There were, Aiden decided, certain experiences in life that no amount of preparation could adequately prepare a person for.
Finding out you were classless was one of them.
Being told that an ancient cosmic entity had chosen you as its vessel was another.
Growing a horn in front of several S-Rank Hunters and an audience of terrified children, however, occupied a category entirely its own.
“This is ridiculous.” The horn remained.
Aiden had spent the last three minutes attempting to remove it.
He had pulled.
Twisted.
Applied what he considered a reasonable amount of force.
Nothing.
“You’re making it worse,” Marcus observed.
“I’m trying to be proactive.” “You’re trying to rip part of your skull off.” “That’s also a possibility.” The Guild Master opened his mouth before apparently deciding he didn’t have enough energy left to continue the conversation.
That was fair.
The last fifteen minutes had been difficult for everyone involved.
The Voidspawn still stood in the distance, though it no longer appeared interested in attacking.
Instead, it simply watched him with a mixture of reverence and confusion.
«THE KING IS SMALLER THAN EXPECTED.» “THAT’S THE SECOND TIME SOMEONE HAS SAID THAT TODAY!” Emma raised her hand.
“I think you’re a reasonable size.” “Thank you, Emma.” “Your horn is weird, though.” “…Thank you, Emma.” Mrs.
Palmer sighed.
“I leave you alone for one morning.” “In my defense, I wasn’t planning on becoming part monster today.” “That’s usually how these things happen.” “Has this happened before?” “No.” “Oh.” There was that word again.
Rain continued to fall over New Haven, though the storm had begun to weaken.
Above the city, the black Gate remained suspended in the sky like an open wound, its surface rippling unnaturally.
Sophia Evernight hadn’t stopped staring at him since the transformation began.
It was becoming uncomfortable.
“Do I have something on my face?” “You have a horn.” “Right.” “And scales.” “Also true.” “And your eyes are glowing.” Aiden paused.
“My eyes are what?” Sophia handed him a small mirror from her coat pocket.
“I carry this for professional reasons.” “I’m afraid to ask.” He accepted the mirror cautiously.
The person staring back at him was familiar.
But not entirely.
His hair remained the same dark brown it had always been.
His face was unchanged, save for the single black horn protruding from the right side of his forehead.
It was his eyes that disturbed him.
They were no longer blue.
They had become gold.
Not bright or unnatural, but deep and ancient, like molten metal beneath glass.
“Oh.” The reflection blinked.
He blinked.
The reflection smiled.
He did not.
Aiden immediately dropped the mirror.
“Nope.” Everyone froze.
“What happened?” Marcus asked.
“My reflection smiled.” Silence.
“I’m sorry?” “My reflection smiled, and I would appreciate it if we could all agree not to discuss this.” The Primordial Chimera’s laughter echoed through his mind.
YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DRAMATIC.
“MY REFLECTION MOVED ON ITS OWN!” TECHNICALLY, IT IS OUR REFLECTION.
“No.
No, absolutely not.” OURS.
“We are not sharing pronouns!” Theodore Ashbourne had stopped trying to understand what was happening approximately ten minutes ago.
He had instead adopted the expression of a man watching history unfold and finding it mildly entertaining.
“I’ve lived a very long time,” Theodore said thoughtfully, “and I can confidently say this is in my top five strangest afternoons.” “Only top five?” “The incident with the sentient moon still ranks higher.” Nobody elaborated on that statement.
Aiden wasn’t sure he wanted them to.
Suddenly, the black Gate pulsed.
Every Hunter in the area immediately tensed.
The Voidspawn dropped to one knee.
«HE COMES.» The temperature dropped.
A pressure unlike anything Aiden had ever experienced descended upon the city.
Even Marcus struggled to remain standing.
“What is that?” Sophia whispered.
The black surface of the Gate began to ripple violently.
Something was trying to emerge.
Something large.
A hand appeared first.
It was enormous.
Black scales covered fingers larger than buses, each ending in claws that seemed capable of tearing through reality itself.
The city fell silent.
“No,” Sophia whispered.
A second hand followed.
Then a voice.
Ancient.
Cold.
And impossibly powerful.
«WHO DARES CLAIM THE KING?» Every window in New Haven shattered simultaneously.
Aiden felt his knees buckle.
The Primordial Chimera’s voice immediately answered.
MINE.
The world stopped.
The presence emerging from the Gate froze.
«…PRIMORDIAL ONE?» YES.
Silence.
Then, to everyone’s horror, the giant hand slowly retreated back into the Gate.
«MY APOLOGIES.» The Gate immediately began closing.
Aiden stared.
Marcus stared.
Even the Voidspawn appeared confused.
“Did…” Aiden began slowly, “did an ancient monster just apologize?” YES.
“Why?” IT WAS BEING RUDE.
The answer somehow raised more questions than it answered.
Within moments, the Gate had completely disappeared.
The storm ended.
Sunlight broke through the clouds.
And just like that— The crisis was over.
Nobody moved.
Finally, Marcus turned toward him.
“I need a vacation.” “That’s fair.” “I am serious.” “So am I.” The Guild Master pointed toward Aiden.
“You are no longer allowed to leave the city.” “That’s not legally enforceable.” “We’ll see.” Mrs.
Palmer cleared her throat.
“Before anyone continues, my children need dinner.” Everyone looked toward the orphanage.
The children had somehow become bored during the attempted apocalypse.
Emma yawned.
“Can we have pizza?” Marcus blinked.
“There was just an extra-dimensional invasion.” “Yes,” Emma agreed.
“And now I’m hungry.” Aiden considered this carefully.
“You know what?
That’s a valid point.” An hour later, somehow, everyone found themselves sitting inside Saint Aurora Orphanage.
Several S-Rank Hunters occupied a dining table designed for children.
Theodore was helping a seven-year-old with multiplication.
Marcus was attempting to explain Guild politics to a ten-year-old who had stopped listening halfway through.
Sophia sat across from Aiden, occasionally glancing at his horn as though afraid it might do something unexpected.
To be fair, so was he.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she finally said.
“That’s become something of a theme.” “The Primordial Chimera was believed to be a force of destruction.
Entire civilizations vanished because of it.” “That’s reassuring.” “And yet…” “And yet?” “It protected you.” Aiden fell silent.
She was right.
It had.
More than once.
Why?
The answer came immediately.
BECAUSE YOU ARE MINE.
“That doesn’t actually explain anything.” YOU ARE MY VESSEL.
“And?” AND I DO NOT SHARE.
He wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or offended.
Probably both.
Later that night, after everyone had finally left, Aiden stood alone in front of the orphanage.
The city was quiet again.
Normal.
As normal as things could be after an eldritch being had nearly crawled through reality to pick him up.
He looked up at the stars.
“What happens now?” The Primordial Chimera was silent for several moments.
NOW?
“Yes.” NOW, LITTLE VESSEL…
For the first time, its voice carried something resembling amusement.
…YOU LEARN HOW TO BECOME A MONSTER.
Aiden touched the horn on his forehead and sighed.
“I was really hoping you’d say ‘go to school’ or ‘get a job.'” THOSE OPTIONS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
“Of course they aren’t.” Far beyond the stars, ancient eyes slowly opened one by one.
The King had awakened.
And across countless worlds connected by the Gates, beings older than humanity had begun to whisper his name.
The Chimera King.
The title had not yet been earned.
But fate, it seemed, had already made its decision.