The soft clinking of cutlery echoed faintly through the vast dining hall.
Clayton leaned back in his chair, one arm resting lazily against the table, his posture far from refined.
"Exquisite," he said with a satisfied breath. "I can only praise the meals we've had since arriving here."
Despite his slightly crude demeanor, it didn't feel out of place. If anything, it made him feel grounded.
More human.
The others nodded in quiet agreement.
For a brief moment, the table went still.
Not uncomfortable—
but heavy.
As if each of them had drifted into their own thoughts.
Then—
Sophia cleared her throat softly.
"Alright… now that we're all here, I'd like to say something."
Her tone carried a hint of hesitation, but her eyes remained steady.
Hana noticed it immediately.
It was the first time she had seen her like this.
More composed.
More deliberate.
Sophia straightened slightly.
"As you all know… we were taken from our world."
Her voice faltered for a second.
The reminder was simple.
Brutal.
No one reacted—
but the silence that followed said everything.
They had accepted it.
But acceptance wasn't peace.
"I never imagined," she continued, calmer now, "that it would be for something like this… saving a world drowning in conflict."
"A world that isn't even ours."
Adam's gaze lowered slightly.
Saving a world…
A faint tension crossed his expression.
They couldn't even save their own.
Wars. Conflict. Endless cycles.
Nothing ever changed.
The thought lingered briefly before he forced it down.
Now wasn't the time.
Sophia looked at them again.
Directly.
"So now that we're here… we need to be clear about one thing."
A slight pause.
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Not as chosen.
But as themselves.
The question lingered in the air—heavy and unavoidable.
After a moment, Clayton leaned forward slightly.
"You're right."
"Sooner or later, we'll have to decide how we move forward."
His gaze swept across the group.
"Why us?"
"What exactly is our mission?"
He paused.
"And more importantly… are we just pieces on someone else's board?"
No one answered immediately.
The atmosphere grew denser.
Adam's eyes narrowed slightly.
His expression remained calm, but his thoughts moved rapidly, one after another.
So this is where they stood.
Despite Elyon's explanations, nothing had truly been clarified.
Or were they simply overthinking it?
He hoped not.
"Excuse me… may I speak?"
Even as the words left his mouth, doubt lingered.
Better now than regret it later.
"Go ahead," Clayton said. "It would be good to hear everyone's perspective."
Adam exhaled softly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm not very good at this… but I think we're making this more complicated than it needs to be."
He frowned slightly.
"We're acting like we have answers… when we don't even understand the question."
The simplicity of his words contrasted with the quiet tension beneath them.
The others looked at him, slightly surprised.
He didn't seem like the cautious type.
"…Did I say something wrong?"
Their reaction unsettled him more than he expected.
Damn it.
They think I'm impulsive.
That was Abdi.
Not me.
"Go on," Hana said with a gentle smile. "That was unexpected—better than before."
Her gaze softened as she observed him.
Something in his tone had shifted.
Not impulsive.
Measured.
That was new.
He wasn't letting the tension get to him anymore.
He was watching—measuring, weighing the situation for all of them.
She, however, saw things differently.
She wasn't a saint.
And she had no ties to the people of this world.
No reason to care.
…At least not yet.
She glanced subtly at the others.
Clayton and Sophia understood immediately, a faint smile forming.
"She's right," Sophia said softly.
"We're listening," Clayton added with a nod.
Adam let out a quiet breath.
This was stressful.
"So… I think we should ask Elyon what his real objective is."
A brief pause.
"Or rather… at what point he would consider his goal accomplished."
This time, the silence that followed wasn't hesitation.
It was reflection.
They had all thought about it.
None of them had said it.
Because of one simple fact.
He was a god.
The idea itself felt dangerous.
And yet—it made sense.
Adam lowered his gaze slightly.
If they didn't ask, they would keep guessing.
And guessing led nowhere.
Besides… what did they really have to fear?
If Elyon meant them harm, wouldn't it have already happened?
Or maybe not.
Only time would tell.
Adam lifted his head again.
"So… what do you think?"
There was urgency in his voice—not impatience, but the need to move forward.
Standing still.
Worrying endlessly.
That wasn't an option.
Pressure could push someone forward.
But too much of it could just as easily break them.
No one answered right away.
