Streets of Ravetham

The stars felt closer, colder than ever. After centuries of imprisonment at the hands of the Draconians, Delphinus had finally broken free. His prison had been a void of nothingness, each passing moment an eternity, fueled by one gnawing thought: **Kaelen.** The betrayal burned in his chest. His name, once whispered with reverence, was now spoken with venom by his captors, all because of that man. The Draconians believed Delphinus had schemed with Kaelen to outwit them, but in truth, Delphinus hadn’t anticipated the boy to be so devastatingly effective. His pride, shattered. His reputation, reduced to dust.

As Delphinus descended back to Earth, the cosmic winds rippling through his sleek, ethereal body, the memories of Cygnus and Aquila—his so-called companions—festered in his mind. They eloped. Together. Abandoning him. Cygnus had always been his, and Aquila’s betrayal was a deeper wound, but even in his rage, he wasn’t surprised. He had seen it coming. Focus. His mind snapped back to the present. There was a greater prize: Kaelen.

When Delphinus entered Ravetham, it was nothing like he remembered. The neon skyline, the glowing streets, the rush of life—all of it overwhelmed his senses. As he floated above the buzzing city, people began to notice him. A celestial being returned.

Cheers erupted. Phones were held up high, capturing his visage as people screamed his name. Delphinus! They adored him. They always had. A flicker of warmth stirred in his chest, despite everything. The people loved him—and he missed it. The sensation of admiration. He floated lazily above the streets, soaking in the attention. The people were still his, even if the stars had abandoned him.

He hadn’t realized how much he missed this—the adoration, the love. For a fleeting moment, he felt something unfamiliar: nostalgia. His path led him to the place where Kaelen’s aura practically radiated—the End Grind Gym. Delphinus had encountered him here before, and now, he could feel Kaelen’s energy, unmistakable and intoxicating. With a flick of his will, Delphinus teleported inside, materializing before a crowd of dumbstruck gym-goers.

Kaelen wasn’t the first person he saw.

Instead, Delphinus found himself face-to-face with a half-elf girl, her puggy face framed by white hair and red eyes. She stared up at him, wide-eyed, before a sharp gasp broke the silence. Delphinus blinked. Something bit his flipper. He looked down to see a smaller girl, blue eyes, white hair, gnawing at him like he was some sort of toy.

For a moment, Delphinus was too stunned to react. Then, a presence—a force—pulled at his attention, something he hadn’t felt in years. Not since… Zelyndra, the wicked witch of the south. His gaze shifted, locking onto the intense green eyes of another girl watching him curiously. Her aura was dark, powerful, and ancient.

Then... it clicked.

He was their pet.

The realization slammed into him like a cosmic storm. His purpose shifted, his identity fractured. His entire life, his entire being was now devoted to these... angels. These beautiful creatures were his new masters, his purpose, his delight. He wasn’t the god of the stars. He was... their servant. Delphinus knew happiness for the first time in his life. His thoughts muddled in a haze of bliss and servitude. These girls were his new world.

As he felt their tiny hands tugging on his fins, and their innocent laughter filled the air, he realized he had never felt such pure joy in his entire existence. Kaelen? Revenge? What did those things matter when his new purpose was so clear? His masters were these little angels, his best friends.

Kaelen’s voice broke through his daze.

"Delphinus, are you alright? You don’t look well. Is it my kids? Xyra, what did you do to him?"

Kaelen was right in front of him, towering, questioning. But Delphinus’ mind wasn’t on him anymore. His thoughts were on Xyra, the girl with the green eyes—the one who truly mattered. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“I have come to serve you, Master Xyra. I shall eliminate all obstacles in your path… including this Kaelen. It will be my pleasure.”

Xyra, however, pouted in displeasure, crossing her arms. “Bad pink dolphin! Stop threatening my father!”

Delphinus’ mind recoiled, his purpose reeling from the force of her words. Kaelen was her father? The realization made Delphinus’ mind buckle. How could he want to eliminate her father? Was he—was he jealous?

Blushing, the once-mighty space dolphin lowered his head. “Forgive me, Master Xyra. I… I was jealous of your father. I wanted him gone. I won’t fail you again.”

Kaelen ran a hand through his white hair, sweat gleaming on his forehead as he considered the idea of acquiring the End Grind Gym. His kids, especially Adrian and Xyra, were buzzing with excitement. Adrian’s icy-blue eyes practically glowed as he begged his father.

“Please, Dad! Turn this place into something cooler—like an arcade with laser tag! And dance games! And workout games!” Adrian’s voice was frantic, childish but full of ambition.

Xyra, not to be outdone, chimed in with a huff. “Yeah! And a milkshake shop, Dad! And a doctor’s office, right next door. You know, for when people get hurt and stuff.” She was firm, like it was the most practical idea in the world.

Then there was Celesse, eyes wide with innocence as she latched onto Kaelen’s leg, asking for a clothing store that sold workout gear. “Pretty please, Daddy?” she added for effect.

Kaelen couldn’t help but chuckle. He could already picture the upgrades. With Lira and Loren backing the project, it’d be a smashing success. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and shooting off a message to Alyssa about acquiring the gym for a neat $2 million, with $8 million in upgrades. His mind raced, juggling the ideas and financials.

Before he could finish considering the list, Delphinus appeared. He was barely recognizable, reduced to a groveling creature at Xyra’s feet. His girls had tamed him. Kaelen shook his head, watching Delphinus' eyes glaze over as he declared his servitude to Xyra.

