《His Devious Harbinger: How To Tame A Wicked God?》 The World Guide: IRAVAN (HIS DEVIOUS HARBINGER) The World Guide: IRAVAN (HIS DEVIOUS HARBINGER) World: Iravan History: After the war, Iravan is divided into multiple realms by the surviving gods. In the void between the realms, the corrupted energy flows. Anyone who gets exposed to the corrupted dark ehr (energy) bes a warped/tainted creature. When these creatures manage to enter the world, they are hunted and killed by the holy order of nameless knights. Ehr is the raw energy that is used as the source of power for magic. Before the world was broken, everyone could directly wield Ehr. After the war, the Ehr has to be converted into mana (a lower form of Ehr) used by the human magic users. The old prophecy foretold the arrival of harbinger who can unleash the thirteenth god on the world. The Renasir of Iravan (Keeper of the forbidden prison) and the true wielder (One who wields the holy fire) will stop the harbinger from releasing the thirteenth god from the prison. The day of the uniones only once in a hundred years. On this day, the three moons disappear from the sky. Everyone falls asleep other than the Renasir, Vessel, Cursed Children, & the Harbinger. The vessel and the Renasir always kill the harbinger before the day of the union. ------------ 1. Higher Realm: ces: Kingdom of Aredes, Bn, Isles of Ea, Ilucia Between Higher & Middle Realm: Cursed Sea of Corrupted dark ehr 2. Middle Realm: ces: Chain of underground Cities built beneath the Cnaeris wastes. Between Middle & Lower Realm: Cursed Sea of corrupted Ehr, Shattered ruins of ancient cities from the old world 3. Lower Realm: ces: Prath, Pire, Milegia, Deled, Beggar Cities 4. Forbidden Realm: Qeshaya Prison of the forsaken dark creatures. 5. God Realm Where the eleven main gods are currently resting/sleeping 6. Hidden Realm: Dema Continent (Empire of The White Dragon) Capital City: Sor Kaya -------------------------- Gods: Eshyal: God of Sun Ni: God of Water Mahuna: Goddess of Fire Raya: Goddess of Wisdom Riha: Goddess of Prosperity Ril''Yah: Goddess of Hope and Kindness Mirinae: Goddess of Night, Stars, and Wishes Ea: Goddess of Wind Sion: God of War and Destruction Cina: God ofnd and trees Noras: God of Light -------------------------------- Forgotten God: Aeis - Dragon God -------------------------------- Forbidden God: Adira/ Kyo - The 13th God/ God of Darkness --------------------------------- Creatures: Spirits/Spirit Beasts: Low to mid-level Dema. Mixed Blood Humanoids/Halflings - They are born under thew of 12th god. They can directly wield ehr but they cannot convert ehr into elements or use spells or magical instruments. They can form contracts with humans/spirits. They are easily tainted by the corrupted dark ehr (energy) from the cursed sea. Dema - They are born under thew of 12th god. They live in the Dema continent and ruled by the 12th God. They are top-tier spirits. Humans - humans can be born under thews of 11 main gods. Their elements and type of magic are decided by thew of the god they are born under. Example: Humans born under thew of Eshyal will have good control over the fire. Their weakness will be water. Corrupts/Tainted - warped creatures who are infected by the corrupted ehr Remnants/Soulless ones - The remnants of the victims from the old war. Cursed Children - Humans/Humanoids born with the ability to channel the corrupted dark ehr, born under thew of the thirteenth god. sses: * Sehr - Sorcerers - Direct Wielders of mana * Wahr - Contractual Wizards - Needs to make a contract with a spirit or Dema to wield the mana * Nihr - Nil/Commoners * Renasir - Special ss - A Renasir is the guardian of the Iravan and takes care of the leaked corrupted Ehr in the world regrly. A Renasir can directly wield the ehr. *Harbinger - Special ss - Born with the core of God of the darkness. A harbinger can directly channel ehr/corrupted dark ehr and form a contract with a forbidden creature. They are unaffected by the corrupted ehr. ***AUTHOR''S NOTE*** 1. Formal Disimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, ces, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author''s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemnce to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. 2. Please respect everyone and enjoy the story. 3. Don''t forget to review/ratement/vote (._.) esp. If you like the novel. 4. The novel contains mature scenes. Chapter 1: The beginning of an end Chapter 1: The beginning of an end She woke up to a nightmare. They were dead. Hot tears ran down on her pale cheeks. Her tears were nothingpared to the agony in her heart. Was it the price of her sins? Did she lose them all because she was a merciless hand of the beggar king? "Please, let me be wrong. Please, Please...if anyone can hear me, please...don''t let this happen. They don''t deserve this." She moved desperately from one body to another body. The poison of Dhath was quick. Still, she didn''t want to give up. There should be someone. Anyone. She prayed wordlessly as ast desperate attempt. She had never prayed before. If there was one true god-like Shayera had told her, she wanted that to be real for once. Shayera''s god could take her as the price, but let them live. They didn''t deserve to die like this. She was ready to give up her life for theirs. She found Shayera. Her body was cold as ice. She pressed my palm against on her throat and checked. There was nothing. Her soul was long gone. Her body was empty and dead. It was her fault only. Kresi should have recognized that woman. She should not have let here inside this haven. She shouldn''t have trusted Gabriel. She wiped her tears and checked the other bodies. She found Pebby, the girl with pink hair who always asked about her brother Raye. She checked for her life. Luckily, there was a glimmer of life that was quickly fading away. Kresi pressed the palm against her stomach and soaked the poison out of her body. Each cell of her body hurt like it was stabbed with needles. She didn''t give up. "[Ahrshe]." She whispered the samebination rune that someone has used on her once. Pebby''s heart revived again. The little girl coughed hard. Kresi let go of her and moved to the boy lying next to her. Perhaps, the poison dose was small in their food. She managed to save Mirai in the same way. "Kresi..." Quinn called her name when she saved him in the same way. Only three people survived out of fifteen children. If she hadn''te today, nobody would have lived. "I will open the gate to the beggar city." Kresi drew the invisible rune on the wall. "Take Mirai and Pebby. They need more help. Leave now." "What''s going on here?" Quinn could barely stand up. He looked around in confusion. Everyone looked like they were sleeping. "Why does it hurt?" "Poisoned," Kresi told him. "They are dead." "What?" Quinn grabbed her by her shoulder. "Don''t joke about these things. They are sleeping." "On the table?" Kresi let out a painedugh. "Aeline has poisoned all of you. She is not gone. She must be calling her people." The gate to the beggar city was open. Mirai and Pebby were sitting up, but their heads were not clear. Their young minds couldn''t process what was going on. Compared to them, Quinn was cleared headed. He grasped the situation. He pulled delirious Pebby by her arm and pushed her through the gate. He did the same to Mirai. Finally, he looked at everyone who appeared like they were dreaming something sweet. "She poisoned Rui too," Quinn whispered. Rui, who was only five years old girl, always clung to Aeline. "Is she really dead?" "The only reason why you three survived..." Kresi took a deep breath. "The poison dose was a little low in your mealpared to the others. It is the poison of Dhath with no cure. She wasn''t worried about the dose. It would have killed you eventually if I wasn''t here." "What about you?" Quinn was trembling. His chest was hurting, but he couldn''t say a word about it. He knew that Kresi was in pain too. "Come with me." "I can''t." Kresi smiled at him sadly. "I willeter. I have to finish that woman first." Kresi pushed him before he could retort. Quinn fell through the gate. Just after that, she closed the gate. She went out of the cottage. Aeline was standing there, dressed in the ck robe. Her lemon green eyes met her golden eyes. Her long and wavy red hair looked like fire itself. Her skin was pale and yet, her cheeks were rosy because of excitement. The woman, who poisoned fifteen children, smiled at him. "I heard the whisper in the wind that you are here." The Bn spirit must have told her. The guardian spirit of Bn had betrayed them. The blood contract meant nothing. "Are you upset for them, girl?" She eyed her mischievously. "I gave them the poison of Dhath. They died before the fire could burn them." Kresi said nothing. She didn''t feel anything at this moment. A numbness was spreading in her heart. There was only one thing that she wanted. Aeline couldn''t read her mind. But, in her eyes, Kresi was only thirteen years old girl. "They didn''t feel the pain. The poison of Dhath is swift. It was a painless death" She said it as if she did them a favour by making it painless. "Ah!" She tilted her head to the right. "You are angry, Kresi? What is their future? If they lived, they would be forever hunted by one of us. They had a hopeless future of being chased by the knights. You are a Mirin. You are not one of them. I do not know why you were here, but I decided to save you alone. You would make a wonderful addition to the Elite ss Legion." All fifteen children who lived here were special. The world called them the cursed children because they could cultivate dark ehr. These children hid away from the world here, hoping to live in peace. Just because of something they couldn''t control, their fates were decided. The world hunted them and killed them in fear because of the future. But, Kresi knew that they wanted nothing from the darkness or the world. They simply wanted to live a happy and peaceful life. In the forbidden woods of Bn where no human coulde without the permission of the spirit of Bn, they found a sanctuary. They hoped that the world would leave them alone. She smiled at her sadly. She truly believed that she did them a favour by killing them. Kresi eyed the woman who always smiled at them kindly. Gabriel brought her three months ago and told them that she would live with us. She was always suspicious of Aeline, but Shayera had a firm belief in Aeline. She argued that Gabriel would never bring anyone dangerous to them. Kresi had let go of her doubts. If she hadn''t, she could have prevented this oue. They learned that she was carrying his child and she needed to hide. Shayera was excited after she heard that Gabriel was going to be a father. All of them celebrated the good news. They held a small ceremony where each of them gifted something to the unborn child. Rui made a gand of flowers. Shayera gifted a charm that she made herself. Gabriel was happy that they epted his fiance in their family. "You will regret this." Aeline narrowed her eyes. Her expression changed in the next instant. Her motherly facade reappeared on her face. The fire was gone, leaving only ashes on the ground. Kresi only felt an emptiness when she looked at the ashes. They were truly gone. Not even their ghosts lingered here. She could never see them again. They were gone. Murdered. By this woman. She took off her dark robes. She was no longer wearing the simple dresses that gave her a homely mother appearance. She wore a crimson leather jacket over a red flowing dress, a wide leather belt over her waist and red pants that reached her high leather boots. She always acted motherly and caring. That was how she deceived them. Even Kresi was blinded by this woman''s act. She was too lost in the dream. Then, she was awakened by a nightmare. They paid the price for her foolishness. "Do you want to fight me, Kresi?" She gave her a half-smile. "Do you think that you can win against me?" "High Queen of Aredes," Kresi chuckles. "Does the High King knows that you are here?" Aeline paled when she heard her words. Kresi smirked at her. The fire was the holy fire. There was only one person who could currently wield the holy fire - the high queen of Aredes, the host of the holy fire. Kresi had no idea how Gabriel knew the high queen of Aredes and why would he bring her here. Gabriel should have known better than having an affair with the high queen itself. Of all the people in the world, why would Gabriel bring her here? Probably, he was not aware of her identity. She was a fool to trust Gabriel''s judgment. "How?" Aeline asked her with surprise. Kresi didn''t answer her. "It doesn''t matter how you know." She no longer kept her fake persona. "I am the High Queen of Aredes, Aeline Lavius Starfire. Now that you know, I cannot let you live." "Is that so?" Kresi eyed her belly. "High Queen of Aredes is pregnant with a child of a tainted one. How will the high king ept this?" Aelineughed without shame. "You worry about Gabriel''s child? This child is his, yes. That was something I had to do. Gabriel and I had were ymates when we were young. When he was barely fifteen, he ran away from his family. His family never looked for him. I learned itter that he was one of the tainted ones and his family didn''t care about him. " Kresi saw a tinge of sadness in her eyes. It faded away quickly. In her right hand, a ming sword of white fire manifested. The world believed that High Queen Aeline Starfire was kind, regal and pure. She wondered what would be the reaction if they knew that their beloved queen Aeline Lavius Starfire was a warrior sorceress who murdered children by poisoning them. "Before I was elected as the high queen, I was already the head of Nameless Knights." She paused, hoping to see Kresi''s shocked reaction, but nothing appeared. "Gabriel''s name was already enlisted there as a tainted one. They were looking for him, but Gabriel was good at hiding and running. He was secretly hiding away the cursed children. We believed that he was creating an army of the cursed ones. It took me a long time to find him." She paused for a moment. "It was so easy to deceive him. He never thought that I could be a nameless knight or the high queen. It was easy since nobody had seen me like a queen except for my king and my son." The royal family of Aredes was known to be secretive. High Queen never showed her face to the people under the pretext that the queen was physically weak and unstable in controlling the holy fire. Nobody doubted this reason. The holy fire was usually too strong to control and it slowly killed the host. When the woman was chosen as the host and married the high king, her origins would be removed and she would be given a new name. It was aw to avoid involving the woman''s past or her family in royal matters. Kresi understood how Gabriel couldn''t guess Aeline''s true identity. Aeline took a step toward her and grinned. "I was Gabriel''s first love. I knew that he would bring me here after I gained his trust." Everyone had a weakness. Aeline had a hold on a piece of his heart. Aeline knew this well. "This child can nevere to this world." She touched her belly. "Even if it was not a tainted one like Gabriel, I would never bring this child to this world." Suddenly, Kresi turned around and ran into the woods. "Kresi!" Aeline yelled and chased after her with the ming holy fire sword in her hand. "Do you think that you can run away?" *** Aeline chased the girl into the woods. She felt a tinge of regret in her heart. Silver Guardians were trying to recruit a Mirin for ages. Those stubborn old Mirins not only refused, but they also cut off all their connections with the royal family of Aredes and the noble families that were associated with Nameless Knights. House of Mirin was the only elite noble house that was not afraid of the Royal Family of Aredes. They always kept themselves on the neutral grounds and never tried to seek powers. They always said with a creepy smile on their face that power corrupted the heart. Theirudable principles made people suspicious. Despite never seeking power or recognition, Mirins had both the power and influence to uproot the high king and take over the higher realm. Their prating golden eyes caused insecurity for both the high king and the nameless knights. The Mirins acted too high and mighty. But they were not clean or pure as they appeared to the world. She knew that the Mirins sacrificed their unwanted infants to Mirinae, the goddess of night. The blood sacrifice ensured the special blessing they had in their blood. The high king told her the secret himself. Aeline didn''t doubt this information. Their marriage may be loveless, but they have a mutual understanding. Aeline had never seen any Mirin use their ehr in public. All she had known that they were the masters of medicines and poisons. Still, nobody dared to test them. How can anyone feel easy when such family existed in the higher realm? The worst part was that the Renasir were always born in Mirin bloodline. Aeline knew that it was the part of Mirinae''s blessings. She felt that it was unfair. On the entire realm, the Renasir was the most powerful being, only second to the true wielder. The Renasir was the anchor of this world and the gatekeeper of the forsaken world. Together with Renasir, the Mirins with special physical constitutions were an eyesore to the high king. The people of the higher realm feared the Mirins more than the royal family. It pricked the royal family like a thorn. Especially, the Mirins never helped the Silver Guardians. They never let anyone from their bloodline to join the nameless knights. They even cklisted the Silver Guardians to enter their vicinity after the Knights''st attempt to recruit a Mirin. If she could get hold of a Mirin and find out the secrets of their special constitution, did it not mean that she can also find the secrets of the Renasir? She can make one of them. It was not entirely impossible. The nameless knights had the means and power. The search for the harbinger and the cursed children would be easy. The Renasir, like the Mirins, always never did anything. For more than two hundred years, she had been gone. Nobody knew where she was. The Mirins never gave a straightforward answer about the Renasir. She needed this girl to know the Mirin''s secrets. Taking her alive was better. But, the girl knew her secret. The girl can''t be left alive. It puzzled Aeline how the girl figured out her true identity. She decided to torture the girl to tell before killing her. Then, she would take the girl''s dead body along with her. A dead Mirin was better than no Mirin. Aeline finally saw the little minion with golden eyes standing atop one of the branches. She was tired of chasing that girl. This girl hopped like a rabbit from branch to branch. Atst, she stopped running. Aeline summoned the fire and aimed at the girl. The white fireballs escaped from Aeline''s palms and hit the tree. The girl jumped away from the branch before the fireball could touch her. The tall trees burned behind her, leaving nothing but the charred ground. When Aeline heard the cries of those trees, She was too angry to care. Being the host of holy fire advanced some of her senses. She kept shooting the fireballs in the girl''s direction. The girl was quick and always avoided the fireballs. Soon, arge part of the forest was burned down to ashes. "Stop!" Aeline''s screamed at the running girl. She unleashed countless fireballs at the girl ferociously. "How long are you going to run? We are in Bn. Even if you run for all your life, you cannot escape unless the Mother Spirit wants you to." The girl finally stopped at the meadow after leaving a trail of fire and ashes behind her. She looked up at the starless sky. It was odd that there was no moon in the sky. But she was standing on the heart of Bn where the spirit of Bn or Mother Spirit had her ownws. Even Ril''Yah can''t be seen from the heart of Bn. Aeline was breathing hard. She realized that her pregnancy weakened her. During her first pregnancy, she was quite pampered by the king at the pce. This time, she had to live here in the woods with these kids. After she was done killing this girl, she would take care of this pregnancy. The high king didn''t love or care about her, but it didn''t mean that he would tolerate infidelity or a bastard child. Aeline realized that there was something odd about this ce. There was no moon in the sky. In the skies of Iravan, Ril''Yah always shone as a form of protection from the darklings. She was in the woods of Bn. But, woods of Bn couldn''t be outside of thews of the eleven gods. ''Where is this ce?'' She thought anxiously. Before she could say anything, a gigantic dark metal door appeared between her and the girl. Aeline couldn''t move at all. The door was oozing a dark intimidating aura that filled her with a foreboding feeling. The door was plentifully bestrewn with multiple ancient seals. Aeline couldn''t read them. She didn''t know the forgottennguage. The golden-eyed girl walked to the door without a trace of fear. She looked like a rabbit in front of the giant door. Aeline wanted to cry out. She wanted to stop the girl. She had a bad feeling. The door didn''t have anything good behind it. The girl didn''t pay any attention to Aeline. She ced her hand on the metal door. Aeline didn''t hear any spell or chant. Suddenly, the seals broke into multiple rays of light with a crisp sound and disappeared into the air. The girl pushed the door once and it moved with a creak. Aeline didn''t realize that she was holding her breath. She was waiting. She didn''t know what she was waiting for. She couldn''t imagine what was behind that door. She didn''t dare to. It was a caliginous, abhorrent and gigantesque creature. It had oddly shaped a thousand arms and a thousand pink eyes. The sacrilegious creature reeked of the dead and rotten. When it opened itsrge mouth, Aeline saw countless sharp yellow canines. Aeline had never seen such a creature before. She tried to summon her holy fire. It didn''te. The holy fire was within her and yet, she couldn''t invoke it or circte ehr inside her. "What is that?" Aeline asked. First time in her life, she was terrified. Something blocked her from invoking the holy fire. She felt it inside her, but she couldn''t summon it. The sky had no protection of Ril''Yah either. Aeline felt powerless and vulnerable without her holy fire. "Master," The filthy creature ceremoniously bowed its round head to the girl. All of its thousand arms touched the ground. His tworge feet were bent on the ground. The creature touched his forehead on the ground as if waiting for his master''smands. "Mogrok," Kresi called its name, sealing the contract between them. It was then Aeline realized what that Kresi had done. This girl, Kresi Mirin, just freed a forsaken one from the forbidden realm. The contract was formed. Mogrok became Kresi''s first summoned spirit beast from the forbidden realm. Mogrok was quite surprised that he was summoned. This tiny girlpletely freed him from the forbidden realm. The girl broke the seals done by the gods himself. "You are also one...," Aeline pointed at Kresi. Was she mistaken? Kresi was doubtlessly a Mirin. Those golden eyes along with the ability to suppress the poison of Dhath confirmed her lineage. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to survive the poison of Dhath. How could a Mirin be a cursed child? That was impossible. Mirin never had a cursed child in their bloodline. It was never recorded... "Oh, Aeline!" Kresi looked at her with pity. "You were so blinded that you wounded the woods of Bn and also followed me to the heart of Bn, the only ce of Iravan that is free from thews of the eleven gods." When she heard Kresi''s words, Aeline wanted to run. It was forbidden to enter the heart of the Bn. The heart of the Bn was the only part of Iravan that was free from thews of the old and new gods. This meadow was the only ce where no god could interfere. It meant that she could not use her wield the holy fire. She looked at the humongous forsaken creature. Why could this girl call something like that here? Was this girl not afraid of the Bn Spirit''s punishment? "How long are you going to watch the y, Bn Spirit?" Kresi looked behind Aeline scornfully. Aeline felt cool and sleek fingers wrap around her neck. She turned her head. A nose-less naked ebony woman who was a head taller than Aeline was standing behind her. She had long green hair and four carmine eyes. She had a small mouth with no teeth. The ebony woman wrapped her arm around Aeline''s belly and felt the life throbbing within Aeline. She beamed at Kresi. "My lovely child, you brought me a gift." The Bn Spirit''s voice was annoyingly sweet. Mogrok was irritated by her voice and frowned at the Bn Spirit. He felt an urge to pounce and chew the Bn Spirit. "Bn Spirit, I didn''t bring you a gift." Kresi rolled her eyes at the Bn Spirit. "I brought you the one who harmed your children. Why don''t you look behind and see what she did in your territory?" The Bn Spirit didn''t look behind. She knew well what the woman sped in her arms did on hernd. She was hoping that Aeline would kill thisst little nuisance. She didn''t expect this troublesome girl run to her resting ce and summon a forbidden spirit beast. "Oh," Bn Spirit licked Aeline''s earlobe. "This woman is delicious. You can leave her to me. She will get her punishment." Kresiughed at the Bn Spirit. Aeline couldn''t speak a word while she watched Kresi climbed one of the Mogrok''s arm. She felt Bn Spirit tense up. Was she afraid of this little girl? The Bn Spirit was the daughter of God Cina. Aeline hoped that the Bn Spirit could send the creature back to the forbidden realm. "I want a trial, Bn Spirit." Kresi was sitting on the shoulder of Mogrok. "First, you failed to protect my friends. They never broke any of yourw, but you failed." The Bn Spirit flinched when she heard Kresi. A contract was a contract. Not even gods could escape a contract. If nobody raised a im, Bn Spirit could have escaped since it was a matter of will. In reality, Bn Spirit was aware of Aeline''s intention the moment she stepped inside the forbidden grounds. How could the Bn Spirit not know? The Bn woods was her territory, gifted by her father before he went to sleep. That was the reason she could manipte the old and newws in the Bn Woods. The heart of the Bn was the source of her powers. If this girl decided to trample the ground with that forsaken creature, it would cause great harm to her. Her father was not here to save her either if things went wrong. Besides, she had no control over Kresi or her summoned creature. "Mother Spirit!" Aeline choked out desperately. She needed to get help from the Bn Spirit. The Bn Spirit should be on her side. The ebony spirit looked down at the red-headed woman. "I am the host of holy fire. I am fighting against the tainted ones." She was shaking in the arms of the Bn Spirit. "You must help me catch that girl. Please let me go with that girl. I swear that I would kill her. In exchange, I will give you anything you want." In reality, there were a lot of things that Aeline could give to Bn Spirit. However, Aeline was wrong about one thing. The Bn Spirit knew that Aeline lost her only chance of killing Kresi. Kresi was not like other cursed children. If she helped Aeline, it would be a vicious battle between her and the creature. Even if she let Aeline use her holy fire, it would also harm her because the heart of the Bn was the source of her powers and existence. She can''t let Kresi defile the resting ce of her source with that forbidden creature. Kresi red at the Bn Spirit. She knew what was going inside that spirit''s head. For the shelter and protection, the fifteen children gave her the drops of their blood on each new moon and full moon in exchange for protection and shelter. They were hiding away from the hunters. They truly believed that nobody could find them in the Bn Woods as long as their mother spirit protected them. They had an unshakeable faith that their Mother Spirit would never let any harme to them. The Bn Spirit was an ancient spirit who believed herself to be invincible. She could easily override the contract through her will alone. After all, contracts like that were usually battle of will. It was suggested to form contracts like that within the equal status. The will of fifteen children was nothingpared to the will of a spirit like Bn Spirit. At the heart of Bn, this insidious spirit hadplete control of thews and forces. Once Kresi and Aeline stepped into the heart of Bn, she blocked Aeline from summoning holy fire here. After all, Aeline was just a host. Not a true wielder. If Aeline''s fire was out of control on the heart of Bn, she would be the one taking the most damage. However, she could only stop Aeline, but she couldn''t do the same to Kresi. "How do you want to do this, Kresi Mirin?" Bn Spirit ignored Aeline''s pleas. "I want you to save the child in her belly." "That''s it? I will save the child if that''s what you want." The Bn Spirit gave her a creepy smile. It was a disturbing smile, especially with her four nted eyes. She threw her head back andughed brazenly. She sat next to the trembling Aeline and touched her belly again. "If you harm me," Aeline pped the Bn Spirit''s hand, "My son will destroy you." The Bn Spirit was annoyed. She crossed her arms over her breasts and looked at the red-headed pale woman before her. "Look up at the sky," The Bn Spirit pointed up at the starless night sky. "There is none of your moons here to protect you or the stars to watch over you. Thisnd is mine and thews are also mine. If I want to kill you here and now, even the old gods cannote and save you. The new gods are too weak to speak in front of me." After a pause, the spirit pointed at Kresi. "Your death was determined the moment you didn''t manage to kill her. That girl? Let me tell you. This girl is the reason why your nameless guardians exist. She is the harbinger that you and your people ceaselessly are trying to find. Look at her now and regret not killing her when you could." Kresi realized that she was right. The Bn Spirit let Aelinee inside the Bn woods to get rid of her. The twelve children died because of her. The ancient prophecy spoke of a harbinger who would bring back the dark god. The harbinger was born with his heart and had control over the dark ehr. "She is a Mirin," Aeline mumbled after a long time. She couldn''t believe the Bn Spirit. A Mirin couldn''t be a harbinger. How could two opposing ehr could flow in the same body? "Darkness shall be born in the light," The Bn Spirit replied. "You, humans, always try to stop the inevitable. You killed countless children to stop the harbinger from being born. Still, she is here. You would be surprised when you hear the name of her mother." "That is not your secret to tell." Kresi had no intention of telling it to Aeline or letting the Bn Spirit tell her. She didn''t want to hear that name. "No! No!" The Bn Spirit smiled weakly. "Who dares to speak her name? I do not want her wrath upon me. Even Aeis is afraid of that woman." Who wouldn''t be scared of that woman? That woman wanted to watch the world incinerate into nothing. "What would happen now?" Aeline was calm. Her calmness was unnatural. Wasn''t she shaking in fear a minute ago? Something was not right. Ah! She leapt off Mogrok''s shoulder and walked toward Aeline. Aeline pursed her lips when she saw her approaching me, but there was no fear. Kresiughed and grabbed her silky red hair. She made her look into her eyes. The Bn Spirit was truly devious. Why was she suddenly so chatty? She had let Aeline open a link between her and her son. As they spoke, he could hear them through the link. He had already sent people to save his mother. "You can hear me, right?" Kresi covered Aeline''s mouth to prevent from speaking. "Your mother is going to die tonight. She killed my whole family. Your regal mother even intends to kill your unborn half-sibling." Kresi felt pain and hatred throbbing through the link. She couldn''t tell whether it belonged to her, Aeline or her son. "Do it." The Bn Spirit shuddered when she heard her. She held the presence inside Aeline''s mind. She would also feel Aeline''s pain, but she didn''t care. This little pain was nothing to her. On this night, a child was going to be born, but the mother would die. The Bn Spirit didn''t hesitate and ced her ebony hand on Aeline''s belly. Aeline desperately struggled to be free. Kresi heard her pitiful screams and felt her tearing pain. She could hear the distant screams of a boy in Aeline''s mind. Aeline pleaded for kindness when she heard him. Her belly swelled and soon, it was ready to burst. Aeline was screaming for death. She asked the Bn Spirit to kill her. Her son was also screaming in pain somewhere far away. I heard people around him trying to soothe his pain and break the link. But, the link couldn''t be broken as long as she held it. The Bn Spirit was the only one happy. Her twisted mind found delight in other''s suffering. She used her sharp nails to tear open Aeline''s belly. She pulled out the newborn from Aeline''s belly. Her actions were swift and smooth. There was no blood. The Bn Spirit didn''t want to Aeline''s blood to fall on the ground. The newborn was not a tainted one. He didn''t cry. The child who was born under the moonless sky of Bn couldn''t be an average child. The Bn Spirit didn''t pay attention to Aeline anymore. She cradled the child in her arms and fed him as her own. Aeline watched helplessly as her newborn son was being fed by the Bn Spirit. The child was no longer a human or a spirit. Because he was born on the heart of Bn and not under the protection of Ril''Yah, the child was neither protected by new gods or epted by the old gods. "Your brother is born," She said to the prince in Aeline''s mind. "He is neither a human nor a spirit. He is not bound by thews of new and old gods. He is not protected by the blessings of Ril''Yah or any other god. I wonder what would he be." Aeline was in pain. She was both mentally and physically exhausted. Her torment was not over yet. Kresi spoke an incantation to break off the binding between the holy fire and her. A white holy me was released from her. It wavered for a moment in front of her and then, it flew up toward the sky to find the true wielder. Aeline didn''t protect or cry when she watched the holy fire go away. Kresi smiled at her and said, "Do I not know that your son is the true wielder?" "You will not get away from this. My son will find you and make you suffer a hundred times more than you did tonight. He will never forgive you." Aeline tried to grab her, but Kresi was out of her reach. "Now, Now!" Kresi pressed her foot on her throat to stop her from howling. She made strangled noise, but she was still trying to curse her. "You will die tonight. That is for sure. But can you be reborn? I am not so sure. How about I turn you into my pet''s meal? The holy fire will find your son soon. I have read when the holy fire is fused with the chosen one''s soul, the agony is immeasurable. What will happen if I let him feel the pain of your soul and body being eaten by my Mogrok while the holy fire finds him? I shall show him what is the harbinger of Dark God capable of?" Aeline shook her head violently. Kresi grinned at her and tapped into the link. The prince was barely gasping for air. He had heard her. Sheughed when she felt his fear. "If you want revenge, I will be waiting." "Feed!" Shemanded Mogrok, "Not even a drop of her blood should be wasted. Make it painful." *** Crunch~ Crunch~ The Bn Spirit had devoured countless humans and beasts alike and yet, she never came across anyone ruthless as the forsaken creature before her. It tore open Aeline''s body while keeping her alive to herst breath. It savoured each piece of meat with soaked with a piece of Aeline''s soul. The Bn Spirit shuddered with fear. The thirteen years old harbinger was quietly watching the forsaken creature and Aeline. There was nothing in her eyes except destion and pain. Her nails dug her palms, but she didn''t scream or flinch because of the pain she felt. She did this to hold on to the link between Aeline and the prince of Aredes. Compared to the harbinger, Aeline was the kind one. Though she killed those children, she made it painless. The Bn Spirit sighed. Nobody was a saint among them. All she wanted was to dy the impending cataclysm of Iravan. Instead, it became an incentive for that very future. Her eyes fell on the newborn in her cradle. His body was already changing. He was born on the heart of the Bn continent. He was connected to her. It finally urred to her why the harbinger asked her to save this child. Mogrok was finished with Aeline. There was not a drop of the blood on the ground. The harbinger stood up quietly and went to the shell-shocked spirit. Her face was ghastly pale. Mogrok wondered if the harbinger was going to die. The Harbinger had been hit by the holy fire in her lower back. "Is this your revenge, Harbinger?" The spirit nced at the Harbinger with amusement. "Binding me to a mortal child?" The Harbinger bent her knees and leaned toward her. She looked at the infant. He had red hair and beautiful grey eyes. "From now on, his name is Ai." "Ai." The spirit whispered the name wistfully. "Born in my heart, he bes my heart. I can''t kill him. He can''t leave Bn. Thisnd will be our prison. What a suitable name!" "He will also be the one who will take your ce and be the ruling mortal of thisnd." Kresi touches the child''s forehead. "You will be his ve. You will raise him. You will feed him. He will teach you pain. He will teach you what it feels like to be betrayed. He will teach you suffering." "Ah... you think that will happen?" The Bn Spiritughed. "If I raise him, he will be my ything." "I wonder..." Kresi smirked. "If you can." Kresi turned away from the Bn Spirit. The Bn Spirit wanted to ask more questions, but the baby in her arms wailed. She felt the pain and hugged the child close to her chest. What was this feeling? Because he was born on the heart of Bn, he also became a part of her. If he was hurt, she felt pain too. The Harbinger summoned the forbidden gate again. She nced at Mogrok and said, "Go. Wait for me there." "Will it be you whoe for me again?" Mogrok asked before he stepped into the forbidden realm. The harbinger didn''t answer him. The gate between the two realms closed. The Bn Spirit let out a sigh of relief. Now, she wanted to deal with the Harbinger. When she looked for the Harbinger again, the girl was gone. Kresi returned to the Beggar City. She walked the streets under the dark sky. Her soul had been degrading due to the effect of holy fire. She went to the alley where she found Raye waiting for her. He looked extremely worried. "Kresi." He ran to her when he saw her. "I tried to open the gate, but something blocked me." "I did." Kresi climbed the wall to get to her makeshift bed. "Why?" Raye looked at her with a baffled expression. He didn''t know that she could do something like that. What was she? He climbed the wall and sat beside her. "I was worried like hell." "I have taken care of Aeline." Kresiid herself down on the bed. "You are hurt." Raye pressed his palm on her stomach. "What happened to you?" "Holy fire." Kresi didn''t have much hope that she would survive. "Tell me, Raye. Do you remember our back up n?" "Why are you talking about that?" Raye tried to send healing energy into her body, but it was rejected. She seemed fine physically. "Come with me. Maybe Pebby can help you. If she can''t, there are others. We will go to the Beggar King." "I am fine." She lightly chuckles when she sees him worried. "I need to rest." "Why are you talking about the backup n then?" Raye asked her, worried. Months ago, she had given him a set of spells and a way to free the thirteenth god. Even if she ended up dying, he must take her body with him to the heart of Bn and find the universal key. It was a risky n. He hadn''t figured out the spells yet. "I want to rest." Kresi closed her eyes. Her voice was bing weak with each word. "Don''te close to me until the night of the union. Don''t let anyonee close. I am a Mirin. I am the Harbinger. My body will heal itself. Right now, I just want to rest." "Are you sure?" He wiped the sweat from her forehead. Raye knew all this. Kresi''s body was special. He waited for her to reply, but she didn''t make any sound. She was lightly breathing. Raye decided to leave. Perhaps, she needed was a good sleep after such a painful night. When Kresi opened her eyes, she found herself standing in front of the cottage again. It was not burned to the ground. It was surrounded by sun rays. She walked into the cottage without any hesitation. Inside, she saw Shayerabing Rui''s hair. "Ah, Kresi, you are here." Shayera smiled at her. "You visited us after such a long time." "I missed you," Rui yells with excitement. "Did you bring something for me?" "Sorry, I didn''t bring anything this time." Kresi rubbed her head. "Don''t worry, Rui. Kresi is going to stay with us from now on," Shayera informed Rui. Rui''s eyes became bright. "Really? I will tell everyone." Rui ran upstairs. Kresi and Shayera watched her go. A silence fell around them. "Do you forgive me?" Shayera asked her. "I killed you." Kresi looked at her sadly. Though chances of her surviving the holy fire were slim, she might have survived. Shayera took this chance to free Kresi''s soul from that body. She wondered what was going on in Beggar City. There was a backup n, but she was not sure if it would seed. The Bn Spirit might harm them when they try to get the universal key. "I couldn''t leave you to suffer alone. You have done enough. I waited for you and brought you here." Shayera held her both hands and looked into her eyes. "I couldn''t let you live that kind of life anymore. You have suffered enough, Kresi. Stay with us. Nobody will find us here whether its the nameless knight or the Renasir. It doesn''t matter who we are. I don''t know whether this ce is a heaven or hell, but I am happy if we are all here together." Indeed, Kresi''s life had been full of suffering. She was abandoned at the age of six on the cruel streets of Beggar City. She became the hand of the Beggar King and assassinated countless people. She was stabbed by her own mother who saw her as a failure. She saw them die because of her mistake. She was the Harbinger. No, she was no longer the Harbinger. She didn''t need to follow her destiny. She was free. She was only Kresi now. Not a Mirin. She was at the ce where the thirteenth god or the Renasir or the people who thought of her as a saviour could not reach. She had already been in hell. This ce, whether it was heaven or hell or just an illusion, she couldn''t care less. As long as she was with her family, it was her home. She rested her head on her shoulder. "I am home." Chapter 1: How to free a God (1) Chapter 1: How to free a God (1) "ording to Murphy''sw, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." I stand at the makeshift stage made out of the rotting wooden nks and pretend that I am holding a mike in front of the children who are dressed in rags. "I should introduce myself properly as your entertainer before I continue. My name is -" A skinny arm shoots up in the air. I sigh. Telling a story to children is hard work. They are always full of questions. I ask him, "What''s wrong?" "Who is Murphy?" The boy is around thirteen or fourteen. His body is short and suffers from malnutrition like the other kids including myself. "He was some smart guy." I don''t know who Murphy is. Who was it that came up with that adage? Was it someone called Murphy? Laws like these are usually named after people. I have toe up with a word for them to understand. "Like a schr." "So, he is someone with a rich polished butt hole." The boy puts his arm down sullenly. "I don''t like him." "I don''t think that he cares whether you like him or not." Iugh lightly. "Let''s start properly. My name is -" "We already know your name, Kresi," Someone yells. "We want to know about that polished butt hole Murphy." My name is not Kresi. It seems like they are not interested in my tragic story. "I have something better. It''s the story of a princess who could turn into a fish. One day -" The kids do not look interested. "What''s so special about a princess who can turn into a fish? The shapeshifters can do it all the time. Our little Mori can turn into a boar. That is way better than a fish." The girl with unruly sky blue hair and magenta eyes grins when she hears the kid''s words. She must be Mori. This storytelling isn''t working out at all. I need money to buy food. "Kresi, you shouldn''t call us like this to waste our time." An older girl stands up. She is the leader of this group of street children. "We have to work. If we don''t work, we won''t get food. You must have resources if you are not worried about finding food anymore." No, I am worried. I am a lot worried. The kids watch me with anger and follow after her. My stomach grumbles loudly. I am starving. Why did I speak of Murphy? Murphy, you ruined my storytelling. I wanted to earn decent money by telling stories to these kids. I don''t want to beg or steal. Yesterday, I found myself inside this body. At first, I thought that it was a strange dream. It''s been already a day. This world is strange. There are three moons in the sky. The days are hot. The nights are freezing. I am an orphan who begs on the street. In my original world, I was a frencer. I lived alone. When I was not working, I yed video games or readic books. Life was good andfortable until burrs decided to barge in. When they saw me, they were shocked. They thought that nobody lived in the house. But, I was alone. I was a woman. That didn''t mean that I would let them take away myptop. I didn''t have the back up of my data. We fought. One of the men pushed me hard. I fell and hit my head. So, I died while fighting for myptop. I could have brought a new one. It''s a ridiculous reason to die for. And, I have been reborn in a crazy world. I have no idea what happened to the original owner of the body. I found myself inside the body of this orphan girl in the dark alley. This body is wearing a thin robepletely unsuited for the cold night. In her robe''s pockets, I found a few copper coins and a rusted dagger. Nothing else. It seems like I have transmigrated into the body of an orphan. Why am I so unlucky? If gods wanted me to be reborn, they should have made me a princess or some other rich girl. It''s fine if I was reborn in my original world. I have some skills that could be useful there. I don''t have the skills to survive in the primitive ways of this world. I am an adult stuck inside a child. The street children are more dangerous than adults here. Is there a transmigration department? I want to make aint. The magic is real in this world. People can turn into strange things. I have seen floatingmps, flying carts, strange-looking humanoids, and soldiers with magical weapons. It''s only been a day. My heart can''t take it. My stomach grumbles again. I have used the copper coins to buy the hard bread earlier. Now, I have nothing. I don''t want to begin the streets. That goes against my principles. I rub my t chest. It''s been hurting ever since I woke up. I peek inside my robe. There is nothing. No wound. Do I have heart disease now? I won''t be surprised anymore if my tragic story turns more tragic. What should I do? It''s my second day here. At this rate, I will starve to death. I want food. I want to go back to my world. I want to y video games again. I didn''t even get to read the ending of my favourite manga before I died. This is pathetic. I died for myptop and I am crying about Manga after being reborn. I can''t die again. Who knows if I will get another chance at life? If I do, what if they turn me into something worse? Even if I am an orphan in a strange world, I am a female human child. I need to survive and live a long life. Maybe, I can find a way to go back to my world. After all, it''s a magical world. Chapter 2: How to free a God (2) Chapter 2: How to free a God (2) I sit on the side of the cobbled street. It''s a hot afternoon. The sky is clear and a shade of violet, showing off the white and ring Sun. My grey robe is drenched with sweat. The fabric is rough but durable. Unlike other children''s clothes, mine has no holes or spots. As much as I have observed, the original owner was not close to any kid. I have been sitting here for an hour. Not a single kid or person hase to talk to me. From my observation, the original owner has not been close to any kid or adult here. I take a deep sigh. Should I act like the other kids and beg on the street? The prostitutes with minimal clothes are trying to seduce the soldiers dressed in different uniforms. One set of the soldiers are clothed in yellow and brown clothes with armours showing a creature that closely looks like a cross product of a lion and a hawk. The other set of soldiers are dressed in blue and ck uniforms, and silver armours with the insignia that looks simr to a Chinese character. "Don''t stare at them." A young boy stands in front of me, blocking my view. "They wille to bully you if you stare too much." "Oh!" The boy is about ten or twelve. He has rough yellow shoulder-length hair. His face is small, round, and full of freckles. His eyes are light brown. "Here, take this." He gives me a piece of bread. "Pom asked me to give it to you." "Pom?" I take the bread shamelessly. "Who is that?" The boy looks at me with anger. "Aren''t you too full of yourself? Just because you are someone who can use magic, you are always looking down on us. You don''t even remember our names." "I can use magic?" It''s a magical world. I have seen people doing magical voodoo around. I have noticed that none of the street children is using magic. So, I thought that only adults can use it. "Really?" "You are strange." His frown is cute. "Are you sick? Did you eat the wrong food?" "I have eaten some bread in the morning." I don''t know what else to say. "You didn''t take the enhancers, did you?" He touches my wrist. "Your hand is cold. Pom told me that people be very hot when they drink enhancers." Very hot? It sounds a bit wrong to my ears. I don''t know what enhancers are, but they sound like drugs. "Why did Pom send you to me?" "He said that you looked lost." He sits beside me. "It''s a wrong ce for a girl. There are soldiers who like kids." I stand up abruptly. "Let''s go somewhere away from here." Away from the adults who desire children. "Okay." The kid and I walk away from the street. I follow him to an alley. "It''s my home here. We can rest here." He points at the makeshift bed in the corner. It''s made up of old nkets. This kid isn''t bad. I wonder if I can ask him questions about the original owner. "Aren''t you going to eat?" He looks at the bread. "Eat it before it gets worse." I tear the bread in half. I give him one piece and start eating the other one. He looks at me strangely. I give him a nod. "Are you sick, Kresi?" He asks me cautiously. "You are different today." "I might have hit my head and lost my memories." I keep my tone casual. "Can you tell me a bit about myself? Where did Ie from?" He takes a bite from the bread and chews slowly. He is observing me. "I am not lying," I add. He stands on his knees and checks my head. "I don''t see any wound." "It wasn''t anything bad." Iugh nervously. "Don''t tell anyone yet." "Are you bing like the one tooth?" He runs his fingers through my hair, trying to feel a bump. "One tooth became mad after hitting his head." "No." I pull him away. "Can you tell me or not?" He pauses for some moments. "Okay, I will tell you. But, don''t hurt me if you be mad." I purse my lips and give him a solid nod. He sits opposite me and starts. "I don''t know where you are from. I know that you are not from the beggar cities. Mello told me that you came from the fourth nation. Your hair is ck and your eyes are golden. He has never seen anyone with golden eyes. You are a magic-user too. You always brought food with money. You always ate alone." He shifts his gaze uneasily. "You frequently meet a man with grey hair. Rimi says that he is your lover. You also disappear a lot without any trace. You never talk to anyone. You are close to the beggar king. He sends you out of the city for his special jobs. Pom also works with him, but you always treat him like a stranger." Interesting. The original owner sounds like she has been involved in something illegal. I don''t judge her. Being an orphan is hard. "What else do you know?" "You went somewhere again." He looks down at my hands. "When you came back, you have been badly hurt again." "Hurt?" I didn''t see any wound on my body when I woke up. "When did that happen?" "Three days ago." He bites his lips. "We didn''t approach you because you didn''t like it. You went to sleep at your spot and didn''te out. Pom and others kept a watch, but they didn''t disturb you from your rest." Is it normal for someone to rest for three days? The original owner must have died because of the wounds. But, there are no scars. I didn''t see any blood on my robe. How did she get hurt? If this body can heal itself, why did she die? Why I am inside her body? If she gets hurt repetitively, she can''t be a normal person. Chapter 3: How to free a God (3) Chapter 3: How to free a God (3) The boy is quite talkative after he besfortable with me. He tells me a lot about the world while watching me with pity. He thinks that I have lost my memories and became dumb like ''one tooth''. I don''t know who ''one tooth'' is. In short, I am currently in one of the beggar cities. The original name of this city doesn''t matter. The names of these cities change whenever the ownership of this city change after the war. The beggar cities are actually the border cities between the three nations who are always at war with each other over the resources in the forests and the mountains. There is a peace-loving fourth nation that stays out of the fight over the resources. It''s not like these beggar cities are close to the mountains or the forests. These cities are just at the border. The yellow uniformed soldiers are from Milegia. The blue ones are from Prath. I have not seen the soldiers from Pire yet. They wear pink uniforms. When these nations are not at war, the soldiers are friendly to each other. Theye and go from these cities. They share women and food. When it''s the war, they be enemies again and kill each other without any second thought. The true owner of these cities is the Beggar King. He has never spent two nights at the same city. The original owner has been working for years under him. The kid has no idea what kind of work she did. There are a chosen few who work for the beggar king. The rest of the street children work for the people who work for the beggar king. The chain ofmand is fixed. Pom and I are people who take directmands from the Beggar King. I am curious about Pom. He must know something important about the original owner. I don''t think that I want to know more. The more I know, the worse it will be. If she has been involved in something shady, it''s best if I don''t try to find more out. I should go to a different ce and start a new life. I will do any kind of job. The boy didn''t know much about the magic system here. He has seen a few people who could use magic. But, he knew little about it. The magic users are treated like nobles here. They are quite secretive about their knowledge. Pom might know more about it. It is already dark. I thank the boy a lot and ask him to promise me that he won''t tell another soul. He promises me with excitement. I return to the ce where I have found myself yesterday. There is noone who shares this ce with me. My bedding is just a nket. If the original owner earned money, why did she not even buy a proper bed? Did she spend everything on the food? My body is thin like a skeleton. She didn''t eat properly. It''s strange. I have decided. I will leave this city tomorrow. I will go somewhere far away. Somewhere who doesn''t know the original owner. If I have a new life, I need a new beginning. "Kresi!" Someone pushes me hard. "Wake up." I am drowsy. Who is this person? It''s the middle of the night. It''s hard to fall asleep in this cold weather. It''s harder to wake up after falling asleep. "Who are you?" I snap at him. He blinks at me. "Ollie was telling the truth. You really lost your memories." Ollie? There is only one person who heard my lies. That kid. I close my eyes in frustration. The kid promised me! "Come with me." He grabs my hand. "Pebby will take care of you." "Who are you?" I stand up. This boy is taller and older. He has baby pink hair and crystal blue eyes. His skin is milky white. This boy will be handsome in the future. "Tell me your name." "Aish!" He rubs his forehead. "You even forgot my name." If I lost my memories, I am supposed to forget everything. He watches me expectantly. He is hoping that I will suddenly blurt out his name. "It''s Raye," He tells me after I don''t say a thing. "For others, it''s Pom." He is Pom. They must have acted like they were not on good terms in front of everyone else. They meet like this at the coldest hour of the night. This is insane. This is getting worse. Original owner, just what kind of person were you? Is your name Kresi? "You are not well." He puts his palm against my forehead. "You got hit by her fire. I told you that you should get checked up. You told me not to bother you. Your body always healed itself. Why is it different this time? Did that woman hurt you badly? How can you lose your memories? You are a Mirin." Uh! Another information. The original owner is a Mirin. What is a Mirin? "I don''t know why this is happening," I tell him truthfully. Dear Raye, I really have no idea why I am inside your Kresi''s body. I have no idea where the original Kresi''s soul is. "Is it because you broke the seal?" He checks my pulse. "There is always a price. Today is a big night, Kresi. You cannot screw this up. We have to free him. If we don''t free him, people like us will keep dying." Okay. This is getting intense. Why are people like you are dying? It''s already screwed up because the original Kresi is not here. "Let''s get you checked up. We don''t have much time left." He drags me along with him. His voice is low and husky. "Mirai and Quinn are also there. Gabriel doesn''t know anything yet. If we seed, we can live freely. We don''t have to hide like this ever." Whoa! What''s going on here? I am shaking. This doesn''t sound good at all. It sounds like little kids are going behind adults and nning something big. "Who are we freeing?" There is no light. Yesterday night, I have seen three crescent moons. Tonight, there is none. I can''t see any star either. The night is cold and hair raising. There is no one on the street. The doors and windows are tightly shut. I