Chapter 30: A Time of Change, Nicholas POV (Patreon)

Chapter 30

A Time of Change

Nicholas POV

The roof of my throne room was gone, destroyed by the energy wave from my cutlass. Nargus was still in the void he’d created, eating the other god, and Pan was disembodied until he recovered. That left me alone with a foreign God who had been trying to kill me only a few minutes before.

Lark followed me down to my throne, claiming he wanted to disillusion me. He perched himself inside his throne nest, which had already appeared in the throne room, bobbing his head excitedly while investigating his nest and adjusting pieces.

“Where to start, where to start. Change it and fix it or fix it and change it. Weird species. New species. Unprepared species. Fix it and change it.” He squawked, dropped a twig, and turned to me. “How many Cycles have you had an S-grade Domain?”

My blood was pumping, and the urge to destroy everything everywhere was building. “Why do you want to know?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“You’re a player from the faction that just joined the Collective. You have no idea what Transcendents are, and yet you have a Domain, one of the most destructive forces in reality. I want to know how insane you are.”

He was telling the truth, which disturbed me. “You think I’m insane?”

“I know you’re insane. I wish to know how insane.”

He was still telling the truth.

I took a slow breath. “You know what’s happening to me?”

“I do.”

I was so lost that I was willing to trust a complete stranger. “I’ve had an S-grade Domain for a Cycle.”

He flapped his wing. “Good. Good. Good. That’s an easy fix. To help you more, I need to know what your attributes are.”

He wasn’t lying, so I created a hologram of my character sheet for him. It only took a thought.

Name: Nicolas Thistlebush

Race/Class: Transcendent

Transcendent Might: F-1 (F-8)

Transcendent Power: A-1 (A-8)

Transcendent Wisdom: F-1 (F-8)

Transcendent Domain: S-1

Unspent Transcendent Points: 90

Lark leaned back and squawked. “That’s so much worse than I thought it was. You’ve got so many achievements. And you put them all into your Domain and Power! You literally couldn’t have made this harder on yourself. You must be an incredible specimen. Based on what I know of your species, you should have killed them all by now.”

I growled, attention beginning to fray. “What do you mean I couldn’t have made it harder on myself?”

“Transcendent attributes are designed to work together. You’re not supposed to have one without the others, especially if you have a Domain.”

None of what he said was a lie. “Why not?”

“A Domain removes the shackles of our physical form. It lets us experience reality over an area greater than ourselves. Power is what we use to experience more of reality simultaneously and Might is what we use to mentally process those experiences as they happen. Wisdom gives us greater insight into everything we see and experience, including the things that occur through our Domain. You’ve been experiencing the very worst of your species' actions without the ability to process those experiences. The fact that you’ve seen and felt all of those horrible things and haven’t obliterated your species from the Game is absolutely amazing.”

“I don’t feel amazing.”

“I’m not surprised. Lucky for you, there is an easy solution. Raise your Might and Power up to SS-1. Your Domain will buff those up to SS-8, stopping your mental liquidation and allowing you to eventually recover from what you’ve experienced.”

“I’m going to ascend-”

“And you want to leave a legacy for you people. I’ve heard it before, so how about this? If you bring your Power and Might up to SS-1, I’ll tell you how to gain another two achievement rewards in the next five minutes. That way, you can have the SSS+ Domain legacy you want to leave behind so badly.”

That was enough motivation for me to do as he suggested. I was in a delicate state, and I was willing to do almost anything to make the pain stop. I opened my character sheet and dumped 70 points into Might and 20 points into Power, bringing both up to SS-8.

Your existence has evolved beyond the limits of this reality.
Your presence is warping time.
You may ascend whenever you choose.

Time slowed to a standstill.

As I looked around, I instinctively knew that I could count the time between nanoseconds like they were minutes. The only indicator I had for time passing came from the movement of energy. I watched electrons move between atoms and waves of light pass through my Domain.

The chaos that had been threatening to overwhelm me for the last Cycle calmed, becoming order. The feeling of being overwhelmed disappeared as I saw reality in more detail than I had ever imagined was possible. I saw the universe with the entire electromagnetic spectrum, felt the pull of gravity on reality and time, and so many things I couldn’t put into words.

I sat there for several minutes and enjoyed the silence —the stillness of it all. My Domain filled the system, but nothing was in motion. Nothing brought me pain. After everything I’d experienced, it was a wonderful relief.

