As I sat there, still grappling with the horrifying revelation that my once semi-fit self was now a walking marshmallow, Nyxis approached me. She tilted her head, her bright golden eyes scanning me from head to toe.

  “Papa is fat again,” she declared with the brutal honesty only a child could muster.

  The words hit me like a boulder. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I sobbed dramatically. “Nyxis called me fat! Does this mean Nyxis doesn’t like Papa anymore?”

  Nyxis blinked at me, her expression shifting to one of mild panic. “No, no!” she chirped, quickly running to me and hugged me tightly. “Papa is Papa no matter what! I love Papa!”

  I froze, my heart practically bursting. Her words were like an arrow of pure cuteness piercing straight through me. “Nyxis…” I whispered, voice trembling. “How can you be this cute?!”

  Nyxis giggled, nuzzling her head against my chest. “Because I’m Papa’s daughter!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh, wiping away my dramatic tears. The Skyrend, including Nyxis, might’ve been created from Rhea’s essence, but moments like these reminded me that they were truly family.

  After a bit of playful banter—Nyxis poking my stomach and calling it “squishy,” me pretending to sulk about it—the atmosphere settled.

  The other Skyrend sisters began to yawn one by one, their eyes growing heavy. Rhea, ever the motherly figure, laid out soft bedding for them, and they curled up together in a heap like oversized kittens.

  Nyxis was the last to surrender to sleep, her head resting on my shoulder.

  “Papa,” she murmured sleepily, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Yes, Nyxis?” I replied, gently stroking her.

  “I’m glad you’re my Papa…” she said before trailing off into a peaceful slumber.

  I stared at her serene face, my heart swelling with love. I couldn’t help but smile, despite the long and exhausting day.

  “She’s really something, isn’t she?” Rhea’s voice broke the quiet.

  I glanced over at her.

  “She really is,” I said quietly, still gazing at Nyxis. “She’s more than I deserve.”

  Rhea gently pulled me aside. Her expression was serious, a far cry from the teasing, motherly warmth she usually exuded.

  “Alexander,” she began, her tone calm but resolute. “By tomorrow, I will be gone, and I’ll be taking the other Skyrend with me.”

  I blinked, startled. “Wait, what? Why so suddenly?”

  Rhea gave me a small, knowing smile. “It’s time for them to return to their true purpose. They were never meant to stay here for long. But Nyxis… she stays with you.”

  I glanced over at Nyxis, who was happily playing with her sisters, her laughter echoing softly in the cave. My heart sank a little.

  “You must take care of her,” Rhea continued. Her voice softened but carried a weight that couldn’t be ignored. “The mark on your shoulder is our contract, binding you, me, and Nyxis together. If anything happens to her—anything as cruel and horrendous as what Belphegorr did—you will bear all her pain.”

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  My hand instinctively went to my shoulder, where the faintly glowing mark pulsed under my skin. The memory of the agony I had endured for Nyxis flashed through my mind. It wasn’t something I could ever forget.

  “I understand,” I said, nodding firmly. “I’ll protect her. No matter what.”

  Rhea studied me for a moment, her emerald eyes searching mine. Then, satisfied, she smiled. “I believe you, Alexander. You’ve already proven yourself worthy.”

  But there was something I needed to ask. A question that had been gnawing at me for a while. “Hey, Goddess,” I began hesitantly, “I wanted to ask you about something. You… you know I’m not the Alexander, right?”

  Her smile widened, taking on a mischievous edge. “Of course I know,” she said lightly. “I am the daughter of the universe itself. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

  My jaw dropped. “Wait, so you knew from the start?!”

  Rhea chuckled, the sound like the soft rustle of leaves in the wind. “Yes, Alexander. I knew you were from another world. I’ve been watching you since the moment you arrived here. From the way you struggled to adapt, to how you’ve grown into the person you are now.”

  I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. “Then… why? Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you let me stumble around like an idiot for so long?”

  Her smile softened, and she reached out to place a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Because this world needed you, Alexander. You. Not the prince you replaced, but the person you’ve become. You were brought here for a purpose, and the day will come when that purpose will reveal itself. Until then…”

  She stepped back, her eyes gleaming with an almost divine light. “…be strong. Be ready. And most importantly, protect what you hold dear. The trials ahead won’t be easy, but I know you’ll rise to the challenge.”

  I stared at her, my mind racing with questions, doubts, and a growing sense of responsibility.

  “But man…” I muttered, staring into the flames, “I would’ve been so much happier if you had just helped Nyxis avoid all that suffering in the first place.”

