Chapter 150: Chapter 144: Chaos and End
Dean was about to search for the boys when a golden portal tore through the air before him, flooding the space with radiant light. Cass and Damon stepped out, their silhouettes outlined by shimmering gold before the rift sealed shut with a resonant hum.
Cass blinked in surprise when he saw who was waiting. "Uncle Dean?" His voice carried disbelief. "If you’re here... then you managed it? Did you actually convince the Four Emperors?"
Dean exhaled, his jaw tight. "It was difficult. They asked for more than they had any right to, but yes—I got their agreement. Now, I need to talk to Zeke."
Cass’s expression faltered. His eyes lowered, and silence settled uncomfortably between them.
Dean narrowed his gaze. "What happened?"
Cass hesitated. "Zeke is... preoccupied. Sort of."
Dean’s tone sharpened. "Preoccupied with what?"
Damon, standing a step behind, spoke before Cass could answer. "With his cult."
His words were steady, but the young man’s awe was impossible to disguise. He was speaking to the Supreme Commander himself—the living legend of the Earth Federation. To countless children in the Central Region, Dean was not just a man; he was the man, the towering figure of survival and victory. Damon tried to hide the spark in his eyes, but it burned too bright.
Dean gave him only a glance before turning back to Cass. "We need to talk. Alone."
Cass nodded. "Alright."
He looked to Damon, who inclined his head and left without a word. Once the two of them were alone, Dean’s communicator buzzed faintly. He glanced at the screen—coordinates had just come through. His lips pressed into a grim line.
"The Four Emperors sent their locations," he said. "Let’s move. No more delays."
Cass followed without hesitation, and the two returned to Aurevion.
Inside the palace, Zeke sat on a throne carved from living stone, its surface glowing faintly as though the veins of the earth itself lent him strength. He lifted his gaze when Cass entered.
"The Four Emperors have agreed," Cass announced. "We should make haste."
Zeke rose immediately, his expression calm but shadowed with tension. He stepped out onto the palace balcony, where the masses awaited. His voice boomed with practiced command as he divided the vast crowd into four legions. "Soon, portals will open," he declared, "and you will step through into your new homes. Prepare yourselves."
With the crowd moving under his orders, Zeke descended the steps and joined Dean.
"Uncle Dean," he said quietly, "I’m glad you convinced them. That couldn’t have been easy."
Dean’s lips twisted into a weary smile. "You don’t know the half of it. Now tell me—how do we actually make this work?"
Zeke’s eyes gleamed with calculation. "Side by side. I’ll open portals from Aurevion. You’ll open yours into their domains. One step out of Aurevion, the next step into your portal. Seamless."
Dean nodded. It would have to do.
They walked to the training grounds—an arena vast enough to hold armies. Dean raised his hand, summoning mana until his veins burned with heat. A colossal portal bloomed into existence, a golden wound in the fabric of reality.
On the other side, Ramses, the Southern Emperor, waited. Dean felt the man’s aura even through the rift, a weight like the desert sun.
Zeke bowed slightly, a gesture of respect but not submission. Ramses nodded back, his expression unreadable.
Then Zeke lifted his own hand. His portal flared into being, equal in size to Dean’s. Ramses’s composure cracked; shock flickered across his face as the second gateway opened.
Through it marched an army. At first glance, they looked like children—ten-year-olds with small frames and fresh faces. But their eyes told another story. Those were not the eyes of innocents. They were old eyes, hardened eyes, eyes that had stared at pain and learned to master it.
Fifty million Neo-Nephilims marched in perfect unison, their synchronized steps shaking the earth. Two hours passed before the last soldier crossed over.
Dean closed his portal and fixed Ramses with a look. His voice was low but edged with steel. "Don’t forget our deal."
Ramses’s answer was a single, curt nod.
But the effort had drained Dean to his bones. He collapsed onto the ground, sweat pouring from his brow as his mana sputtered out. He had nothing left to give. Zeke and Cass continued the work, opening more portals and distributing the remaining Neo-Nephilims to the other three Regions. By the time it was finished, the three of them were hollowed out, their minds stretched thin.
Dean pressed a communicator into Zeke’s palm. "This will track everything—Awakenings, deaths. Real-time. I’m done. Wake me when it’s over."
Zeke nodded gravely.
Dean staggered to the Reed Residence, where Katherine had long since given him a permanent room. He collapsed onto the bed, unconscious before his head hit the pillow.
The days blurred into a relentless cycle. The Awakening spread like wildfire across the lands. Reports flowed in through the communicator. The numbers grew heavy: out of the original two hundred million Neo-Nephilims, nearly half perished. One hundred and twenty million survived the Awakening, stronger, sharper, deadlier than before. But the price was steep, and the air of mourning hung over every region.
At last, when the final Neo-Nephilim Awakened, reality itself trembled.
The world... stopped.
Not just Earth. Not just Aurevion. The entire cosmos. Stars froze in the heavens. Rivers stilled in mid-flow. Birds hung suspended mid-flight, their wings stretched but unmoving. It was as though creation itself had been locked in place, paused at the whim of a higher will.
Only the System Administrators remained unaffected. Panic rippled through them like wildfire.
"If time itself halts," one whispered, "then what power remains beyond us?"
Administrator #1 silenced them. "Calm yourselves. There are only a handful of beings who could do this."
Their words carried weight, and the Administrators stilled.
Then the gate appeared.
It was vast, older than stars, its edges seething with power no mortal mind could endure. From it stepped two beings. Their forms were veiled, incomprehensible—too radiant, too absolute. To look upon them was to invite madness, and so the Administrators bowed their heads.
The first being raised a hand, and countless screens manifested, each one displaying System Logs. But these were unredacted—raw truth, untouched by filters or restrictions. Not even the highest Administrators had access to such records. Only one being did.
The Administrators dropped to their knees as one, voices trembling. "Welcome to this universe, Father."
The second being lifted his hand, and another gate opened. From it emerged personifications—the governing forces of creation itself. Time. Space. Causality. Fate. They bowed low, their forms quivering like frightened animals. They spoke in voices only their summoner could hear, whimpering their grievances.
The being listened patiently, then dismissed them with a wave.
An ancient sigh followed. A sigh older than stars, older than galaxies, older than existence itself.
The first being, still reading the logs, finally spoke. "It seems you were right, &^%^$)*. My experiment has spiraled far beyond my intent. It has scarred your descendants."
The second being’s voice was sharp, unyielding. "Did you think I would lie? You must clean your mess."
The first being sighed again, heavier, final. "I see. Then it is decided. The old order has run its course." His voice deepened, shaking the foundations of reality itself. "It is time for a new order. A new world."
And with those words, everything ended.
And something else began.
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[A/N]
This Chapter marks the end of the first book in the Re:Life Series. There is a lot I’d like to say but that would only uselessly increase the word count of the Chapter. So head to the Discord server and I’ll answer any questions you might have.
