There were Eight Generations behind him as he was the Ninth and last one.
Achilles Adrastia Maxwell!
Such a name resounded in his head like ancient bells as he felt something foreign, and yet entirely of him rising up from the depths of his existence.
Yet even amidst all of this, he couldn't help but be dazed as he looked towards his father.
He…was just a simple man. He knew this. Deep in his heart, there was no indication of this. But now…
"You are half human, half Adrastia."
His Father's deep voice came as if he could read his thoughts.
His expression was filled with remembrance as he spoke longingly at this time.
"Your mother gave you your human half as she…was a strong woman. I was going to be very selective of my mate in this Ancient Plane as even complex creatures did not enter my sight for many years, and even after the secret of this Ancient Plane caused me to be further weakened and enter a state of slumber, I woke up weak and feeble as that was when I met her. My love that stretched out across time…I wish I had met her sooner. I wish I was strong enough to save her from the jaws of simple beasts. I wish…for many, many things, my Son."
Pain tinged his deep voice as he closed his eyes, taking a moment to remember before his gaze landed on Achilles again.
"You may be half human, but the Adrastia Lineage is a profound one as I was unsure when it would awaken. But it has. Now that you have truly taken the reigns of the last Adrastia Emperor King, you will feel it even more clearly in your blood. What I could do and what your Forefathers could do…you will be capable of so much more than what even we could imagine as you increase the complexity of your Existence. Whenever you need to know more about yourself and what you can truly do, my Son, just focus on your majesty. Focus on your white flame. Focus on who you are. Focus on this endless sea that represents your royalty and dignity, and you will see the path forward."
The endless stellar white sea.
His father said this as moments later, his body began to pulse and turn transparent.
As if he could no longer stay here.
"No…" Achilles rose up as he looked at his father, his emotions slowly stabilizing as he had to ask!
"Will I see you again? Is this…the last time?"
He never got to say goodbye before.
The ending was so abrupt.
Towards his question, his father actually shrugged his shoulders as if even he didn't know.
"Our Adrastia Lineage is a unique one as when I crossed different Thresholds of Complexity, I was able to converse with some of your Forefathers. You might see me again, or maybe your Grandfather, or your Great Grandfather…whenever you reach grander heights of complexity. And my Son, you have to reach the greatest possible heights of complexity that you can to be ready. Overprepare if you have to. Devour everything if you have to. Do not be like me. Do not become complacent. But most of all…do not let anyone look down upon you. Achilles Adrastia Maxwell…the Ninth Adrastia Emperor King, the Last Adrastia Emperor King!"
With surging waves of brilliance, his father scattered into stellar waves of white light that sank into the white sea!
The Eighth Adrastia Emperor King, his father, was gone.
Achilles stood alone on an endlessly vast sea in a daze as he looked at his hands.
The words of Bixi and the Origin Leucochloridium Worm turned out to be true.
He was a lifeform even more alien than Ancient Ones as he didn't even originate from this Ancient Plane that many knew as Ethemia.
A Plane holding a massive secret that drew even his Father here when his existence was shattered, and he survived an unknown number of years being sealed just like the Ancient Ones before he woke years ago.
He then met his mother, and the rest was history!
No, he was not human.
This was only half of what made him as the other half…was a lineage of Emperor Kings that ruled across time.
It did not at all seem real.
And yet inside of him, as if a bottle had been opened or a key had been turned, he began to feel like his very blood was burning.
On his back, a burning sensation was more apparent as when he looked, he found himself wearing a white robe similar to his father's, but it held nine golden rings.
When he brought this robe down to leave his upper body bare, he saw the tattoos on his back moving- burning with a golden light as they eventually formed the outline and backbone of a crown!
Within this crown, the picture of a spider could be seen alongside a tree, a sun, a moon, and a radiant planet seething with brilliant luster among other assimilations.
They were all contained within this singular crown as at the very center…the tattoo of a flame burned.
Achilles looked at this while his mind continued to churn, thinking back to the words of his father as he slowly became stern.
His father had his existence shattered by unknown enemies.
He, a powerful Emperor King of unknown complexity had such a thing happen to him.
And he told Achilles that there was a possibility of those same enemies sensing him in the future!
His father…asked him to not worry about revenge or anything else. To live free.
"What son could live free while knowing the murderer of his family is out there? Waiting? Lurking?!"
His eyes flashed with a foreign budding sense of regality.
As a burning sensation extended across his blood, his right pupil began to shine gold with incandescent golden flames swirling within it, while his left pupil shone with purple brilliance that made him look utterly ecstatic!