The Golden Dragon Kingdom didn't hold ceremonies like the one in the Green Dragon Kingdom.
The kind that shook mountains and made even the stars pause to listen.
Word spread faster than wildfire: The Golden Queen has returned. Basukhi lives. The Savior, Taufik has come back.
The entire kingdom shimmered with light.
Lanterns, both paper and flame, rose into the sky, casting amber constellations above the real ones.
The streets transformed into flowing rivers of gold and crimson.
Music rang from every courtyard: deep drums, soaring flutes, strings tuned to old dragon songs no human could write but every heart somehow knew.
Taufik found himself seated at a long open-air table draped in silks, surrounded by familiar faces.
Aksara sat beside him, chewing through spicy grilled meat on a skewer with the intensity of a warrior who'd survived too much in one lifetime.
"You sure this isn't some shared dream, Father?"
Aksara asked between bites.
"If it is, don't wake me, son"
Basukhi, still adjusting to his smaller, more grounded form, sat cross-legged near the edge of the great firepit. Children clambered around him without fear, offering him sweets, roasted nuts, and questions about stars.
He answered with patience and occasional riddles that made their parents groan in confusion.
Lembuswana stood just beyond the festivities, watching in silence. But every time someone came to speak with him, an elder, even a child... He smiled.
Rani, regal even among laughter, stood at the center of it all. Not as Queen, but as a bridge between what once was and what could be.
She danced once, just once, when the old court melody played. Her feet struck the rhythm of a thousand-year memory, and the entire city fell into silence to watch.
When it ended, applause didn't explode.
It rippled. Like thunder shyly echoing in the hills.
Later, under the canopy of stars, Taufik slipped away from the firelight, standing alone on a balcony that overlooked the city.
Rani joined him, two goblets in hand one for him, one for her.
"Where are the others?"
Rani smiled softly, her eyes scanning the cityscape, so familiar, yet changed.
"...They're tired. The kids already went to bed, and Jenn and the others stayed with them. Mom, Dad, and Grandma are still chatting with the elders, you know how the Olds love their stories, Amandha is also there with them"
She paused, resting her head gently on Taufik's shoulder before continuing.
"... I saw Aksa and Erelythe leave together. Just the two of them. You think something's going on between them?"
Taufik didn't answer immediately; he just gave a small shake of his head. He honestly didn't know how to respond to his son's taste in women.
Then again, he didn't really have the right to judge. Back when he started dating Jenn... Well, not just Jenn, but all his wives, if you looked at their actual ages, every one of them was much older than him. Gaia especially.
Maybe Aksara inherited more than just his power.
"I see..." Taufik finally said. "Well, as long as he's happy, I don't care who he ends up with... Even if it's with some Titanidas"
"You forgot to add 'of Death' at the end, Husband"
Rani teased, a smirk playing on her lips.
Taufik chuckled softly.
"Right... Titanidas of Death. Makes it sound even more terrifying"
"Well, she is," Rani replied, still leaning on him. "But I think she's softened a little... Around him, at least"
"That kid, Aksa..." Taufik exhaled slowly. "He's growing up without me by his side. And even if it's just a little, I can still feel the distance between us..."
He paused, watching the city lights shimmer below them.
"I just hope the same thing doesn't happen with his younger siblings. I want to be there for them... Watching them grow, day by day, year by year... I'll be there. Beside them"
Rani said nothing at first, just tightened her grip on his hand, letting the silence speak for her.
"...You talk like that won't happen," She finally murmured.
Taufik didn't respond. He wanted to believe it with all his heart; he wanted that future.
But somewhere deep inside, a whisper lingered...
That everything he hoped for might never come to pass.
"...I don't know," Taufik said quietly. "I just wish time could stop, right here, right now. Let me enjoy this peace a little longer before we go back to Earth... Before reality sets in again"
He let out a slow breath, the weight in his chest pressing deeper.
"But I know... It's just a dream. Too good to last. In the end, there's a responsibility I have to carry... One I can't run from"
Rani rested her head against his shoulder again, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Then let's hold on to this moment... Just a little longer"
The night ended with Taufik and Rani simply sharing warmth in each other's presence.
No stories of the past.
No talk of the future.
Just two souls wrapped in the quiet comfort of now... Choosing, if only for a moment, to live fully in the present.
The next day, Taufik opened his eyes to the sound of his children's laughter, echoing through the house like a beautiful melody.
It was the kind of sound that wrapped around the heart, soft, genuine, full of life.
A reminder of what mattered most.
Taufik glanced to his right, then to his left...
All six of his wives were still fast asleep, each one clinging to him in their own way, using whatever part of his body they could find as a pillow.
An arm, a shoulder, his chest, even one leg was trapped beneath Gaia, who, despite her divine grace, slept like a boulder.
He couldn't move an inch, but strangely… He didn't mind.
But suddenly, the door to the room swung open wide.
And along with the burst of light came the sound of laughter.
Alice was in front, her face lit up with excitement, followed by Askara, Litani, and Kiara. Then came Anggana and Anindha, hand in hand, their steps light and playful.
Behind them, Shasha appeared, gently cradling little Lavanya in her arms, her smile soft and glowing in the morning light.
The room, once quiet and still, was now filled with life.
Taufik started, wanting to greet his children.
He felt movement all around him, subtle but sudden.
When he looked down, the weight on his limbs was gone.
His six wives, who had been sound asleep just moments ago were already sitting up, fully awake, their expressions composed and graceful, as if they'd been awake for hours.
For a second, he blinked, wondering if the cozy, tangled mess from earlier had just been a dream.
Taufik blinked again.
All six of his wives, a Primordial Goddess, Queens, Princess, and legends in their own right, were now poised like they hadn't just been using him as a living mattress. Robes straightened, hair mysteriously perfect, smiles politely.
He opened his mouth, but Jenn cut in first.
"You were about to say something, dear?"
There was a dangerous sparkle in her eyes.
Gaia crossed her arms, tilting her head.
"Hmm? Something about... 'The hell'?"
"It sounded like a complaint," added Tina sweetly.
Rani raised a brow, expression perfectly composed.
"We were just resting after a long festival, husband"
Anugerah sat at the edge of the bed, already brushing Kiara's hair with an ease that spoke of a thousand mornings .
"Honestly, I thought you'd enjoy being the family pillow"
"I did!" Taufik raised both hands in surrender. "It's just... How did you all...?"
He glanced toward the still-open door.
The kids had now fully invaded the room. Askara was climbing the bedframe like it was a mountain peak. Alice had brought breakfast, a plate piled so high with toast, fruit, and sweet rice cakes it defied physics. Litani was whispering to Kaela about a dream involving Shadow dragons and noodle swords.
Anggana and Anindha had started arguing over who got to sit closest to Dad first.
Through it all, the women of the house moved like orchestrated harmony, weaving through the chaos, gathering children, passing food, and casting minor magic to wipe sticky fingers.
Taufik just… Sat there.
Somewhere deep in his chest, that tight knot of worry, the one about being distant, about not being there for their growth, began to loosen.
Not because the world was safe.
But because, even just for now, this moment was real.
"I should make tea," He mumbled, suddenly trying to slide out of bed.
"Nope," Shasha said, stepping forward and gently handing over little Lavanya, who was already stretching out her tiny arms toward Taufik.
"That's my job, Master," She added, her voice laced with warmth, and just a hint of playful pride.
"You," Tina said, sitting beside him and placing a goblet in his hand, "are off-duty. For now"
Taufik chuckled, shaking his head.
He looked at the mess... His family, and let the noise, the light, the life wash over him.
Maybe he didn't get to watch Aksara grow up day by day.
And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.