One Year Later…
When everyone is having a good time together.
Inside of the Tenno household.
Like everyone is enjoying themselves together by bonding.
Rowena Graves:
"The cake?"
Ashen:
"Ready."
Rowena Graves:
"The gifts?"
Ashen:
"Ready."
Rowena Graves:
"The guests?"
Ashen:
"Arriving soon."
Rowena Graves nodded.
Then she looked upward.
Very slowly.
Very carefully.
Her eye twitched.
Because attached to the ceiling—
Upside down—
Was Ye Xian.
The one-year-old child was somehow crawling across the ceiling while humming happily.
Baby Xian:
"Da da da da!"
Rowena Graves:
"…"
Ashen:
"…"
Rowena Graves:
"How long has he been up there?"
Ashen:
"Twenty minutes."
Rowena Graves:
"Why didn't you stop him?"
Ashen:
"I tried."
Ashen pointed toward a broken ladder.
Then another broken ladder.
Then a third broken ladder.
Ashen:
"He won."
Rowena looked exhausted.
Meanwhile—
Xian happily waved.
Baby Xian:
"MA!"
Rowena Graves:
"Get down here."
Baby Xian:
"No."
Silence.
Rowena blinked.
Ashen blinked.
Rowena Graves:
"…Did he just say no?"
Ashen:
"I think he did."
Rowena stared at her son.
Baby Xian:
"No."
Rowena Graves:
"…"
Ashen:
"…"
Baby Xian:
"No."
Rowena Graves:
"He definitely said no."
At that exact moment—
The front door opened.
Chaos Tenno walked inside.
Chaos Tenno:
"I'm home."
Baby Xian's eyes immediately lit up.
Baby Xian:
"PA!"
BOOM!
He launched himself from the ceiling like a missile.
Rowena screamed.
Ashen screamed.
Several nearby servants screamed.
Chaos Tenno simply raised one hand.
THUD.
Perfect catch.
Baby Xian:
"PA!"
Chaos Tenno:
"…Hello."
The child immediately climbed onto his shoulders.
Chaos Tenno looked around.
Chaos Tenno:
"Why is everyone sweating?"
Rowena pointed upward.
Chaos Tenno looked at the ceiling.
Then at the broken ladders.
Then at Ashen.
Then back at the ceiling.
Chaos Tenno:
"…"
Ashen:
"Don't."
Chaos Tenno:
"I wasn't going to say anything."
Ashen:
"You were."
Chaos Tenno:
"I was."
Before anyone could continue—
The doorbell rang.
DING DONG.
The guests had arrived.
Soon afterward…
The house became crowded.
Finn Zhao arrived first carrying a massive gift box.
Behind him came Hydra Nova.
Then Vorthax.
Then countless friends, allies, and family members.
The atmosphere quickly became lively.
Finn Zhao immediately walked over.
Finn Zhao:
"WHERE IS THE LITTLE MENACE?"
Baby Xian pointed.
Baby Xian:
"UNCLE FINN!"
Finn froze.
Finn Zhao:
"…"
Hydra Nova:
"…"
Vorthax:
"…"
Finn Zhao:
"He called me uncle."
Hydra Nova:
"Congratulations."
Finn Zhao:
"No, seriously."
Finn looked emotional.
Finn Zhao:
"He called me uncle."
Vorthax immediately shoved him aside.
Vorthax:
"Move."
He knelt in front of Xian.
Vorthax:
"Who's your favorite uncle?"
Baby Xian:
"PA."
Vorthax:
"…"
Baby Xian:
"PA."
Vorthax:
"…"
Baby Xian:
"PA."
Vorthax slowly stood.
His soul visibly left his body.
Hydra Nova nearly collapsed laughing.
Several hours later…
The birthday party was in full swing.
Children played throughout the yard.
Adults talked and laughed.
Music filled the air.
For once—
Everything felt normal.
Peaceful.
Happy.
Chaos Tenno sat beneath a tree watching everyone.
