Chapter 9: Life at the New World, Summoning of Mage King August and Union of a Lost Family

Six months had passed since Su Yan brought Zeref and Mavis into his hidden dimension—a realm of balance, beauty, and peace. The air remained pure, laced with spiritual energy, and the land remained unchanged, harmonious, and eternal. Each region radiated its own natural essence: seas calm and endless, forests serene and awake, skies ever-shifting but never stormy.

The days were calm, yet never idle.

Zeref sat quietly at the edge of the Western Ocean, where the waves rolled in soft rhythm. His black robes stirred in the gentle breeze. He looked out across the endless horizon, his expression no longer shadowed by torment, but softened by a stillness he had never known in life. No war. No curse. No judgment. Just the sea, and himself.

Behind him, Mavis approached. Her steps were light, almost weightless on the grass.

"You've been here all morning," she said softly, crouching beside him.

"I know," Zeref replied with a faint smile. "Still getting used to the silence."

Mavis tilted her head slightly. "Is that a good thing?"

He nodded. "Very."

Not far away, Su Yan strolled through the central garden, a basket of fresh fruit resting against his side. His silvery-white hair glowed under the twin skies of his dimension, and his sapphire eyes shone with quiet focus. Though his body remained that of a ten-year-old, he moved with effortless composure. Graceful. Calm. Ageless in spirit.

"Zeref! Mavis!" Su Yan called, his voice light. "I picked peaches. Fresh from the blossom grove."

Mavis stood and smiled. "Peaches again? You really like them, don't you?"

"I made this world," Su Yan replied. "The least I deserve is my favorite fruit."

Zeref rose from the cliffside, brushing off his robe. "We're coming."

The three gathered beneath the wide branches of a towering sakura tree. Petals drifted gently through the air, catching the light. Around them, divine creatures watched from a respectful distance—phoenixes in the sky, dragons in the clouds, lions hidden in the forest, and leviathans deep beneath the sea.

Su Yan bit into a peach and sighed in quiet contentment. "Six months," he said. "It passes quickly when there's peace."

Mavis twirled a petal between her fingers. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real. No fear. No battles. No guilt."

Zeref gave a quiet chuckle. "And no guild paperwork either."

Su Yan leaned back, hands behind his head. "Let me ask you something. If there were no limits—no rules, no consequences—what would you do here?"

Mavis blinked. "I'd teach. History, magic, emotion, life. Not just knowledge, but how to feel it all. I'd open a school."

Zeref looked thoughtful. "I think… I'd write. Not spells or research. Just… stories. Ones I never told."

Su Yan nodded, satisfied. "Then we'll build both—a school and a library."

Mavis laughed lightly. "You're serious?"

"Completely."

The wind whispered through the trees, and golden light spilled over the garden. In that moment, the three of them—once alone, once lost—sat not as warriors, but simply as people. Friends, bound by shared peace.

As the light shifted through the sakura branches, Su Yan sat cross-legged, gazing quietly at the horizon. Zeref and Mavis lay nearby on the soft grass, watching the sky drift above them.

Then Su Yan spoke—calmly, but with something new in his voice.

"I will bring others."

Zeref turned his head. "Others?"

Mavis sat up slowly. "You mean… people? From outside this realm?"

Su Yan nodded. "Yes. Right now, this world holds only the three of us. I created it to be full of life, not just nature. The stillness is gentle… but too much of it becomes weight."

Zeref studied him. "You're not afraid of being alone?"

Su Yan shook his head. "Not for myself. But a paradise without stories, without people, becomes hollow. Peace without voices becomes silence."

Mavis smiled faintly. "Like a book without ink."

"Exactly," Su Yan replied. "I don't want perfection. I want something that breathes. Villages. Laughter. Questions. Struggles. Not chaos—but real life."

Zeref leaned back, arms resting behind his head. "Strange. I never thought I'd want to be part of a crowd again. But now… the quiet does feel too still."