can''t see a single person. Where are the homeless people? Are they hiding at their spots and pretending to be asleep? This city is loud and bubbly since the daybreak. Now, this city appears to be abandoned. "Our God." He is almost running with me. "If hees out, he will protect us from them. We will never get hurt. We can take revenge for everyone who has died, Kresi. You told us that. How did you forget everything?" Revenge for the dead. This is not getting better. Chapter 4: How to free a God (4) Chapter 4: How to free a God (4) We enter a rundown building. Raye slowly pushes the door and waits. He closes his eyes and listens to the noise. After a minute, he opens his eyes and walks into the building. I hesitate before following him in. Tomorrow, I am definitely running away from this city. He closes the door behind me. It''s dark, but I can see. This abandoned building is the house of rodents and weeds. We go downstairs. The stairs can barely hold our weight. At the basement, I see three kids sitting against the wall. They be quiet when they see us. "You are here, Kresi." The boy is around thirteen. He has a long face and a sharp gaze. His dark hair is tied into a ponytail. He pauses when he sees my expression. "I have been worried... Is your body healed?" "Quinn, she can''t remember a thing," Raye answers him instead of me. "Pebby, can you check her?" "What?" The pink hair girl who has Raye''s distinct features gasps in surprise. She is shorter than Quinn. Her age should be eleven at most. She looks into my eyes. Her eyes glow and flicker. She observes me from head to toe. "There is nothing wrong with her physically, brother," She tells Raye. "I am unable to check on her soul. I heard that the holy fire can harm the soul." "If her soul is hurt, Sharaya...." Quinn purses his lips. Pebby starts crying in a low voice. Who is Sharaya? I don''t know how to soothe children. I have never been around kids before my rebirth in this body. I have spent my days alone inside my house. What should I do? Should I hug her? Does patting works? "We will mourn for them properly, Pebby," The third boy in the room tells her in a sad voice. He must be Mirai. "We should free our God. He will take revenge for them. This world will pay for what they did." "But... what about Gabriel?" Pebby rubs her hands nervously. "He will hate us if we do this." "He thinks that we are dead. We don''t know where he is now." Quinn smacks her head. "He knows that only Raye is alive because he was in the beggar city at that time. What is he doing now? He is the one who brought Aeline to us. She pretended to be a good person. Later, she poisoned us before she set everything on fire. If Kresi didn''t appear that day, we would have died with the others. Kresi took away the poison of Dhath from our bodies. She got hit by Aeline''s holy fire for us. She killed Aeline to save us." What''s going on here? Their talk doesn''t sound normal to me. The four of us are dead to Gabriel. He doesn''t know that we survived the fire. Aeline poisoned the kids and burned them. The original Kresi managed to save these three kids. She killed Aeline and got hurt by her fire in the process. She must have been badly hurt. She didn''t say a thing to these kids because they would have been worried. After she went to rest in her spot, she must have died. Original owner is barely thirteen. At this age, she is extraordinary. What should I do? I am not the real Kresi. If that girl could do this at the age of thirteen, she was meant for great things. I am an ordinary person. She was nning to free some God before she died. I used to be an atheist before I was reborn. "Pebby, you stay here with Mirai," Raye tells her firmly. His tone preempts her next words. "You two are not of age yet. That ce is risky. If we don''te back by daybreak, find the beggar king. He will send you to the middle realm. Lady Gianna will give you shelter. Even if it means losing freedom, don''t leave her protection. She is the only one who can protect you from them." "We thought the same when we went to the Bn woods." Mirai looks down at his feet. "She betrayed us." "We will teach her a lesson," Raye promises him. "Remember that the harbinger is with us. Nobody can stop us from freeing our God. Once he is freed, nobody will hurt us again." Mirai nods slowly. All of them looks at me with hope. I take a step back. Why are you looking at me like that? I have no idea how to free God. I should tell them the truth. "Listen." I look at Rai seriously. "There is something that I need to say." "There is no time now." Rai grabs my and Quinn arms. "Ready?" "Yes." "Wait!" The room disappears around me. It dissolves into the air. We fall on the meadow under the starless sky. It''s surrounded by the forest. Did we just teleport for real? "You told us that it''s here." Rai looks down. "As long as we can open the gate here, he can be freed." "About that, I can''t do magic." I rub the back of my neck. "Actually, I am not Kresi." "What did you say?" Rai stares at me. "You are not you?" "I think that she needs to see a good healer," Quinnments quietly. "We have never seen anyone who survived after getting hit by the holy fire. Though Aeline wasn''t the true wielder, she can still use it roughly against the harbinger. If it was the true wielder who used it against her, she would have died." They won''t believe me, would they? They think that I lost my memories because of Aeline''s fire. This is a headache. I should not havee with these kids. "I know." Rai sighs. "We can''t go back, Kresi. You are the only one who can enter the forbidden realm. We can open the gate here. The key is also buried here. Once the gate is unlocked, you have to enter the forbidden realm and find him. After he is released, he will fix you." That sounds easy. I just have to find a person and bring him out. "What does he look like?" "How would I know?" Rai sounds irritated. "Kresi, only you can recognize him. You are his harbinger." That''s not helping at all. Chapter 5: How to free a God (5) Chapter 5: How to free a God (5) Raye and Quinn close their eyes and chants in low voice. I am standing in the middle, feeling awkward and uneasy. They aren''t going to sacrifice me, are they? It''s been only a day since I have been reborn in this body. I am getting sacrificed to the dark lord. How are they going to kill me? I should run. Screw thirteenth or fourteenth god! I have a bad feeling about this. The original owner died because of magical fire. These two boys want revenge for the kids who were killed by some woman. I am not cut out for this. The original owner was thirteen when she died. I was twenty-six years old when I died. She died when she was half of my age. She was brave and hero to these people. I am not a hero. I am a shut-in frencer who doesn''t like talking to other human beings. I want to go back. The list is long. Before I can run, a giant metallic gate with different sizes of mechanical gears and chains appear in front of me. Raye and Quinn stop chanting and looks at the gate with amazement. My reaction is the same. How can a gigantic gate appear out of nowhere? Why I am still standing here after seeing this? I am amazed that I have not peed my pants. "It worked." Raye releases a breath of relief. "Kresi, open it." I stare at him nkly. Dude, how am I supposed to open this thing? It''s a magical door. Who knows where it goes! "Raye, she said that she forgot." Quinn pushes his sses on his nose. "Do you know how to open it?" "She didn''t teach me that." Raye scratches his head. "Kresi, you taught me how to summon the gate. You told me that using a strand of your hair as a medium would work. But, I used you as the medium. You didn''t tell me how to open the universal gate." "..." Original Owner, what was just wrong with you? What have you been teaching these kids? If you wanted to teach, you should have taught everything. I point at the gate. "The God is inside there?" "He should be." Raye doesn''t look sure at all. "The universal gate can open the gate to any ce or world." My ears perk up when I hear Quinn''s words. So, this gate can take me to any world or any ce. Can I go back home then? My world. Earth. I want to breathe the polluted air in my city. I want to touch myptop and phone again. I want to eat delicious food again. "But, we also need the key." Quinn raises his finger. "The universal gate is like an empty portal with no destination. If we put in the right key, we can go to the ce where we want to go. Kresi told us before that the key is buried in the heart of Bn. We are standing here now. The gate needs to absorb the key." "Ah!" Raye looks like he can understand Quinn''s gibberish. "I can''t feel any key though." "Kresi can." Quinn nces at me. "You are the harbinger. You were the first one to know that the key was here. You should be able to summon it." "..." Things are pointed back to me again. I can''t go back to my world. I have to find a damn key. Am I transmigrated to an MMORPG? I have never yed fantasy games though. Let''s get this over with. I take a deep breath and ask, "Do you know how to summon a key?" "She doesn''t remember anything." Raye looks like he is going to start crying at any moment. "We don''t have much time before the daybreak. If we fail, the Bn spirit will kill us. The day of the union will not happen for the next hundred years." Okay. Noted. We have to leave this ce before daybreak. "Touch the ground and try to feel it." Quinn points at the ground. He doesn''t move from his spot. "If you feel something, try to summon it to you." Is it a dog that wille if I call it toe to me? I shake my head dismissively and follows his instructions anyway. The ground is wet and cold. There is a faint scent in the air. At first, I don''t feel anything special at all. I open my one eye to peek at Quinn. Then, I open my other eye to peek at Raye. Both of them are looking at me with full of expectations. I sigh. Kids. I put some efforts in...summoning. If there is a key in the ground, pleasee to me. I feel the vibration under my hand. A pull. Like mas. As if a thread is connected on the other side. I pull it toward me slowly at first. Then, I lose my patience and try to wrap it up as fast as I can. The glowing blue key suddenly appears in the hand. It''s pretty. "I knew that you could do it." Raye ps and grins widely. I roll my eyes. You were on the verge of crying a minute ago. Quinn is nodding his head like an old man. "Kresi, we don''t have time. Open the gate." I look at the gate. I can''t see any key hole. I put the key in my palm and show it to the gate. Does it need a spell? Abra ka dabra?* Khul Ja Sim Sim?* The keyhole appears in front of me. I sigh and put in the key. The glowing blue magical key disappears and the gears start to move. I hear the sounds of chains moving. The sound is loud and captivating. Not just one lock. I see many locks and each lock is unlocking the other one. Finally, it stops. The mechanical gears disappear from the gate. The universal gate turns ck. "It is open." I am awed and dazzled. I lightly push the gate. It opens soundlessly. In front of me, there is only hollow darkness. I hesitate and look at Quinn. "Do we have to go inside?" "You have to go inside." Quinn gives me a small smile. "We can''t." I stare at the darkness. I can''t hear a sound. I can''t smell or see anything. I have lived alone. So, I am not afraid of darkness. But, it feels like bad things are there. It''s natural that these two kids are afraid. "It''s going to be daybreak soon. The Bn Spirit will wake up soon." Raye looks up at the sky with worry. "Kresi, you go inside and find our God. We will go back to Beggar City. After you find the god, you should meet us there." Wait, what? "No...wait...how do I even get to the beggar city?" I look at him with shock. These kids are abandoning me. They are really using me as a sacrificialmb. "You have to ask our God," Raye tells me with a straight face. "He can open the gate to anywhere." "But..." I protest. This is unfair. "Kresi, the Bn Spirit won''t hesitate to chop us into pieces if she sees us here. Get inside." Raye sighs and waves his hand. I feel a push and fall through the gate. I scream when I hit the hard floor. The gate closes behind me. "These punks!" I curse them. I have been used. -------------- *Some popr lines from the famous stories Chapter 6: How to free a God (6) Chapter 6: How to free a God (6) I have been walking and walking and walking....non-stop. I am surprised more by my stamina than this never-ending corridor. There are doors on both sides with locks. Each keyhole is shaped differently. There are glowing runes painted on each door. It''s not as scary as I thought it to be. Still, those kids shouldn''t have done that to me. Is the original owner some kind of pushy girl? They have been relying on her a lot. Then, they decide to push her inside like she is the answer to everything. After I find this person, I will throw him to them and run to the other side of the world. I will find a universal gate and the key to my world. I will return to Earth. It''s not impossible. There is hope. I didn''t pay attention to where I was going. I hit a hard wall, falling on my butt. My nose is bleeding. Argh! I want food. "Master!" I am frozen in my spot. Its voice is deep and echoing. It''s strange. This thing even bigger than the universal gate. ck as coal and slimy, the creature is iling his arms in all the directions. It has too many eyes to count. "I have been waiting." It leans toward me. "You smell different, Harbinger." The strangest part is thenguage. I have already noticed that thenguage of this world is different from my world. But, I can understand everything. I don''t know why. Right now, this monster is not speaking in thenguage of Beggar City. I can still understand him. "So, she died." Some of its eyes close. Some of its eyes are blinking. A few are staring right at my face. "The soul is reced." I have been found out. This monster knows. I am going to die. "It doesn''t matter to me, Master." The monster opens his huge mouth and yawns. I can see countless canine teeth that are as long as my arms. It has bad breath. "I only serve the harbinger. Even if the soul change, my master is the harbinger." "You..." I can''t feel my legs. "You know that I am inside her body. It doesn''t matter to you?" "Master, you are the harbinger," he tells me like it''s a fact. "Before you, more than three thousand harbingers was born and killed by the Renasir and the vessel of the holy fire. However, this is the first time when a harbinger is born in the body of the previous harbinger. It''s rare, but not unusual. If the body is intact, the heart doesn''t need a new body. It only needs a new soul." What? "For the time being, you are the harbinger." The monster opens all of its eyes and grins widely. "I will only serve you." I put my hands in my pockets to hide my shaking. "So, harbingers are born frequently. There is someone who kills them whenever they are born. The person who killed the previous owner of this body is..." "The vessel of the holy fire." The monster moves back a bit. I realize that I can breathe now. "My old mastermanded me to kill the vessel and then, she sent me here to wait." "Sent you here to wait?" I widen my eyes. "She could already open the gate to this ce?" "Of course." The monster sounds like he is puzzled. "All the harbingers can open the gate to this ce. But, she was an extraordinary one. She could actually break open the prison too. She was the first harbinger to set me free from my prison cell. I didn''t ask her though. It was better if she chose someone else. I was resting and minding my business. Suddenly, she appeared and summoned me out. She ordered me to eat the vessel. She freed the holy fire and made way for it to choose the true wielder who is supposed to stop the harbinger from freeing the dark lord." What does that mean? Anything with the word ''dark'' is bad in the stories. So, the original owner was from the good side or bad side? Am I in danger or not? Was she really thirteen? If she could open it, why did she teach opening the universal gate to Raye? What was that key about? In case something happened to her, she might have wanted Raye to open the gate with the key. The key could be summoned by anyone and anyone could enter this ce. Raye and Quinn fooled me. I remember their expressions. They might not have fooled me. The original owner might not have shared the whole information. She might have died before she could. It doesn''t matter anymore. I am here in her ce now. "She has been hit with the holy fire once before she summoned me. The vessel can only wield a minuscule part of the holy fire. Still, the holy fire is detrimental to the harbinger." It looks at me strangely. "When she was hurt, the bond between the soul and the body was weakened. The body didn''t die, but the soul did. You reced her at that time." "Why did I rece her soul?" "You were chosen as the harbinger like many before you...Master. Your soul ispatible with the heart of our God." Compatible, my foot! I want a normal heart. Where can I get a heart transnt in this world? "You said that I am the first one who is born in the body of the previous harbinger." My beginning is already unnatural in this strange world. "I don''t know why you are like this, Master. But, you are here. You are the harbinger." He ils his arms up and down happily. I take deep breaths. Calm down. Let''s just finish what I havee here for. "Do you know where the thirteenth god is?" He turns around, but he keeps his eyes on me from the back of his head. Literally. "Master, the night of the union isn''t over yet. We can free the dark lord tonight." "Yes, I am here for that." Not sure whether I am going to do that or not. I want to check out this dark lord first. If he is a good person, I might help him break his prison. Some people are meant to stay inside the prison forever. Chapter 7: How to adopt him? (1) Chapter 7: How to adopt him? (1) It''s thest door. "So, he is here." I am a bit surprised that I am not tired of walking. In front of me, there is a door withplicated shining runes strung together as ayer on the door. "These runes only appear on the day of the union." I hear Mogrok say. "Before they disappear, you have to break them." The monster has introduced himself properly. His name is Mogrok which means ''ck Charm'' in thenguage of the forgotten. When he was barely a toddler, he lost his family in the war. He grew up as an orphan during the war and then, he was thrown in this realm alongside others who survived the war. Qeshaya, the forbidden prison, has an infinite flow of raw magical energy called ''Ehr''. He didn''t have to go anywhere for food. He has been living inside hisfortable prison cell until the previous harbinger broke him out of his prison cell. Now, he cannot go back inside the prison after she left him here. "I see." I give him a nod and touch the runes. They are soft like the spider''s web. It''s like rays of sunlight are woven together as a sheet. I pull one. It breaks like a thread. "This is surprisingly easy." "Those are God runes." Mogrok is rather surprised. "These runes carry the strength of the eleven Gods. How are you able to break them easily?" "I can." I clear the web of the runes. Ites off easily. "So, I shall." "You are amazing, Master." I feel its hot breath near the back of my neck. It gives me goosebumps. Calm down! He won''t eat me now. I am supposed to be his master. I keep my tone light and tell him, "Keep distance." "As you wish, Master." I can sense the amusement in his voice. Thest door is a ck metallic door with no keyhole. Again! It feels like I am running around doors a lot. I touch all over the cold metal. It''s smooth and smells of blood. I purse my lips. It''s time to ask the monster. When I am turning around, the glowing blue universal key appears in my hand again. In the next moment, the keyhole appears in the door. I put in the key and twist it without dy. The door opens with a click. The feeling of dread fills me. I should have thought before unlocking a God''s prison, right? "Master, you came prepared," Mogrok tells me with glee. "That''s the universal key. It can open any door. The God Cina made it with his own hands. I have only heard about it from others. How did you find this key?" "I have been lucky." I have been receiving contradictory information. Raye told me that this key should open the door to the prison of the thirteenth God. Mogrok tells me that it can open the door to anyce. Since the key hasn''t disappeared yet, Mogrok must have been right. Did Kresi not know this? Or did she know and want to use this key to free this God on the day of the union? Alright. I am just fulfilling thest wishes of a dead person. After I take this God out, I am going to go back to my world with this Key. I push the door and walk inside. It''s a big room with countless runes and spells inscribed on the walls, ceiling, and the floor. It''s glowing brightly, lighting the room with a dim glow. In the middle of the room, I see a young child in a ck robe. He barely looks eleven or twelve at most. He is chained to the floor. "Oh...Damn!" I rush to the kid and check his vitals. I can''t feel his pulse. His skin is cold as ice. I pull the golden chains and it breaks like rotten ropes. "Wake up." I rub his palms and feet. I perform the CPR on him. But, the boy doesn''t open his eyes. Is he dead? "Master, if you take him out of this ce, he will be resuscitated." Mogrok hasn''t followed me inside. I blink at him like an idiot. "Why is that?" "This room keeps him in this state." He points at the spell with his one arm. "These spells will keep him asleep like this. If you want to wake him up, bring him out of that room." The spells around me are heating up. The room is also heating up. I pick up the kid on my back and bring him out of the room. In the corridor, Iy him down on the floor and feel his pulse. "What are you doing, Master?" He eyes me curiously. "Why do you keep holding his wrist?" "I want to feel his pulse." This kid doesn''t have any pulse. Is he dead already? Am I toote? Oh God, what''s going on? What am I supposed to do? "He doesn''t have a heart." He circles around me. "His heart is inside you, Master." What? I look at the kid. He has ck hair and ivory skin. His lips are pale. His features are sharp and intense. His long ck eyshes flutter like the butterflies'' wings. His skin is not cold like before. It''s warming up. He stares at me with his dark eyes. I wait while holding my breath. He doesn''t say anything. I don''t say anything either. I notice that he is quite beautiful. Even at this state, he is strangely beautiful and alluring. Godly levels. Wait, he is a God! Of course, he has a godly level of beauty. I clear my throat and look away. "Are you the thirteenth God?" I should ask the person to confirm. The kid sits up. His piercing eyes are unsettling. I look at Mogrok for help. He is also observing the kid. "Why isn''t he speaking?" I ask him. "He is weakened and reduced to this state because of the long imprisonment in that room." Mogrok sits down on the floor beside us. "He is too weak to speak now...Who will believe that he is our God?" "You are quite disrespectful of someone who is supposed to be your God." I frown at him. This kid looks like he has gone through a cruel experience. "I serve the heart of the dark god," Mogrok tells me gravely. "When the previous harbinger freed me, she made the contract using the heart. She knew that the harbinger is someone who carries the heart of the thirteenth God. I don''t have any loyalty to the thirteenth God as long as the heart is inside you. If he takes back the heart from you, I will serve him. Even if I am a dark spirit, I am bound by the contract." Speechless. The dark God can take the heart back. What would be of me then? Can I live without a heart? "Besides, I was barely a baby when I was brought to this prison," Mogrokments in a low voice. "I lost my family in the war. I have never seen or serve the Dark God. I do not feel anything for him. For thest ten thousand years, I have been stuck inside a room. I wanted to stay inside that room and continue to nap, but the harbinger freed me. Now, I can''t enter myfortable room even if I want to. I am not interested in war or revenge. I just want to live, eat, and sleep." That sounds like me. I have been brought to this world against my wills when I just wanted to live inside my room in my world. This kid is eyeing us innocently, unaware of what''s going on here. There is a mix of confusion and fear in his eyes. "Kid, what''s your name?" He opens his mouth and tries to speak. He closes his mouth, looking confused. "I don''t remember," He says after a moment. I look at Mogrok. "What''s going on?" "He must have lost his memories." Mogrok looks at me helplessly. I pat the kid''s head when he looks down sadly. "It''s alright. He will remember in time." He peeks up at me hopefully. What should I do with him? "Master, if you keep him with you, he might kill you in the future." Mogrok seems peeved for some reason. "Why can''t we leave this prison and live a peaceful life somewhere? I want to sleep." "I can''t throw him away." Though Mogrok''s words are the words of my soul, I can''t toss away a kid like this. He might be the thirteenth god. He might be the god of the Darkness. But, how can I throw him away when he is looking at me like this? His eyes are like my pet cat who died when I was in elementary school. Chapter 8: How to adopt him? (2) Chapter 8: How to adopt him? (2) How do we get out of this ce? We stand at the main door. I have passed through the corridor and didn''t free any other creature. Mogrok and I are probably soulmates because we both want an easy life. I can''t tell the same about the other creatures here. Now, I have an amnesiac God in the kid''s body. "Kid, do you know how to open the gate?" He shakes his head when he hears my question. Looks like we are both idiots. I look up at Mogrok. "You have to use the universal key and think of the ce where you want to go." Really? As soon as I think of the key, it manifests in my hand. I put it in the keyhole and think of my home in the world. When I twist it, it doesn''t turn. So, it doesn''t work for the other world. Cina, the god ofnd and nature, didn''t make a universal key that can open the door to the other worlds. It''s just a key that works for the ces in this world. Great! I only know of one ce in this world. I think about the basement where I met Pebby, Quinn, and Mirai. This time, I hear a click. The door turns small and ordinary. I open it and walk inside with the kid. "Master..." Mogrok is stuck on the door. "Wait a moment." In a second, he transforms into a small round pig with only three eyes and three feet. He doesn''t have a tail or ears. He hops inside the basement. The door closes itself and disappears in the wall. "Well..." I look at this small creature at amazement. "The flow of Ehr is sparse here." Mogrok looks around the room. "If I stay in my original form, I will starve, Master." "No....it''s cool." I poke his round head. "You should stay like this." "Master likes this form." Mogrok is clearly displeased. "Master, where are we?" There is no one in the basement. I see muddy footprints on the floor. Is it already daybreak? They told me that they would wait for me here. Pebby, Raye, and Quinn are gone. If they were here, I would have sent this kid off with them. I nce at the kid. He is holding the edge of my sleeve and looking around curiously. Sigh! Original Owner, I have taken your body. I have taken your powers. I have freed God too. Now, I have to take care of him instead of you. Fine. I will do so. I will take responsibility. From now on, I will be Kresi. But, I will live this life ording to my will. I won''t seek revenge or lead a group that wants revenge. I will raise him and make him a good person. Then, he won''t think of taking my heart. He will be a good God. Perhaps, everyone can make up and go together. Maybe he will help me find a way back to my world. "What are you thinking?" Mogrok nudges my foot. "Where should we go?" I ignore his questions. "Do you know his name?" Mogrok reply is straightforward. "I can''t say his name. It''s forbidden by thews of this world." "Ah!" Laws. Set of rules for this world. The name of this God is also forbidden to say. These Gods are rather strict. "We should give him a name then." "Master, you are new. You should be careful about names. If you give him a name, you will have a stronger bond with him." Mogrok walks around in a circle. It seems like it is his habit. "We can''t just call him kid everywhere." The kid is raising his sharp brows cutely. "Your name is Kyo. I am Kresi. From now on, you are my younger brother, okay? We are family." "I am Kyo. I am your younger brother." Kyo speaks slowly, but his speech is clear. "We are family." "Good." This is the start. I will keep my enemy close. If he and I have a close rtionship, he won''t think about taking the heart. "Master, you are really careless with words." Mogrok licks his lips. "When he remembers, he will get mad." "Is that so?" I pinch Kyo''s cheek. "Will you get mad at me?" "I won''t." His cheek turns red because of the pinch. "I will never get mad at my elder sister." "Then, promise me." I let go of his cheeks. "Promise me that you will do anything that I ask you to." "I promise you." Kyo promises me without a second thought. "You should remember these words." I grin at him. It might be a futile effort. "You promised me that you will follow my words always. You will keep this promise after you remember who you are, right?" "I will." Kyo nods furiously. "I will listen to my sister." "Good." I cross my arms and smirk at Mogrok who rolls his eyes. "Master, you will regret doing this today. He is the God of darkness. A God''s promise cannot be taken lightly. Because of the promise today, you became his sister. He will be quite angry when he remembers." "I don''t think so, Mogrok. I will raise this boy into a fine man. When he remembers that he is a God, he will remain a good person." I gaze at him. "Isn''t it right, Kyo?" "I will be a fine man." I hear him say. He is doing well so far. Chapter 9: How to leave the city? (1) Chapter 9: How to leave the city? (1) My happiness does notst long. There is a loud noise outside. The building starts to shake dangerously. Earthquake? I grab Kyo''s hand and run upstairs. This building is about copse. We barely make it out in time. Close! Fire. The houses are fire. People are screaming and running in all directions. Soldiers are killing anyone on sight. I hide behind a broken wall with Kyo. Mogrok sits in myp and peeks out. "Master, where did you bring us?" "It''s called Beggar City." I look at the soldiers in yellow and brown uniforms. They are yelling and shooting themoners with their rifles. Not even leaving the kids. The blood is washing the streets. Bodies are lying everywhere. I have never seen anything like this before. Kyo''s warm hand is the only thing that is keeping my head cool at the moment. I didn''t want him to see this. "Kyo," I whisper to him. "Close your eyes and sleep." He closes his eyes. He doesn''t fall asleep right away. Mogrok blinks his triple eyes. He doesn''t say anything. A few soldiers are carrying shotguns. These shotguns are barely half an arm long. When the soldiers use it, neon rays of light shoots out and sts the buildings in one go. "That''s impure ehr, Master." Mogrok makes a face. "I miss my ce. The flow of Ehr was good there." "If you want, I can send you back there." "No, I was bored out of my mind. I can''t sleep on the cold floor." Mogrok''s lips curl down. "Master, can I eat that man?" I look at him nkly. "What did you say?" "Ever since I ate that vessel''s flesh, I have been craving it." He drools while eyeing the soldiers. "Each life carries some amount of Ehr. I want to taste the meat again." I am going to pretend that I didn''t hear it. "Did you find them?" A big man in golden Armour appears out of nowhere. His clothes are a bit strange. He is carrying a sword. A freaking long sword. His is wearing leathers and long boots. I can''t see his face because of the golden mask. "Lord," the leader of the soldier groups bends down on his knees. "We have searched the city. We couldn''t find a single one. I think that they have escaped." "Where could they have gone?" The big man looks around. I wonder who they are looking for. Escaped criminals? Rebel groups? "Alert everyone." The man speaks in a deep angry voice. "Alert your leaders. Look for those cursed spawns in each corner of this city. We can never be sure. The harbinger has seeded in freeing the forbidden God. The end is near. We must use all of our forces to stop the harbinger and the dark God. We must assist the chosen one." Wait! They are talking about me. Mogrok and I share a look. Kyo is sleeping soundlessly. How did they find out? I just brought this kid out of that ce. Who is this chosen one? "Lord, the chosen one will arrive here?" "No, but the Renasir ising." "Renasir ising!" The leader of the soldiers yells in surprise. "But, this city is..." "Clean up the city." I hear the sound of footsteps walking away. I wait for a long moment before I peek out. I can''t see anyone. The sky is getting darker. Dead bodies are lying around us. I will not be able to forget this scene. "Master, can I eat these?" Mogrok asks me hopefully. "That''s not respectable to the dead." My stomach is queasy. I resist throwing up. "Master, that was your old world." Mogrok chuckles lowly. "This is Iravan. You are the harbinger. If you want to live, you need to be cruel." "I don''t know." I look at Kyo. He didn''t break his promise. He shouldn''t see this. He is still innocent. I know that it is wrong. But, he should remain innocent as long as he can. I turn my back at Mogrok and cover my ears. "Eat them. Don''t leave anything out for him to see." When Mogrok is finished, he nudges my foot. I wake Kyo up and walk out of that ce. I avoid looking at the cobbled street. Mogrok walks ahead of us to eat any dead body. We avoid the soldiers, thanks to Mogrok''s strong sense of smell. Whenever there is a Soldier, he warns us beforehand. We hide until the soldiers are gone. The city is quiet. I can''t hear a soul. I wonder if everyone is dead. But, Mogrok guesses my thoughts. "They are hiding," He tells me quietly. "Most have them are hiding in the other side of the city. Some have run to the forest. Where should we go, Harbinger?" "Where..." I have the universal key, but I don''t know any other ce. Raye has said something about a ce where they could be safe. He has asked Pebby to go there in case he didn''t return before the daybreak. He must have guessed that things could go wrong if we seed at freeing this God. Middle Realm. I should try to open the door to that ce. The Renasir and Vessel have killed the previous harbingers to stop them from freeing this God. Now, the Vessel is dead. The Renasir ising to this city alone. We should leave this city before the Renasir arrives. I go to one of the walls with an intact door and summon the glowing key. I think of the ce that Raye spoke of. I twist the key and push open the door. "It''s not working." There is nothing on the other side. "This key only works for the gates, Master." "But, it opened the door before." I open the door once more. "His prison door was also a gate." Mogrok jumps in front of me. "Master, you need to summon a gate." Back to point zero. The key disappears in my hand. "I don''t know how to summon a gate right now. We should get out of the ce and figure something out." "Why are you afraid, Master?" Mogrok jumps up and down. "I can eat them all. I can finish them all." "I will protect you, Elder Sister," Kyo suddenly says to me. I am surprised by these two words. "I don''t want to hurt anyone." I don''t have any doubt on Mogrok''s abilities. But, Kyo is a kid. I should protect him. "Kyo, let this elder sister protect you. We will go to a safe ce and live a happy life." "Safe ce," He mumbles to himself. "Happy life." "Master, if that''s your wish, then where do you want to go?" "You said that people are hiding in the woods." I squat down in front of Mogrok. "Take us to the woods. You can smell it, right?" "Yes, Master!" Chapter 10: How to leave the city? (2) Chapter 10: How to leave the city? (2) "Kresi, you are alive." When wee to the forest, the first person that greets me from the group of the survivor is actually a girl in herte teen. She has a long face and a small mouth. Her hair is unruly and dark. Her eyes are beady, grey, and cute. She has a strong scent of flowers on her. Her dress is torn in some ces. Anyway, I have never seen her before. "I didn''t expect to see you." The girl raises her hand to touch my head. A white pale hand ps her hand away. Both of us look at Kyo who is ring at the woman. "This boy is cute." The girl chuckles lowly. "Where did you pick him up, Kresi?" In a forbidden prison. "He is my younger brother." "You have a younger brother?" She scrutinises our faces. "You don''t look alike." "I adopted him." I keep my tone calm. "Dalia, do you know these kids?" A middle-aged manes behind her. He and others are wary of us. "My lord, they are from the city." She gives him a slight bow. "They are the people of the Beggar King." His eyes be round. "His people? They are young." "Our king only cares about strength." Dalia beams. "Age, gender, race, or status do not matter to him." This Beggar King is an interesting person. King of Beggars, huh? It''s only a name. "If you are one of his people, then it is alright." The man leaves after giving me a respectable bow. Kyo is clutching hard on my arm. I realize that we have not eaten anything. "Kresi, why are you here?" Dalia asks me after the man is gone. "You should have gone to the hideout." Life would have been easier if I knew where the hideout was. Tiredness is taking over my body. "Do you have food?" Dalia is surprised by my words. "Wait here." Kyo, Mogrok, and I sit under the tree. We keep a distance from the other survivors. Women. Men. Children. Old People. Some beasts. Dalia is talking to the lord. He gives her a creepy smile. An old man like him is flirting with a girl who has not reached half of his age. I hear the crunching sound. It''s Kyo who is holding a small rabbit in his hands. The rabbit is translucent, dimly glowing, and smooth. It has no fur. If it hasn''t been struggling in his hands, I would have thought that it was a toy. Kyo takes a bite out of the rabbit. He chews slowly. There is no blood oozing out of the rabbit. Nothing at all. Is it a jelly rabbit? Can I eat it too? "He is hungry." Mogrok stares at him. "Master, we need to find more spirits to feed him." "Spirits?" I look at the rabbit. "That''s a spirit." "A low-level spirit beast." Mogrok''s eyes have a strange gleam. "Though the flow of Ehr is low in this realm, these spirit beasts have a higher flow of ehr. I want to eat one too." "If you want one, find one by yourself." Kyo has already finished the rabbit. Dalia justes in time. She hands me a basket. "That''s all I have right now." She sits near me. "Kresi, you didn''t see Beggar King?" "No." I open the basket. Bread and pickles. "Thank you for the food." "It''s nothing. Put in some good words to the King''s ears for me." She gives me a refreshing smile. "I will." I break the bread into four portions. I give one to Kyo who frown when he holds it. Mogrok refuses with his one leg. Dalia refuses by saying, "I am full." If nobody wants it, I will eat it then. "Did you see Pom?" I ask Dalia. "Or a girl with pink hair?" "No." Dalia shakes her head. "I have not seen Pom since yesterday. I haven''t seen any girl with pink hair. Are you looking for him?" Did they get out of this city? Are Raye and Quinn still in Bn? I am worried about those punks. "If you ever see him, tell him that I have been looking for him." "I will." Dalia gives me a nod and leaves. I take a bite from the cold bread. The pickles are too spicy. It''s dark. Some of the survivors areughing and singing. It looks like this is just another day for them. It''s a beggar city. The cost of life here is cheaper than mud. Dalia and the Lord go inside the makeshift tent. After a while, most of the survivors fall asleep. Kyo and Mogrok fall asleep. We can''t stay here. We have to leave before the Renasir arrives. There are two men talking in low and serious voices. Their suspicious gazes and acts attract my attention. I can hear their voices clearly. "I heard that people from the higher realms areing." "Last time, one of them burned the city to the ground when they were looking for those evil creatures." "It''s the same this time. No one was found." "It''s not safe here. We should head to the capital." "How should we go? The gates are barred." "There is a way, Son." The old man lowers his head. "Now that things are bad and people from the higher realms areing, the general will send away the precious mining resources before they arrive. There is a gate. It''s not far from here. He might be using that one. If we make it in time, we can hide inside in one of the carriages. They will be in a hurry and won''t check." "Can we make it in time?" His son is agitated. "Why didn''t you say it earlier?" "We don''t need other people to know. If we run now, we can make it in time." The old man smirks. The old man and his son do not leave immediately. They collect food and coins from sleeping people. They are professional thieves. Nothing is shocking to me anymore. I wake up Kyo and Mogrok. "Don''t speak," I tell them in a low voice. "What''s wrong?" Mogrok rolls on his back. "I am sleepy...Master...." The old man and his son are leaving with a smallmp. They have not noticed us. When they turn around and walk, I start following them with Kyo and Mogrok. They are quite confident because they never turn around and look once. Maybe, they don''t care. We walk for a short time in the dark. There is no noise in the forest. But, Kyo and Mogrok have caught and ate five spirits in a short time. "Ooooh!" Mogrok looks ahead and whistles. "That''s a gate, Master." The old man and his son stop in front of a cave. There is nobody here other than us. They look around and then, they go inside. I try to hear what''s going on. "Father, there is no one here." "They could be using the other one." The old man sounds nervous. "Argh!" The son sounds frustrated. "Should we go back to the city?" "No, going back to the city is out of the question. We should go back to the others." After they leave, we go inside the cave. Red runes are drawn on the walls of the cave. The runes shine and flicker on the walls. "They are reacting to you, Master." "Is it normal?" "I don''t know." Mogrok points at the ground. "The gate is here. If you put in the key, you can go to the ce where it leads to." Getting out of here is a priority. I will think of other thingster. Hopefully, it won''t be a bad ce. I open the gate using the universal key. The ground disappears under my feet. I scream when we fall in the hole. Chapter 11: How to make a deal? (1) Chapter 11: How to make a deal? (1) The Renasir is ghastly pale, almost like a ghost. Her dark hair is loosely tied into a golden hairpin. Her maroon cloak flutters with the wind as she watches the city drowned in the fire with her lonely eyes. The Renasir of Iravan is dying. Only she knows this. "Have you found them?" "Mydy." The man in silver armor and mask bends on his one knee. "We couldn''t." They have received the news only after the day of the union. The high queen of Aredes is dead. The true wielder of the holy fire has appeared. The harbinger has freed the God of darkness. The Bn Spirit has closed the Bn woods to any outsider. In one night, everything has changed. "We have been careless," Mayaeira Mirin, the Renasir of Iravan, whispers to the wind. The vessel of the holy fire has always been the high queen of Aredes for generations. Just like that, it''s always been a Mirin who became the Renasir. The two bloodlines are tied together by the main Gods. It''s the Renasir who finds the Harbinger and helps the vessel to kill it. She has done this before. She couldn''t do it this time. On the night of the union, when the whole world falls asleep mysteriously, it is the Renasir''s and the vessel''s duty to prevent the Harbinger from freeing God. However, The vessel died at the hands of the harbinger. The holy fire has chosen the true wielder. The harbinger has sessfully freed the thirteenth God. She has used her strength to stabilize the chosen one''s conditions for thest few days. He has survived the binding between the holy fire and his soul. So, it''sing to end. She has failed. She has known that the harbinger has been living in this city. That child didn''t listen to her. Now, she needs to find the next Renasir before she dies. Mayaeira Mirin spreads her palm, trying to sense the harbinger''s energy. She knows that its futile. That child is long gone from this ce. Is that child already dead? Something is not right. She can sense that the harbinger is still alive after freeing the thirteenth God. It''s good if they have time. She will find the next Renasir before it starts. The chosen one needs next Renasir. Her time has ended. It''s a new beginning for someone else. *** Mogrok cleans his teeth with his tongue. They have arrived in the storehouse around an hour ago. It''s full of resources with dense and impure ehr. The harbinger has hit her head and passed out when they arrived. He has never seen anyone like this. His previous master was better. She was cool. She knew what to do. This one is clueless. She treats the dark God like a human being. She isn''t cautious or afraid of him either. What if he takes over the contract and eats her soul? She should be cautious of him. This soul has no experience in magic. She keeps making mistake. She is easily frightened, but she is also strangely calm. Right now, she has a big red bump on her forehead. Kyo is squatting near her and poking her cheek. "She won''t wake up." Mogrok knows that he is also screwed up. When the dark God remembers, he will be punished too. If he is going to punished, then let it be so. He should do whatever he wants to. "Boy, she lost consciousness. She will wake up in time." "Is she hurt?" Kyo asks him with a poker face. "Is Elder sister in pain?" "She is not in pain now." Or maybe, she is. How would he know? "Are you hungry, my God?" "I am." "See this." Mogrok looks around at the stones, nts, dead spirits, and other treasures with dense and impure ehr. "We can eat this." "What about sister?" Kyo rubs her bump. She moans in pain. "She will be fine." Mogrok takes a big bite of the boulder that was supposed to go through purification and turned into mana. "We should finish eating this before she wakes up." Kyo is hungry. He doesn''t think much and begins eating the resources that have been the caused of the war of the three nations in the lower realm. In the next few hours, the storehouse is empty. There is nothing left other than waste. When the people arrive, they find two children lying side by side and a spirit beast who is snoring without a care for the world. The entire treasures are gone. There is nothing but dust and waste products. "It''s gone." "Thief!" "What will we say to the general?" "Catch these kids first." Kresi, Kyo, and Mogrok are put inside the cages and taken to the madam of the house. Kyo and Mogrok are drooling in sleep. They wake up after someone throws a bucket of water on them. Kresi rubs her throbbing forehead and looks around. Why is she inside a cage? "Master, I want to eat them." Mogrok is annoyed. "Ever since I came to this realm, I have had no peace." She ignores Mogrok and asks the woman in front of her, "What''s going on?" "You are awake." She is sitting on a high seat. She is dressed in a white silk dress and shy pieces of jewellery. Her face is as hard as the stone. The woman has long brown hair. The servants are standing with low heads. "Who are you?" Kresi remembers falling through the gate. How did she end up in a cage? The woman grunts at her. "You pretend not to know, isn''t it?" Kresi bes quiet. She looks at Mogrok and Kyo for some information. But, one is fuming with anger. Another one is looking at her with his cute eyes. Hopeless. She looks back at the woman. "Why are we in the cages?" "You stole our treasures." The woman scowls at them. "Before my Lordes back, you will tell me where the treasures are." She is annoyed. Why does she keep getting into these situations? She didn''t steal when she was starving on the street. Would she steal now? "We didn''t steal any treasure, Master." "We only ate them, Sister." "We didn''t steal." Kresi crosses her arm in defence. "We only ate..." She stares at Kyo. "What did you say?" "We ate them." Kyo blinks at her innocently. "You idiot!" She watches him in horror. "What if you get food poisoning?" "Master, he will be fine. He is God. He can eat anything." "You are not helping, Mogrok." The woman has been watching them for a while. She can''t understand what Mogrok is saying. But, she has noticed that the girl with golden eyes can speak to the spirit beast. The spirit beast must be a high-level creature. The girl must be his contracted one. The boy is strange, but she doesn''t care. She has something precious now. "You can talk to the spirit beast?" The woman smiles at her. Her cold expression is gone. "Can you use magic?" "Yes, I can do a bit." "You didn''t steal the treasure?" The woman questions her tenderly. "We didn''t." Kresi is ufortable after seeing her sudden change. What''s going on with thisdy? Is she bipr or something? "You know what happened to it?" Kresi rubs her sweaty palms tensely. "This spirit ate it." Mogrok is enraged after hearing her. "Master, I am not the only one." "Psst!" Kresi puts her finger on her lips to quieten him down. "He ate it." "Is that so?" The woman''s grin bes broader. "He is your contracted spirit?" "He is," Kresi confirms. It feels like her dog has pooped in her neighbour''swn. She is worried about money. What happens when the pet spirit eats someone''s else treasures? Does she have to pay? She is poor. The woman discerns Kresi''s sharp gaze. This child can''t be from an average family. She has never seen anyone with golden eyes. It''s not like she can go to thew. Those treasures were stolen by the general. If they are lost, they can only cry silently. But, there is something good that came out of this. "Do you have a family?" Chapter 12: How to make a deal? (2) Chapter 12: How to make a deal? (2) "What is your decision?" So, this woman is asking me if she can adopt me as her daughter. She wants to have a magic user in her family to raise her status. She is the fifth wife of the general who steals resources from the mountains near the beggar cities. The general had spent a lot of fortune to a sorcerer from the higher realm to create a gate from that cave to her ce. Though she is the richest woman of the capital, her status is weak. The general has six wives and nine mistresses. She has no hope. If she adopts a magic user, she can be richer and more powerful. The benefits of bing her adopted child include free food, free training in magic, free home, free clothes, and free travel. All I have to do is to be adopted and show off my magic. Basically, she wants to use me to be more powerful in society. If I didn''t agree, we will be killed immediately. Even if we escape, she will use all of her fortunes on the assassins to hunt me down and Kyo. "Don''t agree, Master." Mogrok scrunches his face. "I don''t like that woman. I can just eat her now." "I don''t like her either," Kyo mumbles to himself. "I have conditions." I smile at her. "First of all, let us out of the cages." She gives a nod to the servant. The cages are unlocked. With Mogrok''s help, I could get out of the cage anytime. However, it''s important to give some face to the owner of the house. "My second condition is that my brother will be adopted with me. He will get the same treatment as me. He is a magic user too." I am sure that he is a magic-user. He is God. He eats spirits. He should be able to do some magic. "Is he? That''s even better." The woman looks like she has won a lottery. "You can have anything you want. All I want is that you be my children. I will be treated like royalty in this country. Then, I don''t need the general to survive." She''s quite simple. "That''s all you want?" "After you are adopted, you have to attend the academy and learn magic. If you do well in thepetition and rank high in the magic, you will be chosen to go to the higher realm." She bites her nails in excitement. "I don''t have high expectations from you. But, if you can win thepetition and get selected, then I will be one of the most powerful women in the lower realm. I want you to learn magic diligently and treat me like a mother in public." Pretty simple. "Deal." I give her an OK sign. "I am Kresi and he is Kyo." "Kresi and Kyo?" She eyes us both. "That won''t do. You need new names." "Master, don''t let her name you and him." Mogrok pleads to me. "It''s bad for you." I give him a nod. I don''t have such intention either. "We don''t want to change the names. You can give us yourst names." "Alright." She sighs. "I need to divorce the general first." She doesn''t look like she loves that man. Then, that man has too many women. He is also corrupt. If he loses one, it won''t be that bad for him. The woman asks us to follow the servants to get cleaned up. We leave with the servants who keep their faces expressionless to us. There are respect and fear. "Young Miss," The servants stop in front of the bathhouse. "Your master has to take the bath separately." Kyo clutches my hand tightly. "I won''t go alone." "Master, I don''t want to take bath alone either." "Who is asking you?" I re at Mogrok. "Kyo, there are some things that a man has to do alone." "But, Sister...I want to take a bath with you." He wraps his arm around my waist. "I don''t like these people." So cute. "Master, I don''t like these people either." "Okay. I will give you a bath." I pinch Kyo''s cheek. He is chubbier after eating all those resources. It''s good that the boy has more flesh after eating someone''s treasures. From now on, I will find him more treasures like those. "Young miss, this is not..." The maid closes her mouth when I put my palm up. "It''s fine. I will take a bath after I give him a bath." "As you wish, Young miss." The maid bows her head. Her cheeks are red. I wonder what she is imagining. I am physically thirteen, but my mental age is twenty-six. This ageless God looks physically eleven, but his mental age is five or six at most. This is a bit crazy, I guess. "Let''s do this." This is like giving a bath to a pet cat. There is nothing strange about it. "Kyo, I will do this today. But, you have to clean yourself in the future. Okay?" "Yes." He gives me a nod. Mogrok jumps in the pool and sshes the water on us. The water is warm and feels nice. I push Kyo into the pool. He jumps up with his wet long hair and pulls me inside. "Master, this is fun." Mogrok swims around in a circle. "Sister, this feels nice," Kyo yells with glee. He is not my pet cat after all. My pet cat disliked bathing. Chapter 13: How to participate in a competition? (1) Chapter 13: How to participate in apetition? (1) "Miss Dunebard." Someone pulls my sleeve. I cover my head with the book. It''s noisy. "Miss Dunebard!" Who is this Dune Bard? Can''t that person get up already? I want to get some sleep. "KRESI DUNEBARD!!!" I stand up with a jolt. Teacher Hohan is ring at me with anger. I hear Kyo sigh beside me. He has been pulling my sleeve to wake me up. "WHAT.IS.THE.NAME.OF.THIS.RUNE?" He points at a rune with his iron stick. The rune looks like two twisted snakes. "It''s Zeh." I yawnzily. Did you wake me up for this? "This is the rune of the tooth." "Your overconfidence will be the death of you." He wipes the board. "Sit down." I follow his ''order'' and sit down. I have memorized the book of runes. It''s not overconfidence. I have always been good at studying. The magic came as easily to me as breathing. I could see the flow of ehr. I could see how the ehr was converted to mana by the sorcerers and the contracted wizards. Basically, ehr is a raw form of energy. It cannot be directly utilized by the wielders or contractors. So, this ehr is converted to mana which is a lower form of this energy. Mana is used in different weapons and technologies. The non-magic users can also use magic using these instruments. The difference between non-magic users and magic users is vast. Anyone who has a magical ability can be a noble overnight. He will automatically gain a high status and power. After that day, that woman got a messy divorce from her general husband and changed her name back to ''Byena Dunebard''. If I had known that herst name was Dunebard, I would have given it a thought before epting the deal. She didn''t dy long after getting the divorce. She formally adopted us and announced to everyone that she is the mother of magic users. It was basically advertising. Her business rose up and she got even richer. She has been invited to the parties everywhere. Kyo and I only attended the first one. After that, we decided that it wasn''t our thing. She didn''t push us. She rarely pays any attention. We don''t get involved in each other''s business. This magic school has ten students and two teachers. Out of the ten students, only two are sorcerers. Six students are contractual wizards. Kyo is God, but he is assumed to be a sorcerer. I am assumed to be a contractual wizard because of Mogrok. The architecture of the school is top-notch and modern. However, both teachers know magic theoretically. Teacher Hohan teaches us runes, a 101 on Ehr, and basic spells. We have to practice spells on our own. If things go wrong which they do usually, we have to deal with it ourselves. The second teacher teaches us subjects like how to use and develop mage technologies, field studies of spirit beasts and nts though we never go to the fields and geography of Iravan. The academy is crap. Pure crap. Each day, it gets worse. Mogrok is a better teacher than these people. I have already memorized all the books. I aming here with Kyo because of thepetition. I am genuinely interested in learning magic. The only way that I can get out of this ce is by taking part in thepetition and win. "It''s over." I lean back in my seat and let out an exasperated sigh after the teacher leaves. I am freaking twenty-six. What I am doing in a ssroom? I ask this question every day after his lecture. "Keshi." Erniees to my desk. He always mispronounces my name. He is a Wahr. "Her name is Kresi." Kyo always corrects him. "Kreshi." Ernie scratches his back. "I am sorry. It is the ent. Really. I am not from the capital." We are not either. "Ernie, did Teacher Shyl say anything about thepetition?" "Why are you worried? You are definitely going." Ernie has been stuck in this academy for three years. Graduation solely depends onpleting the curriculum and being able to perform