Chapter 163 – When the Sky Holds Its Breath
The entire world seemed to flatten under a single presence.
Not an aura.
Not magical pressure.
Just… Elyon.
He hadn't manifested anything.
Released nothing.
Shown nothing.
Yet everything around him trembled, as if reality itself knew exactly who had entered the room.
Even concepts shivered — something no normal being, nor even superior ones, could provoke.
The wind tried to flee. Then realized it didn't have legs.
---
Elyon fixed his gaze on the Concept:
> — "If you touch my clone, know that you simply will no longer exist."
The Concept, sweating despite its status, replied:
> — "It's not you I'm interested in… but your clone, the one the Duplicator created."
Nearby, a minor concept whispered to his colleague:
> — "Brother, do you want to die in this chapter or the next?"
Liora, arms crossed, indifferent in appearance but eyes gleaming dangerously:
> — "Go ahead, my son. Show him.
The fact he could counter my order was only because the author gave him that privilege."
Another concept in the back took notes:
*Note: NEVER counter an order from Liora. Not even by accident. Not even in a dream.*
Elyon gave a faint smile. Subtle. Almost imperceptible.
> — "Don't worry, mother. Some have gotten too arrogant… to the point of canceling one of your orders."
Liora, curt:
> — "Go on, my son. Beat him up."
The Concept raised his hands, panicked:
> — "There's a misunderstanding! It was the author, not me.
He wanted me to make an entrance with lots of aura."
Elyon, cold:
> — "Next time… you'll refuse."
The Concept thought:
Yeah, right, I refuse. I refuse to die, especially.
---
Béatrice, trembling:
> — "Is it… normal that I feel like even thinking too hard might erase me?"
Ethan shrugged, calm as an empty library:
> — "It's Elyon. If you still feel it, it means he's not looking at you."
Marie's eyes widened:
> — "… Huh?!"
Ethan added simply:
> — "If he truly focuses on you, you don't realize it.
People call it 'disappearing without understanding why.'"
Marie turned pale.
A bit too quickly.
Even her paleness turned pale.
Liora sighed, exasperated:
> — "Stop scaring the children."
Elyon replied, placid:
> — "I'm not doing anything. You're dramatizing, as always."
Liora, ironic:
> — "Me? Dramatic? Elyon, you literally arrived with a presence that made a Concept falter.
A Concept. You're the one with the problem."
Marie and Ethan moved to the back, spectators of a cosmic battle they absolutely didn't want to interrupt.
Ethan murmured:
> — "How far back do we move?"
Marie:
> — "Yes."
---
Elyon stepped forward.
Nothing moved.
But everything in the scenery seemed to adjust to his presence, as if the universe had straightened its spine.
> — "Concept. You touched something that was not meant to be touched."
At that moment, somewhere in the multiverse, a rule‑concept of "Do Not Touch" felt validated.
The Concept contracted, took on a human form: pink hair, blue eyes, an androgynous, sexless silhouette.
Its eyes froze.
> — "If you're not happy… come take it back."
Silence.
A dense silence.
Not heavy.
Not threatening.
Dense, like a billion possibilities collapsing into a single point.
A silence so dense that a chronicler tried to write it on a page… and his quill snapped.
---
Annabelle and Valor
Valor faced Valor Prime.
The clone had absorbed the attack but shielded himself behind a barrier.
> — "You're starting to get annoying…" growled Valor Prime.
Valor sneered:
> — "The clone's heating up, looks like."
Annabelle, determined:
> — "Let's finish quickly, Valor."
She charged at full speed, her two axes linked by a chain.
The blows rained down.
Valor Prime kicked, Annabelle flew backward.
She planted her axes into the ground to brake.
Valor took over.
He extended his hand:
> — "Boom, boom, boom!"
Three compressed air strikes hit Valor Prime.
Annabelle teleported in front of him, struck with her axes.
The clone was pushed back.
Valor conjured his annihilating blue flames:
> — "It's time to end this fight.
Disappear, horrid copy of the great Valor!"