Sophia traced the edge of her cup with her fingers.
"It makes sense," she admitted.
"But asking a question like that… isn't without risk."
"Risk?" Adam asked.
"We don't fully understand Elyon," she replied. "His intentions, his nature… or even how he perceives us."
She looked up.
"What if questioning him is seen as defiance?"
The words settled heavily.
Clayton leaned back, crossing his arms.
"Or maybe it's expected."
"If he brought us here for a purpose, then clarity should be part of it."
He glanced at Adam.
"You're not wrong."
A brief pause.
"But the way we approach it matters."
Hana spoke next.
"Both of you are right."
Her voice was soft, yet precise.
"We want answers."
"But we're also afraid of what those answers might imply."
Her gaze shifted slightly.
"Or what asking them might reveal… about the gods' true intentions."
Silence followed again.
Not heavy this time.
Thoughtful.
Adam clenched his hand slightly under the table.
So it wasn't just him.
"We can't stay like this," he said quietly.
"Guessing. Assuming. Waiting."
"If we do nothing… we give up control."
Clayton nodded.
"That's true."
Sophia closed her eyes briefly, then exhaled.
"Then we ask."
She opened them again.
"But carefully."
"No accusations. No assumptions."
"Just… understanding."
Hana nodded.
"That would be the safest approach."
Some of the tension left Adam's shoulders.
Not gone—but lighter.
"So… we're agreed?"
A brief silence followed.
Not hesitation.
Something else.
Unspoken.
Sophia nodded first.
"Yes."
Clayton followed.
"Yeah. For now."
Hana nodded as well, though her gaze lingered on the table.
Adam hesitated.
Then—
"…Yeah."
But something in his tone didn't fully match the word.
For now, they had a direction.
And that was enough.
***
As the group lingered in the aftermath of their discussion, a melodious voice echoed through the hall.
Clear.
Unannounced.
"Why so serious?"
The words fell lightly, almost playfully—
yet they cut through the atmosphere with unsettling ease.
All of them turned at once.
A figure stood there.
No one had seen her arrive.
Long silver hair flowed down her back, catching the soft light, while eyes of the same shade observed them with quiet amusement. Her simple grey dress followed the natural curves of her body without excess, revealing only her hands and bare feet.
She wasn't imposing.
Not in the usual sense.
And yet—
there was something about her presence.
Something that didn't demand attention…
but claimed it anyway.
Without effort.
Even Sophia found herself instinctively comparing—
…and stopping.
The difference was undeniable.
A faint discomfort settled in her chest.
Clayton tensed instinctively, forcing himself to remain still.
This is… different. Even Tamiel wasn't like this.
Adam felt a brief pressure weigh on his mind before it vanished.
What was that?
Hana remained composed on the outside.
Observing.
Measuring.
Inside, however, her heart raced, and she struggled to steady it.
The woman tilted her head slightly, a subtle smile forming.
She radiated the quiet assurance of one who commands destinies without ever raising her voice.
"I came in a rather good mood…"
Her voice was slow, deliberate.
"With what I would call… excellent news."
Her gaze moved across them, noting every reaction.
"And yet… I find the atmosphere here rather tense."
A flicker of amusement passed through her eyes.
"I couldn't help but listen to your little discussion."
A brief pause.
"It was… touching."
Whether she meant it or not remained unclear.
The tension tightened.
The fact that she had been listening all along only made her presence more unsettling.
Hana stepped forward slightly.
"O goddess of conflict…"
Her tone was calm, respectful.
"Your presence is truly remarkable."
A short pause.
"If I may ask… what exactly moved you in our discussion?"
For a moment, silence returned.
Adam exhaled quietly.
His mind had gone blank the moment she appeared.
He steadied himself and refocused.
"What touched me… was your awareness."
Her tone remained light.
"But what interests me most is your attitude… and the choices you will make regarding the will of the gods—Elyon's included."
The group remained silent.
Listening.
But none of them dared press her further.
After a moment of quiet, her smile softened—becoming more refined, more deliberate.
"Good. You already know that, to fulfill your mission, you will descend to Astra—a world within the Liza Dominion, set within a reality far beyond the reach of the world you once knew."
A brief pause.
"In six months."
Her gaze lingered.
"Tamiel and Asteria will accelerate your training. Combat, the practice of Eidos… and language."
