William shook his head. "Just wait. I get that you’re excited, and these new otters might stand a chance against the Ashborn, but now we have to roll for the Sunshine People—who, by the way, ck a sun. I feel like I should put some effort into deciding what I actually want, yeah?"

  Zephar sighed dramatically, flopping backward in midair as if gravity had given up on him. "Fine, fine, you make a reasonable point. But I do so hate waiting."

  William ignored him and focused. "Alright, what do you know about the Sunshine People?"

  Zephar floated upright again, putting his fingers to his temples and squeezing his eyes shut in mock concentration. "Hmm… I’d say you just created them, so obviously, I don’t know much. But the ck of a sun? That’s going to be a big problem for them." He cracked open one eye. "You should probably focus on that first."

  William frowned. "Lack of a sun. Got it. What else?"

  Zephar lowered his hands, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, maybe try to make them a little less peaceful. Otherwise, they’ll get steamrolled by anything stronger than a particurly aggressive breeze."

  William crossed his arms. "And if I go too far?"

  Zephar grinned wide. "Then we might just get an apocalypse."

  William's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

  Zephar twirled once in the air before settling back down, gesturing grandly. "You ever see The Hunger Games?"

  "I saw the first one."

  "Perfect!" Zephar cpped his hands. "Picture this: You tweak them just a little too much, and boom! Suddenly, they’re a race of ruthless, hyper-competitive conquerors. It would be the greatest gactic game in the history of the universe!" His eyes shone with genuine excitement.

  William pinched the bridge of his nose. "You’re not serious."

  "Oh, I am. Deadly serious. Or maybe not. That could be fun. Who knows? But my point stands—if you’re going to give me the most interesting show possible, you need to loosen up and have some fun with this."

  William exhaled slowly. "I am focused on not being consumed by the space demon hiding inside me, not your amusement."

  Zephar burst into ughter, the sound ringing through the void. "That’s the spirit! Now, roll!"

  William sighed and picked up the Infinity Die. As he turned it over in his palm, he went over the very little information he had about the Sunshine People.

  Out of everything, only their protectiveness seemed to be a reliable trait.

  "I need something that can survive without a sun, something that won’t turn into another robot race. The Otter Mechs already happened. Auracea is going to love that." He rubbed his temple, already picturing the Earth’s spirit’s disappointment. "Robot otters and puddles that never dry? I might actually get punched again."

  With another sigh, he tossed the die across the void.

  "Come on, please be good."

  This time, William watched the die roll instead of closing his eyes. As soon as it left his hand, blue and gold energy sparked off its surface, twisting unnaturally as it tumbled through the air.

  Zephar’s ughter cut off. His mask tilted downward as he stared at the die, a flicker of something unfamiliar crossing his features.

  "You're doing it again."

  William blinked. "Doing what?"

  Zephar didn’t answer. His gaze snapped upward, staring at a seemingly random spot in the cavern’s ceiling. His golden eyes narrowed behind his mask.

  "I know you must think this is all very funny," he growled. "Don’t you?"

  The die began to glow.

  Brighter.

  Brighter.

  Sparks of blue and gold energy erupted from its surface, the afterimages distorting reality with every flicker. The entire void seemed to twist, warping as unseen forces pressed against it.

  Zephar’s hands twitched. He tried to step back—only to realize he couldn’t.

  Something had locked him in pce.

  For the first time in millennia, true panic flickered in the god’s golden eyes.

  William, oblivious, focused entirely on the rolling die. The moment it struck the ground, a violent burst of energy exploded outward—

  And Zephar was gone.

  Blown out of his own universe.

  Somewhere Else…Zephar's golden body was flung down an endless tunnel of shifting rainbow light, tumbling through unknown dimensions.

  He couldn't fight it. Couldn't control it. Couldn't even see where he was going.

  Then—

  With a sudden snap, reality folded.

  Zephar's body smmed into something solid, his head bowing against a smooth, polished surface.

  A table.

  The scent of blooming flowers filled his senses. The hum of an open garden surrounded him. Birds sang. A gentle breeze brushed against his mask.

  "Have you been having fun?"

  Zephar froze.

  Slowly, he lifted his mask just enough to gre across the table.

  A woman sat opposite him, draped in a flowing red dress. Her posture was rexed, yet commanding—one hand resting on her chin, the other tracing zy circles against the table. The dress was cut scandalously low, revealing far more than modesty should allow, though a regal white cape billowed behind her, adding an air of ethereal grace.

  Her most striking feature, however, was the sheer veil that concealed her face entirely.

  Despite it, Zephar knew her gaze was locked onto him.

  "Hello, Exceed," Zephar muttered.

  The woman—Exceed, Ascended Empress of Desire and Pleasure—smiled sweetly.

  "My child," she cooed, voice like velvet. "You've been gone for so long. But it seems you haven't grown much in the st thirteen billion years."

  Zephar scoffed, slouching back in his chair. "I've had a lot on my mind."

  Exceed gave him a pouty look before leaning back herself. The garden shifted in response—pnts growing more lush, the table stretching wider, a massive golden chandelier appearing overhead. Candles flickered to life, casting warm, inviting light over the scene.

  "Is the chaos really that amusing?" she mused.

  Zephar smirked. "The best things happen when the world’s not boring."

  "And your humans?" Exceed’s tone was casual, almost teasing. "How are they?"

  The grin vanished from Zephar’s mask. His lips disappeared entirely, the jester's pyful air vanishing in an instant.

  "You know exactly how they’re doing."

  Exceed’s fingers drummed lightly against the table.

  "Yes," she admitted. "I do."

  Zephar’s fists clenched.

  "And yet," Exceed continued, tilting her head, "you still py your little games."

  Zephar exhaled sharply through his nose. "You have no idea what I’m dealing with right now."

  Exceed chuckled. "Don’t I?"

  Zephar met her gaze through the veil.

  For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

  Then—

  Exceed leaned forward, her behind the veil lips curling into a knowing smile.

  "Tell me, little jester…" she murmured.

  "How long do you think you can keep rolling the dice before they roll you?"