(September 12th, 2017. Eight years later.)

Justin

"Eight years, huh?" I said to myself as I lay on the top of the enormous skyscraper that is the royal citadel without anyone noticing me, staring at the clear blue sky and enjoying the breeze with my head resting on my hands. As the citadel is the tallest building in the city, I had a clear view of the sky without any other buildings to distract me from the calm reflection that I aimed to experience. "Eight years, Justin."

It has been a long time since the light chose me as the new dragon deity. Eight years, in fact. I am not sure whether to think of it as a gift or curse this responsibility that fate has chosen to bestow upon me. It happened on my birthday, after all, on the 13th of September. I was left unsure of my place in the universe, and all the questions lingered in my head without any answers. A lot of things have changed since I met NeomaFlora that one time with my friend Ethan. They finally convinced me to move out of my old apartment and start to live with Alex in a condo. The top floor of a large apartment complex purchased by the Millers for the three of us to live in to remain under the watchful eyes of his majesty. King LeoDivinus also convinced me of pursuing education, try to make more friends, and learn about the world more naturally.

I agreed to do all of these things so that I can have an escape from the burden of godhood or at least train to carry that burden. In school, I was reasonably popular. That could be because of my looks and my whole living situation; it could also be because I am one of the top students in my class. I studied and excelled in school to distract myself from the harsh reality that nothing will matter in the end. I kept getting asked out on dates and receiving love letters that I found in my desk every other week, but I ended up ignoring and refusing every girl that dared to incur the wrath of the demon.

Speaking of the devil, Mia also decided to move with Alex and me and pursue a life of ordinary human teenagers. However, even she became famous, mostly among the boys. She became even more popular than I have all because of her alluring looks and breathtaking beauty. Everyone was envious of me because she always obsesses over me and me alone. I always wondered why wasn't she doing the opposite and pursuing men for pleasure and blood. I, however, decided to maintain a brother-sister kind of relationship with Mia, mostly because I was unsure how to feel or what to do with the conflicting feelings in my poor little heart.

As to what the last name I was given, in accordance with the laws of this kingdom, I chose the last name of Walker. Mia, on the other hand, was given the last name of Cooper. I remember once that Ethan suggested that we should get the same last name and be considered as siblings. Mia puked in her mouth when she heard that and punched Ethan's arm so hard it stung for the entire day. One thing that specifically stuck in my mind to this day was what she stated directly to Ethan, his majesty, and everyone else present. "If I want the last name 'Walker,' I wanna earn it by the other way if you catch my drift."

Every other day, that girl tries to tease me with her succubus appeal and sometimes begs to sleep beside me. Not a single day did I allow her to do that or get seduced by her, however. Her appearance has changed dramatically since our childhood. For starters, her red hair is now beyond shoulder length, easily reaching her back. Her body is much more defined and ladylike, discarding the 'cute' and 'innocent' appearance that she was known for. Her female body parts are generally much more noticeable with a 'nice rack' and some 'sweet curves,' according to nearly every male that lays his eyes on her. Even the non-straight boys say that they enjoy looking at her from time to time. It always irritates me when men give her weird looks and sometimes also try to flirt with her. However, not a single man has caught her attention, but one. And that lucky fellow is me. She especially loves it when it is apparent that I am not happy with the way other guys tend to treat her. But despite all of this, she is still the same girl I spent my childhood with. She is still the same girl who stuck with me throughout everything that has happened. And I am genuinely grateful to her. Whenever I look into her eyes, I see nothing but the adoring red pupils of a beautiful girl and not the bloodthirsty gaze of a demon.

To ensure that Alex and I are always fed and not always ordering junk food, Mia sacrificed what little free time she had and decided to become a chef at a local restaurant where her talent and dedication allowed her to learn many recipes and earn a reputation as not just a chef, but a culinary artist. The idea was very conflicting to her at first. Mostly because of the visible lack of joy on my face upon hearing that she will be spending less time with us. But when I saw the glimmer of joy in her eyes when she cooks for us, I realized that this is her passion. It is what she loves doing. And I would be lying if I didn't get excited at the idea that I would no longer hear Mia yelling in my ear about keeping my room clean and eating noodles all day. With all that in mind, I encouraged her to do what she wanted.