With silence came the ability to think, and I eventually realised what had happened to me. I’d been experiencing sensory overload. It was due to my Domain. Without the overload, I didn’t feel so raw, so close to the surface.

It took me half an hour to collect my thoughts and calm down. A stiff breeze would’ve still made me snap, but I could function beyond the thought of ascending.

I stood up and walked around my throne room. I snapped my fingers in front of Lark’s face, but he was completely frozen. I tried to will myself to slow down, to make the speed we were travelling through time match.

It didn’t work.

Lark stayed frozen.

I sat and enjoyed the peaceful silence while I tried to fix my situation. The following day, I gave up as I realised the truth. This was what Lark wanted. He had trapped me in time so I could work things out. I spent an hour trying to punch his face, despite him being in my pantheon, before giving up on that and returning to trying to unfreeze time.

Another day passed without Lark moving before I decided to go for a walk. I floated through the broken ceiling to the helm. Nothing had changed for Nargus. He was still a black vortex of energy.

I walked to the staircase and down the main deck, winding my way through the crew. They were still on their knees, worshipping Colin.

I walked up the opposite staircase to the bow and stopped beside Colin, staring into the void. The silence had started to become chilling instead of comforting. I felt alone and detached from all that was around me.

After what felt like another day had passed, the loneliness grew too strong.

I opened a portal to Tiberus.

He was also an S-grade god, and I felt he might be able to help me. I stepped through the portal into his throne room. He wore his golden armour, which now included four gauntlets, each holding three long claws.

His eyes followed me as I approached.

I sighed with relief. “I’m not here to harm you.”

He chuckled. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I’m also not here to accept your offer or turn it down.”

He chuckled again. “You want to learn how to return to the normal flow of time.”

“I do.”

He raised his hand, and a pouch flew towards it. “This is an endless pouch. It takes the Power your Might uses to manipulate the flow of time and converts it to resources.”

“What will it cost me?”

“It will barely last until the end of the Cycle.” He tossed it to me.

I caught the purse and felt everything return to normal. “What’s the catch?”

“There is no catch. You intend to ascend, and I wish to help you.”

So Nargus was right, he was listening in on our conversations. “Why?”

He held up his gauntlets. “You’ve given me hope, and that’s worth more than a few trinkets. My intent was to die fighting those who killed my siblings, but with these, I might win.”

He was paying a debt. I understood that motivation. “Thank you. Before I go, would you answer a question for me?”

“It depends on the question.”

“How long would it have taken me to figure out how to change the flow of time?”

“Ten thousand Cycles is the quickest most of us figure it out, but it can take much longer. The loneliness is a rite of passage that makes Transcendents appreciate the universe in a new way.”

I opened a portal behind me and stepped back into the throne room of my ship.

Lark squawked as the portal closed and leaned away from me. “On a scale of one to ten, how upset are you?”

I considered his words. “You tried to trap me in accelerated time so I could think over everything that happened to me. How upset do you think I am?”

“I was giving you time to ponder everything that happened and experience true loneliness so you could value your people again. I didn’t know you’d met another S-grade god and were on good terms with them. If you hadn’t, this would have worked out wonderfully.”

Lark seemed to have no remorse for what he’d done because he believed what he had said. The annoying thing was…I wasn’t upset.

“I’m not angry. In fact, I feel better than I’ve felt since the first Cycle.”

Lark bobbed his head. “Good. In that case, Kill Bondogirus. He’s the transcendent who flew through your portal during our surprise attack. He’s the last member of my old Pantheon, and if you kill him, you’ll get the Pantheon Breaker achievement rewards.”

“He’s not a friend of yours, I take it?”

“No. We met recently…and it’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we have time. Kill him, so you can tell me how you ended up here.”

I opened a portal to the Horde’s sector and sent my Domain through. Bondogirus had already passed through several systems and was flying to the nearest transit station as fast as possible. With my current Might, the areas under my influence overtook him in seconds, and I opened a portal right in front of him. He flew through and slammed into my fist.

The punch disintegrated him.

Congratulations, you have completely destroyed a Transcendent Pantheon! As the first individual of any faction to achieve this result, you have been given an achievement reward:

+10 Transcendent points

+1,000,000,000 Tokens

Pantheon Breaker Perk:

+1,000,000 Tokens a Cycle.

