Chapter 408: _Trust Them With Your Son

Hale-Ferguson Residence

Later that evening, Ambrose had just finished putting Orion to bed. The boy insisted on a bedtime story and only closed his eyes after his father joined him in bed.

But Ambrose couldn’t catch even a wink of sleep.

His mind kept replaying what Gabriel told him earlier.

Telling the Pantheon the truth.

The whole truth.

That the six-year-old boy who popped up in his life one day was actually his biological son from an alternate timeline. And that his imagination can shape reality.

Oh, and that he was the one behind the zombie apocalypse that nearly wiped out civilization one random Tuesday.

And of course, the Archons wanted him as a vessel.

"Jesus." He rubbed his forehead, keeping his voice quiet. His other hand stayed on Orion’s hair, brushing gently. "I just... can’t. The moment I tell them that everything changes."

Allies or not, the Pantheon were pragmatic.

When they were still trying to figure him out, they literally kidnapped him. They debated getting rid of him entirely if that would stop the Void Entity’s rampage.

Who’s to say they won’t try containing Orion ’for his own good’? Or report this to the IHC?

Or worse?

’Tch. I bet Josiah would be at the forefront of trying to control him.’ He clicked his tongue. ’God, I hate this. But he makes a valid point. If the Pantheon are in the loop, they’ll finally understand why the Archons are so interested in Earth.’

He was almost tempted to enter the Black Mask’s dimension and seek his older self’s advice—

—Until he remembered how traumatised he was the last time he went there to ’ask questions’.

’Aura, help me out here...’

[... Hm?]

’You’ve been silent all evening. Aren’t you going to help me figure this out?’

[You mean point you toward what to do?]

’Right. I forgot that’s not your thing.’

[No, no... wait. It’s not that. I mean, this isn’t a mission. It’s a very serious decision that could completely change the course of everything we’ve been working toward for months.]

Aura remained quiet for several moments.

When she finally spoke again, her usually composed voice carried an unusual hesitation.

[I’ve run the possibilities.]

Ambrose blinked. ’You... have?’

[Thousands of them.]

A faint blue interface flickered across his vision before disappearing just as quickly.

[If you tell the Pantheon everything, the probability of Orion remaining hidden decreases dramatically.]

[If you tell them nothing, the probability of them deciding without the information they need increases instead.]

She paused.

[Neither path produces an outcome I can confidently call... correct.]

Ambrose released a tired laugh. "So basically I’m screwed."

[That would be an inelegant summary.]

"It’d also be an accurate one."

[Sweetheart...]

There was a glitch in her voice.

The very next second, a small burst of silver light appeared before Ambrose. Aura’s human form walked out of it—this time dressed in a simple sleeveless silver dress.

A soft smile touched her lips.

Without warning, she reached forward and grabbed Ambrose’s wrist, helping him out of the bed without waking Orion. Once she had his attention, she went on.

"May I offer an opinion?"

Ambrose, still totally confused about what was happening, frowned.

"Since when do you ask before giving an opinion?"

Her fingers tightened on his wrist enough to make him squirm.

Well, damn.

Of course the cosmic AI had super strength.

"Since I started observing humans, dummy." Her voice softened. "As limited as my knowledge is of the future Ambrose Hale... he trusted the people around you currently with his life. He fought alongside the Pantheon. They probably saw him as a leader. Someone to look up to."

The words settled between them for a breath.

It was almost unfathomable to think that somewhere in an alternate future there was an Ambrose Hale who even Earth’s mightiest looked up to.

"But you, Rose," Aura poked his nose teasingly. "You must decide if you can trust them with the one life you’ve been tasked to protect since transmigration."

They simultaneously flung their heads to Orion.

The boy had grabbed a pillow as soon as his subconscious noticed Ambrose’s absence, hugging it tight like it was supposed to be the perfect substitute.

Rose was almost tempted to cradle him again.

"How, though?" He turned back to her, hesitation cracking through each syllable. "How do I decide that? You saw what... what happened with Josiah. Then the Pantheon themselves. For anomalies like us, there’s always the risk of them wanting to control or subdue what they can’t understand."

"And there’s also the possibility of simply embracing it," Aura shrugged. "Just like they did with you. Yes, it took time. But that was when they had more questions than answers. Once they started piecing together those answers..."

She didn’t need to finish that.

A long, exhausted exhale escaped his mouth. He lowered his head, not even fighting it when Aura patted his head like he was an overstimulated puppy.

At this point, that would be the most accurate description.

"There, there..." She cooed, rubbing his back with her other hand. "You’ll figure something out eventually. You always do."

"This therapist persona you’ve taken on is both wholesome and terrifying."

"Yeah, don’t get used to it."

Before either of them could move away, a small knock pierced through the moment.

The door opened with the quietest creak, Devon peeking his head in. Those golden orbs travelled from the boy sleeping on the bed to the two of them standing there awkwardly.

"Oh." The S-Rank blinked. "Everything okay here?"

Aura was the first to straighten. "Just your boyfriend sulking over decision-making."

Ambrose shoved her face despite her giggling, spinning to face Devon. "I’ll be fine. Do you need help with dinner?"

Devon shook his head. "That’s not happening anytime soon... but thanks." He folded his arms. "No, I’m actually here to alert you. Gabriel said Loki called him. The Pantheon are on their way here. Every single one of them."

The SS-Rank’s heart skipped a beat.

"All of them?"

"Yes." Devon’s huffed.

Ambrose’s spatial awareness expanded on instinct.

The invisible pulse washed over the Hale-Ferguson residence, slipping beyond the walls, the front gate and the quiet street outside.

Six distinct presences entered its range.

His brows immediately furrowed.

Devon noticed the shift in his expression. "What is it?"

"There are six of them." Ambrose turned toward the window overlooking the compound. "The Pantheon usually travels as five whenever they visit."

Aura tilted her head.

"Wait..."

A pair of headlights swept across the front courtyard before disappearing. Car doors opened one after another, followed by the familiar signatures Ambrose had grown accustomed to over the past few months.

Then... Another.

It was unlike anything he’d sensed before.

No oppressive pressure behind it. No overwhelming burst of power demanding acknowledgement.

Instead, it felt... quiet.

Like a perfectly still library that had somehow been given life.

Ambrose slowly exhaled. "So that’s him..."

Without another word, the three of them quietly left Orion asleep upstairs before making their way down to the living room.

By the time they reached the ground floor, Viktor, Valentine and Gabriel were already waiting near the entrance, all three having evidently sensed the visitors arriving as well.

A firm knock echoed through the house.

Devon stepped forward and pulled the front door open.

Loki wandered in first with both hands tucked into their pockets, flashing everyone a casual grin that did little to disguise the tension lingering beneath it.

Apollo followed close behind, Yemoja and Wukong entering together while Kali quietly crossed the threshold without saying a word, her violet eyes immediately settling on Ambrose.

Then another figure stepped through the doorway.

He was a dark-skinned man with a clean-shaven head, dressed in simple black robes that carried no insignia.

His features were calm, almost scholarly, and his sharp eyes swept across the room with quiet intelligence rather than suspicion.

Ambrose already knew exactly who he was.

Thoth.

Humanity’s first and only SSS-Rank Guide was in his damn house.