"Speaking of curiosities, I've got one myself. Why do your inhabitants go after Prime Worlds like they're some kind of rare delicacy that can't be resisted?"
[…eh?]
'Gozon' couldn't believe 'her' ears.
To think Evan had the audacity to ask 'her' that outright.
Locking eyes with him, 'she' saw no trace of mischief in his grey irises. Instead, his entire demeanour had shifted, leaving her confused.
Moments ago, he'd been exuding a playful aura, acting like none of this was serious. Now, he radiated a strange intensity that caught 'her' off guard.
[…I don't know if you're bold or just stupid.]
"I'd like to think I'm the former."
Despite the threatening edge in 'her' voice, Evan didn't flinch as he replied. He hopped down from the sink and stepped closer to 'her', closing the distance in seconds.
With his hands tucked into his pockets, he tilted his head slightly and repeated his question.
"So? Are you going to tell me?
Or, if that's off-limits, maybe you could explain why you reacted so strangely when Arthur mentioned you being 'Doomed to Remain a Prime World Forever.'"
**CRACK! BOOM!!!
The moment those words left his mouth, 'her' expression twisted with fury. The ambient energy in the room surged violently, shattering every glass surface as the pressure sent shards flying through the air.
But instead of striking Evan, the energy warped around him, bending away as though he were some untouchable anomaly.
Seeing this, 'Gozon' clicked 'her' tongue in frustration and swung a physical punch at him.
Danger Sense blared an alarm in Evan's mind, and he vanished an instant before 'her' strike connected. The blow carried enough force to blow a certain someone's head off, but it met only empty air.
"Oof. Looks like I hit a nerve."
Evan remarked nonchalantly, as though he wasn't the least bit bothered by the fact that 'Gozon' had just tried to kill him.
His calm only seemed to infuriate 'Gozon' further, but for whatever reason, 'she' didn't act on 'her' anger. Instead, 'she' turned away and vanished, leaving him alone in the now-destroyed restroom.
'Well, if I needed any more confirmation, that was it.'
With that thought, Evan shrugged and made his way out of the wreckage, heading back toward the main hall before anyone could come to check the commotion.
◇ ◇ ◇
Returning to the hall, Evan's attention was immediately drawn to a fresh strawberry-chocolate cake being brought into the venue.
Initially, he planned to inform Arthur he was leaving, but the sight of the cake made him reconsider. He figured he might as well take some to-go. Cutting more slices than he needed, Evan loaded a tray and spun it on his fingertips as he weaved through the hall.
That was when he noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye.
When his brain finally processed what his eyes had seen, he stumbled.
'What the fuck?!'
Evan nearly dropped the tray, causing a small commotion that earned him a few curious glances. His shock rendered him momentarily frozen.
Snapping his gaze toward the figure, his jaw dropped.
Standing there was a tall, black-haired man with grey eyes and firm yet strikingly handsome features.
He was engaged in casual conversation with some others, his friendly smile radiating warmth and approachability. The man was dressed in a formal mess dress adorned with insignias Evan didn't recognize.
But his appearance… it was unmistakable.
No matter how wild Evan's dreams were, this was a face he could never forget.
'What the hell are you doing here—'
Evan's thoughts spiralled as his grip on the tray tightened.
The man was Vincent Bourne.
'—DAD?!'
His father. From Earth V.
◇ ◇ ◇
Evan blinked repeatedly, rubbing his eyes as if to dispel an illusion, but the image refused to change.
Vincent Bourne was there. In the flesh.
Evan had always been sure Vincent was a 'Human'. However, the fact that Vincent was here—10,000 years in the past—was enough evidence that he wasn't a normal human.
The hall was primarily filled with Race Rulers and their subordinates.
It didn't take Evan long to piece things together: Vincent had to be one of these Race Rulers. The group Vincent was conversing with consisted of Demon Kings, and they spoke to him as equals.
'Dad's a Race King? What the actual fuck is going on?!'
Evan's thoughts raced in every direction. He didn't even know where to begin processing this revelation.
Overwhelmed, he made a critical mistake—one he absolutely shouldn't have made, especially in the presence of beings with such heightened senses that calling them 'superhuman' would be an insult.
