"Tell me everything."

The mood turned somber. Ilyshkara and Attimax exchanged a knowing glance before looking back at Atticus, their eyes slightly darkened.

"Okay, honey." Ilyshkara gently took his arm. Atticus could see the sadness in his mother’s eyes. The thought of those events must have been painful to relive. Yet he had been the one to endure it all. The pain. The deaths. The endless suffering. He had to know.

He returned her grip, trying to reassure her.

"It started when the primordial star Solvath was destroyed and a piece of him bonded with you. His followers lost their minds and immediately declared war on the other sanctums for betraying him. The Elysion and Vealos Sanctums, meanwhile, wanted Solvath and everyone connected to him wiped out. The entire High Planes descended into chaos. It wasn’t safe for you anymore... especially after..." She trailed off.

Atticus understood. Basically, both sides wanted him.

"As we were trying to figure out what to do, our primordial star suggested reincarnation. We thought it was insane." She shook her head. "Actually, that’s a lie. We knew it was insane. But the war was getting worse and we were running out of time, so we did it anyway."

Her fingers tightened around his hand.

"He sent you to a world in the Zero Planes."

"Why the Zero Planes?" Atticus asked. Why not just a world in the Lower or Middle Planes directly?

"Because they’re one of Solvath’s personal projects. The other stars, even the primordials, have a hard time reaching into them. Even now, trying to influence them comes with consequences. We wanted you somewhere hidden. Somewhere safe. At least until things settled down."

"So who killed me?" Atticus’ voice turned icy. "I was seventeen when a strange man entered my home and shot me in the head. Was it you?"

"No." Ilyshkara answered immediately. "Absolutely not. We had nothing to do with that, honey. I promise." Her jaw tightened. "You weren’t even supposed to reincarnate that quickly. Your fragment was meant to awaken first and begin the second reincarnation process into the Lower Planes. We only found out what happened through our primordial. By then..." Her eyes darkened. "Someone had already gotten to you."

There was anger in Ilyshkara’s eyes, but it was nothing compared to the quiet menace radiating from his father.

Attimax remained leaning against the wall with his arms folded. It was an ordinary posture, almost relaxed, yet Atticus had never felt such murderous intent from anyone. It hung around him, as though death itself had settled at his side.

Atticus asked another question.

"What about merging the worlds in the Lower Planes? The exosuit? My Life Weapon’s avatar is Father too. How did you plan all that when you didn’t know when I died?"

"We put all of that in motion immediately after your first reincarnation."

"Why?"

"Because we could send you down, but we couldn’t climb for you." She glanced at Attimax. "Our primordial believed you’d grow faster if you were challenged. Hence the reincarnators. The exosuit was just one piece of that." Her voice softened. "And... I just couldn’t stand the thought of you being alone. I needed to do something. Anything."

Atticus gently squeezed her hand. Her eyes had begun to glisten. He offered her a reassuring look.

"What about the Life Weapon?"

Ilyshkara glanced toward Attimax.

"Your weapon is called a Starkiller." Attimax answered. "It is the only weapon in existence capable of harming stars. Even primordials."

He extended a hand. A slender sword materialized within his grasp.

Atticus immediately sensed the terrifying power sleeping within it. The blade seemed almost alive, faintly trembling as though announcing its existence to the world.

"This is Brendante," Attimax said, a trace of pride entering his voice. "Every Warrior Ascendant carries one. The method of creating them was granted by our primordial star. However, every sanctum’s Starkillers inherit different traits depending on the primordial they originate from. Ours were created under the Star of Ascension."

His fingers lightly brushed the blade.

"Therefore, growth."

Atticus glanced down at his katana.

"...and mine?"

"Yours was personally crafted by our primordial star. Given the nature of your situation, several additions were made. One of them, at my request, was using me as the primary spirit to guide you."

Ilyshkara’s grip tightened slightly before she reached up and gently cupped his cheeks.

"We’re so sorry, baby." Ilyshkara’s voice wavered. "We’re so, so sorry you had to go through all of that. We failed you. We did." Her hand tightened against his cheek. "But that’s over now. You’re home. You’re finally home."

Her touch was gentle, her eyes sincere. Atticus wanted nothing more than to throw himself into her embrace and let everything go. But he couldn’t. He had come too far since the little boy they remembered. He had seen too much. Experienced too much. He couldn’t stop seeing their faces.

Anastasia, Magnus, Avalon... all the others. The goal was bigger than him now. He couldn’t stop. Not for anything, not even for the warmth of his original parents.

Original... Atticus almost laughed. He had come out of three wombs in his life. Were any of his parents truly less real than the others?

He pushed the thought aside.

Silence settled over the room as Ilyshkara and Attimax quietly regarded their son.

A moment later, Atticus broke it.

"Tell me the names of the Primordial Stars."

His father’s primordial had been responsible for his first reincarnation, yet they claimed they had nothing to do with his death. The wound still lingered. The desire for vengeance burned just as fiercely as ever.

First, he needed to determine who ASM was.

Ilyshkara nodded.

"Asmyr, Star of Ruin. Elysion, Star of Order. Vealos, Star of Chaos. Asmerion, Star of Ascension. Noctyra, Star of Silence. Solvath, Star of Harmony."

Atticus furrowed his brows. Two primordial stars beginning with Asm. Which one was it?

And even if he identified the primordial the Great Verge had referred to back then, did that necessarily mean it was the same one responsible for his death on Earth?

There were too many unknowns. He needed time to sort through them. At least one thing was certain now; he had a home, had powerful backing. Good. That would make orienting himself to this new world far easier before deciding what course to take next.

A moment of silence passed before Atticus asked again,

"So what now?"

Attimax was silent for a moment before answering.

"Now?" He said. "Now you gather enough fragments, revive Solvath, and become his avatar."

Ilyshkara immediately turned toward him.

"That’s your answer?"

Attimax glanced at her. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"It is the answer."

"Listen to him." Ilyshkara threw her hands up. "Our son just reunited with us after multiple lifetimes and this man’s first instinct is to hand him another impossible mission."

"It is not impossible."

"You’re missing the point."

"I rarely do."

"You constantly do."

Attimax looked back at Atticus.

"Revive Solvath. Become his avatar."

Ilyshkara closed her eyes.

"See? This is exactly what I mean."

’She doesn’t approve.’

A moment later, Atticus nodded at his father,

"Okay."