Ethan, now a 24-year-old adult, is now a distinguished knight, serving directly under the royal family and is now fully recruited as part of the king's top-secret task unit. A unit that is formed from the king's most trusted loyalists takes orders directly from his majesty. Its existence is not disclosed to the public, hence why it is top secret. Most of the time, every member of this unit is assigned a special mission that is independent of the rest. And Ethan's special assignment is to watch over my friends and me as we go about our lives and train me in the art of combat to master wielding every type of weapon under the sun. That includes swords, spears, crossbows, axes, hammers, greatswords, etc.

Ethan has started to feel more protective of me to the point where anyone would call it being overprotective. We argued many times about this, but nothing seems to change. However, he is very understanding of my feelings and is not trying to refute my arguments. But the way he sees it is that I should train as hard as I can so that one day I can surpass him and be a better fighter than he is when it comes to weapons. And from what I can safely tell, I am far from capable of ever besting him. Out of the hundreds of consecutive duels we had, not a single victory was mine to claim. Losing so many times gets me understandably irritated, but the energy and adrenaline that all those sparring sessions give me more than makes up for it. Every time I fall, I get back up and charge again, even when I am fully aware that I will inevitably fail. Under the sun, rain, wind, and darkness of the night, I fought against the knight, getting so close to winning, only to fail and land on my back or chest in defeat.

Ethan has a firm technique of how he spars with me. He teaches me what he knows, gives me some additional tips and tricks, and when we start sparring, he shows no mercy. And whenever I get used to his fighting style, he immediately changes it on the fly and strikes me with unexpected blows that come entirely out of left field. He believes that I should always be on my toes and quick to react as the enemy can be completely unexpected and will not show the slightest bit of mercy. I do not disagree with him on that part. Based on the stories that I've been told, and the combat that I have experienced first-hand, I am well aware of that fact. I always train laboriously and work out vigorously. Not just to maintain a physique or be ready for what lies ahead, I train hard so that I can get that sweet victory over Ethan and shatter his winning streak. And so I have been trying to tap into my inner consciousness to see if I can unlock any secrets and abilities to try and get the upper hand. To say that tapping into my internal energy is a waste of time would be false, as I have mastered spatial-awareness and gained a heightened sense of concentration. To test those, I had Alex and Mia throw dangerous sharp objects at me while I'm seated with my eyes covered, only to have me grab every single object. With these abilities in mind, I will be able to sense Ethan's combat position and react appropriately. I swore to myself that I would beat him tomorrow on my 16th birthday.

Alex, unlike the rest of us, did not change that much. He is still the same old Alex with his charming enthusiasm and his contagious joy. However, he started to become more tech-savvy than the rest of us. He has even dabbled in programming and some hacking. His strong resolve is something to admire. He trains with me under Ethan and has asked his parents to teach him with firearms so that he can have something to boast and be proud of. Even though he understands that I am a divine creature, he never shows any signs of giving up and always perseveres, never wanting to fall behind. I am so thrilled that he retains his positive attitude and his overall optimistic view of mostly everything, especially after the disappearance of his sister nearly three years ago, which has brought much tension and hardships into his life. Mia and I generally agree that it was the best for him, as his sister was somewhat abusive towards her little brother.

His sister, Nova, who would be 23 years of age, was very cocky and dismissive of her brother's feelings and would always toy with him for a quick laugh when she would be bored... or so I thought. Ethan knew her intimately at one point. He would tell me of all the ways she'd try to assert dominance over anything and anyone. He said she always wanted some excitement and fulfillment in her life. That nothing in her life was peculiar or exciting enough for her. Not even all the boys she would party with or all the places she'd go to. She was locked in a never-ending state of boredom that took its toll on her. It is said that all the guys she knew were afraid of her as if she was oppressing them in some way. Not a single guy could live up to her expectations or withstand all the stress she'd make them go through. It is said that she controlled them, and not a single man was able to satisfy her in any way... except for one. Ethan.

I heard from a few people who knew some of her 'victims.' They told me that Ethan's boldness and his overall confidence in himself led Nova to see him as an equal to her. She was so fascinated by him that she ended up falling in love with him, and they ended up dating one another. They say he was the one who was able to satisfy her thirst for entertainment and activity. Whatever she did, he was always one step ahead. She was taken back by the fact that he was different from anyone else, and how he asserted his dominance in a way she could only dream of overcoming. Ethan was the hardest challenge she ever faced. He was like the mountain that she could not climb, steadfast, and unmovable. But it was some form of masochistic pleasure to her, to always try and get into the boy's head, only to find herself underestimating him in a massive way. It also amazed her how he felt exactly the way she did and listened to every word she said, understanding her completely.

