After hours of heartfelt conversation—where joy sparkled in laughter and sadness lingered in shared memories—the family slowly made their way to the rooms prepared for them, hearts full and eyes heavy, ready to rest after the long, emotional journey
*********
In Vanisha's room, she and her husband sat together on the bed.
There was a long pause—her fingers nervously fidgeting in her lap.
Vanisha hesitated, then softly broke the silence.
"Dear… I think we should stay here from now on. With our parents."
Her husband turned to her sharply. His eyes, usually calm, now flashed with a hint of anger.
But as he looked into her face—tired, yet hopeful—something in him shifted.
The fire in his gaze dimmed. His jaw clenched for a moment… then relaxed.
He looked away, staring at the floor.
And said nothing.
He stayed silent for a while, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing heavily in the room.
Vanisha lowered her gaze, unsure of what he would say.
Then—softly, almost like a sigh—he opened his mouth and spoke.
"Yes," he said.
Just one word. But in it, there was surrender… understanding… and a quiet promise.
Vanisha looked up, her eyes glistening—not from sadness this time, but from relief.
She reached for his hand, and he didn't pull away.
With a happy smile lighting up her face, Vanisha gently squeezed his hand and said,
"Thank you."
Moved by her warmth, he leaned in softly and kissed her—an unspoken promise of new beginnings and healing.
The simple gesture filled the room with a quiet tenderness, a fragile hope blooming between them.
*******
At the dining table, all the family members were seated together.
Sam's grandmother glanced toward the empty door and asked,
"Sam sleeps late every day, doesn't he?"
Sam's mother nodded with a smile,
"Yes, mother, he does."
Sam's grandfather chuckled softly and said,
"Let him sleep a little more. He's still growing—a good rest is necessary for him."
The room is filled with gentle understanding and quiet affection.
*********
Liya and Lane were eating as if they hadn't tasted food in years, their hungry little faces full of determination.
Vanisha watched them with a teasing smile and said
"Eat slowly, you hungry little monsters… your stomach is embarrassing me!"
She laughed softly, then added with mock seriousness
"Anyone looking at you would think I never taught you manners."
With mouths full of food, the two kids looked up at their mother, cheeks puffed out like little chipmunks.
Seeing this, the whole family burst into laughter—joy and warmth filling the room like sunshine.
*********
Liya tried to speak with her mouth still full,
"But Mama… it's so yummy!"
Crumbs flew as Lane nodded furiously in agreement, barely swallowing before adding,
"Grandma cooks better than you!"
Vanisha gasped in playful offense, placing a hand over her heart.
"How dare you betray me like this in front of everyone!"
Her mother, sitting across the table, chuckled proudly
"Well, years of waiting to cook for my grandchildren finally paid off."
The children giggled, and even Sam's father, who rarely smiled, let out a soft chuckle.
The room echoed with laughter, teasing, and the kind of happiness only family can bring.
************
Just as the laughter began to settle, footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Sam appeared at the doorway, his hair still messy from sleep, eyes half-open but his face lit with a soft smile.
"Good morning, everyone," he said gently, his voice still a bit sleepy.
The entire family turned to him with warm smiles, and Vanisha's eyes softened seeing her son finally awake.
He walked over and slowly took his seat at the table.
Lane leaned over and whispered (not very quietly),
"Finally! I thought you were going to sleep till next week!"
Everyone chuckled at Lane's comment, and Sam smirked as he reached out to ruffle his little brother's hair.
"Well, maybe I would have—if someone hadn't sent a servant to wake me up," he teased.
Vanisha passed him a plate, still smiling.
"Eat before everything disappears. Your siblings nearly emptied the table already."
Sam looked at the spread—fresh bread, warm rice, spiced vegetables, and sweet fruits.
His heart felt full just looking at it. Not because of the food, but because of the people. The peace. The togetherness.
He took a bite and said with a content sigh,
"This… feels like home."
And for a moment, everyone paused—silent, but deeply connected.
Because it was true.
This wasn't just breakfast.
It was healing.
It was a reunion.
It was a family rediscovering each other after years of silence, distance, and pain.
Sam looked around the table.
At his mother's gentle eyes, still carrying traces of sorrow, but now softened with peace.
At his father's rare smile—small, but real—as if he, too, had been waiting for this morning.
At his grandparents—aged hands that had held onto hope far longer than anyone realized.
And at his siblings, who laughed with crumbs on their cheeks
*************
Sam looked around the table once more—at his mother's warm smile, his father's quiet strength, his playful siblings, and his grandparents whose eyes held both time and tenderness.
And then… something inside him shifted.
Because in their faces, he suddenly saw them—the ones he had lost in his past life.
His old mother, tired but always waiting at the door.
His father, who rarely spoke but always worked harder than anyone else.
His siblings, laughing through struggles, hiding their pain behind mischief.
His grandparents, whose love had faded quietly into time before he had a chance to say goodbye.
He had failed them.
He had lost them.
And for the longest time, he had carried that grief like a shadow clinging to his soul.
Now—seeing his new family, whole and together—it all came rushing back.
His breath caught.
His smile trembled.
And without warning, a tear slipped from the corner of his eye.
He quickly wiped it, hoping no one noticed. But his grandmother did.
She said nothing—just reached out, placed her hand gently over his, and gave it a soft squeeze.
That was all it took.
More tears followed. Quiet, warm, unstoppable.
Not just from sadness—but from gratitude. From the aching joy of having another chance.
And in that moment, Sam knew…
This life wasn't just a second chance to live.
It was a second chance to love.
******
Seeing Sam cry like that, all the family members stood in shock.
No one understood why his tears were falling so heavily.
But his mother… and his grandmother…
They didn't ask.