Rowena joined him.
For a few moments neither spoke.
They simply watched their son.
Watched their family.
Watched their friends.
Rowena smiled softly.
Rowena Graves:
"We've come a long way."
Chaos Tenno nodded.
Chaos Tenno:
"We have."
A year ago he had been fighting cosmic threats.
A decade ago he had been saving universes.
Long before that—
He had simply been trying to survive.
Yet now—
His greatest concern was whether his son would accidentally destroy the house.
Life was strange.
Rowena gently leaned against him.
Rowena Graves:
"Are you happy?"
Chaos Tenno looked toward the sky.
The blue sky.
The peaceful world.
The family he loved.
The son currently attempting to teach a squirrel how to fly.
Chaos Tenno:
"…Yeah."
More than happy.
Content.
Something he had spent countless years chasing without realizing it.
Then suddenly—
BOOM.
The ground shook.
Everyone froze.
Chaos Tenno immediately stood.
His eyes sharpened.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Heroes who had once battled gods reacted on instinct.
Finn Zhao:
"Enemy?"
Hydra Nova:
"I don't sense anything."
Vorthax:
"What was that?"
Another tremor shook the area.
BOOOOM.
Chaos Tenno frowned.
That energy felt familiar.
Very familiar.
Then—
A small voice echoed from the backyard.
Baby Xian:
"Again!"
Everyone turned.
And saw the source.
A tiny crater.
A very large crater.
And standing proudly in the middle of it—
Was Ye Xian.
The one-year-old had somehow punched the ground.
Hard enough to create a crater the size of a mansion.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Baby Xian looked excited.
Baby Xian:
"Again!"
Chaos Tenno immediately appeared beside him.
Chaos Tenno:
"No."
Baby Xian:
"Again!"
Chaos Tenno:
"No."
Baby Xian:
"Again!"
Chaos Tenno:
"No."
Baby Xian pointed at the crater.
Baby Xian:
"Fun."
Chaos Tenno:
"That's exactly the problem."
Nearby—
Finn Zhao stared.
Hydra Nova stared.
Vorthax stared.
Ashen stared.
Xellion looked impressed.
Xellion:
"The Young Lord possesses excellent form."
Ashen:
"HE'S ONE YEAR OLD!"
Xellion:
"Natural talent."
Ashen:
"THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE!"
The argument resumed immediately.
That evening…
The party eventually came to an end.
Guests returned home.
The decorations came down.
The house became quiet once more.
For the first time all day—
Peace returned.
Baby Xian was asleep.
Finally.
Miraculously.
Chaos Tenno and Rowena stood beside the crib.
Watching him sleep.
The child looked innocent.
Harmless.
Adorable.
Nothing like the tiny disaster he became when awake.
Rowena laughed quietly.
Rowena Graves:
"He looks so peaceful."
Chaos Tenno:
"That's how he tricks people."
Rowena covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Then her expression softened.
Rowena Graves:
"He's growing up fast."
Chaos Tenno nodded.
Too fast.
It felt like only yesterday he had caught a flying baby in the hallway.
Now that same child was creating craters.
At this rate—
Chaos Tenno wasn't sure what the future held.
But strangely—
He wasn't worried.
Whatever came next—
They would face it together.
As a family.
Outside the house…
The night sky glittered with stars.
A gentle wind passed through the trees.
And far above—
Beyond worlds.
Beyond dimensions.
Beyond the endless sea of existence—
An ancient presence slowly opened its eyes.
Watching.
Waiting.
Interested.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
Merely curious.
Its gaze settled upon a single sleeping child.
Ye Xian.
The child smiled in his sleep.
As if sensing something.
The ancient presence paused.
Then—
For the first time in countless ages—
It laughed.
A quiet laugh.
A knowing laugh.
And somewhere in the endless void, a voice whispered:
"Interesting…"
"The next generation has arrived."
The stars themselves trembled.
And a new story quietly began.
End of Chapter