The evening sky had turned deep indigo by the time Ethan finally reached home.
Warm golden light spilled from the windows, carrying the comforting aroma of home-cooked food into the cool night air.
For the first time since the ceremony, the world felt almost… normal.
Inside the dining room, the family gathered around the table. Lively chatter filled the space.
"You actually summoned an angel," his aunt said, placing another dish down with a bright smile. "I still can't believe it."
Lily nodded vigorously, eyes sparkling.
"Brother is the best! Everyone at school is going to be so jealous!"
Ethan gave an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I just got lucky…"
"Lucky?" Lily exclaimed. "Do you know how many people would kill to have an angel as their partner?"
His uncle chuckled softly, shaking his head.
The conversation flowed easily — the excitement of the ceremony, the legendary Kunpeng, the chaos that followed. For a while, Ethan let himself enjoy the warmth.
Then his aunt's expression turned thoughtful.
"That mysterious young man, though…" she said slowly. "The one who shattered all the summoning pillars. Those things have stood for thousands of years."
The table quieted.
His uncle nodded, fork pausing mid-air. "He was floating in the air at one point. And those pillars… even the strongest summoners have never damaged them."
Lily puffed her cheeks. "And they didn't even announce his name! So unfair."
Everyone laughed.
But Ethan stayed silent.
His gaze dropped to the table as memories flooded back — golden chains vanishing, a single word collapsing Heaven's gate, beasts bowing in unison.
He unconsciously reached up and touched the locket resting against his chest. The metal felt heavier than usual.
Meanwhile, in the Wen family estate, Lucy lay on her luxurious bed, staring at the ceiling.
The room was silent except for the soft ticking of a clock.
She couldn't stop thinking about him.
*That man…*
He hadn't summoned anything.
Yet every beast in the arena — including her own Kunpeng — had bowed before him.
Even now, she could feel the instinctive fear her partner had shown.
Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who exactly are you…?"
For the first time in years, genuine curiosity stirred inside her — sharp, insistent, and impossible to ignore.
At the Obsidian Vanguard Guild headquarters, Alaric Wen stood alone on the rooftop terrace.
Cold night wind tugged at his clothes as he gazed at the moon.
The image of the black-haired stranger refused to leave his mind.
The overwhelming pressure.
The shattered pillars.
The unnatural submission of countless beasts.
Alaric closed his eyes.
His Jade Python had been with him for decades. He knew better than anyone how proud and powerful that beast was.
For it to bow so deeply…
Alaric reopened his eyes, a rare trace of unease flickering across his face.
"That man doesn't belong to this era," he murmured.
He felt it in his bones — something ancient had stepped into their world.
Late that night, Ethan sat on the edge of his bed.
The house was quiet. Everyone else had gone to sleep.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting pale silver patterns across the floor.
He held the old locket in his palm, staring at it in silence.
Too many questions swirled in his head.
Who was that man?
Why did Heaven retreat before him?
Why did Avenil look so wary?
And why… did he feel so strangely familiar?
Eventually, Ethan let out a long breath.
There were no answers tonight.
He slipped the locket back around his neck and lay down.
Sleep came slowly.
Darkness.
Endless, suffocating darkness.
Ethan opened his eyes and immediately recognized the place.
The void.
Without hesitation, he walked forward.
Step after step.
Toward the distant throne.
When he finally reached it, he stopped.
The massive chains were still there, wrapped around the throne.
The oppressive darkness remained.
But the chained man…
He was gone.
Only the empty throne stood in silence.
Waiting.