When I asked him about this, he said that he did not want to bring it up for the sake of Alex. He then informed me of how Alex suffers from an inferiority complex because of her and that we shouldn't discuss this topic with him. When I asked why the two eventually called it off, especially since she found what she was looking for in him, Ethan explained to me that she did not, in fact, satisfy her lust with him as much as she hoped for. He also revealed that she had asked him once to leave with her and go explore the world in pursuit of something that makes them whole, only to get turned down. He told her that he swore to stay here and watch over someone. His rejection of her broke her heart in so many ways she could not handle. Ethan is not sure if Nova hated him after he ended it with her, but he admits that he will never find anyone like her. And that led me to conclude that in the end, Ethan found his true calling while Nova did not. Nova ended up getting disillusioned with her life that she left, never to be seen or heard from again. Ethan, on the other hand, found something that made him happy. He found something of such significance and importance that he decided to dedicate his life to protect. He found someone. He found me.

I still cannot tell what Alex truly feels about his sister. I don't know whether he's happy that the person who caused him such trauma is gone from his life, or that he is sad to lose his sister. But in the end, it does not matter as long as he is happy and not damaged. I regret that I did not know about this entire situation that has happened for years. All the abuse that Alex went through flew under my nose and I didn't do anything to save him. The fact that I did nothing remains a scar of shame on my psyche. I have never regretted anything as much as this. To this day, I still wish I could change what happened, but all I could do is drown in my regret, never to find solace.

King LeoDivinus, or Leon for short, has been acting rather differently for the past few years. He has lost some of his carefree attitudes and started to be more serious about the ascension and everything that has to do with it. It seems that there might be something troubling his mind, but I cannot quite put the finger on it. But I can safely say that it has something to do with his son. The part that I am not so sure about is whether he wants his son to succeed him as king or not. If it came down to me, I would definitely go for the former, but I am not so sure the situation is that simple. King Leon has founded his special task unit a few days after I acquired the armor from that vault that none of us ever returned to. I always think about that wall, with the depictions of the past kings. It makes me wonder whether the king has come to conclude that something terrible is going to happen and so started all of these contingency plans to prepare.

But with all that said, these serious occasions are outnumbered by the times I have seen him joyful and happy throughout this period of eight years. He genuinely sees us like family and becomes overwhelmed with joy when he sees us living happily with one another. As if it almost makes him forget all his worries and concerns, taking him from a state of melancholy and drawing a smile on his face. He sees Mia and Me as his own children and treats us as such, having no parents of our own and living without any parental figures. I never wanted to have any parents because I have always thought that I didn't need them. But when his majesty became the closest thing to a father, I began to see the massive hole in my life that was left by the lack of parents. I see LeoDivinus as a father figure, him being the only one I have ever had that I can see them this way. He has taught me so many things about right, wrong, temperance, courage, greed, pride, leadership, faith, and so much more. He was the one who set up the beautiful condominium for us to live in and helped give me a full name and an ID, making me a legal citizen of the kingdom. He is also the one in charge of maintaining the secrecy of my identity, alongside commander Elizabeth Astralis, the Millers, and Ethan.

Of all the things King Leon has taught me, the things that stuck most in my head are the sense of justice and the symbol of hope. Living in the underbelly of this city has made me see the pure hate that resides in people's hearts and how circumstances can lead to the suffering of some people and the carefree, privileged lifestyles of others. I have seen so many people commit so many crimes against humanity that I can say without any doubt that I understand the complexity of the human race. Lots of people get wronged, myriad people benefit from the suffering of others... It's everywhere. I have seen how people live every day in fear of the unknown and find themselves desperately clinging to what they have. I realized that even after my 'ascension,' I have done nothing to alleviate the people and so I have decided that I will try my best to be a symbol of hope. The light in the endless darkness. The deity that everyone will be praying for.

Speaking of the human race, I was shocked beyond belief to realize that we are not the only humanoid creatures to walk the earth. Because of my circumstances of living in a bad part of the city, I never got to see the other creatures that also roam the planet as part of our day to day life. That list of species includes Elves, Dwarves, Cat people who are known as NekoSapiens apparently, and KitsuSapiens who are Fox people, and more. Those have cat and fox ears, tails, and characteristics. And it is said that there are even more creatures that I have yet to see. Living in a place where only humans happened to be and never seeing the outside world, I have never experienced such a thing as other creatures.

