The crimson glow of the battlefield had now completely faded. Standing there, Ariyan looked at Niha in amazement. Niha was no longer that celestial, radiant being; instead, in the soft morning sunlight, she looked like an ordinary young woman.

  Ariyan frowned and asked, "So Niha, why did you suddenly want ice cream? I thought you might ask for some stellar power or something cosmic!"

  Niha smiled slightly, the deep blue aura of the sky still lingering in her eyes. She said in a steady voice, "Ariyan, while I was analyzing all the information on Earth through 'Akasha,' I saw that this object created by humans is quite peculiar. A simple combination of ice and milk, yet after consuming it, dopamine is released in the human brain, giving them joy. To me, this simple pleasure seemed more curious than the complex mathematical equations of the universe. According to the data, it is said to be one of the best ways to improve a human's mood."

  Ariyan stood stunned, staring at her. An 'Ethereal Primarch' calling ice cream humanity's greatest invention! He said, bewildered, "Are you alright? Are you judging ice cream with data?"

  Niha shook her head and said, "It takes a little time to adapt to this flesh-and-blood life on Earth, Ariyan. I floated in the infinite planes for so long, but now I want to get used to this Earth's atmosphere. Transforming oneself into an ordinary human is not easy, but it is not impossible. If I can fully adapt to this environment, perhaps my human feelings will take precedence over my cosmic essence."

  Ariyan was overjoyed to hear this. In a surge of excitement or overwhelming emotion, Ariyan didn't quite realize what he was doing. Unconsciously, he pulled Niha into a hug.

  The very next moment, Ariyan came to his senses. Niha was perfectly still. Ariyan realized what a massive thing he had done! He quickly let go of Niha and stepped back two paces. Their fair faces turned red instantly. Stammering, he said, "I-I... I'm sorry! I mean, I didn't realize... I made a mistake. Please forgive me."

  Niha remained silent for a while. A slight red flush appeared on her cheeks, something never seen in her before. She said in a low voice, "Ariyan, since the dawn of the universe, I have spoken and communicated with everyone. But... no one has ever touched my existence from so close. In fact, no one even dared to come near me. This... is a completely different kind of feeling."

  Both stood in extreme awkwardness, looking in opposite directions. To break the silence, Ariyan looked around and saw Nihira, Maliha, and Malicha standing a little distance away.

  Nihira was wiping away her tears and laughing with her hands over her mouth. Maliha and Malicha were also smirking. Malicha teased, "So, are we going to get ice cream now, or should we watch this drama for a bit longer?"

  Hearing Malicha's words, Ariyan felt as if he had fallen from the sky. He quickly waved his hands, trying to manage the situation, "No, no! I mean... we’re going right now. The ice cream will melt... no, no, they keep ice cream frozen in shops. Drat! What am I even saying!"

  Nihira walked forward laughing. "Brother, your face has turned as red as a tomato. Niha sister, our brother is usually very brave, why did he suddenly become such a wet cat today?"

  Niha didn't answer, but the red flush on her cheeks hadn't faded yet. To shake off his embarrassment, Ariyan looked at Niha's clothes and said in surprise, "Wait Niha, why are you suddenly wearing this princess outfit? I thought you'd wear your usual white hoodie and long skirt."

  Niha looked at her clothes once and said calmly, "Should I go back to my white hoodie form? This is actually my Lucid-Ethel attire." After receiving Ariyan's nod, she returned to her previous form.

  Ariyan said, "It suits you well. But how long will you last with just one dress? I'll buy you many more beautiful dresses. But there's one condition—"

  Niha looked at him inquiringly. Ariyan pretended to be serious and said, "This constant use of 'Akasha'—it has to stop. This Akasha thing is quite unnatural! Life loses its fun if you know everything beforehand."

  Niha fell into a dilemma. "But Ariyan, this mental connection or bond between us, isn't that also a mathematical equation of Akasha?"

