Tragic Martial Arts

Astraeus, the Divine Lion, soared through the skies, its colossal form gliding through the air with the grace of a celestial being. Beneath them, the vast landscape of countless realms stretched out, mountain ranges shimmering with divine energy, rivers flowing with liquid stardust, and even entire floating islands lazily drifting in the sky.

Kael gripped Astraeus' golden mane tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I know we've seen some crazy stuff, but we're literally flying on a lion right now. A lion that can create black holes and control time. Just... what is life anymore?"

Ren, on the other hand, had both arms wrapped around Astraeus' neck like a child clinging to his mother. "I don't care how divine he is! We're so high up! What if I fall?! What if a black hole just randomly appears? What if—"

The true master, who sat at the front of Astraeus like it was just another regular ride, chuckled. "Relax, Ren. Astraeus would never let you fall. Unless... well, unless you annoy him."

Ren's grip tightened. "How do I make sure I don't do that?!"

Astraeus rumbled, something between a chuckle and a growl. Kael swore the massive lion was enjoying this way too much.

As they continued flying through the sky, their master, the one who had just ascended to unfathomable power, sat cross-legged, looking surprisingly thoughtful.

"There's something you boys should know," the true master finally said, his voice calm but carrying an unusual weight.

Kael and Ren exchanged a glance. Usually, when their master that tone, it meant some world-shattering revelation was about to be dropped on them.

The master took a deep breath and said, "I'm only 45 years old."

Silence.

Kael blinked. Ren stopped shaking. Even Astraeus turned his head slightly, as if he had misheard something.

"...What?" Kael finally managed to say.

"I'm 45 years old."

Kael and Ren's jaws dropped so hard they might have fallen off Astraeus if they weren't gripping so tightly.

"You—you can't be serious!" Ren stuttered. "How are you 45?! You carry yourself like an ancient being! You just shook a hundred thousand universes by existing! I thought you were at least ten million years old!"

Kael nodded aggressively. "Yeah! You give those 'wise, all-knowing, ancient entity' vibes. You should be at least a cosmic fossil by now!"

The true master sighed. "I get that a lot. But yeah, I'm just 45."

"That's mid-life crisis age!" Ren shouted. "You're telling me the strongest being we've ever met could be out here shopping for a sports carriage instead of shaking the cosmos?!"

The master rubbed his temples. "Listen, I might be powerful, but I'm still human. Well... mostly."

Kael was still struggling with this information. "Then how... how are you so strong?" He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Wait a minute. If you're only 45, that means... you had a master."

The true master gave a knowing smile. "Bingo."

The boys' minds short-circuited again.

"YOU HAVE A MASTER?!" Ren practically screeched. "WHO THE HELL CAN TEACH SOMEONE LIKE YOU?!"

The master shrugged. "Someone stronger, obviously."

Kael felt his entire world tilting. "You're telling me there are people stronger than you?! How is that even possible?! You're literally in the 10th Realm of the Narrative Realm! The highest realm we know of!"

The master shook his head, smirking. "Oh, boys... you really thought the Narrative Realm was the end?" He leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "That's adorable."

Kael and Ren had no words. Just stunned, horrified expressions.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kael stammered, trying to process this. "You're saying... there are more realms above the Narrative Realm?!"

The master stretched. "Mmm-hmm."

Ren looked physically ill. "How many?!"

The master tilted his head, pretending to count on his fingers. "Hard to say exactly. But if you thought the 10th Narrative Realm was the ceiling, well... you might want to prepare yourselves. Because there's a lot more."

Kael just sat there, slack-jawed. "...How much more?"

The master smirked. "Put it this way. If the God Realms were like a small pond, the Narrative Realms would be an ocean. But above that? We're talking about an entire multiversal ecosystem beyond anything you can comprehend. My master? He's strong, sure. But compared to other beings in existence? He's basically a side character."

Ren actually fainted for a moment.

Kael just sat there, rubbing his face in utter disbelief. "I—I can't even... what does that even mean?! Who are these beings?!"

The master shrugged. "Some call them Transcendent. Others, Authors. There are even beings known as Architects, who design entire infinite multiverses with a mere thought. Some exist in dimensions so incomprehensible that our entire existence is just a passing story in their vast collections."

Kael felt like his brain was about to implode. "And where do you stand in all this?"

The master chuckled. "Me? Oh, I'm basically a toddler compared to them. Just a guy who happens to be strong in this tiny corner of existence."

Ren looked like he was about to cry. "So... let me get this straight. We've been working our butts off, nearly dying every day, trying to reach the Divine Academy and become powerful. But you're saying that even if we reached the peak of the Narrative Realm, we'd still be insignificant?"

The master smiled. "Yup."

Ren clutched his chest. "I think I'm having an existential crisis."

Kael just groaned. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ren has a point. How do we even process this?"

The master patted them both on the back. "You don't. You just keep going. Keep getting stronger. Keep pushing forward. One day, you'll reach heights beyond what you ever thought possible. But for now... just focus on the Academy."

The boys sat in silence, their entire perception of reality shattered.

Astraeus, the Divine Lion, let out a deep, amused rumble.

"See? Even Astraeus finds this funny," the master chuckled.

Kael sighed. "I hate everything."

Ren nodded. "Agreed."

The master just laughed as Astraeus continued soaring toward the Divine Academy, carrying two very broken boys who now had way too much to think about.