Ancestral Lineage-Chapter 275: Zark. The Golden Emissary and Above All, a Father

Then, like the shift of reality itself, the very fabric of the air rippled—warped—as if existence took a breath and exhaled something divine.

He appeared.

The second being—the one known across countless planes as the Golden Emissary—descended in silence, though his arrival resounded like thunder in the hearts of all things sensitive to power. His tall, regal form was wreathed in robes of golden flame, each flicker burning with solar majesty. They did not consume, but radiated—a living testament to his title and essence.

His golden hair burned like dawn, cascading over broad shoulders, his eyes twin suns with spear-shaped pupils, eternally turning as if reading the very mechanisms of fate. His presence was oppressive, not out of malice, but due to the sheer magnitude of it—like standing before the core of a star. The sigil on his chest, the emblem of the Spear that Pierces the Sun, glowed brighter than ever.

He hovered just above the snow-covered peak, and when his feet touched the mountain, the snow melted instantly, forming a wide circle of bare earth and golden grass beneath him. Nature bowed to him. Reality acknowledged him.

Ethan stood tall, already sensing him before sight confirmed it. The mountain trembled, caught between the gravity of two forces meant for higher realms.

The Golden Emissary regarded Ethan with calm eyes, unreadable yet not cold. There was pride in his gaze, maybe curiosity, but also something deeper—something that looked like hope.

"It's been a long time, kid," the Golden Emissary said, his voice shifting—less like a divine decree and more like a fond memory. It was warm, familiar, and unmistakable.

Ethan's eyes widened, stunned by the tone. "Z… Zark?" he whispered. "Is this really you?"

The being's golden flames flickered in amusement. "Surprised?"

"More than," Ethan said, taking a hesitant step forward. "I mean, you're—this form, this power… you're something else now."

Zark chuckled, the sound deep and crackling like the sun breaking dawn. "Well, I'm close to godhood now, so yeah… this is me. Zark, the Golden Emissary."

Ethan's expression shifted—part disbelief, reverence, and emotion long buried. "This is more than surprising," he said softly. "You are… power itself."

"Hold your horses, boy," Zark grinned. "I'm not there yet, at least. But I've come far."

"You feel… different," Ethan murmured, placing a hand over his chest. "Like I've always known you. Like we're—connected. Like blood, but beyond it. We share something ancient… deeper than names, deeper than time."

Zark nodded, his golden eyes solemn now. "It seems you're already sensing it. I underestimated you, once again, kid."

Ethan gave a small, lopsided smile. "I don't mind, hehe."

The wind howled around them, not out of chaos, but as if the mountain itself bore witness to this reunion. Master and student. Guardian and chosen. Father and son, though Ethan didn't know it yet.

Zark stepped closer, and for a brief moment, the golden light dimmed, revealing just a man, tired, proud, and impossibly relieved.

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"How long?" Zark asked, his radiant, divine form beginning to dissolve like golden stardust in the wind.

"Very long," Ethan replied, arms crossed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I was in a coma for two decades. You guys vanished long before that—like a week or so. So yeah… long enough for everything to fall apart."

Zark sighed, running a hand through his glowing mane as the final remnants of his divine form faded. What remained was a tall figure with an almost ethereal beauty—long white hair tied back in a sharp ponytail, golden-white eyes full of quiet power, and a build that spoke of both battle and elegance. But more than that… he looked like them. Like Ethan. Like Trevor.

Too much.

"Wait a second," Ethan muttered, stepping back slightly. "What the hell is this? Why do you… look like me?"

"This," Zark said gently, "is what I meant earlier. Things have shifted. We are no longer Master and Disciple. We're no longer just entities connected by the system."

He paused, letting the truth settle.

"We're family now."

Ethan blinked. "Family? As in..."

"I know you can feel it," Zark continued. "That connection—the pull. The world, reality, even Fate itself has rewritten the threads. And somehow, I ended up here. Like this."

"But… how is that even possible?"

Zark smiled, a mix of affection and resignation in his gaze. "Do I look like I understand it? All I know is this: I'm supposed to be your father now. And I'm going to do my damn best to figure out what that means."

