Raul POV :
Unicorns… they're my sworn enemies now.
I fucking hate them.
They can bend time — and yet, they're just damn horses with horns.
When I saw Iris again, she burst into tears.
I had gone back in time — to an era where the Demon God still roamed free, before he was sealed.
Damn horse…
It all started when I tried to help a little girl being chased by trolls.
Usually, when I help people, they never realize it's me doing it.
For example:
-A merchant about to go bankrupt suddenly finds a buyer.
-A sick mother recovers for her little daughter.
-Two lovers separated by fate reunite.
Just small examples… under the right conditions, and with time, fulfilling such wishes isn't difficult.
The people who see me tend to be… rotten ones, by my standards.
Anyways, Good and evil—who decides?
To the universe, those concepts are meaningless.
I may think of myself as evil, yet my soul still shines bright.
That leaves two possibilities:
-First, I'm actually a good person.
-Second, my lack of remorse for what I do makes my soul shine that way.
I've always leaned toward the second.
While I was lost in thought, Iris stayed silent, like a cat that swallowed her tongue.
"You—you can't be him. You're not entity…" she stammered.
I appeared before her in my true form.
She had always believed I was some sort of god.
As she walked toward me and Artemis, the huntress's cold voice echoed, "Step back, woman."
Iris stumbled.
She recognized the woman beside me, the one I often called "Art."
But she couldn't process it.
Then she laughed madly, "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
She had grown.
Once, she'd been adorable; now she had an aura of mature strength.
Long black hair, emerald dragon eyes, and a curvy figure that could probably start wars.
"So you finally dared to face me," she said, smirking.
"Tell me, Raul Cainhurst or Entity… what was that song you sang before you left?"
To her, I had always been something beyond human.
Either a prophet or a god himself.
But the truth was… I was something far more dangerous.
I sang quietly,
"I'm rising higher with every breath,Trapped behind walls woven from human threads…"
As my voice carried, tears streamed down her face.
She stepped closer, ignoring Artemis' glare.
"It really is you," she whispered.
"Yes," I said, smiling faintly.
"Good to see you remember, little dragon. You're still as stubborn as ever—don't make me grab the stick again."
Artemis trembled beside me. "Raul… what are you talking about? Why are you two speaking in riddles?"
But Iris lunged forward and hugged me. "Damn it, I missed you, you bastard! If I'd questioned your arrogance back on stream, I would've known!"
"HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!" Artemis shouted—but we ignored her.
I hugged Iris back.
I had abandoned her once, left her with hope that I'd return.
But staying for a thousand years with her?
That could've torn reality itself apart.
"Hmph. You talk too much shit for someone who was once such a brat," I teased, pulling out the same training stick I used to discipline her.
Artemis summoned her own stick. "Finally! Iris, Raul may pity you, but I don't. Watch your tongue next time. "
"I—I didn't know who you were!" Iris yelped, instantly letting go of me, trembling at the sight of the stick.
One hour later
Iris was rubbing her sore backside while Artemis and I stood over her.
"Hmph, that should do," I said, satisfied.
Artemis, however, looked unimpressed. "Come on, Raul! You were harsher with me!"
Iris knelt on the floor, her pride shattered.
A 9th-tier being, defeated and unable to even dodge where the stick would land.
"You're a goddess, Art," I said, muttering. "Iris is still a baby dragon."
Iris misunderstood completely. "I'm over a thousand years old! How can you treat me like a child?!" she shouted.
I raised the stick again. "Then shall I treat you like an adult?"
She froze. "No, no! I'm still a little dragon! Don't hit me!" she waved her arms frantically.
"Hmph. Iris," I said calmly, "don't tell anyone I visited. Or who I really am, understood?"
I trusted her, barely.
She dusted herself off and rose. "Idiot. No matter how many times I tried to summon you, you never came. Of course, I won't tell anyone who you are. But that woman—Art, was it? What kind of goddess is she?"
Artemis proudly puffed her chest. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Artemis—the goddess of the Moon and the Hunt."
Iris smirked. "Oh, so the virgin goddess. Raul, your taste in women is terrible. Seraphine was a terrible choice, Artemis is even worse....."
Before she could finish, Artemis drew her bow.
By the gods… every time Artemis can't get along with someone, her first instinct is to shoot them.
"Now, now, Art," I said, stepping between them, "Iris doesn't mean it. You're actually cute. Beautiful, even."
"What did you just say, Raul?" Artemis asked.
Oh, she definitely heard me—but she wanted me to repeat it.
I grabbed her cheek."Ahh! You bastard—let go of me!" she yelped.
I released her, and she pouted, rubbing her cheek. "Hmph."
Then Iris interrupted us. "You two lovebirds can flirt all you want—just not in front of me, please."
"What, with Artemis? Absolutely not," I started to say—then noticed the dark aura rising from her.
"Uh, actually, let's call it a night, Iris. Take care of yourself. And remember if you reveal my identity… I'll come for your soul."
And with that, Artemis and I vanished before her eyes.
Later… back on the Moon
Artemis and I lay in bed.
"Hmm, Artemis," I murmured, "why hasn't anyone shown up yet?"
"What do you mean, Raul?" she asked sleepily.
"Well," I sighed, "isn't your brother Apollo obsessed with you? And your father Zeus, why hasn't he tried to smite me yet?"
Artemis giggled. "Apollo's an idiot; he only thinks about sex. And Zeus? He's terrified of anyone who manipulates time. You called it… PTSD, right?"
"Right," I muttered. "Because your brothers—and the other gods—will find out who I really am soon enough. That's going to be… a problem."
I could already sense it: Apollo preparing for war. Zeus trembles at the idea of another Cronus.
Cronus had been strong, yes—but he never grasped the true depth of time control.
He merely accelerated his own body.
A crude method.
Mine, though… far superior. I can erase time and space, creating a self-contained microcosm ruled by my own laws.
Simple, really.
Ah, time, what a beautiful thing.
Space, too, not bad.
"Oh, Raul," Artemis murmured, curling beside me, "you mentioned taking two more souls soon. Who are they?"
I sighed. "Two strange ones. Their names… Noah and Marcus, you'll see soon."
"Hmm. Two insignificant mortals, then," she said, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep almost instantly.
Her ability to fall asleep that fast never ceased to amaze me.
I followed her example and fell asleep.