Emily sat there, shoulders trembling, tears still clinging to her lashes.
Then it happened again.
Like a tide pulling back from shore, the storm inside her simply… eased. Her breathing steadied. The ache in her chest softened. The tears stopped—not because the feelings vanished, but because they finally had room to exist without overwhelming her.
"There she is again," Emily whispered.
She looked up—and smiled.
It wasn't a bright, careless smile. It was quiet. Real. The kind that carried sorrow and hope at the same time. For a brief moment, even Zumi's heart skipped. He felt it—an unmistakable warmth, a serenity that brushed against him like a gentle hand.
She was beautiful when she smiled. Not just outwardly. Deeply.
Zumi stepped closer and knelt in front of her so they were eye level. His voice was calm, steady—anchored.
"I can help you," he said softly. "Not fully awaken her—not yet. But enough. Enough that she can speak to you. In the voice you want. In the way you're ready for."
Emily didn't hesitate.
"Yes," she said, tears gathering again—but this time from trust, not fear. "I trust you completely, Zumi. No matter what."
The room seemed to respond.
The lights dimmed just a fraction. The air grew warm and still, like the world itself had decided to listen. Zumi reached out, resting two fingers lightly against Emily's forehead—not pressing, not forcing. Guiding.
"Close your eyes," he murmured. "Breathe. Don't search for her. Let her come to you."
Emily obeyed.
Her breathing slowed. In… out. In… out.
Then—
A presence.
Not loud. Not sudden. A soft silver-blue glow bloomed behind Emily's closed eyes, threaded with gentle gold. It didn't overwhelm—it embraced. The feeling of peace deepened, settling into her bones, her heart, her thoughts.
You've done so well, a voice whispered—not echoing, not commanding.
You carried more than you ever should have… and you never broke.
Emily's breath caught.
"H-hello?" she whispered aloud.
I am here, the voice replied, warm with compassion.
I always have been.
Emily's shoulders shook as quiet tears fell again—this time from relief.
"I was scared," she admitted softly. "I didn't know what was happening to me."
I know, the voice said gently.
And that is why I wrapped you in calm. Not to silence you… but to help you endure.
Zumi watched in silence, awe steady in his chest. The energy around Emily wasn't violent or domineering. It was peaceful. Sovereign. Unshakable.
Aurelia—The Tranquil Sovereign—had opened her eyes.
Emily opened hers too, looking at Zumi with wonder and damp lashes.
"She's… kind," Emily said, a small, trembling laugh escaping her. "She feels… familiar. Like home."
Zumi smiled.
"That's because she chose you," he said. "And you chose her—long before either of you realized it."
Around them, the others felt it too—the calming pull, the gentle authority of serenity settling over the room like a promise.
The war was coming.
But for the first time, Emily didn't feel afraid.
She felt ready.
Emily inhaled softly—and then spoke, her voice no longer trembling, but carrying a calm that did not belong to her alone.
"She wants me to say hello to you," Emily said, eyes shining. "Only I can hear her right now… but she asked me to tell you this. Word for word."
Emily swallowed, then spoke again—this time, the cadence changed. Gentler. Older. Infinitely familiar.
"Wukong… it has been so long. I missed your presence more than I ever allowed myself to admit. I was happy to feel you again through dear Emily."
The room went still.
Zumi didn't move. For a moment, the weight of centuries pressed against his chest—not painfully, but like a memory finally allowed to surface.
"…Aurelia," he said quietly. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just real.
"I knew it was you the moment I felt that calm. No one else ever made silence feel so alive."
Emily blinked, then smiled faintly as the voice returned to her.
Tell him… Aurelia whispered, warmth laced with something achingly tender,
Tell him that I watched from afar. Even when I was forbidden to act. Even when I could not speak his name aloud.
Emily nodded and relayed it all.
"She says she watched you," Emily said softly. "Even when she wasn't allowed to interfere. Even when she couldn't speak your name."
Zumi let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"They cast me out," he said, voice steady but heavy. "Called me a disruptor. A weapon. A threat to their perfect stillness. I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone… not even you."
Emily's lips parted as Aurelia's emotions surged—never chaotic, never uncontrolled, but deep.
I wanted to tell you, Aurelia confessed through Emily.
That I admired your defiance. That I admired how you laughed in the face of authority and still protected those beneath you. But Olympus does not forgive gods who feel too much… or love too freely.
Zumi's eyes softened.
"You always understood me," he said. "That's why they were afraid of you too. Serenity that cannot be controlled terrifies tyrants."
Emily felt warmth spread through her chest as Aurelia continued, her presence wrapping around both of them like a shared memory.
When you were sealed… when your name became taboo… I entered the cycle of reincarnation willingly, Aurelia said.
I carried myself forward as fragments. As instinct. As calm. I waited—not knowing when, only believing that fate would be kind.
Emily's voice wavered as she spoke the words.
"She says she entered the cycle of reincarnation on purpose. She waited. She didn't know when… but she believed fate would bring you back together."
Zumi smiled—small, genuine, touched with something ancient.