He stared.
And he stared far too long.
In the next moment, Vincent's head turned, his gaze falling in Evan's direction.
Danger Sense screamed in alarm.
Without hesitation, Evan teleported behind a group of waiters to his left, his breaths coming in short, sharp bursts.
If Danger Sense was reacting, it was a clear sign that encountering the current Vincent was a very bad idea.
'I should've just grabbed the cake and left!'
Evan's thoughts scrambled as he began charting a path to the nearest exit. But before he could move, he felt a heavy gaze fall in his direction.
'Fuck!'
Vincent had noticed him.
How could he not?
Evan was a walking temporal anomaly—a being displaced in time.
Vincent was known for his power over Gravity.
In the universe, certain laws were intricately intertwined. Space, Time, and Gravity formed one such trio, each connected to the other.
When one dabbled with Gravity long enough, they eventually had to delve into Space and Time as well.
Vincent had dabbled in those three laws long enough to recognize the temporal distortion surrounding Evan, a phenomenon Evan lacked the power to conceal.
Vincent didn't see Evan's face or his exact appearance. But he didn't need to.
He knew instantly that someone in that group was a time traveller.
After all, he'd done his fair share of time-jumping.
And spotting a fellow time-hopper? Easy as breathing.
Without hesitation, Vincent excused himself from the group he was speaking with, casually handing his empty glass to a passing waiter as he began walking in Evan's direction.
Though his steps seemed unhurried, to Evan, it felt as though Vincent was closing the distance at light speed.
Evan's gaze darted to one of the towering floor-to-ceiling pillars in the hall. Activating Blink, he teleported beside it and quickly slipped behind.
But it was no use.
Vincent's head turned, his piercing gaze locking onto the pillar almost instantly.
Cursing internally, Evan scanned the hall for another obstruction. He vanished again, this time reappearing behind a cluster of waiters, only to weave his way through a nearby group of demons engaged in conversation.
Activating Lethe, he tried to conceal himself further, hoping to blur his presence.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.
Evan darted between pillars, grandiose sculptures, and ostentatious decorations, using each as fleeting cover.
He weaved through clusters of guests, ducking and sidestepping as if part of some chaotic, improvised dance. Yet, no matter where he moved, Vincent's gaze seemed to lock onto his position within moments.
Seeing the 'temporal distortion' rapidly changing locations, Vincent's eyes narrowed.
'They're avoiding me.'
He mentally mapped out the layout of the hall, noting Evan's path.
'And they're heading toward the exit as well. In other words, they're not strong enough to teleport outside this space at will.'
Satisfied with his hypothesis, Vincent took a single step forward, closing half the distance to Evan in an instant.
He was about to take a second step when, to his surprise, Evan suddenly veered away from the exit entirely.
"Huh? They weren't trying to leave?"
Vincent paused, his brow furrowing as he glanced toward the exit.
Why abandon it when it was within reach? No immediate answer came to mind, leaving the man momentarily perplexed.
Alas, Vincent would never know the reason for Evan's sudden change in direction.
'Fuck! Why is Sinclair here?!'
Future Aidos' sole Spirit King—someone who, in that future, was a fallen Race King. He was at full power at this time, but it wasn't Sinclair's power that concerned Evan.
The problem was that Evan wanted to avoid meeting Sinclair as well.
Unfortunately, Sinclair was stationed at the very exit Evan had planned to use. He appeared to be waiting for someone, and his presence turned Evan's escape plan into a logistical nightmare.
Teleporting directly there would undoubtedly alert Sinclair to the spatial ripple. But walking to the exit wasn't an option either—not with Vincent still closing in on him.
Evan scanned the hall with his eyes, spotting an alternative exit some distance away. Without hesitation, he shifted course, zigzagging through the labyrinth of pillars and decorations, though he could feel Vincent's focus intensify.
As for Vincent, he quickly grew tired of this game of cat and mouse.
At that moment, Evan's eyes landed on Arthur, who had just concluded a conversation with a group of Race Lords. Without delay, Evan activated Blink, teleported directly behind him and spoke.
"Dude, I need your help to shake someone off. Grey-eyed human. Three o'clock."