  Rhea, perched gracefully on a nearby rock, burst into laughter, the kind that was both musical and maddeningly smug. “Oh, Alexander,” she said, shaking her head. “Do you really think I didn’t know what was going to happen? I knew every step of it. But I wanted to see if you were capable—capable of taking care of her, of sacrificing for her. Of truly earning her trust.”

  I turned to her, my jaw tightening. “You knew she was going to suffer? That she was going to—” I stopped myself, clenching my fists.

  Rhea’s expression softened. “Alexander, if I had intervened every time something bad was about to happen, Nyxis wouldn’t be the person she is today. And neither would you. That pain, that struggle—it shaped her. It shaped you. And it proved to me that you were worthy of being the one to raise her.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. I hated that she was right, but she was. Still, it didn’t make it any easier to swallow. “So… what? You were just watching? Testing me?”

  She smiled knowingly. “If you had failed, I would’ve taken her with me the moment Nyx left to fight Solaris.”

  That caught me off guard. “Wait, what? You would’ve just taken her?”

  “Of course,” Rhea said, her tone matter-of-fact. “Nyx entrusted her to you, but if you had proven yourself unworthy, I would’ve stepped in. She’s my daughter, after all. And I wasn’t going to let her suffer needlessly at the hands of someone incapable of protecting her.”

  I leaned back, letting her words sink in. “Nyx… went to fight Solaris because of her husband, didn’t she?”

  Rhea nodded, her expression turning somber. “Yes. She was furious when she found out the humans and other species killed her dying husband. He was simply resting in peace, and yet…”

  Her words trailed off, and for a moment, the air between us felt heavy.

  “Why?” I asked, my voice quieter now. “Why would they do that?”

  “Fear,” Rhea said simply. “The same fear that has driven countless wars and tragedies. But that’s the past. The world you’re in now, Alexander, is not the same one you remember. It’s vast. Far vaster than the one you knew. And there are mysteries waiting for you to uncover.”

  I frowned, my curiosity piqued. “What do you mean? What mysteries?”

  Rhea smiled cryptically, standing and dusting off her dress. “That’s for you to discover, Alexander. I’ve already told you more than I should have.”

  I stood too, frustration bubbling up. “Hey, wait! You can’t just drop something like that and leave me hanging!”

  She laughed again, turning to me with a playful glint in her eyes.

  “Why don’t you sleep, Alexander?” she said, tilting her head. “You’ve been using those potions made from the herbs of your earth magic to suppress your need for rest, all just to find Nyxis.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I guess I’ve been overdoing it a bit.”

  She gave me a knowing smile. “And don’t forget about Lucy. She might still be waiting for you. Don’t you think you owe her an apology for leaving so suddenly?”

  Her words hit me like a hammer. Lucy. I’d been so consumed with everything going on that I hadn’t even thought about her. “Yeah,” I admitted with a small laugh, “I should probably do that.”

  “Then why not start by getting some proper sleep?” Rhea suggested, patting the spot beside her. “I’ll even sing you a lullaby. It’s a song we sing in the divine realm. It might help you rest.”

  I hesitated for a moment, but the sheer exhaustion finally won. “Alright, you win. A lullaby from a goddess—how can I say no to that?”

  I lay down on the soft grass, and Rhea sat beside me, her presence radiating warmth and calm. She began to hum softly, and soon her voice rose, singing a melody that felt both ancient and otherworldly.

  The lyrics told a story—of the universe itself, shedding tears of sorrow over the destruction caused by the mighty and fearsome dragons. From those divine tears, Rhea was born, a being of nature, motherhood, and fertility. She sang of how, from her very essence, the Skyrend were created, living weapons to aid the Gods and Goddesses who were losing their war against the dragons.

  Her voice carried a weight of wisdom and sorrow, yet there was hope threaded through every note. It was a song of rebirth, of finding strength in despair, and of standing together against the impossible.

  As the lullaby wove its magic, my eyelids grew heavier. Her voice was like a warm blanket, wrapping around me and easing the aches in my body and soul.

  “Rhea…” I murmured, my words slurring as sleep took hold. “That was… beautiful.”

  She chuckled softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “Rest now, Alexander. You’ve done enough for today. And tomorrow, you can make things right with Lucy and continue protecting Nyxis.”

  I couldn’t respond. Sleep had already claimed me, and for the first time in what felt like ages, my dreams were peaceful. In the background of my slumber, I swore I could still hear Rhea’s divine song, echoing through the stars above.