🏠 Home
The door clicked open.
"Welcome home!"
Leo had barely stepped inside before his mother's voice reached him.
"I expected you earlier," she continued, walking toward him.
"But I suppose you wouldn't have been punished if you didn't start a fight."
Leo shrugged, slipping off his shoes.
"It wasn't really a fight."
From the living room—
A laugh.
"Ha! You can't blame him," his father said, leaning back casually.
"I was worse at his age."
Leo glanced at him.
"Yeah… I can see that."
His father smirked.
"Watch your tone."
They sat together.
Leo briefly explained the dungeon.
The team.
The role.
"…Being a porter is easy," Leo finished.
"I might just stick with it."
Silence.
Then—
"No, you won't."
His father's voice was firm now.
"I didn't raise you to play support your whole life."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"I used to be among the highest ranks," his father continued.
"And you—"
He pointed at Leo.
"You're better than I ever was."
Before he could continue—
THWACK.
His mother hit him lightly on the head.
"Our son will choose his own path," she said calmly.
"Not relive yours."
A pause.
"And don't forget—"
She looked at him.
"You wouldn't even be here if not for that injury."
His father winced dramatically.
"…Why do you always bring that up?"
"It still hurts, you know."
His mother smiled faintly.
"Good. Maybe you'll remember next time."
Leo watched quietly.
Normal.
Peaceful.
"…Go upstairs," she said to him.
"Dinner will be ready soon."
Leo nodded and left.
🧠 Reflection
His room.
Quiet.
Leo lay on his bed.
Staring at the ceiling.
"…First one."
A pause.
"My first conceptual fight… outside Lily."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Different."
Not chaotic.
Not overwhelming.
Predictable.
"…But still…"
A faint smile.
"…interesting."
He closed his eyes.
"…There are others."
"…Maybe even better than her."
Sleep took him.
🍽️ Dinner
"Leo! Dinner!"
His eyes opened.
"…Coming."
Moments later—
He sat at the table.
"…This is good."
A bite.
"…Actually—this is always good."
His mother smiled.
🌑 Elsewhere — Leviathan
A massive hall.
Dark.
Silent.
Orion stood at the center.
"…That's everything."
Silence followed.
Then—
Murmurs.
Low.
Uneasy.
"…So you're saying…"
"…He beat you…"
"…In your own conceptual space?"
Orion didn't respond.
Then—
A voice cut through everything.
Calm.
Cold.
"…In all our years…"
The room fell silent instantly.
"…Have we ever seen a conceptual holder like this?"
All eyes turned.
Lila.
Leader of Leviathan.
"If what you've said is true…" she continued,
"…then this is no longer a simple matter."
She stepped forward slowly.
"Let me remind you all."
A pause.
"Conceptual powers are ranked."
"Basic."
"Refined."
"Absolute."
"…Primordial."
The room listened.
"As of now…"
"Only two primordial forces are known."
"…Creation."
"…and Nothingness."
A shift in the atmosphere.
"Order…" she added,
"…is not among them."
Murmurs rose again.
"…Then how—?"
"…How did he—?"
"…Without using it—?"
Lila's eyes narrowed.
"…That is the problem."
A pause.
"As it stands…"
"The only confirmed Absolute-level holder…"
"…is Pain."
Silence.
"…And he has ignored every summons."
"…For years."
One of the sub-leaders stepped forward.
"Then we act ourselves."
Another scoffed.
"Against someone like that?"
"Don't be foolish."
A third voice—
"…Then what? We wait?"
Lila raised her hand.
Silence returned.
"…No."
A pause.
"We escalate."
Everyone stilled.
"We call a meeting."
"…The Government."
"…The Guild."
"…All of them."
Shock spread across the room.
"That's absurd—"
"We don't cooperate—"
"That power—"
"We aren't sharing it."
Lila's voice cut them off.
Cold.
Precise.
"We're using them."
A pause.
"…All we need…"
"…is the final blow."
Silence.
Heavy.
"…And when the time comes…"
Her eyes darkened.
"…we take everything."
She turned slightly.
"…Prepare it."
A figure stepped forward.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Set the meeting."
"With the Guild Leader…"
"…and the President."
🍽️ Back Home
Leo leaned back in his chair.
"…Ah."
"…This is great."
Completely unaware—
That the world—
Had already begun moving.
Against him.