magic. "Your brother is also going. Six months ago, he couldn''t go because he wasn''t thirteen yet. You didn''t go because of him." The minimum age to take part in thepetition is thirteen. The second requirement is the graduation diploma and rmendation from the magic schools. Last year, I didn''t go because I didn''t want to leave Kyo behind. Kyo turned thirteen this year formally. He can take part now. "He will put up the list in the afternoon." "We will go this year." Kyo leans down his head and whispers in my ear. In a year, my younger brother has grown taller and more handsome. He attracts attention everywhere he goes. Whenever I see him, I feel so proud of my creation. I am turning him into a fine man. "Kyo." It''s Mayna. She is a sorcerer. She has a cute crush on my younger brother. Her face turns beet red whenever she is near him. She is adorable. "I think that I will be able to go to thepetition too." "I see." Kyo''s reply is short. His tone is polite and aloof. Nobody is perfect. At least, he is replying. Usually, he ignores everyone. I have been working on hismunication skills. Hopefully. Mayna looks down at her hands shyly. Her actions remind me of Kyo. He can act shy like that. I have seen him blushing too. I am sure that I am the only one who has seen him like this. Kyo needs to broaden his circle. I have decided. I will help him make more friends. I will help him get a girlfriend. "Teacher Shyl is here." Someone shouts. Everyone hurry to their desks. Teacher Shyl has a broad smile on his face. Usually, he is sulking about something. He pastes a paper on the board and says, "Four of you are graduating this year." "Really?" Ernie asks in excitement. "Teacher Shyl, please tell us the names." "Ernie, you are graduating from the academy. You have been offered a job at Central Spirits Zoo." Teacher Shyl winks at him. "I rmended to you." "I am not going to thepetition?" Ernie''s face is crestfallen. "Thepetition has a new regtion this year." Teacher Shyl gives him a sad smile. "The maximum age is reduced to eighteen for the participants." There are at least four sighs behind me. "Aizel Spinwell, Kresi Dunebard, and Kyo Dunebard," He nces at me. "You are graduating with Ernie this year. You are also selected to take part in thepetition." Chapter 14: How to participate in a competition? (2) Chapter 14: How to participate in apetition? (2) Lady Dunebard is the happiest person among us after hearing the news. Even I, who have been waiting to get out of this boring ce for a year, do not share her excitement. For several years, the school hasn''t sent anyone to thepetition. This year, three persons are going. Two of them are from her house. "Kresi, my daughter." She runs in my direction to hug me. I step away, letting her fall on the ground. The servants look away and keep their expressions neutral. I have never seen them showing any other expression than that. ever since I have found myself here. She has trained them well. "Serves her right," Mogrok snickers. "Master, if I didn''t help you, you would have never graduated from that school." "Kyo, my son~" Before Lady Dunebard could touch him, Kyo runs and hide behind me. His face is nk. He hates being touched by anyone except me. I hope that he grows out of it. "Lady Dunebard, it''s enough for the day." I smile at her politely. She straightens up and gives me a formal nod. Her eyes are twinkling with enthusiasm. I can guess the words - more power, more money, and higher status on her mind. She is probably nning to start a franchise now. She is good at business. I give her that. The capital hasn''t been bad. It''s a lot stabler than Beggar City. This year,petition is being held in the capital of Prath. The school has built a temporary gate to thepetition''s location. To be honest, I like these magical gates. If I had them on my, we would probably go anywhere at any time. But, I have a feeling that it wouldn''t be free. Formoners here, it''s not free here. The private gates built by the sorcerers in this world cost a fortune. Kyo and I have nothing much to take other than the clothes. Mogrok only likes the mana stones. So, I take a small bag of it. We go to school grounds. I don''t n to return here. I am sure that Lady Dunebard will have a good life after we are gone. "You are here, Kresi." Aizel is already there with Teacher Shyl and Teacher Hohan. "Hmph! She''s never on time." Teacher Hohan is displeased. "People like you never go far in life." "Is that so?" I smirk at him. "Then, I should go far in my life and prove you wrong." "Impudent!" Teacher Hohan''s face turns blue. He looks like he is going to explode from anger. "You should control your temper, Teacher," I tell him with concern. "People like you usually die early because they can''t control their temper." "Master, your sharp tongue will kill him faster." Teacher Hohan''s face bes twisted with anger. I don''t know why this old man dislikes me so much. At first, I wanted to know why. Now, I don''t care. This dislike is mutual. "Ahem!" Teacher Shyl brings out a coin and throws it in the ground. "It''s time to go now." When the coin touches the ground, a glowing circle with runes manifests on the ground. Kyo draws me to his side. He wraps his arms around my shoulders. Mogrok clutches on my leg with his three arms. I close my eyes when the light consumes us. *** Mogrok lets go of her foot the moment they emerge out of the white marble floor. It''s a four-pir gate with runes and arrays intricately aligned with each other to strengthen it. Mogrok is slightly impressed because it is the first time when he is seeing some decent work here. His expectations have reached below zero levels since he arrived in the lower realm with his master and the dark God. Mogrok makes a face when he sees that the boy hasn''t released of his master. This boy is cold to everyone, but his master. Mogrok doesn''t want him to act warm to him either. It is just that he has started to like his master. His master pays most of her attention to this boy. She even smiles more at the boy than him. She scolds him when heins. He is her spirit beast. HER SPIRIT BEAST. They are in this for life. Why does she love this boy more than him? This boy is the Dark God. Though, he isn''t much of God right now. Though he has never seen him with his own eyes before his master freed him, he has heard so much about him. The God of darkness is a cruel and powerful god. It took the power of all the Gods against him to defeat him around ten thousand years ago. Mogrok sighs quietly. Now, he can''t help but feel disappointed. The mighty and fearless image of this God is forever ruined by his master. His master probably doesn''t know the meaning of ''Kyo''. She is hopeless in the forgottennguage. She can''t be med though. Thenguage of the old world is forgotten for a reason. "We are here." His master''s eyes shine with excitement. She looks around curiously. It is a four-pir altar at the top of the cliff. Kyo reluctantly lets go of her. Others are used to seeing this scene. This brother and sister do not look alike at all. Only fools would believe that they are siblings. They know enough to not say anything when they see Kyo''s silent dark eyes. Even Teacher Hohan do not pick up on Kyo. He is natural at keeping people away. The officials are waiting in formal suits in front of them. A man with orange hair and caramel skin greet them with a wide smile. "You are thest one." "We apologize for beingte," Teacher Hohan tells him gravely. "The first round of thepetition started an hour ago." The man walks ahead. "I thought that Milegia decided to quit at thest moment." "What?" Teacher Hohan asks. "You told us that thepetition will start tomorrow." "Did I?" The man looks surprised. "All the contestants have arrived. You are telling me that I only made the mistake with you, Teacher Hohan?" "You did make a mistake." Teacher Hohan isn''t the one to let go. "I have the letter that you sent." "Ah, It is a mistake from our side then." He apologizes, but there is no guilt in his eyes. "Teacher Hohan, my assistant was the one who wrote the letters. He must have written the wrong date. You know how careless the young ones are. We should hurry. The first round has begun. You can still take part." Teacher Shyl changes the topic before Teacher Hohan can lose his temper again. Mogrok rolls his eyes. This man is lying. He would have eaten him now if his master hasn''t prohibited him from randomly eating people. His master is unreasonable. "They don''t want us to take part," Aizel whispers to Kresi. "The rtionship between Prath and Milegia has gone worse ever since Milegia attacked the beggar cities a year ago without any notice. I heard that Pire and Prath are making an alliance to take a stance against Milegia." "Let them," Kresi replies nonchntly. "Pire and Prath are like hot and cold couples. They make alliances with marriages and business deals. They fight again and break up. Later, they join hands again after some time. I am sure that this alliance won''t survive long." "You are right." Aizel looks at Kresi. She is two years younger than him. She is smart for her age. Her hair is long, dark, and wavy. Her skin is olive and clear. Though she speaks the nativenguage fluently, she doesn''t look like she is from Milegia. He has never seen anyone with golden eyes. "Stop looking." The chilling voice snaps him out of it. He nces at the owner of the voice. Kyo has walked between him and Kresi, covering Kresi from his view. Aizel swallows down and walks quickly to get away from them. Mogrok has seen this all. His master attracts attention quickly. She is rarely paying attention to the people around her. Is it be okay like this? He is worried. His master is careless. Chapter 15: How to find a spirit? (1) Chapter 15: How to find a spirit? (1) In the corner, the girl with blonde hair and oval face scrutinizes the crowd with her narrow violet eyes. A total of fourteen candidates are here to take part in thepetition this year - eight from Prath, two from Pire, and five are from her country including her younger sister. There is no one from Milegia here. She looks down at the sketches in her hand. She can''t find a single person who looks like this person. If she is wrong this time, her fate is sealed. Her younger sister, Amelia Parisa, nces at the sketch in her hand. The sketch shows a figure with a dark cloak. The face is hidden under the cloak. How could anyone find a person with no face? "I think, it is time that you forget about this person." Deia Parisa''s soft pink lips quiver. She will burst into tears at any moment now. Amelia sighs. Her sister easily cries. Sometimes, she wonders how her elder sister can cry this much. Her sister''s tears never out of storage. "I don''t want to forget this person. Ami, this person will lead me to the one." Deia Parisa is a Wahr. She also inherited her great-great-great grandmother''s gifts. She has been the prodigal daughter until the things go wrong. She cannot form a contract with any spirit. Her father has tried everything. There has not been any spirit who ispatible with her essence. Whether it is mid-ranked or low ranked spirits, the contract is rejected because of thew of equality. The Wahr can form contracts with the spirits only if the essences match. She is seventeen. SEVENTEEN. She''s too old to not have a spirit. There hasn''t been any spirit for the seventeen years. Her father has given up. Even her younger sister has graduated from school. She is the only one who can''t graduate yet because she can''t perform any magic. She needs to form a contract first. "Sister, why are you worried? You can talk to the spirits and see the future." Her sister tries to cheer her up. "You should agree with the father''s ns. He wants you to marry the prince. The prince also likes you. If you marry him, you will have everything. You can also travel through realms to find a spirit or a healer." Deia sinks in her seat dejectedly. Her father is a duke. Her father has given her an ultimatum. Either she marries the prince by next year or she finds a spirit. She doesn''t want to get married. She has seen the future. Precisely, she has seen multiple futures. She has seen her spirit. Well, its shadow. She doesn''t know where it is. She knows that there is a person who can lead her to her spirit. For a year, she has been seeing this person in her dream. She saw that person in thepetition. Last year, she came here with her cousin. She was sure that that would appearst year. At thest moment, the future changed again. The person didn''t appear. The future doesn''t alwayse true. She sees the probabilities. In her sight, the future is always changing. It depends upon the decisions and circumstances. If she marries the prince, she will lose her freedom. Her father will gain power. She will be a doll on the shelves for decoration. She doesn''t want that. She wants to live a life of adventure. She wants to perform magic. She wants to go to the higher realm. She has so many dreams. How can she let go of them? Her heart doesn''t want to let go. Besides, she doesn''t love the prince. The first round of thepetition is the question and answer round. The candidate is asked ten basic questions by the official. An official from the higher realm is also present. Out of the ten, the candidate has to answer at least five questions to be shortlisted for the next round. The questions are easy. So, most of the candidates usually pass this round. "Do well, Ami." When her younger sister''s name is called, Deia gives her a hug and sends her to the stage. Last year, her cousin failed the test. In thispetition, people can only take part once. Now, the age limit is also added. Deia sighs. She can never take part in thispetition now. "Are those people from Milegia?" Deia''s attention is drawn by a boy''s sudden yell. The crowd, including the officials, look at the neers. The two men are the teachers. They are dressed in yellow garbs. A young man with brown hair is walking beside them. They give a small nod to everyone. "Only one?" She hears someone say. "At least, they have sent someone this year." "Hasn''t it been five years now?" "We will see what he can do. Milegia hasn''t produced a single magic-user in thest ten years." Deia is disappointed. It''s not that person. She folds the sketch in her hand. Looks like the person won''te to thepetition this year. She may never meet that person. "Who are those people?" Suddenly, everyone bes quiet. There is a silent pressure in the air. Deia looks at the door again. A dark-haired girl with bright golden eyes walks inside with a boy with piercing dark eyes. A ck three-legged spirit beast is hopping behind them. The boy is a foot taller than the girl. He is lean and slender, but he doesn''t look weak. He is wearing a dark grey shirt and ck leather pants with leather boots. His sculpted face is unfairly beautiful. It can make anyone''s heart race whether its a man or a woman. Deia notices that he is holding on to the girl''s arm. They must be close. The girl is dressed in a thigh-length white robe with ck leather boots. Her ck cloak is untiedzily in the front and reaches to her ankle. She has a heart-shaped face and a small mouth. She looks around curiously with a slight smile on her lips. That''s the person. She has seen this girl in the sight. Deia can''t breathe for some seconds. She was captivated by the boy first. She wasted her good time on that boy''s looks and didn''t notice this girl. It is this person who is important to her. Now, her sight is clear after seeing her in person. This is the girl who will lead her to her spirit. Finally, her dark days are over. Her saviour is here. She must befriend her. She must follow her everywhere. Aizel, Teacher Hohan, and Teacher Shyl are used to this feeling. They have walked faster to arrive first because they knew what was going to happen. They have had the same reactions to Kyo and Kresi when they first arrived in the academy. This feeling of this invisible heart-clenching pressure only increased with time if they look too much. Kyo, Kresi, and her spirit beast naturally exude an unapproachable air. It is hard for the people who meet this trio for the first time. The officials and the candidates feel that their throats are dried. They look away, trying to take a deep breath. They can''t feel the pressure now. The official from the Renasir nces back at Kresi. He furrows his brows deeply. Deia clenches her teeth and cuts through the pressure like a sharp sword. She is gasping for breath by the time she reaches Kresi. She bends on her knees and sps Kresi''s hand. "You are here." Mogrok looks at Deia pitifully. He is impressed by her determination. This God is exuding too much pressure because of his bad mood. "Master, ask him to tone it down. People will die at this rate." "Kyo, are you upset?" Kresi pats his hands on her arm. "I know that you hate crowd. It will be over soon. Then, we will go to a better ce." Kyo nces at Deia and nods. The thick pressure lowers in the air. Deia lets out her breath. She doesn''t understand what just happened now. It''s not important. She looks up at her saviour. "I have been waiting for so long." Two streams of tears run down on her cheeks. "I don''t know who you are. Please be my friend. If you don''t, I will die." "Master, did she fall in love with you at first sight?" Mogrok rolls his eyes. "She is a weird one. We should stay away from her." "No." Deia pouts. "I am not in love with her. I genuinely want to be her friend." "You can understand me?" Mogrok blinks his eyes. "Yes, I can." Chapter 16: How to find a spirit? (2) Chapter 16: How to find a spirit? (2) What do you do when a stranger says cliche romantic things to you? I would have liked it better if it was a guy who said those things to me. I agree with Mogrok on his one. This girl is weird. She is a gorgeous girl, but something is wrong with her head. She is saying that she has been waiting for me and she wants to be my friend. I have never seen her before. I wouldn''t forget someone like her if I had met her before. "I can speak thenguage of the spirits. I can also see the future." The blonde girl chins up proudly. "She''s weird, Master." Mogrok clicks his tongue. "The seers are trouble. You should reject her friendship and stay away from her." The official on the stage clears his throat to draw attention. "We will start now." A girl with blonde hair is standing on the stage. She looks simr to the girl who is sitting near my feet and holding on to my hand tightly. Kyo is ring at the girl, but this girl isn''t budging. "You can stand now." I can feel people''s eyes on us. This is awkward. "Look, I don''t know you. I am not sure if I can ept your friendship." The girl clutches on my cloak with her other hand. "My name is Deia Parisa. I am seventeen years old. I am a Wahr. You know me now. Please...be my friend. You are my only hope." I purse my lips. You call this introduction? Girl, you are acting suspiciously. "I won''t lie to you. Please let go of me." "Let go of her." Kyo squints his eyes. The girl trembles in fear. Her cheeks are wet. Her nose is leaking. It is not a pretty picture. I can see the desperation in her eyes. "If you don''t be my friend, I will kill myself here." The girl''s voice is breaking. Still, she stubbornly holds on to me. I know about Kyo''s effect on people. It must be hard for her to bear with it. I let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine." I grab her wrist and pull her up. She is taller than me. "We are friends now." "Thank you!" She hugs me tightly. "You are the light of my life. You are my savior. Thank you foring into my life. Please never ever separate me from yourself." "Master, even if she can speak thenguage of the spirits, I don''t think that she is mentally stable." Deia points at Mogrok with anger. "What kind of spirit beast are you? You have been calling me crazy for a while. I am not crazy. Now, I am your master''s friend. Don''t insult me now." Mogrok shakes withughter. "My master became your friend because you begged for her to be your friend. My master is a kind person. She is too good for people like you." "Mogrok, quiet." I am having a headache. "Aizel is going to the stage now." Aizel goes to the stage. The official starts the questions. Most of the questions are about recognizing the runes, spirits, and the telling about the spells. It is easy. Teacher Shyl waves in my direction. "We have to go now," I tell Deia with a polite smile. "I will wait for you. Do your best." She gives me a wink. She doesn''t seem like a bad person. She is just a bit weird. I can''t call her mentally unstable. However, it won''t surprise me if she turns out to be one. "Kresi, it is your turn next." Teacher Shyl rubs his hands. "Aizel has given three wrong answers. If he makes two more mistakes, he will be out. Our hopes are on you now." "Okay." I sit with Kyo. He looks uneasy. He hates being stared at. But, he can''t hide his natural aura. Gods are captivating to mortals. If I didn''t have his core, I might have been acting like them too. "Kyo, it''s your turn after mine. Don''t be nervous. Answer everything. If you don''t know any answer, don''t be afraid. If you know the answer, say it." He is quite introverted. I am afraid that he might get stage fear. "I will," Kyo replies in a low voice. "Elder sister, I want to go to the higher realm with you." "We will go together." I grin at him. "You have a good memory. I am sure that you will do good." "You will do well too." He looks at me tenderly and runs his fingers through my hair. Kyo is aloof and cold to the world. But, he is always like this to me. I need to open his world to other people. If he doesn''t do it, he will be like me at this rate. I don''t want him to live a shut-in life. "Master, don''t forget me. I want to go with you too." Mogrok plops down on his seat. "I know that you will do well. I am taking a nap now." "Go ahead." Mogrok can sleep anywhere at any time. "Kreshi, I am done." Aizel has answered six correct questions out of the ten. He will make it to the next round. I pat on his shoulder. "You did well." "I am relieved." Aizel takes a deep breath. "Kresi Dunebard,e to the stage now." The official announces my name. All the eyes on me again. I am not a fan of attention either. It makes me anxious. To be honest, I am introvert. That''s why I am worried about Kyo. If he turns out like how I was in my previous life, it would be a disaster. I don''t want him to live his life stuck inside a house and being unable to open up to people. "Good luck!" Aizel and Teacher Shyl wishes me. Teacher Hohan gives me a deep look. I shrug my shoulders. It''s now or never. I can''t let my previous life''s issues to interfere with this life. I have changed. I am not a shut-in woman anymore. I am Kresi now. For Kyo, I have to do well. I have to show a confident image of him. I am going to be his ideal big sister. I stand on the stone stage. The official leaves the stage. A short burly manes to the stage. His bright green cloak is embroidered with purple flowers. He takes a thoughtful look. He doesn''t have any question card. He holds his hands behind his back and asks me, "Your name is Kresi Dunebard?" "Yes." Did they change the examiner? "What is your name?" I want to p my forehead. Why did I ask his name? Why does it matter? He is an examiner. My anxiety is rising because of the stares. "Lideon Sepher." He is not annoyed or surprised by my sudden question. "I am from the higher realm." "Oh!" The higher realm''s official is taking my test directly. Why did I ask? It would have been better if I didn''t know. Alright, Kresi! This is just a test. What could go wrong if you didn''t make it? You would be stuck in this realm forever. Kyo will go without you. His godly talents will be wasted in this realm. Everything can go wrong. It is this big sister''s duty to raise him into a fine man. "Yourst name is really Dunebard?" Lideon Sepher keeps a poker face. "Yes." I hate poker faces. "Mister Sepher, is this a question for this round? Did I get the first two questions correct?" My questions get augh from the audience. I can see Teacher Hohan hanging his head low from the corner of my eyes. Teacher Shyl is fidgeting nervously. "Yes, you are right." Lideon Sepher gives me a small smile. "This is the first round. If I ask any question, it is the part of the first round." The audience stopsughing. I am dumbfounded. That''s right. He can ask me anything here. I don''t know what kind of game this man is ying. Anyway, I feel less anxious now. So, I have tackled down the two questions. Eight more to go. "Is that your contracted spirit beast?" Lideon Sepher points at Mogrok who is sitting beside Kyo. "Yes." Three questions are done. "You are not lying, are you?" Corner of his curl up. "I am not." I blink at him with surprise. "You can ask him." Four questions are done. Chapter 17: How to take care of a Gods temper? (1) Chapter 17: How to take care of a God''s temper? (1) Lideon Sepher raises his brow. "What is his rank?" "His rank..." I nce at Mogrok. Spirit and spirit beasts are divided into three tiers. Spirits are a pure form of ehr with consciousness. Spirit beasts are beasts with the ability to channel the ehr. There are three tiers. The top tier creatures are called Dema. Dema is too powerful to form a contract with. The difference between any two-tier is too much. Mogrok belongs to mid-tier. His rank is one. "...I can''t say." This is a lower realm. Everyone has mistaken mogrok to be rank three spirit beast of a low tier. Rank three is the lowest rank in the low tier. Mogrok''s rank is one in the mid-tier. He is freaking more than ten thousands years old. He is probably the oldest spirit beast in the lower realm. He turns around to look at Mogrok. "What is his tier?" I purse my lips. If I answer that question, I will attract unwanted attention. Though, low tier spirit beasts aremon. A rank one low tier beast is already a luxury in the lower realm. If I say his true tier, then I will attract unwanted attention. I don''t want people toe for Mogrok. I am afraid that he will be annoyed and eat them all. "I don''t know." "I see." He is watching me with apprehension. "You don''t know your spirit beasts'' tier or rank. Are you an ignorant one, Kresi?" "I suppose, I am," I answer him with a sigh. "Kresi, your name is different." He presses his palm together. "The part of your name sounds like the names of the runes. If youbine those two runes, they make abination rune. The meaning of thatbination rune is special. Can you tell me the name of that rune and its meaning?" That''s a tricky one. Kresi. I have not studied any rune that sounds like my name. Kresi. Kresi. Kresi. I repeat my name in my head. Kre? Si? What does Kre mean? I don''t know how runes can form names. Runes areplicated to draw by sound. A single rune can mean one thing. The other rune can mean something else. But, when two runes arebined, the meaning ispletely different. "I don''t know." I give him an embarrassed smile. "I know the meaning of ''Si'' and ''Kr''. I don''t know how tobine runes yet." There is a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. It''s gone in the next moment. My score is four out of the eight now. "Combination runes are not part of the curriculum." Teacher Hohan shouts from the corner. "Lord Sepher, she is the best student in my ss. She knows the name of all the basic runes." That''s unexpected. Of all the people in this ce, I didn''t think that it would be him who would take a stand for me. I thought that he disliked me. "I understand." Lideon Sepher waves his hand dismissively. "Names are important. Using runic names can bind a person to a certain fate. Even having a part of runes in someone''s name can bind the person. I will tell you the meaning of your name. Your name, Kresi, is formed of two runes. The rune ''Kres'' has many meanings." "Kres?" I have never heard of that rune. "The first meaning of Kres is ''Perish''. But, this rune is too powerful. An average Sehr of the higher realm can turn mountains into dust with this rune. The second meaning is ''chaos''. When a Sehr uses this with that intention, it can create tremendous instability. The third meaning is ''erase''." "Erase?" What kind of name is this? It''s an unlucky name. Lideon Sepher raises his brows and tells me with an amused look in his eyes. "Only the Renasir can use that rune with that intention." "What?" I feel like my intestines have been twisted. The Renasir is the one who looks for the harbinger and kills it. Damn! He scratches his chin. "However, thebination rune of Kres and Ei means ''Making marks that cannot be erased''. Whether the marks are good or bad, they will stubbornly exist forever. I am curious now. Tell me, Kresi. Are you from the higher realm?" "I don''t want to tell." I have no idea where the original owner was from. She wasn''t from Beggar city. The score changes to four out of nine. Damn! "Tell me the meaning of your name." He asks me the final question with a cunning smile. I know what he is doing here. "Making marks that cannot be erased," I answer him shamelessly. The final score is five out of ten. I have made it to the next round. Lideon Sepher smirks at me and leaves the stage without a word. I go back to Kyo and the others. Mogrok is lightly snoring. I can hear the whispers. I ignore thempletely. I have abandoned my old name and taken this one. The one who makes indelible marks? Why does this name have such an ominous feeling? After a year, I am hearing about the Renasir again. "Don''t think too much." A cold hand presses against my forehead. "You did well, Elder Sister." I nce at Kyo. "It''s your turn, Kyo. Don''t let them screw with you." He gives me a rare smile. "Don''t worry." Another officiales for Kyo''s turn. Lideon Sepher is sitting on his high seat and watching me pensively. Did I steal your food? Stop staring at me like this. I ignore him and concentrate on Kyo. "Kresi." Teacher Shyl calls my name with concern. "You have done well. Don''t feel bad." I give him a nod. The audience doesn''t think so. They think that I have won it unfairly. It''s not my fault if Lideon Sepher has been asking me random unrted questions. "Howe a Wahr don''t know about her own spirit beast''s rank and tier?" Teacher Hohan scowls at me. "You pretended to not know, brat!" I close my eyes again. "Teacher Hohan, thank you for stepping up earlier." "Hmph! I did it because you are my student whether I like it or not. He asked an advanced question." Kyo is focused. The official has been asking him rted to basic runes, ranks and tiers, names of the basic spells, and spirits. He has answered eight out of eight questions right. He is going well so far. "Making marks that can''t be erased." Teacher Hohan speaks after a long pause. "It suits you, brat. Only you are arrogant enough to carry that name." "I guess so, Teacher Hohan." I don''t know what kind of person the original owner was. But, this is my name now. I will arrogantly bear this name and continue to live this life. Chapter 18: How to take care of a Gods temper? (2) Chapter 18: How to take care of a God''s temper? (2) "Are you sure that it is that person?" Amelia Parisa, the fifteen years old younger sister of Deia Parisa, asks her with an emotionless tone. Earlier, her sister has left no means to embarrass her. But, she is used to it. Her family is also used to it. It doesn''t surprise her anymore that her sister would clutch onto someone''s legs and beg. But, one cannot abandon blood. "It is, Ami." Deia''s eyes are fixed on Kresi. The marks that can''t be erased? What a wonderful name! She is right about this girl. Kresi will have an extraordinary life. She can find her extraordinary spirit if she follows her around. "That person is indeed special." Amelia can guess what''s going on inside her sister''s mind. "To carry a runic name, she is special indeed. She didn''t get flustered when he asked such questions. If it was me, I would have passed out in front of the official from the higher realm." Amelia adds, "It''s strange that someone from the higher realm would personally question her." "It is not strange, Ami." Deia''s violet eyes sparkle. "She is an extraordinary person. She will be the one who will help me." "I am not sure..." Amelia has heard of simr words from Deia a lot of time. When Deia sees the future, nothing is confirmed until thest moment. "I don''t think that you should get close to someone like her. She is a bit different." But, Deia isn''t listening. She runs to Kresi and yells, "You are amazing!" Poor Kresi is startled out of her seat because of the sudden intrusion. "You are here again." "I was right." Deia picks up Mogrok and puts him down on another seat. She sits down beside Kresi. Mogrok wakes up and res at her with his three eyes. He hops andnds in Kresi''sp. "Woman, how dare you!" Waking him from his nap. Taking his seat next to his master. This woman is too much. "Shut up!" Deia is annoyed. She takes Kresi''s hand. "Kresi, I have seen you in my sight for a long time. I already knew that you woulde to thispetition. I don''t know where you are going after this. Please take me with you." "Huh?" Kresi frowns at her. "Where will I go? If I make it, I will go to the higher realm." "In the futures that I have seen." Deia''s violet eyes have a mild glow. "You will go to the higher realm." "You are not allowed toe with my master." Mogrok is agitated by Deia''s words. "Master, she is a seer. She is suspicious. Don''t trust her words. Seers are conniving and evil." "Why do you want to follow me?" Kresi pats Mogrok''s head to calm him down. She gives her an unnatural smile. "If you can see the future, you can already see what is going to happen. Then, you want to follow me for something that you want. What is it? It''s better if you are honest." Deia lets go of her hands. She is surprised by Kresi''s words. "I want to find my spirit." "Your spirit?" Kresi furrows her brows. "Why...?" "I am already seventeen." Deia has a distant look in her eyes. "In my life, I couldn''t form a contract with any spirit. I can''t use magic if I don''t form a contract. You are a Wahr. You can understand my pain. My one and only spirit is wandering alone somewhere. It can''t find me. I can''t find it. We are separated by fate." "Master, don''t get fooled by her words," Mogrok shouts to draw his master''s attention. His master is too kind. What if she gets fooled by this seer''s words? Where is that God when he needs him? The God in question finishes the quiz with full score. He is the only candidate who got the full score in the first round. He looks at his elder sister, hoping to see her proud and happy. Instead of that, he finds her chatting with the seer girl. The temperature of the halls drops down. The silent heart-clenching pressure increases in the air. Aizel and the two teachers make a wide distance from Kresi and the others. The official on the stage can''t stand up to conclude the first round. "What''s going on?" Lideon Sepher is also feeling this powerful pressure. He can''t pinpoint it to a person. "What is the source?" "We don''t know, Lord. Maybe, a high-ss spirit beast is nearby." "Is that spirit beast going through mood swings?" Lideon Sepher is having trouble breathing. "Look for it. We havemoners here. If this continues, someone might die." Kyo ignores the gasping official on the stage and takes long steps toward his elder sister who hasn''t noticed the situation. Deia is taking long breaths, but she hasn''t noticed it yet because of the excitement. She is busy convincing Kresi. "Elder sister." Kresi jolts because of the coldness in his voice. She sees the state of the people around her. She stands up abruptly and pats his head. "You have done well, Kyo. You got the highest score. Big sister is proud of you." Kyo''s anger trims down. He leans down further for her to pat her more. He likes it when she is happy. The pressure in the air starts to go down. The temperature is back to normal. "Boy, where have you been? This seer is trying to take master from us. If shees with us, she will love us less than before." Mogrok''s doesn''t care who is dying here. This seer can''te with them at any cost. This God is the only person with whom he will share his master because it can''t be helped. He will eat anyone else. If his master didn''t stop him from eating this seer, he would have crunch her a hundred times by now. "What did you say?" Kyo''s dark eyes turn to the seer. Kresi punches Mogrok''s head. He starts wailing in a high-pitched tone. The cold pressure is intense again. Deia is glued to her seat, unable to move or turn her head. Why did she ever find him beautiful? This boy is scary. "I have not decided whether she cane with us or not." Kresi cups Kyo''s face and makes him look at her. "Don''t worry. This big sister will always be your big sister. There is nothing in the world that can reduce my affection for you. I will only love you more, my adorable brother." Kyo starts to calm down. He believes his sister. Some people have already passed out. The pressure returns to normal. "Master, you don''t love me at all." Mogrok is crying. "You only love that boy. You don''t love your spirit beast at all. You don''t listen to me at all." Kresi feels like she is being sandwiched between this God and this spirit beast. She caresses Mogrok''s head. "Mogrok, don''t make trouble. We will go out for food now. Lady Dunebard gave me some gold coins. Let''s eat the best meal in this city." "Um..." Deia puts her palm up. She feels like she has returned from the doors of death. "Please take me with you." Kresi feels bad for her when she sees her whitened face. Deia''s clothes are drenched with sweat. "Okay,e." Kyo''s temper begins to rise again, but Kresi pulls him by his arm and smiles brightly. "What do you want to eat, Kyo?" "Anything that you like." His temper shimmers down after seeing her smile. "Do you want to join us?" Kresi looks back at Teacher Shyl and others. They shake their heads in unison. "We will see youter." Kresi walks out of thepetition hall with Kyo, Mogrok, and Deia. Amelia Parisa watches her sister leave. She doesn''t stop her. She knows that her sister has made up her mind. She is the only one who has been shortlisted for the next round from her country. She must prepare well for the second round that will be held tomorrow. Hopefully, her sister won''t get into any trouble. Chapter 19: How to Answer a God? (1) Chapter 19: How to Answer a God? (1) The capital of Prath is not much different than the capital of Milegia. The weather is cold and dry. The three moons in the sky are hanging in the three directions. Maybe, the stars are brighter here. The streets are smooth with painted runes that are just for the show. After walking for a while, we reach a street full of vendors and stalls. The scent of food makes my stomach grumble. The food is delicious in this world. "Try that shop." Deia points at a meatball stall. "I have eaten here before. It''s delicious." "No!" Mogrok protests in the next instant. "Master, I want to eat vegetables." "Mogrok, you hate vegetables." I don''t know how to deal with a jealous spirit beast. "You are a carnivore. You get bad stomach if you eat greens." "Master, there are purple vegetables." Mogrok stubbornly looks away from the meat stall. "I won''t get a bad stomach." I can see that he wants to eat meat. I ignore Mogrok and turn to Kyo. Mogrok and Kyo like to eat spirits and the ehr stones the most. Kyo can also eat human meals. Mogrok''s diet is limited to meat only. "Kyo, do you want to eat meatballs?" "I will eat anything that you want to eat, Elder Sister." His answer is always the same. I wonder if I should buy a low level of spirit for him to eat. If anyone sees that he eats spirits, it will cause trouble. Nobody knows that he is a God. In Lady Dunebard''s house, I made an excuse that my spirit beast likes to eat the spirits and ehr stones. Dema and the mixed bloods are prohibited froming to the lower realm by thews of eleven gods. This world is unstable. The fixedws are made and followed to keep it bnced for now. I don''t know why Kyo can stay in the lower realm. It won''t be good if anyone finds out. "He is your brother?" Deia asks. "I thought that you two were married." I am baffled by her sudden utterance. "Why would you think that a thirteen years old is married to me?" Why? Just why? "It''s not strange for thirteen years old to be married." Deia stares at me. "Thirteen years old are considered adults. That''s why the minimum age to participate in thepetition is thirteen. My many friends got married at thirteen. You two shared thest names. So, I thought that. I am sorry for making an assumption." I have known that the minimum legal is thirteen in this world. But, I still can''t figure out how thirteen years old can get married. "He is my brother," I mutter under my breath. Being married to Kyo? I can''t imagine anything like that. "You two don''t look alike." Deia peeks at Kyo. "I am sorry, Kresi. You two really look good together." "What is marriage?" My pure and adorable brother suddenly asks the question of the century. I clear my throat. He doesn''t understand the matter between a man and a woman. Is it time to exin this to him? No, I can''t do that. He is too young. Maybe after five or six years, I will exin it to him in short or I will just throw a book at him and run away. In any case, this is not the time now. "Marriage is..." Deia puts her finger on her chin and looks up. "When a man and a woman love each other and want to spend their lives together forever, they get married." "Deia, don''t stay strange things to him." Iugh and p her back. "My brother doesn''t understand these things. He is still young." "Sister, I want to get married to you." Kyo looks at me innocently. I feel like pulling my hair out of my head. This is the first time when someone has said that to me in my two lives. I am not happy at all. "Ah!" Deia covers her mouth with her hand. "You are her brother. You can''t get married to her. You can marry a woman who is not from the same family." "Che!" Mogrok is hopping up and down in the spot between the three of us. "Boy, don''t think of strange things and overstep your boundaries. There is no man in this world who is good enough for her. She has your hear-" I step on his mouth before he can finish his words. Why is this conversation getting out of control? I just want to eat meatballs. "I don''t understand." Kyo frowns deeply like he is trying to figure out somethingplicated. "You told me that a man can marry a woman if he loves her. Then, why can''t I marry her and live forever with her? She is a woman. I am a man. I love her. She told me that loves me." He is too pure for this world. My heart can''t take this. I touch his arm and say, "Kyo, stop. I will exin everything to youter." "Even if you love her, you cannot marry her. A father can''t marry his daughter because he loves her. A brother can''t marry his sister because he loves her. It is wrong." Deia doesn''t stop. She doesn''t look afraid of Kyo anymore. His purity must have removed her fear. "She is your sister. It is natural that you two love each other. But, you can''t marry her. You will some other woman. There will be some other man who will marry your sister." "Someone else?" The lines on Kyo''s forehead gets deeper. His eyes be darker. "Someone else will marry her and live forever with her?" "Yes, if she chooses to marry." Deia tilts her head. "No." Kyo looks into my eyes. "My sister will marry me only." "Ah! You can''t - " I stop Deia from speaking any more word. I will handle his attachment issue with time. If he remembers that he is a god, that problem will solve itself. If he never remembers, then I wille up with something. "Kyo, let''s eat meatballs. I am starving." "No!" He stands in front of me and blocks me from going to the stall. "Sister, will you love and live forever with someone else other than me?" Deia gasps when she hears his words. She blinks her violet eyes at us. Mogrok is struggling to scream, but my foot is blocking him from doing so. "Kyo, there are things in this world that are too beautiful to avoid." I let go of Mogrok and signal him to be quiet. "Love is one such thing. I love you, Kyo. This fact cannot be changed even if you and I change. You need to know and understand a lot of things. Take one step at a time. I will exin everything to you when the timees." "I don''t want to understand." Kyo looks at me sadly. "I want to live with you forever. You have to promise me, Sister. You will only love me the most. There won''t be anyone else." "Isn''t it too selfish?" I rub his head. "My heart is yours, Kyo." Literally. "I will only love you the most. You and Mogrok are my only family." Kyo looks satisfied. His face bes bright. Mogrok tearfully looks at me. "Master, you love me too. I am so happy." "Of course, Mogrok. You are a family to me." At first, Mogrok used to be weird and distant. Now, he is weird and close to me like a pet. "This is..." Deia beams me a smile. "Your brother is really pure. I am jealous to see how much he loves you. My sister will kill me if she can." He will kill me when he remembers that he is a God. "In the future, he will probably want to do that too." Chapter 20: How to Answer a God? (2) Chapter 20: How to Answer a God? (2) After finishing the meatballs and roaming around a bit, we return to the inn. I am exhausted. Kyo looks sleepy. Deia is strangely too energetic. Deia is staying with his sister. She is reluctant to go to her sister''s room. She leaves after taking a promise from me that I will leave only after meeting her. "You are from Milegia?" The receptionist asks me for confirmation. "Yes." Kyo is slightly leaning on my right shoulder He is half asleep. I can''t carry him on my back like I used to. He is too big and heavy for me to carry now. Mogrok is sitting on my left shoulder. I want to p these two awake and yell that my shoulders are not pillows. "Your names are?" She nces at Kyo. "Is he also a participant?" "Yes." I rub my eyes. "My name is Kresi Dunebard. His name is Kyo Dunebard. He is my brother." "There is booking with that name by your teachers." She puts two keys on the table. "Your brother has to share the room with the other candidate from Milegia. You won''t be sharing your room with anyone." "Where is his room?" Kyo and my rooms were next to each other indy Dunebard''s house. For the first month, he woulde and sleep beside me at night. It was hard to make him sleep alone in his bed. Mogrok told me that he wants to stay close to me because of the heart. If he stays close to me, he feels better and strong. "His room is thest room to the right on the second floor." She keeps stealing nces at him. "Your room is third room to the left on the first floor. The room numbers are written on the keys." Awesome! He will throw tantrums if I send him to his room. It''s dangerous for Aizel to share a room with this God. Poor Aizel won''t be able to sleep. I shake my head and take them upstairs. The corridor is empty and quiet. We go straight to my room on the first floor. I open the door and carefullyy down Kyo on the single bed. Thankfully, I am not sharing it with anybody. Mogrok hops andnds on the empty spot near Kyo''s head. I cover Kyo with a nket. There is no space for me. "Awesome!" I can''t sleep with Kyo like before. After today, I should start teaching him slowly on how to be an adult. To do that, I have to be an adult once. Even if I died at twenty-six in my past life, I was anything but an adult. I hated meeting people. I avoided the crowd. I hated going to school. I never dated. My world was limited to my grandparents. After they died, my world was limited to the online world. If I don''t take part in the world and be an adult, how will I raise this boy? I sit on the chair near the window and look at the three distant moons. These three sisters have names. The first sister is Raya, the Goddess of wisdom. She is the brightest one. The second sister is Riha, the Goddess of prosperity. She is the fastest one out of the three. The third sister is Ril''Yah, the Goddess of hope and kindness. She is the smallest and mildest one. These three moons are daughters of Mirinae, the goddess who rules the night, the stars, and the wishes. Each time I look at the sky, I remember that I have seen a sky with one moon once. It feels like it''s been a long time. It is something too far away and unreachable. I don''t know whether I want to go back to that world where I have lived a lonely life. Here, I have Kyo and Mogrok. Thanks to Kyo, I know how to love and care for someone. I hope that things don''t change. I want it to be like this forever. I hope that time stops now. If Mirinae is listening, please grant my wish. I don''t know when I fell asleep. I find myself in bed with Kyo. He is holding my body to his chest like a pillow. Mogrok is sleeping between our legs and snoring. I try to free myself from Kyo, but he is not the same weak boy. He has gotten stronger physically. The more I push, the tighter he grabs on to me. He moans in sleep. "Want to sleep more..." Sister, my foot! Am I your pillow? "Kyo, let go of me." I try to push him away. "You can sleep as long as you want after you let me go." "Don''t want to..." He pulls me in deeper into his embrace. His eyes are still closed. His voice is sleepy. "Smell good....want to sleep like this forever." Okay! I kick away Mogrok first. He hits the wall like a football. Then, I tickle Kyo''s armpits. It has the effect that I wanted. He opens his dark eyes and loosens his arms. "That is unfair, Master," Mogrok yells. "You wake me up by kicks. You wake him by tickles. This is not the same treatment." "That is unfair, Sister." Kyo''s tone is the same. "You shouldn''t use unfair means to wake me up. I don''t know any of your weaknesses." "Mogrok, tickles have no effects on you." I sit up on the bed. "Kyo, I am not your pillow. We can''t share the bed anymore." "Why!" He whines. "Why can''t we sleep together?" "Master, I want to know too." Mogrok rolls on the floor. "I want to sleep with you too." "You two are males. I am a female." I jump off the bed. This is getting ridiculous. "Mogrok, you should understand these things." "Why do I have to be the mature one?" Mogrok''s three legs are pointing to the roof. His round head is touching the floor. "Master, I am your spirit beast. A spirit beast is even closer than a lover. We can even take baths together. It is this male God whom you should avoid." "Sister, I want to be your spirit beast." Kyo''s long hair is a tangled mess. His dark hair is longer than mine. I need tob them and tie them again. "If I be your spirit beast, we can sleep and bath together." "..." Why he is only growing physically? When will he grow mentally? "As if!" Mogrok loses his bnce and falls to his right. "You are a God. My master already has a spirit beast. She can''t form another contract with you." "Is he speaking the truth, Sister?" Kyo eyes me with tears in his eyes. "I can''t be your spirit beast?" "If you be my spirit beast, you can''t be my brother." I pinch his cheeks. "Then, you cannot love your sister like the way you do. There are things that only you can do and Mogrok can''t." "Like what?" Mogrok and Kyo ask in unison. "Ah...that..." I scratch my head. "Like...Kyo and I share thest name. Kyo is officially my family. Like...um... Kyo can eat human meals with me including the vegetables. Mogrok can''t eat vegetables. Kyo can speak to other human beings..." "Master..." Mogrok lowers his head. "I am ashamed...." "There are things that only Mogrok can do." I feel bad seeing him depressed like this. "Mogrok is my only spirit beast. He can eat anyone whom I don''t like. He knows so much about the old world. He helps me with the spirits. He understands magic better than anyone I know..." Kyo and Mogrok seem contented with their roles now. The disaster is managed. I feel relieved. It hasn''t been easy for me to deal with theirpetition and jealousy. Kyo is particrly unreasonable. Mogrok is usually understanding. I am sure that my hair will turn grey faster at this rate. Chapter 21: How to Answer a God? (3) Chapter 21: How to Answer a God? (3) Deia Parisa has been waiting at the reception area of the inn since dawn. She doesn''t want Kresi to disappear suddenly. Good things are predictable. Bad things happen without any notice. The receptionist arrives and takes her seat. Most of the candidates aren''t awake yet. The inn owner is preparing breakfast. The scent of tea and toast is lingering in the air. "Do you know where Kresi Dunebard is staying?" Deia can''t resist asking. "That candidate?" The receptionist remembers the name because Kresi is thest person to arrive yesterday. That girl is quite unforgettable because of her golden eyes. "She is staying on the first floor. Her room number is 7A3." "Thank you!" Deia goes off to the first floor. There are loud noisesing from this room. She recognizes Kresi''s voice. She knocks on the room. After a moment, Kresi opens the door. Her dark hair is tousled. Strings of her robe are loosened. On the bed, Deia can see a sullen Kyo sitting with rumpled long hair. The spirit beast is yelling and rolling from left to right. "Did I intrude?" Deia doesn''t think of this wrong. Afterst night, she understands that Kyo is a mentally unstable boy. This boy is mentally pure andcks the intelligence to understand the world. The spirit beast has some issues though. "I have been waiting for you." Kresi gives her a nod. "Come in." Mogrok stops rolling. He res at Deia. She disregards him and sits on the chair. Kresi sits beside Kyo. Both of them look like they want to sleep more. Deia clears her throat. "Are you ready for today? Thepetition will start after two hours." "We only have two hours?" Kresi holds her head. "Kyo isn''t even ready yet. Who can untangle his mess? It will take hours. I should just cut them." "Sister, I will not cut my hair." Kyo shifts away from her and grasps his hair protectively. "You will look more handsome if you cut your hair," Kresi argues. "It will save time." "No." He shifts further away until his back hits the wall. "Then, I will cut my hair." Kresi is irritated. She looks at Deia. "Do you know how to use a knife?" "Sister, please don''t do this..." "Master, please don''t do this..." "I know how to use a scissor." Deia''s face is nk. "But, I am not sure if I can do a good job on your hair. I agree with them though." "Only one of us can keep long hair." Her hair looks simr to a bird''s nest. "I have tob his hair. Then, I have tob mine. It takes too much time. Cut my hair now." "Sister, I willb my hair by myself." Kyo rushes to her side. "Don''t do it to yourself. If you cut your hair, I will feel sad." "Why?" She glowers at him. "It is just hair. They will grow again." "They will grow again?" Kyo asks with a bewildered expression. He looks at Mogrok. "Then, why does not his hair grow?" "That..." Kresi is defeated. "He is born without any hair." "That is correct." Mogrok seems proud. "No hair. Nobing." Deia giggles after seeing them. The trio narrows their eyes on her. "I am sorry... it is just.... too funny..." "How about this?" Kresi attempts to make his hair smooth with her hands. "Both of us will cut hair together. Then, we will our hair grow again. Together." "They will really grow again?" Kyo''s eyes be round. "If they don''t, we will both have short hairs." "Okay..." Kyo finally gives in. Kresi doesn''t dy. She brings out a knife from her luggage and starts the work on Kyo''s hair. She gives him a modern look from her past world. In fifteen minutes, Kyo''s hair is shortened. Deia gulps after seeing his face. She didn''t know that someone''s looks can change so much after a haircut. "Done!" Kresi shouts with satisfaction. "I have been waiting to do this for a long time. Kyo, you are the most handsome boy in the three realms." "Do you like me more now, Sister?" Kyo smiles broadly. "I do." Kresi rubs his cheeks. "You are so cute, Kyo. If you be cuter, I don''t know what to do." "Kresi, your hands have magic. You are truly an extraordinary person." Deia bends down on her knees in front of the bed. "Please give me a haircut." "You are already pretty." Kresi stands in front of the mirror. "It''s now my time to rise and shine." In ten minutes, Kresi''s hair is shortened to her shoulder length. Her bangs cover her forehead. It''s a clean and cute look. "Sister, you look pretty." "Master is pretty." "Kresi, I want the same haircut." Deia isn''t going to let go at any cost. "Please! Please! Please!" "This haircut won''t look good on you." Kresi gives in. "I will give you a better one. My grandparents owned a salon. She taught me how to cut hair." "Really?" Deia sits with her back to Kresi. "My maids cut my hair." "Don''t move now." Kresi works fast. "There, it''s done." Deia looks into the mirror. Her hair is shorter than Kresi''s. Back of her pale neck is exposed. Her new hair makes her look quirky and beautiful at the same time. In Deled, women are not supposed to keep such short hair. But, Deia can''tin now. She is happy anyway. "I didn''t know that I could look better." "Seer, you don''t look half bad now," Mogrok remarks. Kyo ignores Deia and gazes at his sister. Her sister''s neck isn''t exposed like the seer girl. He also wants to see it. He pulls up Kresi''s hair to get a view of the back of her neck. "What are you doing?" Kresi doesn''t think of this. Kyo''s actions have always been abrupt like this. "Sister''s neck is pretty." His beautiful face is so close that she can feel his hot breath on the back of her neck. She isn''t least affected in any way. She rolls her eyes. "When you grow up, you will regret saying these things to me." "You think?" Kyo''s voice turns deeper. His fingers be cold as ice. Kresi turns head around and stares at him. She can''t speak. Kyo isn''t smiling. His dark eyes aren''t full of simplicity and naivety. They are intense and enigmatic. His face is indifferent and obstinate. She has never seen him like that. In the next instant, Kyo''s eyes be pure again. Deia and Mogrok are arguing about something and hasn''t noticed anything strange. "Who are you?" Kresi asks in a levelled voice. "I am Kyo, Sister." Kyo''s voice bes the same. "What happened to you, Sister?" "Ah, nothing." She looks away. Did she imagine it? She dismisses her thoughts. "Kyo, dress up." After an hour, they go to thepetition grounds. It''s already full. All the candidates are there. Everyone''s eyes turn to Kyo again. This time, Kyo and Kresi don''t react much. Fifteen candidates out of seventeen candidates passed the first round. The second round of thepetition is not easy. One has to conquer a spirit. In the second round, only low tier rank 1 spirits used in thepetition. The stage has changed into an arena with safety runes inscribed in the corners. It keeps the spirit inside the arena. The candidate has to defeat the spirit within thirty minutes. Deia meets her sister who is waiting for her turn. Her sister looks a bit nervous. She looks at Mogrok and misses her spirit beast. She has left her spirit beast in her room. A wahr cannot use his spirit beast in this round anyway. The spirit has to be defeated or tamed using magic only. "You will do good, Ami," Deia tells her softly. "You have trained for so long." "I don''t know." Amelia bites her nails. She is so nervous that she doesn''t notice Deia''s hair. "Nobody canst more than five minutes in the arena with those wild spirits." It is true that most candidates fail in the second round. The wild spirits are caught from the forest. Though their level is low, they are quite aggressive. Kresi looks around. She sees Aizel waving at her. She gives a nod to Deia and leaves her alone with Amelia. Teacher Hohan looks grouchy when his eyes meet hers. Teacher Shyl is beaming like always. "Kresi, your hair..." Aizel turns to Kyo. "You two look...." Is not it forbidden for them to look more appealing? "It suits me, right?" Kresi flicks her hair with her finger. Aizel''s view is blocked again. It''s Kyo standing in front of Kresi. Aizel takes a deep breath and deres, "Kresi, your turn is first." "What?" Kresi asks in a low voice. "Why I am the first? I barely passed the first round." "I don''t know." Aizel smiles at her weakly. "Kyo''s turn is second. He got the highest score in the first round. His turn should be first. My turn is twelfth." "Argh!" Kresi nces at Kyo. "Kyo, you only have to defeat the spirit. Use the spells that are taught in the ss. Don''t scare the public, okay?" Teacher Shyl and Teacher Hohan also agree quietly. Don''t have mood swings, please! The people of Prath will kick them out of thepetition if they find out who is causing this trouble. "Candidates, get ready." The same official is back on the arena. "The second round of thepetition willmence in five minutes. Kresi Dunebard, I repeat, Kresi Dunebard, pleasee to the arena." It''s her call. Chapter 22: How to fight butterflies? (1) Chapter 22: How to fight butterflies? (1) Lideon Sepher is watching me. It must be his doing. Technically, my turn should best because of my performance in the first round. Kyo''s turn should be first. I have noints. If I go first, Kyo can get ideas on how to defeat a spirit. "Are you prepared?" The official asks with some concern. "Yes." Even if I am not, it''s not like I can say so. "Do you have any weapon?" "No." It''s against to rule to carry one to thepetition areas. A cage is carried to the arena. Inside the cage, white butterflies are fluttering around me randomly. Do I have to fight butterflies? I give a questioning look to the official. "Rank 1, Tier 1." The official deres to the crowd. "Name of this spirit is ''Rancorous Petals''. This spirit was captured near the outskirts of Bn." Bn? I have been there once. It wasn''t a good experience. I wonder if anything good cane out of that forest. Rancorous petals have a nice ring to it. "Rancorous Petals is the only spirit from the other realm entrusted for thispetition by Master Sepher." I should have known. It is that old man''s doing. I must have wronged him in my past life. Never mind! I am sure that I didn''t meet him in my past life. He is just doing it because he resents my name. "It takes precise three hundred years for a poison weed called Dhath to be a spirit nt. When the spirit nt reaches the third transformative stage, the petals of its flowers crumble and takes this form. The spirit nt dies after this. These rancorous petals have a beautiful appearance, but they carry the poison of Dhath. If anyone is touched by these petals once, they will be poisoned." Fabulous! The crowd bes quiet. I have never heard of the poison of Dhath, but I can guess from their reactions that it is not anything good. Aish! The freaking butterflies are poisonous. What rank 1? They should be rank 3. The rank of the spirits isn''t decided by its rarity or origin. It is decided by its strength. These flying might be poisonous, but they might be easy to defeat. "Wait!" This time, it is Teacher Shyl who roars. "This spirit''s rank isn''t 1. This spirit is from Bn. The criteria for the spirits of the lower realm and the spirits of Bn is not the same. A rank 1 spirit from Bn is at least a rank 3 in the lower realm in terms of strength." The official rigidly peers up at Lideon Sepher. From his looks, I can tell that Teacher Shyl is right. "The higher realm estimates this spirit to be a rank 1 of tier 1." Lideon Sepher glimpses at me. "There hasn''t been enough studies to officially infer that a low-rank spirit of the higher realm is stronger than a low-rank spirit of the lower realm." Teacher Shyl looks at the butterflies with a colourless face. "Poison of Dhath..." "If you are worried, you can ask your candidate to quit." Lideon Sepher''s tone leaves no room for any argument. "Kresi, you should quit." Teacher Shyl bites his lips. Teacher Hohan gives me a solemn nod. "If she quits, it will the next candidate who will fight with spirit." Lideon Sepher''s voice rings in the arena. I look at him. He must have something against me. If I don''t fight, it will be Kyo who has to fight this thing. He nned this e out." Kyo is ready to burst into the arena. If he does that, he will be disqualified. I give him a reassuring smile. "Kyo, believe in your sister. I will take care of these rancorous butterflies." I add, "I mean, petals." "Boy,e back. She will be fine." Mogrok is the only one who isn''t worried. "She can defeat that thing. Calm down and believe in her." Kyo doesn''t sit down. His eyes are fixed on me. I have to do well for him. I won''t be a good example to him if I didn''t do well. I smirk at Lideon Sepher. "I will fight." "Are you ready then?" The official asks me. "I am." "3. 