Acher’s gaze toward Aaron grew more intense, and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

  Wait ... what’s happening here? They didn’t know I had the Heart of Everlasting Light? Then why did they even bother saving me?

  Aaron’s eyes widened as realization struck. Oh, right! The raven said this was the reaper’s second mission, so that must mean the Flow asked them to rescue me! Praise the Great Flow! I really am the main character, huh? He beamed with happiness.

  But Acher’s next words sent a chill straight through him.

  “We’ve revealed too much information; we can’t let him live. Eat him, Luther. There won’t be any punishment even if you kill him now, since the mission is already complete. This is just perfect.” His eyes gleamed with greed. “The Heart of Everlasting Light is one of the strongest divinities across the entire cosmos. Your potential will surge even higher if you consume him.”

  Luther forced himself upright with shaky legs. He limped step by step toward the sphere, then held his scythe and raised it up.

  “Wait, wait, wait, please! I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened today! I swear it on the Flow!” Aaron shouted, heart pounding in his chest.

  But Luther’s blade still came down without any hesitation.

  So this is how it ends, huh? What a fucking joke. Goodbye, Mom and Dad, Aaron thought, squeezing his eyes shut.

  Swish!

  A small section of the orb was sliced open, leaving a narrow opening. Aaron realized that he could move again. The threads of fate began pulling him back toward his body on the bed.

  Luther bent down, picked Acher up from the ground, and cradled the raven in his arms. With visible effort, he turned away and started limping toward the exit.

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Reaper! I hope you live a hundred ... no, a thousand million years!” Aaron called out loud before his soul was pulled back into his body.

  As he looked one last time before returning, his eyes caught something fluttering behind Luther.

  Wait ... what are those? Those little things are wings? Why are they kind of cute? A random thought zipped across his mind.

  Acher let out a quiet sigh. He didn’t say anything more about making Luther play the role of a killer because he just realized that this boy had grown up in a world of peace and law, not like that other boy who had been in the depths of the Abyss ever since birth. Luther was still far too soft-hearted.

  And maybe … must be, even if the cost was becoming weak, that boy would still choose to be born in The Origin, in this era of peace.

  …

  Michael sat beside Helen, who lay motionless on the hospital bed with empty, lifeless eyes. He felt as if all the strength had drained from his body.

  He had just received terrible news about the condition of their son, and now his wife had suffered a complete emotional breakdown. The weight of it all, one devastating blow after another, was enough to push even a tough and seasoned man like Michael to the very edge of his endurance.

  All of a sudden, a nurse burst through the door and shouted:

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Mr. Michael, Mrs. Helen, your son …”

  Terror flashed in the eyes of the couple.

  Could it be … is he …?

  “… he’s awake!” the nurse said.

  Helen sprang up from the bed, her movements shaky and unsteady from dizziness. Michael rushed to catch her, holding her upright as they both bolted out of the room and down the hallway toward Aaron’s room.

  “Dad! Mom!”

  The moment Aaron saw the two most important people in his life, the ones he thought he might never get to see again, his eyes welled up with tears.

  Thank you, the Flow. Thank you, Mr. Reaper Luther.

  . . .

  The Ravenswood house.

  Luther collapsed face-first onto the bed the moment he stepped into his bedroom.

  He didn’t even bother changing his clothes. Despite having consumed a drop of fatewater, his entire body still ached with internal burns, and the cold that had settled into his bones also seemed to cling even tighter than before. He curled up under the blanket, falling into a half-asleep state filled with shallow, restless dreams.

  Acher only needed one night to recover, but Luther remained bedridden for three full days before he could return to school. During that time, Acher decided to show off his “cooking skills,” which led to a solemn vow from the boy that he would never, ever get injured or sick again.

  Scrambled eggs mixed with Oreos and drizzled with lemon juice? What kind of demonic dish is that?!

  “Sometimes a misfortune has its blessings. I can feel that you’re close to becoming an adept mage now,” Acher remarked.

  Almost able to fly, Luther thought.

  The corners of his lips curled into a faint smile as the small wings on his back fluttered gently.

  But that wasn’t the only thing that happened during those three days.

  The second morning, Acher pointed at the pale gray egg resting on the counter and said:

  “Let’s cook it. What’s the point of keeping a dead egg around? I want that fried egg with soy sauce and bread you made.”

  “You sure. It edible?” Luther asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Pretty sure. I don’t smell anything rotten. Just crack it open and we’ll see.”

  Luther set a pan on the stove, poured in a little oil, and lit the flame.

  But the moment he lifted the egg and prepared to crack it, a strand of ascended power poured down from the moon and sank into it.

  Under the wide-eyed stares of both the boy and the raven, the egg, once drained of all life, began to glow with a soft, gentle light.

  . . .

  Aaron also remained stuck in bed for three whole days. It wasn’t because he was sick or tired or anything, but because Helen and Michael refused to let him do anything but rest.

  After he woke up, the doctors had examined him thoroughly once more but couldn’t find anything wrong.

  “This is such a miracle,” said Dr. Arjun, flipping through the results. “Every test shows he’s even healthier than before.”

  And so, the boy was cleared for discharge by noon that day. However, once back home, his parents treated him like he’d just survived a major, life-threatening illness.

  “Just stay home for a few more days and rest,” Michael insisted. “I already contacted the school. There’s no need to rush back.”

  “Come on, Dad, I’m totally fine!” Aaron protested, grimacing.

  “Fine, you say? You were in a coma for five whole days! Stop arguing already! You’re staying home!” Helen threw him a sharp glare.

  Aaron had no choice but to surrender.

  At the moment, he lay on his bed with his eyes closed, looking like he was asleep, but in truth, he was practicing magic.

  He had been trying nonstop to establish a permanent Ether Focal Point ever since he’d returned to his body. And at last, soft golden sparks were gathering around his bright heart, glowing with brilliant light.

  The light faded moments later, and there, in the center of his left chest, a miniature sun had appeared.

  “Yay! I did it!” he shouted.

  He was now an official knight, a rank equivalent to a novice mage or a brute-class demon. That meant he had truly stepped into the supernatural world.

  He clenched his fist and could feel the surge of power running through his veins.

  Should I try the gym? he wondered. His home gym was packed with all kinds of heavy-duty equipment. Nah … if Mom and Dad see, they’ll freak out again. Better wait a few more days.

  Alongside the magical energy, the divine power he inherited from Orpheus’s heart was also constantly reshaping and enhancing his body.

  Standing before the mirror, he noticed that his once brown hair now carried a hint of golden shimmer, as though it reflected the first light of dawn. Even his eyebrows and eyes had taken on the same luminous glow. A quiet but unmistakable radiance pulsed from him, like the rising sun itself.

  “Hehehe, even more handsome now.” Aaron grinned.

  He walked down to the living room and shouted:

  “Mom, Dad, it’s been three days! I’m going back to school tomorrow. Staying home is way too boring!”