The Chancellor was remembering something.
Human worlds.
Human wars.
Humans turning against humans.
Because the fewer they became—
the more powerful they became.
"Eventually," Aurelius said, "someone will decide that the answer is to become the last."
Eve closed her eyes.
Gilgamesh looked away.
Aurelius looked directly at her.
"We need something different."
Eve opened her eyes.
"What?"
The Chancellor turned toward Bahamut.
"A human who isn't entirely human."
Dinraal froze.
Bahamut did not move.
Eve stared at the Chancellor.
Aurelius continued.
"A child born with humanity's inheritance."
He looked at Bahamut.
"But not bound entirely by humanity's law."
Dinraal felt the world tilt.
I'm not human.
Eve had told him.
Now he understood.
Or began to.
Bahamut had come to Earth for Eve's blessing.
And her blood.
To create him.
Eve's expression became terrible.
"You would alter a child before he takes his first breath."
Aurelius did not flinch.
"Yes."
Dinraal's hands curled into fists.
Eve stepped toward the Chancellor.
"And you call yourself Chancellor of Humanity."
Aurelius looked exhausted.
"I call myself what remains."
Silence.
That sentence seemed to hurt even him.
Gilgamesh stepped between them.
"No."
Everyone turned toward him.
Gilgamesh looked at Aurelius.
"Don't."
Aurelius's expression hardened.
"You know I'm right."
"No."
Gilgamesh pointed at Bahamut.
"You are asking him to gamble with a life that does not exist."
Bahamut stood.
"Enough."
Gilgamesh turned.
"Bahamut."
"I made the decision."
"You haven't even asked what the child would become."
Bahamut looked toward Eve.
Then Aurelius.
"I know exactly what I am asking."
Dinraal whispered into the memory.
"No, you didn't."
His father could not hear him.
But Dinraal felt something strange.
A distant sorrow.
As though somewhere, Bahamut could.
Eve approached Bahamut.
"You would give your child my blood."
Bahamut nodded.
"Yes."
"My blessing."
"Yes."
"And whatever else comes with them."
Bahamut hesitated.
For the first time.
"Yes."
Eve looked into his eyes.
"Why should I?"
Bahamut's answer came immediately.
"Because I will love him."
Silence.
Dinraal stared.
Gilgamesh closed his eyes.
Aurelius looked away.
Even Eve became still.
Bahamut continued.
"I will not make him a weapon."
Eve said nothing.
"I will not make him my successor."
Dinraal frowned.
What?
Bahamut looked toward the stars.
"He will choose his own life."
Eve's voice was quiet.
"And if he chooses to leave you?"
Bahamut smiled.
"Then I did something right."
Dinraal's vision blurred.
He hated that.
He quickly rubbed his eyes.
No one could see him anyway.
But still.
Gilgamesh stepped toward Bahamut.
"You mean that."
Bahamut looked at him.
"Yes."
Gilgamesh stared at him for a long moment.
Then—
"You're an idiot."
Bahamut smiled.
"I've been told."
Gilgamesh looked toward Eve.
The ancient king lowered his head.
"I will protect him."
Bahamut's smile disappeared.
Gilgamesh continued.
"If you grant this."
He looked toward Eve.
"If you give the child your blood."
His eyes hardened.
"I will protect him."
Aurelius stepped forward.
"And I will ensure he has a place among humanity."
Bahamut looked at him.
The Chancellor met his gaze.
"For as long as humanity has a future."
Dinraal stared.
The Chancellor.
His father's enemy.
The man who had brought a fleet against him.
Had helped create him.
The truth hurt.
Because suddenly—
nothing was simple.
Eve's Blessing
Eve walked away.
No one stopped her.
The rain continued falling.
Bahamut watched her disappear into the fortress.
Dinraal looked at his father.
"What now?"
Gilgamesh folded his arms.
"She said no."
Bahamut looked at him.
"She didn't."
Gilgamesh frowned.
"She literally did."
Aurelius sighed.
"Wait."
They waited.
For several minutes, no one spoke.
Then the doors opened.
Eve returned.
She carried a small silver blade.
Dinraal immediately became uneasy.
Bahamut did not move.
