The misty, star-flecked expanse of the Roundtable hummed quietly, the massive holographic map of Elias glowing over the obsidian table As Barnaby and Hephaestus wrapped up their logistical reports for the impending invasion of the Dragon Empire, Leona leaned forward, resting her chin on the cool metal of her Void-Gauntlet .

She looked at Damien sitting at the head of the table on his throne of woven shadow.

"Boss," Leona asked, her golden beast-eyes glinting with curiosity . "Now that you’ve rescued your parents are you going to tell them about... all this? Your strange abilities, the Roundtable, everything ?"

The misty room grew quiet.

Damien looked at the empty chair beside him, then at the glowing map, before slowly shaking his head.

"No," Damien answered smoothly.

"Not yet. My father and mother spent a long time fighting just to protect me.

"If I tell them the true scope of what we are doing or the nature of my powers, they will try to take the burden back onto their own shoulders. Once the dust settles and the world is safe, I will explain everything."

Leona nodded, accepting his reasoning.

"Speaking of the dust settling," Lyra interjected.

The phantom sniper leaned back in her chair, her violet eyes deadly serious 6.

"My Valkyries have successfully eliminated a lot of cultists over the past few weeks, paving the way for your invasion, especially since the dragon empire and the cult had strong ties"

"However, the Twilight Association is reacting to our victory. Since we atomized the Second Prince and destroyed the colossal Void Shrine during the Surface War, the surviving Void Cultists have scattered."

"Panicking if you will, after all they lost head"

Saying this she took a pause before continuing

"However lately my scouts reports say they are massing resources in the dead zones. It seems they are planning something big to compensate for their massive loss."

Lyra pinned a spectral marker over the western wastes on the map.

"I suggest that while the main forces launch the takeover of the Dragon Empire, a detachment of my legion and I stay behind to watch the cults."

LIf they attempt to summon another demon or strike our exposed flanks, I’ll cut their throats before they even finish the chant."

Thinking of Demons, and cultists her eyes flashed with hatred as she thought of the young elves being kidnapped for experimentation

And sensing this Damien looked at Lyra, remembering the desperate, tragic girl she was supposed to become in the original timeline, and felt a surge of pride at the ruthless, brilliant general she was now.

"Agreed," Damien nodded.

"You have autonomy over the hunting parties, Lyra. But be careful. If they summon an 8th-Order entity, do not engage. Call me."

After a few more minutes of coordinating supply lines with Barnaby and Cipher, Damien finally raised his hand.

"Meeting adjourned. Prepare your forces."

Skill Deactivated.

The misty room shattered like glass.

Damien opened his eyes. He was back in the luxurious, subterranean guest quarters of Ironforge, the rhythmic, distant pounding of Dwarven hammers echoing faintly through the stone wall.

Damien fell backward onto the plush mattress, staring up at the stone ceiling.

He raised his hands, staring at his palms. Slowly, his fingers curled inward until his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room.

The mask of the Zero the arrogant, untouchable mastermind who commanded Demigods and crushed Empires slipped away.

Lying there in the dark, he wasn’t Zero. He wasn’t Mozart.

He was just Lin Ye. The lonely boy from Apartment Block 404 who used to eat instant noodles in a freezing room, reading web novels to escape the cold reality of being an invisible NPC in his own life.

A sudden, violent tremor ran through his chest, it was fear

Yes unknown to everyone including himself, he was afraid

’Ha! It seeems I’m terrified’ Damien admitted to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.

The war was nearing its absolute peak. The Dragon Empire was fractured but dangerous, Emperor Aurelius was tearing the Central Continent apart hunting for "Zero", and the apocalyptic threat of the Heavenly Demon Lord Azazel answering the Void’s call loomed over them all.

He felt a profound, overwhelming warmth when he thought of Isabelle, Leona, Lyra, Alaric, and his parents. He had managed to save them, rewriting their tragic endings and bringing them together.

But that was exactly why he was so afraid.

He knew the cruel truth of this world. He wasn’t a true protagonist with plot armor. He didn’t have a destiny that guaranteed his survival.

He was just a minor villain who had hijacked the system, destined in the original plot to watch his family be executed and die alone.

If he made a single miscalculation, if his Destiny Points ran out, or if an enemy proved too strong, the plot would reassert its cruel nature.

He could lose Isabelle. He could watch Leona die. He could watch his parents be slaughtered right in front of him.

The thought of losing the family he had fought so desperately to build felt like a physical knife twisting in his gut.

"I can’t lose them," Damien whispered to the empty room, his breath hitching.

"I can’t go back to being alone."

Knock. Knock.

Damien froze.

He took a deep, shuddering breath, instantly locking his terror away into a box deep within his mind.

He forced the erratic beating of his heart to slow, smoothing his expression back into a portrait of calm confidence.

"Come in," Damien said, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

The heavy oak door swung open.

Stepping into the room, radiating an immense, comforting warmth, were Theron and Elizabeth Voss.

Unknowingly his parents had arrived

Theron’s massive frame seemed to fill the doorway, his teeth shining as he walked in with a laugh.

Beside him, Elizabeth offered a gentle, maternal smile that immediately made the cold room feel like home.

"Son," Elizabeth said softly.

"Do you have a moment for your parents?"