+100% Attack and Defence for your faction when fighting against other pantheons.

As the first member of your faction to achieve this result, you have been given an additional achievement reward:

+10 Transcendent points

+1,000,000,000 Tokens

Pantheon Breaker Perk:

+1,000,000 Tokens a Cycle.

+100% Attack and Defence for your faction when fighting against other pantheons.

I dismissed the notifications and brushed away the dust that had been a Transcendent being.

I turned to Lark. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Start from the beginning and leave nothing out. I need to evaluate our situation.”

“I’m going to ascend in an hour, so I don’t think it's necessary.”

“The fact you’re about to ascend is exactly why it’s necessary. There is more to ascending than you understand, and if you do it wrong, you can negatively affect your faction. Worse than that, you can negatively affect me.”

I was feeling better than I had for days, and it was thanks to him, so I decided to humour him. Lark was a good listener, and unlike everyone I’d spoken to previously, he seemed to understand what I had been going through. He gave insightful comments while I recounted everything I’d done, helping me process the drastic changes that had taken place.

“Of course, your growth rate isn’t normal,” Lark said. "And it has very little to do with your Transcendent starting perk. New factions don’t know how to play the Game properly, so their starting sectors are seeded with various quests and rewards, making it easier for them to survive. Even then, they miss more than 90% of the advantages that they’re given. Your Domain and their lack of knowledge about gaining achievement rewards have allowed you to move through your faction's sectors like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Why do you think Little Rob gave you a quest that required you to collect A-grade vessels?”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.

“It’s because you became Transcendent, and now the moderators are trying to get you to remove some of the biggest advantages they gave your people. Now what happened next?”

I continued my story to the end. When I finished recalling everything that had happened, Lark waited as if he expected me to continue.

He finally realised I was done. “Oh, boy. You really don’t have a clue, do you.”

“I feel like I’m doing rather well, all things considered?”

He cawed. “You accepted multiple quests from the Game. That’s an amateur mistake. Rule number one on surviving the Game as a Transcendent: No quests. The one you’ve accepted from Tiberus is a death sentence. It’s S-grade. But that’s a problem we can deal with another time. How many other quests do you have going?”

“Besides the one from Little Rob, just the one with Jack and Barbra.”

“What sort of quest is that?”

“Jack is a human pirate king that I’ve been using to recruit followers. He was in love with a ship he considers his wife. Things got complicated when his wife ship saw me as her lost love, and I had to decide between letting her self-destruct or turning her into a member of the crew. But it’s mostly fixed. I told him to help me become stronger and recruit even more followers so I could kill another transcendent and make him the God of Pirate Kings to make her fall in love with him. I was lying, of course, but he’s hard at work.”

Lark face palmed, covering his head with his wing. “Rule number two on surviving: Be careful of what you say to NPCs. Jack will now run into some dark pantheon and sell his soul for power. He will come back here and try to kill you to take his wife back. Do you know where he is?”

“I do.”

“Good. Kill him.”

“What?”

Lark stared at me like I was slow. “He’s a quest NPC. These are designed to screw you. Rule number one: No Quests. Ergo, kill him.”

“He’s a really useful NPC.”

“They always are. That’s how the Game gets you.”

I frowned. “What about Barbra?”

“Kill her too.”

“Or?”

“Or nothing. They're a complete liability unless you’re willing to turn them into gods and remove them from the Game’s influence.”

“And if I was?”

Lark face palmed again. “No wonder they gave you a damn S-grade quest right away. You’re willing to extinguish a sun to cool a house.”

“Huh?”

“The Game is a free-for-all. But it’s a free-for-all with a purpose. The Peacekeepers don’t want one faction to totally dominate the Game, so they use the quest system to prop up or weaken factions. Gods early in the Game have the power to shift the balance and build unstoppable empires, so the quest system is used to screw us. The bigger your advantage, the harder they will try to screw you.”

“To maintain the balance.”

“Yes. If they can’t maintain the balance with quests, they will moderate you, but they don’t like to do this unless something is really screwed up.”

“I’ve been moderated.”

“Learn to expect it. They don’t like us being too creative. Now, we’re getting off-topic. Can you summon the two NPCs?”

“Why?”

“You have the power to turn them into Gods. That would complete the quest chain and let you keep their benefits. I need to see them to know if it’s worth it.”

“Pan and I have an issue with turning NPCs into Gods.”