2. 1" The rancorous petals are released from the cage. It flies skyward until it hits the roof. Instead of butterflies, it looks like a swarm of bees. It goes right and left to escape from the arena. The floating giant stopwatch is running. I can''t waste time. "Hey, Rancorous Petals!" I scream at them to attract their attention. I can''t help but feel stupid. But, the butterflies stop flying around. It stops in the middle of the arena and seems to be regarding me. So, it has some intelligence. It doesn''t attack until it is provoked. "You can''t escape until you defeat me." The rancorous petals separate in all directions. They fly around me. Not a single one tries to touch me. They are measuring me up. Good! The spells I have memorized and practised have a low range of effect. The target has to be close. I can feel the ehr throbbing through my veins and waiting to be called. "[Fire]" Rings of fire appear around me and spreads outward. It burns some of the butterflies into ashes. I hear them pping away from me. I have killed one-fourth of the total butterflies. I use the ehr for the next spell. "[Tornado]" Biting cold winds rotate fiercely, cutting through the butterflies. These butterflies are fragile and easily killed. I call for the second tornado and secretly transfers more ehr in the spell. The intense winds prate through the most butterflies. Five butterflies are left. They are moving further away from me. I look at the stopwatch. Only nine minutes are left. "Come now~" Four butterflies are flying away toward four corners. The fifth one is directly flying above my head. My spell range is not that high. I have to attract them to me. Seven minutes are left. "Aren''t you vengeful?" I put my hands on my waist. "Want revenge? How about a head-on battle? There are five of you against me." Five minutes are left. Is this even a battle? It is to easy to kill them. The five butterflies gather above my head. The distance is still long. My spell won''t reach them. They must have figured this out. "Want to attack?" Suddenly, I feel a sting on my arm. I pull up my sleeve and find a sixth butterfly biting my arm. I kill it with a p. It disintegrates into nothing. Two minutes are left. I hear the sound of ppings. The other five butterflies fly down in my direction rapidly. They are directed toward my face. I raise my good arm toward the butterflies. [Fire] The floating stopwatch ceases. "Kresi Dunebard has won this round." Lideon Sepher stands up and announces with a radiant smile on his face. "That was a good match." "Did you see how she casts the spells?" "I have never seen a beginner use these spells with such proficiency." "I thought that she got into thepetition through unfair means. Now, I am not sure." "She defeated those poisonous butterflies." People are loud. In the first round, they have said things against me. Now, they are praising me. To change public opinion, one must be ready to get poisoned. I can''t feel my arm. It spreads to my right leg. Someone holds me before I fall. My vision is blurry, but I can tell that it is Kyo. "Sister..." He tears my sleeves. His fingers touch the bitten parts. "Her skin is turning blue." It is Teacher Hohan. "Find a healer." "Send a healer. She is poisoned," Teacher Shyl yells loudly. "Sister, don''t sleep." I do that exactly. Chapter 23: How to fight butterflies? (2) Chapter 23: How to fight butterflies? (2) The arena is in disorder. A candidate is poisoned. Healers in green robes arrive. She is breathing erratically. Her pulse is irregr. The poison is spreading rapidly inside her body. The head healer feeds her an antidote. He has no idea if it works. The poison of Dhath is not from their realm. When herplexion does not improve, he picks up another vial to feed her. "Why are you feeding her a wrong medicine?" Lideon Sepher leisurely walks to them. "If you feed her more, it will give her tremendous pain." Teacher Hohan stands up to Lideon Sepher. "Because of you, a child is hurt. Why did you use such a dangerous beast?" "She was not careful." Lideon Sepher ignores Teacher Hohan''s disrespectful tone. "She is a Mirin. Poisons can''t kill her." "What?" Teacher Hohan is shocked. Though he has never heard of Mirins, he is surprised to hear that poisons can''t kill her. "Why? I don''t understand." "Is he telling the truth?" Kyo asks Mogrok who nods slowly. "Master won''t die. It will take a few hours for the master''s body to sweat out the poison. I have seen master do that before." More than a year ago, he has seen the previous harbinger do it on the night of fire and death. "Master is in pain." Mogrok''s lips tremble when he sees her face contorted in pain. He didn''t care when it happened to the previous harbinger in the same body. But, he likes his current master. He doesn''t want her to feel the pain. "This girl is not from the lower realm." Lideon Sepher cannot understand Mogrok''s words. He stares at the pale face of Kresi. "If she was, she would have died when the rancorous petals bit her. The poison of Dhath has no antidote." "Will she be fine?" Teacher Shyl asks him. "Are there any after effect of this poison?" "To Mirins?" Lideon Sepher chuckles lightly. "There are none. I have not seen or heard of anyone from that bloodline to die from poisoning. Take her to her room. She will be fine after a few hours. Thispetition should go on. I don''t have all the time in the world." "The next candidate is him." The official points at Kyo. "He is her brother." Kyo picks up Kresi in his arms and walks out of the Arena. Nobody tries to stop him. Mogrok runs behind them. Teacher Hohan asks Teacher Shyl to stay beside Aizel. Deia has been prevented by the guards to enter the arena. She runs back to her sister and tells her, "Ami, if you see a dangerous beast, don''t fight. Life is more valuable than ambition. I am going to see Kresi. Don''t forget my words." "Sister!" Amelia yells after Deia who dashes out of the ce. She sighs lightly. Her sister cares about that girl more than her? If Kyo Dunebard isn''t fighting, then he is disqualified. It will be her turn next. A low-rank spirit is brought to the arena. Amelia and the other candidates are relieved to see the salmon spirit from the lower realm. It seems that they used the spirit from Bn for the first candidate only. "Kyo Dunebard, report to the arena." The official calls out his name repetitively. "Kyo Dunebard, if you don''t report in the next thirty minutes, you will be disqualified." "Teacher Shyl, should we convince him to take part?" Aizel asks. Kresi has worked hard for thispetition. She wants to go to the higher realm with Kyo. She didn''t evene herest year because Kyo was not thirteen at that time to take part. Now, Kresi has won this round. If Kyo doesn''t take part, he will be disqualified. How will Kresi go to the higher realm without him? Teacher Shyl sighs. To be honest, he is afraid to speak to Kyo. "Aizel, can you talk to him about this?" "No." Aizel''s voice bes weak. He is afraid of Kyo. Only Kresi can handle him. "I hope that Kresi wakes up soon." "I wish the same." Kyo kicks open the door. Heys her down on the bed carefully. Her clothes are drenched with sweat. Mogrok climbs up the bed and sits near her head. He cleans the sweat from her forehead with his two arms. Teacher Hohan and Deia catches up to them. He doesn''t say anything when he sees Kyo''s expression. He quietly opens the window. "Wipe her face with a cold cloth," He tells Deia. She finds a bowl and fills it with cold water. She dips the cloth in the water. Kyo stops her from touching her. "I will do it." She hands over the wet cloth to Kyo without a word. Kyo clears her face and her arms. Kresi is clenching her jaw in pain. She is sweating extensively. The poison is fading slowly. But, the pain isn''t going away. "Hmph! She should have quit when Shyl asked her to." Teacher Hohan scowls at her. "She shouldn''t show off as a fool." "My master is just too kind." Mogrok cries. "She didn''t want this boy to fight those butterflies. My master wants to be an ideal older sister to this boy. She did it because she didn''t want him to fight that spirit. Nobody can understand her other than me." Teacher Hohan can''t understand a word. But, Kyo and Deia can understand. Deia doesn''t know what to say. She has a sister too. But, she has never been an ideal older sister. She loves her sister, but will she ever do something like this for her sister? Deia is sure that she can die for her sister. She wants to protect her, but doing something like this is foolish. She would have made her sister quit rather than fight a poisonous spirit like that. Kyo is simple. He doesn''t understand the meaning behind Mogrok''s deep words. He doesn''t want her sister to go through this pain ever. He continues to wipe her sweat. The water in the bowl turns ck. Deia refills the bowl after throwing away the water and washing the cloth. Teacher Hohan leaves when Kresi''s condition is stable. Deia also leaves to check on her sister. "You should have stopped her." After they are gone, Kyo''s expression changes. The innocence and simplicity are gone. He stands up and takes a few steps away from the bed. Mogrok senses the change in the air this time. He looks up and sees the Dark God watching him with cold eyes. "She is stubborn." Mogrok bows down. The Dark God is awake. He has known that it would have happened someday. "A measly poisonous spirit can''t hurt me." Kyo digs his nails in Mogrok''s head. "Are you conspiring to make me feel pity for this girl?" Mogrok is mad. He forgets that it is the Dark God. "Even if I told her, she would have done it. She cares for you. She wants to protect you from the things that can harm you." "I don''t care." Kyoughs haughtily. "She doesn''t have long to live. When I fully recover, I will kill her first." "I know." "I will finish you next, you treacherous creature." "I don''t care whether I die or not." Mogrok whispers. "But, can you harm her, my God? You are bound to her by a name, a promise, and a bond." Kyo hardens his hold on Mogrok''s head. "She can''t tie me to her." He lets go of Mogrok and falls on the floor lifelessly. Mogrok peeks down and sees him sleeping on the floor. The Dark God is gone. Mogrok doesn''t doubt that the Dark God will try to kill his master when hepletely recovers. He has informed his master about this. His master is silly. She should have thrown this God back in his prison and left that ce that day. Chapter 24: How to let him kiss? (1) Chapter 24: How to let him kiss? (1) When I regain my consciousness, I find Kyo lying t on the ground. Mogrok is lying t with his mouth wide open. His eyes are rolled back. He seems like he has lost his soul to the devil. I wonder what happened when I passed out. My body is aching as if an elephant did a ballet dance on my body when I was asleep. I climb down the bed and check on Kyo first. He ispletely out. There is no wound. I check on Mogrok next. He opens his eyes when my fingers touch his head. He mumbles to me in a weak tone, "Master, you are awake." "What happened?" Did these two fight again and pass out? "Master, I have been brave. Please pet my head." Mogrok climbs on myp. "Mogrok, get a grip," I pick him up in my arms. "What happened here? How did you two get hurt?" "Master, I have bravely confronted the Dark God." The Dark God? I drop him on the floor and stare at Kyo''s face. He doesn''t look any different. "Master~" Mogrok rolls to my side and pulls on my sleeve. "He woke up when you were passed out. He told me that he will kill you when he recovers fully. He will kill me next. Master, I have been brave. I told him that he can''t hurt you. Are you listening to me? I felt like he would kill me. I acted like I wouldn''t mind dying. But, I want to live. I don''t dislike this life. I want to get pampered by you forever." His reasons are a bit... I sigh deeply. This is not good. Why did the Dark Gode out suddenly? "Tell me the details." Mogrok tells me a colourful story. To summarize, Kyo brought me here. He is disqualified. The Dark God within him woke up and threatened Mogrok. He thinks that I have been conspiring to make him feel pity for me. He isn''t half wrong. It is true that I love Kyo. It is hard not to love him. He is adorable and pure. I want to raise him into a good person. If he bes a good person, the Dark God will drop the idea of killing me to take the heart if Kyo ever bes the Dark God in my lifetime. I have been hoping that he will be a good God. The world will be peaceful with a happy ending for everyone. It''s not working out the way I want it to. The Dark God has figured out. If he knows this already, it won''t work at all. "What should we do, Master?" Mogrok is crying. "I don''t want to die." Sigh! What''s wrong with this spirit beast? If Dark God fully recovers, he will take my heart. I will die. Then, he will destroy the world. The old prophecy says something along that line. Anyway, I won''t give him my heart. I want to live a long life. I have no intention of letting Kyo being taken over by the wicked Dark God. Think! I grab my head. Why would the Dark God wake up today? It''s been quite peaceful. Kyo didn''t do anything like this before. Something must have triggered him. Two extreme things happened today. I had cut his hair. I was poisoned. Damn! It must be the hair. He was quite reluctant to let me cut his hair. The Dark God must have treasured his hair. I did get a glimpse of him at that time. I shudder in fear. Oh, that was too close! That God is wicked. I am not prepared to deal with God. New Mission! I have to keep the Dark God buried in Kyo forever. That God can''t evere out. Should I pamper him more? I will keep Kyo happy. "Sister?" Kyo''s voice jolts me out of my thoughts. Mogrok hides behind me. Kyo blinks his ck eyes at me. He asks me in a trembling voice, "Are you still in pain, Sister?" It melts my heart instantly when I see him like this. This boy isn''t evil. The Dark God is evil. Kyo is a pure boy. He is not to be med for anything that the Dark God does. It is like having multiple personalities. The Dark God is his bad alter ego. I will keep that personality asleep forever. "Sister, I was afraid." He hugs me. "Don''t get hurt again. I don''t want to see you get hurt ever." "Kyo, I only want to see you. I don''t want to see an Evil God." I hug him back. "Please don''t be the evil God. Always stay like this. Always be Kyo." "Evil God?" He lets go of me and looks around. Where are you looking, Kyo? He is inside you, Kyo. "Kyo, you are my younger brother. Don''t ever forget that." I caress his cheeks. "I will be the best sister. I will pamper you every day. I will never cut your hair again. You can keep them long. I willb them every day. I will do everything that you want me to do. But, you can''t be bad. Okay?" "I won''t be bad, Sister." Kyo''s smile is warm. His smile reminds me of everything good that exists in the world. "Sister will love me more if I don''t be worse." "Master, I don''t think that it will work like this." Mogrok is still suspicious of Kyo. "We should send him back to Qeshaya." "Where are you sending me, Sister?" Kyo starts crying loudly. "I don''t want to go anywhere. I will be a good boy. Don''t send me away." I re at Mogrok. I pat Kyo''s head to calm him down. "Kyo, you aren''t going anywhere. You will always stay beside me if you don''t be a bad God...I mean, boy. Okay?" If that happens, then I will be the one running away. "Master, why would you let him stay with you?" Mogrok lets out an exasperated sigh. "Living with him is like living with death itself." "Don''t worry." I give him a look. "Kyo promised me that he will do whatever I want. He won''t ever be bad." "I will do what you want me to do, Sister," Kyo promises me again. He looks a bit distraught. "Don''t send me away. Don''t listen to him. I will be a good man and protect you from bad people." It is enough if you protect me from the Dark God inside you. "That''s right." I kiss his forehead. "You are not going anywhere." Kyo is startled. He brings his face close to mine and points at his forehead. "Sister, can you do it again? It feels good." "Muaaaah!" I give him a kiss between his brows. "Sister, do it again." I give him another kiss. "Again." "Master, I want one too. Why is he the only one who gets to touched by your lips? What about me?" I ignore Mogrok. I pinch Kyo''s cheek. "Kissing too much is bad for health. Kyo needs to be healthy." "But I like it." Kyo looks at me like I have taken away his favourite candy. "Sister, I want to kiss you too..." Kyo bends his head down and kisses me on my forehead. He looks into my eyes and then, kisses me again and again until I push him away. "That''s enough." "Sister, can I kiss you on other ces?" "Boy, only the forehead is reserved for you." Mogrok jumps in between us, trying to shield me from Kyo. "Don''t wander to unreserved areas with your lips." This conversation is going in the wrong direction. "Sister, you said that you will do everything that I want you to do if I am a good boy." Kyo ps Mogrok away and leans closer. "If I be a good boy, will you let me kiss you at other ces?" "..." Chapter 25: How to let him kiss? (2) Chapter 25: How to let him kiss? (2) "Sister, Father will disown you." Her elder dopey sister who has done something that is not eptable for the women in Deled. Deled is a peace-loving country. However, some old customs are rigidly followed. One of them is that women cannot keep short hair. To make the matter worse, only celibate women who abandon the worldly desires cuts their hair short and leaves the household to find the enlightenment. In Amelia''s eyes, her sister has lost her mind. Her sister must be rebelling because she doesn''t want to get married to the prince and that she can''t find her spirit. "Ami, you are overthinking." Deiaughs tensely. She has already nned to not return to her house. She will follow Kresi wherever she goes. She will stick to that girl like glue until she finds her spirit. "Are you really bing a monk?" Amelia cuts the meat into small pieces. "If you decide to be one, I won''t be surprised." "Ami, I want to find my spirit." Deia shrugs her shoulders and looks at the door. She should buy some meat for Kresi and visit her. "If I win the next round, I will go to the higher realm." Amelia puts some in her sister''s te. "Our family''s status will rise. Our family won''t be pressurized to marry you in the royal family. You can choose to deny the marriage and travel the world like you want to." "Ami, I am not a good big sister." Deia chews the meat slowly. The prince is from a branch family. He wants to marry her because he wants children with magical abilities. The royal family have been pressurizing her father. If she has found her spirit, she won''t be in this condition. "I am not a good daughter." "You realize that now?" Amelia raises her brow. "Sister, you don''t have to be a good sister. I will win the next round. They can''t pressurize anymore if someone from our family is going to the higher realm." "Ami, don''t be burdened. I don''t want you to get hurt." "I am not a fool." Amelia looks at the door. "That girl is here." Teacher Shyl, Teacher Hohan and Aizel stop eating when they see Kresi and Kyo. They are relieved to see that she looks better. Lideon Sepher is right. Mogrok is stiffly following behind. Kresi doesn''t beat around the bush. "I am quitting. Teacher Shyl, give this letter to Lady Dunebard. I won''t return to Milegia." Teacher Shyl has expected this, but he didn''t think that she wouldn''t return to Milegia. "Kresi, where are you going?" "Kresi, think about it." Aizel resists Kyo''s re. "It''s the higher realm." "I won''t go without Kyo." "Brat, why are you stubborn at a time like this?" Teacher Hohan glowers at her. "It''s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You are throwing it away because of someone else." Kresi doesn''t reply. Nobody speaks another word for a long moment. "If that''s your decision, then we have to ept," Teacher Shyl tells Kresi in a defeated voice. "You will regret thister." Teacher Hohan clicks his tongue and leaves. Deia and Amelia''s table isn''t far. They have been listening to the conversation quietly. "I am relieved." Amelia ys with her food. " "Why are you like that?" Deia smacks her arm. "Have you seen her when she fought with the spirit from Bn?" Amelia furrows her brows. "Her control is marvellous. What if I have to fight against her in the next round? I will be defeated by her first move." "Still, you shouldn''t be happy because she is quitting." Deia rests her elbows on the table. "I have seen her going to the higher realm. But, I have also seen her leaving thepetition ground. I don''t understand. Where will I find my spirit? I am sure that I will find my spirit if I follow her." "If she fights in the final round and wins, she will be going to the higher realm." Amelia feeds her idiot sister. "If she goes, you can''t follow her to the higher realm even if you beg. It is better if she quits. You can follow her around and find the spirit." "You are right." The fused light bulb inside her head is lighted by Amelia''s words. Amelia knows that her sister is obstinate. "Send a letter to father before you leave. You can tell him that you have found out the whereabouts of your spirit and you will return after finding it. He won''t get worried or try to stop you. He will even celebrate." Kyo isn''t happy. Earlier, his sister didn''t answer his question. Mogrok isn''t happy either. Earlier, his master punched him on his head. His master loves the Dark God more than him. The difference between their treatment is too much. Master is impartial. Both of them are pouting and ignoring Kresi as little rebels. Kresi rolls her eyes and continues to chat with Teacher Shyl and Aizel. "You can''t stay in Prath," Teacher Shyl informs her gravely. "The rtionship between Prath and Milegia is bad. They let use temporarily because of thepetition. We have to leave as soon as thepetition is over." "You can''t go to Pire either," Aizel tells her. "Milegia and Pire are in a bad rtionship too. In any case, you have to return to Milegia." "How will they know that I am from Milegia?" Kresi stabs the piece of spicy meat with the fork and takes it near Kyo''s mouth. He opens his mouth out of habit and eats it before he realizes that he is mad at his sister for not answering him. Mogrok is fuming with grievances when Kresi stabs another piece of meat with a sigh and feed it to Mogrok. Just like that, Mogrok is happy again. Teacher Shyl can understand the meaning of her words. "If you are caught, things will be bad." "I won''t get caught." She grins at Teacher Shyl. "Don''t worry, Teacher Shyl. It is better if you pretend that you don''t know anything. I will leave tonight. You can tell them that I ran back to Milegia because I wanted to quit." Teacher Shyl nods and puts the coin key on the table. "I will say that you stole the key." Amelia wonders if Teacher Shyl is really a teacher. They are talking about breakingws too casually over dinner. Deia, on the other hand, is excited after hearing the news. "I don''t think that you should follow her," Amelia warns her. "She is going to breakws. It will be troublesome if you are caught with her." Deia understands the situation. "I don''t think that she will get caught. In each future that I have seen, she will leave this ce and go to the higher realm." "Did you see yourself going too?" Amelia asks after a pause. "I have seen myself meeting my spirit." Deia taps her chin. "I can''t see it clearly yet. For some reason, that spirit is connected to them. So, I guess that I will being to the higher realm too." "You are not sure?" "You know how it is? Nothing is for sure until the decision is made by the person. Before that happens, the future is always vague." Deia sighs. "After I meet my spirit, I will know." "Did you see any other probability?" Amelia is worried about her sister. She has a bad feeling. Deia looks away. In her sight, the future depends on people''s decision. In one of the futures, she is being eaten by arge monster with many eyes. In other future, she is being killed by a dark being. In another one, she goes back to Deled and marries the prince. But, there is one future where meets her spirit. So, if Kresi decides to help her, she knows that she will be able to meet her spirit. "You will win the final round." Deia winks at her and changes the topic. She looks at Aizel and whispers, "That boy will also win thest round. The fourth candidate from Prath will also win thest round." "Do you see that future clearly?" Amelia asks. "Yes. It''s confirmed after Kresi made her decision. Back at home, I didn''t see that you are going. Now, the future in which you go to the higher realm is 90% clear." "You didn''t tell me that back then?" Amelia pulls her hair. "There is a 10% chance that I won''t go?" "Nothing is confirmed until it actually happens." Deia looks at Kresi who is giving tips to Aizel for the final round. If Lideon Sepher didn''t decide to test Kresi, she wouldn''t be poisoned and the final result would bepletely different. If Kyo didn''t get disqualified, he would have fought against Aizel. If Kresi didn''t quit, her sister would be fighting against her in thest round. For her, the future is always changing with people''s decision. That''s why she is sure that she needs to follow Kresi despite the futures that she has seen. Chapter 26: How to let him kiss? (3) Chapter 26: How to let him kiss? (3) I pack our stuff in my bag. The coin key to Milegia is in my pocket. It is useless for me, but I have to make it look like I have stolen it and ran back home with Kyo and Mogrok. Teacher Shyl wille up with excuses. I am grateful for them toe up with these. Where we are going? No idea. "Sister, you didn''t answer my question," Kyo utters in a whiny tone. "Will you kiss me at other ces if I be a good boy?" "Boy, let it go. I don''t want to get beaten up again." Mogrok is still cantankerous about the punch. I didn''t hit him because of Kyo. I hit him because he has been saying oundish things. He is not the Dark God with a childlike mentality. "Kyo, I will teach you how to being an adult after we leave this ce." I give him a dangerous look. "You need to learn what not to say and what not to do." "Sister, do you hate being kissed by me?" He wraps his arms around my waist. "Do you dislike it when I kiss you?" I take a deep breath. It is not that I dislike it. It''s like being kissed by an adorable child. He isn''t physically a child. "Kyo, you are grown up now." "I will be worse if you don''t let me do it." I am getting a headache. He is fixated on kisses. Why did I kiss his forehead? I shouldn''t have given him the taste. Now, he wants it all the time. Either get kissed by him or get killed by him... What kind of choice is this? "Master, I think that you should send him away." Mogrok attempts to squeeze in between us. "He has evil desires now." "Sister!" "Fine." I cup his face and stand up on my toes to give a peck on his forehead. "You will get one on each day. You can kiss me once every day. Only once, deal?" Mogrok looks grumpy. I pick up my spirit beast. "You will get one too. Kiss me here." I point to my other cheek. "Master, I love you." Mogrok lifts his head to kiss my cheek. But, nothinges. Kyo is holding him away from my face with his one hand. He res at Mogrok. "Only I can do that." "Master!" Mogrok struggles pitifully, but he can''t free himself from Kyo''s clutch. "Kyo, what are you doing?" I can''t deal with this. It is like I am raising two whiny kids. "Both of you are family to me. Mogrok gets what you get." "Sister, I will be worse if he gets to do that." "Kyo, you said that you will do whatever I want." "Sister, you said that you will do everything that I want you to do if I be a good boy." "You are not acting like a good boy right now." "Sister is not doing what I want her to do right now." Is he rebelling? what to do when a kid when he is rebelling against his guardian? I have never taken care of a kid before. I have taken care of a kitten when I was in elementary school. I should have read some books on child psychology in my past life. Someone knocks the door. I give up first and open the door. It is Deia. Why I am not surprised to see her anymore? "Kresi, are you feeling well?" She is carrying a bag on her shoulder. I wonder if she is going somewhere. "Yes." I cross my arms when she gets into the room and put her bag down. She raises her brow when she notices Kyo''s and Mogrok''s angry expressions. "Did you two fight?" She asks in a kind tone. "Seer, what are you doing here?" Mogrok narrows his eyes on her sceptically. "You are leaving, right?" She turns around and beams at me. "I aming with you." I close the door. Did she see this in her vision? "I can''t take you with me." Deia has been prepared. She falls on her knees immediately and bows down. Her forehead and nose are touching the cold floor. Mogrok, Kyo, and I have the same t expression. Girl, do you have an ounce of dignity? "Please let mee with you," Deia begs frantically. "If I don''t go with you, I will never find my spirit. In all the futures that I have seen, I can meet my spirit only if I follow you." Seers are really annoying. "If I go back to my country, I have to marry a man whom I don''t love." Deia''s voice is cracking. Her tears wet the floor. "If I don''t find my spirit, I will lead a life that I don''t want. It is my dream to find my spirit and travel the realms." I put my hands on my waist. "Coming with me is worse than marrying a man whom you don''t love. You might end up killed or..." I nce at Mogrok who is about to burst from anger. "...eaten by a spirit beast who does not like you." He gives me thumbs up. "I don''t care." Deia presses down her face. "Meeting my spirit is important to me. I will live an iplete life if I don''t meet it. It is a life worse than death. A spirit is closer to the wahr more than anyone else in the world. You are a wahr too. Can''t you understand my feelings?" Uh... Mogrok is looking smugly at Kyo. Kyo is scowling back at Mogrok. Closer than anyone in the world? I am not so sure. "You see futures, right?" I squat down in front of her. "Then, you must have seen something. Did you see that you will meet your spirit safely? Nothing happens to you if you follow me?" "I have seen us meeting my spirit. I have seen you going to the higher realm." Deia peeks at me with her violet eyes. "I see multiple futures until decisions are made." Multiple futures until decisions are made? If she is with me, I can keep eyes on Kyo''s future. If the Dark God decides to kill me, I will know beforehand. "Master, it is bad luck to keep a seer with you." Mogrok dashes to my side. "Don''t make decisions quickly." "Hey, that''s superstition," Deia yells at Mogrok. "Have you seen Kyo in your future?" I ask her. I need to know what she can see and can''t see. "Kyo?" She takes a nce at Kyo. "I have seen him going to the higher realm with you." So, nothing happens before I go to the higher realm. Keeping this God happy is the right way then. I can kiss him. It''s no problem as long as it keeps the Dark God away. "You areing with us." I grab her hand and pull her up. "Deia, you have to tell me all the futures regarding me, Kyo, and Mogrok. I want to know all the possibilities." "I will tell you everything." Deia gives me a big smile. She seems to understand what I want. "In return, I will help you find your spirit," I promise her. Keeping equivalent exchange is a good thing. "Master, it is a bad idea." Mogrok opposes strongly. I take Mogrok the corner and whisper to him in a low voice, "If shees with us, we can keep eyes on the Dark God''s future actions." "Master, you are clever. I won''t eat her then." Mogrok concedes. "But, Master, can you trust her?" "I will take the chance." I will take any chance that keeps the Dark God as Kyo. Chapter 27: How to leave the lower realm? (1) Chapter 27: How to leave the lower realm? (1) The future where she is eaten by the thousand-eyed spirit beast disappears when Kresi and Mogrok smile at her together. The change in Mogrok''s attitude is big to handle. She wonders what Kresi said to Mogrok to convince him. She lets go of her doubt. At least, she won''t get eaten. Now, about getting killed by a shadowy figure, this future is too blurry. She doesn''t know whether it will happen or not. That future has a slim chance. Why is there a risk of her being killed by a shadowy vague figure? Does it mean that Kresi has a chance of getting hurt too? She shakes off her thoughts. Nothing is sure until the decision is made. She will wait and warn Kresi if she sees that future again. "How do we go to the higher realm?" Kresi asks her with expectation. She says with an awkward smile, "I don''t know." Kresi looks disappointed. She sits on the bed and rests her chin in her hand. "It''s okay. I will figure out. There are a lot of ces to go. Should we explore the mountains of Prath? There must be a lot of spirits there for you to look at." Deia bites her lower lips. Kresi really wants to help her. She opens her bag and brings out her sketches. She has drawn them when she was in Deled. She finds the one that she is looking for. "I have seen you here." She gives the sketch to Kresi. The sketch is quite detailed. In the sketch, Kresi sees three cloaked figures standing against the sharp winds on t icynd. It is dark. The three moons are floating in the sky. "A ce like this?" Kresi frowns deeply. "Does it exist in the lower realm? I have heard that there are no frozennds on the lower realm. The weather is hot at day time and cold at night time. There is no ce where it even snows." "You are right." Why didn''t she think of that? Because of the three moons, she thought that it was night time. "The sun does not rise here." Kresi reads the words written in the corner of the sketch. "You wrote that?" She is surprised to see the words written in the corner. It is her handwriting. She has forgotten about that. She has seen this future months ago. Sometimes, she forgets the details. That''s why she always make a sketch and write down the spoken words in the corner or the back of the sketch. "Yes, you said those words in my vision." "A ce where the Sun does not rise," Kresi mumbles the words. "I don''t think that there is any ce in the lower realm where the Sun does not rise. It must be in other realms. Do you have any picture of the higher realm?" "I do." Deia brings out the one with flying inds. She looks at the back of the sketch. "This is the higher realm. You screamed with excitement when you saw the inds floating in the sky. Mogrok said that the flow of ehr is better here than the other realms." Kresi takes the sketch to look at it. There are floating inds and clouds. Behind the clouds, the Sun is shining. Among the floating inds, there is a big ind with a pce. In the right corner, she can see another pce. Spirits are flying in the air. She sees people in vague shadows. It is a beautiful ce. She puts down the sketch. "How many realms are there?" "Three?" Deia tilts her head. "The higher realm, the lower realm, and the middle realm." Kresi nces at Kyo and Mogrok once. They are sleeping on the bed together. She picks up the other sketch. "This one must be the middle realm." "Middle?" Deia let out a cry. "Middle realm is dangerous." "Why is that?" Kresi asks her. "When the god created the new world from the ruins of the old world," Deia tells her with a serious tone. "They ced the best ces in the higher realm. The flow of ehr is highest there. The spirits thrive there naturally. Sehr and Wahr can easily convert the ehr into mana and use it in any way they want to. When they created the lower realm, they put the ces with only little damage. The flow of ehr is minimal here. Still, the spirit beasts and spirits are found in this ce because of the flow of ehr. The lower realm is furthest from the cursed sea for the safety of Nihr." "The cursed sea?" Kresi is confused. "I have never heard of it." "The cursed sea is the sea of corrupted ehr." Deia frowns a bit. This knowledge is quitemon. "The lower realm has a minimal flow of ehr. There was a time when everyone could channel ehr directly. But, after the war, arge number of people could not do so. Still, there are some Wahr and Sehr born with time. The number is too lowpared to the higher realm. In the higher realm, almost everyone is a magic user." "What about the middle realm?" "The middle realm has a medium flow of Ehr." Deia looks at the sketch. "When the gods created the middle realm, they assembled the most damaged ces and put it together. The middle realm is inhabitable. That''s why they put it closest to the cursed sea as a boundary between the other two realms and the cursed sea. However, after the Gods went to rest in the God realm, someone built a city underneath the wastes of the middle realm." "That''s brave." Kresi chuckles lowly. "It is impressive that someone will create a city out of a dumpster." "It is not good." Deia waves her palms. "That ce is the home of exiles, outcasts, escaped prisoners, rogues, and..." She leans closer and whispers, "The cursed children." Kresi raises her brow and smiles. "Is that so?" "They are evil creatures," Deia speaks in a low tone. "I heard that there was a cursed child found in Pire. That child butchered a hundred man with its bare hands. When the holy knights arrived in the city, it was a big fight. The Renasir had toe by herself to catch that child." "I see." "The cursed children are people who are born under thew of the thirteenth god. They can channel corrupted ehr. The old prophecy speaks of the harbinger who will bring back the Dark God. The Dark God will gather the cursed ones to form an army and wage a war against the gods and the world. The Dark God will destroy the world for revenge." Kresi peers at her with amusement. "What will you do when you see the harbinger and the Dark God?" Deia is horrified by Kresi''s words. "I will die before I can do anything." "Let''s say that the harbinger and the Dark God can help you find your spirit." Kresi cocks her head and smiles at her. "What will you do then?" Deiaughs. "Kresi, your imagination is good." "Answer me." Deia observes Kresi''s piercing gaze. She scratches the back of her neck and looks away before she answers her. "I will plead to them to help me before they decide to kill me." "You pass." Chapter 28: How to leave the lower realm? (2) Chapter 28: How to leave the lower realm? (2) There was someone who spoke about middle realm once. Raye. I didn''t meet him ever again. I didn''t try to find out more about him. I don''t want them to know about Kyo. From Deia''s story, I gather that the lower realm is a ce for the ones with little or no magical abilities. Those who have some talents get the chance to go to the higher realm through thispetition. Inter-realm travel is only possible through Inter-realm Gates. These gates can be summoned by high-grade spells that are only taught in the middle and higher realm. In the lower realm, direct gates from one ce to another are created only by rogue magic users or the officials from the higher realm for a special purpose. Asking a rogue magic user to make an inter-realm gate costs a fortune. I can''t summon a gate yet. Mogrok is good with exnations on how channelling ehr works, but he doesn''t know much about the spells. Lideon Sepher can summon the gate. But, I don''t want to ask him. It is risky. If he looks for my origin, I might get in trouble. This is frustrating. "There is a way." She hesitates a bit. "But, it is dangerous." "Tell me?" "Have you heard of the lost peaks?" I have not. I have only been to four ces - Milegia''s capital, Prath''s capital, Beggar city, and Qeshaya. I have no idea where these peaks are or how lost they are. "I read it in a book." Deia brings out a notebook from her bag. She starts drawing on a nk page. I can''t guess what she is drawing. "After you cross the lost peaks, you will arrive at the beginning of ruins from the old world. These shattered ruins start from the end of the lower realm. When you walk deeper into the ruins, a small part of the cursed sea starts and ends on the edge of the middle realm. " "Really?" I am surprised. Is it that easy? If it is, why are people still stuck here? "But, it is dangerous." She finishes the sketch. I can see misty peaks of mountains and the ruins of a city. At the end of the ruins, there is a fearsome tsunami wave trying to devour it. "The cursed sea is the sea of corrupted ehr. I heard that warped creatures wander the cursed sea. The cursed sea and the warped creatures are kept away from entering the lower realm by the barrier. If we go inside the cursed sea, we might meet a fate worse than death." Deia''s voice is haunted. "I didn''t see that future. Do we have to go?" "You said that we will reach the higher realm." I raise my brow at her. "If we take this route, we might make it there." "Yes, but..." She looks conflicted. "Kresi, it is dangerous. What if we are corrupted by that ehr? We will be hunted and killed by the nameless knights." "That won''t happen." Kyo is God. Mogrok is a forbidden creature. I am a harbinger. I am a bit worried about Deia, but she hasn''t formed a contract yet. Her magic is sealed until she forms a contract with the spirit. She can''t channel ehr until then. Then, she shouldn''t get corrupted either. "How do we get there?" I point at the lost peaks. There are some hours left until dawn. The guards do not stop us. Many candidates who have lost in the previous rounds leave before the end of thepetition. The gate is the same for the three other nations. It is the key that decides the destination. There is a gate- circle in the lost peaks from Deled. Her n is to go to Deled first and take the gate to the lost peaks from there. "Wait." I stop her from tossing her coin key on the circle. "We aren''t going to Deled." "What?" Her hand is hanged in the air with the coin key. "Why?" I summon the universal key in my hand. It is the same gleaming beauty. I ced it in the gate circle and think of the middle realm first. It doesn''t work for the gate that is just for trips in the same realm. I start thinking of the lost peaks. It starts glowing blue. Deia''s mouth forms a big ''O''. Kyo and Mogrok hold on to me. We are swallowed by the blue light. When we emerge on the other side, the sky is painted orange. The Sun is rising. We are standing on a mountain cliff with a beautiful view of the mountain peaks with mist surrounding them. We have to cross these peaks to reach the end of the lower realm. "How did you do that?" Deia''s hand is still stuck in the air with the coin key. "It is a rare treasure that I found somewhere." The universal key disappears from my hand. "It can take us anywhere as long as there is a gate." "Really?" She stares at my empty hand. "Then, why did you let me steal this key from my sister?" "It''s important." Kyo and Mogrok are still sticking to me like mas. I jerk them off. "I want people to think that I went back to Milegia and you went back to Deled until they find out the truth." "Ah!" She puts the coin key in her pocket. "I will keep this key. Maybe we can sell this to someone." Luckily, I didn''t throw away mine. I can sell the Milegia coin key and earn some bucks. "It''s beautiful." Kyo is gazing at the mountain peaks. I smile back at him. The sun rays touch his face when he turns his head and looks at me with his uplifted dark eyes. His red lips curl up. His sculpted features are captivating. I realize that my Kyo is a celestial beauty. He is going to attract attention a lot. "Master, the flow of ehr is better here." Mogrok is standing on the edge of the cliff and smelling the wind. "After such a long time, I can absorb something worthy straight." "The spirits get easily corrupted here." Deia nces at Mogrok worriedly. "Kresi, will we be alright?" "Don''t worry." I go to Mogrok. "Can you take your real form here?" Mogrok eyes Deia and me. "Are you sure, Master? The Seer might not be able to handle it." "We can''t walk through these mountains." I don''t have that much energy or patience to cross the mountains. There is Kyo with us. He is a child. "You take your full form and run of your thousand arms or feet, whatever they are. You will carry us." "Master, I will do that. It''s been a while since I stretched my arms." "Kresi, what are you saying?" Deia steps back with a confused expression. I drag Kyo away from Mogrok. In the next moment, Mogrok starts to swell. He bes gigantic with a thousand eyes and a thousand arms. He opens his mouth wide and roars. His loud heart trembling roar echoes in the mountains. He didn''t have to do that though. Deia passes out from the shock. "I told you." He looks at me. "At least, she didn''t scream." I re at him. "You didn''t have to roar like that." "Master, that is my pent up frustration." Mogrok seizes Deia with one of his arms and pulls her up. He spreads his other hand on the ground and waits. Kyo and I climb up and sit on his hand. Mogrok is holding her upside down. Deia doesn''t wake up throughout the way. So far, it is good. Chapter 29: How to get two kisses? (1) Chapter 29: How to get two kisses? (1) Due to Mogrok''s roar, the spirits in the area run far away. The poor miners are snapped out of their sleep and think that another spirit has gone mad. They hide in their tents and shake in fear. It''s lucky for them. If they havee out to check, they would have seen a thousand-eyed monster who is running at a tremendous speed. When Deia wakes up, she sees the world upside down. Mogrok is holding her legs up. She notices the purple eyes and passes out again. Kresi nces at her when she hears her scream. She shrugs and looks ahead as they cross the mountain peaks. Kyo''s dark eyes are fixed on Kresi. It''s another day, but she hasn''t kissed him yet. The wind is blowing her hair. He can see her neck. Though he is a mentally pure child, his body is not. He leans closer and kisses her on her nape. Kresi is startled when she feels his soft lips on her nape. She stares at him with a mix of shock and embarrassment. Where is he kissing? What''s this forbidden feeling? "What are you doing?" She asks him in a levelled voice. "You said that I can kiss you once every day." Kyo leans closer to her and touches her reddening cheeks. Her face is hot to touch. Is she okay? "Cheeks." She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Not there. That ce... I will exinter." "Sister, only cheeks aren''t fair." Her face is getting cooler now. "Either you give me more kisses or I can kiss you anywhere." "I will give you two." Kresi lightly pushes him away. "You can only kiss me once on my cheeks or forehead. Other ces are forbidden areas." "If you are giving me two kisses, then I should also give you two kisses." Even if Kyo is mentally pure at the moment, he is the Dark God. How pure can the God of darkness be? "When did you be smart?" She looks at him suspiciously. "Are you really Kyo?'' "Sister, you can''t recognize me now?" His eyes be misty. "Sister forgot me." "No." She pats his head. "You have never acted like this before. I am a bit surprised. This sister promised that she will pamper you every day. I will give you two kisses. No more." She pecks his forehead and cheek in a light manner. "There, happy?" "I am happy." He rests his head on herp and smiles. To Kresi, he is a big child. He is her pure younger brother. She doesn''t doubt his intention or feelings. She runs her fingers through his hair and says, "Sleep. I will wake you up when we reach." Kyo falls asleep with a soft smile on his face. His sister''sp is the best pillow. After a while, Kresi can now see the beginning of shattered ruins and the tsunami wave. It looks just like Deia''s sketch. The ck tsunami wave looks like it is roaring against an invisible wall. No matter what, the wall is not breaking. Kresi gulps down her saliva. If the barrier breaks down, this tsunami will swallow everything. Mogrok stops at the edge of the lower realm. It has taken them a few hours to cross the mountains. If they had walked, they wouldn''t reach this ce even after months. Kresi calls Kyo''s name to wake him up. "Wake up, Kyo. We have reached." He opens his eyes slowly and sees his sister''s face. Mogrok puts down Kresi and Kyo with great care. He is about to toss Deia on the ground when Kresi signals him not to. With a grumpy humph, he slowly puts her down. "Sister, this ce looks bad." Kyo frowns when he sees the tsunami wave. He can sense something in there. He doesn''t like it. "Yes, it is bad in a way." Kresi looks at the shattered ruins that are disappearing into the tsunami wave. If they enter these ruins, they can walk into the cursed sea. She goes to Deia''s side and ps her cheeks. "Time for her to wake up." After a few ps that turn her cheeks red, Deia wakes up. She sits up abruptly and looks at Kresi with wide violet eyes. "Kresi, I had a weird dream." She ces her palm on her stomach. She isn''t feeling well. "I saw that I was being carried by a thousand-eyed spirit beast." "About that..." Kresi grabs her chin to prevent her from looking at Mogrok. "Tell me first. Can we walk through the space filled with the corrupted ehr without dying? " Deia looks at her weakly. "I don''t know. I have never heard of anyone who cane back from that ce. As much as I know, it was still a part of the old world before the corrupted dark ehr swallowed it." Deia looks sideways and sees the ck tsunami wall. She bes dazed. How did they arrive at such a short time? Then, she looks at the big ck shadow standing beside Kyo. "It''s real." She is about to pass out again when Kresi ps her face. "Enough naps." "It hurts." Deia rubs her cheeks. Her cheeks are stinging because of the ps. Deia peers at Mogrok. Some of his eyes are focused on Kresi. Some of his eyes are looking at Kyo. A few of them are looking at them. Others are gazing at the shattered ruins. What kind of spirit beast is this? She has never heard of it. What is its elemental essence? "There are evil creatures in that ce," She mumbles and wonders if they are eviler than Mogrok. "Don''t worry. Mogrok will eat them." Kresi smirks at Mogrok. "He can eat anything other than the vegetables." "Master, we are being watched," Mogrok informs her quietly. In the shattered ruins, Belle asks in a low voice, "Who are they?" When she and Pabloe out of their hiding ces, they see a giant spirit beast with three humans The miners nevere to this side. The shipment is supposed to be sent after a few days. They didn''t hear about a visitor. Then, who are these people? Pablo narrows his eyes on the thousand-eyed spirit beast. He has been living in the shattered ruins for a decade. He has seen things, but this is the first time seeing that type of creature. "What kind of spirit beast is that?" "I have never seen anything like that. Judging from its size, it should be a mid-tier spirit beast." Suddenly, two ck stretched arms appear behind them and grabs on to them. Mogrok lifts them up in the air. His elongated arms shrink back. He drops them in front of Kresi with a loud thump. Pablo and Bel scream when their bones crack. "Who are you?" Kresi asks them with a dark smile. "Why were you spying on us?" "We weren''t spying." Pablo manages to say despite the pain. Hairs on skin rise up straight because of Mogrok. Their hearts are ready to leap out of their chests. This spirit beast''s eyes are unnerving. His iling arms are not anything better. Kresi looks up at Mogrok. "What did you see them doing?" "I saw them watching us," Mogrok answers her tly. "I am hungry after the run, Master." "If you are honest, you won''t be his food," Kresi tells them in a teasing tone. "No." Belle cries. "We are merely couriers. We don''t mean you harm." "Courier?" "Kresi, they are smugglers." Deia crosses her arms and re at Bel and Pablo. "I have heard of them. They illegally smuggle out the resources from these mountains. They call themselves couriers who will do anything for anyone." "Ah! Smugglers are quite knowledgeable." Kresi has a mischievous smile on her face. "Tell me everything that you know about that." Belle and Pablo see her point at the cursed sea. They swallow when they see Mogrok yawn at that exact time. His wide mouth shows countless shiny white canines. They don''t want to know what it''s like being eaten by that creature. "Youngdy." Pablo''s voice is extra respectful toward Kresi after seeing Mogrok''s teeth. "Why do you want to know about the cursed sea?" "I want to go to the middle realm." Kresi doesn''t hide her intention. "I have a feeling that you know how we can cross it." "Kresi, I don''t think that they know." Deia frowns at Kresi. "They are just couriers." "I want to hear from their mouths." Kresi steps closer to them. "Do you know or not?" Belle and Pablo wonder whether they should be honest or not. "You will only get one chance." She nces at Mogrok. "He hasn''t eaten any human recently." Mogrok licks his lips. He is ready to devour these two humans. Pablo and Belle shudder when they notice the gleam in those thousand eyes. Can they take this chance to lie? No! "We will tell." Belle and Pablo shout together. "We will tell you everything." Chapter 30: How to get two kisses? (2) Chapter 30: How to get two kisses? (2) "This is yourir?" In the abandoned ruins of the old world at the end of the lower realm, this ce that scares away most of the mortals of this world is actually the secretir of the couriers who do illegal business between the realms. "Yes," Pablo tells me nervously. He keeps