"To walk among eternity, one must choose what time means to them."
Scene 1 – The Invitation Unfolds
May 18, 2011 – 7:12 AM – Hoshino Residence, Kitchen
The triplets sat at a small breakfast table in a half-awake haze. Ai's gentle hands had prepared miso soup and grilled fish, filling the kitchen with comforting aromas. Steam blurred the window, where Happy idly traced stars with his paw, mirroring forgotten dreams. In the quiet midst of it all, Souta cradled a golden envelope on his lap as if it were burning his skin from within. He hadn't uttered a word since retrieving it from the mailbox.
"Souta?" Ai finally asked with soft concern, her eyes searching his. "Is something wrong?"
He glanced up, his voice hesitant as he murmured, "Can I show you guys something? Just... don't freak out."
Instantly, an unspoken alert passed between them. Ruby's quiet mumble of "What now?" carried more than simple curiosity—it was a signal that nothing would ever be the same again.
Slowly, Souta opened his palm and the invitation lifted from the paper as if gently unfolding in midair. Its characters shimmered and shifted like a living constellation before their eyes. A tender, otherworldly whisper emerged from the paper:
"We summon the Third Child. A summit shall begin in one turn of the moon. Arrive, or the balance will fracture. The God-Blood must awaken."
Silence reigned for a long heartbeat before Aqua, rubbing his temples in resignation, broke it with a soft, almost bemused, "...Okay. That's new."
Scene 2 – Flash of the Gods
Elsewhere – The Edge of Time
Far beyond the familiar world, at the very edge of time, thirteen beings gathered in a silent circle. None of them wore mortal form—all were cloaked, masked, or forged from the raw elements of existence: fiery embers, crashing thunder, whispered songs, and drifting dreams. At the center, a figure crafted entirely of shimmering silence presided over the assembly.
One voice, as fluid and tentative as breath on glass, said, "He has begun to remember his threads."
Another, brittle like cracking ice, murmured, "He's rejected his control."
Yet another—this one as insubstantial as smoke—spoke with a hint of fierce advantage, "But his heart remains mortal."
As if in reply, the silent leader raised a hand and, in that moment, time bowed. "Invite him. But test him," the solemn decree echoed, reverberating into infinity.
Scene 3 – The Decision
Same Day – Abandoned Shrine Outside Tokyo
Alone before a crumbling torii gate, Souta stood in the fading light, the wind gently tousling his long hair as if to remind him of his past. He had not told anyone where he was going—only Happy had followed at a quiet, steady pace. When Happy's soft voice broke the stillness, "Why here?" Souta replied, with a wistful smile touched by memory, "Because this is where I first prayed as a kid… before everything changed—before Ai, before Aqua, and before Ruby."
Raising the golden invitation high, he let the unyielding wind carry his silent vow, "If I'm going to face gods, I'll face them as myself. Not as some equal or threat, just as a brother fighting to do his best."
In that sacred moment, as the ancient gate began to glow with a mysterious light and space itself warped, Souta vanished into the unknown.
Scene 4 – Ai Feels the Absence
Same Time – Living Room
Back at home, Ai stared at Souta's untouched bowl in the quiet kitchen, her hands trembling with confusion and sorrow. "He's not here…" she murmured, her voice echoing in the hollow space.
Ruby's eyes widened in alarm, "Did he run away?!"
Aqua, ever the steady one, shook his head slowly. "No… this feels different. Like something, or someone, took him with his own consent."
Ai clutched her chest as her voice broke, laden with unanswered questions, "Why didn't he say goodbye…?"
At that moment, Happy entered the room carrying Souta's favorite blanket as if to offer a silent comfort. "He didn't want to make you cry," the bear said softly, and Ai collapsed into Ruby's embrace. Aqua's eyes burned as he looked up at the sky, his heart heavy with an almost unspoken promise: "If they hurt him…" It was a vow made in anger and deep concern.
Scene 5 – The Summit of Stars
Elsewhere – The Eternal Coliseum
Souta emerged into a vast circular space where stars pulsed like living torches. Before him stood the divine—The Watchers, the Fates, the Abstracts, and even embodiments of pure emotion. In their eyes, he was the solitary Third Child.
From the silence, a being made of shimmering nothingness intoned, "You are the Third."
A weeping flame proclaimed, "The Human Who Mastered Undoing."
A fog-shaped god whispered with fragile intensity, "The Bearer of Refusal."
They did not kneel; rather, they parted to reveal a throne of starlight at the center of the coliseum. In unison, a celestial chorus declared, "It is not a gift—it is a choice. Will you sit?"
Souta took slow, deliberate steps to the glowing throne, pausing before it to let his heart speak. With a quiet, bittersweet laugh, he confessed, "I'm not here to rule."
"Then why come?" came the probing question. Souta's eyes shone bright with honest determination as he replied, "Because I want to protect what I love. Even if it means walking through your halls. Even if I must remain human and refuse to become like you."
The gods fell silent, and one stooped forward with gravitas, "...Then we shall test your resolve."
Scene 6 – Trial of the Infinite
In an instant, the Eternal Coliseum transformed—the stars and torches dissolved, replaced by a stark landscape of shattered Earth. In the distance, the flames of his home reached upward, a haunting reminder of what was at stake. Ruby, Ai, and Aqua materialized at the front lines of his vision, their faces awash with screams and tears, yet their voices lost in the overwhelming silence.
A thunderous voice boomed from the heavens, "This is not illusion. This is not lie. If you cannot undo this, then all your strength is false hope."
Overhead, a countdown began:
60 seconds.
Souta sank to his knees, bewildered, "What the hell is this…?"
Then, as if summoned from the depths of his soul, Happy materialized at his side, resolutely stating, "You're not alone."
Souta's hands clenched into fists as newfound determination coursed through him. "Then let's rewrite the end."