Another pause.
"And I will assign you a guide of my own, so that I may follow your progress more closely."
The announcement struck instantly.
All four widened their eyes.
Excitement wasn't the word.
Shock… was closer.
"Surprises can be thrilling, don't you think?"
"…Excuse me."
Adam steadied himself.
"If I may… or rather, if we may ask…"
He corrected himself.
"Why is it you… and not Elyon?"
Inannael tilted her head slightly.
"Does it matter?"
A faint pause.
"But if you wish to know… I will tell you."
Her tone remained effortlessly casual.
"…Seriously?"
The reaction was unanimous.
For a moment, they forgot the pressure she exuded.
Her ease was more unsettling than anything else.
"In truth," she continued, "he is currently in a state you might describe as… a coma."
"A deep divine slumber. One that allows him to recover from the strain of the power he used to summon you here."
"…What?"
The words registered.
But not their full meaning.
Adam and Hana were the first to grasp it, if only partially.
A realization flickered across their expressions.
That much… just to bring them here?
A quiet shock settled in Adam.
Had they misunderstood what gods truly were?
Beside him, Hana reached a similar conclusion.
Stories.
Myths.
Fragments of fiction they had grown up with.
All of it had shaped their image of what gods should be if such beings existed.
And yet… this didn't match.
If anything—
they had misunderstood.
Not overestimated them.
But underestimated what such beings truly were.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
If she ever returned home…
Perhaps she would see those stories differently.
Back to her small apartment.
Her bonsai.
Quiet evenings.
And maybe…
something she had long set aside.
"Now that you have learned this," Inannael resumed, her tone light once more, "I am certain your curiosity has been stirred."
The goddess let the silence stretch.
Not forcing it.
Letting it settle into them.
Her gaze drifted—
and stopped on Adam.
No.
Not quite.
It lingered through him.
Meanwhile, Adam stiffened slightly.
Damn… we knew it was coming, but hearing it like this…
Six months.
It felt too real.
Too close.
Too fixed.
"Ah—!"
The sound escaped him before he could stop it.
All eyes turned toward him.
He froze.
Heat rising instantly to his face.
"Sorry—!" he said quickly. "That was… inappropriate. I just—there's something I've been wondering about."
Idiot…
Why did I react like that?
For a brief moment, he wished he could vanish on the spot.
Inannael raised a brow, mildly intrigued.
"Go on."
Adam hesitated, then forced himself to speak properly.
"Since we arrived… something's been bothering me."
He hesitated briefly.
"I don't really know how to keep track of time here."
A small pause.
"Back home… it was different."
He glanced down, searching for the right words.
"You don't really think about it, but you feel it."
"The sun, the light… the way the day moves."
"Even without looking, you kind of know if it's morning, afternoon… or late."
He frowned slightly.
"And then there's everything else—what you do during the day, how tired you get… it all gives you a sense of time passing."
A soft breath.
His gaze lifted again.
"But here…"
He hesitated, searching for the right words.
"It's not that time stopped… or disappeared."
"I still get tired. I still feel the day passing… somehow."
A slight frown formed.
"But it doesn't match anything."
"The light, the sky… even my own rhythm—it all feels off."
A brief pause.
"Like my body is trying to follow something… but whatever it is, it's not what I'm used to."
He exhaled quietly.
"I just… can't tell how much time is actually passing anymore."
This time, the silence carried a different weight.
Not discomfort.
Reflection.
Inannael's lips curved subtly.
"I see… You are not asking about time itself, but about how it is structured."
Her gaze shifted across the group.
"The way it is divided. The way it is perceived."
Clayton exhaled under his breath.
"...Didn't even cross my mind."
Sophia gave a small, embarrassed smile.
"We were too focused on everything else…"
Hana tilted her head slightly.
"I'm curious as well," she said calmly.
"If this is a divine realm… how does time flow compared to the mortal world?"
A brief pause.
"And are there other layers… where it differs even further?"
That question lingered longer than the others.
Sharper.
Inannael's smile deepened—just slightly.
"Unfortunately… I cannot satisfy that curiosity."
Her tone remained pleasant.
Almost playful.
"But if you think carefully… you already know who you should be asking."
Silence.
Short.
Then—
understanding.
Clayton exhaled quietly.
