From the endless void of darkness, a door appeared before Zeus.
"Behind this door is Solmara," Lucifer said, voice echoing through the abyss. "But before you step through, I need to tell you a few things."
He moved to stand beside the door, his presence casting no shadow, only a soft pulse of divine weight.
"Since you died alongside these animals back on Earth, the same connection binds you in Solmara. Their lives will now depend entirely on yours. When you died, your blood mixed with theirs. That bond transcends worlds. As long as you live, they will remain alive."
Lucifer turned his gaze to the ten animals standing in a silent line on either side of Zeus, five cats and five dogs, their eyes alert, almost human.
"Even if someone burns them... chops them apart... severs their heads, they will regenerate, good as new. But," Lucifer added, voice dropping lower, "they will feel every ounce of pain. Nothing will be spared from them, not agony, not suffering."
Zeus's jaw clenched as he looked at his companions.
"Because of that blood bond, they are now, by every means, your children. They carry your blood. They will inherit all your knowledge, your instincts, your memories from Earth. That will form the foundation of their personalities as demi-humans. The extent of who they become… depends entirely on what part of you they retain."
Lucifer's eyes gleamed.
"Their human appearance will reflect the number of months they lived on Earth. And as for you… your age will remain unchanged until you meet Ceres. Until then, whether a hundred years pass or a million, you will remain and appear twenty-nine. It's the same for them. Whatever their appearance or age is when they set foot in Solmara, it will stay that way. They won't age a single day, until you do."
He gave Zeus a pointed look. "Do you have any questions?"
Zeus folded his arms. "Since you're having me do all the dirty work, are you at least going to give me superpowers?"
Lucifer chuckled and shook his head. "You really are the cautious type." He smirked. "Yes, you'll have abilities, all of you. They will awaken the moment you pass through the door."
"Any deadlines?" Zeus asked.
"No. You can fill the Crystal Cylinder all at once or gradually," Lucifer replied. "But remember this, you will only see Ceres once it's full."
Zeus nodded slowly. "No more questions."
"Good," Lucifer said. "Now... what name will you use?"
Zeus blinked. "You need it now? Can't I choose one when I get there?"
"Now," Lucifer said firmly. "Before you walk through the door, I have to bless you. It's part of the process for you to receive your gift."
"You? Bless me?" Zeus raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
"Hey, Lovefool, I might be the King of Hell on Earth, but in Solmara? I'm the Creator. Of course I'm the one who blesses you," Lucifer said, exasperated. "Stop being so judgmental."
"Alright, alright," Zeus lifted both hands in surrender, then paused to think.
"You're really taking your time," Lucifer complained.
"Oh really? That's rich coming from a being who probably has no actual concept of time?" Zeus deadpanned.
"I'm busy, you know," Lucifer muttered.
"Caelum," Zeus finally said. "That's the name I'm going to use."
Lucifer smiled knowingly. "A sentimental choice."
He placed both hands on Zeus's shoulders. A golden light flowed from his palms into Zeus's body, warm, powerful, ancient.
"When you step out of this door," Lucifer said gently, "you will forget the name Zeus. That name will only return to you when you meet Ceres. Until then, from the moment your feet touch Solmara's soil, you will be known as Demon Lord Caelum."
He withdrew his hands, the glow fading.
"So, good luck, bon voyage, au revoir, fighting!" Lucifer winked, and with a flourish of shadow and sparks, vanished into the void.
And just like that, Zeus was left standing alone before the door that led to Solmara.
Surrounding him were ten animals, his bonded, his blood, his children.
He turned his gaze toward them, one by one.
A gray Siberian Husky, noble and calm.
A brown pit bull, alert and fierce.
An all-black American Shorthair, sleek and poised.
An all-black Persian cat, sitting silently, regal and indifferent.
A black and brown Doberman Pinscher, shoulders tense, ready to protect.
A fluffy brown Pomeranian, tail twitching with knowing curiosity.
An orange Maine Coon, eyes half-lidded, tail lazily curled.
A golden retriever, tail wagging with restless energy.
A pale Siamese cat, head tilted as it nudged its head affectionately toward Zeus's side.
And then Zeus's gaze fell to the last one.
A small Ragdoll kitten. Wide golden eyes blinking up at him, fur soft and white as snow.
Only then did Zeus realize they were not actually senior animals when they died. They were still young. They hadn't even reached a decade of life. And the ragdoll… couldn't have been more than six or seven months old.
He bent down and gently scooped the small kitten into his arms.
"You…" he murmured, voice softening. "Why were you in that room, doll?"
The kitten blinked up at him, as if understanding, and, impossibly, gave the faintest little smile.
Zeus chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Never mind," he whispered, holding her close. He stood and looked over the rest of them, his gaze firm with newfound purpose.
"Let's go," he said. "We have work to do."