Annabelle sighed:
> — "You can't just say 'disappear,' can you?"
Valor:
> — "No. It has to be stylish."
---
The Duplicator
Lya rose from the ground, standing before the Duplicator:
> — "Your powers interest me, Duplicator."
Ryn arrived, followed by Nova, calmly reading a book.
The Duplicator chuckled:
> — "I'll create clones of you, you know."
Lya smiled:
> — "I know you have a limit.
Copying someone like Elyon must have finished you."
The Duplicator, provocative:
> — "We'll see."
Nova, without lifting his eyes from the book:
> — "You can try. But I warn you… I don't lend my chapters."
Ryn:
> — "Translation: you're going to hurt yourself. A lot."
Nova, turning a page:
> — "Did I say that? No. Not yet."
---
On the other side, Elyon and the Concept faced each other.
The sky held its breath.
Even the Void seemed to wait…
And the author, somewhere, opened a bag of popcorn.
Chapter 164 – When Existence Refuses to Blink
The silence was so dense it felt like even the Void was holding its breath.
Elyon and the Concept faced each other.
No movement.
No aura.
But each second weighed like an eternity.
Somewhere, a second protested. It hadn't asked for this.
---
The Concept, in its human form with pink hair and blue eyes, gave a cold smile:
> — "You think your clone is untouchable? I can take it back.
Know that every gesture has consequences… and after summoning me here, he won't get away so easily."
A minor concept whispered to another:
> — "Why is he talking so much? Does he really want to die?"
Elyon, calm, replied:
> — "You already made the mistake of laying your hand on what belongs to me.
And trust me… you won't get the chance to do it again."
The Concept sneered:
> — "You talk as if you were the author."
Elyon, with an imperceptible smile:
> — "No. I'm worse."
Liora, in a corner, muttered:
> — "And there it is. He's pulling out those kinds of lines again."
At those words, the air vibrated.
Not an explosion.
Not a wave.
Just… reality remembering it had limits.
It grumbled inwardly:
> — "Since when?"
---
The Concept vanished and reappeared before the clone:
> — "You thought you'd get away with this?"
The clone stepped back.
The Concept was about to speak, but a kick struck him.
He blocked, but was hurled backward.
He smiled, then declared:
> — "Disappear."
The clone began to fade… before vanishing completely.
Elyon felt rage rising within him.
A crumbling concept whispered softly:
> — "Brothers… prepare yourselves. We're going to suffer."
---
Béatrice, trembling:
> — "I… I think I'm going to faint."
Ethan, stoic as an empty library:
> — "If you faint, you're lucky.
Because if Elyon decides to look at you… you won't even have time to fall."
Marie, panicked:
> — "But why is he like this?!"
Liora, sighing:
> — "Because he's my son. And because some concepts thought they could play with us."
Valor, watching from afar, grinned:
> — "Hey, Elyon, if you want, I can punch him for you.
Well… if you let me survive long enough."
Nova, without lifting his eyes from his book:
> — "Valor, shut up. You'll just end up copied by the Duplicator again, and we don't need two clowns."
Valor, offended:
> — "Hey! I'm a unique clown!"
Ryn:
> — "Yes, and that's the problem."
---
Elyon stepped forward, face filled with rage.
The Concept, still standing despite the cracks, declared:
> — "I did what I had to do.
You don't understand, Elyon.
I'm not a creature.
I'm an idea.
You can't kill me."
A concept in the distance raised a hand:
> — "I'm an idea too! Can I leave?"
Liora:
> — "You stay."
Elyon, curt:
> — "You're right.
I won't kill you.
I'll erase you."
The Concept smiled:
> — "I've already achieved my goal: eliminating your clone."
A shiver ran through its androgynous body.
It tried to release an aura, but nothing came out.
The air replied:
> — "Not today, brother."
As if Elyon had already locked down its possibilities.
Then Elyon struck it with a punch that sent it flying.
The Concept rose, laughing:
> — "Ah… you're really angry."
