The stars above Olympus dimmed beneath the thickened clouds of fate.
Within the courtyard of the Forgotten Garden, where silver vines of eternity coiled like serpents around broken marble pillars, Jin Shang walked with deliberate steps. Each echo of his footfall rang out like a funeral drum across the cold stone floor.
Waiting in the center, as if she had never left the battlefield of gods, stood Gaia.
"You came, mortal," she said, her voice ancient and vast, as though spoken through the roots of the world. "I thought you'd never return after losing so badly."
Jin offered a shallow bow, his expression unreadable. "There are things I can't ignore."
He looked up, his eyes sharp. "After all, we both enjoy games… don't we?"
Gaia chuckled softly, the sound like wind through dead trees. "You've changed. The trembling boy I saw in my Primordial Dream now returns with eyes colder than Tartarus."
"And yet," Jin said quietly, stepping closer, "you knew I would come back."
"I did."
For a moment, she gazed at him, her gaze peeling back the surface of his soul. "So, what brings you here… my child?"
Jin exhaled slowly and stepped back. His tone dropped, firm and clear. "Let's stop pretending. I have questions. Many. And I want answers—every single one."
She raised an eyebrow, amused. "So many questions, mortal-turned-god. Where would you like to begin?"
"My first question is about Lia," Jin said, voice tightening. "Athena told me she didn't belong here—that she was never meant to be in this world. So why? Why did you drag her from her own universe?"
Gaia laughed gently, reaching out to place her hand under his chin, lifting it slightly. "I can answer that," she murmured. "But that's not the question you should ask first."
Jin forced a smile. "Then enlighten me. What should be my first question?"
Gaia leaned in closer, her breath as old as time. "Your first question should be: Why were you chosen?"
"…Then tell me," Jin said.
Her eyes darkened with memory and prophecy. "You are an anomaly, Jin. An aberration that the heavens failed to predict. You are the one who will shatter both Heaven and Hell. And though we fear you… we are also pleased. You're a pawn worth molding."
Jin was going to say something, but Gaia raised a hand.
"When you arrived in this world, I told your father to abandon or kill you," she continued. "You were a threat. But later, I saw it: you weren't just dangerous—you were also useful. Athena told you that everyone has their own motives. She was right. Mine is to find the ultimate weapon. And to do that… I chose you."
Jin clenched his fists, but kept smiling. "That's not the answer I wanted. I asked—why Lia?"
Gaia's smirk deepened. "I'll tell you. But don't interrupt me again. I don't like it when people disrupt my lectures."
A strange chill passed through Jin. Despite everything, he couldn't deny it—he was in her dream, and her rules still applied.
Gaia turned away slightly and continued. "You were born under a prophecy, Jin. So we cast the Absolute Line upon your soul. Do you know what that is? It binds your fate so thoroughly that even the gods, even the Primordials—even me—cannot undo it. Your journey, your thoughts, your struggles, your future… it was all written to lead you to a single destiny: to become the Abyssal King."
The words echoed like thunder within Jin's mind.
" I know, You have a question why you must become the Abyssal King? Because that is the question that holds the answer to everything. Lia. Your mother. The weapon. The war. The end of all things."
Jin whispered, "Then… what does the Abyss have to do with it?"
Gaia smiled, wistful and cold. "Because my ultimate weapon lies in the Abyss—the Realm of the Dead, once ruled by a Great Monarch. Not even I dare to tread its depths. But you… you are different."
Jin's eyes widened. "Then why me? If you fear it.
"Because your birth is unlike any other." She paused, her gaze piercing. "Do you know who your mother is?"
Jin stiffened.
"She's from the same universe as Lia," Gaia said calmly. "Another anomaly. I didn't summon her—she came of her own will, through cracks in reality. And in doing so… she became the key to finding Lia's original universe."
His voice trembled, " so what does that make me special?"
"A bridge. A paradox. A creature of two worlds. You see, to activate the weapon in the Abyss, it must be found by a Monarch or higher… but only the soul of the seeker's beloved can truly awaken it. But one condition, The beloved's existence must move in harmony with the seeker."
Silence fell.
"You couldn't awaken the weapon," Gaia said softly. "Not alone. Your existence was too twisted, tainted by the Abyss. So we used Lia. Her soul— pure—was the perfect catalyst."
Jin's heart pounded. Fury boiled beneath his skin, but he swallowed it, barely restraining himself.
"One more question," he said. "Can a soul be reincarnated?"
Gaia tilted her head. "Yes. Through the Lunar Lake, which governs reincarnation… But why do you ask me that?"
Jin stood slowly, his expression dark. "No reason."
He drew his sword, its edge gleaming with unnatural light. "Now… it's time for your end."
Gaia laughed. "Do you truly think you can harm me—here, in my dream?"
Jin smirked, eyes glinting with something ancient and wrong. "I think you should take a closer look at this dream."
Gaia's smile faltered. She stepped back slightly. Her fingers trembled as if she felt something wrong.
"No… that's not possible," she whispered. "Don't tell me you—"
Jin's smirk widened.