*KABOOM*
Another streak of thunder split the heavens, its glare momentarily lighting the Eternal Garden as Kaelith and Mauriss stood locked in their standoff, neither willing to yield so much as an inch.
*Gulp*
Raymond swallowed hard, his throat dry as he stood beside his father, mortified at what might unfold next.
âI was going to disappear to some obscure planet and lie low for a few years until Maurissâs temper cooled... but no. The lunatic just had to come barging in here today before I even had the chance to run....â
He cursed bitterly, unable to believe that his luck could be so cursed.
Had Mauriss arrived even a few hours later, he would already have been gone from the Eternal Garden, far from this suffocating confrontation.
But now, escape seemed impossible.
Yet even as he blamed fate for trapping him here, a sharper unease gnawed at him, an unease that made him wonder as to why Mauriss suspected him at all?
He could have sworn no one in the universe knew his secret.
He had never once boasted about being a Demi-God, never even whispered about it to his wife.
His aura concealment was flawless, impenetrable, refined to the point even Kaelith could not sense his true tier.
And he had been careful, painstakingly careful to never cross blades with another Demi-God, so that he never drew attention to the power he concealed.
So how?
How in all the stars had Mauriss sniffed out the truth?
âWhat do I do now? Do I make a run for it? Do I stand? Will father take my side? Or will he strike me down himself?â Raymond wondered, as suddenly he saw a thousand golden threads of fate untangling right before him.
*Glow*
The threads of fate that started from him, connected Mauriss and Kaelith too, all in one big Chapter of destiny, as what they chose to do from here, could literally shape the future of the universe.
âIf I run, Iâll look guilty. If I donât run, I might get killed.....
What do I even do here?â
Raymond wondered helplessly, as he realized that despite being a Demi-God, he was powerless in the presence of ancient powerhouses like his father and Mauriss.
"Is it true? Boy? Are you a Demi-God?"
Kaelith asked at last, as another streak of lightning illuminated the sky, briefly casting purple light across their faces.
*KABOOM*
Raymond gulped hard again, his face extremely nervous, while Mauriss shifted his gaze from Kaelith to Raymond, his pointed teeth bare like that of a primal predator.
"Donât you dare lie boy, I will consider sparing your life if you tell the truth, but if you lie, I swear Iâll kill you right here and nowâ" Mauriss pressured, as Raymond began to feel his heart pounding out of his chest.
*Throb*
*Throb*
Sweat began to roll down his forehead, as he realized that this was easily the most tense situation he had been in his entire life.
âWhat do I do here? Do I believe in my fatherâs love for me and trust him to protect me even if I lie?
Or do I believe in the Deceiverâs promise and tell the truth? Hoping that he will spare me if I do?â Raymond wondered, as the seconds continued to tick by without any of them moving a muscle.
In Raymondâs head, he was busy weighing the pros and cons of both situations, however, in Maurissâs head, this was the final proof he needed to make sure that Raymond was indeed a Demi-God, for if he were not, he would not have hesitated this long to answer.
Coming here, he still had a margin for error in his speculation, as he had no proof of Raymond being a Demi-God except his speculation, however, the longer Raymond took to answer, the more confident he got of his hypothesis.
"Give it up boy, spill the truth, the fact that it took you this long to answer already tells me youâre guilty.
So just come clean, and I swear with Kaelith before me as my witness, that I wonât kill you and wonât report this matter to Helmuth." Mauriss said, as once again he pressured Raymond to admit the truth.
âWhat do I do here father, please, just please give me a hint....â
Raymond pleaded, his eyes flicking desperately toward his fatherâs face, as he hoped against all odds for even the faintest hint, the smallest sign of which path to takeâ
Yet, much to his dismay Kaelithâs expression remained stone cold as though carved from marble that neither storm nor plea could ever move.
Despite being his father by blood, Kaelith had always made it clear that if the day ever came when Raymondâs identity as a Demi-God was exposed... That he would not intervene, for the pact with Helmuth and Mauriss bound him tighter than any filial tie ever could.
And today, it was precisely because of such past statements made by Kaelith, that Raymond had no faith in his father to take his side should things really go wrong.
Hence, even though every nerve in his body screamed against it, even though his pride howled that yielding meant shackling himself to Mauriss forever, he decided, however reluctantly, that it was safer to trust the Deceiverâs offer of mercy than pray for his fatherâs protection.
*Throb*
*Throb*
His heart pounded so violently it drowned out the thunder overhead, sweat dripping down his temple as his lips parted but no sound escaped.
âIs this truly the end of my life as a free man? Will Mauriss lie and expose me to Helmuth anyways? Will they leverage me as a pawn and blackmail my father? No... no, I cannot think of that now... I must survive this moment first, and pray that the rest can be solved with time.â
*Gulp*
He swallowed hard, his voice catching in his throat before finally forcing itself out, rugged and unsteady.
"Yes... it is true. I am a Demi-God."
He admitted, as immediately, the temperature inside the Eternal Garden dropped below the freezing point.