Lark paused. “Let me guess, this issue arose after you made that Horde individual a God?”

“It may have and his name in Nargus.”

“That’s your fault. You created a being that isn’t Horde or human, so I imagine he had some sort of identity crisis.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m seven million years old. I’ve experienced all this a thousand ways, so I can piece together everything I see rather easily.”

That made sense. “He struggles with what he is.”

“That’s because his species psychology isn’t compatible with yours. This is something you will want to watch out for. Not all species can co-exist, and not all species can survive the merging of personalities. You don’t have to worry about this when creating Gods from your species NPCs, but you do with others. The humans you create might have a few issues, like an existential crisis, but not the sort of issues Nargus had.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to treat anyone that way.”

“Then kill them.”

“So those are my only options.”

“Yes. Now, bring them here so I can look at them first.”

I opened a portal to the command room the pirate kings were using to control the conquest of the other pirate territory and projected my Domain through. Jack was sleeping on the far side of the station. I closed the portal and opened another, pulling his bed through without waking him. I placed his bed at my feet, shielding him so Lark didn’t kill him.

Lark bobbed his head forward. “Oh, you are an interesting little NPC. You have more possibilities than I imagined.” He glanced at me. “Can you bring in the woman?”

I shrugged and opened a portal beside Barbra. I’d chained her ankle to the lower deck, so I didn’t have to deal with her advances.

Seeing me on the other side of the portal, she leapt through and landed on my lap. “I knew you loved me.”

She tried to kiss me.

Lark waved his wing, and she froze right before our lips touched. Then she climbed off my lap and walked a few steps away, standing at attention, eyes glazed over.

Lark bobbed his head back and forth, turning from one to the other. “These two are about as interconnected as they come. There are thousands of quests branching off of them, leading to all sorts of places, which doesn’t surprise me, given they are legendary quest-givers. There is a lot of possibility here, and they are made for each other.”

“What are you talking about?”

Lark turned to me. “Can’t you see the tangles of fate?”

“The tangles of what?”

“Noobs. Alright, I’m going to do something to you with my Power. Don’t fight you. It won’t harm you, and it’s not permanent. Just watch them and pay attention.”

I felt him reach out with his Power, engulfing me in it. Knowledge flooded me as I looked at the two of them. It was like using my Domain to look into their eyes, but instead of seeing their past, I was seeing their present and future.

I saw everything they were and could be. I saw thousands of quests and the interactions that stemmed from and could stem from them. I understood them both on a fundamental level, finally understanding Barbra in a way I hadn’t been able to before. Her backstory had broken her completely until she couldn’t function normally. She was utterly insane, and the fixation of her love was all that grounded her.

“Now, see what they could be as Gods,” Lark said.

A couple filled my vision, Jack and Barbra, not as they were, but as they could be, two childhood friends who had grown up next door to one another, utterly in love and happy together. They were fun flirt rogues, but they were also toxic. They cheat on and lied to each other constantly. Their relationship worked for them, but it destroyed everyone around them. Ten times as many quests streamed them as they managed the affairs of the pirate kings and lords, enjoying their time in the Game as Transcendent beings.

Lark chirped softly. “You’re seeing who they will be if you make them Gods.”

I glanced at Lark, and different knowledge filled me.

Lark was a being older than humanity, content with his life and existence. He was amused by his current circumstances and interested to see where they would take him. To him, a season of the Game was an afternoon role-playing game, a little bit of entertainment to fill in eternity. He was truly ancient, and his existence was something I could not comprehend beyond what little I was seeing.

He withdrew his power from me. “That is why I don’t share your sentiment. When I give life, I know what I’m creating and only create what is good. And these two are not good.”

I lean back blinking my eyes to clear what I’d seen. “Is that really who they’ll become?”

“Yes. Who they become afterwards will be up to them, but that is who they will be now.”

“They’re a trainwreck.”

“Yes, but do you think they deserve to experience their love and let it grow?”

“That sounds like emotional blackmail.”

“You are a God. The lives of mortals are the shows we watch to entertain ourselves. You can grow their stories, or you can snuff them out. And occasionally, you can create something wonderful that lasts. Which is why I take great joy in creating new Gods.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“My species is not a natural race. This universe did not birth us. The Gods I’ve created in my image have ended their season in the Game and become mortals. These morals have had families and children who enter the Game with them. Creating a people who live and thrive.”