ncing at Mogrok. I don''t care if he is afraid. I want the information. The ruins are the leftover of the ancient city with its own forgotten history. On the walls, I see writings that are shaped like runes. I trace them with my finger. I don''t know their meanings, but I can sense magic inside them waiting to be called. "The one who can tell you more about the cursed sea is there." Pablo points at the stairs going to the basement. It''s dark under there. Pablo stares at Mogrok again. Belle is standing beside him quietly, shaking with fear. To be honest, Deia isn''t doing anything better, but she has held it inside her well. I let out a sigh. After living with this quirky spirit beast for a year, I have started to find it cute. "Okay." I smile at him. "This better not be a trap. If it is, my lovely pet will eat both of you." "No, I am not lying." Pablo shakes his head. Fear is good for handling these kinds of people. They are loyal to no one, but themselves. I look at Mogrok who looks bored. He loves scaring people, but he hates not being able to eat them. "Watch them," I tell him. "I will go inside." "As you wish, Master." He stretches a few of his arms. "I feel bored. Can I y toss with these two?" "As long as they are alive and sane, I don''t care." I leave after telling him. Deia and Kyo follow me from behind. I wanted to leave Deia behind to keep a watch on Mogrok, but she is too afraid now. It will take a while for her to be at ease with Mogrok. Kyo is holding the corner of my sleeve. He is looking around curiously like a child. His eyes are full of innocence. I feel like pinching his cheeks, but I resist. I can do itter. Let''s not be distracted. "Say, Kresi," Deia speaks to me sullenly. "Do you think that it is a good idea to go downstairs?" "You are the Seer." I hope that she would warn me if something isn''t right. I don''t trust her judgment much. If she has been a wise girl, she wouldn''t have followed me and Kyo in the first ce. Let it be. Her sight is advantageous to me. I am not 100% sure where we are advantageous to her or not. "There is a grumpy man here." She nces at the metallic door that looks out of ce in the ruins. There is no lock or door handle. It looks like a wall. I touch the surface. Cool. Throbbing with energy. An unknown spell. I hate not knowing. Alright. I knock the door. To my surprise, a handsome guy in his thirties forties opens the door. He scrutinizes our faces with his smoky eyes and chiselled features. He is wearing a loose unbuttoned shirt, revealing his bare tanned chest and a V line. I have only seen such a thing online on myptop in my previous life. He exhales loudly and signals us to follow him. "Sister, why are you drooling?" Kyo pokes my cheek. "There is no food here." Everyone eyes turn to me. If Kyo hasn''t born cute, he would have received ten ps right now. I feel like pulling my hair. I am going to give him lessons on how to be an adultter. "I am hungry," I tell him quietly. "Kyo is hungry too," Kyo pouts. "We will eat after we leave this ce." I rub his head. Silky soft hair. I rub it more. He smiles up at me. Okay, I can''t be mad at this boy. "What is your request?" The man asks me with a grumpy tone. It seems like Deia is right. I finally take a look around the small room full of different pieces of machinery and books with a distinct scent of burnt iron and oil. I have seen the use of technology in this world. If magic is not used, the technology is way behind than my previous world. Of course, I have only seen the lower realm. I can''t say much of the upper realms. "We want to go to the middle realm." I decide to admire his rough beautyter and look up at the ceiling. There are rune stickers on the ceiling. But, each rune is alive. "Request rejected." He picks up a gear and a sharpening tool. "Anyone who can circte mana will be a soulless or a corrupted beast." "She is not initiated yet." I point at Deia. "My brother and I will be fine." Deia gives him a nod. "I have not found my spirit yet." "Then, only she can go. However, you are..." He takes a nce at me. "I am quite interested in knowing why a Mirin is wandering in the lower realm." Mirin again? I sigh. How would I know why I am in the lower realm? That''s the original owner story. She is dead. That story is probably dead too. I am not interested in knowing why she ended up in the lower realm. It''s better if I don''t get caught up in her mess again. "What''s a Mirin?" Deia asks me curiously. "Kyo wants to know too." Kyo pulls my arm. "Hmm?" He raises his brow expectedly. "I don''t know," I answer them honestly. When I go to the higher realms, I have a feeling that I will find more people asking this same question. I don''t want to lie to Kyo and Deia. Deia will stay with us now. She''s a Seer. It''s better if I don''t lie. "You are joking, right?" The man crosses his arms and res at me. "A Mirin doesn''t know what a Mirin is." "I have my reasons for not knowing." I click my tongue in annoyance. "If you know, care to borate?" Chapter 31: Thats why I hate Seers Chapter 31: That''s why I hate Seers Iver was prepared to die the moment when he heard the reverberating roars of the spirit beast. His first thought was that they found him. He was the one who sent Pablo and Belle to investigate. Through the viewing ss, he saw the entire scenario that happened to Pablo and Belle. He has prepared the trap for this girl. On the roof, there are around fifty articles that will st this entire ce if he utters the keyword. He is standing on the exact spot that will save him from this st. Being a Mirin doesn''t mean that she can''t die. She is powerful, but she is also young. But, things have changed. This girl has no idea what a Mirin is. Either she is pretending or she is not a Mirin. "Will you speak?" She frowns at him. "If you don''t want to speak about the Mirins, I don''t care. I am interested to know about the cursed Sea. Tell me what type of dangers exist inside there." "You can''t go." There is only one family on the realms of Iravan with golden eyes. Yet, she doesn''t know. She also seems clueless about the cursed Sea. If she was really a Mirin, would she speak about going through the cursed Sea? Only insane people or fools want to try that kind of thing. The girl takes a deep breath. The boy wraps his arm around her arm. His expressions are curious and childlike. He seems like hecks intelligence and maturity. A Mirin and a dumb boy? Iver scratches his head. This could be a trap, but why would they go this far? He has no information or power. They have taken everything from him. "We have to go." The blonde girl speaks with urgency. "Listen, we will be fine. She won''t turn into a corrupted beast or a soulless one. I can see the future. We will make it to the other side." Iver curses out loud. A Seer? Interesting. This is getting worse. Seers are worse than Mirins. "Get out." He roars at them. "I will never help a Seer." The girl is startled to hear his angry yell. She runs and hides behind the Mirin girl. The Mirin girl looks at him with a dull expression. "We just want to know how to cross the cursed Sea. Your couriers have told me that there is a way." "They can cross it because their veins are broken. They aremoners." Iver is losing patience now. He doesn''t care who they are. They are not his enemies or friends. In any case, he would never help a Seer. "You clearly have a spirit beast. You can also wield mana. If you get too close to the cursed Sea, you will be one like those twisted creatures." Iver grimaces when he sees that he is ignored. The blonde girl is whispering something in the Mirin''s ear. The Mirin gives her a nod. There is something in her eyes that he doesn''t like. If she tries anything funny, he will say the keyword and blow this ce up. "We understand." The Mirin girl grins widely. "You don''t want to help us. That''s fine. We are leaving. Goodbye." She doesn''t stay for another second. She turns around and leaves his ce. The Seer and the dumb boy follow her wordlessly. Iver is stumped for the words. He puts his hands on his waist. These kids know no fear. He cracks his knuckles. He couldn''t care less if they go to the cursed Sea or waltz on to the lifelessnds of Cnaeris. They can do whatever they want. He sits down in front of his table and picks up the viewing ss. Beneath the viewing ss, there is a map. He looks at his location and sees the small figures through the viewing ss. The spirit beast is standing outside his ce, bullying Pablo and Belle. He has seen many spirit beasts, but he has never seen anything like this thing. The Mirin girl and the Seeres out with the boy. The spirit beast puts down Pablo and Belle who have already lost consciousness. The Mirin girl smiles and says, "Have some fun, Mogrok." Fun? Iver leans down to have a better view. He can hear the spirit beast''s loud and coldugh. Its countless arms elongate and spread in all directions. Iver has a sinking feeling in the bottom of his stomach as those arms rise upward in the sky and suddenly, they change direction and dash toward his ce rapidly. "!!!" Iver runs for his life. He didn''t even have the time to gather his invaluable treasures. He barely makes it out when the thousand dark spikes fall from the sky and destroy his burrow. He drops on the ground and watches the giant arms destroying his home for thest forty-five years without any shred of mercy. He looks up at the evil Mirin girl with his wide eyes. He tries to speak, but words are stuck in his throat. If he has been a secondte, it would be him being buried in there. The evil Mirin girl doesn''t even take a look at him. She rummages through her bag and picks out a scarf. She wraps the scarf around the dumb boy''s face to cover half of his face. "It''s too dusty," She tells him with concern. "Inhaling too much dust is not good for your health." "..." Iver closes his mouth. The spirit beast is still hammering the ce happily. The dust ising out of the ruins of his demolished home. This is the second time when he met someone crazy. "Kresi, what should we do now?" The Seer eyes unconscious Pablo and Belle. "There is no one who can help us." "We will just take them with us." Kresi pats the dust off the boy''s hair. "When they wake up, they will help us willingly or unwillingly." "I see." Deia rubs her chin thoughtfully and then, she nces at Iver. "What about him? He is useless to us." "We don''t need extra baggage. He can go wherever he wants." Kresi looks at the jubnt Mogrok. "Oi, Mogrok. What are those things in your hands? Did you find treasures?" As the dust starts to scatter away, Iver begins to see the Mogrok''s colossal figure. Mogrok''s height is nearly reaching to the wall of the cursed Sea. The sun is not visible anymore. The entire area is surrounded by darkness. Mogrok happily waves his thousand arms. Iver''s eyes bulge out when he sees what Mogrok is carrying those arms. Those are his things. His books. His rare collections of articles that he gathered from the cursed Sea and the middle realm. Artificial spells that he smuggled from the middle realm. Priceless enhancers. Weapons. Everything that was inside his house. "Master, I found good things for you." Mogrok throws those things near him. Iver''s heart breaks into pieces when he sees some of the ancient items break into dust. He looks at them tearfully. A spirit beast is only a beast. "Mogrok, you are a good boy," Kresi smirks at Iver. "Those are rare findings." "Those are mine." Iver finds his voice. "You can''t take them." "Is that so?" Kresi walks around him in a circle. "You didn''t want it, right? Your entire ce was full of self-destructing spells which were ready to blow out the ce and anyone within it if you had said the password. You were waiting for your enemies, but it was us instead. Still, you nned to kill us in case we forced you. You also had a safe way out. It looks like you were ready to throw away all of your stuff." Iver pales when he hears her words. "How do you know?" "I saw the spells when I walked in." Kresi halts her steps. "My friend Deia also told me what you were going to do in case I forced you to tell me about the cursed Sea. You really hated sharing information. That can''t be helped. I don''t like people who like to harm kids. So, I decided to free you from your paranoia. Your haven is gone. I wonder who are you running from." "You!!!" Iver shakes with anger. "That''s why I hate Seers." "And I love them." Kresi grins at Deia who smiles back at her. "If I didn''t have her with me, I wouldn''t have known your thoughts and future actions. But, I am curious. Who broke your mana channels?" Iver widens his eyes. "How do you know?" Chapter 32: If you are seeking power, I can help you find it Chapter 32: If you are seeking power, I can help you find it How do I know it? It''s a good question. Honestly, it''s just a big guess. When I entered his undergroundir earlier, I saw the spells and the books. I saw something else. Traces of mana here and there. I saw enhancers. I have heard of those potions that can let amoner summon the mana through his broken channels within a time limit. It''s highly harmful to themon people. But, some people still like to y with it to experience the magic. Enhancers are like drugs. It can easily make people addicted. I only have theoretical knowledge of Enhancers. When I saw them at his ce, I was worried about our safety. Enhancers lose their sanity with time. They be extremely unpredictable. But, this man didn''t show any of the addicted guy''s symptoms. All the enhancers'' vials were full. Then, the machinery. I am not a smart person, but I have rarely seen amoner tinkering with magical items. It is probably because manymon people died using magical items like that. The books on the shelves weren''t a random collection either. Some of the titles attracted my attention. Titles of the healer''s books like ''How to heal broken channels?'' Again, amoner might be interested in fixing its disability. Amoner is born with a broken channel. There has been experiments and studies to fix the channels in themoners, but it failed miserably. There is no chance to fix those broken channels. Then, this guy might be interested in such a thing. He might be doing his own studies or experimenting with his own bodies. When Deia told me about her vision, I understood something. If he was someone who was just amoner, would he have such a deep knowledge of magic in the lower realm? He knows that themoners can go through the cursed Sea because their channels are broken. This guy is the head of the couriers. He might have people who are looking for him, but how did he know about Mirins? Why did he hate Seers? It means that he is not from the lower realm. "You are really a Mirin." The guy chuckles and shakes his head. "Of course, you can see it." See what? He makes his own guesses. Hell, I couldn''t care less. Why should I burst his bubble? "I am what I am," I tell him cooly. I wonder how did I find him attractive before. Something must have been wrong with my eyes. The guy is shaking with fear andughing at the same time. I realize that I have a new criterion for a guy whom I want to like. He should be someone who is not afraid of Mogrok or me. "I hate your high and mighty arses." He puts his arm on his knee. I guess that this insult is directed at my Mirin background. "I will help you. Let Pablo and Belle go." "Hmm..." I eye him warily. "Why should I take you when one of them can easily help us get through the damned Sea?" "Because you are Wahr." He looks at me like I am a fool. "The Cursed Sea will engulf you the moment you step inside. However, it''s not entirely impossible to cross the cursed Sea, but you need certain protections." "I am not worried about corruption." I don''t know how I should exin it to this guy. I am the freaking Harbinger. The cursed Sea don''t affect the Cursed Children. It will certainly not affect the Dark God. "I am worried about the creatures lurking inside the Cursed Sea." "Are you not overconfident?" He res at me. "You are a Mirin, but you are not outside thews of this world." Deia sighs heavily. I notice that Kyo is watching us sullenly. I forgot about his meal. "It''s time for food." I grin at Kyo. "Let''s eat." "Hey, after destroying my home, you want to eat?" The man reaches for my wrist. Something shes in the corner of my eye. I hear a loud pping sound. The man is holding his right hand close to his chest. "He broke it!" He cries in pain. "Your brother broke it." "Kyo..." Kyo''s eyes are bing emotionless again. If his Dark God''s personalityes out now, it will be a huge problem. I am not sure if any of us will see the sun the next day. I grab his arm and pull him toward me. "Look at me." Kyo blinks his eyes. It''s a close call. "Sister, when are we having lunch?" "Now." I pull him along with him, ignoring that man''s cries. "I will feed you. Happy?" "Happy." He nods like a doll. *** Deia has been living a dream. She keeps having doubts whether she made the right decision to follow this girl with the golden eyes. Then, Kresi has already warned her. It was her who wanted toe. But, she is really having second thoughts. She has seen a future where they have made out the Cursed Sea, but there have been times when the seen future didn''t turn present. This is for her spirit. She chants in her mind. For her spirit, she must literally cross death and make it to the other side. When she finds her spirit, she will leave with her spirit. Kresi, on the other hand, has no idea about Deia''s thoughts. She takes Kyo to a shady location and brings out the food that she had packed for the journey. She opens the lunch box and starts feeding him with the help of the spoon. The scent of food makes Deia''s stomach grumble. She decides to ignore it. She looks at Iver who is looking for something in the piles of his stuff. Deia has never heard of anyone whose channels have been broken by someone else. She realizes that the other realms might have things that she might not want to know about. It''s hot. She stares at the bright sky. Then, it urs to her. Something is missing. "Um...Kresi..." Deia runs to Kresi''s side. "Where is your spirit beast?" Though she likes that Mogrok is not there, she is also ufortable that he is not there. "Oh...him..." Kresi looks around. "They are gone too." "Who?" Deia follows her eyes. The spots, where Pablo and Belle were lying unconscious, are empty. "Did they run away?" "Mogrok is just having fun chasing them." Kresi sighs. "He likes to pretend that he is a cat." "What did you say?" Deia furrows her brows. She deeply pities Pablo and Belle. She has no idea why Mogrok likes to y with them so much. Still, she is happy that she didn''t attract his attention. From now on, she will treat him with respect...and stay away from him. "Here," Kresi puts a bun in her hand. "Eat. You look sick." "..." Deia notices Kyo''s eyes. His lips curl downward. She sighs and eats the bun anyway. His sister is feeding him the meal, but he wants to eat what she has too. Anyway, she will be shameless and just eat the bun because she is hungry. "You are having a meal in this situation." Iver''s voice startles Deia. Kresi and Kyo look at him with disinterest and mouths full of food. "What situation?" Kresi asks with a full mouth. Iver scrunches his nose in disgust. "There is no situation." He closes his eyes and takes a breath. "Let me tell you. Pablo and Belle can''t help you. They don''t know much about the creatures inside the Cursed Sea. They were able to cross the Cursed Sea because of my guidance. I guided them through mymunication devices." He shows them two brown beads. "These are only one of their kinds in this world. I created them. Other than the creatures and the corruption of Ehr, there is one major problem that you will face. You can easily get lost in the Cursed Sea if you go through it without a guide. No one has explored the Cursed Sea as much as I did." Kresi fills the cup with water and gives it to Kyo. "What do you want in return?" "Heal my broken channels." Iver straightens his back. He likes this girl. She knows that nothing is free in this world. "It''s impossible." Deia lifts her chin. "It''s not impossible." Iver purses his lips. "The Renasir did it to the prince of Aredes." "Really?" Deia gapes at him. Renasir is really amazing. "Why do you think that I can also do it?" Kresi asks him quietly. "You are a Mirin." Iver wonders what is wrong with this girl. "The Renasir is always from the Mirin''s bloodline. I am sure that you can also find a way to heal my broken channels. I have books that I found in the ruins of the ancient cities inside the Cursed Sea. I want you to find a way." Deia notices that Kresi''s face has be almost white. Kresi rubs her sweaty palms on her shirt and looks away. She shows them a tight-lipped smile. Deia wonders what it is about. "I can''t go to Renasir." Iver hasn''t noticed her changing expressions. "Only the privileged people like the prince can go to her. You can help me. I have the source of ancient knowledge. I know the ways through the Cursed Sea. If you are seeking power, I can help you find it. But, you have to heal my broken channels in exchange." "Power," Kresi mutters to herself. "Is there a power that can help me protect him?" There is a sh before Deia''s eyes. Vague darkness spreading the realms. The broken barriers. Waves of the corrupted Ehr engulfing everything in its ways. Chaos everywhere. Deia shudders in fear. That''s only a possibility. A probability. She has dreamt about it before, but why did it be clearer? Are they heading toward that future? Who is Kresi? Chapter 33: I will take the chance Chapter 33: I will take the chance "I will protect you, Sister," Kyo suddenly tells me. He must have heard my question. "Don''t worry about me." I like hearing those words. To keep hearing those words, I must protect my younger brother. To me, he is Kyo. Only Kyo. I will protect him from the Dark God and the Renasir. If I need more power and knowledge to defeat the Renasir, the chosen one, and the Dark God himself, then I will find that power and knowledge. The tinker man makes a face at Kyo. "Your brother is both naive and strong. I don''t like thisbination." "It''s better if you stay away from him." I give him a genuine warning. "If something happens again, I might not be able to save you." He lets out a heavy sigh when he hears my words. I notice that his wrist is healed. In his eyes, I can see that he doesn''t think that Kyo can harm him gravely. "I didn''t introduce myself." Suddenly, he recalls his manners. "My name is Iver." "Kresi," I tell him. I point at Kyo. "This is my younger brother, Kyo." "My name is Deia Parisa." Deia gives him a slight formal bow. I like how we are all pretending to be civil to each other. I wonder how Iver and Deia will react if they find out that I am the Harbinger or that the Renasir and the Nameless Knights are looking for me. What will be their reactions when they find out about Kyo''s real identity or Mogrok''s origins? I wonder if they will ever find out. Maybe we will part before they can find out. "You are from the Parisa bloodline." Iver wrinkles his nose. His prejudice against the Seers is strong. Why though? I am curious who he really is. I am sure that Iver is not his real name. "I had no idea that there is a branch of that bloodline in the lower realm. Main Parisa n is in the higher realm." "Really?" Deia asks him with excitement. "I had no idea." "Of course, you don''t." Iver shrugs nonchntly. "Though that bloodline is declining, they are quite popr for their manipting ways. Don''t hold it against me. I really dislike Seers. In the past, I had to face great troubles because of them." "I am the only seer of my bloodline." Deia pats her chest proudly. "I hope that I can meet my distant cousins in the higher realm." "I hope that there are no more of you." Iver looks slightly uneasy. I realize that Mogrok had a simr reaction to the Seer. Why though? Deia is weird, but she has a good personality. She doesn''t seem to manipte. "Do you agree?" He decides to continue our earlier talk. "I will be your guide through the Cursed Sea. If you want, I will even help you in the Middle Realm. I have travelled the three realms. I can also take you to Bn, but you must do everything for -" "I will do my best." I cut him off. He already has a lot of books on healing the channels. I am sure that he has contacted the sorcerers to work through the spells. He wants me to try because of my blood. He seems desperate to get my help. Desperate men are the best tools to use. Iver looks into my eyes. "I want a promise." ''Don''t make a promise, Harbinger.'' I freeze. His bone-chilling voice echoes inside my head. That was the Dark God''s warning. Kyo meets my eyes with a carefree expression. "Sister?" "Nothing." Making a formal promise might be an ordinary thing for a normal person. However, it has binding power. It might not affect themoners much, but it harms the Wahr and Sehr a lot when they break it. The Dark God is bing stronger with each passing second. If I let him be, Kyo willpletely disappear. I need more power to take care of that Dark God. *** Kresi swallows and looks back at Iver. Iver wonders why she looks afraid suddenly. Is she afraid to make a formal promise? Generally, he wouldn''t go this far. But, this girl is a Mirin. In case she finds out about himter, she might change her mind. He needs a promise to keep her bound to her words. "Why should I make a formal promise?" She asks him defiantly. The fear is gone from her face. "When you are not capable of making a formal promise to me because of your broken channelling veins, why do you ask me to make a formal promise to you?" He has expected her to not know about the meaning of a formal promise. That knowledge is not a piece ofmon knowledge in the lower realm. It seems that she knows more than she shows. "How can I trust you?" Iver asks her calmly. Deia''s vision change at that moment. She sees Iver and Kresi, but not the ones who are standing in front of her. Surrounded by the green lush trees, an older Kresi is sitting next to a wounded Iver. His one arm is missing. Her eyes are full of sadness. "How can I trust you?" Iver asks the same question with amusement in his eyes. Kresi doesn''t answer. She smiles at him sadly and presses her palm against his chest. The sight change. Deia nces at the young Kresi and Iver who has both intact arms. "Listen, Iver. We are following you through the Cursed Sea. It needs trust to give our lives in your hands. In return, you should also trust me." Kresi scowls at him. "Take it or leave it. Even if I don''t find anyone, I will go by myself. Where is that damn spirit beast? He ys around too much." "Fine. I will take the chance." Iver sighs. He doesn''t have much of a choice anyway. Kyo, who has been quietly watching from the sidelines, makes a face. Once, he only had to worry about Mogrok. Now, there are more people who want to follow his sister. His sister shines like the sun to these people, giving them hope and freeing them from their despairs. Kyo doesn''t like it. It would have been better if they had never left the capital. That way, his sister would have only paid attention to him. He knows that his sister is wonderful. He wants her to only love him. There should be no one else taking a position in her heart. He shifts closer to his sister who is arguing with Iver. He puts his arm around her waist and rests his head on her shoulder. She lifts her arm behind him and runs her fingers through his dark hair softly on the back of his head. This actiones so naturally to her that she doesn''t even realize that she is doing it in front of other people. It soothes him when she does that. Kyo is happy that he is inside her heart even when she is upied with other thoughts. "MASTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" Mogrok crashes from the sky behind Iver and Deia, sending tremors through the ground and frightening their hearts into near cardiac arrests. "I am back." Pablo and Belle are hanging upside down from his arms. They look like their souls have flown away from their bodies. "Did you have fun, you little pig?" Kresi glowers at him. "Are they alive?" Iver and Deia wonder how Kresi can call him little. In what way is he little? Is she being sarcastic? "It was fun to y with them." Mogrok snickers andys down the two lifeless bodies on the ground. "They aren''t dead yet." "Good boy." Kresi smiles at Mogrok. "Mogrok, this person has agreed to guide us through the Cursed Sea. He knows the best way through the Cursed Sea. From now on, he is our new teammate. Greet him." Mogrok slowly turns toward Iver and gives him a ck look from each of his thousand eyes. "I am looking forward to yourpany." Iver feels his blood turn cold. He can''t understand what Mogrok said to him but he can decipher that the spirit beast doesn''t like him. Deia feels sympathy for Iver. Mogrok dislikes Iver more than her. Both of them are following Kresi for their own goals. They need to endure being with this spirit beast. "I will make the preparations." Iver gives a small bow to Mogrok and leaves in a hurry. He can feel his eyes on his back. He wonders how did he manage to offend this big guy. It''s him who is wronged by this spirit beast and its master. "Kresi, do you trust Iver?" Deia asks her after Iver is gone. Kresi nts a kiss on Kyo''s forehead who moans in his sleep. Sheys his head down on herp. "I have to take a chance in trusting him." "There must be a reason why his channels are broken." Deia puckers her forehead. She wonders why Kresi has been looking at Iver with sadness. Why did he say if he can trust her? In that future, what happened to Iver? There are so many questions. Can they trust Iver in the first ce? Why is it always Kresi who can bring the solution to their problems? She wants to know more about this girl, but she is also afraid to know the answer. "There is always a reason," Kresi tells her solemnly. "There is a reason why you want to cross the Cursed Sea to find your spirit. There is a reason why I must leave the lower realm in search of knowledge and powers. There is a reason why Iver wants to heal his broken channels. We are all driven by our reasons. Just like you trust that I will help you find your spirit, I must trust Iver that he will get us through the Cursed Sea." Deia purses her lips. Kresi is right. There must be a reason why Kresi is the key to her and Iver''s future. For now, she must trust Kresi. Chapter 34: Her name used to be Kresira Chapter 34: Her name used to be Kresira In the higher realm, a withering woman is looking out of the window. Silver strands of hair have appeared on her head. Her skin is yellow and patchy. Her vision is getting blurry. She barely talks or eats. It''s like she is waiting for death. Amadeus Mirin looks at her with worry. "Renasir Mayaeira." "Did you find the new Renasir?" She doesn''t even bother to look at him. She is more than two thousand years old. He is only a few hundred years old. Like many men of this realm, this man has always admired her from far away. But, his eyes always stirred her heart. Still, she could never ept his feelings. She wonders what he thinks when he is watching her bing old like this. Is he finally realizing how old she is? It doesn''t matter. She knows that death is finally here to take her away. After such a long life, she will be free from this life. "No, Renasir." Amadeus creases his brows. "However, I heard something interesting. Master Sepher is back from the lower realm. He has picked up three students this time." "I see." She leans on the window. "I had no idea that the lower realm could produce that much." "That''s not the main news." Amadeus purses his lips. She is going to be angry. "He is sure that there was a Mirin among the contestant." "A Mirin?" She finally looks at him. Amadeus notices that her eyes are bing darker by shade. She is still beautiful like this. "Is he sure?" "Yes, he is. He tested her." Amadeus takes a deep breath. "I checked and found out that there is no fourteen years old girl who is in the lower realm. Her name is also strange." "What is her name?" Renasir Mayaeira has a bad feeling in her heart. She hides her uneasiness. Is this girl the new Renasir? They have checked all the Mirins. No one has shown the signs. "Kresi Dunebard," Amadeus replies in a low voice. "She is adopted by a divorced woman from the lower realm. She also has an adopted brother. Her origins are mysterious. I talked to Master Sepher. He told me that she disappeared during thepetition. Her whereabouts are currently unknown." Renasir Mayaeira puckers her brows. That child should keep a low profile. She has warned her to never make appear before another one from the upper realms. Since it has happened, it can''t be helped. That child has freed the Dark God and murdered the high queen of Aredes herself. It''s inevitable that the child and the chosen one woulde across each other someday. Why is she still alive if that child has freed the dark god? Has she been wrong about that child''s abilities? Did she abandon her before that child could show her true abilities? It seems like the child is rather doing well after freeing a god. That only means one thing. "Her name used to be Kresira." Before that child changed it to Kresi. "Renasir, you know her?" Amadeus asks her. He wonders who will give that name to a Mirin. "Yes, she is my daughter." The Renasir closes her eyes. "Your daughter?" Amadeus has aplicated feeling in his heart. He has never known that this woman has a daughter. But then, he knows nothing about her. "Then, could she be the next Renasir?" "No." If that girl was the new Renasir, she would have died a long time ago. "Go to the lower realm and cancel the adoption. I will acknowledge her as my daughter." Amadeus epts hermand with a bow. Kresi Mirin. He is interested to know more about that child. Why would she give such a name to her own daughter? What did she mean when she said that the child''s name used to be Kreseira? No one can change the name given by a Renasir. *** "Ladies and gentleman." Iver looks their expectant faces. A fourteen years old Mirin who is excited about an adventure and not understanding the dangers of the Cursed Sea. A Seer without a spirit who looks like she wants to run back on her heels. A spirit beast who is staring at him intensely for god knows why. A thirteen years old boy who has the intelligence of five years old and pouting at his older sister. How is he going to guide them to the middle realm? This is a disaster. None of them is serious. Iver wonders if he should rethink about his life. He might never make it out alive with these kids. He has already given his things to Pablo and Belle. If he doesn''t make it back alive within a year, they could keep it. The pair had cried their eyes out when they heard his will. But, they were happier to get away from Mogrok''s clutches. "Basically, if you see a soulless creature, you should run. If you see a corrupted beast, you should run. Don''t wander around. Don''t be curious. Don''t look at anything. Just follow me quietly. If you behave, we can make it to the middle realm in a month." "I thought that we were going to explore the Cursed Realm." Kresi hase up with a new name for the Cursed Sea. It''s not technically a Sea anyway. "You told me that I could find power there." "Yes, I will take you to that ce." Iver sighs. This girl knows no fear. "But, we are talking about the Cursed Sea. It doesn''t matter what you call it. It''s a worse ce on Iravan. If any of you be corrupted or get eaten by one, I would abandon you right away. I am not taking any chance in there." "Aish!" Deia squats on the ground and wails. "I am scared. I keep seeing those creatures. I see them chasing us around. I don''t want to go." Iver gulps when he hears Deia''s words. He repeats for the 100th time. "That''s why I hate Seers." "You can go back home if you are afraid toe with us." Kresi pats her head in the same way she pats Mogrok''s and Kyo''s head. Both spirit beast and the boy look at her as if she has betrayed them. Now, they have to share her affection with the Seer too. Next, it will be Iver. Deia actually finds it calming when Kresi pats her head. She looks up with a resolution. "If you are going, I will follow you." "That''s more like it." Kresi nods at her. "Sister, don''t pat her." Kyo can''t hold it anymore. He has been trying to act like an adult, but it is impossible to do it if she does that to other people. "You can only pat me." "And me." The jealous Mogrok is not doing anything better. "Master, Seers are bad. This broken sorcerer is also bad. You should rely on me only. I will eat anything that tries to harm you." Deia and Iver are speechless. "Mogrok, you can''t always eat your problems. It might give you a bad stomach." Kresi shakes her head sternly. She looks at Kyo and smiles lovingly. "Kyo, be a good boy. I will pat you a lotter." "And kisses." The boy will never forget about the kisses. Deia is used to it by now, but Iver looks at the Mirin girl strangely. "Is he really your brother?" "He is adopted." Kresi makes a face. "He is pure. Don''t take strange meanings to his words." Iver decides not to care. It''s not his problem anyway. The boy is mentally handicapped. He brings out the space rings. These rings can store any non-living items. He has filled it with the necessary things like food and weapons. "Kresi, your ring has both weapons and books. When we are travelling, finish reading ten books every day." "Ten books?" She raises her brow. "How thick are they?" "When you use this ring, imagine your hands going inside and pulling out the item. It wille out on its own." Iver ignores her and moves to the next person. "Seer, don''t misuse this. Don''t speak about the future. Keep your visions to yourself." Deia res at him. "I could prevent a disaster." "Or invite one." He walks to Kyo. He doesn''t think that he should give this invaluable ring to this boy, but Kresi might protest if he doesn''t. The boy might be useful in some situations too. He never knows. "Try to act like a man." Kyo takes the ring. He looks at his sister as he thought of something. He runs to her side and takes her hand. "Sister." "Yes, Kyo?" Kresi wonders if he doesn''t know how to wear a ring. "Do you need help with the ring?" Kyo puts the space ring on his sister''s left ring finger. "I take you as my bride." Deia can''t help but squeal, "He is so cute. My sister and I also did fake weddings with my childhood friends." Iver covers his face and mumbles to himself, "I didn''t mean this when I told you to be a man." Mogrok opens his mouth and closes it. This God will regret saying this. "I can''t be your bride." Kresi chuckles. Where did this boy getting these ideas? "Where did you hear about this?" "I heard it from him." Kyo points at Mogrok. "Oh." The vein on her forehead throbs with anger. "Mogrok, you are teaching him these strange things." "That was a long time ago." Mogrok steps back in fear. He has done it a long time ago. Back in the capital, he once joked about a certain human wedding customs for in front of Kyo. His master was away at that time. Kyo didn''t understand much or cared about it back then. After Deia exined to him what marriage is, Kyo must have connected the dot. Who knew that Kyo has a remarkable memory? Mogrok keeps forgetting that he is a God. "Sister, please be my bride." Kyo shows his finger to his sister. "Please put that ring on my finger. I want to get married to you." "No." Kresi wants to scold him, but her voice bes softer when she sees his watery eyes. Kyo''s lips tremble. He looks like he is about to cry. He sits down on the ground and grabs her leg. "Sister, if you don''t marry me, I will be a bad boy." "Kyo." Kresi also looks like she will cry tears of frustration. "I can''t be your bride." Mogrok doesn''t know what to say. Somehow, he is the cause. But, he is afraid that the Dark God would wake up if he opposes this. What should he do? "Boy, you can''t get married this way. I lied." Mogrok tries to save his master. "You are lying." Big drops of tears roll down on Kyo''s cheek. "You are bad, Mogrok." "..." Mogrok wants to m his head. Why does he feel guilty? This boy is the Dark God. Iver has a headache now. This is crazy. "For Eshyal''s sake, put that damn ring on his finger. So, that we can move now." "Yeah, he is just a child." Deia can''t help but feel bad for Kyo. He is really a child mentally. "It''s not a real wedding anyway." "Master, I don''t think-" Mogrok wants to warn his master, but Kyo starts bawling loudly. "Fine." Kresi puts the ring on his finger. "There, happy?" "You didn''t say it." Kyo blinks his tears. "Sister, you don''t know how to do it properly. You have to say that you take me as your husband." "I take you as my husband," Kresi tells him nonchntly. "Satisfied? After we reach the middle realm, you and I need to have a talk about adulting. I am sure that you willugh at this type of wedding when you grow up." Kyo kisses her on her lips suddenly. "Now, we are married." "..." Chapter 35: Taking advantage of his innocence Chapter 35: Taking advantage of his innocence The kiss is barely a peck, but I feel jittery. I have realized that Kyo is going too far. If this keeps going in this direction my younger brother might never be able to find a real wife. That''s not eptable. I have to help him be a good man. "Master, forgive me." Mogrok goes back to his mini-form. "Mogrok, don''t worry. I will raise him to be a good man. We willugh it off together when he grows up." Mogrok looks more depressed after hearing my words. I wonder what''s wrong. This wedding is just a child y. But, I feel strange. I shake off this feeling. I pinch Kyo''s cheek. This boy is bing naughty and willful. "It hurts, sister," Kyoins to me. Deiaughs and tells him in a teasing voice, "You should call her ''wife'' from now on. She can''t be your sister if she is your wife." Don''t give him ideas. I glower at her. She shuts her mouth Kyo utters without any hesitation. "Wife." "Don''t say that." I pinch his fluffy cheek harder. "Call me sister." "But, you are my wife now," Kyo sounds annoyed. "I can love you more now. We can be together forever." "If you call me that, I will never talk to you again." I turn my head away, pretending to be angry. "Sister," Kyo wraps his arms around my neck. "I won''t call you that. I am sorry." Phew! "Okay, I am not angry anymore." "Everyone is happy." Iver frowns at me. "Can we leave now?" "Yes, we can." This guy is grumpy and impatient. "Kyo, let''s go. You have to stay beside me, okay?" "I will always stay beside you, Sister," Kyo announces jovially. "Eat this," Iver yells impatiently. He gives me two small green round seeds. "These seeds will block your channels for a day. You have to eat this every day. It is not a 100% reliable solution. If you forget to eat for one day, there is a high chance of you being corrupted by the corrupted dark Ehr. Give one to your brother too." I nce at Mogrok. He shakes his head. I decide to pretend to eat it. I am the Harbinger. Kyo is the Dark God. The corrupted Dark Ehr can''t affect me or Kyo. "Kyo, open your mouth." He opens his mouth obediently. I pretend to throw the seed inside his mouth. "Close your mouth." Iver looks satisfied while Kyo looks at me with confusion. I smile and give him a kiss on his forehead before he asks anything. It works. His mood turns brighter. "Another one." "Later." "Why not now?" "You are husband and wife," Iver interjects sarcastically. "Do it when nobody is watching you." Deia snickers. I crack my knuckles. "Iver, don''t say strange things. It is not like that between us." "I don''t care how it is." Iver seems like he is losing his patience. "Remember, even if he is mentally ''pure'', he is growing up physically. He can still feel things that his mind can''t understand. It is you who is taking advantage of his innocence." What? What? What? My brain is having a hard time digesting the meaning behind his words. Taking advantage of Kyo? But, he is the Dark God. Who can take advantage of him? It is me who is at loss here. If I refuse things and make him angry, that evil God mighte out and kill me instantly. I can''t exin that to Iver. Does Kyo really feel stuff for me that a man feels for a woman? I take a thorough nce at Kyo. With each passing day, he is getting beautiful. He is God. So, it is expected that he will be heavenly looking in the future. Physically, he looks like a 16 or 17 years old. But, the emotions in his eyes are not what an adult man should have. I smile at him. Kyo is Kyo. He is not like me or Iver. He is like the colour white. It''s easily affected by other colours. "Sister," Kyo cocks his head. "Are you upset?" I have to protect him. If he gets easily affected, he will be a strange person. I can''t let him do that. "No." I take his arm. "I am just happy. From now on, don''t believe anyone''s words before asking me if it is true. If anyone says or does a strange thing to you, p that person." Iver grumbles something that I don''t understand. Mogrok looks at me with guilt. "I will do as you say, Sister." Kyo''s fingers entangle with mine. I realize that his hand is no longer small and soft. It has be bigger than mine. I sigh. Kids grow up so fast. It was only a year ago when he was a scrawny kid with small hands and big eyes. "If we are all done and contented, follow me." Iver ambles ahead of us. "This is yourst chance to change your mind." Deia meets my gaze, saying nothing and secretly hoping for me to change my mind. I shrug my shoulders and walk ahead with Kyo beside me. Mogrok also follows me without a word. She takes long strides to meet my pace. "We won''t enter the Cursed Sea from there." We follow Iver through the ruins, silently listening to his words. "The beasts will attack us the moment we cross the barrier. There is another entrance." The ruins speak a disturbing tale of a flourishing city. It is doomed to remain inhibited. The fading designs of flowers, people, and runes on the walls tell a story that is disappearing with time. I am not a fan of historical ces. It makes me sad. But, I wonder what could have happened. I don''t believe in history books. Everyone''s truth is different. Then, what is the real story? What could have corrupted the Dark Ehr? The Dark God was imprisoned by the other gods because he went insane and wanted to destroy the world. They took his heart away from him. But, the heart disappeared on its own. Before every night of union, the harbinger was born with the heart of the Dark God. The Renasir killed the harbinger before the harbinger could free the dark God from his prison and the heart could be reunited with its true owner. But, this is an iplete story. I want to know more about Kyo, the Dark God and his past. Whether I like it or not, the Dark God and Kyo are two sides of one coin. *** Iver pushes the stone cover from the hole. "That..." Deia bends a bit to look at the dark hole. "It''s too dark." "Did you expect rainbows?" Iver scowls at her. "Of course, it is dark. There is no sun or moon in the Cursed Sea." "Kresi, can''t we go back and find another way?" Deia regrets telling her about the Cursed Sea. "We won''t have the three sisters'' protection or the Eshyal''s warmth." "That''s cool." Kresi looks at the hole with excitement. "I thought that only the heart of Bn had no moon or sun." "No, there are many ces. The Cursed Sea is one." Iver looks at them solemnly. "Dema continent is ruled by the twelfth Dragon God. Though thews of eleven Gods also hold there, it''s not a ce where humans can survive. It''s solely for the Dema and spirits." Kresi''s eyes shine brilliantly. Deia is also captivated. And of spirits and Dema. If she goes to that ce, she can find any spirit that ispatible with her. "I wonder what they are teaching in the schools of the Lower Realm." Iver pities the kids who make it to the higher realm through thepetition. The gap is too much if they don''t even know about the twelfth God. People don''t casually talk about the twelfth and thirteenth Gods in the higher and the middle realms because these are taboo topics. It is still something that everyone knows. "I want to go to the Dema continent." Deia presses her palms together and imagines going around the world with her spirit. "My spirit would definitely be there." Iver snorts after hearing her words. "You are more likely to find a Dema in the lower realm than find a way to the Dema continent." "Hmm." Kresi rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Isn''t the cursed Sea lingering between the realms? There must be a way to the Dema continent through the Cursed Sea." "You thought right." Iver walks behind Deia. "The Cursed Sea connects all the realms." With a push, Deia falls into the hole while screaming her lungs out. "Making it through the Cursed Sea is no feat," Iver adds. "If you make it there, I heard that the Dragon God is intolerable of humans. The dragon godmanded all the spirits to eat any human who appears without his permission on the Dema Continent." "He is not that bad." Mogrok sighs. "Master, I will go in first and check if there is any danger." "Go, Deia is already there. She must be freaking out," Kresi tells him calmly. "I don''t care about the Seer." Mogrok Jumps into the pit. "See you there." Iver follows Mogrok without any hesitation. "Kyo, are you ready?" She holds his hand tightly. "Don''t be afraid. Just close your eyes." "I am not afraid when I am with you, Sister," He tells her firmly. They jump together into the Cursed Sea. Chapter 36: Sister, you dont have that long thing Chapter 36: Sister, you don''t have that long thing Deia falls through the cavity while shrieking for help. She mes her foolishness to trust her visions and follow a deranged person. She is going to die. She can''t even use a spell to cushion her fall. Why is she not normal? Why can''t she find her spirit? Where the hell is that thing? Suddenly, she feels like hitting a jelly-like substance. It absorbs her like a sponge. She closes her eyes when the bright light hits her eyes. She realizes that she is falling again, but not like before. She hits the ground on her back. The sky is blue and cloudless. There is no sun, but it is as bright as the afternoon. She sits up curiously. The ground is full of rich green thick grass. The willowy trees are full of flowers and rich fruits. Far away, she can see the outline of a city and mountains. She is surprised. Did shee to the high realm? Only the high realm is supposed to be beautiful like this. "Nothing has changed." She hears Mogrok''s sad voice behind her. Mogrok hops ahead of her and looks at the distant city. "The tainted Dark Ehr is preserving it just the way it was." "Preserving?" Deia realizes what he means. Is this the pieces of the world before the war? The weather is neither too warm nor too cool. It''s like this ce is stuck on a forever spring season. "The world was beautiful before it was broken apart by the Dark God." Mogrok turns around. "Seer, remember that the Dark God didn''t break apart the world." "He didn''t leave them any choice." Deia chins up with anger, forgetting Mogrok''s real form or the vision that she has seen. "If he didn''t taint the Dark Ehr or tried to destroy the world, they wouldn''t have done it." "What do you know, Seer?" Mogrok asks her sarcastically. "You can''t even see the future properly. A true seer''s vision is not limited to the future. You are just an extremely poor mimicry of your ancestor." "You know my ancestor?" Deia bends her knees. "Have you met them?" "I don''t want to tell someone who only believes in what people speak of." Mogrok turns away from her, irritated. "Seer, you know nothing about your lineage. It''s sad to see your state. Your ancestor''s soul must be crying tears of blood right now." Deia looks around. This ce seems habitual, but the Dark Ehr along with the soulless and tainted creatures makes it impossible to live here. She wonders if there is ever going to be a solution. If all the realms could be reunited, the world could be whole again. "We arrived at a good time." Iver frowns when he sees Deia talking to Mogrok. The Seer knows the spirit tongue. It seems that he is the only one who can''t understand this spirit beast. He pulls some grass from the ground and burns it. The smoke is so bad that Deia and Mogrok start coughing. "Do you want to kill us?" Mogrok wants to bash this man''s head. Why is he burning this weed? His sensitive nose is being assaulted. Iver nces at him and raises his brows. Looks like the spirit beast isining. Never mind. "Why are you burning that?" Deia asks. The smell is bad. It is like the foul smell of vomit. She feels like throwing up too. "It smells so bad." "Your nose will get used to this." Iver is pleased to see that they find it diforting. He doesn''t like the Seer or the Spirit Beast. "That hurts." With a loud thump, Kresi falls on the ground with Kyonding right above her. "Kyo, you are getting heavy." "Sister, I am sorry." He moves away from Kresi and helps her get up. "Where does it hurt?" "I am fi-" Kresi closes her mouth when she sees Kyo pulling the neckline of her tunic and peeking inside. "Sister, you are hurt badly. You have two swellings on your chest. We should apply ointment." Iver and Deia look away. It''s better to pretend that they didn''t see anything. Kresi is speechless and slow in reacting. First, she has never thought that he would do something like that. Second, he is looking at them shamelessly without a slice of awareness. She looks in shock as he pulls put the ointment from her pocket and rubs them on his hand. Before she can find her voice or move, he moves his hand inside her tunic and massages the ointment over her two modest ''swellings''. Her brains start malfunctioning. "Soft." Kyo finds the sensation very very very pleasant. Are swellings from wounds be soft like this? Whenever he got hurt in the capital, she applied ointment on the bumps on his head. Did his sister also feel this good at that time? His palms rub the hardening peaks. Surprised, he rubs them harder. "Sister, your swelling is getting worse. Does it hurt more now?" "Boy!" Mogrok jumps up and down in anger. "That''s not swelling, idiot." *** What is going on? I can''t understand. I don''t understand. He is diligently applying soothing ointment there and asking me if it hurts. Am I being molested by my younger brother? How do I respond to him? I want to p him, but my hands are not moving. "Fool!" Mogrok roars at Kyo. "Bring those hands out of her shirt, you pervert!" "Sister, what is a pervert?" "Those are not..." Mogrok nces at me once. "Master, pleasee back to life." "Sister, we should take you to the doctor." Kyo looks at me with deep worry. "Those swellings are getting bigger. You must be in real pain." "..." I grab his hands with tears of frustration. I am happy that he is worried about me, but this is not eptable. I pull out his hands out of my tunic. "Kyo, I am fine." "But, sister -" He nces at my chest. I follow his eyes. My peaks are showing on the shirt. I am ashamed. Kyo did what he did because he is innocent, but why did my body react? On top of that, I am not wearing a bra. My blossoms are still small and growing. So, I didn''t think that I need them yet. The bras of this world are notfortable like the ones from my previous world. "Kyo." I wrap my arms on my chest to hide them. "I will exinter. Can you turn around?" "Master, I am so sorry." Mogrok closes his eyes and rolls on the ground. "Okay." Kyo doesn''t question me and turns around. I summon a thick robe out of the space ring and wear it over my clothes. It''s already hot, but there is no other solution. I have to find a ce to change first. "Master is a female. You are a male. You can''t touch her there." Mogrok scowls at Kyo. "Boy, you and I need to have a talk." "Sister is a female?" Kyo scratches his chin. "What is a female?" I give up. I had no idea that Kyo didn''t even know the difference between a man and a woman. He just followed me around with an ignorant outlook to the world. I look at Deia and Iver who are staring up at the sky with red faces. I am so embarrassed. "A female human has swellings on the chest and a secret chamber between her legs." Mogrok raises his one arm and points between Kyo. "You are a male. A male has a t chest and a long thing between the legs." "I have a long thing," Kyo eyes me with wonder. His eyes go below. "Sister, you don''t have that long thing." "..." Where are you looking? Where the heck is this conservation going? "Yes, she doesn''t." Mogrok smirks at Kyo. "Boy, do you know what male do with that long thing to the female? I will teach you the secret of the universe. It will be an honour." I kick Mogrok before he can utter any more word of rubbish. Chapter 37: Why do you not want my long thing? Chapter 37: Why do you not want my long thing? Deia tries her best to stop herself fromughing. Kresi''s face is red. She is clearly flustered. Kyo is still clueless. She opens her mouth to save her friend. At the same time, her vision changes. She can no longer see Kyo and Kresi. An endless dark corridor. The woman is born out of the shadow. She has been waiting for a long time. Very long time. The vision changes again. Deia is standing in the desert. A hooded white figure is standing in the middle. It is staring at the wall of the chaotic cursed sea. The figure doesn''t have any shadow. Deia blinks her eyes several times. The visions were clear. The more clear they are, the better are the chances of them turning true. The white hooded figure was definitely her spirit. She wonders what that shadowy woman was. She is afraid that the shadowy woman was a symbol of an ominous future. The promised end ising. How long do they have? "If you are done, can we leave?" Iver asks them with a taunting voice. "Mirin, it is your job to educate him. If you want to continue like this, do it where I can''t see it." Kresi res at him. "Kyo, let''s go." Kyo feels sad when he sees his sister bing angry at him. He just wanted to apply the ointment, but she is angry. He wraps his arms around her arm. She doesn''t push him away, but she doesn''t smile either. Iver rolls his eyes and walks ahead of them. There is no telling when the day bes night or weather changes here. The environment is imbnced. They can''t waste much time. After walking for hours, they are walking through the yellow and green valley. Kyo sees that his sister hasn''t uttered a single word to him. Mogrok is also shooting him angry looks. Though Kyo doesn''t care what Mogrok thinks, he is worried that he must have done something wrong. He wants to know why she is upset. "Is sister upset because she doesn''t have a long thing?" He whispers to his sister. "If you are upset because of that, you can have mine." Deia is thinking about the omens. She doesn''t pay attention to Kyo. Iver nearly stumbles when he hears those words. He finds his calm and keeps walking. Ignoring is best. Mogrok doesn''t stay quiet. He yells loudly, "Boy, what are you saying? You can''t give it to her." "Why?" Kyo shoots a re at him. "For my sister, I will give anything." Kresi