Su Yan looked down at his small hand, fingers curled lightly. "I made this place to be alive. And true life means connection. That means people. Real ones, not simulations."

Mavis nodded. "And we'll help. If others come here… they'll need guidance. Comfort."

Su Yan met her gaze. "That's why I chose you both. Not just for your power or pain—but because you understand what it means to live fully. Even after losing everything."

Zeref gave a rare smile. "So we become teachers after all."

"No," Su Yan said. "You've always been more. It was the world that failed to see it."

The breeze stirred—subtle, but different. Like something awakening. The dragons shifted above. The phoenixes cried softly in response. Even the grass below shimmered faintly with rising spirit.

Su Yan stood, brushing his robe. "I don't know who I'll summon next. But they'll carry memories. Scars. Dreams. Like we did."

Zeref stood beside him. "Then let them come."

Mavis joined them, hands clasped at her chest. "A home… a real one."

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting the land in amber warmth, the three stood together—not rulers, not immortals, but souls preparing to open their world.

The silence no longer ruled.

It was time for voices. 

A breeze swept softly across the open field, rustling the high grass as Su Yan stood alone beneath the twin suns. His silvery-white hair fluttered gently, and his calm blue eyes were fixed on the sky. The dimension was quiet—alive, but still.

He took a breath.

"System, summon August after his death, with full power, but in his six-year-old body."

A soft pulse echoed through the earth.

"Acknowledged," the system replied."Stabilizing soul: August Dragneel. Restoring full magical capacity. Age parameter: six years. Manifesting..."

The air before Su Yan shimmered, folding like water touched by light. A figure slowly emerged—small, boyish, and still.

He had short blond hair, tired yet steady eyes, and robes that glowed faintly with power. Though his body was that of a child, the presence around him was unmistakable—dense, ancient, formidable.

It was August.

His eyes adjusted quickly, glancing around at the unfamiliar yet peaceful realm. His voice, soft but composed, spoke with quiet restraint.

"…I'm alive?"

Su Yan stepped forward, calm and welcoming. "You've been given a second chance, August. This world is beyond the one you knew. I brought you here… to offer you peace. A place to live."

August stared at him, blinking once. "Why?"

"Because I believe your story shouldn't have ended in silence," Su Yan answered gently. "You deserved more. You still do."

For a brief moment, August looked uncertain—but then, a familiar voice spoke from behind.

"…August?"

The boy turned sharply.

Zeref stood a short distance away, his black robes shifting in the breeze. His eyes—sharp and piercing—were filled with something unspoken. He took a step forward, slow and cautious.

"You're really here…"

August's gaze held steady. "Your Majesty…"

Mavis walked beside Zeref, curiosity flickering in her emerald eyes. She looked at August and smiled softly, though confusion stirred faintly in her heart.

"You know him?" she asked Zeref quietly.

Zeref nodded. "He was my most trusted mage. The strongest of the Spriggan 12. I raised him, taught him... He followed me longer than anyone else ever did."

Mavis glanced at August again—something about the boy tugged at her chest, but she couldn't name it.

August gave a small bow of respect. "I never thought I'd see you again… not like this."

Zeref approached slowly, then crouched to August's level. "How do you feel?"

"Strange," August admitted. "Everything's calm. There's no war, no noise in my head. It's quiet… but not empty."

Zeref nodded. "You're not dreaming. Su Yan created this place. It's real."

Su Yan stepped closer and sat on a large, flat stone beneath a tree, motioning for the others to do the same. "Come. Sit. There's no rush here."

They all gathered beneath the tree. August hesitated for only a moment before lowering himself to the grass beside Su Yan, across from Zeref and Mavis.

The boy looked down at his hands. "My magic… it's still here."

Su Yan nodded. "Unsealed. Untouched. But this time, you don't have to carry it alone."

August was silent, taking in the moment. For the first time since he could remember, no one demanded anything from him. There were no orders, no expectations—only presence.