Eve stopped before him.
"Stand."
Bahamut obeyed.
Gilgamesh stepped forward.
"Eve."
She raised a hand.
He stopped.
Eve looked directly at Bahamut.
"I will not give you a weapon."
Bahamut nodded.
"I know."
"I will not give you a god."
Aurelius looked away.
Dinraal noticed.
Eve continued.
"I will give you a child."
Bahamut's breath caught.
Dinraal froze.
Eve raised the silver blade.
She cut her palm.
Silver blood fell into the rain.
The ground beneath them began glowing.
Dinraal stared.
Eve's blood was not red.
It shone.
Like the Mithril Gaunt.
She reached for Bahamut's hand.
He gave it to her.
Eve pressed her bleeding palm against his.
The silver light spread between them.
Dinraal heard Eve speak.
Not aloud.
Inside the memory itself.
A blessing.
LET HIM BE MORE THAN WHAT YOU NEED.
The light intensified.
LET HIM BE MORE THAN WHAT YOU FEAR.
Bahamut fell to his knees.
Gilgamesh grabbed his shoulder.
Aurelius stepped forward.
Eve continued.
LET HIM CHOOSE.
The light vanished.
Bahamut looked at his hand.
A single drop of silver blood had entered his skin.
Eve stepped away.
Her wound had already healed.
Dinraal stared at his father.
Bahamut looked toward Aurelius.
The Chancellor nodded.
"The process can begin."
Dinraal froze.
The memory shattered.
The Ancient Chamber
Dinraal returned to himself.
He was standing.
Everyone was watching him.
No one spoke.
He looked at Gilgamesh.
The ancient king's face told him everything.
"You were there."
Gilgamesh nodded.
Dinraal looked toward Caesar.
Cleopatra.
Alexander.
Then Vael.
Finally—
the darkness beneath the planet.
"My father created me."
Aurelius's voice came through Johanna's communicator.
"No."
Dinraal froze.
Everyone turned toward the device.
Static filled the chamber.
Then the Chancellor spoke again.
"Bahamut did not create you alone."
Dinraal slowly walked toward the communicator.
The holographic image flickered.
Aurelius appeared.
Older now.
The Chancellor of the Empire.
Isolde's father.
But Dinraal could no longer see him only as that.
"You helped."
Aurelius closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Dinraal felt anger rising.
"You used Eve's blood."
"Yes."
"You altered me before I was born."
Aurelius remained silent.
Dinraal took another step.
"Did my father know what would happen to me?"
The Chancellor looked at him.
For the first time—
Aurelius looked helpless.
"No."
Dinraal stopped.
The anger faltered.
Aurelius continued.
"No one knew."
Gilgamesh lowered his head.
Eve's voice echoed through the chamber.
Not the voice beneath the planet.
The memory.
LET HIM CHOOSE.
Dinraal looked at his hand.
Silver light moved beneath his skin.
He was not entirely human.
But he carried humanity.
He was not entirely his father's son.
But Bahamut had loved him before he existed.
He was not the Chancellor's creation.
But the Chancellor had helped bring him into the world.
Dinraal felt something inside him shift.
Then the massive eye beneath the planet opened wider.
SO.
The ancient female voice spoke again.
The chamber trembled.
THAT IS WHAT HE MADE OF MY BLOOD.
Dinraal slowly turned.
The voice beneath the world knew.
Eve's voice.
But not Eve.
Something older.
Something connected to her.
Gilgamesh's face went white.
"Dinraal."
The silver light beneath the boy's skin suddenly blazed.
The voice laughed.
The planet began to awaken.
COME DOWN, CHILD.
Dinraal stared into the darkness.
LET ME SEE WHAT MY DAUGHTER HAS GIVEN YOU.
Silence.
Claire slowly looked at Gilgamesh.
Johanna did the same.
Isolde turned toward Dinraal.
No one spoke.
Then Dinraal frowned.
"My grandmother?"
Gilgamesh closed his eyes.
Alexander quietly whispered—
"Well."
Cleopatra stared into the darkness.
Caesar tightened his grip on his sword.
And somewhere beneath the planet—
something ancient began to laugh.