Chapter 1920: Time Flies

Three years after the meeting, Maria discovered she was pregnant.

It happened quickly after that decision. One wild, passionate night with Lucifer and Jonathan was all it took to conceive twins, one child for each father. She had promised them she would bear their children, and both men were overjoyed when it finally came true.

Having a large pregnant belly was an entirely new and profound experience. It left Maria feeling strangely relaxed yet constantly tired.

After eight months she gave birth safely to the twins. For the first time, Lucifer and Jonathan set aside their old differences. They cried together, embracing tightly and patting each other’s backs as the cries of their newborns rang out.

They named him Thanatos.

They named her Isabella.

Their birth turned into joyful chaos, yet their parents laughed from the heart and celebrated the arrival of two new members to their already vast family.

...

Clear, profound changes have touched everyone and everything.

Yet despite the years, neither had begun dating or pursued romance. Nyx’s younger siblings constantly teased her that she wasn’t being honest with herself, but Nyx always insisted she was simply waiting for the right moment.

Everyone’s growth had been extraordinary. People from every world had become remarkably strong in only a decade.

The fifty floors of the tower—once dismissed and underestimated—now soared to unprecedented heights of power.

Maria was beginning to touch the Fifth Stage, though she still needed more rigorous training and cultivation. She sparred daily against her family, friends, and occasionally her own children, always eager to witness the full extent of their blossoming powers.

After eight months Alma gave birth to a beautiful "human" child with a Dream Heart already shining in his chest—like every child Maria had borne.

Alma met with her grandmother, who had been invited for the occasion. Together they celebrated the new life, and the grandmother bestowed a name upon the boy.

Though the sweet, sleepy infant showed no dramatic abilities, Maria sensed how extraordinarily close he was to the Element of Dreams—far closer than anyone else, even herself.

And so time continued to flow.

Twelve years after the meeting.

The news was an unprecedented, joyous uproar celebrated across the entire world of Yggdrasil.

Her pregnancy stemmed partly from that subtle jealousy, and partly from Maria’s frequent visits to her Realm—nearly every night.

Conception became inevitable. With Maria’s nightly visits and the deep, devoted love she showered upon Hel, pregnancy followed.

Still, Hel was radiantly happy. Loki, Fenrir, and Jormungandr celebrated alongside her. By this point old wounds had healed; no resentment lingered.

It was not a difficult promise for Maria to make.

...

Hel’s child was finally born.

The newborn was... a boy? A girl? Even Maria and Hel could not be certain.

The baby was breathtaking: long hair streaked white and black, one red eye and one golden. Their skin was divided—half pale white, half deep gray.

A mysterious power over death and souls emanated from the infant, deeply tied to the cycle of reincarnation.

With the birth of a new Yggdrasil deity, a new Authority was granted at once.

Fearing the concepts might prove too dangerous for a newborn to handle, they temporarily sealed the Authority until Zephriel matured.

Her Myriad Dream Soul Firmaments evolved dramatically, condensing into a gigantic star that then exploded into a black hole, absorbing nightmares, ghostly energy, and dreams.

She named this stage "Stellar Dream Galaxy Soul."

At this moment she felt herself truly ascending toward an unimaginable new Realm of existence—beyond anything she had once dreamed possible.

Until then Maria never stopped cultivating—refining her soul, body, and mind to their absolute limits.

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