Arthur arched a brow, his gaze flicking to the side to spot the figure Evan was referring to.
"Okay."
The teen godslayer responded with a shrug, and in the next instant, they split.
Evan moved toward the leftmost exit, while Arthur turned toward Vincent.
"Well, hello there! You must be Supreme King Bourne. King Westley has told me so much about you."
Arthur announced with his characteristic confidence, stepping forward and extending his hand.
Evan barely heard Arthur's voice as he teleported away, heading for the exit.
"I'm Arthur Vaughn, Nice to meet you."
Vincent froze as Arthur addressed him, his gaze darting briefly in Evan's direction.
As Arthur's voice wasn't exactly the quietest, it had drawn the attention of several onlookers. Now, Vincent couldn't afford to ignore Arthur without risking unnecessary tension with Gozon who supported him.
Sighing softly, he raised his hand to meet Arthur's.
"Pleasure."
He replied curtly, shaking Arthur's hand while his eyes lingered, for just a moment, on the exit Evan had slipped through.
By then, Evan was long gone, dashing out of the Galactic Hall with his heart pounding in his chest.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Man, that party was exhausting!"
Arthur groaned, yanking off his tie before flopping onto the couch in Jamie's penthouse. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a slice of the cake Evan had stashed earlier, biting into it with gusto.
"I thought you were used to events like that?"
The comment came from Evan, who was absorbed in a game of Puc-Man at a nearby arcade machine, the words HIGH SCORE flashing triumphantly on the screen.
"Being used to them doesn't mean they're any less draining."
Arthur replied with a tired sigh, sinking further into the cushions and Evan shrugged in response.
"Fair point."
After that, the room was silent, save for the sound of rapid button clicking coming from the machine Evan was gaming on.
Eventually, Arthur broke the silence, his tone curious.
"By the way, what was up with you earlier? Why were you so intent on avoiding that guy?"
He was naturally referring to Vincent, and after deliberating on his answer for a moment, Evan responded.
"Believe it or not, that guy's my dad."
"Oh, I see."
Arthur nodded absentmindedly, taking a sip of water. Then, as the words sank in, his eyes widened, and he spat out the drink in shock.
"Wait—your DAD?!"
"Now that's the reaction I was waiting for."
Evan chuckled at Arthur's stunned expression while the latter grabbed a face towel to clean himself up before asking,
"Your dad's been a 'Supreme' Race King this whole time?"
"Apparently."
"Apparently? You didn't know?"
Arthur raised an eyebrow, and Evan, still focused on manoeuvring the iconic yellow character away from a swarm of ghosts on the arcade screen, nodded.
"For the first sixteen years of my life, I believed I was a normal human, born to normal parents.
The supernatural was fiction to me."
Arthur didn't bat an eye at the mention of Evan's "first sixteen years," fully aware the boy's soul was much older than his current body.
"And yet here I am, finding out I've got a Deity for a parent."
"Parent? What about your mom?"
Arthur pressed, curious and Evan froze at the question.
For years, he'd always assumed his mother was just a normal human. But after seeing Vincent at the Summit, he now doubted she was normal.
"Is there any Human Queen named 'Kristine'?"
He asked, figuring Arthur would have a better grasp on these things. Faced with his question, Arthur pulled out a tablet, his fingers gliding across the screen as he searched through a comprehensive list of Race Kings and Queens in the Valmone Universe.
"Nope, no Kristine here. So, I'm guessing she's...oh!"
Arthur froze mid-sentence, his eyes glued to the screen and noticing this, Evan immediately paused his game and turned to him, narrowing his eyes.
"What?"
Arthur studied the tablet a moment longer before flipping it around for Evan to see.
"Is your mother 'Kristine Carter'?"
Evan didn't need to hear the name to recognize the face on the screen. The woman listed there had been, to his knowledge, married to Vincent Bourne for twenty years.
"She's listed under the Subordinates of 'Human King' Vincent…"
Arthur trailed off, and Evan sighed.
"Great. So, both my parents are Deities."
Evan muttered, rolling his eyes before spinning his chair back toward the arcade machine. With a sarcastic huff, he unpaused his game and added.
"What am I gonna find out next? That Evansen's still alive?"
If only Evan knew just how right he was.