One of the most awkward situations is when I stumbled onto one of these cat people when exiting the castle. When I saw the ears and tails, I burst out laughing like a maniac, not knowing how inappropriate I was being. Some castle staff members had to pull me aside and inform me, much to my shock. I apologized to the girl, yes, girl. Luckily she took it humorously and was very understanding of the situation. I explained to her why I was not aware of her kind, and she gladly understood. "I was also unaware that cute boys like you wander around his majesty's castle." was the most memorable quote that I heard from her.

She later turned out to be one of my classmates, and we became close friends. Her name is Selena Lucretia. She's a catgirl with short brown hair, and she's into sports and gymnastics. She's also a fan and avid watcher of anime and player of videogames, just like Alex and me. We became friends immediately, and Mia didn't see any harm in us befriending a catgirl. In fact, she kept teasing me by transforming herself into a catgirl sometimes to see if that would lure me into her, but she seems to enjoy teasing me more than actually seducing me with the catgirl form. Mia even tries to poke me with her tail and sometimes wiggle it under my nose. To my shock, I later found out that Mia and Selena were more than friends, enjoying some 'fun' times with one another when Mia's at the cat's house. It, however, was nothing more than Mia's way of releasing her built-up desire and love for a particular blond guy that she cannot seem to get enough of. Mia and Selena became very close over the years that Mia let the cat in on her demonic origin without my, or anyone's permission, much to my dismay. I forced Mia and Selena not to tell a single soul that the cat-lady is aware of Mia. The cat gladly took her own tongue and never mentioned anything to anyone outside our friend group.

As for me, I have yet to discover the identities of two out of the three other people that will be accompanying me on this journey. I can tell Mia herself is one of them, evident by the red hair and her wings. But the identities of the other two remain a secret for now. I have dedicated what little free time I have to research every old text and scripture I can find. Unfortunately, there was not a single mention of any of these people. There were mostly tales, predictions, the prophecy, old recipes, and some history books. And from what I can tell, the depiction in the sword temple is the only lead I have. It is highly likely that if Mia is there with me, then the other two are very close to me right now and have yet to acquire or reveal their powers. Many speculated that whoever they might be, they are not close by or do not exist. I have not told Mia about this, despite knowing that she would be over the moon to hear that she is going with me on my journey to save the world. I have decided not to tell her mostly out of fear for her own sake, as I feel conflicted over whether it is a good thing to make her tag along or not. I am extremely happy to know that she is essential to my mission, but at the same time, I do not want to put her in any form of danger. For many nights, I have gazed out of the balcony to the ocean and thought of leaving on my own to do this journey and ascend without troubling anyone. However, every single time I attempted to leave, my heart hearkened back to Mia and her promise to be with me to the end. I was also very weak and didn't know where to go. Plus, if I tried to pack my stuff, I'd alert the slumbering demon.

The weirdest thing that happened is that I started to feel a kind of peculiar sensation when around commander Elizabeth Astralis. Whenever I get close to her, I start to feel a boost to my powers. I start to feel a spiritual link between her and me. I could tell that she does not feel the same way because she doesn't react to me or feel my presence. I'd feel her presence when she is close by, but I can tell that she does not feel me. The same goes for her sister, Elena, one of the king's advisors. The sense of power that I derive from the two ladies makes me feel as if I have gotten a boost to my energy. I have never told anyone about these strange sensations, however. I tried to find a way to describe it, but I always felt awkward and sounded as if I'm trying to confess my love. In the end, I decided to keep it all to myself and chalked it up to be linked to my deiform nature.

I was suddenly brought out of my calm state of reflection by the sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the screen to see Mia's phone number. I sighed and answered the call, being displeased with the interruption of my quality time of serenity. "Hello?"

"Justin, where are you? I've made pasta for you and Alex. You know, as I promised yesterday," Mia informed.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was 2:30. I took a deep breath before answering the girl. "So... are you making it, or did you finish it and are in the process of putting it on a plate?"

"Of course I finished it, dummy! What are you doing?"

"I'm at my secret place, enjoying some quality 'me' time."

"Well, come on, then! I'd wait for you, but Alex certainly wouldn't!"

"Alright, alright. I'm coming."

I got to my feet and placed my phone in the inside pocket of my red, white, and gold leather jacket. After that, I crack my knuckles, neck, and stretched my legs before readying myself for something I have never dared to attempt. I gathered all the energy and mana in my body and put everything into my legs.

"My name is Juxtynoktrios!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "The symbol of hope! The deliverer of peace! I am the God of Dragons!"

With that, I leaped as high as I could into the sky, soaring past the clouds.

Art by Jobbasotto on Twitter.