Welcome Back, Sovereign!

"Can we... pray for the heavens to let him go?"

When Elara came to their domain, Mama was leaning on Papa's shoulder and reading her book. They sat on top of a white fur rug on an elevated tatami floor inside that oriental chamber.

They were in the middle of their idle time, as Papa himself was also just there to accompany Mama reading. But the room was his reign. The room itself was his domain and his throne. He sat there as if he already knew that Elara would come.

But when Elara started kneeling, Mama immediately rose and straightened her back.

"I assume the heavenly restriction deterred you from telling me the details," he spoke calmly.

Elara turned her head down. She didn't confirm nor deny it. She was helpless that she couldn't tell them the future and that they would one day suffer unpredictable deaths from the cursed, the ancient, the demons, and the humans.

To be the only one who could see the future from her point of view, yet also couldn't say anything because she was too weak to fight the restriction.

If only she could let herself grow stronger... But if she did, then Sorin...

"If we pray for him to be able to keep his life, he will pass from old age. The branch of time would unite the day he died from normal causes, and even though there will be losses, we could prevent one."

"You're saying that we will all perish whether he joins us or not?" Papa guessed right on the mark. "But are you sure there is no way to change that?"

"I have tried eight quintillion times, expanding in each and every branch. I... don't have the answer..." she regretfully said.

Papa hummed, "What if I don't care? What if I refuse to let him go?"

Elara gazed at him, feeling helpless. "Then, it is no better than killing your daughter with your own hands, Papa."

SLAP!

Mama didn't hesitate to deliver a resounding slap. She sat there, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at her own child. "You dare speak to your Papa like that. You dare!"

But Elara turned to her Papa, who stared at her with a little bit of a complicated gaze. He was silent for a little while before his eyes started to smile. Only his eyes... reflected a deep pride and helplessness for his daughter.

"Let's play along," Papa said as he grasped Mama's hand. "It seems the heavens has its own plan."

Mama sighed sharply. She turned to Elara and glared at her. "You apologize to your Papa. I won't forgive you until you do." She then turned to her husband and yelled, "What heavens, what plan? You're spoiling your daughter too much. When I'm gone, you'll spoil her even more rotten."

Papa only smiled. "Because of you that this family is balanced, my Madam. Calling all Sovereigns."

His eyes started to shine as he summoned everyone under his rule. The room expanded into millions of miles, and shadows of the Sovereigns started to appear.

All the while, Elara approached her mother and turned her head down. She whispered, "Forgive me, Mama."

Mama rolled her eyes and touched her cheek. "I said ask your Papa for that. Don't complain if it hurts."

"It didn't," Elara answered truthfully. Elara knew that no matter what, her Mama would always be objective. Or, more like with her and Papa's temperament, Mama was the only reason they could still function like a normal family despite also being Sovereigns.

As they all gathered, they wondered why their leader called them together, only to be surprised when they heard his words.

"On this day, we shall offer our prayers for our new member's departure. Moreover, if any among you wishes to leave, I will not stand in your way. I have learned that calamity will befall us in the coming years. None of us will likely survive. Hence, I extend to you this final opportunity to escape."

Elara still remembered that day, how her Papa talked each and every one of them to choose life. Papa reminded Brother that he still had his reincarnated wife. Papa reminded Uncle of his dreams and Aunt of her patients. Papa then reminded Grandpa that he was the most undeserved to die.

Then, Papa turned to Mama to see her only shake her head without words. The last was how Papa turned to her.

"I will not leave," Elara answered.

Brother decided to stay. Uncle, Grandpa, and Aunt also decided to stay. And it needed only twenty years for all of them to perish, leaving Elara as the last.

In the future, Elara opened the car's back door after leaving the cafe he met Sorin for the last time. She then sat comfortably inside the car and turned her head toward the cafe's window. She saw him already looking at her every move.

Even though she knew how the car's window was tinted, and he wouldn't be able to stare at her eyes directly, she still felt that he could. The car's engine started revving, and the wheels started spinning, carrying her away.

But her eyes... they never left him.

Three days. She only knew him for three days. But when the three days were repeated by eight quintillion times, it meant she had known him for at least twenty-four quintillion days.

Even though they were doing the same thing in that three days, even though maybe it wasn't much for Elara to truly know about Sorin and what was inside his mind, she had spent more time than that to try and understand him and his background.

6.5753425e+16 years, 65.75 quadrillion years. Not to mention the days she spent learning about his past and future, the people around him, and protecting him in his way... She was only doing what was right, to find a solution for everyone... yet she couldn't bear for him to suffer.

Only him.

And the day he died a normal person, she would let go of everything. She would finally... close her eyes.

SCREEEEECH!

Elara opened her eyes to see her chauffeur hit the brake to stop the car from hitting a middle-aged man who suddenly appeared in front of their car. She just realized that the cafe's other entrance was much closer to the path their car was taking.

Why did he chase her?

Elara opened the door, and he ran toward her. Elara didn't know why, but she was sure he was about to call her name. Her real name! So she screamed before he could—"No!"

"No?!" Sorin sneered. "You liar."

Elara flinched. Her eyes wavered uncontrollably at him.

"You are not a believer of choice. If you truly are, then you will never rob me of my choice."

DING!

Sorin heard a familiar tone.

[Unique reign: Reverse, had been successfully activated!]

[Welcome back, Sovereign!]