Marie:
> — "How can he laugh?!"
Ethan:
> — "It's a defense mechanism.
Some laugh.
Others pray.
He… only has that."
---
The Duplicator, watching the scene, chuckled:
> — "Copying Elyon nearly destroyed me… but copying the rest of you, that I can still do."
Lya, emerging from the ground like a shadow:
> — "Try. You'll see."
Nova, turning a page of his book:
> — "You should really think. Copying Elyon drained you. Copying me… is suicide."
Valor:
> — "Did you hear that? Even she's warning you! If Nova says it's suicide, it's suicide times twenty!"
The Duplicator, provocative:
> — "We'll see."
But suddenly, he began bleeding from the mouth.
He touched his face, shocked:
> — "How… is this possible?!"
Ryn, leaning toward him:
> — "Maybe copying the wrong person cost you more than you thought."
Lya, with a carnivorous smile:
> — "Looks like the Concept, by erasing Elyon's duplicates you created, affected your essence."
The Duplicator screamed at the Concept:
> — "Why did you do that?!"
The Concept, cold:
> — "I don't care."
Lya, ironic:
> — "Looks like you're in bad shape.
Convenient, isn't it?"
Valor, laughing:
> — "Perfect. The Duplicator's bleeding… finally a useful bug."
Nova, without lifting his eyes:
> — "Valor, if you keep commenting like that, I'll ask for you to be copied mute."
Valor, horrified:
> — "Mute?! No way! That's against human rights!"
Ethan:
> — "You're not human."
Valor:
> — "…True. I said nothing."
---
The Concept tried to regain a dignified posture, but its knee cracked.
Even its knee seemed to say:
> — "Run, brother. Run far away."
Elyon inhaled. A simple breath.
The ground vibrated.
The sky compressed.
A concept fainted just from watching.
Liora rolled her eyes:
> — "Elyon… no need to redo the scenery, I just finished cleaning it."
Elyon, without turning:
> — "Not my fault. He annoys me."
The Concept swallowed.
A gesture a concept wasn't supposed to know how to do.
It attempted one last smile:
> — "I… I think we can talk, you know?"
Elyon:
> — "Too late."
The Concept:
> — "I figured."
He said this as his body began to regenerate.
Chapter 165 – When Reality Asks for a Break
The light twisted.
The air vibrated.
And at the center of the arena of existence, the one once called the Concept of Retribution raised his head.
But this time… he had a name.
Némésys.
Pink hair, icy blue eyes, an expression far too blasé for someone who had just faced Elyon.
---
Némésys rubbed his cheek, still marked by the blow that had sent him flying through three overlapping realities.
> — "Alright… I admit: that was a bit too strong.
Elyon, who do you train with? Hurricanes?"
Elyon didn't answer.
He advanced.
And each step slightly warped the ground, as if creation itself hesitated to move aside.
Liora sighed behind him:
> — "Good grief… Elyon, stop walking like that. You're stressing the geometry."
Elyon, without taking his eyes off Némésys:
> — "I'm stressing the one who dared erase my clone."
Némésys raised his hands:
> — "Erase is a big word! He… deactivated. With style."
Nova, barely lifting his eyes from his book:
> — "Since when does disappearing while screaming 'NOT MY SEASON 2' count as style?"
Valor burst out laughing:
> — "I admit, that was hilarious."
Liora clapped her hands, annoyed:
> — "STOP!
We've got Elyon ready to destroy a Concept, Nova mocking everything, and Valor laughing…
Can someone at least pretend to take this seriously?!"
Everyone fell silent.
For half a second.
Then Valor added:
> — "But the season 2… really—"
— "VALOR!" shouted Liora.
---
Némésys conjured a glowing sphere in his hand, his power of retribution.
> — "I warn you, Elyon. You strike me, I return the impact a hundredfold.
That's how I work."
Elyon stepped closer.
> — "Interesting…
But I'm not the one who will strike you."
Némésys blinked, surprised:
> — "Oh? Then who?"
Elyon raised his hand.