  Ariyan smiled. Looking into Niha's eyes, he said softly, "No Niha, this pull between us is not an equation. You can call it a 'glitch.' In the laws of the universe, it might be a mistake, but I want this mistake to stay this way. Not everything needs to be perfect; sometimes it’s better to have a glitch in life."

  Niha remained quiet for a moment, trying to realize something. She whispered, "A glitch... meaning that which is undetermined. Fine, Ariyan, I won't use Akasha anymore. I will try to understand the world with my own brain and human intelligence."

  "That's like a good girl!" Ariyan didn't delay. He gently took Niha's hand. Niha was startled; did her heart rate increase slightly? She couldn't tell if it was a biological reaction or the effect of that 'glitch.'

  Ariyan pulled her along and started walking toward the ice cream shop. Behind them, Nihira, Maliha, and Malicha followed, teasing them. Seeing Niha's shy face in the morning light, it seemed that these flesh-and-blood emotions were indeed more powerful than cosmic forces.

  Arriving at the ice cream shop, Ariyan bought ice cream for everyone. Niha looked at the vanilla cone in her hand with great curiosity. At the first bite, her eyes widened. A cold and sweet sensation spread through her nervous system. However, Niha was very quiet today, as if lost within herself.

  Ariyan looked at her and asked in surprise, "So Niha, why did you suddenly become so quiet? Before going to Nihilopolis, you used to talk and ask questions constantly. Is all the data analysis finished now?"

  Niha looked at the ice cream and answered slowly, "Back then, our 'connection' wasn't this deep, Ariyan. I only saw you as a protagonist. But now... our proximity and these human feelings are slowing down my processing power. I don't know exactly what to say."

  An uncomfortable silence fell for a moment. Ariyan remembered that hug from earlier, and his ears grew hot again. To break the heavy atmosphere, Nihira chirped, "Oh brother, don't ask her that now! Anyway, Niha sister, you'll be staying with us at 'Nishat Mansion' from now on, right?"

  Niha nodded with a faint smile, but her answer surprised everyone. She said, "No Nihira, I've decided I'll stay separately in a nearby apartment. Because my true essence is a constant. Even in this human form, I am not actually mortal. If this body is destroyed somehow, I must immediately return to Lucid-Ethel. I don't want my presence to disrupt your ordinary lives."

  Ariyan frowned and said stubbornly, "I won't let you die at anyone else's hands, forget about that returning to Lucid-Ethel stuff. But you can't just say you'll stay in an apartment; that requires rent. Do you have any currency?"

  Niha calmly produced an ancient gold coin at the tip of her finger. The coin looked strange, with designs not found in any history book on Earth. She said, "Will this not do?"

  Ariyan took the coin and turned it over. "Are you crazy! No shop will take this; they'll hand you over to the police instead. And how old are you anyway, carrying these ancient coins?"

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  Niha took the last bite of her ice cream and looked at the sky. "My race has existed since before the beginning of time. Many of us saw the birth of Earth and came here. However, since I am the youngest, I am not very old, only 2,526 years."

  Ariyan choked while eating his ice cream. "How much?! Two thousand five hundred and twenty-six years? And you call yourself 'not very old'?" Nihira interrupted, "Bhabi—I mean, sister, why did you suddenly take a liking to this 21-year-old kid?"

  Ariyan turned redder and said, "Shut up Nihira! Whether it's 2,526 or whatever, she is currently shorter than me and looks the same age. But Niha, in 2,526 years, have you only solved mathematical equations? Have you never had ice cream?"

  Niha shook her head, her eyes no longer holding cosmic emptiness, but a strange tenderness. She said, "No. But that's not the main point, how will I pay the rent?" Ariyan grew worried too.

  Nihira burst out laughing. She took that strange ancient gold coin from Ariyan's hand and stuffed it in her pocket. "Brother, you really are a blockhead! We can't shop in Earth's market with this cosmic coin of Niha sister's. But you don't have to worry about the apartment rent at all. I'm here!"

  Ariyan frowned. "What do you mean 'you're here'? How do you have so much money? I'm in my fourth year of college and I don't do anything, and you're in your first year with this much money?"

