The wind had settled by the time Three finally moved.
His chest still felt tight, his breathing uneven from everything that had just poured out of him. But the tears had slowed. The storm inside him had weakened, if only slightly.
After some minutes of crying, he slowly pulled away and lowered himself onto the wooden seat Vexer had summoned earlier. If there was nothing he could change, then at least he wanted to understand. Maybe there was still something good to hear.
Vexer watched him quietly for a moment before speaking.
"Life has never been fair, Three. That's something you need to understand."
His voice was calm and steady, not dismissive and not comforting either. Just real.
"You didn't fail because you were weak. And you didn't fail because of something you did wrong."
A faint green glow flickered in his hand as a piece of candy appeared. He held it out. Three hesitated for a second before taking it, his fingers tightening slightly around it.
"The heavens simply didn't want another Starborn to rise in this era," Vexer continued. "They were afraid of another Starborn carrying the mantle of the next era."
"That's why you failed."
The words sank deeper this time. Not sharp, not painful like before, but heavy.
Vexer leaned back slightly.
"You see, our clan is one of the oldest in existence, if not directly the oldest. We are over a million years old. We have lived through more than one era, and we have shaped each one we have been part of. We existed in the previous eras, and now we are facing another."
Three looked up slowly, confusion mixing with the remnants of his earlier pain.
"What do you mean, Grandpa?"
Vexer let out a quiet breath.
"We are strong. Too strong. We give birth to extremely powerful descendants. Look at me. I stand at the peak of this world. Your father is a dual wielder, and once he reaches my level, he will surpass me."
He paused briefly.
"And you… with the way things were going, you were meant to surpass both of us. Your awakening would have been extraordinary. Something far beyond the norm. Something dangerous. Something extremely broken."
Three froze slightly.
"But sadly, it seems as if the heavens want us gone," Vexer added with a quiet sigh.
Silence settled between them.
"As I had said earlier, life has never been fair. We are entering a new era in this world, and I am not sure exactly when it will begin. But from what I see… we might not survive long enough to see it."
Three frowned, trying to understand.
"And we won't be there?" he asked slowly. "Why will we not be there?"
Vexer stood up without answering directly. Instead, he stepped forward and placed a hand on Three's shoulder.
"Come."
The world blurred.
They appeared at the peak of the mountain, silent and unmoving. The endless sky stretched far into the distance, calm and vast.
Vexer summoned a small black flag and waved it once.
The space around them shifted. The sky folded inward. The wind disappeared. In its place stood a small, quiet house.
Three blinked, his mind struggling to catch up.
"Follow me."
The door opened before they reached it.
Inside, the room was almost empty. Bare and silent, with only a small platform resting at the far end.
Vexer stepped forward and rubbed the ring on his finger gently.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the space in front of them trembled. A low rumble followed, deep and unnatural, as if the world itself had been disturbed.
A tear formed.
A real tear, ripping open the space before them.
It widened and twisted as a deep red glow bled out from within. The portal stabilized with a heavy pulse.
Three staggered back, his legs giving way beneath him as he dropped to the ground.
"Wha… what is that…?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.
Vexer smiled slightly and helped him back to his feet.
"You've always wondered how we remain at the top without interfering much with the world," he said. "You wonder how we are the strongest without interfering with the world. This is part of the reason."
He turned his gaze toward the portal.
"This is the reason why the world fears us. And it is also why we have remained at the peak for so long. It is also the reason the world wants us gone."
Three swallowed hard, his eyes locked onto it.
"What is it? And what does it do?" he asked quietly.
Vexer glanced at him.
"You have many questions today."
A small pause followed.
"But since you are here, I will answer them. After all, we do not know when we will have another moment like this."
Three nodded slowly.
Vexer raised a hand and summoned two wooden seats.
"Before we go any further, there is something else you need to know."
Three sat down this time, quiet, waiting.
"I will be leaving," Vexer said. "Very soon."
The words landed heavily.
Three didn't react immediately. It was as if his mind refused to process them.
"…Why?" he asked softly. "Why do you have to leave?"
His eyes were already red again, but he tried to hold himself together.
Vexer noticed, and his expression softened slightly.
"I told you earlier. I have been at the Sovereign Manifest rank for a long time, over five hundred years. I have to break through to the next rank, unless I want to damage my foundation and remain stuck at this level forever."
He glanced briefly toward the portal.
"If I do not break through, I risk everything I have built."
Three's hands tightened on his lap.
"Can't you hold it longer?" he asked, his voice wavering. "I do not want you to leave me here."
Vexer shook his head slowly.
"I have already held it for longer than I should have. I have to do this."
A quiet breath left him.
"You could call it selfish. Wanting to grow stronger."
Three didn't respond.
He simply lowered his head and wiped away the thin trail of tears that had escaped despite his effort to hold them back.