien's face in both hands, gently squishing his cheeks. "Yeah," Eiden said softly. "I'll be safe. And soon, I'll make sure Civilar isn't here, so that all of you are safe."
Dravien didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around Eiden's neck, pulling him close, nuzzling into the crook of Eiden's neck, and inhaling his scent like it grounded him. Eiden held him.
But Eiden felt a shift in the house. He realized the women had left early to visit Selyndra's clan. He was home alone with the men.
He felt the tension change. Dravien began wrapping his tail around Eiden's waist, pulling their bodies flush together as he grinded slowly against him.
"But, before you go," Dravien whispered, looking up at him with mischievous, burning eyes. "We still want our turn."