  Nihira flipped her hair with an air of nobility. "Don't forget brother, I manage our family estate and business now. In the South Asian economy, our Nishat family is now at number 1. I could buy a whole tower for Niha sister, let alone an apartment! So, forget about the money."

  Ariyan looked at Nihira in shock. He had forgotten that his younger sister was running such a massive business empire behind the scenes. Niha watched Nihira with calm eyes, as if trying to analyze her self-confidence and human capability.

  After finishing their ice cream, they sat on a roadside bench. A question had been lingering in Ariyan's mind for a long time. He looked at Niha and asked seriously, "So Niha, the battle is over. But what will happen to the Pillars of Creation? Is the balance of power the same as before?"

  The deep blue glow in Niha's eyes flared for a moment. She looked at a point in the sky and said, "No Ariyan, that ancient hierarchy is now shattered. Malchor is now a powerless and nameless entity, and Astraeus is dead forever. There are now only four Monarchs left in the universe who maintain the balance of existence."

  Ariyan asked curiously, "Who are they?"

  Niha created four points of light in the air with her finger. "The first is Archos, the Lord of Transcendence. The second is Ouroboros, the Lord of Duality. The third is myself—Niha, I am the Mistress of all Archetypes. And the fourth is..." Niha's voice grew heavy, "...The Unmaker. He is the constant of chaos and despair."

  "The Unmaker?" Ariyan asked, somewhat daunted, "Who is this guy? I've never seen him before."

  Niha said softly, "He is my natural rival. My job is to shape and protect, and his job is to make everything meaningless. Malchor is extremely weak now, so he might be trying to reach the Unmaker to reconstruct himself. He wants to free the Unmaker."

  Ariyan became worried. "Then do we have to stop him right now?"

  Niha shook her head. "No Ariyan, the Unmaker is currently held firmly captive by the Ancient Gods. And Malchor will never be able to handle them. Regardless, he won't be able to take any major steps for at least the next two years. We have this time in our hands."

  Ariyan took a long breath. "Two years... that means for these two years, we can eat ice cream in peace?"

  After the ice cream episode, Ariyan's real ordeal began. Trying to explain to Niha how much the world had changed in the last two thousand years was exhausting. At every traffic signal, Niha asked, "Ariyan, is this red light some cosmic warning?" Ariyan put his hand to his forehead, "No Niha, it's a signal to stop. If we don't stop, the police will catch us."

  Seeing 'Fuchka' by the roadside, Niha said seriously, "From the look of it, this spherical object causes an explosion, creating a sour-spicy sensation in the human mouth. Is this a biological weapon?" Ariyan sighed, "Yes, a weapon for the stomach! Try it."

  By evening, Nihira, Maliha, and Malicha left with smirks. As she left, Nihira whispered in Ariyan's ear, "Brother, don't crash your own system while trying to handle Niha sister! Ta-ta!"

  Evening fell. Ariyan's legs wouldn't move anymore. He sat down heavily on a park bench, exhausted. Niha stood beside him, still perfectly normal. Seeing Ariyan's tired face, she tried to understand the problem without using Akasha.

  Just then, a couple could be seen on another park bench, where the boy was resting his head on the girl's lap. Niha observed the scene intently. Then she turned to Ariyan and made a strange proposal, "Ariyan, my mind tells me that when a human male loses his capacity or gets tired, he rests his head on his partner's lap. Do you want to do that too? You can put your head on my lap."

  Ariyan jumped up. "What! No, no, absolutely not! Niha, they have a different kind of relationship. We... I mean, I'm fine. My bones are still intact."

  Niha said in surprise, "But your heart rate says you are tired. According to mathematical logic, since the surface of the lap is soft, it can be an alternative to a pillow. Why do you hesitate?"

  Ariyan stammered, "It's not about the pillow, it's about social shame! You might be an Ethereal Primarch, but you still haven't understood these human matters."

  Finally, they reached the luxury apartment Nihira had arranged. Nihira truly hadn't been stingy; the room was filled with modern furniture and shiny amenities. But upon entering, Niha pointed straight at the massive king-sized bed.