“You and I see things differently.”

“I am older than your species. You cannot begin to understand what I have seen or done. You cannot begin to understand what you will do or how you will react to the slow march of time. It might interest you to know that the elder races do not die of natural causes. They live as long as they wish and walk into the void with open arms. Death is not something they fear, but something celebrated because it comes at the end of a life lived to its fullest. When you are as old as I am, the chance to create a wonderful life for someone is something you do with joy, not fear or doubt.”

“What I saw is what they will become?”

“What you saw is who they are. They exist in the dreams of reality. All you must do is pull them into the waking world.”

“They’re terrible people, though.”

“Yes, they are. You would be doing your species a disservice by bringing them into being, and you would be endangering them by letting them live.”

“How?”

“Unfinished quests bind you and allow the Game to influence you. When you ascend, it will allow those you influence to be influenced in return.”

That was enough reason to do as he said. I manipulated my Power, and Jack and Barbra crumbled to dust.

You have failed a quest.

Lark picked at a feather on his wing with his beak, tugging it free. “I’m glad that’s taken care of. We’ll deal with the Rob quest after I’ve finished fixing you.”

“Are we going to talk about what just happened?”

“No. The morality of a God is not that of a human, and I won’t pretend it is. You had a choice whether two people could or could not exist. It’s no more significant to Transcendent than deciding to kill an insect or take it out of the house. If you think it is, you can have your emotions crisis with a mortal. They will be sympathetic to your plight. I won’t be. I’m here to have fun, not take care of your misguided moral issues.”

I stared, trying to understand his attitude. It eventually clicked. “You think you’re a God.”

“I am a God. This is how I’ve always existed. My Power might change with the season, but this is who I am. You’re the one pretending.”

To have been born to this power and lived with it all his existence. I hadn’t really taken what he said in. His existence was not the same as mine and never would be. “I may have misunderstood what you are.”

“I’ve been here before and won’t hold it against you. I am, however, trying to help you. Would you like me to continue?”

“Yes, please.”

“For that, we’re going to need Nargus.”

I glance up at the black vortex. “Why’s he taking so long?”

“The first God he killed was our God of Death, so he didn’t have to kill his followers to steal their souls. The one he’s killing now has twice as many followers as I do, so he’s going to be killing them for the rest of the Cycle unless you lend him control of your Power.”

“How do I do that?”

“You can reach through the vortex and touch him, or you can engulf him with your Domain and will your Power into his control.”

I reached through the black vortex with my Domain and willed my Power to be under his control. “Now what?”

“Now we wait.”

We didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes. The vortex vanished, and Nargus floated down to where we sat. He glanced at Lark, and then he glanced at me.

“I invited him to join.”

“Water and sand.”

“He doesn’t think so, and he’s trying to help.”

“Water and sand.”

“Just hear him out.

Lark squawked. “We need to move the ship to a safe location. My previous pantheon wasn’t the only one hiding along the pirate paths, and we weren’t the only ones to hear about your existence.”

Nargus turned to me. “Yesterday's memories fall from grace under two suns that seek the horizon.”

I nodded. “Port Rob would be smart.”

Lark cawed. “The Bionoid Dyson Sphere is now a very dangerous place for you, Nicholas. They’re all going to try to kill you on sight, which shouldn’t be a problem so long as you aren’t seen.”

“Why will they try to kill me?”

“They’ll envy your Might.”

“Will I have to kill Little Rob and Colin, as well?”

“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t seen them, so I haven’t decided the best course of action.”

I opened a portal to Port Rob and used my Power to push The Pantheon through the portal before closing it. It was now a minor effort.

“Why’s moving The Pantheon so much easier than it was before?”

“Transcendents can only channel as much Power as we have Might before we start injuring ourselves. You have the same limitation, except you could channel your excess Power at multiple targets through your Domain. Now that you’ve corrected your attribute imbalance, you can harness your Power properly. But before we get into that discussion, please summon Colin. I wish to show you why I take great pleasure in creating life.”

I projected my voice to him. “Colin, would you mind coming to the throne room.”

Colin stood on the bow, smiling at the universe. He took a deep breath, before he turned and strolled toward the staircase. He walked with his hands behind his back and seemed like a man filled with peace.

With his power, Lark opened the throne room doors. He then shrouded Nargus and me with his Power, allowing us to see the tangles of fate. Colin was supposed to become a heavenly host. Lark wanted to show us what that meant.