"Fate has always had a sense of humor," he murmured. "Reuniting the Monkey King and the Goddess of Serenity… inside a girl who just wanted peace."
Emily laughed softly through lingering tears.
Aurelia's presence brightened—gentle, fond.
I never told you, she admitted, the unspoken finally allowed voice,
but I liked you. More than a fellow god should. And by the time I understood my own feelings… you were already gone.
The room felt warmer.
Zumi closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"…I would've liked to know," he said honestly. "Not because I regret the path I walked—but because it would've meant everything, hearing it from you."
Emily felt Aurelia smile—truly smile—for the first time.
Then let us not mourn what was lost, Aurelia said.
Let us honor what remains. Fate has given us another chance—through trust, through choice, through this girl who carries both of us now.
Emily placed a hand over her heart, feeling the connection settle—not as a burden, but as a bond.
"I think," Emily said softly, looking at Zumi, "she's happy. And… she's glad you're here."
Zumi met Emily's eyes—and through her, Aurelia's.
"So am I," he replied.
"Welcome back, old friend."
And somewhere deep within Emily's soul, the Goddess of Serenity finally felt at peace—not because the world was calm…
…but because she had found him again.
The tension that had settled over the room slowly melted away.
Zumi stayed where he was, seated among everyone, and for a while—no systems, no gods, no looming wars—they simply laughed.
Hina teased Noah about his wide-eyed reaction earlier.
Gia leaned against Zumi's shoulder, relaxed.
Serafina and Leafa exchanged quiet smiles, the weight of Olympus momentarily forgotten.
Emily laughed freely now, the sound lighter than it had ever been, Aurelia's calm gently woven into her heart.
Then Zumi's phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen, smiled faintly, and tapped it—putting it on speaker.
"Hello?" he said.
Viktoria's voice filled the room instantly, crisp yet warm.
"Hello, everyone."
A chorus of greetings answered her.
She exhaled softly. "The press conference went… about as well as it could have."
Zumi chuckled. "That bad?"
"Oh, much worse," Viktoria replied dryly. "Several board members are furious. Investors too. They wanted my shares. They wanted control. The fact that I willingly handed fifty percent of the company to someone they don't know?" Her tone sharpened just a touch. "They hated that."
The girls laughed.
"And then," Viktoria continued, a hint of embarrassment slipping in, "someone asked about you. About our relationship."
Zumi raised a brow. "And?"
There was a pause.
"…I didn't think," she admitted. "I spoke from the heart. I told them I gave it to you because I trust you. Because you're mine."
The room erupted.
Even Zumi laughed this time, shaking his head. "You realize that just painted a target on me."
"Oh, absolutely," Viktoria said, unapologetic. "They all want to meet you now."
More laughter.
"I'm on my way back," she added, her voice softening. "I miss all of you. And I'll be moving into my mansion tonight."
"We'll be waiting," Gia said warmly.
Goodbyes were exchanged, the call ended—and not even three minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Gia stood, opened it—and Viktoria stepped inside.
She looked immaculate despite the long day, eyes sharp, posture flawless. Yet when she saw everyone, something in her expression eased.
"Welcome home," Zumi said.
She smiled, genuinely this time.
They quickly filled her in—about Celestina, the warning, Olympus, the dungeons, the coming war. Viktoria listened without interrupting, her intellect absorbing everything at frightening speed.
When they finished, she exhaled once.
"…I see," she said calmly. "If you trust this path, Zumi, then so do I. No matter what comes—I'm yours."
Before anyone could respond, Zumi reached out with his mind.
Roberta. Emma. Come to the mansion.
The response was instant.
Barely a minute later, the door opened again.
Roberta entered first, posture perfect, eyes scanning the room with mechanical precision before softening as she reached Zumi's side. Emma followed just behind her—and froze the moment she saw Viktoria.
Her breath caught.
"…V–Viktoria Sergeyevna Volkov," Emma blurted out, stunned. "The Red Empress. CEO of Volkov Global Entertainment Group."
Viktoria blinked, surprised—and then smiled faintly. "You know me?"
Emma nodded rapidly, awe written all over her face. "Everyone does."
Zumi stood. "Viktoria," he said, then turned to Emma, "this is the woman you'll be protecting."
Emma's shock transformed instantly into something fierce and joyful.
"…Your personal battle maid?" she asked, almost reverently.
"Yes," Zumi replied.
Emma stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"I will protect her with my life," she said without hesitation.
Roberta watched her closely—and for the first time, a subtle note of approval passed through her systems.
Emma straightened, heart pounding.
She had admired Viktoria from afar for years—her confidence, her intelligence, her strength. To stand here now, entrusted with her safety… it felt unreal.
And in that moment, as Emma looked at Zumi again, a single thought echoed clearly in her mind:
A man who could tame the Red Empress…
…is a man worthy of absolute respect.
The future loomed dark and dangerous.
But within that living room—surrounded by loyalty, love, and gods reborn—the foundation of an empire was quietly, irrevocably set.