"You are free," Su Yan said softly. "No longer a soldier. No longer a weapon. Just… August."

Zeref watched the boy quietly. "This place really changes things."

Su Yan looked at him. "You gave him his name. It's only right that he gets to live it properly now."

Mavis tilted her head, smiling faintly. "He has kind eyes. I can see that, even now."

August glanced up at her and held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary.

But the moment passed without question.

A gentle breeze carried pink petals through the air, drifting like lazy snow. The silence between them was comforting, like the space after a deep breath.

August looked up at Su Yan. "What do I do now?"

"Whatever you like," Su Yan said. "There are gardens to walk. Books to read. Magic to study. Or you can just rest for a while. You don't have to decide today."

August hesitated… then nodded.

Zeref placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We're glad you're here."

And for the first time, August gave a small, true smile.

"…So am I."

Above them, the skies shifted—peaceful and vast. In this world between worlds, another soul had found his place. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long golden rays through the sakura blossoms. Su Yan, Zeref, Mavis, and August sat in quiet company beneath the great tree. The air was still, but the silence held something deeper now—an anticipation that clung gently to the moment.

Su Yan set his empty teacup aside and looked toward Zeref and Mavis. His eyes, calm and thoughtful, seemed to study them not as figures of legend, but simply as people—flawed, human, and quietly healing.

He spoke gently, clearly, but without hesitation.

"Actually, August is your son. Zeref and Mavis."

Both Zeref and Mavis froze. Their eyes widened, caught off guard—not by fear, but by something deeper. Su Yan continued.

"When you two kissed, and Mavis died… something else happened. Out of pure, unconscious motherly instinct, Mavis took the attack of the curse. She shielded August."

Mavis's lips parted slightly. "What…?"

Su Yan nodded. "She should have died with you, Zeref. The curse should've taken both of you. But only Mavis died. You didn't realize it then… and neither did she. But she was pregnant."

Zeref stood motionless, silent.

Su Yan's voice remained soft. "After you left Mavis's body at the entrance of the Fairy Tail Guild… Precht Gebold found her. He delivered the baby."

Mavis raised a hand to her lips in disbelief, tears beginning to gather.

"But Precht didn't keep him," Su Yan continued. "He left the baby in a crib by the roadside. Alone."

He looked at Zeref, whose hands had slowly clenched.

"Six years later, you met a boy. A child alone, powerful in magic. You didn't know who he was, but you named him August, because that was the month you met Mavis for the first time, and you saw he resembled Mavis. That was your son."

Zeref's breath caught.

"You know what happened after that," Su Yan said. "He never told you the truth. Not because he didn't want to… but because he didn't want you to carry the guilt. Guilt that your love… your curse… might kill him."

August stood quietly nearby, listening. He didn't deny anything.

"Zeref," Su Yan added gently, "he didn't want you to feel the pain of believing you had killed your own child… just by loving him. And he wasn't sure if you'd even accept him as your son."

Su Yan turned toward August with a calm, warm expression. "August made that decision… the moment he met you."

The silence lingered, deep and fragile.

Zeref took a slow step forward. His voice was barely above a whisper. "August… is this true?"

August nodded, his small voice soft. "Yes. All of it."

Zeref's eyes trembled. He knelt down slowly before the boy who had once followed him in silence, without complaint.

"I should have seen it," Zeref said. "Your eyes… your presence… and yet…"

"I didn't want you to suffer," August said simply. "I just wanted to be near you, even if only as a student. That was enough."

Mavis stepped forward, her hand covering her mouth as tears fell freely. She knelt beside August, pulling him into a tight embrace. "My child… I had no idea… but somehow… I'm glad you lived."

Zeref gently placed a hand on August's shoulder, his voice steadier now. "You're not alone anymore. We know now. And we'll never leave you again."

August didn't cry—but he leaned into them, silent, and finally… at peace.

Su Yan stood a short distance away, watching with a faint, content smile.

"Welcome home," he said softly.