Colin World Ship was a pacifist, so after what I’d seen with Jack and Barbra, I imagined he would be an absolutely lovely human being.  As he walked through the throne room doors, knowledge filled me, showing wonderful possibilities of what he was and what he would become.

I’d never wanted anything to exist so much in my life.

There wasn’t a second of hesitation.

Nargus and I both rose to our feet at the same time.

“Colin World Ship, would you like to join my pantheon as a heavenly host?”

“Dreams sing of the glory of all.”

Colin World Ship turn to both of us. “What will you give up for your dreams to come true?”

How many followers do you wish to remove from your pantheon?

“Everything,” I said.

“The sun, moon, and starlit sky,” Nargus whispered.

Colin smiled at me. “I accept my fate.” As he said the words, light enveloped his body.

The ship disappeared, and a nursery took its place.

***

The walls were covered in pastel blues and greens. There were soft toys sitting on a shelf and a crib in the middle of the room. Everything smelled of gentle soaps and clean fabric. It was exactly like the nursery that Clair and I prepared all those years ago.

In the corner of the room, I sat in a rocking chair, holding a sleeping baby boy swaddled in a light blue blanket. He was the most precious thing I’d ever seen.

He was a baby.

Our baby.

I didn’t know how they had her DNA, and I didn’t care because I was holding a baby I’d always wanted to hold. In six other rooms with six other bodies, I held my other children, looking down with the same joy. There were boys and girls, and every one of them was the most precious thing I’d ever seen.

In one of the rooms, Melody stood to my right, smiling ear to ear, looking down at me with open joy. “I’m sorry to ruin your moment, but I don’t have that much time here. My brain can’t handle accelerated time the way yours can. It takes a larger toll on it to keep me here, and the longer I’m here now, the less I can be here later.”

I didn’t look up. “Where are we?”

“You’re in my simulation. This was where I was born and raised. It’s the Mars that will be, not the one that is.”

I still didn’t look up, not wanting to look away from the joy I’d found. “The Mars that will be?”

“I was made to be the administrator for Mars. I was made to serve Morgan, but I had to be human. The only way they could do that was to raise me in a place I love with every fibre of my being. This world is beautiful. It is kind, and it is fair. They told me that the child you’re holding is a catalyst for change. So, they’ve chosen to let them grow up in a world of inspiration. Here, they can grow up with you, experiencing a world that could be rather than the one that exists. Its loss will hurt in a way I can’t explain to you, but they will use that pain to create a brighter future. I’m honestly sorry that this is what they decided to do, but I want you to know I’ll be there for you and them when I get out of here.”

Her words meant very little to me. “Do my children have names?”

She smiled. “They wouldn’t deprive you of that.”

One of my children spat out her pacifier as she stirred in her sleep. I put it back in, filled with more joy than I could imagine.

“Why are you here?”

“The moderators wanted me to have a connection to your children. They’re going to learn a lot about me here and didn’t want me to be a distant figure. They wanted me to be in their lives.”

“To what end?”

“My dream will become their dream. It will become yours, too. When you get out of here, you will want to help me.”

“Is this world really that wonderful?”

“You’ll see for yourself. My times up. See you in six months.” Melody vanished.

In seven different rooms, I sat looking at my children and asked the same exact same questions. “Are you a John, or you a Peter? Are you a Sally, or are you a Susan?”

***

Six months later, Melody returned. She opened the front door and stepped into the living room. She looked around and did a double take, three versions of me were sitting in the room taking care of the babies. One was changing a diaper. Another was making funny faces to deal with early teething issues. There was another version of me in another part of the house taking care of laundry. The other three were outside of our home, making a diaper and formula run or taking baby classes so that I could keep ahead of the constant changes.

I gave Melody a tired smile. “It’s good to see a familiar face.” I picked up a freshly changed Amelia and handed her over. “This is Amelia.”

Melody panicked, holding Amelia at arm’s length. “Oh, God, what do I do?”

I chuckled at her panic. “Start by maybe not treating my daughter like she’s a bomb. She’s a baby. Hold her like she’s a World Cup winning rugby ball.”

Melody slowly brought Amelia closer, placing her against her shoulder before manoeuvring her to the crook of her arm. “Like this?”

“Does she look happy?”

“Not really. Am I doing something wrong?”