They didn't stop him.
Somehow, deep inside, they felt they had to let him cry.
They couldn't understand his pain, but they could feel it.
Heavy.
Real.
And for a moment, their hearts ached with him—
without knowing the reason.
*******
When Sam finally stopped crying, his breathing was still shaky,
his father stepped closer, worried etched across his face.
He placed a gentle hand on Sam's shoulder and asked softly,
"Sam… what happened?
Why are you crying like this?"
Sam looked up—his eyes red, his lips trembling.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
He just looked at the faces around him…
his parents, his grandparents, his siblings.
Then in a quiet, broken voice, he said,
"I… I don't know why…
But seeing all of you here…
make my heart really happy ."
********
After a moment of deep thought, his father gently said,
"Okay, okay… you're a grown man now. You can't cry like your mother."
He pointed toward the others.
"Look at your siblings—they're barely holding back their tears."
His mother scoffed softly,
"When have I ever cried like this?"
His father turned to her with a playful grin,
"You? You always cry like a little baby."
She shot him an annoyed glare.
For a moment, silence fell over the room.
Then—suddenly—everyone burst into laughter.
*********
After breakfast, his father left for the capital to attend new business related work.
His mother and grandmother took his siblings out shopping. They invited him to join, but he politely declined.
His grandfather was busy with his own work, leaving him alone in the house.
After wandering around for a while, he finally decided to return to his room.
**********
After locking the door from the inside, Sam stepped quietly toward the window.
"Let's see what secrets the capital hides..."
Raising his hand slightly, he commanded,
"System, activate all scans."
A calm yet otherworldly voice echoed in his mind:
In that instant, the world changed.
No sound.
No warning.
Just... a shift.
Sam's eyes didn't glow or flicker—but within, something ancient awakened.
His vision twisted, and reality peeled back like a curtain.
All color vanished, as though drained by unseen magic.
The world became a sketch of shadows and light—only white mist and black outlines remained, pulsing with arcane rhythm.
Then came the particles.
Milky white fragments, like whispers of forgotten spirits, floated through the air.
Golden threads, glowing softly
They moved as if following some divine pattern, unseen by mortal eyes until now.
Sam stood still, breath held.
He wasn't just looking anymore.
He was seeing—
Beyond walls.
Beyond illusions.
Into the very veins of magic that flowed in this land.
************
Sam looked up.
Above him, countless golden and milky-white particles shimmered in the air—flowing in a vast, unified pattern that pulsed with energy, like a heartbeat written in light. They twisted and danced in intricate formations, forming rings, arcs, and symbols far too complex for any human mage to recreate.
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the movement of the particles.
"So this… is the capital's barrier," he whispered to himself.
"Well then... let's test the capital's barrier myself."
He changed his clothes into sleek black attire fit for stealth and combat. With a simple gesture, shadows gathered around him—black particles rising like smoke, concealing his face. His features vanished beneath a writhing veil of dark magic, making it appear as if his face were burning in black flame.
He raised his hand and whispered the command:
"[All Elements Transport]"
In an instant, his body shattered into thousands of golden particles, dancing through the air like stardust ascending into the sky.
Moments later, Sam reappeared in the sky—floating just above the outer layer of the capital's magic defense dome.
The city shimmered below like a sleeping giant wrapped in spells.
"Well, that was really easy," he muttered with a smirk.
"Ever since I evolved my [All Elements Transport], it's become something else entirely."
But then—his eyes narrowed.
About 500 meters above his head, something pulsed.
A second layer.
It shimmered faintly, as if hidden from ordinary eyes, but Sam focused his scan on it, eyes sharpening with intent.
Suddenly, a chime echoed in his mind
[Ding]
[ Eclipthar defence barrier]
Sam's heart skipped.
Eclipthar...?
The scan deepened.
**********
[Eclipthar – Devourer of Suns]
{When Eclipthar spreads his wings, even daylight trembles.}
Race: Celestial Void Dragon
Type: Ancient Primordial Entity
Element: Cosmic Darkness, Void Flame
Rank: Mythical / World-Class Cataclysm
Age: Unknown – Older than recorded time
Status: Sealed
---------
[Abilities & Powers:
Solar Consumption: Absorbs star and light-based energy, causing localized eclipses and weakening solar magic.
Void flame Breath: A black flame that doesn't burn—it erases the existence of matter and magic at a fundamental level.
Gravity Distortion: Warps physical and magical movement; even space bends in his presence.
Celestial Roar: A time-fracturing cry that echoes across dimensions.
Eclipse Domain: Envelopes the sky in eternal darkness; divine detection and light-based wards fail within its reach].
---------------
[Eclipthar was not born in the world—he fell into it.
Legends say he was formed during the collapse of a dying star at the edge of the universe. A being of endless hunger, he devoured his own celestial realm before turning his gaze upon the mortal world. Gods united once to cast him down, sealing him within a collapsing star cage—somewhere hidden in the void between realms.]
_________
Sam's mind was racing.
That name—Eclipthar—wasn't just any ancient power.
It meant danger. Real danger. The kind that shouldn't exist this close to civilization.
Without a moment's hesitation, he vanished, golden particles scattering into the wind.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in his room, standing breathless in the quiet.
He slowly sat down on the edge of his bed, hands resting on his knees, deep in thought.
This world... it wasn't simple.
It held many kinds of monsters—creatures from other realms, evolved beasts, cursed undead...
But among them, one race stood at the top of the magical food chain.
The Dragons.
Ancient, powerful, and shrouded in mystery.
But even among dragons, there were eight who stood above all others—beings so powerful that most people no longer saw them as monsters, but as gods.
Sam clenched his fists slightly.
Eclipthar was one of them.