Ethan stared. "So what? I'm supposed to start calling you Dad now?"

Zark raised an eyebrow. "Probably, yes."

Ethan immediately recoiled. "Oh hell no!"

"You don't have a choice, kid."

There was a long pause before Ethan squinted suspiciously. "Wait… does this mean that mom will be—"

"Stop right there!" Zark cut in, a sudden look of panic flashing across his face. "That conversation is way down the line."

Ethan smirked. "Uh-huh. You're already sweating, 'Dad'."

Zark sighed again, muttering, "This is going to be harder than I thought..."

...

Zark let out a laugh—deep, golden, and unapologetically loud. It echoed across the mountaintop like a celebration, like thunder announcing the arrival of something long buried but never forgotten.

Ethan rubbed his temples, groaning half in disbelief, half in reluctant amusement. "This is absolutely insane. I thought I was supposed to be the weird one."

"You still are," Zark grinned. "But now you've got a father who might just out-weird you."

The wind howled around them like it was trying to process the moment too, whipping Ethan's red hair across his face.

"So… you're saying Existence, Fate, and who knows what else came together and just—what?—rewrote the fundamental laws of reality to give me a dad?"

"Seems like it." Zark shrugged, tossing a golden spark into the air. It shimmered and spun, forming a miniature sun before vanishing. "I think they thought you'd need me."

Ethan looked away, arms crossed, as the third eye on his forehead dimmed slightly. "I don't need a damn thing."

"Sure," Zark said gently. "That's what I used to say, too."

For a moment, silence. Not awkward—just heavy, like the calm between two breaths. Ethan finally spoke, his voice quieter, steadier.

"...You're not going to vanish again, are you?"

Zark stepped forward, his golden-white eyes firm. "No. Not unless the cosmos itself rips me apart. And even then, I'll claw my way back."

Ethan scoffed, smirking. "Sounds like something I would say."

Zark gave him a lopsided grin. "That's the blood talking."

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I'm not. I'm just finally catching up."

The air between them buzzed with strange understanding. Neither one fully ready, neither one running away anymore.

...

A soft shimmer flickered in the space between dimensions, and Asteria stepped forward with calm poise. She stopped a few paces away and spoke first, her voice steady but uncertain.

"...Father?"

A pause.

"You've come," he said, his tone unreadable.

"I had to," she replied. "I couldn't delay it anymore. I've always known I would... eventually."

"I wondered when you would. Not many choose to meet what they don't understand."

"I don't understand you," she admitted. "Not yet. But I want to."

Another pause. Then, softly: "You sound like your mother."

"I wouldn't know. I never met her either." There was no bitterness in her voice, just fact.

"I see."

Asteria took a breath. "Why now? Why appear now?"

"Because the time has come. The stars align, and the pieces move. I can no longer remain distant."

"I don't need riddles," she said firmly. "I need clarity. I need to know who I am... and what you are to me."

"You are more than what I gave. You are who you chose to become."

"But I want to know the beginning. My beginning."

"You were born of convergence," he said simply. "Of design, will, and consequence. You were never meant to follow. You were meant to decide."

She looked down, then up again. "Will you stay this time?"

"I cannot promise that," he answered. "But I will walk with you… for as long as I am allowed."

Asteria gave a small nod, her expression unreadable. "...That will do. For now."

And for the first time, there was silence that didn't feel empty.

...

As the winds calmed around the mountaintop and the light of divinity faded into twilight, Ethan and Zark stood face to face—not as master and student, nor as system tenant and wielder, but as something far more profound.

Family.

The revelation struck deep, not just through words but through the undeniable connection pulsing between them. Zark—The Golden Emissary and, above all, a Father—had returned not just with cosmic fire, but with a heart willing to bond. Ethan, ever defiant yet aching with quiet longing, didn't know what it meant to have a father… but in that moment, he chose not to reject it.

Not fully.

Their laughter echoed faintly through the crags, raw and human, breaking through years of war, power, and silence. For all their power, they were still reaching toward something simple—belonging.

Two titanic forces of fate and flame, now tied by blood deeper than time.

The system had returned. The father had arrived. And Ethan… was no longer alone.