Chapter 1763: Carry |
Up until this moment, people could ask Atticus what his happiest moment was. They would all receive the same answer.
He did not know.
Across his lives, there had been happy days and sad days. Yet his life had always been about war and survival. Train and reach the top. It was so deeply ingrained in his mind that it had become impossible to truly feel genuine happiness.
However, the moment Atticus saw the wrinkled face of his grandmother, a warmth unlike anything he’d ever felt spread through him.
"Grandma," he said softly.
He’d reverted to his human form, tall, with flawless skin.
"A-Atticus?" Freya blinked, as though her eyes were playing tricks on her.
"Yes, Grandma. It’s me. I—"
She embraced him before he could finish.
Atticus felt his eyes slowly water. He’d missed her so much. He tightened his embrace and muttered, a tear slipping down his cheek,
"I have."
A moment later, Freya drew back, her eyes widening.
"Wait... if you’re here... does that mean you’re... you’re..."
Atticus saw the sadness in her eyes and smiled warmly.
"No, Grandma. I’m not dead. Actually... you’re the one who’s come back to the land of the living."
Freya froze.
"Me? H-How is that possible?"
"I’ll explain everything." Atticus gave her a reassuring nod. "The time for secrets is over. It’s time you all knew everything. Time for true peace."
Seeing the seriousness in his gaze, Freya nodded. Though she was curious, she trusted her grandson.
"Hold on."
Atticus snapped a finger. The scene shifted. The next moment, he stood in the middle of the mansion’s living room on Eldoralth.
Across the room, every member of his family was gathered.
Ilyshkara. Attimax. Anastasia. Avalon. His sister Freya. Magnus. Grandma Freya. Anorah. Ozeroth. Whisker. Ozerra. Aurora. Ember. Caldor. Zoey. Oberon.
And then his Earth mother, Grace.
Grace had dirt-blonde hair, with skin that looked as though it had seen better days. She appeared aged and wrinkled, a far cry from the young, beautiful woman Atticus had known.
She was the most confused of them all. A complete stranger.
He met her eyes. And somehow, she recognized him instantly. Tears welled in her eyes as her face reddened. Her lips parted slightly before silently mouthing,
Atticus.
Atticus slowly nodded.
She covered her mouth with one hand while the other pressed against her chest. Then she hurried to her feet, crossed the room in hurried steps, and threw her arms around him.
The others noticed Atticus at that moment. They froze.
"Bond... what the hell? You’re back!?" Ozeroth shot to his feet.
Whisker was right behind him, both of them staring at Atticus with wide eyes. Anorah’s eyes were trembling, both fists clenched. Atticus felt a pang in his heart. He would have to fix things with her. Later.
Anastasia, Avalon, Magnus, his sister Freya... those who had lost their lives looked even more confused about how they’d gotten here.
He exhaled, gently pulling away from Grace’s embrace before gesturing for her to take a seat. She hesitated, but at his reassuring nod, she quietly sat down. Ilyshkara and Anastasia glanced at Grace with curiosity, but neither of them spoke.
"I have something important to say."
Whether it was the seriousness in his voice or the unfathomable power he now carried, every soul fell silent.
"Some of you know some things. Others don’t. But you’re all my family. My mothers," Ilyshkara, Anastasia and Grace smiled as his gaze rested on them. "My fathers," Attimax and Avalon instinctively straightened, their chins lifting. "My brothers. My sisters. The people I care about."
Anorah still avoided his gaze. He inwardly sighed
"And I want you all to know me..pletely. So I’m going to tell you everything. From the very beginning... to the end."
Then he began narrating everything, from his first life in the High Planes, to Earth, to Eldoralth, and back to the High Planes.
Unfortunately, that also meant revealing that he had been reincarnated, and that Ilyshkara and Attimax had been his original parents. By that point, Anastasia and Grace were already in tears, while Avalon’s expression had darkened.
Yet when they still looked at him with nothing but love, Atticus realized it wasn’t the truth that had hurt them. It was the fact that he’d kept it from them.
He could see it in their eyes. They still considered him their son. Atticus held back his raging emotions. There were still important things to say.
By then, Magnus had long since noticed his dead wife and rushed to her side. Atticus watched with a growing smile as they embraced, rested their foreheads together, then kissed. Tears streamed down Magnus’ face.
He’d never seen his grandfather like that before.
"...We... died?"
It was Aurora who spoke. Atticus had just reached the battle with the Spirit King and how he’d lost them. The others who had died also stared in confusion. Their deaths had been so swift that none of them had even realized it.
Atticus nodded.
"Then... how are we alive?"
Atticus felt every eye settle on him before continuing the story.
How he defeated the Stars and ascended, eventually fusing with the Spirit King, Solvath, before finally devouring the Primordials.
Zoey’s fists had quietly clenched when he spoke about fusing with the Spirit King, while Ozeroth’s eyes darkened slightly.
Neither of them said anything.
Still, Atticus found his next words strangely heavy. He had no idea why he felt that way, but he pushed through it regardless.
He didn’t want a world built on lies anymore.
"Then... I erased every other world... every other person in the universe. Eldoralth is the only world left."
Silence. So much silence it felt oppressive. No one spoke. They simply stared at him, their eyes slowly widening.
Atticus blinked. Why were they all looking at him... like that?
"...Wh—"
Ilyshkara shot to her feet and wrapped him in an embrace before he could finish speaking. His chest slowly grew wet. She was crying.
’Huh?’
Why was she crying?
"Mom... why—"
"My poor baby... how much of this have you been carrying all by yourself?"