His voice deepened, as if he was no longer just speaking to animals, but family. Fragments of a life reborn.
"Let's live a second life. For her. For your mother."
He turned to the door.
It pulsed with ancient magic, runes glowing faintly on its surface. On the other side lay a world unknown. Solmara, where time and gods twisted, where myths breathed, and where he might, if destiny allowed, find Ceres again.
His Ceres.
The name alone made his chest ache.
Zeus reached forward, hand firm as it gripped the door handle. His voice was low, filled with quiet resolve.
"I'll endure even a million years if I have to…"
He looked toward the glowing door, fire igniting behind his eyes.
"…Just to see you again."
And with that vow echoing in the darkness, Zeus, soon to be known as Caelum, Demon Lord of Solmara, stepped through the door.
~~~~~
"Here are the things you'll be bringing with you beyond the Mist," Peanut announced, once everyone had agreed on the strategy Tuf would use while living incognito among humans in the Human Kingdom.
From her leather bag, she pulled out a small velvet ring box and held it up dramatically.
"This will be your new dimension ring," she said with a teasing grin, wiggling her eyebrows. "Design courtesy by 'your moon'."
Tuf raised a brow and wiggled his own eyebrows back in mocking return, earning a deep sigh and an eye roll from Luna, who was seated calmly beside him. Their siblings, however, snickered at the familiar exchange.
Then Peanut took out a sleek device from the dimension ring.
"One hundred pieces of Deepcall," she said. "All in neutral tones. With this, you can call, send messages, capture still and moving images, and send them from one Deepcall to another."
She turned serious for a second.
"Caution: all functions work flawlessly here in Velrathis because of our mana towers scattered across the Empire. But the Human Kingdom has no such infrastructure. The only places these will work are near their Magic Towers, thanks to the ley lines. You need to be within a ten-thousand-square-meter radius of a Magic Tower. Beyond that? This is nothing more than a glorified camera."
"Hey, give me some of those," Nugget and Neko said at the same time, leaning forward.
"Those are for my people," Tuf shot back, raising an eyebrow at them. "The ones who are going with me beyond the Mist. Behave."
"Don't worry, siblings," Peanut smirked. "A new batch is being manufactured. They'll be released during the Empire's Founding Celebration. Early reservations are encouraged. For as low as one thousand Evadne gold coins."
"One thousand?!" Milo cried. "That's daylight robbery! My monthly allowance is only five hundred gold coins!"
"That price is criminal," Vivi added indignantly. "I only get five hundred too!"
"Hey, don't come at me!" Peanut said, pointing dramatically at Tuf. "Blame him! He doesn't even offer family discounts. I have staff to pay, you know."
"I run a business, not a charity," Tuf replied coolly.
"Luna gets everything for free," Neko muttered under his breath.
"Of course she does," Tuf replied without shame, lacing his fingers with Luna's. "That's a given. And what are you even complaining about? You're earning. If you're earning, you pay for what you buy."
"We're not earning," Vivi declared proudly, fingers pointing between her and Milo. "We're freeloaders."
"She's right," Milo added with a grin. "You should give us stuff for free too, just like Luna."
"I do give you free stuff," Tuf snapped. "You get a monthly allowance. Your food and clothes are paid for. When you go out and play in my buildings, your meals and lodgings are covered."
"But not our games," Milo pointed out.
"Yeah, not our games," Vivi echoed.
"Unbelievable," Tuf muttered, rubbing his temple. "You two demand so much for people who constantly try to pick fights with me. Am I your only sibling? I pay millions in taxes to the Dark Tower. Why don't you ask Alpha for money?"
"NO!" Milo and Vivi shouted in unison.
"He always asks for receipts!" Milo said, horrified.
"Of course I ask for receipts," Alpha replied dryly. "Every coin in the Dark Tower must be accounted for. Besides, don't you get allowances from Nugget and Neko?"
"Nugget only gives a hundred. And Neko fifty," Vivi whined.
"These beggars…" Tuf mumbled, stunned.
Then Luna, still amused, chimed in.
"I don't even have money."
"Because you have Tofu's black card. You can buy anything with it," Milo pointed out, crossing his arms.
"You should give us black cards too, Tofu," Vivi said, her eyes gleaming with mischief and entitlement.
"Sure!" Tuf grinned, leaning back against his chair like a smug devil on a throne. "As long as you agree to work in one of my companies for a full month every year."
"NO!!!" Milo and Vivi cried out in horror, like children threatened with chores.
"We're freeloaders! Freeloaders for life!"
"And you're proud of that?" Nugget muttered, rolling her eyes. "Even Bear's more productive than you two. He earns his own money."
"Bear only eats, sleeps, fights, and repeats. He doesn't need money," Milo countered.
Everyone burst into laughter at that, the room filled with the comfortable chaos that came naturally to the Demon Lord's infamous children.