"Goddess Ylthea... We finally found your Apostle."
A shiver ran down my spine.
She looked at , her eyes burning with joy.
"You are the child from that prophecy..."
"...?"
What was she saying?
God?
Apostle?
Prophecy?
But before I could place my words.
Before I could form a response, she lowered herself onto one knee, head bowed, eyes closed, and solemnly declared.
"I, Seraphine Ellion, greet thee, the Overlooker of all Authority."
I was speechless.
I simply stared at her bowed figure, unable to comprehend what was happening.
None of it made sense.
Hesitantly, I asked.
"Miss umm.... Elf, what are you... doing?"
Opening her eyes and tilting her head, she answered, "Call us Sera, and we were greeting the Apostle of Goddess Ylthea."
'That... I can see.'
"What Apostle? And who is this Goddess Ylthea?" I asked.
Miss Sera blinked, as if processing my question.
"Goddess Ylthea, one of the thirteen gods, and the creator of this world..."
Thirteen Gods?
Creator?
Every word that escaped her mouth only confused further.
But one thing was clear—she knew about my skills and powers.
I remained silent.
She continued.
"And you're her Apostle."
"..."
"Did you understand now?" Sera asked.
eting her gaze, I answered without hesitation.
"No. Can you please elaborate? You see... I don't actually believe in gods."
Her eyebrows twitched, and she imdiately burst out. "How rude! How can you say that?! As an Apostle of Goddess Ylt—"
"Alright, stop." Cutting her off, I sighed. "First of all, I don't know what you did with that pendant clock of yours. Secondly, I don't care who this Goddess is. I just want to know—do you actually have any knowledge about this Authority you're speaking of?"
She stood up, glaring at .
"First of all, dear human, we are explaining exactly that. Have so patience."
She shut up with a single sentence, then continued.
And what she told next made question my entire existence—
This world is governed by thirteen gods, each with unique role and authority and among them, Goddess Ylthea was the Major Gods, she was the one who created this words and maintained the balance among other twelve gods.
Raising her pendant high in the air, Sera explained.
"This pendant 'Aegis' was crafted by the Goddess of Ti, Kairosia herself."
Silent.
No words ca from my mouth.
I was simply amazed.
The more she speaks, the more I found myself lost.
Never in my life had I heard those nas of gods.
Taking a deep breath Sera continued.
"Each hour on this pendent represents an Authority, and each authority is governed by a god..."
"The First hour: Emotion, the authority I possessed. It governs the spectrum of feelings, from love to hatred everything..."
>2. Ti – Controls the past, present, and future.
>3. Desire – Embodies ambition, greed, longing, and aspiration.
>4. mory – Holds the records of all thoughts, experiences, and lost knowledge.
>5. Death – The inevitable end beyond existence.
>6. Life – The essence of existence, creation, and vitality.
>7. Fate – The invisible thread which guided all outcos and destinies.
>8. Will – The force that drives action, determination, and resistance in living being.
>9. Void – Represents nothingness, it erases, and recreate all things.
>10. Chaos – Embodies unpredictability, disorder, and destruction.
>11. Balance – The force that maintains harmony between all opposing elents.
>12. Dream – The realm of possibilities, illusions, and subconscious creation.
Sera paused.
Then, her eyes locked onto mine, as if enjoying every mont of it.
"And finally... the Thirteenth Hour. The Authority governed by Goddess Ylthea herself, the Authority you hold..."
Her next words sent chills down my spine.
"The Authority over all Authorities—Paradox."
***
Sowhere near Demon Continent:
Four figures moved through the dense forest, their steps careful and calculated.
They each wore a black combat uniforms of the Hero Association, their faces concealed behind sleek masks.
Two n. Two won.
The Single Rankers.
Envy, Pride, Justice, and Greed.
On the left side of their uniforms, a number was glowing brightly.
It was their Hero rank.
03: Pride.
07: Envy.
02: Justice.
09: Greed.
The forest was silent.
Envy slowed her steps, placing a hand on the trunk of a tree. Her eyes flickered with a faint glow as she activated her skill, [Elental Channel].
She let her essence flow outward, flowing, searching—stretching into the depths of the woods, reaching for any signs of life.
Nothing.
"Not a single trace," she muttered.
Pride turned to her, she sound worried. "Master, let's hurry. They must all be in panic right now. They're still just children—if they—"
"Don't worry," Envy interrupted, her voice carried warmth. "They'll be safe. Don't forget, they're the students of Nova, and 'The Defender' is probably with them. He's strong, too."
Greed exhaled sharply. "First, let's just find [Hope]." He turned to Justice, "Justice, did you sense anything?"
Justice clicked his tongue in irritation. "Not a damn thing," he admitted. Then, with a smirk, he added, "Heh. Maybe [Hope] got scared and didn't show up."
He laughed.
But then—
A sound.
A slow, light footstep echoed behind them.
A voice called. Cold and Sharp.
"Took you long enough."
Every nerve in their bodies tensed.
They turned.
And what they saw sent awe rippling through their very souls.
Standing there, in a black cloak, was a lone figure. A long katana rested at his side.
His silver hair shone under the pale moonlight, partially hidden beneath his hood.
A sleek black mask covered his face, leaving only his piercing silver gaze exposed.
But what struck them most was the symbol on his uniform.
A single, unyielding mark.
01.
Justice and Greed spoke in unison, their voices laced with shock and exhilaration.
"Hope."
Step.
Hope stepped forward.
His eyes moved slowly, as if scanning everything in the forest.
He moved towards Envy and Pride.
Halting in front of Envy.
His eyes landed on Envy's face.
He spoke.
"Good evening, Master."
Envy didn't flinch, she knew, the Hope who now stood infront of her— was a fake.
But despite being a fake, Envy couldn't deny one fact—this fake Hope truly resembled the original.
"Good evening," Envy simply said.
End of Chapter.
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