I chuckled again. “That’s normal for Amelia when she meets new people. How have you been?”

Melody glanced up and then immediately went back to watching Amelia like she was about to explode. “It’s only been a few minutes for me. So, I have to say I’ve been good.”

“How long do you have here? They told me when you would arrive but not how long you would be here.”

“I’ve only got half an hour this time. They’re performing emergency surgery on my brain so that I can stay here longer.

“Perfect. You can meet my children before I put them down for their afternoon nap.”

She glanced at me again. “How have you been?”

I smiled at her. “Never better.”

“Have you had a chance to explore Mars?”

“That’s a joke, right? I’ve got seven bodies and seven babies. It’s hard enough to free myself up to make it to my baby classes or get diapers.”

Melody didn’t like my reply. “Please try to get out there?”

I smiled back. “Melody, right now, my whole world is in this house. In a few years, when they’re older, I’ll have time to explore. For now, let me just be their father.”

She sighed. “Okay.

“Let me introduce you to my kids.”

***

Six and a half years later, Melody turned up at the door for her regular six-month visit. This time, I was there to greet her, opening it wide. “Come for the party?” I asked, handing her one of those tiny cardboard hats.

She laughed, putting it on. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Amelia came running in, and her pudgy face lit up. “Aunty Melody, you came for my birthday!” She leapt into Melody’s waiting arms, hugging her tight. “You didn’t come for anyone else’s birthday, right?”

Melody pulled back and smiled. “Is someone else having a birthday today?”

Amelia shook her head. “Nope. Only me. Did you bring me a present?”

Melody laughed, reaching behind her, and pulling a present out of thin air. “I may have. This is for you. It’s a very educational present.”

Amelia took the present, but her face fell.

I sighed. “Amelia, what do we say when people give us a present?”

“Thank you, Aunty Melody,” she said without enthusiasm.

Melody grinned. “You don’t have to look so upset. My present will teach what a hundred different flavours of chocolate taste like, so make sure you study hard.”

Amelia was suddenly excited again, jumping down from Melody’s arms and ripping the paper off the box.

Melody laughed. “I see she’s still your resident sweet tooth.”

I sighed again, envisioning all the problems I had waiting for me later. “Chocolate, Melody. She’s going to be bouncing off the walls.”

“That’s going to be a serious problem for you,” she said, smirking. She really enjoyed being the fun aunty.

***

Two and a half years later, I opened the front door and let Melody in, dragging my feet from exhaustion. The house was a mess, but I didn’t have the energy to clean it.

She took one look at me and shook her head. “You don’t look well?”

“I need sleep,” I said. “Lots and lots of sleep, I’m down to just one body. One body and seven eight-year-olds, it’s too much.”

“Hire a nanny.”

“I’ve been told not to by their psychologist. The kids might imprint on them, which would be bad for long-term development when we leave.”

“Hire a maid then.”

“I didn’t consider that.” I froze. “God, why didn’t I consider that?” I facepalmed.

How had I overlooked that?

I needed sleep.

All the parenting classes promised me that it would get easier. I’d been lied to. It was so much harder.

Melody took me by the shoulder and led me towards the kitchen. “Let me take the kids out for the day?”

“I wouldn’t do that to anyone?”

“I have two dozen security guards and half a dozen aides. I think we can manage?”

Hope filled me. “Two dozen security guards and half a dozen aides, and you will take them all day?”

“And bring them back exhausted.”

“You’re a good Queen. A benevolent Queen.” I turned, looking into the house excited. “Kids, your Aunty Melody is taking you out for the day.”

***

A security guard knocked on the door at seven P.M. She had Paton in a full body restraint. After a beautiful afternoon nap, where I wasn’t disturbed once, the sight barely soured my mood.

The most I did was frown as I answered the door. “Why is my son being restrained?”

“Her Highness took the children to the zoo. Your son snuck into the tiger’s enclosure. Twice. Once while in cuffs, which is why we have him in a full body restraint?”

I glanced behind him. “Where are the others? I had more children when you left.”

“There was an incident at the Castle Royal.”

I knew that name. It was the most expensive restaurant on Mars. “What happened?”

“Your children complained about the quality of the head chef’s cooking. The head chef has demanded an honour duel with you. Your children criticised his food before the Queen, and he can only maintain his dignity if you challenge your food against his. The Queen said he wouldn’t like the results, but the chef was adamant about defending his reputation. You’ve been summoned to the Castle Royal.”