looks at Kyo lifelessly. Her soul is on the verge of vaporizing into nothing from embarrassment. "Kyo, I appreciate that. But, you can''t give it to me. I don''t want it either." "Sister, why? My long thing isn''t good enough?" Iver sighs. How long does he have to hear this? They are walking through the most dangerous part of the realm. These children are talking nonsense. This journey is the most difficult one for him. Perhaps, the god has been listening. It suddenly bes dark. "We have to stay here." Iver summons the dried shell weeds from his ring and burns them. Deia finally snaps out of her thoughts because of the smell of dead fishes. She wrinkles her nose. "What''s this?" She asks. "The beastly creatures of the cursed sea has a strong sense of smell. They won''te near instinctively because of this smell." He gives her a look. "However, if a soulless creature appears, we must run." Kresi stares at him. "Are we tenting here until it''s morning again?" "Yes." Iver nods as he builds the tent. Deia and Kresi also build their tents while Kyo and Mogrok sit on the side. Kyo pouts. His sister doesn''t want his long thing. She is still upset because she doesn''t have a long thing. He wonders what he should do. "Boy, the master is off-limit," Mogrok warns Kyo. "If you want to give your long thing to a female, that seer isn''t bad." "My long thing only belongs to my sister," Kyo mumbles in a low voice. "Master don''t want it." Mogrok wants to beat up this boy. How dare he? His master deserves someone better than the dark God. "You aren''t manly enough." Kyo squints at him. "What is manly?" "If you don''t know it, then you aren''t manly enough." Mogrok rolls away from him before he can ask another question. He rolls straight inside the tent that Kresi built. "Master,e inside. I want to sleep with you." "Mirin, keep watch for the night," Iver tells Kresi before he enters his tent. Kresi looks around. It''s dark. She can''t see anything. "I will keep youpany." Deia smiles at her. "No, go to sleep. You are tired." Kresi shakes her head. "I n to read some books. Next time, you will get to watch. You should rest tonight." "If you need anything, wake me up." Deia gets inside the tent and falls asleep as soon as sheys down on the floor. Kresi turns to the final person. "Kyo,e. You should also sleep. Mogrok is waiting." Morgok is already snoring inside the tent. He doesn''t move from his spot. "I don''t like sleeping without you." "If you don''t sleep, then you will be tired tomorrow." Kresi sits beside him. "If you don''t want to sleep inside, put your head on myp and sleep." Kyoys down on the grass and puts his head on herp. She smiles at kindly. There is no hint of anger in her eyes. She strokes his hair gently. Kyo loves it when she does that. "Sister, why do you not want my long thing?" Chapter 38: You are everything to me Chapter 38: You are everything to me He looks at me full of sorrow. Why I don''t want his long thing? If it was someone else who asked me that question, I would have broken that person''s long thing. Kyo is too innocent for this world. Though I want to preserve this innocence, I can''t. I have to exin before it bes painful for him. Ivor and Deia are asleep. I can hear Mogrok''s snores. I was nning to talk about this matterter, but Kyo isn''t making it easy. "Kyo." I smile at him. "Do you know the meaning of your words?" He furrows his brows slightly. "I want to give all of myself to you. I want to see you happy." It''s only him who loves me this much in my both lifetimes. "Kyo, you are most precious to me. You are precious to me more than my life.." I finally see him smile. The sadness is gone from his eyes. "You are the only one who is precious to me." For now. I stroke his hair. "Kyo, there are many kinds of love. I love you as your sister, friend, guardian... To be honest, even calling it love is an understatement." "I feel the same." He tells me warmly, "You are everything to me." How do I exin to him when he is talking like that? "Kyo, there is another kind of love... that is the love between man and woman. When you be a man, I believe that you will meet a woman who will make your heart and mind go crazy. You see, you are only allowed to do those things with her only. Your special woman." He bes silent and blinks at me. I see him trying to understand the meaning of my words. "What things?" He asks me gravely. The most difficult part. I wipe the sweat on my forehead. If I leave Mogrok to do it, I am afraid that Kyo will turn into a pervert. "Kissing... especially, on lips... t-t-touching special ces... " "What special ces?" He frowns deeper. I clear my throat. "All the ces that are covered by clothes must be seen and touched only by special someone. That''s why... You can''t ever put your hands in my shirt. Your long... thing only belongs to that special woman who will appear in your life in future." "Special woman?" His smile is gone. "You are my special woman. Then, I can see and touch you too." Back to square one. "Kyo, I know that I am special to you, but I can''t be special to you like a woman is to a man. That special woman will be your wife." "You are my wife, Sister." He sits up and looks at my clothes. "I want to see the covered parts." I put my arms over my chest. "You can''t, Kyo. I am not your special woman. I am not your wife. That wedding was child y. You can''t get married like this." The surrounding bes colder. He looks at me darkly. "You were ying with me. You are bad, Sister." I don''t know why I feel guilty when he looks at me like this. "Kyo, calm down. You can''t marry anyone. You and I can never get married. You only marry a special woman. That special woman will be the mother of your children. You can''t marry someone who is already your family. To me, you are my precious younger brother. Brother and sister cannot be married." He puckers his lips and looks at me like I have wronged him. He doesn''t understand. Why do I feel like a yer? "Sister, I understand." He speaks after a long silence. His voice is heartbreakingly sorrowful. "You are waiting for a special man. You don''t see me as your special man. You don''t see me as your husband. You want to give that special ce to someone else." I am at loss for words. I don''t know what to say. How did it be about me? I was only educating about rtionships. His lips tremble and tears run down on his cheeks. "Sister hates being my special woman." "Kyo, it''s not like that." I reach for his hand, but he rejects me and steps away. "I don''t hate it. You are special to me. There won''t be anyone as special as you. There will be no other special man. Don''t cry." He doesn''te close to me. "Then, do you ept me as your special man? I want to have a real marriage with you. I want to have children with you. I want to do all those things that a man do to his special woman." I pinch my lips together. That''s not possible. He doesn''t understand the meaning of his words. It''s my fault. I didn''t want him to grow up so soon. So, I kept him inside a cage. I should have encouraged him to make friends at the academy. If I continue to treat him like a child and give in to his demands, he will get hurt. Kyo needs to grow up. "No." I tell him sternly, "You cannot do those things with me. I cannot ept you as my lover. Kyo, you need to understand. I will exin it better when we reach the middle realm. Go to sleep now. It''s a long journey." His expression gives heartache to me. I hate myself for saying those words. Perhaps, I should have said them in another way. He turns his back to me and says, "If Sister doesn''t want me as your special man, I will go away." "Kyo, don''t." He doesn''t stop when I call him. The space around us warps abnormally. Afraid, I try to grab onto him. With a step, Kyo walks into the darkness and disappears. Chapter 39: Kyo doesnt like pain Chapter 39: Kyo doesn''t like pain "Kyo!" Kresi''s scream wakes up Deia and others. They rush out of the tents and sees Kresi looking around frantically. The sky bes white. The atmosphere is thick with an ominous air. "Kresi, what happened?" Deia rushes to her. Kresi is staring at the distance nkly. "Master, where did that boy go?" Mogrok nudges her leg. Kresi looks at her hand with empty eyes. "Kyo left me." Iver stares at the sky. The surroundings have changed. As far as he can see, there are only empty ck fields. He sees dark shadows rising from the ground. Soulless ones. "We have to run." He presses his ring and gathers his things. "Hurry." "What are those things?" Deia points at the shadows. "Soulless ones. Seer, we don''t have time for exnations." He nces at Kresi, "You. Why are you standing still? Pack your things. They are slow, but we are worse than being dead if they catch up to us." She looks at Iver. "Leave without me." "No, I can''t do that." Deia protests frantically. "I will follow you to death if I must. I won''t leave you here." "Master, leave the boy. We should leave this ce." Mogrok senses the foreboding darkness in the air. He has a bad feeling about this. Whatever is happening, it''s bad for his master. Deia stares at Mogrok. What does that suppose to mean? Why only Kresi? Iver doesn''t understand Mogrok. He frowns at them. The shadows are walking toward them and these kids are chatting like they have all the time in the world. He should run away now. Kresi doesn''t say anything. Space twists around Kresi''s body and envelopes her. With a crunch sound, Kresi is gone. "Master, don''t leave me," Mogrok yells for his master. But, Kresi is gone. Iver blinks his eyes. What just happened? How could that girl bend thew of this realm on her own? Who is she exactly? The soulless creatures are closing on them. Iver grasps Deia''s wrist and runs. Mogrok looks around helplessly. He can''t see his master. Feeling lost, he changes his form and uses his thousand eyes to look in all the directions in the cursed realm to find his master. *** Kresi keeps walking through the dark corridor. It feels endless. Space around her moves on its own, guiding her to her destination. She remains silent. The cursed sea belongs to the 13th God. Kyo is the dark God. If the god doesn''t want her to find him, she won''t be able to him. However, she is patient. Kyo will change his mind. He can''t stay without her. The corridor finally ends. She pushes the door. He is watching the mountains with a gloomy expression. "Kyo." She approaches him nervously. His dark gaze meets mine. A sinister smile appears on his lips. "Harbinger." "Give me my Kyo back." She looks at him with fury. "Go back to where you came from." He admires this little girl''s guts. She doesn''t try to run away. This girl thinks that she can bind him with her sly tactics. He pushes her against the wall. She cries out in pain when the bones on her shoulder breaks. This grasp bes tighter, crumbling the bones like the straws. She purses her lips. Her face is pale because of the pain. Yet, she doesn''t beg. Does she think that she can keep him away with promises? He is the Dark God. If he breaks a promise, he will only face small retribution. "Harbinger, I didn''t know that you can fall so low. You bound me to you with a promise and a name. You try to seduce me. You went as far as manipting me to turn you into my bride." He chuckles lowly. "You will have the same end as her." He raises his arm. His hand turns into a dark w. Kresi''s eyes can''t hide the terror in her heart when she sees the w pointed toward her chest. She doesn''t beg. He is unsatisfied when he doesn''t see her beg for mercy. Does she still think that he can''t take back what belongs to him? The w thrusts into her chest, splitting it into half. She howls in pain. Countless golden runes erupt from her body and swim around his w. He narrows his eyes. He isn''t surprised. The 11 gods would have never made it easy for him to get his core back. The runes burn the skin of his arm. This pain is nothingpared to what he felt before. He shoves his hand further. The runes try to push him away with the same force. Kresi howls in pain. He clenches his jaw when he finds her painful screams ufortable. He ignores it. The skin on his arm is turning ck. Losing an arm won''t matter to him. He wants it back at any cost. "Kyo doesn''t like pain." She speaks with a pained voice. Her eyes are focussed on the arm that''s being ruthlessly struck by the runes. Her mind is delirious because of the pain. She closes her eyes and mumbles, "Don''t hurt him." His body freezes when he hears her words. Even when she is on the verge of death, she cares about his other self more. His body pulls away from on her on its own. Kresi''s body drops to the floor like a lifeless doll. The stitched runes on her flesh glimmer and revolves around her. The gaping hole in her chest is healing. "Harbinger, I will let you live for a little longer." The Dark God falls to slumber. *** "Sister, Sister." Kyo is shaking my body. "Wake up, please. Don''t leave me. Don''t die." I recall what happened. The Dark God was trying to dig his heart out of my body. His right arm is badly burnt. It''s my fault. I forgot that the Dark God takes over his body whenever he is upset. Kyo is hurt because of me. He sniffles. "Sister, I am sorry. That bad man didn''t listen to me. I tried to stop him." He is ming himself for what the Dark God did. I am ming myself for what happened to his arm. I can''t help but smile. "Kyo, it''s not your fault. You didn''t hurt me. Your sister has something that belongs to you and that bad man. If he ever takes it back, don''t me yourself. Let me see your arm." "Anything that belongs to me also belongs to you." He rests his head on my shoulder. "I won''t let him take it back. Sister, trust me. I will be a good boy from now on." I wrap my arms around him and kiss the top of his head. "I trust you. You will never harm me." For me, Kyo and the Dark God will never be the same. Chapter 40: It knows where others are Chapter 40: It knows where others are Mogrok spits out the soulless one. The flesh of the soulless one taste like a rock. The soulless one stands up on its feet and waddles toward Mogrok. He uses his one arm to pick up the creature and throw it far away. Deia and Iver look at him with big round eyes. If it hasn''t been for Mogrok, they would have been turned into one of the soulless creatures. But, still, what kind of spirit beast eat abominations of the cursed sea? "He eats all of his problems," Iver mutters under his breath. "Don''t say that. If he hears you, he might also eat you." Deia is terrified. She has seen something like this in her vision. Kresi is not here. Mogrok doesn''t seem to like eating the soulless creatures. What if he decides to fill his stomach with her body? Mogrok''s thousand eyes roll around at the same time. He can read their expressions. "Seer, are you working hard? I told you to concentrate on my master and see where she is." "I am trying." Deia is on the verge of a mental breakdown. They have been running away for a long time. The soulless ones are quite stubborn. It''s like they are everywhere. If they get closer to Iver and Deia, their souls will be sucked away and they will also be like them. No matter how many souls are eaten by these creatures, they are always hungry. Then, there are warped beasts. The beasts and wielders who have been corrupted by the dark ehr. They are equally dangerous. They are superfast and wild. They have met two on the way. Mogrok protected them from those creatures. They didn''t die no matter how many times he tore apart their bodies. In the end, he threw them somewhere far away. Deia is sure that they are still following their scent. At these times, how can she have the time to concentrate on Kresi? "Seer, you are alive because I want to find my master." Mogrok is losing patience. "This ce isn''t safe for her. These warped beasts are nothingpared to what is hiding inside the cursed realm. Hurry and find her. If you can see her surroundings, I will be able to find her." The sky turns dark again. This is the 9th time already. Iver wonders why the cursed realm is this unstable. The weather is moody. He has already lost the flow of time. The watch has stopped working because of the unstable flow of ehr. Outside the cursed sea, it could have been a month or a year or a day. He can''t be sure now. They could stay stuck here and decades could pass outside. Just like before. "I am trying hard," Deia yells. Mogrok growls. Iver doesn''t understand what Mogrok is saying to Deia. Are Kresi and Kyo alive? They are only children. *** His arm isn''t healing. I have bandaged his arm. It''s hurting him a lot. It''s why it won''t heal fast like before. He is holding his pain without anyints. This happened to him because of me. If I hadn''t been acting like an idiot, he wouldn''t be upset. Dark God wouldn''t get the chance toe out. He wouldn''t get hurt like this. "Kyo." I look at him. "If it hurts, you can tell me. You don''t have to act like an adult. You are Kyo. I will find a way to fix your arm. If you want to cry, you can cry." He gives me a pained smile. "The pain is going away. It doesn''t hurt like before." "Iver must know some healing spell." I put his good arm around my shoulder. "Lean on me. We have to get out of this ce." This ce is giving me creeps. I feel like the walls have eyes. We walk into the corridor quietly. The walls have paintings now. Is it decorating itself on its own? I have seen enough strange things in this world. I stop to look at the paintings. It''s beautiful paintings of sunrise,kes, people, and festival. There is a painting of a tall man''s back. In another painting, the tall man is standing beside a man with silver eyes. The silver-eyed man isughing. The tall man is looking at him with gloomy eyes. That tall man with ck hair has Kyo''s eyes. "Sister, let''s go away from this ce." Kyo sounds nervous. "I don''t like this ce." The paintings are suddenly gone. There is a light at the end of the corridor. So, this ce is listening to Kyo''s wishes. But, the bad feeling isn''t going away. When I look back at the dark end of the corridor, I am sure that I saw a person standing there. "Kyo, hurry. I don''t like this ce either." It''s probably haunted. It''s already day when we are able to leave the castle. It vanishes from our view like someone erased its existence. Though I am keeping a calm face, I am freaking out in my mind. The feeling of being watched isn''t going away. Creepy vanishing castle. I have a feeling that it belonged to the Dark God. Else, why would it care so much about Kyo''s wishes? At least, the sky is bright. "Sister, look." I turn around and find a beast half of Mogrok''s size running toward us with full speed. It has six feet and four eyes. One tooth is broken. The frenzied look in his eyes is hard to miss. "Run, Kyo." He cries out in pain when I grab his arm. The six-legged beast is almost upon us. Kyo can''t run like this. Then... "I will fight that thing. You run." I charge toward the six-legged beast. I only remember the basic level spells. I can use fire to dy him a bit. Kyo will get some time to run. I summon the rune of fire. It burns on the tip of my fingers. The corrupted ehr flow through my veins. It is wild and ecstatic. I realize what Iver meant. The corrupted ehr is like potent alcohol that can easily poison the mind and body. The rune of fire multiplies on my hand and covers my whole arm. I feel strange urges. Something is asking me to let go. Let go and burn it all. "Stop," Kyo screams behind me. I blink hard. What the hell I have been thinking? Why did I think of burning everything including myself? The six-legged beast also stops in front of me. He squeezes my hand. The rune of fire withers away. "Sister, you looked strange." I felt strange. I clear my throat. The six-legged beast is bowing its head to Kyo. I guess that it can recognize the God inside Kyo. That''s even more strange. Aren''t they beasts who have gone insane because of the corrupted ehr? It''s acting like an adorable pet. "Sister, it doesn''t want to hurt us. It was sent to give us a ride." Kyo stares at the beast. "Who sent it?" I ask him. I thought that I could understand thenguage of the beasts. I guess that I was wrong. I only understood Mogrok''snguage. Thenguage of the old world. "It doesn''t know." Kyo pats the beast''s head. "It knows where others are." That person hiding in the shadows inside the castle... is it him? Oh, damn! I don''t think that it was a well-wisher. If he was, he was a well-wisher of the Dark God. We need to leave this damned ce before something else happen. I feel awkward. The beast has its tongue out like a dog. "Kyo, are you sure that it''s telling the truth?" "He is too simple-minded. He can''t lie." He sounds confident in his beast lie detector skills. I will take this chance because of him. After all, he is God. Chapter 41: Dont listen to bad people Chapter 41: Don''t listen to bad people "Master is riding a six-legged beast?" "I am not sure. It''s one of the probabilities." Deia is dizzy because of Mogrok''s speed. She has already thrown up five times. Iver has passed out long ago. It''s his first time riding with Mogrok. "Seer, I can already see them." Mogrok hisses in anger. "My master is cheating on me with that lowly beast. It only has six legs. Compared to my thousand limbs, it is nothing." "..." Deia vomits again. She''s sure that she will throw out her intestines at this rate. "MASTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Kresi and Kyo see a storm of dust approaching them. The six-legged beast makes a small sound and ceases on its feet. It is scared to go further. "Mogrok doesn''t know humility." Kresi shakes her head. "It is scaring this poor little beast. We should let this beast go. Mogrok will eat it alive if it stays." They climb off the six-legged beast. It doesn''t stay for a moment longer. It runs for its life. They wait for Mogrok to arrive. "Master, how could you do this to me?" Mogrok''s thousand eyes are full of tears. "When I am there, how could you cheat on me with another beast? You even ride on his back." Deia rolls on her back. Her face is green. "Kresi, thank goodness that you are here. Please never leave me alone with your spirit beast." "He gave you a hard time." Kresi looks at her with pity. "It was... " She doesn''t finish her words. She rolls back her eyes and passes out. Iver is already a goner. "Master." Mogrok hasn''t stopped sobbing like a dutiful wife who has seen her husband cheat on her. "Why? Was I not good enough?" "Aigoo!" Kresi wrinkles her nose. "Mogrok, it was a situation. We needed to get away as soon as possible. You did a good job without me. I am proud of you. You didn''t eat Deia and Iver. Your self-control is getting better." Mogrok is still angry and hurt, but he is also pleased that his master is ttering him. "Master, it was nothing. They aren''t up to my taste." "I like you more now, Mogrok." She pats his arm. "You are doing a good job." "Sister, what about me?" Kyo snatches her hand that is patting Mogrok. "You can''t like him more than me." "I like Kyo the most." She kisses his forehead. "My Kyo has been good. He didn''t cry when his arm was hurt. He is brave and strong now." Mogrok is clearly unhappy to see Kyo. He notices the wounded arm. His master doesn''t have a goodplexion. "Master, why did you bring him back? You should have left him here." "Sister, we should leave him here." "Boy, you were the one who ran away." "Sister, throw him away." "Boy, you should be thrown away." Kresi has a headache because of these two. "We should leave this ce soon. I don''t like it here. It feels like something is watching us even now." Mogrok has sensed the same thing. It''s noting forth. He lifts Deia with his one arm. "Master, take a seat. I will run until I find the end of this realm." *** He flinches when I touch his arm. He opens his sleepy eyes. I smile at him and say, "Sleep." He goes back to sleep. The skin of his wounded arm is hardening. He''s Dark God. He should heal already. It''s been hours, I think. Mogrok is running without a stop. Behind us, there is a huge crowd of soulless creatures and corrupted beasts. The day turns to night. Then, the dark night turns to a bright day. Whenever I look at the darkness behind me, I feel a pair of eyes looking at us. "It''s cursed." I look at Iver, hanging upside down from Mogrok''s arms. He is looking at Kyo''s wounds. "Your younger brother''s arm is cursed. He won''t be able to use it unless you break that curse." "How do I do it?" He must be hurting a lot. He keeps quiet because doesn''t want to trouble me. What the hell is wrong with my body? Why did it go ahead and cursed my Kyo''s arm? "Hmm... it depends on the level of the curse." Iver squints his eyes. "How did he get it?" He tried to take heart from my body and there were countless runes jumping out and hurting him. That idiot god wouldn''t stop even if he was going to lose his arm. Of course, I can''t tell him that. "He touched something that he shouldn''t have." He lets out a loud sigh. "Maybe we can find answers in the middle realm. Where is your spirit beast taking us?" "Master! I see an exit." Mogrok roars powerfully. "We will be out soon. Don''t be scared. That thing can''t follow us out of this ce." I look back. The residents of the cursed realm have stopped running after us. They are standing there and watching us quietly. I also see the six-legged beast. Among the masses, there is a shadow. The thing that''s been watching us since we entered the cursed realm. It''s noting after us. Why I am still scared of it? It''s like it''s waiting for me to go to it. "What are you looking at?" Iver follows my gaze. "They are acting strange." ''The power you seek is here.'' I hear a whisper in my mind. ''It will be yours anytime you want it.'' No way! The corrupted ehr has a mind of its own. ''You will need power if you want to protect him. Turn back and take my hand.'' Somebody pinches my hand. Kyo is looking up at me. "Sister, don''t listen to bad people." At the same time, I see a blinding light advancing toward us. I close my eyes when Mogrok takes a high jump out of the boundary. Chapter 42: Will you also betray him? Chapter 42: Will you also betray him? "If you want to protect someone, you need power." The woman has long ash brown hair. Her voice is calming. "If you want him to stay as your Kyo, you need me. I know how to stop the Dark God. I have all the answers that you need." This is the same ce where the Dark God tried to take away his heart from my body. But, everything is different. I can see people moving around. She points at the silver dragon flying in the sky. Kyo is riding the dragon. Though he is not smiling orughing, I can sense that he is happy. The woman tells me softly, "They are close friends." The sky is turning blood red. An adult Kyo is floating in the sky. The silver dragon is standing opposite of him with a sword. "He was betrayed in the end." Her voice is devastatingly heartbroken. "The 13th God lost because he betrayed him." Kyo was betrayed by the silver dragon? "Will you also betray him?" *** The Dark God gazes at his harbinger''s pale face. Mogrok is shaking with fear and wondering if his end is near. Iver and Deia haven''t regained consciousness. The Dark God massages the space between her brows to ease up her creased forehead. Mogrok nearly screams when he sees it. His master''s head is still intact after being touched by the Dark God. "Protect her well." He looks at Mogrok sharply. "She''s carrying my heart. When the right time arrives, I will take it. Until then, you must not let any harme to her." "B-b-but..." It''s his job to protect his master. Dark God''s eyes turn cold. "If you can''t protect her, I should finish both of you now." "No, please don''t." Mogrok tries to crawl closer, but the pressure pushes him back. "I don''t want my master to die." He raises his brow. This little creature is more loyal to the harbinger than him. It must be because of the spirit contract. "It''s her fate to die for me." He runs his fingers through her hair. She does this a lot to Kyo who is a part of him. Her expression rxes a bit when he strokes her soft hair just the way she often does it to him. "Creature, do you know what will happen if she doesn''t give up that heart to me?" Mogrok has an inkling of what might happen. But, he keeps quiet. He wants his master to live even if the whole world has to pay for his selfish wish. A spirit beast will always wish well for its master. "I will give her a little more time to live." He pokes her cheek. "That''s the only kindness she can receive from me for freeing me. Tell her to cherish her little time in this world and live for herself." The Dark God closes his eyes and falls beside her with his hand on her cheek. Mogrok looks like he will cry. There is his master and there is his god. He will always choose his master. But, God is right. It''s her fate to die for him. *** "Master." Mogrok''s shrill voice wakes me up. The first thing that I notice is the three moons in the sky. The stars are bright and I realize that I am lying on the snow. My whole body is aching. I am sure that I was having a strange dream. What was it about? I am sure that there was a dragon in it. It must be a good omen. "Master!" Mogrok hops into myp. "Are you fully awake?" "Oh, Mogrok." I look at the little him. "Where are we?" "We are in the middle realm." Iver shakes off the snow. "We are lucky that we didn''t be the food of the spirit beasts yet." A dazed Deia is swaying like a pendulum. "Kresi, I had a weird dream. I dreamt that a dragon wants to make me his bride." I am surprised to hear that. "Ooh! I also had a dragon dream. I don''t remember much, but I am sure that it was a silver dragon." "Kresi, mine was turquoise green." She ps her cheek. "Why did I dream that I am going to be a dragon''s bride? I don''t even want to get married. All I want is to find my spirit." "Don''t worry." Iugh. "It''s a good omen. Nothing bad will happen to us from now on." "Really?" She widens her eyes with excitement. "I will definitely meet my dragon then." She ps her forehead. "I mean, my spirit." Iver shakes his head. "Both of you! It''s unlucky to dream about dragons. If you see dragons in your dreams, you will meet death three times within three months." What.the.hell! Deia gawks at him with her mouth open. "Death three times... " "Don''t say things like that." Mogrok yells at Iver, "My master will not die anytime soon." Iver doesn''t understand Mogrok. "I don''t know what you are talking about. I will tell you this. Usually, those who dreamt of dragons either died or disappeared within 3 months." "You are just trying to scare us." Deia yells in anger, "I don''t believe you." "I am only telling what I heard." Iver shrugs his shoulder. "You are the seer. You will probably see your deathing for you." "That''s superstition, Master." Mogrok continues to hop in myp. "Dreaming about a dragon means good things are on your way... especially, a silver dragon. Master, the silver dragon is the 12th God. If you see him, it means that you will find a lot of happiness soon." Mogrok is talking in a strange way. I guess that he is trying to cheer me up. Deia is consoled by Mogrok''s words. She leans closer to him and asks, "Mogrok, what does turquoise green dragon means?" "That means death for sure." He turns his face away. "You are the Seer. You should be good at reading omens. You won''t always see things the way they are in your visions. They start arguing again. I check on Kyo. He hasn''t woke up. His arm is turning worse. I fix his hair. His space ring is destroyed already. So, I take warm clothes out of my space ring. I slowly move his arm inside the sleeve. He opens his eyes slowly and mumbles, "Sister." "We have reached." He looks so cute that I can''t help but kiss the top of his nose. "Hungry?" He nods drowsily. "Hungry." "Everyone''s ready for the underground city?" Iver asks us with a little excitement in his voice. "We have made it through the cursed realm without any death. It''s time to eat first." Chapter 43: I am starting to like you Chapter 43: I am starting to like you "A year ago, I could carry you on my back." Iver hears Kresi say to Kyo. "Now, you are shooting up at a scary speed. There is no rush to grow that tall." Iver look at Kresi. Has she looked at her reflectiontely? Before entering the cursed realm, she looked around 13 or 14. Suddenly, she has more womanly curves. Her hair is also long. She looks around 20 now. Ehr has changed her body. She has grown into a full adult. She is a little taller too. How much time did they spend inside the cursed realm? Deia hasn''t changed at all. It''s not surprising. The cursed realm cannot affect the people who can''t channel the ehr. Just like that, he hasn''t been affected either. Time stops for people who can''t manipte ehr inside the cursed realm. Time races for people who can channel the corrupted ehr inside the cursed realm until they be insane and be a warped creature. He has seen that happens a lot of time. Even those who get tainted outside the cursed realm show simr symptoms. That means both of them have absorbed the corrupted ehr. He scrutinizes both figures walking side by side. His gazeys down on Kyo''s right arm. What are these two? "I am tired." Deia turns around and shouts at Iver. "Hey, we have been walking for a while. It''s snowing now. We are still humans. I don''t want to get buried under the snow. How far is it?" Iver sighs. This Seer is an annoying one. Was she raised like a princess or something? He is surrounded by littleining teenagers and an ugly spirit beast that only sees him as food. "The cities are beneath our feet." When they hear him, their eyes turn downward. There is only snow beneath their feet. A distant loud howl startles them all. They look into the darkness. The howl is followed by the grumbles of their stomachs. "They caught our scent." Iver wonders if it could get any worse. "We have to find the entrance soon." "Yay! Food!" Mogrok jumps around in happiness. "Master, can I go and hunt down a few? We can cook them and eat before we go further." "That sounds like an excellent idea." Deia ps her hands. "Mogrok, I am starting to like you." "I want to catch them for my master." He snarls at Deia. "You can eat snow." "Kresi." Deia looks at Kresi, teary-eyed. "Wait a second." Kresi turns to Iver. "How far is the entrance to the city?" "I have never been to this area of the middle realm." Iver can''t see any trekking mark. It''s probably the eastern side that''s full of the wild ice type beasts and spirits. They areing for them as they speak. Why is he not afraid when he should be? He nces at the most excited member of their group. The little spirit beast''s eyes are ming with excitement. "Usually, peoplee to the middle realm through gates. There is only one working gate currently in the centre of the 9 underground cities. The couriers have created a small gate in the southern part of the middle realm. We have to walk for two days o get to that gate." Three teenagers stare at him with nkly. Everyone has this question in their eyes. ''Two days of walk on thend full of snow and no sunlight?'' Mogrok squeals in happiness when he sees the big delicious beasts running toward him. "Master, can I?" "Go ahead," Kresi tells him with a tired voice. "Catch the good ones." *** Sitting around the fire, four humans and a spirit beast are eating the meat of the ones who made the howls in the dark. Iver picks up the horn of the mid-ranked ice type spirit. "We can sell it in the middle realm." Kresi nces at Mogrok. He has cleaned up the area and eaten all the cores of the spirit beasts. He didn''t leave one for Kyo. Kyo doesn''t like eating meat as much as he likes eating the cores. Mogrok doesn''t think of anyone when ites to food. "Master, can I go and eat more?" Mogrok licks his lips. "I will gather more horns." "Just sit here and eat quietly." She res at him. "Aren''t you full already? How many did you eat?" "Only 156." He gnaws on the rib bone. "Mid ranked beasts are better than low graded humans." Deia wonders if there is any spirit beast left in the area. If he goes again, he might eat all the spirit beasts of the middle realm. "Iver, which part of the city is beneath us now?" Kresi asks an odd question. Iver takes it as a childish curiosity. "It should be either the 3-star city or the 5-star city." He pauses for a moment. "We are closer to 3-star city, I think." The underground cities are ranked by stars. Each city specializes in a specific trade. 1-star city is the main city and home of the lord of the 9 cities. It''s famous for entertainment. 9-star city is the ve city where they make ves fight each other. The 3-star city is the casino city and the 5-star city is the city where they sell spirit beasts and humanoids creatures. "Ah, I see." She stretches her arms. A cunning smile creeps up on her face. Iver doesn''t like that look. "Why do you ask?" Iver has a bad feeling in his heart. "You said that it''s beneath our feet." She stomps her feet on the snow a few times. "It is beneath our feet, but we can''t break through the ground." Heughs at her. "Don''t even think about it." It''s impossible to break through the ground into the city. It''s the underground city of Lord Bagoodi. Even if they make a hole through the ground, there are countless spells on the roof of the underground city. "Kyo, move back." Kyo nods and steps away from her. Sensing something is going to get crazy, Deia also moves away from her. "This is stupid." Iverughs at her foolishness. Even if she is a Mirin, she is only a little girl. There is no way that she can make a hole to underground cities. Chapter 44: I am going to break this Chapter 44: I am going to break this I ignore Iver''sughs. Fire spell should melt the snow. It can''t make a hole through the roof of the city. I will check on that problemter. Kyo''s arm is hurt and he needs urgent attention. That boy can''t walk for two days in the cold. Our stomachs are full now. We should go straight to the city. "Master, I will also attack the ground with you." Mogrok transforms into his real form. "I can''t eat snow, but I can beat the ground." "Don''t." The rune of fire flows into my palm smoothly. "I am going to use fire. Stay back and shield others." He listens to my words and shields Kyo and Deia. Iver is looking at me with a smug face. Well, it might be foolish. But, my brother''s arm is cursed. We need to find a healer first. One rune won''t do. I have summoned multiple runes before. If I don''t push myself, I will always be stuck at the basic level. I squeeze my eyes and concentrate. The flow of Ehr is better here than the lower realm. It flows through my channels like water. I form another rune of fire in the air. The third onees faster. One by one, the fire runes float in a spiral toward the ground. It bores into the snow and starts melting the hard ice. I need more runes. More power. More ehr. ''Let me.'' There is a whisper in my head. ''I will show you what can I do.'' I ignore the voice. It''s probably my imagination. If it is not, it''s nothing good. The ehr is flowing faster through my veins. The single thread of runes turns into the thick tornado of orange fire. It breaks through the ice. There is a scream. I don''t stop at any rate. I must find a way to the city. I hear a loud crack. There is a giant hole through the ice. A single fire rune is burning inside. I see the hard roof of underground cities with glistening webs of spells. I have seen those spells before in the forbidden city where they imprisoned Kyo. Without any more thought, I jump into the hole and use a flight rune to delve on to the roof. "Master, use the dagger to cut the spell," Mogrok shout. Hmm? The dagger? I look into my coat. I found this dagger when I first came to this world. Then, let''s try this. I start marking cutting away the strings of spells near the ice. I don''t want to make a big hole on the roof. When I finish, the circr piece of the spell underneath my feet is still alive. I wonder what I should do. I pick up the circr piece with the tip of the dagger. Ites off easily. "This mighte in handyter." I fold it and put it inside my pocket. I look up and shout, "Come down. It''s ready." *** This is impossible. Iver is baffled when he looks at the metallic roof of the underground city. This is not good at all. How did this girl do this? No, they are done for. He doesn''t dare to get down through the hole. "I am sorry for underestimating you." Iver trembles thinking of the things that might happen to them if Lord Bagoodi ever finds out. "Come out. The gate isn''t far away. If we walk without taking rest, we will reach in a half and one day." Kresi isn''t listening. She waves at Kyo. "Kyo, I am going to break this. Climb on Mogrok. Deia, you should also let Mogrok carry you. Thest person can take a walk through the snowynd alone and use the gate." "Kresi, don''t do it. Lord Bagoodi will ki-" Kresi presses her palm on the metallic roof and mumbles, "[Break]" It shatters under her feet. She falls through the ground. Mogrok jumps in with Deia and Kyo. He stretches his arm and grabs his master through the air. Iver sees this all. He forgets about getting his broken channel healed. He runs away from the ce with all of his strength. He doesn''t want to imagine what kind of things that inhuman lord will do him if Lord of the underground cities hears that it was him who brought these people here. He shouldn''t have followed this crazy Mirin. She has lost her mindpletely. Under the ice, there are 9 cities. The 3-star city is most famous for casinos. Once someone walks into the casino city, they are easily lost in the city of gambles. The city is full of dazzling lights that dazes the neers easily. But, something isn''t right today. For a while, they have seen hearing strange noises above the 478th gambling bar. The officials of the city arrive immediately beneath the spot to deal with the problem. Officer A: It must be a fat spirit beast causing trouble above. Officer B: Should we go and check above?" Officer C: It''s too cold up there. Office A: It might go away after a while. Officer B: Lord Bagoodi doesn''t like disturbances like this. We should go and chase it away. Officer A: Can you fight with a 7th middle realm beast? Officer C: I suggest that we wait and see for a while. Before they can decide on their next action, the ceiling begins to crack above their heads. They widen their eyes in shock. Officer B: What kind of spirit beast... Officer C: It won''t crack. It never cracked before. Officer A: Is it the end of the world? Suddenly, it shatters away. A huge spirit beast with a thousand tentacles drops on the ground with a tumultuous vibration. Mogrok ces the harbinger, God, and the seer on the ground. "Master, we have reached." In 1-star city, Andareanesi Bagoodi is awakened by the distant sound of shattering. A small piece of the spell is taken away from the roof of the underground city. His mate, Giana, chuckles when she sees the dark expression on his face. "Trouble in one of your sin cities?" His thin lips curve into a smile. "She''s here." Her eyes be bright when she hears his words. "Let''s greet the child. It''s been a while since we saw her." Chapter 45: Dont look at her with a dirty gaze Chapter 45: Don''t look at her with a dirty gaze "Catch them." I hear someone shout. The snow is slowing through the hole. There are officials dressed in in robes pointing at us. Do I have to pay a fine for making the hole? I look at the ceiling. That''s big. "Mogrok, Run," I whisper to him. I don''t have that much money to fix the roof. I am sure that the city lord is rich. Mogrok immediately acts on mymand and runs through the city. Why there are no roads in this damn city? Random casinos are popping up everywhere. He breaks through them all. "Kresi, we are destroying the city." Deia grabs my arm. "We should stop." "We have to hide first." I yell at her, "Do you have that much money to pay for the damage?" She shakes her head. "But, why are we doing more damage?" "Because we need to run and hide before they catch us." "Sister, there is someone in the front." A 2 meters tallnky man with droopy eyes standing our path. His long cyan hair is waggling around like Medusa''s snakes. I narrow my eyes to confirm if they are really not snakes. "Master, what should we do? He''s not moving away." "Jump over him. Find a quiet ce. We need to find a healer for Kyo. We will go to the higher realm after fixing his arm." "Master, that''s why I told you to ditch him in the cursed sea." Thenky man leers at us and moves his index finger toward us. Mogrok ms into an invisible wall. We fall off of him. Kyo wraps his arm around my shoulder and draws the slowing rune. I flick the rune of flight toward Deia. Wend on the ground slowly. Thenky man walks toward us. Mogrok explodes with madness. He tries to hammer the man. His actions are impeded by the invisible walls around us. It''s the first time when Mogrok is losing to someone else. "Calm down." I pat Mogrok. "Turn into your cute form. When fists don''t work, we will use words." Mogrok is still fuming when he turns into his piggy form. He growls at thenky man who doesn''t even nce at him. "Kresira Mirin, my favorite little person in this realm," He simpers at me. The white part in his eyes are ck and his pupils are yellow. His skin has a slightly yellowish. His white robe is loosely tied, revealing the unmistakable hickey on his chest. He steps closer and lowers his head a little bit to take a good look at me. Those brown goat horns in his cyan hair remove all of my remaining doubts. This person isn''t a human. "You have grown up." His eyes narrow on my chest. "Fast." Weird. Freak. Lecher. "Did youe to change your trade?" The corner of his thin lips rises into a dark smile. "Gianna will be d to take you as her student." I have no freaking idea what he is talking about. He talks like he knows me. I have never seen this man in my life. If he knows this face that I have, it must be the original owner of this body. My life has been so peaceful recently. Whenever people who are rted to the original owneres in my life, I always get into trouble. Kyo stands in front of me. "Don''t look at her with a dirty gaze." My brother can differentiate between a bad and a good gaze. I realize that his back looks stronger and broader. Where is that 11 years old boy who walked while holding my hand? It should be me protecting him from bad people. But, I can''t help but feel happy to see him like this. "Is he one of your friends?" Thenky man eyes Kyo''s arm. "That''s the curse brand of the Renasir. How did you offend Lady Mayaeira?" Kyo didn''t meet the Renasir. He didn''t offend anydy. He got that because of me. In any case, I have to get the cure for his arm. I pull Kyo behind me. "I lost my memories two years ago. Can you tell me who you are?" *** Deia follows thenky man with Kresi and Kyo. Mogrok is sitting on Kresi''s shoulder and hissing at the man''s back. Though the man is tall and thin, his movements are smooth and graceful. His posture is straight. His sleeves are so wide that they look like wings. What is he? He''s not human for sure. She has never seen anything like this in the lower realm. She can''t believe that they reached the middle realm with intact bodies. She isn''t sure if their bodies will remain intact after what they did today. Herst wish is to see her spirit beast before she dies. Maybe, Iver was right. Seeing a dragon in a dream means meeting death thrice in real life. The 3-star city is half broken because of Mogrok. The hole in the ceiling is letting the cold inside. Andareanesi Bagoodi isn''t perturbed by the destruction. The destruction in the city can be fixed in a day, but the hole in the ceiling is another problem. He takes them to his mansion in the 3-star city. All nine mansions are interconnected. Kresira is following him obediently. Her aura has changed too. He wonders if she really lost her memories. Then, is it possible for a Mirin to lose memories? That''s never been heard of. The girl didn''t even recognize Lady Mayaeira. The curse on the boy''s arm is cast by the Renasir. The curse is not older than a year. But, Lady Mayaeira has been too sick to move from the bed for two years. There is already a rumor that she has been losing her powers. The new Renasir hasn''t even appeared in the Mirin family yet. They are looking for a Mirin who supposedly appeared in the lower realm around 3 years ago. His foot freeze in the air. He turns around and looks at Kresi. She broke the spells of the eleven gods on the roof of the 3-star city. The new Renasir, one who is supposed to help the chosen one defeat the Dark God, is none other than the Harbinger of the Dark God. Chapter 46: She lost her memories Chapter 46: She lost her memories I feel goosebumps on my body when he suddenly grins at me like I am his long lost friend. His eyes curl into crescent moon shapes. He turns his back to me and keeps walking. I take hesitating steps toward him. It''s probably not a good idea to follow a strange person to his house. "Sister, I don''t like that man." "Master, I don''t like that man either." "Kresi, I don''t have a good feeling about him." Shall we run? I nce at the hole. It''s far now. If we run at all of our might, what are the chances of making it out without getting caught? "Don''t even think about it." Thenky man utters out. "If you take one step in the opposite direction, you will never find out what happened to the boy." He knows my weakness. He pushes the yellow metal door. "Come. Giana is looking forward to seeing you. Your friends are also waiting for you." My friends? "Who?" "They came 3 years ago." He walksnguidly in front of us. "I don''t remember their names. Gabriel knows them. They must be from his little orphanage from Bn. I heard that only five of you survived the hunter''s attack. I always told him that the middle realm is safer than Bn. He never believes me. The nameless knights have been quite active since the huntress died. The new leader of the nameless knights is none other than the chosen one." I remember now. The freaking prophecy. The chosen one. The hero who will save the world. Kyo is the supposed bad God who will destroy the world. The chosen one is supposed to be the person who will stop him. There is the Renasir who helps the chosen one. The hunters AKA the nameless knights are the ones who kill the cursed children. "I heard that the Renasir is sick." I shouldn''t be happy for other''s misfortune, but I am. I hope that the Renasir stays busy and away from me and Kyo. "I wonder who is the new Renasir. The chosen one is also looking for her." That happiness didn''tst long. The vines on the wall are moving as we walk. Why do they get creative with the walls here? I can''t forget that castle. The paintings appeared on their own and disappeared on their own. They were still better than moving vines. There is soft musicing from the room. We walk into the room. A dazzling chandelier is hanging in the middle of the roof. A woman in a green dress walks toward us. Her each movement is seductive. Thenky man wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her deeply. I am awed by their shamelessness when they don''t stop and go forward with fondling. "Sister, can I kiss you like that?" I cover Kyo''s eyes. "Don''t get tainted by impure things." "I wonder how it feels like if I do it to you," He blurts out. "You can only do it to -" your lover. I don''t finish those words. What if the Dark God gets offended and tries to tear my heart out? "Eiii!" Deia turns around and closes her eyes. "They are almost naked." "Master, they are making babies." "Sister, I want to make babies with you." "STOP!" I bellow to the shameless couple. "There are children in the room. Can''t you do it in a private ce?" They stop and part reluctantly. Thenky man eyes us and asks, "Where are the children? All of you are adults. If you don''t want to see, turn around and close your eyes like that blonde girl." He brings us here to watch him having s.e.x. with his woman. Never follow a strange man. It''s a piece of fundamental knowledge in my original world. Never follow a strange man or you might end up seeing things that you can''t unsee. *** "She has changed." Giana sits down on the couch and adjusts her dress nonchntly. Usually, she wouldn''t bother doing it. Since the girl insists that there are children... She eyes the boy with an innocent gaze and godly beautiful face. There are children in adult''s body here. "Introduce yourself." Kresi crosses her arms. She is shielding the boy with her body casually. The blonde girl still has her back to them. Giana looks at Andareanesi. "She lost her memories." He gives her a knowing smile. A Mirin lost her memories. Interesting. "Kresira, you can call me Giana." Giana walks to her. "You have met the only lord of the underground cities, Andareneasi Bagoodi. He''s also the one who picked you up from the streets of the beggar city after your mother, Renasir Mayaeira, left you to die." Kresi blinks at her. There is no feeling of hate or sadness. Her voice is cool and collected. "Renasir Mayaeira is my mother?" She also forgot that. Giana finds that strange. The Mirin family are known for impable memories. "Mayaeira Mirin stabbed your heart and threw you away on the street when you were only five. Since then, you have been working as one of the hands of my lord, Andareanesi Bagoodi who is also infamous as the Beggar King." *** I didn''t see thating. The mother of this body is none other than the Renasir. Her name is Mayaeira Mirin. The Renasir is the one who finds and kills the harbingers before they can free the Dark God. Did she also try to kill me, but she failed? Trying to kill her daughter who is only five? Mayaeira Mirin is insane. What kind of things did the original owner go through? "You stayed with the cursed children for a while. You also did jobs that my lord asked you to do. You killed people for him. Your hands carry the blood of both innocents and the sinners. You killed Aeline and left her child with the Bn Spirit as a cruel punishment to Gabriel. You stole the universal key from the Bn Spirit and destroyed Cina''s gates that connected different realms. The nameless knights are looking for you and the chosen one seeks revenge on innocent cursed children. They are tortured the same way you tortured Aeline. Do you want to hear more?" I shake my head slowly. I don''t have the courage to hear more. "But, I can''t stop now." She smiles at me and takes my wrist. "Harbinger, you are also chosen as the next Renasir. Are you going to save the world or destroy it?" ________________________________________ Author''s note: For more information on the original owner of Kresi''s body, read this auxiry /book/11716078006486205/37548698804213401/His-Devious-Harbinger%3A-How-To-Tame-A-Wicked-God%3F/The-Beginning-of-An-End Chapter 47: You want me to serve you? Chapter 47: You want me to serve you? Harbinger... Deia stares at Kresi. She has been following the harbinger. The harbinger is also the new Renasir. Deia trembles in fear. Her vision starts to make sense. Her eyes move to Mogrok. He must be a dark type of spirit beast. Then, who is Kyo? "I wonder what I should call you." Giana looks into Kresi''s golden eyes. "Harbinger or Renasir?" Kresi takes a breath. "Just call me Kresi. I don''t intend to destroy the world or save it." Andareanesi bursts intoughter. "Not going to choose? That''s not how it is done. You must choose. Oh my Kresira, you will choose in the end." Kresi raises her finger and tells him sternly, "The name is Kresi. I am not a Mirin. I am not Kresira. I am certainly not yours." "That''s right." Mogrok growls at Andareanesi. "My master doesn''t belong to lowly mixed blood like you." Andareanesi takes long strides toward the spirit beast. "It''s been a while since I have been called that." He doesn''t like being called that. Mogrok rolls his eyes. This halfling is powerful, but there is Dark God standing beside them. Mogrok fears the Dark God more. "The people of the new world might forget and treat you like a Dema. But, you aren''t one. I smell the blood of a human and a spirit beast inside you. In the old world, you were nothing better than a ve." That''s true. Andareanesi was born in the new world that treated the mixed-bloods better than the people of the old world did. Power is recognized in the new world. "What lord?" Mogrok clicks his tongue in distaste. He eyes Giana. "You are still serving a human after all. Do you think that she loves you? She uses your body to stay young and beautiful. The humans of the old world often used halflings for that purpose." "Mogrok!" Kresi scowls at him. "Don''t speak like that." "Master, I am not wrong." Mogrok turns his back to her. "You should stay away from these halflings. You never know when they stab your back." Andareanesi looks calm on the surface, but that''s not how he feels inside. Giana takes his hand and squeezes it a little. "My Aesi, don''t listen to him. Creatures like him cannot understand what we have." She kisses his shoulder to calm the dark fury in his eyes. The dark fury in Andareanesi''s eyes calms down a bit. He ignores the creature from the old world and looks at Kresi who is ufortable for some reasons. "Harbinger, you and I have a debt. How do you intend to pay for it?" Mogrok yells in annoyance. "My master doesn''t owe you anything. That was pre-" Kresi kicks Mogrok''s head. "Kyo take this chatty spirit beast and wait for me outside. Deia, follow him." Kyo picks up Mogrok and covers its little mouth to say anything wrong. "Sister, I don''t want to leave you alone here." "Nothing will happen to me." She smiles at him. "Trust your sister, Kyo. If something happens, I will scream your name. Then, youe and save me, alright?" Kyo doesn''t like the idea of leaving her alone. However, there is something in those eyes. He takes Mogrok out with him. Deia quietly follows Kyo. Herplexion isn''t good. "What do I owe you?" Kresi asks after Kyo and others are gone. Andareanesi draws a paper out of his sleeve. "You made a contract with me that day. When I found you on the street of the beggar city, you were in tremendous pain because of the dagger in your heart. You couldn''t die or live. In return of removing the dagger that was shoved into your heart by your mother, you promised to serve me until your death. I see that you still carry that dagger with you." *** I take the contract. The date of the contract is old. The original owner should be around five at that time. There is a tiny thumbprint at the bottom. It must belong to the original owner. The original owner is dead. The contract shouldn''t be valid. However, it is. ording to the terms, the body should serve Lord Andareanesi Bagoodi until it dies. The original owner died, but her body didn''t die. My soul reced the original owner''s soul. For the removal of a dagger from her heart, she became this man''s servant. I raise my eyebrow. "You want me to serve you?" "That goes without saying." He scrutinizes my face. "Previously, you served me in many ways. You became a champion in