A snap of his fingers.
The ground fractured.
The air exploded.
Even the Void pulled up a chair to watch.
A black portal opened, and a mass began to emerge.
A titanic shadow, recognizable among thousands.
Death itself.
And she was not in the mood.
Death appeared, black robe spread like wings, scythe in hand.
> — "WHO dared erase MY Elyon‑number‑two?!"
Némésys paled:
> — "… oh no. No, no, no, not her—"
Death turned toward him.
A magnificent… and extremely dangerous smile.
> — "Hello. Want a deadly hug?"
Nova closed his book:
> — "Ah. There it is. Liora, your son and your Death just triggered a cosmic event. Again."
Liora rubbed her face:
> — "I swore if this happened again, I'd hit someone.
Némésys, want to volunteer?"
Némésys quickly raised his arms:
> — "I have a cosmic right to respect, thank you!
And I remind you it wasn't me, it was the Author who wanted me to erase someone to move the plot forward!"
Valor raised an eyebrow:
> — "The Author's that serious?"
Nova:
> — "Yes. And reckless. You can tell: he created Valor."
Valor:
> — "… You're looking for a fight."
---
Death pointed her scythe at Némésys.
> — "Give me one reason. Just one reason not to reduce your human form to astral dust."
Némésys, panicked but trying to keep some grace:
> — "Uh… because if you touch me, you automatically trigger proportional retribution!
I'm literally designed to punish any aggression!
I am—"
Elyon raised a finger.
Just one.
And Némésys choked:
> — "Wait…
Wait but—
I no longer feel my power of retribution.
It's gone.
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!"
Elyon answered calmly:
> — "I disabled it."
Némésys:
> — "You…
YOU DISABLED A CONCEPT??
With a finger???"
Nova, blasé:
> — "Elyon can disable an Author with a finger.
So a concept…"
Valor:
> — "It's true. The other day, he disabled my salary too."
Elyon:
> — "That was intentional. You asked for it."
Valor, outraged:
> — "I only said I was more handsome than you!"
Liora:
> — "Valor, you just literally signed your death warrant."
---
Némésys slowly backed away, searching for an escape.
He knew he no longer had his power.
No protection.
Nothing.
Elyon advanced, calmly.
> — "Némésys.
You erased my clone.
But more importantly…
You thought you could touch something that belongs to me.
And that… has a price."
Némésys trembled.
> — "Elyon… we can talk?
Renegotiate?
Find an agreement?
I can offer you a cosmic coffee! I—"
Elyon placed a finger on his forehead.
Total silence.
Even creation made a backup before he pressed.
And—
Chapter 166 – "When Even the Void Says: 'Wait, STOP.' "
---
Elyon's finger barely touched Némésys' forehead.
Barely.
And yet, at that same instant:
– a galaxy desynchronized,
– several timelines made a U-turn out of instinct,
– and three parallel universes pretended not to be watching.
As if existence itself were trying to say:
> "We saw nothing. We don't want trouble. Please continue."
---
Némésys froze, etc…
> — "Wait, wait, wait—
Elyon, we can talk, you know?
Sure, I'm the Concept of Retaliation, but I'm also VERY open to discussion!
I'm flexible! Malleable!
I can become the Concept of… Lunch if you want!"
Elyon, completely neutral:
> — "That is exactly your problem.
You change too much depending on who talks to you."
Némésys, offended:
> — "It's called being adaptable!"
Liora sighed, exasperated:
> — "Némésys… you're giving me a headache.
And it's not easy to give someone like me a headache."
Nova, closing her book for the first time in three chapters:
> — "You should feel honored, Némésys.
Liora never complains.
She threatens, she kills, she rewrites… but complain?
That's rare."
Valor, laughing:
> — "So he just reached the level of 'critical success in being annoying'. Congrats!"
---
Némésys raised his hands, desperate.
> — "Elyon…
I admit I erased your clone.
But honestly, you should THANK me!
Do you realize how many horrible things he could've done?
You're scary even when you sleep!
