At night, Ocean gave the brief instructions to Enora and his security team for the upcoming ball at Ryujin mansion before he went to bed.

He had been trying hard not to notice but strangely enough, his eyes would often try to look for Davian. Even during dinner, he caught himself staring at the young man who was sneaking some good dishes to Kai and Sol.

He would make a good father, Ocean thought to himself but then ended up blushing for unknown reasons.

Thanks to the same thoughts, he ended up having a sleepless night and decided to completely give up on sleep when it was past 2 in the morning.

It was too cold outside that Ocean thought it might be below 0 degrees in Frosthail-

Ocean shook his head as he pushed him off his bed and grabbed his coat before he made his way towards the balcony and leapt off.

He reached out and touched his earstud reverting to Reina after he took off in the air to some distance from the Ryujin estate.

It was snowing outside as she flew up in the grey sky feeling the icy flakes scatter because of his passage. She kept flying far and wide, flapping her three pairs of wings going past the sleeping towns, lakes, rivers and mountains. She was high up in air but still below the clouds yet, she couldn’t feel the cold from outside as much as she was cold inside.

Her hair blew behind her as white as the wings on her back, she felt the wind slicing through her yet, she wouldn’t stop as she kept flying.

The chaos on her mind was not that easily shaken yet, she was feeling as if she herself was being shaken by this. Everything had always been a part of plan, her existence itself was a part of someone’s plan yet, something unexpected was blossoming.

Davian, she had no idea how to face this man now. She was scared to accept what her feelings were and she might as well deny them altogether. Reina liked it when everything was under her control and going according to her plans. One might even say that she had an OCD in that sense but Davian’s existence went completely opposite to that.

He was like an unruly piece in her hand that had a mind of his own, he would do whatever he wanted and she wouldn’t stop him. Since the very beginning he had been an odd one among everyone she had met.

Reina always thought that Ocean Ryujin was an enigma she created for the world but the world had Davian Montaire up for the challenge.

Just what was she supposed to do? She had no time for marriage and love, another demon had popped up and even if she was equipped with weapons, power, intelligence and support it would still fall face first of she herself failed.

Even if she came up to the last boss, what was the guarantee that she would survive it?

What if she died?

What if her part in this world was only to see that the demons were destroyed and then she had to die?

What then?

Would Davian accept for a fact that the man whom he had been looking up to was lying to him for so long? Even after he had told him about his love?

Reina knew lies in a relationship were as good as poison in a healthy person.

Yet, even after wrecking her mind for thousands of times she couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be. What would he thinks if he came to know of Reina and Ocean’s secret?

After about an hour of just randomly flying about, Reina changed her appearance and rounded back to Ryujin estate. She still had one thing to do.

Ocean landed in the forest surrounding the Ryujin mansion at some distance to keep the peeping eyes away from what he was about to do.

The snow was settled and was yet falling quite heavily, Ocean was drenched, his clothes, hair dripped with icy water, yet he wasn’t fazed, or rather, he wasn’t trying to be fazed. His breath was smoky now, usually even a snowstorm wouldn’t have done that but being out in snow for that long made his body colder.

Ocean inhaled and exhaled deeply feeling his misty breath step out and mingling with the chilly air. His mind was blank, he didn’t want to think anything.

He looked at the notification before him.

[Choose one from the provided collection of The Preserver’s collection of weapons.

- Sharanga Bow

- Kaumodaki Gada

- Nandaka.]

He had made his choice.

"I choose this,"

He focused on the option and the system’s panel glowed once before the sky overhead crackled and Ocean put his hand forth.

The golden lightning descended and Ocean felt the weight on his arm, a golden bow had materialized in his hand. Ocean stared at the beautiful bow that glowed once before its glow faded to light gold and Ocean could see the intricate carvings on the bow.

[Sharanga Bow: Bow of Eternity.

Description:

Forged by the divine architect Vishvakarma, Sharanga is the unbreakable bow of The Preserver. Its frame gleams with golden light, and when drawn, its string hums like thunder across the three worlds. Its arrows are woven from pure cosmic energy, striking down even the mightiest of asuras.

Effect: Never misses its target; arrows pierce through both body and spirit. The mere twang of its string can shake armies and split the sky.]

