NOVPUBShe stood there like the concept of "Existence" saw her and gave up trying to compete.
El.
But not the real her. No, this was just an avatar—a tiny, filtered glimpse of what she really was. Not even 1%. And yet… the world around her was already glitching like reality didn't know how to handle her presence. Air shimmered. Light bent around her face like it was too shy to touch her directly.
Even space itself seemed to ripple behind her, folding and unfolding like it was breathing her in.
Her hair flowed like it had its own consciousness—white as starlight, kissed with streaks of gold so rich it looked like the universe had hand-painted her strands with melted suns. Every lock moved without wind, defying gravity like even physics refused to say no to her.
Her skin was flawless. Porcelain laced with a soft cosmic glow, like moonlight trapped in glass. Her lips were a gentle pink, but sharp—like one word from her could shatter you or save you, depending on her mood.
She didn't wear a dress—she wore presence. Every feather on her shoulders shimmered with layered energy, each one moving like it remembered flying across galaxies. Gold threaded through her gown like liquid stardust, curling around her chest and throat, hugging her with sacred elegance.
And the gem resting at her collarbone? That wasn't jewelry. That was probably a sealed star, still beating.
And the energy around her? It wasn't aura—it was command. The type that didn't need to be spoken. Just her being here said: "I can ruin you and rewrite you in the same breath."
Others didn't look at her.
They witnessed her.
And even then, it still wasn't the real her.
Just an avatar.
A fraction.
A trailer.
Which was the scary part.
Because if this was what 1% of El looked like… then the real her?
God help the fucking universe.
*
El didn't say it like it was some world-ending prophecy. She said it like it was common sense. Like this was just the next step of evolution and they were all just late to the party.
"It's not a bad thing," she told him, voice soft but way too heavy for how casually it dropped. "Humans need a chance to protect themselves. Shit's not safe anymore. Not like it used to be. The Existence has gotten... messy. Wild. And this Earth? Her Multiverses? They need to wake the fuck up before something worse kicks the door down. We won't always be here to protect whenever something dangerous threatens to take over."
Her gaze didn't waver, not even a blink. No drama. No hesitation.
"If this Awakening Era happens right—Earth will be able to fight back. Finally."
Parker nodded, slow and thoughtful, his jaw tensing as the words settled in. He could already feel the edges of a new kind of war forming in his chest. One that wasn't just about strength, but ownership. Survival. Legacy.
Then El turned, all sharp and smooth, like the air knew it had to move for her. She locked eyes with Vivian.
"You," she said, that bossy big-sis tone hitting with precision.
Vivian rolled her eyes instantly, classic her, like she was five seconds away from launching a verbal missile.
"South Korea. Merge with Nihility. Watch Beginning. Something's moving over there, and it's shaking too close to Aunt's circle. Help her stabilize it—but don't move unless her inner circle's touched. You know how Fate gets when you start freelancing."
Vivian sucked her teeth, arms folded, eyes narrowed—but she nodded anyway. No argument. Not when Aunt was involved.
Then El turned again, locking on Nyxavere, Helena, and Parker with that full regal posture. Straight spine, zero sugarcoating, eyes loaded like loaded guns.
"The rest of the world's on you three. Handle it. No fuck ups."
Her voice dropped slightly. Not louder. Heavier.
"And Little Brother…" she added, stepping closer, eyes slicing right into his, "those little pieces the gods planted? Their minions? Eliminate 'em. Or absorb them. Either way—they're the gateways for THEY. Don't leave any of 'em open."
Before he could even reply, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. Soft. Warm. Absolutely smug.
"And grow stronger already," she whispered against his skin. "I'm tired of waiting for you to come claim me, idiot."
Parker blinked, stunned. Did she really just—
She giggled. That kind of giggle that felt older than stars, playful but terrifying if you really understood who she was. She flicked her fingers like she was dismissing a dream, like this entire conversation was something she just paused in between conquering dimensions.
"I left you gifts, by the way."
And just like that—she was gone.
Like a cosmic glitch.
No drama. No flash.
Just gone.
Parker sighed again, dragging a hand down his face like maybe if he rubbed hard enough, this whole cosmic circus would vanish.
"I never signed up to play fuckin' hero in my ninth reincarnation," he muttered.
Nyxavere, arms crossed and half-floating like she owned the breeze, smirked. "Oh, come on, daddy~. It's not that bad. Could be fun. You finally get to do something other than mope and threaten gods."
He gave her a tired side-eye and rubbed her head. "Fun? This ain't a side quest, Nyxavere."
Before she could throw another quip, Vivian stepped forward—calm, casual, and way too quiet. That alone was suspicious. Parker narrowed his eyes as she kept walking straight toward him.
"Don't do it," he warned, backing up a step.
She said nothing. Just kept coming.
He backed up again. "Vivian. I mean it. Don't—"
Still no words. Just that evil-ass smile forming on her lips like she was about to rob a bank and hug you at the same time.
"Vivian! Don't do it!"
She ignored him completely, stepped right in, wrapped her arms around him like he was a plushie she hadn't seen in centuries—and kissed his cheek with all the dramatic flair of a soap opera farewell scene.
"Au revoir, hermano," she whispered with a wink, then vanished. Just like that.
Poof.
Gone.
Straight to South Korea.
Parker stood there, hands half-raised in protest, mouth open, eyes wide, processing what just happened.
Then he sighed again.
Loudly.
"Dios... how many times is that today?" he muttered. "I've never sighed this many times in one day."
A beat later, Levi's voice slithered into his head like an annoying pop-up notification you couldn't swipe away.
[Master...] Levi started, way too ominous.
"Don't."
[This is no coincidence.]
Parker rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. "Yeah. I know. Shit's too perfect."
He started pacing now, fingers tapping against his thigh. The puzzle pieces had been stacking up. First the 50x Cashback Card randomly dropped into his life, casually handing him trillions like it was some fucked-up lottery prize. That alone should've raised red flags.
But then came the Bypass Ability. A power that let him ignore literally every known law on earth even laws of transaction and logic. That still sounded like a system dev got drunk and coded it at 3AM.
And now? Now he had the Infinity Equivalent Exchange Concept. The kind of cheat that made "buying reality" not just possible but convenient. No fees. No paperwork. Just: "Do you want it? Okay. It's yours."
And suddenly his sister and mother show up telling him this?
"Fuck no," Parker muttered.
This wasn't a coincidence. This whole setup was rigged from day one.
Like they knew. And hell, knowing them? They definitely knew. It was all part of their grand scheme, their stupid divine chessboard. Like:
"Hey son, here's a concept that makes you a literal god of property. Oh, by the way, Earth's about to die. Better save it, mijo, because it's gonna be yours anyway!"
They really dropped a universe-altering real estate empire concept on him, bundled with world-saving responsibility, and acted like it was a fucking gift basket.
Parker groaned, flipping off the sky.
"Cool. So I'm the owner of Earth now. But guess what? First I gotta stop it from turning into cosmic junk." He also made up his mind with gods.
"Gracias, familia. Fucking gracias."