"...Of course."
A faint hint of resignation slipped through.
"You're right," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still… a bit of guidance wouldn't hurt."
A brief pause.
"But we appreciate the reminder. Seems we've been overlooking more than we should."
Inannael observed them for a moment.
"The answers you seek are already within your reach… though not without effort."
She took a slow step forward.
Subtle.
Yet the space itself seemed to respond.
"You will come to understand that this universe… is governed by rules."
A pause.
Measured.
"And sometimes… one must learn to exist within them."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Or possess the strength… and the resolve… to defy them."
Something shifted.
Not visibly.
But perceptibly.
Not warmth.
Not hostility.
Something more layered.
An intangible tension settled in the air—faint, yet persistent.
It pressed gently against their senses.
Not enough to overwhelm.
Just enough to unsettle.
The Chosen felt it.
A quiet disturbance.
Difficult to define.
This time, none of them reacted abruptly.
They were adapting.
Slowly.
To her.
To this world.
Sophia lowered her gaze, thoughts weaving through one another.
So this is how it is…
Speaking with beings like her requires constant awareness.
Since her arrival, uncertainty had followed her at every step.
Too many unknowns.
Too many gaps.
Yet—
she steadied herself.
She would endure.
She had to.
___
"If I may…"
Hana's voice was measured.
Composed.
Even after the pressure of moments ago.
"Is this truly the only reason for your visit? Simply to deliver a message?"
Her tone remained respectful.
Deliberately so.
Inannael turned her gaze toward the Japanese girl.
Something shifted in her expression.
Not quite surprise.
Something closer to… quiet admiration.
Is that genuine detachment… or simply a very convincing performance?
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden.
These children are far too endearing. Their ignorance. Their reactions…
A faint, private ache settled somewhere she rarely acknowledged.
It almost makes me regret they aren't mine.
She let the thought pass without showing it.
Then, softly—
"No."
"I also came… for the boy's sake."
Her gaze shifted.
It landed on Adam with the effortless precision of someone who had already decided something long before entering the room.
"Given his… particular difficulty, I felt a more direct involvement was warranted."
A brief pause.
"That said—" her lips curved faintly, "—there is nothing stopping the rest of you from watching."
Still as cryptic as ever.
The thought surfaced in Adam's mind before he could stop it.
Why do gods insist on playing this game? It's exhausting if you aren't quick enough to keep up.
He exhaled quietly through his nose.
And something tells me… I'm about to look very, very foolish.
A quiet resignation settled over him.
He could already feel it coming.
A soft laugh escaped her.
Brief.
Unannounced.
And yet—
it lingered.
Like the echo of a melody that had no business being so disarming.
It did not soothe.
If anything, it unsettled further.
"As I was saying…"
Her voice resumed, unhurried.
"Tomorrow—as you perceive it—will be a rather special day."
A pause, deliberate and light.
"I suggest you put those minds of yours to work… and think about why."
Her gaze swept across them one last time.
"A surprise awaits. So stay attentive."
A faint smile.
"And do enjoy it."
"Then I shall leave you to your… deliberations."
She turned.
Walked toward the door with quiet, unhurried steps.
Soft sounds escaped her as she went—
small, almost private—
audible enough to reach them.
Inexplicable enough to follow them.
The group exchanged glances.
Uncertain.
Unsettled.
Whether it was the news she had brought, or those strange, fleeting sounds that disturbed them most—
no one could say.
Perhaps both.
Perhaps neither.
There was simply too much to process.
Gradually, a calm returned to the dining hall.
Quiet.
Unforced.
Cutlery rested on the table.
Four people sat with their thoughts.
The only certainty they shared, in that moment, was simple.
Tomorrow would be a long day.
Of that—
there was no doubt.
***
Author's Thoughts:
Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well.
Things have been a little tough lately, but I'm not giving up — so don't worry about that. Writing has been harder than usual recently, and my studies have to take priority for now, so I'll be taking a slight pause to come back with the energy this story deserves. Seekers of Astra isn't going anywhere.
The world's been a lot to take in recently too, but I suppose that's just how life goes sometimes.
On another note — comments, critiques, reactions of any kind are more than welcome. Interactions mean a lot more than you might think, and honestly… there are never enough of them.
So don't be shy. 😊
See you next chapter.