Chapter 303: The Land of Elsewhere (2)

When Akasha reappeared, he was no longer in existence.

In that moment, he found himself standing in a void born alongside his new Star.

Yet, it was nothing like the voids he had known before.

This one was a shade of gray that refused to lean toward any hue, as though every trace of color had been stripped away, leaving behind a neutrality so absolute that even white or black would have felt far too bold.

More than that, this place existed beyond the reach of his Divine Sense, untouched by anything from the verse of Pantheos—save for the Star itself.

When Akasha had created the Star, he had sought freedom, though his subconscious had still left its subtle imprint on the result.

Here, the space was truly infinite, able to take on any size or shape with nothing more than a single thought.

And that was because Akasha had indeed found freedom in one realm above all others—Dreams.

Now, as the God of Elsewhere Dreams, there was nothing his imagination could not shape... at least, in theory.

As he floated, his pale hair drifted lazily before coming to a halt, as though even movement needed permission in this place.

The purple infinity beneath his left eye rested on a face devoid of anything to mirror it. He smiled as his gaze shifted forward, finally noticing the only other person present.

"Sage," he uttered with mild surprise, for standing before him was not the Lynx he remembered.

Even at one hundred and fifty years old, her growth was unlike that of ordinary beings, for as a beast, she aged in her own unique way.

She looked about sixteen, with pale skin that seemed to emit a soft, gentle glow.

Her long hair, streaked with black through shades of gray, cascaded down her back, drifting subtly in the air as though moved by an unseen breeze.

She had assumed a humanoid form, yet retained the distinct features of her origin—gray ears perched atop her head and a short, thick tail swaying lightly behind her, its tip darkened to a deeper shade.

In that moment, her hands rested behind her back, her eyes gently closed.

When Akasha’s gaze found her, her eyelids lifted a few moments later.

Within her irises, gray infinity symbols rotated with a slow, deliberate precision, identical to the markings beneath his own eye and those of the women he had just left atop the peak.

"Oh," Akasha remarked with a slight shake of his head, taking a measured step forward.

"Why did you stay in here for so long? It almost seems like I abandoned you."

His tone carried a teasing edge, knowing well that Sage could have departed from this place at any moment she desired, just as the others with profound bonds to him—Yume, Luna, Sage, and his mother—had the freedom to do.

As his words concluded, he stood before her, closing the space between them.

His hand rose to her hair, fingers threading through the strands as he gently ruffled it.

The tufted ears twitched at his touch, a subtle movement against his palm.

She leaned into the contact for half a breath, then ruined it with a yawn she did not bother to cover.

"Father," Sage said, her tail swaying in a slow, languid motion.

The word emerged softly, carrying a gentle warmth. She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, her expression serene.

The smile she offered was subtle yet genuine, already drifting toward the quiet surrender of sleep.

"I’m... rather tired," She said as she yawned again, the infinity in her eyes watered and half-lidded again.

In that instant, the humanoid form vanished with a single thought.

A small gray lynx took its place, her fur a soft gray marked by a distinct black infinity symbol on her back.

Before Akasha even realized it, she was perched atop his head just as she always had, her paws sinking into the soft tangle of his pale hair, her body curling in a single, practiced turn to settle into place.

Then her black infinity eyes drifted shut.

"Father?" Akasha murmured, his hand lingering in the space where he had ruffled Sage’s hair.

The word seemed to hang there, suspended far longer than any sound should.

While he had known she had evolved into such a state, he had anticipated her addressing him as "Master" or something along those lines.

The word "Father," though unexpected, stirred no negative feelings. In fact, it brought with it a certain warmth, a surprisingly pleasant feeling.

His hand came back slowly and found the fur between her ears, stroking once and then again.

"Sleep well," he said with a chuckle, "my lazy daughter."

He allowed her to rest undisturbed, turning his attention to the expanse of gray surrounding them.

Slowly, he pivoted in a deliberate circle, then extended his hands outward into the emptiness.

"If Pantheos wants to throw so much shit at me," he said, unable to hide his grin, "I won’t make it easy for anyone who dares to touch what’s mine."

By that, he didn’t just mean himself or his women, but every single person within his Domain—friends, family, anyone under his care—they were all his. They fell under his protection, and he would never allow anything to happen to them.

He waved his hand, and a broken slab came into the gray, its face cut with purple writing in the Language of Gods that pulled at his eyes.

"Alright," he said as he settled into his seat, "let’s wrap up the rest of my upgrades."

Beyond the Authority of Dreams, there were still a few more enhancements he wanted to tackle—one in particular stood out.

It was something that would not only make him stronger but would also empower everyone around him.

A faint smile crossed his face as he thought about it.

"Now... my first Authority."

He sat cross-legged, hands resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the purple script.

The void surrounding them seemed still for now, but it was only a matter of time before it, too, began to change.