The string stood taut and the bow itself was so breathtaking that Ocean couldn’t help but stare for a long moment.

[The Preserver has bestowed upon you the Sharanga Bow.]

Ocean reached out and touched the taut string and tugged at it gently.

Twang.

The hum that resounded reverberated in the air around him and the snow disintegrated around him and the ground sliced for around five meters. He stood almost in the middle of a crater after just tugging at its bowstring.

Ocean stared at the bow blankly.

[The Preserver asks if you’re not happy with your reward.]

Ocean didn’t respond.

[The Preserver asks you to not think much about it.]

Ocean still didn’t respond and just stared at the bow with a blank face. The icy droplets slid down his face and his cheeks slowly grew flushed. He felt faintly cold and he wondered how it would be like if he would destroy this world himself?

[The Preserver warns you to not be swayed by your state of mind.] 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Ocean stared blankly.

"Just one arrow would be enough to tear apart the palace, a couple more and the continent would be cracked apart. A few more and the world would be gone for good." Ocean spoke.

The Preserver sat worried in his seat watching Ocean looking as if he was slowly losing his mind. He couldn’t understand why. Humans were susceptible to be swayed by their emotions but this one had been in control of his emotions for so long so why?

Was it because he was straining his emotions for so long that he was cracking now?

However, strong the vessel may be, if its filled up to the brim it was bound to spill the contents soon or at times... Start to crack.

Ocean raised his hand again hoping to call forth an arrow that just like the bow would appear in his hand when something bristled at his rampant running Dragon’s Presence.

He didn’t turn as he felt his heart picking its pace.

"For how long have you been standing there?" Ocean asked without turning.

The crunch of the footsteps followed as the person walked closer. Ocean could heard each step with absolute clarity until the person stood right behind Ocean.

"What are you doing out here like this? And what’s that bow?"

"I’m planning on destroying the world," Ocean spoke while looking up at the sky.

"Have you gone mad?" The person stepped ahead until they were right behind Ocean and Ocean chuckled.

"I guess... You... shouldn’t be out here in this cold, Sol... Your body won’t be able to handle it." Ocean spoke.

"You just said you’re destroying this world, would there be any need to care for me then?" Sol asked.

There was no response but Sol couldn’t help but have an uneasy feeling.

The small feet rounded Ocean’s form and stood in front of him. He was all bundled up and he stared up at Ocean with his smoky breath hanging over his adorable looking face.

"Why... do you look like this?" Sol asked.

"I... don’t know..." Ocean spoke and Sol frowned feeling concerned.

"Just what... has happened to you? Did something happen to someone? Or did you encounter the demon? What... What has you looking like this?" Sol’s tone kept faltering as he looked at Ocean.

The golden bow in his hand, shoulders slumped and face so pale and ghostly that one would think his world had come to an end.

"Ocean..." Sol spoke and Ocean looked down.

There were no tears in his eyes but it was obvious that the emotions were swirling so wildly within him that he was beyond pain.

Ocean fell on his knees without a word and Sol flinched. He had always seen this young Dragon being cool and composed even in the times when everyone else might have faltered yet, here he was now looking like he was cracking.

Sol’s eyes went again to the bow which slowly disappeared like golden spangles in the air and his eyes widened as he finally realised.

"Tha-That’s a divine bow, isn’t it? Wh-Why do you have it?" Sol asked.

Ocean hung his head, not responding.

Sol stepped ahead feeling the sense of impending doom. He walked closer to Ocean and wrapped his arms around the man’s shoulders tightly. He didn’t care that Ocean was completely drenched in ice.

He didn’t know why but he was sure something had been weighing on this man’s shoulders and somehow he was finally showing the signs of cracking.

"Everyone in my game is a pawn, Sol..." Ocean spoke, "yet, I’m a pawn too..."

Sol frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I... I’m exhausted of it all... I’m exhausted of humans and this world... I... didn’t want this... Yet, because of the whims of... of..."

[Warning: Contents about the system must not be revealed. The Host will face a penalty for breach of secrecy.]

Ocean couldn’t see the notification as his eyes slid closed and his body went limp. Sol’s eyes widened as he couldn’t hold Ocean up and watched as Ocean slid from his arm and fell on his side, unconscious

"O-Ocean?!"