Kael sat propped up on his hospital bed, scrolling through short videos on his phone.
Sitting nearby, Sara watched the glowing screen with quiet curiosity. Kael noticed her lingering gaze and paused the video. "Sara, do you like watching videos and reels?"
Sara gave a soft, timid nod. "Yeah..."
Watching the two of them from near the door, Renjiro rolled his eyes and turned to walk out into the hallway. "Ah... man. Here go these lovebirds again."
Kael slowly shifted his gaze toward him, giving him a cold, sharp stare.
Renjiro suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He paused, looking back over his shoulder. The moment his eyes met Kael's intense glare, cold sweat broke out across his forehead. He offered a nervous, awkward grin before quickly slipping out the door.
Sara looked down at her lap, her long, pointed ears turning slightly pink.
Kael turned his attention back to her. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something."
Sara hummed softly, keeping her eyes fixed on the bedsheets as if she wanted to bury her face in them.
Kael tilted his head slightly. "Are you an elf?"
She looked up at him, shaking her head. "No... but my ears just look like theirs. Do you want to know how I got them?"
Kael set his phone down on the blanket. "Yeah, if you're comfortable telling me."
A faint, bittersweet smile appeared on her face as her expression darkened with memory. "A long time ago, I was working under a powerful lady. She ordered me to hunt down a dragon. But that dragon was far too strong, and it showed me no mercy."
She paused, taking a sip of water from a cup on the nightstand before continuing. "The dragon hit me with its flame breath twice. My real ears were completely burned and destroyed. Later, the gods granted me these elf-like ears because they were the most suitable replacement."
Hearing her story, Kael clenched his fist tightly under the blanket. "Do you miss your old ears?"
Sara looked at him and gave a small nod. "Yeah... I wish I could see what I used to look like, even if it's just in a dream."
Kael smiled softly. "Well, there might actually be a way for you to see them right now."
He picked up his phone and took a quick photo of Sara. Opening an AI image app, he typed in a simple prompt to restore her ears to their original human shape. Within a few seconds, the screen refreshed with a newly generated picture.
Kael turned the screen toward her. "Take a look."
Sara's eyes widened. A bright, genuine smile spread across her face as she stared at the screen. "Is this... really what I used to look like?"
Kael nodded. "Yeah. Artificial intelligence can make dreams look pretty real."
Sara reached up, gently touching her ears with a soft giggle. Watching her happy reaction, Kael felt a sudden warmth flush through his cheeks. He quickly turned his face away toward the wall.
Noticeably, Sara looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong, Kael?"
Still staring at the blank wall, Kael mumbled softly, "You... look really cute with those ears."
Sara smiled warmly. "Really? That's actually the exact same thing the goddess told me back then."
Kael turned back to her, curious. "You keep mentioning this goddess. Who is she?"
Sara placed her hands neatly on her knees, leaning in slightly. Her tone grew serious. "Actually... there's something important I've been wanting to tell you."
Kael unconsciously shifted back a few inches, his chest tightening. Seeing how hesitant and red-faced she looked, his heart started beating rapidly. *Wait... is she about to confess to me right now?*
Sara looked directly into his eyes and spoke clearly. "You look just like the Goddess of Destiny."
Kael froze. He stared at her in dead silence for a few seconds. "That's... what you wanted to tell me?"
Sara nodded innocently, blinking like a confused child.
Kael let out a long sigh, leaning back against his pillow. "Well, there are plenty of humans who look like gods. Who knows, maybe some gods just look like regular humans too."
Sara stood up, a teasing glint returning to her eyes. "You know, Kael, even if a real God came down to Earth today, scientists would probably just call them an alien anyway."
Kael turned his head away with a fake scowl. "Are you trying to start an argument with me?"
Sara just giggled softly, walking over to her own hospital bed and pulling the blankets over herself to sleep.
A few hours passed. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the hospital room.
Kael woke up from a light nap. He checked on Sara first, seeing that she was fast asleep. Turning his head, he saw Renjiro sitting quietly in a chair nearby.
Kael sat up slowly. "Hey, Renjiro... how did you find me after the fight?"
Renjiro leaned back, letting out a heavy sigh as he remembered the scene. "After I saved Sara, I used my shadow jump to teleport back to the void world. When I got there, you were lying on the ground, completely unconscious."
Renjiro looked at Kael with a serious expression. "I rushed over and checked your breathing. Thankfully, you were still alive. Then, just a few feet away from you, I saw Ignis's lifeless body."
Kael placed his palm over his forehead, resting his head back against the wall. He stared up at the ceiling tiles, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "I can't use that immortal-killing technique recklessly ever again. The backlash is insane."
Renjiro patted his shoulder gently, reassuring him.
At that moment, the door opened, and Rexon walked into the room. He carried a stack of heavy business folders and slumped onto the sofa with a tired sigh.
"Master Kael, I am eagerly waiting for your full recovery," Rexon said, rubbing his temples.
Kael looked at him with a faint smile. "What happened, Rexon?"
Rexon set the thick documents on the coffee table. "Running a business is far too difficult, even for a master strategist like me."
Kael chuckled softly. "Is it really that bad?"
"Yes!" Rexon complained. "Some of our business partners kept promising they would sign the contracts today, but now they're just delaying everything."
Kael gestured for him to come closer and patted his head gently. "Alright, don't worry. I'll take care of them personally once I get discharged."
Rexon smiled in relief, then glanced toward the other bed. "Is Miss Sara sleeping?"
Kael nodded quietly. "Yeah, let her rest."
Meanwhile, beyond the mortal realm, deep within the dark abyss of the Gates of Death.
The atmosphere inside the grand hall was choked with absolute disbelief. Every ancient entity in the underworld was staring at the doorway in complete shock.
Ignis stood at the threshold, leaning back casually with his arms raised.
One of the high-ranking death judges stood up abruptly from his throne, pointing a trembling finger at him. "How... how are you standing here?!"
Ignis shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "What? Am I not allowed to come here?"
The entities exchanged horrified glances with one another. "But you are an immortal! Immortals cannot enter the Gates of Death!"
Ignis looked down at his own dark hands, then raised his head toward the crimson sky. For the first time in millennia, a genuine look of peace washed over his face.
"Well... I died," Ignis said plainly.
The entire hall erupted into hushed, panicked murmurs. "An immortal... actually died?!"
Ignis walked forward, ignoring the commotion, and took a seat on an empty stone bench.
High above the hall, the colossal form of the Death God slowly leaned forward on his massive bone throne. He raised his dark, skeletal hand, his deep voice echoing like thunder through the abyss.
"So... Kael Redgrave finally killed you."
Ignis looked up and nodded simply. "Yeah. He killed me."
Hearing the confirmation, the Death God burst into a low, terrifying laugh that shook the very foundations of the underworld.
"Fascinating..." the Death God murmured, his crimson eyes burning with ancient power. "That boy... his soul is directly tied to the Supreme Gods."
The Death God slowly stood up from his throne, his massive shadow looming over the entire realm.
"Prepare the gates," he commanded, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "The balance of the cosmos has just shattered."