Chapter Text
Elrien was mid-argument with a stack of documents when reality folded.
Paperwork — the eternal punishment.
The air distorted, and three divine presences forced their way past his wards.
He looked up slowly.
“…How about you start explaining why I was graced with your visit?”
No one answered.
Iowen smiled awkwardly.
Shannon avoided his gaze.
Redecca stared past him — beyond him.
Elrien noticed immediately.
“…Redecca?”
“…Redecca.”
Before he could finish the sentence, she vanished.
Teleportation.
Straight through every barrier.
Elrien swore.
———
Redecca appeared beside the bed.
And froze.
The figure lying there was unmistakable.
Tall frame.
Black hair spread across the pillow.
Divine presence restrained but unmistakably whole.
Her breath caught.
“…No.”
The word left her lips unbidden.
Elrien arrived behind her an instant later — already knowing what he would see.
“Don’t—” he started, then stopped.
Behind them, Iowen and Shannon arrived.
They stopped dead.
———
“What—”
“How?!”
“That’s not possible—”
Their voices overlapped in disbelief.
“Kanos?” Iowen whispered.
“No,” Shannon said sharply. “That’s not possible. He carried the sin…”
Redecca stepped closer, trembling.
“…The sins are gone,” she whispered. “Fate confirms it. He is not… tainted.”
Shock rippled through the room.
They reacted instinctively — divine power flaring dangerously.
“Explain,” Shannon demanded, voice tight. “Now.”
Elrien opened his mouth.
And then—
Kanos stirred.
Too late.
———
Kanos stirred.
A soft groan escaped him as he shifted, slowly pushing himself upright. His eyes opened, unfocused, then widened at the sight of four gods staring at him.
“…Wow,” he murmured hoarsely. “Did I die again?”
The room went dead silent.
Then—
Iowen broke completely.
She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, crying openly.
“You idiot,” she sobbed. “You absolute idiot—”
Shannon followed, gripping Kanos tightly, voice shaking with unrestrained emotion.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said fiercely, voice shaking. “Do you hear me?”
Redecca stood frozen, hands over her mouth.
Kanos blinked.
“…I missed you too?”
“The Clock of Destiny… ,” Redecca said slowly. “You intended your own sacrifice from the very beginning…”
Elrien watched from the side, stunned — then exhaled slowly.
His explanation problem had solved itself.
———
They did not leave Elrien’s chambers immediately.
No one suggested it.
Iowen sat at the edge of the bed, still holding Kanos’s hand as though afraid he might vanish if she let go. Shannon leaned against the wall, arms crossed too tightly, gaze flicking to Kanos again and again as if verifying his existence. Redecca remained standing near the window, eyes unfocused — still reading fate, still confirming what she already knew was true.
Elrien cleared his throat.
“That’s enough,” he said. “You’re overwhelming him.”
Kanos lifted one hand weakly. “It’s fine. I’ve survived worse.”
That earned him several sharp glares.
Elrien sighed and finally began.
He did not embellish.
He did not dramatize.
He explained the Supreme God’s awakening, the authority of judgment, the purification, and the restoration — not as a miracle, but as a correction long overdue.
Silence followed.
Shannon exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair.
“And still a certain person never bothered to explain the real aftermath of the annihilation array ,” he muttered.
Kanos shrugged weakly. “Didn’t seem productive.”
That nearly got him strangled again.