The silence after the explosion felt heavier than any sound. Dust hung in the air like mist, glittering faintly under the lingering light. Aster pushed himself up, coughing, his armor cracked and half-buried under debris. His sword was gone, thrown somewhere into the ruins.
He looked around, eyes straining against the haze. "Erian!"
A soft glow pulsed in the distance. A figure stood within it, calm and motionless, as if untouched by the destruction.
Erian.
But something about him was different. The air around him bent slightly, shimmering with celestial energy. His eyes were no longer the soft silver of before they burned with an ancient radiance that pierced through Aster's chest.
"Erian," Aster whispered, taking a step closer.
The figure turned, his voice both Erian's and something older, deeper. "The vessel remembers. The name still carries weight."
Aster froze. "Lumis."
"Yes," the voice replied softly. "The god who fell. The light that should not exist."
Aster's heart pounded. He had heard that name whispered in old prayers and forbidden scriptures. Lumis, the Starborn Deity, whose fall tore the heavens apart. The same god whose fragments had been scattered into mortal vessels.
And now, that power stood before him in the body of the man he loved.
"You shouldn't be here," Aster said, voice trembling. "You'll destroy him."
Lumis or Erian tilted his head. "He invited me in. He sought the light, not knowing it would burn him."
Aster clenched his fists. "Then let him go. Take me instead."
The god regarded him for a long moment. "Would you bear what he cannot?"
"I would," Aster said without hesitation. "If it means saving him."
Lumis smiled faintly. "You mortals. Always choosing suffering over surrender."
The ruins around them pulsed as divine energy rippled outward. The runes that had once decorated the temple floor were now scattered, glowing faintly in midair. They orbited around Erian like broken stars.
"Erian," Aster said again, stepping closer. "Can you hear me? You told me once that you wanted to see the sky beyond this world. You can't do that if you let this thing consume you."
For a moment, there was no answer. Then Erian's voice broke through, faint and cracked. "Aster... I can't stop it. It's too much."
"You can," Aster whispered, reaching for him. "You're stronger than this."
Erian's body trembled. The light flickered. Lumis's tone changed, a low growl threading through his words. "You would deny divinity for love?"
Aster met that ancient gaze. "I'd deny the universe if it meant saving him."
The air split. A surge of energy exploded between them, throwing Aster back. He hit the ground hard but pushed himself up again, refusing to stay down.
Erian fell to his knees, clutching his head as two voices warred within him. One crying out for freedom. The other demanding submission.
Aster ran to him, ignoring the heat and pressure. "Erian! Look at me!"
Erian's eyes flickered divine silver shifting back to human gray. "Aster... help me..."
Aster pulled him into his arms, holding him tight. "I've got you. You're not alone."
The light roared around them. The god within screamed, but Aster didn't let go. The glow dimmed, slowly collapsing into Erian's body until only a faint shimmer remained.
Erian went limp against him, his breathing shallow but steady.
Aster lowered his forehead to Erian's. "You idiot. Don't ever scare me like that again."
A faint smile touched Erian's lips. "Did... we win?"
Aster exhaled shakily. "I don't know. But you're here. That's enough."
Behind them, the sky began to shift. The broken constellations above started to realign, forming new patterns ones unseen by any mortal eyes before.
And far beyond the veil of the world, a new light stirred.
The gods were watching.