Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God

Amari didn't know when she'd made the decision.

One moment, she'd been trying to protect her quiet, structured world—and the next, she was standing in her greenhouse, letting a stranger guide her hands through divine fire.

Nova stood behind her, his palms warm against her forearms as he adjusted the angle of her fingers.

"Don't hold your breath. Let it flow."

He murmured.

Aether, he called it.

The strange energy surged inside her veins, unfamiliar and thrilling, like the hum of a storm just beneath her skin. Amari shivered.

"I can feel it. It's… alive."

She whispered, eyes narrowed in concentration as the bud of the flower in front of her began to glow faintly.

Nova leaned in slightly.

"You're adapting quickly."

His breath grazed her ear.

Amari's heartbeat stuttered.

'Focus.'

She snapped at herself, forcing her attention back to the flower as light began to bloom from within the petals.

Then—softly, slowly—the flower opened.

The delicate glow of power pulsed from its center.

Amari released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I did it…"

"You did well. Your body remembers what your mind has forgotten."

Nova said, voice still low.

She opened her mouth to respond, to maybe ask him what that meant, but—

The shop door slammed open.

"Amari!"

Rin burst in with a bright, bouncing smile.

"I finished early and thought I'd—"

Her voice stopped mid-sentence.

Her eyes landed on them—on Nova still standing behind Amari, close, guiding, their arms nearly touching. A faint red glow still lingered between their fingers. Rin's smile faltered.

For a single second, her eyes darkened.

But then, just as quickly, her expression returned to cheerful neutrality.

"What are you two doing?"

"Blooming flowers."

Nova answered easily, not moving away.

Rin's steps were quick as she crossed the space, her body inserting itself neatly between Nova and Amari with the grace of someone who'd done this a hundred times before.

"I want to try too."

She said, looking up at Nova with wide eyes.

Nova glanced at her.

"You don't have the talent."

Rin blinked.

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"Well, that's rude. You haven't even seen me try."

Rin huffed.

Amari stepped back slightly, needing the space to collect her thoughts. Her arms still tingled from Nova's aether. Her heart was still offbeat.

She hadn't realized just how close they'd been—until Rin's entrance had brought her back to reality.

As she adjusted her coat and moved toward the table, she caught it—a sharp glance from Rin. It wasn't loud, or aggressive, but it was unmistakable.

A side-eye laced with something sour. Possessive.

Amari's brows twitched, but she said nothing.

Rin, on the other hand, turned back to Nova with an expression that had softened into something syrupy.

"Don't you think I deserve a chance? You helped her."

Nova's gaze remained unreadable.

"I helped her because she asked. And because she needed it."

Rin blinked.

"And I don't?"

"No. Your talent lies in other places."

He said simply.

The word hit harder than Amari expected. Even she winced a little.

Rin stepped back, clearly wounded, but tried to cover it up with a tight smile.

"You're mean."

She muttered.

"But fine. I'll watch instead. That's probably more entertaining anyway."

She dropped into a chair nearby and crossed her legs, her expression unreadable now.

Amari exhaled slowly and rubbed her temples. The lesson had been going so well before the chaos walked in.

But she couldn't ignore the shift in atmosphere.

Something had just changed.

And it wasn't just the flowers.

Nova tilted his head toward Rin, eyes steady.

"Did you come for something specific, or just because you said you would?"

Rin blinked, snapping out of whatever daze she'd been in. Her lips parted slightly, then curled into a sheepish grin.

"Right. I nearly forgot."

She turned to Amari.

"The royal family heard about your incredible plant. They've placed an order. They want it delivered to the palace. Tomorrow."

Amari's face went blank.

"…Tomorrow?"

She echoed, voice dry.

Rin nodded like she hadn't just dropped a death sentence.

"So you should get ready. They want it fresh and blooming."

"I don't have another one. That was a wild fluke—an accident. I've never seen that plant bloom like that in my entire life, and I've been working with it for years. You can't just order it like a meal."

Amari said, her voice rising in spite of herself.

Rin shrugged lightly.

"I'm just the messenger."

Amari stared at her, the pressure already tightening around her chest.

Rin's words weren't cruel—but they were uncaring, dismissive, like it didn't matter whether Amari could do it or not. Only that she must.

She turned to Nova, eyes heavy with unspoken frustration.

Nova watched her quietly before nodding once.

"You should start practicing. If you can't deliver… things will get worse."

He said, voice lower.

That, Amari already knew. The priests' veiled threats. The cold smiles. The heavy, silent expectations.

Rin made a small sound of exasperation and stepped away, already losing interest.

"Well, I've got to get back soon. Work doesn't do itself, right?" she said with a sigh, brushing invisible dust from her sleeves.

But then her gaze flicked toward Nova again, softer now.

"Hey, want to come shopping with me? Just for a little while?"

Her tone turned light, almost playful.

"I saw a vendor selling these strange sweets I wanted to try, and I thought maybe you'd like them too. We could walk around while Amari works."

Nova didn't even look at her.

"I'd rather stay. I might need to help Amari if she makes another mistake."

He said.

That landed heavier than anything else he'd said that day.

Rin went quiet for a moment. Her fingers curled slightly at her side. She smiled again, but this time it didn't reach her eyes.

"Of course. You two work well together, don't you?"

She said softly.

She turned to Amari, still smiling.

"Don't mess up, alright?"

Amari didn't respond.

Rin lingered a second longer—then left.

She walked briskly, her breath just a bit uneven as she stepped out into the street.

The afternoon sun was warm, but Rin felt cold beneath her skin. She bit the inside of her cheek, hard, until the copper taste filled her mouth.

What had that been back there?

She didn't understand it. That urge—sharp and primal—that had whispered that if Amari were gone, Nova might finally look at her.

She hated the thought.

She hated that she didn't hate it more.

And so she walked faster, pretending she wasn't running from the sudden darkness curling inside her.

Back inside the shop, Amari stood still, eyes locked on the table of herbs but not really seeing them.

Nova moved to her side again, quieter now.

"You alright?"

"No. But I'll manage."

She said, her voice clipped.

She sat down hard on the stool and pulled over a fresh tray of dried leaves and seed pods. Her fingers were trembling just slightly.

She didn't want to rely on him, not again—not when every time she did, things seemed to spiral even further out of her control.

Nova crouched beside her, his tone softer.

"You're not alone in this, Amari."

She didn't respond right away. Then, with a dry laugh, she said.

"Aren't I? Seems like everyone's decided what I am already. Even the royal family thinks I can make miracles bloom on demand."

"They'll get their miracle. You will bloom the flower again."

Nova said calmly.

She turned to him.

"And what if I can't?"

"Then I'll make sure they think you did. That's the difference between me and them. They want power to control people. I just want it to protect the ones who are stuck inside that control."

He said simply.

Amari looked at him, unsettled again by how easy he made the impossible sound.