Your clone… I won't even talk about that!"
Elyon replied calmly:
> — "That clone wasn't dangerous.
It was me."
Némésys:
> — "Exactly!!"
Nova:
> — "He's got a point, Elyon."
Liora smacked Nova's head:
> — "Stop encouraging him!"
Nova:
> — "I'm not encouraging him.
I'm objectively describing metaphysical panic."
Valor, thoughtful:
> — "Objectively… yeah, Elyon, your clone was terrifying.
One day he looked at a star and it apologized."
Elyon stared at him.
Valor instantly straightened:
> — "…But I loved him! Deep respect!"
---
Elyon merely closed his hand gently.
A tiny gesture.
And all of Creation felt a… glitch.
Not a bug.
Not a crack.
Just… the deep sensation that it might need to reboot if Elyon continued.
Even Némésys felt it.
> — "AAAAH! NO! NO NO NO!
Fine! OKAY!
I give the clone back! I give EVERYTHING back!
I'll even give what I never took!
Here—want my dignity? Take it!!"
Liora:
> — "Too late, you already lost it."
Valor burst out laughing:
> — "OHHHH! Cosmic burn!!"
Nova raised her book:
> — "+1 point for Liora."
Némésys whined:
> — "Why does nobody respect me…"
Elyon, neutral:
> — "Because you broke the simplest rule."
Némésys:
> — "Which rule?"
Elyon:
> — "Don't touch what's mine."
Silence.
Even Nyxa shivered a bit.
Just a tiny bit.
---
The duplicator, still on the ground, nose bleeding, tried crawling away.
Lya emerged from the floor in front of him.
> — "Boo."
The duplicator screamed:
> — "AAAAARGH!! Do you want me to die?!"
Nova, calm:
> — "Nobody wants you dead.
We just want… your silence."
The duplicator:
> — "That's even worse!!"
Valor walked over, arms crossed:
> — "You copied Elyon.
That alone is a social, magical, cosmic, economic and even narrative suicide.
You're done."
The duplicator, panicked:
> — "I just wanted to do my job!
Create DRAMA!
Bring CHAOS!
Boost the PLOT!
Is that a crime?!"
Nova:
> — "Yes. Because you picked the wrong target."
Lya:
> — "And you woke up Death."
Death raised her hand:
> — "Hi."
The duplicator had a mental heart attack.
---
Back to Elyon and Némésys.
Elyon withdrew his finger slightly.
Just a bit.
Némésys breathed like existence had just been returned to him.
Elyon declared:
> — "I will not erase you.
Not today."
Némésys collapsed to his knees, crying:
> — "THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR MERCY. I—"
Elyon continued:
> — "I will reconfigure you."
Némésys:
> — "…sorry?"
Elyon extended his hand:
> — "You will remain the Concept of Retaliation.
But from now on…
you may only retaliate against those who attack you directly.
Not those who exist.
Not those who belong to me.
Not those connected to me.
And especially…
you will never touch one of my clones again."
Némésys opened his mouth to protest, then shut it instantly.
> — "…oh.
That's… actually very reasonable.
I accept!"
Liora:
> — "See? We can solve cosmological problems without breaking everything."
Nova:
> — "Elyon solved it, not you."
Liora, offended:
> — "He's MY son. It counts!"
Valor:
> — "Honestly, with this family… I'm surprised he hasn't destroyed the author someday."
Silence.
Everyone slowly turned to Elyon.
Elyon, very calm:
> — "He just has to behave."
---
Némésys stood back up, shaking but alive.
The duplicator was crying in Lya's arms (she had no idea why).
Death was proudly patting Elyon's head.
Liora was in "disappointed mom but resigned" mode.
Nova was back to her book.
Valor was trying to be discreet so he wouldn't get deactivated again.
The air compressed suddenly.
No, it wasn't exactly air.
It was space itself, as if Creation remembered something very important:
> "Oh no… him."
A white light exploded silently.
Then Aeternus appeared.
Long white hair tied back like strands of eternity.