the dueling grounds. You went to catch the spirit beasts for me. You were useful in many ways. When I heard that you disappeared after the day of union, I thought that you seeded and the Dark God is freed. I guess that I was wrong. Instead, you became the Renasir." There is no way that I will do those things again. "What do you want in return of freeing me from this contract?" It seems like these were the words he wanted to hear the most. He smirks at me. "What do you want to offer?" "State the price first. Then, we will negotiate." Giana ces drinks between us. "Can''t you evaluate the price of your body? You carry the heart of the Dark God and the body of a Mirin. You are also Renasir. You have also caused damage to the city. You also have to pay for that." The original owner must have been desperate to get that dagger removed. She probably didn''t think that she would live after freeing the Dark God. To be honest, I don''t have anything to free myself of this contract. "The friend you brought with you is a seer." Andareanesi leans on the couch. "The boy is quite good looking, but we can''t use a cursed body. Then, the spirit beast... ah, yes, that''s a forbidden creature. We can release you if you offer the three of them to us." "To be honest, you are quite useless to us now. We can''t make money with the Dark God''s heart. As the Renasir, you might be useful to us. But, you are being chased by the nameless knights and the chosen one. You are a catastrophe waiting to happen. We will keep your secrets. You can go wherever you want and dy choosing as long as you want." Giana chuckles. "We will fix the boy''s arm. He can be an excellent host. If he''s a sorcerer, that''s even better. "I would like to see how that spirit beast reacts when he serves me instead of you." Andareanesi drinks his wine. His eyes be dark. Mogrok annoyed him good. They are scared of the chosen one. That''s good. "The universal key." They are startled when they hear those words. I have caught their attention. "I am sure that the universal key worths a lot." Andareanesi gives me a slight nod. "If you give it to us, we will forget about the contract and the damage you caused in the city. But, what about the hole in the rooftop? You have to fix that." "I don''t know how to fix it." I frown at him. "Then, We can''t release you from this contract." Giana pours more wine in Andareanesi''s cup. "We have fixed the roof, but the spell is removed from that part. As the Renasir, it''s not impossible for you to fix the spell that you cut off. You only have to rejoin it. Think about it again." I have that piece of spell in my pocket. Can I just mend it on the roof? "Fine, I will give it a try. There is one more thing that I want." Andareanesiughs hard. "Harbinger, you keep wanting things from us? Now, what do you want?" "Tell me how do I remove that curse from his arm?" Chapter 48: Mogrok, is your master really the Harbinger? Chapter 48: Mogrok, is your master really the Harbinger? Deia stands far from Kyo and Mogrok. She has deep creases on her forehead. Kresi is the Harbinger. Mogrok is not an ordinary spirit beast. Then, what is Kyo? He cannot be a normal human. The end of the world in her vision... will ite true? But, Kresi doesn''t seem like a bad person. If it wasn''t for her, Deia could have never left the lower realm. She came this far because of Kresi. Restless and uneasy feelings are not going away. Deia doesn''t know what is right or wrong. "Seer, why do you look so troubled?" Mogrok waddles to her side. Deia jumps in fear and steps back. Mogrok wonders why the seer is afraid of him again. He doesn''t mind her being fearful. He is curious about the reason. "Seer, did you see a vision about my master?" "N-n-no..." She stammers a bit. "Mogrok, is your master really the Harbinger?" Mogrok understands now. The seer is afraid of his master. Foolish seer! Her opinions change after knowing about his master. "She is." He feels like chewing this seer until there remains nothing of her. But, Master has told him not to do anything to her. "Does that change anything? She is the one who protected you so far. She left me behind to protect you and that tinker in the cursed realm. She told you that you might regret if you follow her. You still followed her willfully. My master took care of you till now in her ways. She''s the Harbinger, but she is a kind human first. If she wanted to destroy the world, she could have done it any time." He points at Kyo. "My master only wants to live a happy life with that clueless boy there." Deia''s head clears up a bit after receiving Mogrok''s scoldings. Kresi has been helping her to find her spirit. She didn''t abandon her during the journey to the middle realm. Kresi has been good to her always. The world has branded the Harbinger as an evil being, but she knows that it''s not the truth. Kresi isn''t evil. Kresi is someone who loves her people with her whole heart. Deia decides to trust her heart. Kresi is a friend to her. She will always remain as a friend. *** The contract turns into ashes. Kresi''s body is free from Andareanesi''s clutches. Andaranesi is also content to get the universal key. He intends to use it in the main underground city. The Cina''s gates will be activated again and reconnected through the 1-star underground city. If anyone wants to use the Cina gate, they have to pass through the underground city and pay a toll. "Your friends are here." Andareanesi flicks his fingers. The door opens and two youngsters enter. The girl in the pink is around 14. The boy behind her is shorter than the girl. Kresi recognizes them in one nce. "Mirai." She stands up on her feet. "Pebby." "Kresi?" Pebby is shocked to see Kresi. She has changed. She lets out a breath of relief. "Kresi, you are alive." Mirai exims when he recognizes Kresi. "Raye told me that you died." Kresi creases her brows together. "Where are Quinn and Raye?" "They..." Pebby lowers her head. "We came here because the nameless knights attacked the city when the night was over. We came here and took shelter under Lord Andareanesi and Lady Giana. Raye came to meet us after a few days. He was badly wounded by the Bn Spirit. Quinn was killed by the Bn spirit on the night of the union." She looks at Andareanesi and Giana. She closes her mouth. Mirai also looks at his feet. They don''t want to say it in front of them. "I know everything." Andareanesi tells his little servants, "Raye is uniting the cursed children against the nameless knights. Instead of running away, they attack the nameless knights and other noble families in the higher realm while waiting for the Dark God to appear." Pebby and Mirai tremble. They didn''t know that Lord Bagoodi knew. They also want to join the Raye. On the night of the union, But, they aren''t allowed to leave until they payback for taking shelter under Giana. They have to serve for six more years before they can leave. "He will be excited to see you again. Leave and find a ce to stay anywhere in the city. You can leave anytime after you fix the spell." Giana turns to her servant girl. "Pebby, have you made the preparations for tonight''s dance party?" "Yes, mydy." Pebby bows to Giana formally. "The preparations are done." "Follow me." Giana walks away from them. Mirai and Pebby quickly pick up the empty sses. They nce at Kresi once and smile at her before leaving the room. "If you are interested, you cane to the dance tonight. It''s her birthday party." Andareanesi invites Kresi. "You have to wear a dress. Don''t forget to bring your friends." *** "Master, what happened inside?" Mogrok asks me as soon as Ie out. I have never been this exhausted. I have paid for the original owner''s contract. I am relieved to see that Pebby and Mirai lived. Raye is also alive. Quinn died that day on Bn. What''s Raye been doing? If he finds out that I am alive, what will he do? What will he make Kyo do? He wants revenge on the world. Then, the chosen one is also seeking the Harbinger to destroy her. "It''s resolved." I sit down on the floor. "For now. We only have to fix the spell on the roof. We can leave after that." Mirai and Pebby... What did they offer for the shelter? They are being treated like servants. Then, is this the life of cursed children? Hide or sell themselves to people like Andareanesi and Giana? Then, I have been lucky so far. Perhaps, it is because I am also Renasir that I lived without being noticed. Kyo rests his head on my shoulder. "Sister, why do you feel upset?" "This world is pitiful." I tell him, "I don''t like this world that treats little children like demons because of the way they were born." "Do you want to change this world?" His voice is only low enough for me to hear. I look into the eyes that belong to the Dark God. "I can grant that wish." Who asked me that question? Was it the Dark God or Kyo? I push him away. Kyo blinks. "What''s wrong, Sister?" "Nothing." I scratch the back of my neck. Deia is standing in front of me. She adjusts her sses. "Kresi, help me find my spirit. I know that he''s in one of the cities here." Chapter 49: I dont like this world Chapter 49: I don''t like this world The hooded figure is 90% clear now. He is tall, but he is not abnormally tall like Andrareanesi. He moves through the crowd silently. He attracts people''s gazes. The intense air around him repulse the people away. They know better than disturb a person who doesn''t want to be disturbed. All kinds of people roam the underground cities. He is trying to find someone. Deia draws the picture fast. She adds the details that she has seen in the vision. The hooded figure is male. He should be a foot and a half taller than her. She can''t see his figure inside the robe. His body seems human. Then, he must be a highly ranked spirit. High-level spirits can take human forms. Following Kresi anding to the middle realm has been the right choice. Kresi might be the Harbinger. She might be Renasir. But, before everything, Kresi is the person who will lead her to find her spirit. She would have followed Kresi even after knowing the truth. She stands in front of Kresi and asks her with a soft voice, "Kresi, help me find my spirit beast." She shows the sketch to her. "I know that he''s in one of the cities here." Kresi takes the sketch from her hand. It looks like a market. "How far is it in the future?" "Not too far." Deia is feeling like the spirit will move to a different realm if she doesn''t find him first. The vision has been clear as if it''s happening currently. "Maybe hours or a day." Kresi sighs. "I need to figure out to fix a spell. But, we will find your spirit first then. I know that he''s important to you." Deia''s heart feels warm. Kresi is a good person. In this whole world, she''s the only one who will go this far to find someone else''s spirit. Kyo feels that his sister has been acting strangely. She''s close to him. She''s also far. Her attention is easily taken by other unimportant people. He entwines his fingers with hers and pulls her closer. Her scent makes him feel better. She peers at him and then, looks away. He wonders what he did wrong. He is relieved when her fingers curl around his hand. She''s not angry. She is worried about something. "I wonder where it is." She murmurs while observing the Seer''s sketch. "There are nine cities. It doesn''t look like the one Mogrok destroyed. Then, there are 8 more cities to check." "Kresi!" They stop when they see a boy running to them urgently. "You are still here. I escaped when I found the opportunity. Pebby couldn''te. Lady Giana is training her for tonight''s dance. I don''t have much time. You need a ce to live, right? Don''t go through that door. That one goes to the fourth city." One more person has appeared who wants to bother his sister. "Go straight through that corridor and turn left. Take the second door on the left." He talks fast, "It goes to the sixth city. Find inn number 90. I have sent the message. Raye and Gabriel wille to meet you there." She doesn''t look happy when she hears that. "I get it. But, can you tell me where this ce is?" Mirai takes a nce at the sketch. "This ce... isn''t it the 4th city? It''s the market. You want to go there?" "I have something to do there." Kresi takes back the picture. "We will go to the 4th city first. Tell us the way." Mirai purses his lips. The n has to be changed now. If she goes to the trade city, she won''t be able to leave soon. "If you want to go there, I will tell you the way. You should be careful. There is all kind of people in the trade city. Turn around the corner. The first door to the right goes to the 4th city." Kresi nods at him. "I am going to stay for a while. I have to fix somethings here. By the way, Pebby and you are okay?" Mirai shows a bright smile. "It''s not bad. Lady Giana treats us well. She blocked our channels to prevent us from using ehr, but it''s for our good. The nameless knights can''t track us if we don''t channel ehr. We won''t lose control this way. Still, it''s not a bad life. We only have fifteen years left to serve here. After that, we can live freely." It''s not a bad life. But, it''s not a free life. They can''t use magic. Their bodies don''t belong to them. They are elite ves who do everything to please their master. The price of living is losing free will. Kresi closes her eyes in frustration. "I don''t like this world where you have to live like this to survive." "Kresi, you can change it." Mirai looks at her hopefully. "You are the only one who can change this world. You are the Harbinger. You promised us that you would do everything to change the lives of the cursed children." She doesn''t reply to his words. Mirai realizes that he iste. Lady Giana will notice his absence. "I have to go now. Gabriel and Raye will find you in the trade city." He runs away after finishing his words. Deia starts to understand the lives of the cursed children. They are hunted by the nameless knights for their whole lives. Mirai didn''t seem like a bad boy. His channels are blocked and he has to live like a ve under Lady Giana''s thumb for shelter. Deia can''t use magic either. Until she finds her spirit and makes a contract with him, she won''t be able to use magic. It is frustrating to live a life without magic. Then, how do these cursed children feel? It''s not their fault that they are born like this. They walk quietly to the 4th city. The biggest market in all the realms. Deia finds this ce familiar. Her spirit wille here. But, where? She is closer to her spirit now. They are in the same realm. same city. she will gravitate toward him. The wait should be over soon. Chapter 50: Cant I become everything that you need? Chapter 50: Can''t I be everything that you need? "Are you sure that it''s here?" Ipare the sketch with the view in front of me. Thanks to Deia''s sketch and her memories, it''s been easier to find the exact street. But, the spirit hasn''t appeared yet. "It is here. I had the same vision again. It means that it will happen for sure." Deia is super excited to find her spirit. "Kresi, what should I say to him when I meet him for the first time? Should I talk greet him politely or hug him first? He must be so lonely without me, right?" She''s a strange one. We have been standing here for a while now. Mogrok is snoring on my shoulder and Kyo is leaning slightly on my body. I don''t want to spend hours here. "Deia, let''s go to that inn." I point at the inn at the roadside. "It''s close. You will send your spirit if he passes by." "But..." She looks at me with sadness. "What if I miss him when he passes by?" "You said that you could tell if hees close to you." I show her the sketch. "Look, he is standing in front of the inn. Doesn''t that mean that he will get inside and find you?" She bites her lips. The girl loses all of her intelligence when ites to finding her spirit. I know that she''s going to say something strange. "Ah... if he finds me first, I will feel bad. It should be the master who finds the spirit first." Does it matter who finds who first? "You can stay here and wait. I am going inside." "Kresi." She looks like she will cry. "Don''t leave me alone on the street." "Then,e inside." I take Kyo with me. I don''t hear any footstep behind me. It''s her decision. I have done enough. I have bigger things to worry about. Andareanesi told me that the curse was done by Renasir. Then, only I can remove it from his arm. I don''t have the knowledge to work on curses. To get that knowledge, I need to go to the higher realm and get initiated as Renasir. Then, I will have ess to the knowledge to remove that curse. Otherwise, he will lose his arm for sure. "How many rooms?" The inn owner asks me. "1," I say without thinking. Kyo doesn''t like sleeping without me. "1 more." Deiaes shouting. "Kresi, I will take rest. It''s not possible to stay there all day and night." "Wise decision," I reply to her. "Show them the rooms," The inn owner orders a little child. "If you want to eat,e down. We have fixed timings for meals." "We will eat first then." When did we eat foodst time? Never mind. I feel so hungry. We take seats around the table. "Kyo, what do you want to eat?" "Anything that sister wants to eat." "Mogrok, what about you?" "Meatballs." "Deia?" "Kresi, I want to celebrate today. It will be my treat." Deia has a dreamy look on her face and sighs in happiness. "I am going to meet my spirit soon." That''s surprising. Why do I have a feeling that it''s going to end badly? Never mind. It''s not my problem. After she meets her spirit, she will not be my responsibility. The server brings 12 dishes and three bottles of alcohol. I sniff the alcohol. It''s not wine. The scent is strong. Finally, there is something that will meet my pte. I pour myself the sses for myself and Deia. Mogrok has already taken one bottle for himself. "Goodness." The taste of strong alcohol... I missed it most from my original world. That Lady Dunebard always brought fruit beers and called it the excellent alcohol. "My spirit..." Deia is already drunk after the first sip. "My life... My destiny... " "Aish! You talk like he''s your soulmate." I stab a piece of meat and push it inside Kyo''s mouth. He''s looking at me with a peculiar gaze. I guess that he has never seen me drinking before. Before he could ask, I shake my head. "You can''t drink, Kyo. You aren''t old enough." He''s almost a man physically, but he''s not old enough mentally. "Sister, I want to taste a little." He looks at me expectedly. "No." I pour myself a second ss and finish it in one gulp. "When you... you... ah... okay...e... " "My spirit. My love." Deia isughing loudly. "I can''t breathe without you." I pour a little in the ss and give it to him. "If you like it, I will give you more." "Seer, what if your spirit doesn''t want you?" Mogrok is slightly drunk. "What will you do then?" "Sister, I want more." Kyo gives me the empty ss. "I like it." My brother is growing up. I feel like crying too. I pour the ss full. "Drink slowly. This is your first time, right? You don''t know your tolerance level." Deia puts her head on the table. "My life will be over." "How is your life over?" Mogrok shouts at her. "I have many friends. I will introduce to one of them. Though you are annoying, you aren''t half bad." "I want my spirit. My spirit." Deia starts crying. I pour her another ss. "One man... No... It''s only one spirit. There are plenty of fishes in the sea." She drinks it fast. "More." *** One blonde girl and a spirit beast are passed out on a table. The Seer is mumbling, "My spirit... My spirit... " The inn owner looks at them with annoyance and tells the server, "Take them to their room. Make sure to keep an eye on them. We can''t let them run away without paying." Kyoys down Kresi on the bed. The alcohol has zero effect on him. He doesn''t understand why his sister turns out like this. Kresi looks at him with intoxicated eyes. "It''s nice." "What''s nice, Sister?" Kyo asks seriously. "Being taken care of..." She turns on her side. "In my past life, I would get drunk alone until I passed out. I would fall asleep on the floor of my house. I will wake up feeling cold. It was lonely. I thought if there was ever going to be someone who can make me feel warm." Kyoys beside her and pulls her closer with his one arm. He wonders if she can feel the rising heat in his body. "Do you know why I gave you that name?" "Why?" Kyo asks. "It was the name of my cat that I had when I was in elementary school." She sticks her body to him and lifts her head. "I loved that cat a lot. When I first met you, you looked at me like that cat. So, I gave you that name." "Sister, do you know how much I love you?" He looks into her golden eyes. "I want to be everything that you need and want. I want to be the warmth that makes you feel that you aren''t alone. I want to wake up next to you every day. I want you to only look at me, but there are so many people who take your attention. Though you named me after the being you once treasured, why do you not love me only? Can''t I be everything that you need?" "I love you too." She mumbles slowly. "You are my only treasure, Kyo." Kyo takes those lips fiercely. He tastes the alcohol in her mouth. He can''t get enough of that taste. He doesn''t understand his body is heating up more when their bodies are rubbing together. He wonders if he can make her feel warm. Chapter 51: I want you to feel warm Chapter 51: I want you to feel warm I can''t think when I look into those dark eyes that want to swallow everything of me. He is kissing me with a need that I can''t say no to. His kisses are clumsy. The little sane voice in my head is getting distant. I am drunk. But, I am not drunk to not understand what''s going on. I wonder why my alcohol capacity is high even in my second life. I don''t want to feel the way I am feeling. I should stop him. I flinch when he grasps my breast hard. It''s wrong. It''s the alcohol. I shouldn''t be doing this. He doesn''t know what''s he''s doing. He is in puberty. His body is only reacting because of the hormones. I shouldn''t be doing this. I shouldn''t be doing this. I grip his hair and kisses him back. My tongue explores his mouth. He tries to mimic my actions. That''s when I realize how wrong this is. If I continue, there is no turning back. When he grows up and understands the meaning of this, he might look at me like I took advantage of his innocence. It feels too wrong. I nearly lost control. I pull away from him. My head is cleared now. The sane voice is mentally scolding me now. He tries to kiss me again. I push him slowly. "Kyo, this is not right. We can''t do it." "Sister, my body is too hot..." His voice is hot. He looks at me with eyes full of lust. "I can''t stop... this... " Before I can say anything, he attacks my lips again. Wait. Wait. Wait. This is going too fast. I only kissed you once and you are taking this... Damn! I am not even drunk. I try to push him away, but he''s too strong. It hurts when he squeezes my breast. He can''t control his strength. His lips wander to the curve of my neck. I close my eyes and waits for him to stop. I can''t fight him. I shouldn''t have kissed him back. If he wants my body, then be it. If I refuse or fight back, the Dark God mighte out. It''s fine. I will let him use my body to satisfy his needs. "Sister, it''s... " His voice sounds pained. "There... it feels like burning... It is strange... What should I do?" I open my eyes. "Where?" He takes my hand and puts it on his crotch. It''s hard and throbbing. I realize the meaning. Shit. He blinks at me with bewilderment. "Sister, it is burning more after you touched it." "..." *** "Sister, it''s cold!" Kyo shouts. She didn''t even let him take off his clothes before pushing him in the cold water. "Stay in there until I ask you toe out." She looks a bit angry. She walks out and closes the bathroom door. Kyo stares down at his crotch. Surprisingly, it''s not throbbing anymore. What happened when he was kissing his sister? When he recalls the taste of her mouth and feeling of her softness in his hand, he starts feeling like he is burning again. His long thing is bing hard. He takes off his clothes and lies inside the cold water. He can''t stop thinking about her. It felt good when she moved her tongue inside his mouth. He wants her to do that again. But, he isn''t satisfied with just kissing. He wants more. He wants to kiss her everywhere. He wants to hear her make more sounds when he kisses her. "Kyo, are you done?" Kresi opens the door and walks inside. "It''s not good to lie inside the cold water for long. You might catch - " She closes her mouth. His long thing is pointing toward the ceiling. "Sister... it''s acting weird." Kyo points at it. "My body is still burning a lot. I want to kiss you more." She dashes out of the bathroom. Worried after seeing her reaction and feeling that something is wrong with her, Kyo runs behind her. In the room, she is hyperventting. He grabs her from behind. "Sister, what''s wrong?" "Why are you naked?" She screams. "Oh my god... it is still hard... is it because you have a body of the Dark God? Stop pressing it behind me, Kyo." Kyo notices that his long thing is pressing against her body. He likes rubbing it against her. He tightens his arms around her. "Just a little bit... it feels good." Her face bes red. He is pleased to see that new expression. She shuts her eyes as he rubs it harder against her hips. The pale curve of her neck is enticing. He smooches the curve of her neck. Her ragged breath is making him more excited. He is losing himself easily in her intoxicating scent. He pushes her on the bed and tears her robe away with his one hand. "Kyo..." She looks at him with misty eyes. "Stop... please... " "Sister... just a little... " These foreign feelings are overpowering his body. He can''t stop even if he wants to. "I feel like I can''t stop. It is too much... Just let me... a little... please." She is breathing unevenly. "You don''t even know what you are doing." "I want you to feel warm." He looks into her golden eyes. "Just let me... be your everything. Please." *** Though those words are heart-throbbing, I can''t ignore the disaster waiting to happen. Why did I say that I wanted someone to share warmth? He has taken it seriously. Even after the cold bath, his hardon is not going away. He is still full of energy and strength. That''s the body of God. A mere cold bath won''t take it away. What should I do? I should have kissed him back. If I hadn''t kissed him back, he would have stopped on his own after some time. You have dug your own grave. Now, take responsibility. Is there a spell to take away his hardon? I can''t think of anything. How about saying something to turn his body off? But, that would work on someone who knows that his body is turned on. Why did I give him an adult kiss? STUPID! that''s why you should not drink. Okay. Just calm down. He is a grownup with the mind of a child. There is the wicked Dark God that lives inside him. If I make Kyo upset, he wille out. I can''t let that happen. Kyo can''t control his hormones. After this crisis is gone, I will get potions that turn off erections. "Fine, just a bit... " He will probably stop when he is satisfied. He doesn''t know what he is doing. He doesn''t know how to do it. He can''t seduce me like this. I squeeze my eyes and let him continue kissing me. He sucks my lower lips. He is ying with my nipples at the same time. That''s all he knows. That''s fine. He will stop when he finishes. "Your bumps are hard again, Sister." I yelp when he pinches my nipple. "I like that sound that you are making. Sister, do you also feel what I feel?" And my hormones are going crazy too. "Kyo, aren''t you satisfied?" "No." His hand moves below. I am startled when I feel his fingers between my legs. "You don''t have the long thing like mine. This ce... it is hot." "Don''t do that, Kyo." I raise my voice. He stares at me quietly. I wonder if the Dark God ising out. Is he going to try to kill me again?" "Sister, there is a hole." He pokes it with his finger. "It''s wet with something." Chapter 52: Just a bit more Chapter 52: Just a bit more Kyo has started to get the idea what his sister meant before. Only special someone should be allowed to see and do what he is seeing and doing. He feels more excited. If he does this to her, then he will be her special someone. Then, nothing in the world can separate them. In the future, she will be his real bride. "Kyo!" She tries to sit up. Kyo gets the idea that he will never get another chance like this. His right arm is numb. Heys down his body above her and presses her underneath. "Just a little more, Sister." She struggles beneath him and tries to push him away. He kisses her mouth again. When the tip of his long hard thing rubs against her wetness, it throbs harder. She freezes under his body and widens her eyes. He recalls what Mogrok told him. Guided by his intuition, he proceeds further. "Sister, this... " He didn''t know that he could ever feel like this. His long thing is swelling inside her hole while her hot wet walls are clenching his long thing. "It feels so good... It''s better than kissing." "Kyo... Ah... please, move it out slowly." She looks at him with teary eyes. "This is too much..." Seeing that she is crying, he moves back. He hears her gasps loudly. That sends a tingle of pleasure through his body. The feeling of moving inside her is... "Just a bit more, Sister... it feels too good. I want to do more. Only this time. I will be a good boy after this." He thrusts his long thing inside her hole harder. "Move slowly then... " She is panting hard, shivering underneath him. "Control your strength. You are too strong. You will tear apart my body like this." Kyo moves slowly at first. She shuts her eyes again and parts her lips. He leans down and kisses her again. He kisses her the same way she kissed him. His tongue explores her mouth. He starts thrusting harder into her. She grips his hair. She wraps her legs around his waist. Their tongues meet and get entangled with each other. He feels happy. His sister is finally epting him as her special someone. He forgets about what his sister told him about controlling his strength. He thrusts deeper into her, wanting her to take all of him. He whispers in her ear when he sees her watery eyes, "Just a little more..." *** Kyo copses beside me after he is done. He falls asleep quickly. I move his arm away from my waist. I couldn''t stop him when he couldn''t use his right arm. I underestimated him. He is a man first. A man with the body of God. My Kyo can''t be this bad. It must be that Dark God''s dark desires. He must want to punish me this way. I lie down inside the bathtub. The cold water stings the bruises on my body. It hurts so much between my legs. My bruises are beginning to heal and disappear. I don''t know what to feel. Kyo and I had sex. It is more like he followed the urges of his body and did whatever his hormones told him to do. He didn''t even know what goes inside what. I clutch my hair in frustration. What if he wants to do it again? I can''t... Not again. It''s just not right. I am feeling guilty when it''s my body that''s been wronged. I clean myself and walk out of the bathroom. He is still asleep. I dress myself up. It''s already morning. His sleeping face is innocent. I sit down beside him and touch his forehead. It''s my fault. I have been treating him like a kid when he is growing up fast. Physically, he looks to be around 19 or 20. His muscles are hard and toned. His hair is long again. I realize that my hair is also longer. Did it happen in the cursed sea? He grabs my wrist and opens his dark eyes. "Um... " I feel awkward. What do I say? I can''t treat him like a man. I can''t undost night either. It feels like we have done something very very wrong. "Are you satisfied after tasting the body of mine, Harbinger?" My heart stops beating for a moment. I pull my hand. He doesn''t let go. Death. He is looking at me like he wants to tear me apart. Literally. He grips my wrist harder. "Going as far as making me say that I take you as my bride, even seducing me with your body when I am in a weak state, andstly, using my body to satisfy your lust, do you have no will to live? I have been kind enough to let go of youst time, but you go ahead and test my patience." What''s he saying? "It''s not me. I didn''t seduce you. It was Kyo who kissed me first. I tried to stop him many times." Heughs lightly, but his eyes be dark and chill. "You want to say that I desire your body and I seduced you?" "I am sure that it''s your unhealthy sexual feelings that making him do things that he shouldn''t be doing." I decide to voice my opinions. If he kills me, then be it. "Kyo is innocent. You are the wicked God. What do I know? He won''t get strange ideas unless they are suggested by you in his mind. Tell me... you guided him to push his penis inside me, right? My Kyo didn''t even know a single thing. He is too innocent for this world." *** The Dark God stares at the idiotic girl in front of him. He can''t believe that his harbinger is the stupidest person in the world. Why does she treat his other self so differently? Kyo is him without any awareness of being the thirteenth God. The meaning of ''Kyo'' is ''childlike'' in the forgottennguage. When this girl gave him that name on the night of union, only his childlike innocent part of his real personality emerged. When he gets his core from the Harbinger''s body, the name ''Kyo'' will disappear and he will be whole. Still, Kyo is a part of him. She treats them like two people. Her Kyo? He eyes the girl. Golden eyes. Long dark hair. She''s not a woman yet. How can have any desire for a little girl? It is impossible. He is the Dark God. Usually, women were scared of him except that one woman. His first bride. The woman he killed with his hands. His second bride is his harbinger. She will meet the same fate by his hands. He frees her wrist. Kyo has epted her as his bride, then he has to ept her as his bride too. There are even two witnesses. She still thinks that that wedding was a child y. When a god epts a woman as his woman, there is no going back. They have even consummated it. His mood turns sour when he sees her standing in the corner and watching him with a pale face. He can smell the fear in her body. When it''s his other self, she is at ease. She will even kiss him willingly. But, when hees out, she is always shaking with fear. She can''t handle his presence. She calls him younger brother and sleeps with him. This Harbinger of his is devious. Chapter 53: How do much I have to grow? Chapter 53: How do much I have to grow? "Do you not like seeing me?" He walks toward her. "Come here." She doesn''te close. She stays put where she is. The scent of her fear gets stronger. He is irritated. That''s his harbinger. The person who carried his heart. What''s she afraid of? She didn''t have any fear when she slept with him. She is lucky that she survived the night. It''s because his true strength is currently repressed in his body. "Come." He flicks his finger. "If you make me walk to you, I will tear off your limbs." She takes one step toward him. "If Ie to you, will you kill me?" "No." Not today. "Don''t make me wait." She stops two feet away from him. "What do you want? Leave and let Kyoe out." His other self wille out when he cane out. She likes his other self more. His harbinger should be respectful to him. "Closer." She moves a few inches closer. "Just tell me what you want." This will take the entire day. He doesn''t have all the time of the world. He lunges forward and grabs her arms. She screams when he pushes her on the bed. Her little strength is nothingpared to him. He unties her robe and checks her body. The annoying runes inscribed on her body are hard not to notice. She eyes him like prey is looking at a predator. He ignores her rising fear and rapid heartbeat. He presses his palm against her belly. His seeds are inside her, but she has no womb. He notices the strangeness of her body now. Her body is not normal. Her body is a spell itself keeping the dark core safe inside it. It''s the forbidden spell from the old world. When this type of body dies, her soul will also get destructed. Someone created this body and artificially ced the core inside it. This body is the artificially created body of the Harbinger. At the same time, her creator wanted to make a bodypatible to carry the soul chosen to be Renasir. Who is insane enough to do this and why? "You still say that I seduced you when you are the one who is touching my body like a pervert? It''s no wonder. Kyo does what you think." She is ring at him. "He has been acting strange recently. It''s because of you." Seeing her like this, she doesn''t have any idea about this. She''s a soul from a foreign world and she is reborn in this body after the previous harbinger''s soul left this body. He moves away from her. This girl has a worse fate. Her soul is already chosen as Renasir. Her soul can''t leave this body like the previous harbinger. "Don''t have anymore perverted thoughts." She adjusts her clothes. "Let my innocent Kyo remain innocent." He ignores her uses. The soul will be erased. There is no next life. He can be lenient to this poor existence. "Why do you love him so much?" He suddenly asks. He realizes that he just acknowledged that this girl loves his other-self. It''s a mistake to do that. "That''s between me and him." The girl is a little less scared of him. She is looking at him with so much life in her eyes. Her soul is a bright one. "Cherish what remains of your life," He gives her a piece of final advice before he closes his eyes. He will let her live more since it''s her final life. Since she''s already his bride, he will let her use his body for the remaining time of her life. His debts to her will be cleared before she is erased. *** He flops on the bed. The Dark God is gone. I let out a breath of relief. At least, my doubts are proven true. It''s that evil god''s evil desires that are driving my Kyo like that. That might happen again. I will get sleeping potions and make him sleep whenever the Dark God''s sexual frustrations drive Kyo to do what he didst night. Today, it''s me. Next time, he might attack another woman. That is not good. "Sister." Kyo raises his head. "You are here." My poor Kyo! He has been used by that evil God. I give him a kiss on his forehead. "I have been waiting for you. Take a bath." "Mmm." He goes to the bathroom, naked. I find clothes for him and leave it near the door. Same body. Same face. The Dark God ispletely different. When I look at Kyo, I don''t feel awkward or any fear. I want to spoil him and adore him every day. When I look at the Dark God, I feel so afraid. I have the urge to escape or hide. Hees back, fully clothed. I dry his long hair. "Kyo, you can''t do what you didst night again." "Sister epted me as her special man." He grabs my waist. "I have already epted you as my woman." The evil Dark God! I am frustrated. I throw the towel at his face. "Kyo, If you want me to see you as a man, then grow up first." "But, Sister, I am taller than you are," He tells me with a childish tone. "How do much I have to grow?" "A grownup man eats using his own hands. He dries his own hair. He listens to the wishes of his woman." I cross my arm. "When you learn to do it all by yourself, I will give you a chance to be my man. Till then, don''t even think about kissing me." I storm out of the room. I hope that the Dark God gets my message. How dare he me me for seducing him when it''s him who is making a child do crazy things? It''s all that God''s fault. Chapter 54: Sister, watch me Chapter 54: Sister, watch me I lean against the wall and sigh. Last night was wrong. No matter how many times I try to ept it, it feels wrong. I bang my head on the wall lightly. I shouldn''t have drunk. I shouldn''t have kissed him back and make him more excited. I shouldn''t have said that I wanted somebody''s warmth. Doing it with a person who has the mind of a child... I wrap my arms around myself. I feel disgusted that I might have enjoyed it. I go back inside the room and find him trying tob his hair. He isn''t doing a good job of it. He simply tears off the tangles and half of his hair is a mess. "What are you doing?" I scowl at him. "I am bing a grownup." He grins at me. "You told me that grownups do everything on their own. I want to be someone you can rely on soon." His every action revolves around my wishes. I take theb from his hand. I can''t be mad at him. I haven''t been doing a good job of raising this boy. I didn''t want to teach him because I was afraid that he wouldn''t need me if he grows up. His body is grown. He needs to grow up too. I can''t dy the inevitable. "Listen, you have to do it this way." I show him slowly. "Take care of the tangles first. You can''t tear them off. Also, grownups don''t do everything on their own. Sometimes, they ask help from other people when they need it. Your right arm is hurt now. I will help you for now. Just observe and learn. "Sister, are you upset with me?" He looks up at me. "You don''t look happy." I stare at him. "Kyo, you didn''t do the right thingst night. I didn''t do the right thingst night either. When you grow up, you will realize what was wrong. When you find out what was wrong, forgive me, okay? I lost myself in the moment for a second. I also forgave you. You didn''t know what you were doing." He doesn''t say anything. I tie up his hair. I check his arm. The skin is scaly now. I have to go to the higher realm soon. "Sister, I don''t think that it was wrong." He grabs the edge of my sleeve when I try to leave. "Why do you think that it was wrong?" I don''t know how to answer. We aren''t a real sibling. It''s not wrong. He pulls me and makes me sit in hisp. He looks into my eyes. "Tell me why is it wrong. Why you cannot ept me as your special man? You also kissed mest night. It was a different kiss. It made me feel good. Sister, you know the meaning of what I feel. Then, why do you not feel the same when you also love and treasure me?" Kyo is already growing up. I just didn''t notice it. I rest my head on his shoulder. "What you feel isn''t love. You are acting like this because of the Dark God inside you. He has perverted thoughts. That affects your body. How do I tell whether you love me as a man or just doing it because your body needs someone and I am avable? I don''t feel good about that, Kyo." He frowns slightly. He is confused. "I don''t understand." "You don''t understand. That''s why it is wrong." I pat his cheek lightly. *** Kyo wreaks his head. He loves her, but she still says that he doesn''t understand. His sister doesn''t answer his questions. She just shakes her head and smiles. He decides to grow up as soon as possible to understand the meaning of her words. He wants to know why she is upset when she is smiling like that. She takes him along with her. She knocks the door of the next room. The door opens on its own. Mogrok is sleeping with his face on the floor. There is no sign of the Seer. She ps Mogrok''s head. "Master?" He yawns. "My head feels dizzy." "You drank a lotst night. Where is Deia?" "I don''t know." He looks around, disoriented. "Why are you asking me, Master?" "You slept in her roomst night. You should have some idea." Kresi walks out of the room in a hurry. Kyo follows her. There, she goes. Again. He pouts. Other people are taking his share of love and care. Kresi finds Deia sitting in front of the inn. "Oi, what are you doing?" "I am waiting for my spirit." She tells her with a tired voice, "I keep having visions that he wille." "What''s wrong with waiting inside?" Kresi looks at her pitiful state. "What will happen if he sees you like this? He might not even think of you as a master. Clean up and have breakfast." "You are right. I have to take care of my appearance." Deia runs inside the inn. Kresi mumbles, "Am I taking care of two kids?" "Sister, I am not a kid." Kyo grabs the edge of her sleeve again. "Treat me like a man. I will be your man." "Not again." She sounds exhausted. "I am too tired to argue. Let''s have breakfast first." During the breakfast, Kyo is stubborn about eating with his left hand. He spoils his clothes. Kresi is annoyed to see him get dirty. Mogrok is silently observing Kyo and wondering what''s wrong with him. Why is this boy suddenly wants to grow up fast? "I can eat it on my own." Kyo picks up the spoon again. "Sister, watch me." "A right-handed boy is eating with the left hand." Kresi mutters under her breath, "I have to give him a bathter." "Kyo, why are you eating on your own today?" Deia is also surprised. "I want to be a grownup man." He eats clumsily. Kresi tries to take back the spoon, but he denies it fervently. "Let me grow up, Sister." "Fine." Kresi yells, "Eat on your own and be a man. I am going for a walk. Don''t follow me." She dashes out of the inn without turning back once. Chapter 55: This bracelet suits you Chapter 55: This bracelet suits you I stop and look behind. Kyo isn''t following me. I don''t know why I lost my temper when he became stubborn about eating with his left hand. If he grows up, is he going to stay beside me? What if the Dark God takes over and my Kyo disappearspletely? Would he need me if he grows up? I keep walking straight. I should clear my head first. I want him to grow up, but slowly. It''s better if he takes a long time. I like taking care of him. The streets are crowdy today. I stop in front of the shop. It''s full of trinkets. The old woman grins at me. She gives me a ring. "Lady, this charm can attract love." "I am not looking for love." I put down the ring. "Do you have something that can control the lust?" "You want men to lust after your body?" The old woman is excited. "I have exactly what you need." She brings out a red bracelet. "If you wear it, no man in the three realms can resist yourdy charms." That''s the opposite of what I want. "I want men to find me unattractive." The old woman looks at me with confusion. "You want to repel men?" Someoneughs beside me. "I don''t think that there is any charm in the world that can make you look unattractive to men." I face the hooded figure. "I didn''t ask for your opinion." "You could just ignore it." He takes the red bracelet from the old woman''s hand. "There is not a drop of magic in it. Who are you scamming, olddy?" Her eyes almost bulge out of her sockets. "That''s impossible. There should be magic. I acquired it for a heavy price. " "There was magic in it once, but it''s absorbed by someone else. You were scammed by the person who sold it to you." The hooded figure tosses a gold coin to the olddy. "I will take this." There is nothing interesting in the shop. I should buy some sleeping potion. If Kyo loses his control again and bes lustful, I will make him sleep. When he grows up, he will understand why I am doing it. "Wait." The hooded figure catches up to me. "I brought this for you." I just met you and you brought a gift. What''s this person is trying? "I can''t take a gift from a stranger." "We aren''t strangers." He reveals his face to me. Vivid green eyes. ming red hair. Creamy skin. An amused smile on his lips and knowing look in his eyes. Physically, he should be around 15 or 16. The boy takes my wrist and puts on the red bracelet. "This bracelet suits you." He bends down and kisses the back of her hand. *** Deia''s body is frozen still when she sees the hooded figure from her vision. Just like she had seen, the hooded figure is gazing at the entrance of the inn. He is taking long steps toward the inn. She pinches herself to see if this is a reality. She is finally meeting with her spirit. Tears of happiness roll out on her face. She widens her arms. "My spirit,e to your master." The hooded figure walks straight toward her. Finally. Finally. Finally. Her spirit is here to make her feel whole. He ising closer and closer and closer. He just passed by her and didn''t even take a nce. She opens her eyes. The hooded figure is going inside the inn. "He wants to eat first?" Deia looks at the back with confusion. "It''s okay. He has been roaming for a long time." She follows the spirit inside. The spirit walks to Kyo who is still struggling with food. The spirit bends down on his one knee in front of Kyo and says, "Master, this servant is pleased to see you. This servant has been looking for you since the night you were awakened. Emperor father is waiting to see you. He sent me to take you to his realm. Please ept his invitation." Though the people in the inn can''t understand a thing that the spirit said, Deia and Mogrok could understand each word. Deia is shocked beyond words. Her spirit is choosing Kyo? "Son of the betrayer." Mogrok glowers at the spirit. "The 12th God is shameless." Kyo puts down the spoon. He ignores Mogrok, Deia, and the son of the betrayer. He has finished the meal on his own. It''s time to find his sister and tell her about it. He walks out of the inn. The hooded figure also follows him behind while keeping a respectable distance. Mogrok feels exhausted. The son of the betrayer has made an appearance. What will happen now? Where is his master? Kyo walks straight, following his gut to find his sister. Her heart will naturally attract him. Within 5 minutes, he reaches the ce. His sister is talking to a man. The man suddenly bends down and kisses the back of her hand. A dark feeling arises in his chest. He strides toward his sister and ps that man''s hand away. "Don''t touch what doesn''t belong to you." Aren furrows his brows. Who is this man? The skin on his hand is turning red. Kyo takes Kresi''s hand and looks at the red bracelet. The bracelet is this man''s im on her. He takes off the bracelet from her hand and squeezes in his palm. The red bracelet bes red powder. He tries to rub off the kiss on the back of her hand. She stares at him. "Kyo, what are you exactly doing?" "He made your hand dirty. I am cleaning it," Kyo tells her with unhidden jealous tone. "Sister, you shouldn''t let anyone kiss you." Sister? Aren nces at Kresi. The man is looking at her like she is his woman. Then, why she is his sister? His eyes aren''t golden. He''s not a Mirin. They aren''t biological siblings. "Master, the son of the betrayer is here." Mogrok hops to reach her. "He wants to take him away." Deia is standing behind her spirit. She sobs and says, "Kresi, Kyo is taking away my spirit." "Master, please ept the invitation ande to the Dema continent with me." The hooded figure''s voice is husky and deep. "Emperor father wants to see you." Aren scans each person carefully with his eyes. A Dema. An unknown type of spirit beast. A blonde girl. His only interest is Kresi, the Renasir. Chapter 56: Are you going to stay quiet? Chapter 56: Are you going to stay quiet? Higher Realm: "He already left to find her alone?" Mayaeira Mirin asks Amadeus. Yesterday, the news of a girl breaking the spell of the 11 gods came like wildfire in the higher realm. It''s been 3 years since Mayaeira has started to lose her powers. She is getting closer to death as they speak. The new Renasir didn''t make any appearance until yesterday. The chosen one left the higher realm the moment he heard about the girl with golden eyes who broke the spell of the 11 gods. Only a Renasir can do this. Thest Renasir has been chosen. "I have sent people to invite her to the middle realm." Amadeus has been looking for Kresira. He has visited the lower realm and took care of the adoption. He found out that Kresira Mirin has a spirit beast and she also adopted a brother. The chosen one has been looking for her ever since he heard that Mayaeira is dying. "She is not initiated. The chosen one will bring her to the Mirins first if he finds her." Mayaeira coughs violently. Her magic is fading. What will that girl do? She needs to talk to her and give away the inheritance. "Bring her to me first when she arrives in the higher realm." His daughter is the spell that will either destroy this world or save it. Kresira Mirin. What will that girl choose? The chosen one or the Dark God? Mayaeira smiles softly. It was the right decision to not kill the girl back then. *** Middle realm: "Dema continent?" Deia is crestfallen when she learns that her spirit is a Dema. A Dema will never make a serving contract with a human. The gap is too big between a human and a Dema. Thew of equality will be broken if a Dema makes a master-servant contract with a human. She is sure that this Dema is her spirit. She can feel it. But, how did the situation turn out like this? A high tier spirit would have been enough. She hands him a gold coin. "I apologize on my brother''s behalf for ruining that bracelet. I don''t like taking gifts from strangers. I can''t return the bracelet. I am paying back the coin you spent on the bracelet." She leaves with the man beside her. The little spirit beast hops behind her like a rabbit. The human girl jogs behind them. He looks at the gold coin in his hand. The white fire emerges out his palm and engulfs the gold coin. She didn''t ask once who he is. *** "Introduce yourself," Kresi asks the Dema calmly. Kyo is observing her. His sister is furious. The calm in her voice is calm before she explodes. It''s better if she explodes in anger first and be calmter. The Dema pushes back the hood covering his face. He lifts his head. Long curly sea-green hair. Exotic turquoise eyes. Caramel skin. A straight nose. His presence is quiet, but he cannot be ignored. The Harbinger and the Dark God are scrutinizing him. He is also taking this time to examine the Harbinger. She should be dead already. Then, the Dark God hasn''t taken his heart back. Is this why hecks the awareness that he is the thirteenth god? The Harbinger must have tricked the 13th God. His emperor father has warned him. Humans are conniving creatures because they are weak. Since the night of the union, he has been wandering the realms to look for the 13th God. He couldn''t go to the lower realm because thews of the 11th gods prevented him from doing so. His emperor father strictly told him that he couldn''t return without the 13th God. After 3 long years in the human realm, he found the 13th God. "Are you going to stay quiet?" Kresi cracks her knuckles. She is ready to beat up the Dema that wants to take away her precious Kyo. "Speak up." "Damin," He speaks with a tranquil voice. "24th blood of the 12th emperor God of the Dema continent. The dragon god, Aeis, wants to meet his old friend, the Dark God, Adira." This Harbinger has been calling the Dark God with a strange name. "The betrayed dragon god!" Mogrok wants to bite that Dema, but he knows that his teeth will break if he tries to bite a dragon. "Your father betrayed the 13th God during the war. If he hadn''t, the Dark God wouldn''t be captured by the 11 gods. How dare he still calls him a friend? You think that you would use this opportunity to betray the Dark God again?" Mogrok might dislike the Dark God because that God wants to kill his master. One fact cannot be changed. Mogrok belongs to thew of the Dark God. If the Dark God disappears, all the dark elemental creatures will also disappear including his master because she carries the heart of the Dark God. He is sure that the dragon God wants to destroy the Dark God and the Harbinger. "Dark God?" Deia stares at Kyo. The 13th God? She falls on her knees. Not only that she has been hanging out with the Harbinger, but there is also the Dark God. The biggest surprise is that her spirit is the handsome prince of the Dema continent. He''s the son of the Dragon God. She realizes that she is the only normal human in this room. "Master," Damin ignores the little spirit beast. He can squash it with his thumb anytime. His goal is the Dark God. "Emperor father sent me to serve you. If you are having difficulty in acquiring the heart, you canmand me to remove it from your Harbinger''s body anytime. It is essential that you acquire your heart and take your rightful position in the world again. After acquiring your heart, pleasee with me to the Dema continent." Deia feels like crying whenever he calls someone else his master. It should be her. She waited for 18 years. She crossed and even spent a year in the cursed realm to get here and find him. How could he betray him like that? She looks at Kresi with tears in her eyes. Kresi gives her an assuring nod. "Kyo, do you want to go and meet your supposed friend who betrayed you when you needed him the most?" Kyo leans closer and says, "Sister, I don''t understand what you are talking about. I only acknowledge you as my friend, family, and my woman. I won''t acknowledge anyone else as my servant or friend or family. Only you are meaningful to me." Kresi smiles at him. "That''s right. You can only trust me. There are a lot of bad people who want to take you away from me. But, we can''t let that happen. If you meet bad people like him who try to lure you away, don''t hold back and beat them up. Okay?" "Okay." He nods at his sister. "Should I beat him up now?" The Dema squints his eyes at the Harbinger. This conspiring human is taking advantage of the 13th God''s repressed state. He cannot let her continue this. "Master, she is a human. You shouldn''t trust her." "You have something against humans." Kresi chuckles lowly. "Kyo won''t leave with you. He won''t take you as his servant. You can leave now." "I won''t leave without him," Damin replies stubbornly. "I cannot go back on my promise. The 13th God is my master. I have promised my father that I will protect him until he acquires his full strength." Kresi bes quiet. She seems to be thinking hard. Mogrok realizes that his master is having second thoughts. "Master, you can''t keep this dragon. Dragons are worse than seers." "He said that he wants to protect Kyo. It''s not bad if he stays." She scratches her chin. "Dema, how do I trust you? You could betray us at any moment." Chapter 57: The chosen one is here Chapter 57: The chosen one is here Aren bites into the apple. He is sitting on the roof of the inn. The Renasir and the Dema are talking. He can hear bits and pieces, but he can''t make sense of what they are speaking about. He can''t understand the Dema tongue or the spirit beast. The only person who can understand the whole conversation other than the Renasir is the blonde girl. He senses the Mirins approaching toward the inn. He wonders what the Renasir will do now. Should he steal her away? He has the strange urge to steal his Renasir away. The woman who belongs to the chosen one. She''s the key to find the Harbinger. He should take her before the Mirins try to control her. His mother has always been suspicious of Mirins. They wield the forbidden knowledge like the double-edged sword. One cannot tell when they turn their back to the light. He nces at his hand. The red mark hasn''t disappeared. She already has a man. That''s uneptable. Thest Renasir belongs only to the true wielder of the holy fire. Inside the room, Damin wonders why he has to answer this Harbinger. The Dark God seemspletely under her control. The Dark God has recognized the Harbinger as his only woman, family, and a