Ascension Gates: Rise of the Beast Monarch-Chapter 10: The Man Who Knew Too Much

The quiet pathway inside the Skygate compound suddenly felt much more serious than it had moments ago. The dim street lamp cast a long shadow behind the tall figure standing ahead, making it difficult to see his face clearly at first.

Aether didn’t move.

The Fire Pup stood beside him, flames flickering slightly as it watched the stranger with alert eyes.

The man stepped forward slowly until the light revealed his appearance.

He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a long dark coat with faint metallic patterns woven into the fabric. His posture was relaxed, but the aura around him suggested that he was far from an ordinary visitor.

Aether studied him calmly.

"You said you knew my parents," he said.

The man nodded once.

"Yes."

Aether’s expression didn’t change much, but inside his mind, several thoughts moved quickly.

He had never met anyone who claimed to know anything about his parents before.

"Interesting," Aether said.

The Fire Pup gave a low growl.

The man glanced at the pup briefly.

"So that’s the beast."

Aether noticed that the man’s gaze lingered on the faint glow of deeper flames around the Fire Pup.

"You’ve been watching," Aether said.

The man smiled slightly.

"Not personally."

Aether crossed his arms.

"That sounds reassuring."

The man chuckled quietly.

"You’re calmer than I expected."

Aether shrugged.

"If you’re telling the truth, then I want to hear what you have to say. If you’re lying... then this conversation won’t last long."

The Fire Pup barked once in agreement.

The man looked amused.

"I like your confidence."

Aether didn’t respond.

Instead, he waited.

After a brief silence, the man spoke again.

"My name is Darius."

Aether didn’t recognize the name.

"Alright," he said. "So, Darius. Why are you here?"

Darius looked up at the night sky for a moment before answering.

"Because your awakening has started something."

Aether narrowed his eyes slightly.

"My awakening?"

Darius looked at him again.

"The red-gold resonance."

Aether’s expression remained calm, but this time the reaction inside his mind was immediate.

The strange power within him stirred again.

The Fire Pup’s flames brightened slightly.

"So you know about that," Aether said.

Darius nodded.

"Yes."

Aether’s tone became a bit more serious.

"Then start explaining."

---

At the same time, not far from the pathway, Liora was walking through another part of the compound after finishing her evening training session.

She had planned to return to the dormitory, but something felt off.

The energy in the air had changed slightly.

She stopped walking and looked toward the direction of the outer pathways.

"Strange," she muttered.

A faint instinct told her that something unusual was happening.

And when her instincts were involved, she usually didn’t ignore them.

---

Back on the pathway, Darius took a step closer, but not close enough to appear threatening.

"You grew up believing you were an orphan," he said.

"That’s correct," Aether replied.

"But that’s not the truth."

Aether had expected that answer.

Still, hearing it directly made the situation feel heavier.

"Go on," Aether said.

Darius observed him carefully, as if measuring how much information he should reveal.

"Your parents were not ordinary tamers," he said. "They were among the strongest in this world."

Aether’s expression remained steady.

"Strong people have children all the time."

Darius shook his head slightly.

"No. Your parents were not just strong. They were... important."

The Fire Pup shifted slightly, sensing the seriousness of the conversation.

Aether spoke again.

"And their names?"

Darius paused for a moment.

Then he said quietly,

"They belonged to the Caelthera Family and the Solmyra Family."

For the first time, Aether’s gaze sharpened.

He had read about those families earlier in the day.

They were two of the three most powerful families in this universe.

"That’s a bold claim," Aether said.

"It’s also the truth," Darius replied.

Aether remained silent for a few seconds.

The red-gold glow inside him pulsed again.

Almost like it was reacting to the names.

Finally, he asked,

"If that’s true... then why was I abandoned?"

Darius shook his head immediately.

"You weren’t abandoned."

Aether’s voice remained calm.

"Then explain why I grew up alone."

Darius looked at him seriously.

"Because your parents were forced to disappear."

The wind moved through the trees around the pathway.

For a moment, everything felt still.

Aether’s mind briefly flashed back to the vision he had seen the night before — the battlefield and the two powerful figures.

"Enemies?" Aether asked.

Darius nodded.

"Yes."

"Who?"

Darius’s expression became slightly colder.

"The Genesis Evolution Authority."

Aether didn’t react outwardly, but inside, something clicked.

The name sounded familiar.

He had seen it mentioned in old records earlier.

A massive organization that existed across multiple worlds.

"So you’re saying," Aether said slowly, "that a multi-world authority hunted my parents."

"Yes."

"And they lost?"

Darius hesitated.

"We don’t know."

That answer was not satisfying.

Aether crossed his arms again.

"You expect me to believe all of this without proof?"

Darius smiled faintly.

"I expected you to ask that."

Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a small metallic device.

He placed it on the ground between them.

A projection appeared.

The image was slightly distorted, but the figures within it were clear enough.

Two powerful tamers stood side by side.

Behind them were beasts unlike anything seen in the first universe.

Cosmic storms raged around them.

And in the center of the image...

Aether saw the same two figures from his vision.

His breath slowed slightly.

"That’s..."

"Yes," Darius said. "Your parents."

The Fire Pup looked at the projection curiously.

Aether watched the image for several seconds without speaking.

Finally, he asked quietly,

"Why show me this now?"

Darius replied,

"Because your power has awakened."

Aether looked at him again.

"And that’s a problem?"

"For a lot of people," Darius said. "Yes."

---

At that moment, Liora arrived at the entrance of the pathway.

She immediately noticed Aether standing with someone she had never seen before.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

And she quietly activated the small communicator on her wrist.

Something told her that this meeting was not ordinary.

Meanwhile, Darius continued speaking.

"Your parents knew that one day you would awaken this ability," he said.

Aether listened carefully.

"That’s why they hid you."

The Fire Pup barked softly.

Aether asked,

"And now?"

Darius’s expression became serious.

"Now that you’ve awakened... they will come looking for you."

Aether looked at him calmly.

"They?"

Darius answered.

"The same people who took your sister."