The day started like any other.
Kai Azura sat on the edge of his bed, gazing out the window. The sun was barely visible over the horizon, its warm orange glow creeping through the edges of the drawn blinds. The quiet hum of the city filtered in through the open window, distant voices, car horns, and the occasional bark of a dog. For the most part, everything was the same as it had been for the past eighteen years.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Kai let out a sigh and stood, stretching his arms above his head. His human form, while far weaker than what he used to be, still carried a faint sense of power—just enough to remind him of what he once was, before the decision to reset everything.
Before Earth.
For a long time, Kai had been content with the idea of living as one of them. A human. The simplicity of life here was an escape from the chaos that had followed him across countless realms. He'd sealed his powers away, hidden his true identity. He wasn't a god, an immortal force, or a celestial being anymore. He was just… Kai Azura, the son of Ethan and Lara Azura, and that was enough.
At least, it had been.
His parents. They were good people, simple and kind. It was strange, how much they cared for him, even though he was hardly their real son. He was just a vessel for something far older, far more dangerous. They treated him like their own—sometimes overly protective, but it was… endearing. It was the first time in his life he'd felt something like affection. Even though he didn't need their protection, they would die for him without hesitation.
A knock on the door broke his thoughts.
"Breakfast is ready, honey," came his mother's voice from the other side. Lara Azura. The same warm, comforting tone she always used.
Kai rolled his eyes but smiled, the familiar gesture almost involuntary. It was absurd how much they worried over him. He didn't need food. He didn't need sleep. But he'd learned to enjoy these little moments of normalcy. He'd grown used to the routine. To the point where it almost felt like a drag to disrupt it. But he did, for their sake. After all, what else was there to do when your life had already been lived a thousand times?
"Coming," he called back, throwing on a hoodie that was too big for him. His human body still didn't quite fit the clothes it was given, but it worked.
As he walked downstairs, the smell of eggs and bacon filled the air. His father, Ethan Azura, was already seated at the kitchen table, his broad shoulders hunched over a newspaper, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Morning," Kai mumbled, grabbing a seat next to him. He didn't really care about the news. In fact, he barely cared about anything anymore. But this was part of the routine. His parents expected it, so he played along.
His mother, always busy in the kitchen, shot him a smile as she flipped the bacon. "You're up early today," she said, her voice light.
Kai grunted in response, taking a sip of the coffee she had made him. It was hot, black, and probably tasted awful, but he didn't mind. The bitterness was oddly comforting. It grounded him.
Ethan glanced up, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You hear about the strange storm last night?" he asked, clearly trying to start a conversation.
Kai shook his head, not really interested. "No, I missed it."
Lara's eyes flicked toward the window. "Some weird stuff has been going on lately. It's like the sky's… off." Her tone shifted slightly, a tinge of worry creeping in. "You think everything's okay?"
Kai didn't respond immediately. His eyes narrowed as a strange sensation washed over him—a feeling that something was about to change. Something big.
"Yeah, sure," he said dismissively, standing up. "Everything's fine."
He glanced at the clock. It was getting late, but he wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere. He had a lot of time left in this life. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
Just as he moved to head back upstairs, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift. There was a pressure in the air, a heaviness that he couldn't quite explain. He felt it before the sound reached his ears. The low hum, followed by a deep, resonating crack of thunder. It wasn't the kind of storm that came from Earth's weather patterns. This felt different. Alien.
Before Kai could think more on it, a flash of light erupted outside. It was brighter than anything he had ever seen, a sharp, burning glow that lit up the entire sky. His parents didn't even seem to react to it—probably too accustomed to the normal, mundane world they lived in. But Kai wasn't normal.
And he wasn't blind.
He rushed to the window, his eyes scanning the horizon. In the distance, he saw them. Massive figures, radiant and impossible, descending from the sky like gods.
The Celestials.
For a moment, Kai felt the familiar pulse of energy in the back of his mind, but he fought it down. He couldn't let this affect him. He had buried his true self deep. He didn't want to play their games anymore. He had no intention of fighting, of joining whatever cosmic ritual they were preparing for.
But that was when the voice rang out, echoing across the Earth, over every city, through every country, filling the air with an oppressive certainty.
"The Universal Tournament will begin," it boomed. "And Earth will participate. You will fight, or you will die."
Kai felt a small stir of irritation in his chest. Not again.
The message was clear, the tone cold, commanding, and absolute. His heart skipped a beat. Despite everything, he couldn't help but feel that strange pull, that whisper from his past life. The urge to protect, to compete.
Kai turned away from the window, his face blank, and let out a sigh.
"Looks like I'm going to have to deal with this," he muttered to himself.
Lara and Ethan stared at him, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion.
"What is it, Kai?" His mother asked softly, her voice trembling.
Kai didn't answer. Instead, he shrugged, walking back to the table and sitting down. He grabbed his half-eaten toast and took a bite, completely unfazed.
"Eh, guess it's not my problem," he mumbled through a mouthful. "Let's see what happens."
He leaned back in his chair, chewing slowly, completely uninterested in the storm brewing outside or the impending tournament that would drag Earth into chaos. The universe could do whatever it wanted. As far as Kai was concerned, it was just another hassle he didn't feel like dealing with.
His parents exchanged uneasy looks, but Kai just kept eating.