“Will you remove the restraints from my son?”

The security guard pressed a button, and the restraints withdrew. Paton bolted, trying to make a run for it, but I knew he would do that. My boy was predictable. I caught his collar, stopping him cold. He tried to slip out of his shirt, but I caught his wrist. “Don’t you want to come and see your old man beat this chef or not?”

Paton froze. “I can come?”

“Yes, you’ve received a reprieve before your punishment.”

“What’s a reprieve?”

“I’ll explain it when we get back?”

Paton grinned. “Awesome.”

***

A few years later, Melody turned up at my door unannounced on a quiet spring day. I was the only one there to greet her. The kids were off at school, and no one had stayed home sick. Keeping up with all of them was a full-time job, but it was a job I loved, and my Domain made it possible.

I no longer hated my Domain.

I no longer hated my people.

I was a much better man than when I got here.

Melody gave me a sad smile as she hugged me at the door. “It’s time, old friend.”

We had spent months together over the past eleven years. I had grown to cherish our friendship. She loved my children, and they loved her. She was our only connection to the world beyond. We lived in a dream, and that dream was ending.

I felt myself choke up as I realised my children were about to lose their home. “They’re still children.”

Melody reached out and took my hand, giving it a warm, gentle squeeze. “I know. But they’re at that age where friendships start to last. If they stay much longer, it will do more harm than good.”

“Mar’s is our home,” I said weakly, overcome with sadness. “They don’t know any other life.”

Melody pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed my eyes. “It will be worse if they stay longer. Please believe me.”

“Do we have to go straight away?”

She shook her head. “There’s time for a holiday.”

“One we shan’t be coming back from,” I said dryly.

Melody frowned at me.

I sighed. “You still haven’t watched the Lord of the Rings?”

“I don’t have much time between visits. But it’s on the list. I’ll be coming with you if that’s any consolation. I’ll show you and the kids all my favourite places, and then we can leave this place together.”

“They will like that.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll cope. Eventually.” I sighed. “When you said I would love this world all those years ago, I didn’t know what you meant. Now that I do, I wish I didn’t. To lose this will hurt.”

In a very small voice, she asked, “Will you help me remake it?”

“With everything I have. Mars will rise. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try. My children need their home.”

***

The Pantheon had changed while I was gone, repairing and transforming, but those changes weren’t as great as those that had happened to me. Eleven years of memories. Eleven years of growth and change. And it all rested in my head. I was no longer an overwhelmed man, wondering about his place in the cosmos and burdened by everything he had seen. I was a father, and that made everything so much simpler.

I threw my Domain through the ship, checking on my children. They were on the deck below, climbing off the floor, getting used to their new surroundings. I brushed their hair with my Power to let them know I was there but left them to explore on their own. The Game was a whole new experience for them. If they needed me, they would call, and I would be there.

“It’s been three days,” Pan said from my left. “How long was it for you?”

“Almost twelve years,” I replied. “It’s good to see you, Pan, and you as well, Nargus.

The throne room had transformed into Transcendent silver and gold. Wood no longer lived on our ship, just the trappings of wealth and power. It was an S-grade Transcendent vessel.

Nargus nodded back. “Spring suns greet the grass as scars left by old flames fade.”

“Your children are fine. They’re on the lower deck with mine.”

Nargus heard my words and smiled.

Seven children might have been all I could handle, but Nargus had twenty-four. He’d emptied his afterlife of followers to gain as many as he could.

I glanced across The Pantheon’s decks, unable to find a trace of Colin. He was gone, but I’d received something far more precious in return.

I couldn’t say that it was good to be back. I had lost something far too wonderful to be here. But I didn’t regret it either. The Mar’s I had grown to love would rise, and I would be there to help it.

I climbed to my feet and walked over to Lark. He bobbed his head, unsure what was happening.

I got down on my knees and took his head in my hands. Then I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “I’ve waited nearly twelve years to say this, and in all that time, I’ve never found the words I need to express my feelings for what you’ve given me. So let me say with these inadequate words that if I thanked you right now and every second until the end of time, I would never thank you enough for what you did for me.”

Lark stood and bumped his forehead into mine. “Just do me a favour and remember this feeling the next time you’re upset with me.”

Pan cleared his throat. “Are you okay?”

I turned and smiled. “I will be once I ascend.”