  "Ariyan, is this the flat, elevated object where humans lose their consciousness and rest? What you call 'sleep'?" Ariyan said, yawning, "Yes, this is a bed. You sleep comfortably here. I'm leaving now; I have to go to my own house."

  Niha suddenly grabbed Ariyan's hand. A strange innocence was in her eyes. "But Ariyan, I don't know how to sleep alone. I never rested like this in Lucid-Ethel. My processing unit might get scared in this silent room. Can you not sleep here with me too?"

  Ariyan's sleepiness vanished in an instant! He started sweating. "Look Niha, in this world, a boy and a girl sleeping in one bed before marriage means... it means social doomsday! And if Nihira finds out, she'll bury me alive. No matter how good she seems, she'll become terrifying regarding this! Please don't endanger my life."

  But Ariyan gave in to Niha's stubborn gaze and her "I'll be scared alone" theory. He thought that once Niha fell asleep, he would sneak away. He sat at one corner of the bed against the wall like a statue, as if moving slightly would trigger a cosmic explosion.

  Niha lay beside him, staring at Ariyan. Ariyan said irritably, "Close your eyes, Niha! If you stare like that, I'll melt like a candle." Niha quietly closed her eyes. Ariyan breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he'd leave after five minutes.

  But fate had other plans! The day's strain and the exhaustion of teaching "culture" to Niha gripped Ariyan. Soon after Niha fell asleep, Ariyan himself drifted into a deep sleep, holding Niha's hand.

  Suddenly, Ariyan woke up in the morning. Niha was lying with her head on his chest. Ariyan was frozen like a stone. He had spent a day and a night with a 2,526-year-old girl. If Nihira misunderstood, everything was over.

  But Ariyan began to remember his dreams from the night. He had a strange dream. No, not a dream—a terrifying reality had etched itself into his subconscious. It wasn't that familiar dark void he always saw. It was a massive blank canvas. There were no colors, no sounds, not even the weight of existence. Right in front of him stood a monstrous figure—The Hallowed Hollow.

  It was a massive body of blindingly intense white light, every step creating holes in reality. It had no face, but its presence was like an absolute command. It looked at Ariyan and said in a grave voice, "I am the Commander of this story's boundary. I am the silence that exists before a story begins and the oblivion that consumes it when it ends. The void you see is merely conceptual, but I am the primal white paper where the Author shapes his creation."

  It added further, "I am one of the Author's four Commanders. Those born in this void are known as Sub-Authors. No entity from your world can reach here. But one... who was born here, has journeyed toward your story. Remember, Ariyan—"

  Ariyan's heartbeat suddenly became intense. The rest of the Commander's words began to erase from his memory. Just then, Niha woke up from the sound of Ariyan's rapid heartbeat. She opened her eyes and looked at Ariyan without any hesitation. Ariyan stammered, "Ni-Niha! Get up! If someone sees, they'll completely misunderstand! This isn't a mathematical equation; it's social suicide!"

  At that very moment, the sound of the door opening was heard. Maliha entered the room and froze. Her eyes widened seeing Ariyan and Niha in that state. For a second, the room fell silent. Maliha didn't enter the room; she simply closed the door from the outside.

  Ariyan sat with his head in his hands. "Done! It's all over!"

  The scene shifted. The forbidden library of 'Nishat Mansion,' where the answers to Ariyan's past lie. There, amidst the dust, Nihira sat alone. An ancient manuscript was open before her.

  Nihira let out a long sigh and looked at the dying light. Traces of exhaustion and a massive responsibility were in her eyes. She whispered, "Has the burden on my shoulders increased? Everyone thinks the battle is over, but the weight of carrying the memories of those who are lost, those who are dead... is now mine alone. History forgives no one, and I am the last witness of that history."

  The heavy library door closed with a soft sound. Clouds were gathering in the sky outside, perhaps signaling a new story. But for now, amidst this cosmic chaos, this was the only peace.

  — THE END —