Eyes mostly hidden by that too-perfect hair.
Black-and-white hoodie that looked woven from raw reality.
Every step he took seemed to recalibrate the laws around him.
The impact was immediate:
— Concepts froze.
— Primordial entities went silent.
— Even Elyon felt something. Not fear. But… administrative pressure.
The kind of pressure you feel when the Director walks in.
Only two beings were unaffected:
Liora.
And Death.
Normal — they only fear themselves.
---
Aeternus turned his head to Liora, then to Elyon.
His voice fell, calm and sharp:
> — Tell your son to calm down.
Just because I didn't kill him when he was chaotic doesn't mean he can just change Concepts as he wants.
If I didn't erase him when he was clearly on Vael's side, it was purely out of respect for you.
Liora raised an eyebrow.
Valor whispered to Nova:
> — "Ooh… he brought up his respect for her. That's serious."
Nova nodded:
> — "We've officially entered 'family tensions vol.32'."
Némésys suddenly became extremely happy.
He slid next to Aeternus:
> — Lord Aeternus! Did you see?
Elyon respects NO law! None!
Not even the law of 'don't touch Concepts without a triple-signed authorization'!"
Aeternus placed his hand on Elyon's shoulder.
A simple gesture.
But reality contracted, like it was holding its breath.
> — You'd better behave, kid.
Valor made a strangled "Oooooh" noise.
Nova noted:
> — "He's gonna die. Maybe not physically, but his ego? Yes."
Lya was recording everything mentally.
For later.
---
Liora's Transformation – Orvyn
Liora sighed.
Then she changed.
Not slowly.
Not gradually.
No.
Instantly.
In a blink, Liora became Orvyn, King of the Ancient Humans.
Black kimono.
Long hair tied back.
Glowing red eyes.
Her aura literally broke the color of the environment.
Everything shivered:
— the pillars,
— the laws,
— even gravity hesitated.
Elyon took a tiny step sideways.
Out of genetic respect.
(And to avoid the parental glare.)
Orvyn stared at Aeternus:
> — Remove your hand from my son's shoulder.
Aeternus turned slowly.
> — And if I say no?
You should tell your son to behave instead of trying to intimidate me."
Orvyn didn't blink.
(Gravity blinked for him.)
> — We are brothers.
And I don't want problems between us.
Let go of my son."
Aeternus removed his hand.
Not out of fear.
Out of respect.
And irritation too.
Both of their combined presences made tremble:
— Creation's structures,
— the pillars,
— the narration,
— and even the author
Valor whispered:
> — "We're gonna die.
But at least we'll die looking awesome."
---
Aeternus sighed:
> — This is my last warning.
I'm leaving."
He vanished.
Némésys followed him, mocking Elyon:
> — "DID YOU SEE?! He scolded you in front of everyone!! HAHAHA!!"
He vanished too.
A cosmic pebble fell from the ceiling.
Just for dramatic effect.
---
Death Speaks (and Vael Is Not Happy)
Death stretched like she just woke up from a cosmic nap.
> — "Well… I'm leaving too.
Vael's probably waiting for me.
And you know the old Elyon…
He's going to tire me out for nothing again."
Elyon raised a finger.
Death raised her hands defensively:
> — "No no, nothing against you sweetheart.
I mean chaotic you.
The other you.
The you who speaks in italics."
Even Elyon wasn't sure which "him" she meant.
---
After They Left
Silence fell.
A heavy, cosmic silence.
Creation sighed, exhausted:
> "I would like… just one normal day. Just one."
Spoiler:
Today won't be that day.
Valor looked at Elyon:
> — "You okay?"
Elyon answered neutrally:
> — "I am perfectly fine.
I do note, however, that some concepts will need to be… recalibrated."
Nova softly closed her book:
> — "I think Némésys is going to cry when he gets home."
Death (from far away):
> — "Confirmed! He's already crying!"
---
And somewhere, very, very far away…
Vael opened a multicolored eye, sensing that many things were happening without him.
The universe shivered.
Again.