"…"
"…"
"Perhaps we should call him now? I have recovered enough SP to travel back to the Branch. No… no, stupid. Let the boy spend more time with his sister alone."
"You… still talk to yourself, Ms. Angela?"
"Stop calling me Ms., it has been eons since you were my student."
"…But the kid still calls you Ms."
"Because he's still a kid. You and I are pretty much the same age now, if you think about it."
"I… suppose I haven't thought about it like that."
"You should. The both of us have been alive for thousands and thousands of years. It's fate, now that we have experienced the things we have, we would be able to teach the boy what he needs."
"Fate… or another one of his mother's grand plans?"
"…Both. It is not an exaggeration to say that everything that exists and will exist from now on is made solely for the boy."
"…Seems complicated."
Sarah and Angela had been watching Van sitting on the cliff for more than a few hours now. He said only a few words as he sat beside Andrea's grave, but after that, he stopped. Instead, his eyes had been fixated on the horizon; his breaths neither ragged nor calm– as if his mind was filled with numerous thoughts.
He wishes he could have seen it. He wished he could have seen Andrea truly happy and at peace; he wishes he could have grown old with her, or at least watched her grow into an old woman. But knowing that she was with the woman she loved the most in her life…
…perhaps that was enough.
"Andrea…"
Van's breaths then echoed throughout the horizon as he stood up, still resting his palm on the base of Andrea's statue, "…I truly wish I could have been there for you. So this might be a bit shameless for me to ask…
…but please watch over me from now on. Watch my daughter grow– although I am actually the youngest out of all of us now; everything is fucked up, I tell you."
Van's breaths slowly became laughter as he gently patted Andrea's statue, "I… never really got a chance to say goodbye to you. But I don't think I will, after all– it just doesn't feel right saying goodbye to you when we've just reunited again. So, instead…
…I'm… I'm home, sis."
And as if the world itself heard Van's words, the trees started to sway; with the ocean suddenly being calmly swept by a strong wind that cleared the skies above. The wind was perhaps a whisper, or maybe it was just that, a simple gust of wind; but for Van, it felt like Andrea was telling him–
–"Welcome home."
Van once again closed his eyes as he faced the vast horizon. A beginning; This was a new beginning. He had many, but this time, it was truly his and not thrown to him.
"Let's… go get our friends," Van then said as he turned towards Sarah and Angela, "Thank you for showing this to me, Miss Sarah."
"Andrea would have wanted it."
"But still, thank–"
"Eh, I still think you should have seen my recommendation when it was still blooming, it was glorious."
"…"
***
When Van and Angela returned to the Branch, the others were already preparing to move. It would seem that Sarah's so-called [Blood Clone] had actually been keeping them up to date on what was happening with him.
And so, without even him telling anything, they already knew that Van had already chosen where the 10th Realm would be built.
"Do you want to share some words with the people?" Athena then approached Van.
"…What people?"
"The other races that joined under your banner. Some of them do not want to come with us."
"…No," Van quickly shook his head, "Not this time. We will just be giving them a choice."
"Very well, King Evans."
"Father, we… are truly leaving this place, aren't we?"
"Are you… ready?"
"Yes," Vanya nodded with a smile on her face, "With the Queen of the Vanir helping to recuperate my lost energy, I think I could create another Branch that would be able to take all of us there."
"No, I mean… are you ready?"
"…Yes," Vanya once again nodded, but this time, her eyes were even clearer as she looked her father straight in the eyes, "The forest giants have been cooped in this place for too long, it's time for them to finally gain the freedom that mother would have wanted them to have."
"Vanya… about your mother–"
"Mother… is everywhere. Even if her body is not physically with us, her presence is everywhere; as long as there are trees, you could find traces of her there," Vanya then said as she gently placed her hand on Van's cheek.
"V… Vanya?" But slowly, Vanya's grip started to tighten, almost pulling Van's skin off.
"And don't think I haven't noticed something going on between you and aunt Athena," Vanya whispered, "But it's alright, if anything, I am happy that it is aunt Athena that's taking care of you now."
"You… you don't seem very happy?"
"Oh…
…I am."
