"D-dad…?"
Kuzon was beyond stupefied to see his father standing right in front of him.
"M-mom…?"
His mother too. Both his parents stood beside each other, smiling so warmly at him.
"Fabian… Alura… Gus…"
His three friends, who had been more like the siblings he'd never had. Though, Kuzon remembered that he had often viewed Alura as a little more than a sister.
To think they were all here. If this had been all, Kuzon knew for a fact that he would have been satisfied. Yet, this was only a fraction of the whole.
"... E-everyone?!"
The entire population of the Midas Empire—save for two—stood before him.
They all bestowed warm smiles upon him. Even grumpy old Dez was smiling. It was a magical, unexplainable sight that he could not explain.
"Y-you're here… wi-with me… I…" Kuzon already felt tears forming in his eyes, and his body instinctively moved to rush towards all of them—his parents first.
He could not quantify how much he had missed them, and how happy he was to see the thousands of people, that belonged to their glorious Empire, right in front of him. The only two missing from the picture were him and Kido.
But, as he made to jump at them, he knew the picture would be complete very soon.
HOWEVER…!
"W-what…?" Kuzon encountered a bit of a problem.
He couldn't rise from his throne.
'I… what is the meaning of this? My parents! My friends! My people!' Kuzon desperately looked at all of them, desiring above all else to hold them in his arms.
It wasn't fair that they were right in front of him, yet he couldn't do anything.
"Kuzon, relax. It's fine." His father's voice echoed through the air, causing him to finally cease his fruitless struggle.
"If you stand up from the throne, you won't be able to get this message, which is why you'll have to wait it out. Sorry, son." His mother smiled warmly.
Tears were already dropping from his eyes at this point. This was because he realized something very crucial—something he had discovered as a result of their words.
'T-they're not real!'
His parents, his friends, and his people… they weren't really themselves! This was a mere projection.
"Kuzon, listen to me." His father's voice brought him back from the distraught state he was sinking into.
Just when he'd thought he was reunited with all of his people, he now realized that this was simply a message recording left for him after so long.
"It's alright to cry, Kuzon. We understand it must be hurtful for you. However, there isn't much time. We need you to listen."
It seemed there was an important message they desired to pass across to him. Even though Kuzon was curious about what it was, he wondered what good any urgent message would do.
"I'm already dead. What else is important?"
"But you're not dead, Kuzon. Not completely, anyway." His mother gave him a knowing smile and nodded slightly.
'What? You don't mean that—"
"Indeed. The resonance of the two Arcanas, the three Royal treasures, and your Soul, transported you to this realm that was built since the time of the ancient Midas Emperor."
Kuzon could not believe his ears.
'My soul got transported here, instead of the afterlife? And it was designed specifically for me to return this way? But why?'
"This is the Realm Of The Emperor, and it is now a part of you… no, it is one with you. As you are the last Midas, this is now yours—all of it."
Kuzon was still trying to wrap his head around everything when yet another bombshell landed.
"A portion of the souls of every single Midas, since the dawn of the Empire, resides in this realm. Only we appear to you because of your direct link to us." His father whispered, and the people behind his parents nodded.
They all had distinct smiles and expressions, almost making them appear alive.
"As a result, you not only sit before the people you knew but also those of ages past—those who came before any of us. This is the final treasure of the Midas Empire. It is your inheritance."
Kuzon felt that everything was so abrupt, yet he did not want to interrupt the dead—not while they were still speaking.
"All of this is yours. The Realm, the People, and that Golden Throne you are currently seated on. The power of the three treasures, and the two Arcanas, are already yours as well."
They were promising him so much power, but Kuzon could no longer feel any excitement about it.
Why should he?
"It doesn't matter, anyway. I already destroyed my body, and my soul isn't even in the living plane. Besides, all of this power is meaningless if this is the cost. All of you… all of you make up this power, yet you're all gone."
Despondency began to spread all over Kuzon's soul, and he felt hopeless.
The throne held on to him tight, and he felt so stuck in this new role that was thrust upon him.
"I thought… I thought I'd finally reunite with you and rest. I thought I would finally be happy…" He couldn't hold back his sobs.
He was forced to sit before all of his people, yet he could not stop crying.
"Kuzon…" Suddenly, he felt the warmth of two people resting on him.
Opening his eyes, Kuzon saw his mother and father holding him in their arms. They… they were real?!
"Only a fragment of our souls are left here, so this is the most we can offer you." His mother whispered lovingly.
"You'll just have to wait until you join us after living your life to the fullest. Not now, but eventually… we will meet." His father added.
Having both his parents hug him, and speak loving words to him—words he hadn't heard in years—Kuzon finally broke down and immersed himself in their embrace.
Crying and laughing at the same time, he responded to their words.
"I understand…. I understand."