“Xyra,” Kaelen called, half-amused, half-exasperated, “what did you do to him?”

Xyra, as innocently as ever, batted her green eyes. “I didn’t do anything! He just... accepted reality.”

Kaelen could only laugh softly, shaking his head. If glamor worked on Delphinus, he felt foolish for not thinking of this sooner. The great cosmic dolphin, tamed by his daughter.

“Well then,” Kaelen said with a smirk, “looks like we’ve got ourselves a pink dolphin bodyguard. Let’s just hope he’s up for laser tag duty.”

Delphinus, once a cosmic force capable of turning the tides of battle, now stood obediently before Xyra, his pink flippers trembling as if he was awaiting his next command. Kaelen crossed his arms, giving a sidelong glance to Loren and Lira, who had been quietly observing this whole exchange with mild amusement.

Loren leaned in closer to Kaelen, whispering, “I think your daughter has some serious powers of persuasion. Takes after you.”

Kaelen chuckled softly but kept his eyes on Delphinus, who was still muttering apologies to Xyra and claiming he had been 'jealous of her father.' Xyra, with her little pout and furrowed brow, looked every bit the disapproving mistress of the situation.

"Delphinus," Xyra finally sighed, patting his snout. "You're forgiven. But no more of this 'eliminating Daddy' stuff, okay? We’re a family."

The way she said "family" sent a shiver down Kaelen's spine. It wasn’t a simple word with her—it carried a certain finality, a power he couldn’t quite place. He watched as Delphinus straightened up, looking almost... proud to be forgiven.

"I will serve you, Master Xyra. No harm will come to your father. I swear it by the stars."

Loren snorted, unable to keep her laughter in any longer. “You’ve got him whipped, Xyra!”

Xyra grinned and clapped her hands together. "Now, let’s go get milkshakes! Come on, Delphy! You too, Daddy!"

Loren placed a hand on Kaelen's shoulder, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Looks like your daughter just saved us a cosmic headache.”

Kaelen stood at the gym entrance, watching his children practically bounce around Delphinus with excitement. The once-mighty space dolphin, now obedient and subdued, floated just above the ground as Xyra tugged at his flipper, leading him toward the street. Adrian was already talking a mile a minute, describing the milkshake flavors he wanted in the new shop. Celesse, still clinging to Kaelen's leg, added her own excited thoughts on what they could sell—workout gear, hats, and even dolphin plushies.

Kaelen's mind drifted for a moment, imagining the business expansion: End Grind Gym turned into a hybrid arcade and milkshake hub, with workout games and all the upgrades his kids suggested. It was a wild idea, but given how smoothly things had gone so far, it didn’t seem out of reach. Loren would back it, and Lira would probably love the chance to market it to the city. Alyssa, once she got the message, would handle the paperwork without a hitch.

He pulled out his phone to finalize the deal, his fingers moving quickly as he shot off another message to Alyssa:

_"Make sure to secure an extra lot for the arcade and laser tag. The kids want the full experience."_

As he sent the message, Loren sidled up next to him, giving him a knowing look. “That dolphin of yours," she teased, "seems to have found his true calling.” She gestured to Delphinus, who was still floating, tail swishing lazily as Xyra rattled off milkshake flavors.

"Yeah, looks like we’ve got ourselves a cosmic babysitter," Kaelen replied, shaking his head. "Didn’t expect that from him."

Loren chuckled softly. "You never know what to expect with your kids. They’ve got powers of persuasion, just like their dad. The charm runs in the family."

Kaelen raised an eyebrow but couldn’t help but smile. He watched Xyra pat Delphinus on the snout like he was some oversized pet, and Delphinus bowed his head in submission, looking more like a doting guardian than a cosmic being of immeasurable power.

"You think Delphinus is really whipped, or is he just playing along?" Kaelen mused, his gaze following the bizarre scene.

Loren leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. "Does it matter? He’s doing what she wants, and he seems to enjoy it. Let him have his peace, Kaelen. He might’ve found something worth more than revenge."

That thought lingered in Kaelen’s mind as he finally turned away, watching the kids march down the street, leading Delphinus like a faithful pet. The stars above seemed distant now, almost irrelevant. What mattered wasn’t the cosmic struggles or ancient grudges—it was this, here, in Ravetham, with his children and the people he cared about.

As they passed the glowing neon lights of the city, Xyra tugged Delphinus along, while Adrian jabbered excitedly about designing the new arcade layout. Celesse, ever the quieter one, hugged Kaelen’s leg as she walked beside him, eyes scanning the storefronts for ideas.

A strange sense of contentment filled Kaelen’s chest. His life had always been a whirlwind of chaos, battles, betrayals, and power plays. Yet, here in this moment—with his kids planning their next big adventure and a cosmic dolphin groveling at their feet—things felt strangely... right. Peaceful, even.

He caught Loren’s eye, her expression soft but full of that familiar mischief. “You really think it’ll last? This... peace?”

Loren smirked, bumping his shoulder playfully. “With you? Probably not. But let’s enjoy it while it’s here.”

Kaelen laughed, feeling lighter than he had in years. "Guess I’ll just have to get used to running a gym, an arcade, and a milkshake shop."

"And laser tag," Loren added with a grin.

“Right, laser tag," Kaelen echoed, shaking his head in amusement. "Never thought that’d be part of my legacy.”