Hours; days passed since Van and the others began preparations to leave for the 10th Realm, and finally, after what seemed like a week– a tree was born.
A tree that was large enough to cover the skies of Midgard. A tree large enough to be seen by all of the 9 Realms; some of them asked, some of them bowed in worship, while some of them feared for their lives– but none interfered.
They all just watched as this tree continued to grow… and grow… and grow. Days, weeks, months; even the looming war had no choice but to stop their lust for battle as the tree seemed to have created a wall, completely separating their sides.
However, something happened that none of them expected. The colossal tree– it gave birth to branches. Branches that crawled their way to each of the 9 Realms.
Athena never expected it. When Van told her that he would be giving them a choice to come with them, she did not expect that he was referring to everyone in the 9 Realms. It was a ridiculous idea…
…but just like that, the barrier between the races was taken down. Was it for the better? Perhaps only time would tell. But one thing was for sure… they were now given a path to unity– an option to choose peace.
A tree that gave the gift of a new life.
Hours.
Days.
Weeks.
Months.
And finally, after more than a year– Van and the others arrived at their new home.
"I think the two of you deserve to be the first ones to step on it."
120,000. There were roughly 120,000 thousand people of different races that joined them in their escapade. Their whispers and awed gasps, almost filling the entire 10th Realm even though none of their feet had touched its lush earth yet.
All of them wanted to take the first step to their new home, but none dared to do so as Van had his eyes on his daughter, as well as Latanya.
"This wouldn't have been possible without the two of you."
"Don't mind if I do, Master Van."
"This… place is beautiful… father."
"Don't overexert yourself, Vanya."
"I got her."
"…" Van could not help but squint his eyes; he was about to catch his daughter from stumbling, but before he could do so, Gerald suddenly but gently carried her up.
"T… thank you, Gerald," Vanya then softly whispered as she rested her head on Gerald's shoulders.
"Tch, stop moving if you don't have the strength to do so."
"What? Since when are you–"
"Let them be, King Evans." And before Van could do anything, Athena held his hand and stopped him, "The two have actually been growing close since we left."
And so, Van could only watch as Gerald carefully and gently sat Vanya on the ground.
"So… this is where we are going to live from now on? Not a bad choice, not a bad choice at all, King Van."
Van then felt himself being pushed to the side as a house– a literal house passed by him.
"Now, where shall I be living from now on!?" Thor then said as his eyes scanned the vast field of grass within their horizon, "I see another island there, or maybe…"
And with Thor stepping out of Yggdrasil, the name the people gave the tree that Vanya created, the others started flowing out as well.
"Move, move, perishable goods here," Angela jumped from a person's head to another head, carrying what seemed to be a coffin as she disappeared in the distance.
"Should… we go as well?" With more and more people passing by, Athena decided to pull Van outside; but found that she could not do so, "…King Evans?"
"There's… no need to rush," Van's calm words softly crawled through Athena's ears as he looked her straight in the eyes, "We will be busy from now on."
"…Only at the beginning, King Evans. Once we have stabilized and built a sense of society, all of us would be working like a clock– existing in order and with each other."
"Well… then we have the rest of our lives, don't we?" Van chuckled, "Let's… just walk there until we're tired… enjoy the peace until They come."
"We will be ready for them, you know that, right King Evans?"
"Right. Then…
…Let's go."
***My Hermes System, Volume 4: Yggdrasil — END***
"We have located their location. Abundance of life is Critically Low. Energy levels… Extremely High, odd. Estimated Time of Arrival: 3C."
In the expanse of space, a planet… no, perhaps a ship, was floating aimlessly on the endless horizon. And right at its highest point, were humans; an intricate collection of golden symbols adorning their skin, each unique in their own ways.
They were humans. Their eyes, however, gave away the extreme abundance of superiority they had– as if they stood on top of everything else.
"It would seem our informant has given us the correct information."
"He is extremely loud, but in the end, useful. Give him his gift."
"…Are we truly going to corrupt our blood with its genes, brother?"
"Do not belittle him and his kind, my dear sister…
…He was once the ruler of this universe."
***My Hermes System, Volume 5 — START***