friend. Is it because the Harbinger carries his heart? He has been toote in finding the Dark God. "I have taken an oath." He reveals the mark of the oath on his right shoulder. "I will protect the Dark God with my life." "Mogrok?" Kresi nces at Mogrok for confirmation. Mogrok can see that it''s genuine. However, Mogrok has made up his mind. This Dema has the blood of his betrayer father. He cannot be trusted. "Master, I don''t trust him." Deia is about to say something. Suddenly, there is only fire in front of her eyes. White fire trying to swallow everything in its way. She blinks her eyes and looks around. How much time do they have? "We have to run." She yells, "The inn is going to be on fire." "Huh?" Kresi is surprised. "What did you say?" "Fire." Deia looks up at the ceiling. "It''s already happening." The white mes arrive like the waves of the ocean. It surrounds them in the room in less than a second. Kresi grabs Kyo''s arm and pushes him behind her. "The holy fire." Damin hisses loudly. His eyes darken. "The chosen one is here." "What should we do?" Deia screams. "We are going to be burned alive." Kresi sees that the way to the window is clear. They can escape by the window. The moment she opens the window, a pair of arms grab her by her waist. She screams. Kyo runs toward her. The white fire blocks his way. Damin pulls back Kyo before he could get burned. It only takes a moment. Kresi is dragged into the darkness before Kyo can grasp her hand. "Master!" Mogrok hollers frantically. His master has disappeared. The inn is still intact. The fire ispletely gone. There is no sign of Kresi. "Where is my sister?" Kyo pushes away Damin and looks down the window. He can''t sense his sister anywhere around him. He clutches his chest. He can''t feel her existence. "Who took my sister away from me?" Deia is startled when she hears a knock. She opens the door reluctantly and sees two men with golden eyes and regal robes. They step inside the room wordlessly. There is a Dema. A frantic looking spirit beast. A seer. And a young man. "Has she been taken away already?" One of the men sighs. "The chosen one abducted her before we could arrive." "He will bring her to us. He can''t use her without the initiation." The second man eyes Kyo. The boy has a dangerous look on his face. The room is getting colder by the minute. Kyo turns around when he hears the words. They know who took her. He walks to the man and grabs his neck. "Who took my sister?" The first mirin struggles to breathe. The second mirin starts chanting. Kyo res at him darkly. A single thread of dark ehr flows out of his index finger and stabs the second man''s throat before he could finish his spell. The chaotic dark ehr smashes all the bones inside that man. The man falls on the floor like a broken doll. "Where is she?" He grips the first mirin''s throat harder. "Who took her?" *** The scent of fire. Where? I can''t open my eyes. My head feels sluggish. It''s cold. Someone covers my body with a nket. Who? I grab that person''s hand. It''s not Kyo''s hand. Then, who? Where is Kyo? Where I am? "I am sorry." The person whispers to me, "I brought you here before they could get to you. I want to know you better. You are my Renasir. I can''t let the Mirins brainwash your mind. You should be prepared before I take you to them." I remember the fire. What is this psycho talking about? My Kyo is fine, right? "The potion will wear off after two hours." The personys down beside me. "I had to use extreme measures to bring you here. The Mirins were almost at your doorstep. I didn''t hurt anyone. Your friends are fine. I want to have a conversation with you. Don''t hate me for this." I feel his fingers tracing my face. "You look like a Mirin, but you also don''t look like one. You have so many expressions. Your eyes are alive. You also smell like a human. I don''t find you repulsive." I find you repulsive. Stop touching my face, Kid. He shifts closer. I can feel his gaze on my face. "My name is Arenyr Starfire. You can call me Aren. I am the chosen one. I wield the holy fire. You are my Renasir." "..." This is not how I imagined meeting someone who is also a risk for my existence. If he finds out that I am also the Harbinger, I am dead. Damn! "Why did you take such a long time to make an appearance? You didn''t grow up with Mirins. That''s why you are different." He touches my lips with his finger. "Your skin is warm, unlike those cold Mirins. Is it because of me? Why is there another man beside you when you are my Renasir? He seems quite close. Have you been kissed by him?" Why does he call me his Renasir? Does he think that I am his possession? What the hell is going on? I want to move, but my body won''t listen. *** If he says that he has fallen for her at first sight, will she believe him? He has imagined her in a lot of ways before meeting her for real. Thest Renasir. The girl of the prophecy. She is totally different from his imagination. She wants to find a charm that can repel men. He also wants to put that charm on her. So, she can repel all the men other than him. Already got another man? If she has grown up with Mirins, that wouldn''t happen. They would have reared her as the perfect Renasir for him. But, he wouldn''t like that. He doesn''t want a person who can hide her emotions. He can''t trust people like them. He''s the chosen one from the prophecy. She''s thest Renasir from the same prophecy. He needs her. There can''t be another person who can make her heart waver. He would make her realize that she belongs to him. Aren presses his lips on her lips. He smiles when he hears her rapidly beating heart. He sucks her lower lips softly. He leans closer to her ear. "Want me to do more?" Chapter 58: If love fails, lust will do Chapter 58: If love fails, lust will do Aren can sense the anger oozing from her. Though her body likes it, she is offended by the kiss. He wonders what he should do. If he takes her to the Mirins, they will brainwash her right away. God knows what they do inside their homes. The Renasir might be the one who controls the chosen one instead. She has a strong mind. Though he will like her to remain the way she is, he has to be calctive. "Do you love that man?" He asks her suddenly. Her heart skips a beat. So, she does. There are two big hindrances toward his goal. The Mirins and That man. He touches her soft hair. The potion will wear off soon. If she decides to go back to that man, can he stop her? He can keep her imprisoned until she agrees to be his. He can kill that man, but she mighte to hate him. She''s his Renasir. Then, she could choose to go with Mirins. What should he do to make her choose him? How to make a woman choose him? ''Love.'' His mother told him once, ''If love fails, lust will do. If lust doesn''t work, the pain will do. If the pain doesn''t work, death will do.'' "Do you want to go back to that man?" If she says no, he won''t take the next step. The sounds of her heartbeat answer him. He sighs and goes to the cab. He finds the small vial. Rather than being brainwashed by the Mirins, it''s better if she only has him in her mind. *** The ropes are not going off. I re at the boy in front of me. "How long are you going to keep me here?" "Until you change your mind and make an oath to be with me." He ces the knight in the ck square. "You are a lousy chess partner." It''s been some hours since I have been abducted. The room is big, but it''s cold. I tried screaming, but no one came. I don''t know if there is anyone in the building. The chosen one is a psychopath. "What do you want from me?" I ask him. "I get it that I am the Renasir. But, why are you keeping me here?" "I haven''t decided what to do with you." He sighs. "If I take you to the higher realm, the Mirins will brainwash you. If I let you go, you will go back to that man. Both choices are uneptable to me. What do I do to make you fall in love with me?" What the...? Is this guy crazy? "Look, Boy, I won''t fall in love with you. I get it that you need me to fulfill the prophecy. But, abducting the person is not a solution. I won''t let the Mirins brainwash me. Let me go. My brother will be worried." "I like you though." He presses the rook between his finger. It breaks in half. "I dislike the idea that you already have someone else in your heart. It''s unfair." Psychopath. Complete psychopath. He''s young, but he is scaring me. "If I like you back, you will let me go?" He takes a nce at me. "You don''t like me though. You strongly dislike me because I abducted you. Your body reacts to my kiss, but your heart belongs to that man. That''s not what I want. If it goes on like this, I have to use the second method to make you attach to me." "The second method?" My intuition tells me that it''s nothing good. I look at the rope. I wonder what kind of magic he is using. I decide to y a different game. "Aren, we are already so close. Don''t do anything drastic." His face changes when I call his name. He puts away the chessboard. "I have made a decision." "I don''t have the time to make you fall for me." He brings out a vial. He bites his finger and drops his blood into the vial. "This is my mother''s creation. I don''t want to use it on you, but I don''t have any choice. The Mirins will find us in two days. It seems like you won''t change your mind. Your heart beats for that man. I can''t have any weakness when ites to achieving my goal." I struggle again. The freaky ropes be tight on my wrists and ankles. They are listening to hismand. I move away from him. I am not drinking that. I try to summon ehr in my body again. My channels have been blocked by him. He grabs my back and turns me around to face him. "I am sorry for doing this." He grips my jaw. He pours the liquid in my mouth. "I have to find that harbinger. She owes me a debt." The liquid burns my throat. He lets go of my jaw. "It''s not poison. I know that Mirins cannot be affected by poisons. It''s a love potion. It is not the ordinary one that you find at the market. My mother created this before she died. From now on, your body will want me. You will only want to see me. You will not be able to stay away from me. You will not go against me." My body is burning hot. I feel like my blood is boiling. The fire is rushing through my veins. I twist and turn on the bed. I scream in pain. "Do you feel like burning? That''s the holy fire in your blood." He unbuttons his shirt. "Your body will torture you like this unless I satisfy it." "Don''t." I clench my fists. "You are the chosen one. This isn''t right." "I need to assure your loyalty." He puts his finger on my clothes and burns them away. "You are still fighting it? It will hurt you more if you keep fighting it." I won''t beg this person. He''s insane. "You will regret doing this to me." "I am already regretting it." He parts my legs wide. "I will bear the weight of this regret." Chapter 59: I will make you love me back Chapter 59: I will make you love me back "I don''t know where he is." The man chokes out. "He could be anywhere." Kyo snaps his neck with his hand. The man drops to the floor. Deia screams and steps back until her back his the wall. "Master is not in this realm." Mogrok is looking everywhere with his thousand eyes. "I can''t feel her." Damin sniffs her air. He is also trying to find her using her scent. They must find the harbinger. "Shall we go to the higher realm?" At the same time, Deia has a vague vision in front of her eyes. Kresi is screaming in pain on the bed. Her clothes are on fire. "We have to find her soon." Deia tells them, "She... she is being hurt." The air around them bes colder. The Dark God looks at the dead man on the floor. The Harbinger is in danger. He presses his palm on his chest. His heart is also in danger. He goes to the Seer''s side. Deia is scared out of her wits. Kyo seems like a different person. He looks like he wants to kill her. She trembles in fear when he puts his palm over her eyes. "See." He inserts his ehr into her eyes. Her eyes roll back. She screams madly as the countless visions flow into her mind. All the probabilities of the future. As the flow of Ehr gets stronger, the weaker probabilities are dismissed. He sees the room and Kresi. The chosen one kisses her slowly. Then, he finds the vial in the cab. He hesitates to give it to her. He ties her wrists and legs with the ropes. He wakes for the potion to wear off. She gets up and tries to reason with him. She asks whether he is fine. She tries to use magic, but she fails because her channels are blocked by him. She tries to manipte him. Then, he decides to use the love potion on her. The boy forces her to drink the love potion. The Dark God moves his hand away. He can''t look more. Deia is stillughing madly. The visions aren''t stopping. The dark ehr is still swirling in her veins. The Dark God turns to Damin. "Do whatever it takes to save her. She''s important to the Harbinger." "My God, where are you going?" Damin asks urgently. The Dark God eyes the dragon. "Stay here." Mogrok follows the Dark God. "I aming with you." *** Aren''s gaze turns dark. Even though her body is screaming for him, she is still resisting. The love potion only has an effect on her body. But, her mind is strong. It hasn''t lost itself in lust. Her mind is swinging between lust and sanity. He parts her leg and looks at her dripping vagina. She''s suffering, but she won''t tell him. The hate and disgust in her eyes stop him from going further. How low can he fall for his goal? His mother would never hesitate when ites to achieving her goal. She wouldn''t hesitate using this kind of method. The light in her eyes will be broken if he does this to her. She will never be the same. She will be someone who will seek him under the effect of a love potion. He lets go of her and covers her body with the nket. He can''t do it. "Renasir, this love potion won''t wear off. As long as I am alive, my fire will burn inside you." He tells the girl, "Your body will crave for me. It will never be satisfied with someone else''s body. You wille to me in the end." He hears her breath unevenly. She hasn''t asked him once to free her from the agony. Her breathing bes slow as he lowers the fire in her veins. He can''tpletely remove the fire, but it can lower the effect of the love potion. "I know that you hate me for what I did." He wears his clothes. "I have my reasons. You will understand in the future." He wipes the sweat on her forehead with his sleeve. "If it makes any difference, I want to tell you that I have fallen in love with you the moment I saw you. That is the only reason why I couldn''t do it to you today. I regret what I did to you. I don''t know how to remove my fire from your body right now. Even if I knew, I wouldn''t remove it. When we meet again, I will use this method on you to have feelings for me. I will make you love me back." She looks at him with half-open eyes. She is still angry, but she is also relieved. He kisses her lips. Her body shivers. She grasps the edge of the nket. Even with the lowest level of his fire in her body, her body can''t help but respond to his kiss. The barrier outside the area is broken. The Mirins have found them faster than he expected them to. Aren leaves the house before he tempted to change his mind again. *** The Dark God breaks straight through the wall of the room. He finds her lying naked on the bed. She is shivering under the nket. She flinches when he touches her shoulder. "Kyo?" Her eyes are not clear yet. She hasn''t recognized him. There is a scent of another man on her. He grabs her wrist. The foreign fire is flowing through her channels and controlling the lust in her body. This fire belongs to the God of light. It''s in a small amount, but the wielder can use it to control her in the future. She embraces him. "Help me." It''s better to kill her. She might be used against him in the future. Chapter 60: Can you stop bragging already? Chapter 60: Can you stop bragging already? The Dark Heart is fighting the fire in her body, making her mind sway between rationality and lust. The repressed fire bes unstable and rises strongly. The dark Ehr and the fire are opposite in nature. Her body will be a battleground between the dark ehr and the fire of lust. It would be a kindness to kill her and save her from a future where she will be forced to decide the fate of the world. She suddenly raises her head and kisses him on his lips. Her eyes are full of lust. The more she kisses him, less satisfied she feels. The fire of lust bes stronger. He can see her losing her sanity. She wants to seek the chosen one. He looks at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He knows that it is the effect of the fire. She''s still his second wife. Whether he wants her or not, she can''t lust after another man. She sighs seductively when he grabs her dark hair, "Wanting to use my body to quench your body while lusting after someone else... Harbinger, you have some courage." Her mind can''t process his words. He clenches his jaw when she rubs her body against his. The fire bes stronger when it senses another man near her body, making the desire to be with the chosen one stronger. He''s annoyed to see her like this. Killing her while she lusts after another man? He doesn''t want herst moment to be like this. He is somewhat satisfied to see that she is trying her best to fight the fire in her body. But, she can''t take care of this fire with her mental strength alone. "Kyo, I don''t want to go to him." "Let go," He gives her amand, "Trust me. You won''t be going to him." Those words are enough. She stops fighting the intense passion in her body. He smiles at her darkly. "I will make you remember that you are my harbinger first. Then, I want to see how much you can crave for another man when you are with me." He kisses her tender lips. Deliberately slow. Teasing her. Heughs darkly when she pulls her head back, clearly disappointed. As the fire burns brighter in her veins, she moves closer and grinds her erect breasts against his hard chest. Again, she is unhappy and moves away. He likes this y. She''s already wet. Not for him. She twists and turns her body. It''s a hassle to keep her still with one arm. "Ah." She gasps when he prates her. She''s wet and hot for someone else. It makes him angry to hear her unsatisfied groans. He takes her breast in his mouth. He furiously ys it with his tongue. He twists her other nipple with his hand. He thrusts slowly into her. The fire is making her crazy. The sex is anything but pleasant. When the fire reaches its peak, he injects his dark Ehr in her back. It flows into his dark heart and strengthens it against the fire. The strengthened dark Ehr chases the fire toward her lower body. As the fire moves toward her lower body, he inserts the dark ehr through their joined bodies. It burns brighter as it the dark ehr surrounds it corners it. "I can''t. It hurts." She begs him to stop. "I want him. Let me go to him." "No." He snarls at her. "It won''t hurt after this." She whimpers in pain as he pulverizes her insides. The fire is eventually smothered out by the dark ehr. He leans down and kisses the corner of her eye. *** The intense burning in my body ceases. A soothing feeling spreads in my body. He is kissing my face gently. I run my hands on his smooth back. I don''t know what he did, but my mind is clear. I don''t feel like running to the chosen one. He pulls it out and asks me, "Harbinger, do you still feel like going to the chosen one?" I freeze when I recognize the tone of his voice. "Dark God?" I try to push him away. He''s stillying on the top of me. "You! Why it''s you?" "Was it extremely painful?" He asks me with some concern in his eyes. "Now, I must rece this painful experience with a pleasant one. I am dreaming, right? I p his chest. "I don''t want any experience." He pins my wrist above my body. "I don''t like that you lusted after another man, Harbinger. I will give you so much pleasure that you will never think of going to another man." "Stop!" I re at him. "You perverted God!" He isn''t listening to me at all. He presses his lips against me and slides his tongue inside. I close my eyes with embarrassment when my body shivers under his touch. He caresses my breast gently. He isn''t doing it like Kyo who can''t control his physical strength or desire. He massages it with his palm while exploring every corner of my mouth. I feel a tinge of disappointment when he suddenly stops and leaves my lips. I shouldn''t be feeling this. I want to oppose, but I feel too weak to protest when he brushes his cool lips against my earlobe and sends a tingle down my spine. I hear a low chuckle. He knows what he is doing. I close my eyes in embarrassment. "Stop it. You don''t even like me." I mentally p myself for my foolish words. Why did I say that? Why does it matter whether he likes me or not? I should be pping his face. I don''t like this man. "You are still my harbinger," He whispers into my ears sensually. "You must know what it feels like. The mere mortals can never give you the pleasure that I can give you. Unlike the chosen one, I don''t have to use despicable means to make you crave for me." I am afraid that he is very serious. I already had sex with Kyo. I had sex with him when I was drugged by the love potion. How different could it be? "Can you stop bragging already? I already did it twice with you. You aren''t that great. Let me go now." Maybe I shouldn''t have said that. Chapter 61: Your dick is awful Chapter 61: Your dick is awful "Not that great? Do you forget that I am God?" He res at me. He sounds offended by my words. I must have hurt his pride. Good. "Your body is beautiful and all. But, sex isn''t great. Your dick is awful. I don''t want it inside me again. So, don''t have perverted thoughts and make Kyo do something like that again." I love Kyo and all. But, Kyo can''t control his physical strength. That night, I felt like he was going to break my body. "I can''t control my strength when my awareness is repressed." He sounds a bit apologetic. I notice that he hasn''t stopped ying with my breast. "I must change your opinions about my body." This perverted God thinks that my breasts exist for his amusement. I grab his hand to stop him. "Even if you were good, I wouldn''t want to do it again with you." "That mouth speaks a lot. At least, you forgot to be afraid of me." He nibbles my earlobe, sending tingles of pleasure in my body again. I grab his shoulder to push him. I hear him say, "I will see how long can you keep resisting me." He grazes his lips against my jaw. His cool palm kneads my breast. I purse my lips. I won''t make a sound. I shut my eyes tight when he sucks my breast vigorously. A moan escape against my wishes when his finger touches my clitoris. He isn''t poking it like Kyo. His fingers are moving in a circle. Sometimes, fast. Sometimes, slow. Sometimes, it''s a gentle stroke. "This time, it''s wet for me." He gazes at his wet fingers. "Harbinger, you say that you don''t want me inside you?" It takes all of my energy to shake my head and say, "I don''t want." "Oh." He gives me a thoughtful nod. "Wait." Huh? He digs his face between my inner thighs. His tongue inserts into my vagina. I yell, "What are you doing there?" He ignores my shouts. He puts my legs on his shoulder and digs in further. My ears burn with shame when I hear the lewd licking sounds that he is making down there. I can''t stop myself from moaning when he flicks my clitoris with his tongue. Something is surging in my body. Itsing tingling waves. It''s different than that fire. He stops doing what he was doing. "Don''t want me?" He asks me with a smirk. If he hadn''t smirked, I might have said the truth. Now, I am going to resist this till I die. I reply with a hoarse voice, "I don''t want." "Your response is weaker." The faint proud smile can''t be missed. "You are my harbinger, after all. Being stubborn is always the nature of the one born under myw." I tell him with a trembling voice, "You failed." "I didn''t fail." Before I can realize what''s going on, he swiftly rolls me on my stomach. He enters his cock inside me with one quick shove. "My heart is inside you. I can easily know what you feel even when you lie to me." "That''s not fair," I scream at him. I realize that it doesn''t hurt like before. Rather, it feels good. Better. A lot better than before. Before, I thought that I would die because of pain. It feels like I will die because of what he is making me feel. "You should not lie to your god." He ps my butt hard. "Say it." Oh God, he is spanking me for lying to him while... and it''s making me feel good. "What do you want me to say?" "How does it feel inside you?" He spanks me again. "I already know. I want to hear it." This narcissistic god! "I will never say it." In a blink, I find myself sitting on hisp. His dick is sliding in and out faster. I raise my head high and moan loudly. My body begins to tense. I curl my toes as the overwhelming pleasurable sensation surges in my body. He holds the back of my head and takes a look at my face with a wicked smile. "My crafty harbinger, it''s quite delightful to look at your face when you are drowning in pleasure." *** His harbinger is exhausted. He is not. It''s natural that he will have better stamina than her, but he is unhappy that he had to end it so soon. She is quiet when he puts his outer robe on her body. He scolds her a bit. "Get stronger if you want tost longer. You should eat more and put some flesh on your body, Harbinger. From now on, I wille out every night and make you feel pleasure. If I train you every day, you will be able tost longer. I cannot let you forget what you felt today." They are currently in the outer area of the higher realm. He opens the gate to the middle realm. He walks into 1-star city smoothly. Without wasting a second, he flies toward the inn. "What makes you think that I will do it with you every night?" His crafty harbinger opens her eyes. "I am not your woman." "You are." He stands at the roof of the inn. "I already epted you as my wife. That fact cannot be changed. For the remaining days of your life, I have decided to treat you like my woman." "You!" She pokes his chest in anger. She isn''t fearful of him anymore. He will let this go. There are some privileges that his woman can have. "You are the only stupid God who takes a child y as a real marriage." That makes him furious. He grabs that finger hard and glowers at her. "You are not from this world. So, I will forgive you this once for your ignorance. In the old world, it is a wedding if a man epts a woman as his wife and that woman epts him as her husband in front of witnesses. There were two humans and a spirit beast as witnesses. You epted me as your husband. We have already consummated our marriage. If you ever think of another man or let another man kiss and touch you, you will regret it." The fear in her eyes returns. He sighs and pulls her closer. He kisses her softly. The fear is overridden by desire. Satisfied, the dark god rests his head on her shoulder and falls asleep. He needs to preserve his strength. Chapter 62: Are any single woman safe around you? Chapter 62: Are any single woman safe around you? Damin stares at the Seer lying on the floor and screaming like a maniac. Sheughs. She cries. Sometimes, she is doing both at the same time. Her body convulsed abnormally as the visions hit her mind. She can''t stop seeing what she is seeing. Countless futurese rushing in her mind. Mogrokes back after losing the Dark God while chasing him. He eyes the Seer and the Dema. Two dead bodies are lying in the mid. The Dark God won''t kill his master. He has already told him that he would let his master live for some time. Still, he is worried. When he is worried, he is hungry. Damin doesn''t bat an eye when Mogrok gulps down the human corpses. He has a big problem. "She is loud." Mogrok licks the blood on the floor. His master won''t like it when shees back. "Why aren''t you doing anything?" "She''s born under thew of 11 gods. The dark ehr is ipatible with her body. It''s wreaking havoc inside her channels." He speaks with a monotonous voice, "I have tried some methods. It didn''t work. The dark ehr is too dense for her weak body." "Why are you thinking so hard?" Mogrok frowns at the Dema. "Isn''t it simple? She is your human mate. Don''t tell me that you haven''t recognized that yet. She has been having visions of you for all of her life. She mistook you as her spirit. If you ept her as your mate and make the bond, she will also belong to thew of the 12th god. She will be saved. " Damin sulks darkly. "Does it makes sense for a dragon to have a human mate?" Mogrok rolls his eyes. "In the old world, that wasn''t strange. Back then, many gods and dema took humans as their mates in the old world. That''s how mixed-bloods were born." Both of them ignore Deia''s derangedughter. "I hate humans," He mumbles to himself. 3 years in the human world have shown all sides of humans. He hase to hate them the most. "You better save her before the Dark God and my masteres back." Mogrok pities the Seer''s state. If she had not followed his master stubbornly to find her spirit, she could have lived as a normal human being and avoid the fate of being a dragon''s mate. Damin sighs again. He has to follow through themand of the Dark God and do whatever it takes to save the human. He walks to the girl. She has a crazy look in her eyes. "Since you came to find me on your own after having the visions and signs, you have epted me as your mate." He pulls her up in his arms. "Under thews of your gods and mine, I acknowledge you as my mate in front of the witness." These simple words are enough to ept the human mate who showed up out of nowhere. With extreme reluctance, he kisses her mouth and makes the bond between their bodies. A scalding energy rush through her veins, clearing away the channels. The dark ehr drifts into Damin''s body. She is born under thews of 11 gods. He is born under thew of the 12th god and he has already epted the 13th god his master. After 10000 years, a wedding ismenced under thews of 13 gods with a spirit beast as a witness. Things are beginning to go back to the way it was. Mogrok wonders if it is a good or bad thing. *** Heavy! I carry Kyo on my back. Before I can push the door, Mogrokes out of my room. He stretches his one arm and closes the door before I can see what''s going inside. "You can''t go in, Master." He shakes his head. "Come with me." What''s going on? I follow him to Deia''s room. Iy down Kyo on her bed. I look at Mogrok and wait for him to exin. "The Dema and the Seer are going to make a bond after she regains her consciousness," Mogrok tells me with ascivious grin. "I just witnessed the wedding between a dragon and a human for the first time." What? I keep getting shocks today. "Why is that... is that even normal? A marriage between a dragon and a human?" Mogrok hops on the bed and sits beside me. "She''s his mate. He didn''t want to ept her as his mate after she turned up. But, fate cannot be denied. The situation turned out in a way that the Seer would lose her sanity and die if he didn''t ept her as his mate. The Dark Godmanded him to do whatever it takes to save her. Now, the wedding ismenced. They must consummate it and finish the bonding process to connect her channels with his core. Otherwise, she might be unstable again and die." I am baffled. Usually, Wahr bond with the spirit beasts. In the process, they connect the channels with the core of the spirit beast. That''s how they share powers. The spirit beast and the human can ess the diluted ehr and grow together. But, that process didn''t involve a wedding and consummating that wedding. Mogrok seems to understand my confusion. "Master, humans like Deia are born with blocked channels that can''t be cleared unless they make a contract with a spirit beast. When apatible human and spirit meet and agree to make a contract, the blocked channels are cleared and connected to the sprit core of the spirit beast. The human can wield the diluted ehr from the core as the source." He continues with a grave tone, "In the case of the Seer and the Dema, they can''t form a contract like a spirit beast and the human do. The Dema do not stand on the equal term with a human. They are ranked below the gods. They are too powerful especially dragons. That dragon can even chew me alive without a second thought and he is the youngest child of the 12th god. He was never her spirit. The Seer didn''t understand that she was his fated mate. Since he epted her as his mate, they must bond physically toplete the necessary process to connect the channels and the core. If the Seer''s channels aren''t connected with his core, she will absorb the ehr directly. Her fragile channels will burst and she will die. If it was the old world, this kind of thing wasn''t necessary." I wonder if she will be alright with this. Things are going haywire. "Mogrok, tell me. The child wedding that I did with Kyo before we left the lower realm... was it considered a real wedding in the old world?" He blinks at me. "Master, did the Dark God say anything?" I grab him by his head. "Why didn''t you stop me back then? Do you like being a wedding witness so much? It was me who got married to God without any awareness. Now, it''s Deia. Are any single woman safe around you?" Mogrok wiggles in my grasp. "Master, I tried to stop you. You didn''t listen." I am too angry to see his face. I throw him out of the window. "You should have said it clearly, you moron." Chapter 63: Why are you taking your clothes off? Chapter 63: Why are you taking your clothes off? Damin takes a deep breath. The Dark God is back. But, he can''t go out and greet his God because he hasn''t finished saving the Seer. Since this troublesome human''s channels are cleared, there is one more additional step toplete the bonding. After just one kiss, he feels this exhausted. The Seer opens her violet eyes. She looks around until her eyes meet his. He wonders if she can feel it. "My spirit!" She sits up with excitement with her eyes. "I dreamt that we were making a contract." "Did you forget that I am a dragon?" He feels more tired now. "A master-servant contract between a human and a Dema is impossible. A human can never be a Dema''s master because they don''t stand on the same footing." She looks at him sadly. "Then, why did I see you in my visions?" Her words make him incensed. "If you had seen me, then you already had an inkling. You should have stayed back at where you were and fought against your fate to live your human life. Why did youe to find me?" She lowers her head, depressed. "I thought that you were lonely without me." She always felt lonely without her spirit. In her visions, she always saw him wandering alone. So, she misunderstood that he wanted to find her. Damin sighs again. He can see the ehr flowing gathering around her. The humans like her cannot directly wield ehr. She will die if he let her be. That''s not why he epted her as his mate. He takes another deep breath. He is only following amand. "I am not your spirit." He decides to clear up things first. "You are my mate. It is happening for the first time after ten thousand years that a Dema has a human mate. If I had any idea, I would have avoideding to this realm. I would have let my brother take the oath." Deia can''t grasp half of his worlds. Mate? ymate? Does her spirit want to y with her? "I have epted you as my mate because the 13th Godmanded me to do anything to save you." He removes theyer of his clothes one by one. "I have toplete what he asked me to do. I am doing this to finish saving your life. Don''t think that I am ever going to ept you as my woman. I hate humans the most. You will share a part of my ehr, my life energy, and my physical strength. If you ever misuse it, I will break your channels by myself and send you to the Nihum spirits by myself. That''s where the humans go when theye to ournds without the permission of the 12th god." With widens eyes, she nces at the pieces of the clothes dropping on the floor one by one. She has no idea what Nihum is. But, she got the part where he said that she would be able to wield ehr. "Why are you taking your clothes off?" She is quite happy to see what she is seeing. She has never seen a half-naked man before. Especially, a handsome man like him. Though she is blushing and her heart is going haywire, she can''t look away from his chiseled body. He can continue stripping. She wouldn''t mind. She will never mind it in her life. But, the contract doesn''t require people to get naked. But then, she has never seen spirit beasts who wore clothes. "Toplete the bonding." He looks at the dumb woman in front of him. "Your body is already absorbing the stray ehr. If this continues, you will die after 15 minutes." "Oh." So, he wants to make a contract to save her. Things are turning out the way she wants. She climbs off the bed and stands in front of him. "You are really going to make a bond with me?" He must have exceeded the longest record of a dragon keeping his temper. This dumb human is his mate. Let''s finish this fast and get away from her. Else, he might end up taking his dragon form to burn her alive. "Yes," He replies curtly. "Don''t misunderstand. I am doing it to join your channel with my core." Damin just wants to finish thest step and get away from her as fast as possible. Is he the only one who is uneasy about the final process? Seeing that she is totally cool about the next step, he blurts out the question. "Do you have bonding experience?" "Of course, not." Deia makes a face. "You are my first. But, I have seen the bonding process many times. I am not afraid of little pain." So, she has some idea. This human is fine, but he is feeling nervous. She''s looking at him with sparkling eyes full of expectations and waiting for him toplete the bonding. He is the one who is hesitating. "Lie down on the bed." She blinks at him. "Is it easier that way?" Usually, it''s done while standing up. "It''s faster that way." He looks away from her, realizing that she has seen it a lot. She might want to do it in another way. A tinge of redness appears on his face. "Do you have another position in mind?" "I am fine with whatever position makes you feelfortable." Deiays herself down on the bed with a wide smile on her face. He hates humans. He hates this shameless human girl the most. She''s clearly boasting about having better knowledge about the bonding process than him. Damin climbs the bed. He presses his palm on the bed. His eyes glow brightly. Deia exims in surprise when a green magical circle appears beneath her body. Deia is startled when he rips away her clothes. Do they have to be naked? She has never seen any bonding moment between a spirit and a human where human had to be naked. Maybe, they will have a stronger bond like this? But, he''s still a man. Chapter 64: What are we doing exactly? Chapter 64: What are we doing exactly? Damin has no idea what''s going inside her head. Before she can ask why both of them have to be naked, he raises her waist to meet his crotch and thrusts his penis inside her. The circle beneath themes alive and begins to glimmer with sea-green light. She cries out in agony because of the sudden onught. The membrane of her innocence is torn away. Damin is surprised to hear her pained scream. He looks down and notices the blood. Why is this human bleeding? He frowns at her. "Why you are bleeding? Dragons don''t bleed when they mate." She hasn''t even collected herself not over the painful shock that she received from the sudden invasion in her most intimate part. She receives another shock because of his words. She''s too speechless to react. That''s what he meant by the word ''mate''. She misunderstood the whole thing! He pauses the mating process and pulls it out. The circles stop glowing. He widens her leg further to check the wound. "The bleeding already stopped?" He talks to himself with a serious tone. "I am not used to human form. I am sure that this is the right way. I might have scratched something inside of her. It would have been a lot easier if she was a dragon." Might have scratched something? He is checking herdy bits with a solemn expression. He inserts his finger and moves it around curiously. "Interesting, it is quite soft. It can get easily scratched. Female humans are different than female dragons. How do Iplete the mating process if she gets easily scratched like this?" He isparing her with a female dragon. She gathers her courage and asks, "C-c-can you exin things to me again?" He doesn''t look at her. His eyes are fixed between her legs. "What do you want me to exin?" "What are we doing exactly?" She asks with a trembling voice. He keeps exploring herdy bits with his fingers, sending strange yet pleasant shivers down her spine. "We arepleting the mating process. If we fail, you will die," He answers her without any hesitation. If they fail, they will die. She doesn''t understand what and why it''s happening. But, he sounds a lot serious. He wipes the blood from her intimate parts. He decides to look carefully before he leaps into mating again. He parts her folds with his fingers. Softer than silk. He didn''t know that the sexual organs of female humans are this fragile. In thest ten thousand years, he is the first dragon who ended up with a human mate. This is difficult. When ites to dragons, they get easily rough. He summons the circle again."We are restarting. I can''t fail and let you die. I am sure that the method is correct. It''s my first time physically bonding. So, bear with it." But, how she can just bear with it? She is having sex with a dragon. While she is mentally freaking out, Damin is already pushing his penis inside her. Carefully. He doesn''t want to scratch her. He''s sure that humans aren''t supposed to bleed when they are mating. She whimpers in pain again when he fastens his pace. He ignores her soft cries and keeps thrusting into her vagina. He has to go as fast as their heartbeats. When it''s not over after 20 shoves, he exims in frustration. It is still not working. "I wonder how many times I have to shove it inside toplete this mating process." She looks at him with tears in her eyes. She is also wondering when it will be over. She is enduring it because she will die if they fail. He pulls it out of her for the second time and leans closer to her. She tenses her shoulder when he sniffs her. "Tch! You aren''t even aroused fully." "..." She''s speechless for the second time. It''s better to just die than experience this humiliation. He sighs deeply. Dragons don''t beat around the bush. He looks at his hardon. It''s natural to get turned on because she''s his mate. His body will automatically get ready for the mating process when he wants to do it. It''s not the same with humans. Female humans are a lot of work. She''s lying in the bed with widened legs, waiting. Her shoulders are tensed. Though she is aroused, she hasn''t reached the level that''s required to finish the mating. "How do I arouse you more?" He asks her with a straight face. "You aren''t aroused enough toplete the mating process." She presses her knees together. She rolls on her stomach and hides her face. She is wondering why she is not dead yet because of embarrassment. He watches her expectedly. She has seen the bonding process a lot. She must have some ideas. The ehr is gathering around her again. He can''t do it all day and keep absorbing it from her channels. The channels must be connected to his core. "If you don''t want to answer, I will ask the spirit beast. He seems quite knowledgeable." Deia sits up abruptly when she hears him say that. "You can''t ask him. I don''t know what he will teach you." "Then, tell me what to do." He shouts at her, "Do you want me to keep prating you all day to absorb the stray ehr from your body? You will die if I let you be for more than 15 minutes." He softens when he sees her quivering and watery eyes again. He feels bad for shouting at a weak female human who gets scratched and bleed more easily. "I have never seen or heard of the mating process between a human and a dragon. I was born after the war." They share a quiet silence until Deia opens her mouth hesitantly. "I-I will tell you how to do it properly." Well, she is not aplete idiot like this dragon. She and her cousins have stolen and read picture books on the topic. She''s sure that she knows more than this dragon who only know how to prate. Damin exhales tiredly. "Enlighten me." Chapter 65: Our eyes must meet when our hearts beat as one Chapter 65: Our eyes must meet when our hearts beat as one "Kiss." Deia gulps down and says, "We should kiss first." Damin watches her face turn red. Kissing serves no actual purpose during mating. "What else?" She opens her mouth and closes it again. She can''t say it when he is looking at her like this. She doesn''t want to die either. This dragon has already taken her virginity away and done whatever he wanted to do. "C-c-close your eyes. I will tell you what to do." He raises his brow. "Our eyes must meet when our hearts beat as one." "Just open your eyes at that moment." She resists the urge to beat him. "How do I get aroused when you are looking at me like that?" He closes his turquoise eyes. She moves closer to him hesitantly. She has never imagined in her dreams that she would be doing this with her spirit. She never had these kinds of visions either. If she had any idea, would she have chosen otherwise? She looks at his face. He is not a bad person. He is clueless about the human world. So far from his home, he must have been lonely in the foreign realms. She has seen him wandering in solitude through realms. All she wanted was to take his loneliness away. She presses her lips on him. She wraps her arms around his neck. She doesn''t know what else to do. He holds her by her waist and moves his lips against hers. The slow beginning turns into a fervent kiss leaving them both breathless. Their mouths meet again. Deia keeps her eyes closed. She takes his hands and puts them on her breasts. She has seen it in the picture book. She hopes that he will get the clue. He cups the soft flesh with his rough palms. So tenderly soft and different from a dragon''s body. He likes the sensation that he is receiving when he squeezes them. A moan escapes from Deia''s lips. The sound of her moaning excites him. He has never felt this before. Her small warm palms explore his body curiously. She peeks at him. His eyes are still closed. She looks down at his erect penis. He is already aroused. She has seen women touching it in the pictures. When she strokes it, Damin''s body bes tense. "What are you doing, Seer?" "I heard that men feel good when women do it." She feels pleased to see her spirit''s reaction. "Will this make you feel aroused?" He asks her stiffly. "Yes." She doesn''t know, but why can''t she try it? She curls her finger around it, moving it up and down. His body bes tenser. She wonders how he will react if... Better do it and find out. She leans down and licks the tip of his erection. His turquoise eyes snap open. He is taking deep long breaths. She moves her head away, embarrassed. He closes his eyes again. His voice is a bit shaky. "Do whatever you were doing." She sucks the tip clumsily. It''s hot. Fiery hot. But, it''s not burning her mouth. It bes harder when she sucks it harder. She takes half of it in her mouth and ys with her tongue. Damin''s breathing is rough. She gets the idea that he is liking it. She moves her head up and down. His fingers dig inside her hair. "Seer." She moves her head back. "Don''t call me seer. My name is Deia. Deia Parisa. You should know your mate''s name." He looks at her and nods, "are you ready?." She bites her lower lip sensuously. "I think that I am ready." He can already sense her aroused state. "How do you want to do it?" He is curious about what she got on her te. Seeing that he has left for her to decide, she blushes hard. He must think that she is a pervert. He raises his brow when she makes no movement. Fearing that her aroused state will be gone, he takes the lead. He pushes her until her back hits the wall. The tip of his erection, still covered by her hot saliva, touches her wet entrance. He sucks, bites, and licks her lips before shoving it into her wet cave. The circle beams up beneath them for the third time. He thrusts into her wet walls that contract around his member. He looks into her eyes. His turquoise eyes are glowing beautifully. She realizes that it''s the moment. The ribbons of sea-green ehr arise from the circle and envelopes around their tangled body. As their bodies begin to reach a synchronized state, the sea-green ehr flows into her channels as the other ends of the ribbons link with his core. The circle disappears when the channels and the core finally connect. He is too exhausted to move away when the bonding ends. He falls on his back on the bed. She copses beside him. Her entrance is dripping with his hot seeds. After some rest, he takes a quick bath and wears his clothes. He looks at the small pale figure on the bed. He has done what the 12th God hasmanded him to do. His business is done. He doesn''t want anything to do with this female human. *** In Deia''s room, Kyo wakes up after a long sleep. He finds his sister sleeping beside him. He takes a deep breath when he finds her alright. The memories of Dark God''s timee in his mind. Just like the Dark God can look into Kyo''s memories, Kyo can also look into Dark God''s memories when he takes his body since they are both aware of each other. He recalls the Dark God''s actions. He bes furious when he remembers what he did to his sister when he went to save her. Sensing an intense gaze on her face, Kresi wakes up. She finds Kyo staring at her with rage in his eyes. "What''s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" "Sister, you slept with that man." His tone is usatory. "You let him do whatever he wanted." The realization hit her like a storm. "Kyo, why do you remember it?" "Why did you do it?" Two streams flow down his cheeks. "I am the only one who is supposed to be your special man." "That..." She is tongue-tied. How does she respond? Kyo isn''t done with interrogation. "Why did he call you his wife?" Chapter 66: Then, you are married to me Chapter 66: Then, you are married to me "That..." I don''t understand how to exin. He looks furious. I feel like I cheated on him. "You see, Kyo. I was wrong. The wedding... it wasn''t a child y. It seems that we got married that day." He looks happy for a moment. Then, it is reced by anger again. "Then, you are married to me." He points at himself. "Not married to that man." He points at himself again. "You see." I find this so ridiculous. Yes, Kyo and the Dark God are different. But, they share one body. It seems that Kyo is aware of the Dark God and he can see his memories when the Dark God is active. The Dark God can see Kyo''s memories. Then, they can''t keep secrets from each other. Why I am stuck between this? He is waiting for me to answer. "You two have one body," I exin what I understand. "So, I think that I am married to both of you." If I had known that the child wedding would take me to this point in my life, I would have never done it. "How is that possible?" He widens his eyes. "You married me." "But, you have the same body. I am automatically married to him." Kyo is Kyo. The Dark God is the Dark God. The Dark God is never jealous of Kyo because he thinks that Kyo is a part of him. Kyo is jealous of the Dark God because he doesn''t think that he is a part of him. So, what do I think? Of course, Kyo is not the Dark God. If they were same, wouldn''t Dark God also feel the same love that Kyo feels for me? "Because we have the same body, you are married to both of us." He looks depressed. "I don''t want to share my wife. I don''t have a choice. He can protect you and save you in a way that I can''t." I feel bad for throwing him in this situation. I hug him. "You two share a single body. So, it was also you when the Dark God was with me because you are also inside him. Besides, I only love you." He rxes a bit after hearing that. "Don''t think of him." This situation is soplicated. Wasn''t it better if Kyo never knew about the Dark God? "Are you hungry?" "Yes." His stomach growls at the same time. There is a tapping on the window. Mogrok peeks at us. "Master, can Ie? I have repented my mistakes." "How did you repent?" I ask him. "I... haven''t eaten anything." Iugh at him. "Nice. Let''s go. I am starving. After this, let''s go and fix a roof. I want to leave this ce soon." "Yes, Master." Mogrok rolls into the room. "Master, there was something that I forgot to tell you. Two Mirins appeared after you were kidnapped." "Oh?" The chosen one and the Mirins know that I am here. But, they didn''t appear again. I shrug my shoulders. It''s good for me if they are busy. When we go downstairs for food, the inn owner gives me a big bill. "You haven''t paid." After I see the digits on the bill, I purse my lips. Deia hasn''t paid. Right now, she''s busy with bonding thing. After I pay the inn owner, my pockets are light. I need coins. "This letter came for you." The inn owner gives me an envelope. "It was sent yesterday after the fire." There is no name or address on the envelope. I look at the inn owner. "Is there any news about the fire?" I know who caused it. The problem is that I don''t know the identity of the chosen one. "It was a fake fire. Nothing was burned. No one was hurt." The inn owner seems a bit annoyed. "Someone must have been ying a prank. Lord Andareanesi would look into it." I put the envelope in my pocket. Food first, problemster. During the dinner, Kyo insists eating on his own again. I let him do what he wants. After we finish the food, we leave the inn to take care of the roof. "Mogrok, is there any gluing rune?" We make our way toward the 3-star city. "Maybe we can just stick it together." "Master, there is one. That''s quite advanced. You can''t summon it yet. Though you have a higher affinity with rune magic, I feel that you should also try mastering the physical type of magic." He sounds a bit regretful. "It is easier than the rune magic. It involves directly manipting the ehr. You can use it to stick the spell on the roof." My smart spirit beast. I swear that he solves 90% of problems in my life. I am excited to learn the new type of magic. When we arrive in 3-Star city, we see that the roof is rebuilt. But, there is ack of a spell in that area. All the casinos around that area are closed. "Here to fix it?" Andareanesi appears out of nowhere. I give him a nod. "It''s better if I clear my debt faster. I don''t want to owe anything to a man like you." Andareanesi nces at Kyo and then, at his arm. "I heard that the mirins came to visit you." "I didn''t get to meet them. So, I don''t know anything about it." I look up at the ceiling. "I don''t think that you have a staircase." "We never needed it before." Andareanesiughs at me. "Use your spirit beast." Mogrok snarls at him. "My master doesn''t need a staircase when I am there." I stare at him and sigh. "Mogrok, you aren''t a staircase. But, yes, I do need to get up there. Can you please change and be big?" Andareaneasi is watching us with a peculiar gaze. He gives me the creeps. Not because he is mixed blood. Because he gives me a feeling that he is someone who isn''t loyal to anything in his life. Not even Giana. Then, Giana might not be loyal to him either. Mogrok changes his form. He picks me and Kyo up in his palm toward the ceiling. I bring out the piece of spell and ster it on the ceiling. The entire roof shines with the spells formed from different runes. "Master, inject your ehr into the piece of the spell and direct it outward. When the ehr flow through the piece of spell again, it wille alive. The ends will join itself on its own." I close my eyes and concentrate. I feel the vibration of dense ehr around me. It quickly flows into my channels like a raging river forced to flow through a tunnel. I feel dizzy. It''s too much to handle. ''If you don''t seek me, then I will seek you.'' The same voice. I let out a breath. The corrupted ehr. I have been infected by it. I ignore the voice. The raging ehr. I direct it toward my hands. It flows into the spell and spreads out. I direct all the wild ehr into the spell. There is a burst ofughter in my head. ''You like feeling powerful.'' There is one thing that I know for sure. If I talk back, we will begin having conversations. In my world, people who talked to the voice in their heads usually had to see a psychiatristter. I feel a cool hand on my back. "Sister, don''t give in." Chapter 67: I dont like what is happening Chapter 67: I don''t like what is happening The entire roof of the underground cities shines like the interconnected stars in the night sky. The raw ehr flows through the spell cast by the 11 gods, strengthening it further. All eyes turn to the roof. It looks like they are standing under a real night sky. The piece of the spell glues back like it was never taken apart. Andareanesi watches the boy and the girl standing atop the giant spirit beast with a thousand eyes. The girl has no idea what she has just done. Everyone can see her body sucking the ehr directly and use it on the old spell formed by the 11 gods. In front of everyone in the middle realm, she has just demonstrated that she is the new Renasir. She ps her hands like she is pping away the non-existent dust. She turns around and hugs the boy next to her, not caring about the eyes of everyone. Kyo pecks her lips once and smiles. She is happy when she is doing magic. He is also happy when she is happy like this. Just then, there is a roar from the crowd that surrounds them. "RENASIR!!!" Kresi jumps in surprise. "What the...?" "RENASIR!!!" The crowd screams to them. "THE NEXT RENASIR OF IRAVAN!" She covers her ears. "What''s going on?" Mogrok can see that people are crowding up around them. "There are too many people. I don''t like what is happening." Kresi finds Andareanesi looking up at her smugly. "He tricked me. He wanted me to reveal my identity to the masses." Mogrok has figured that out. "Master, the situation is grave. We are surrounded. I think that he wanted to trap us for something else." "Mogrok, use your arms to put us somewhere far away. Distract them and then, meet Deia and Damin. Bring them to the gate. We will leave this ce now." Mogrok grabs Kyo and Kresi with his one arm. He stretches it and puts them on the roof of a casino on the opposite side of the city. He shrinks into a size of the palm and runs through the crowd at an excellent speed toward 4-star city to collect the Seer and the Dragon. The crowd is shocked to see the giant arm and then, the spirit beast disappearing suddenly. Kresi and Kyo jump from the roof of the casino. Kyo maniptes the dark ehr to change the air around them. They gently float down on the street. They run toward the gate situated in the middle of the 9 cities. There are still people chasing them. Kresi cusses the halfling lord of the underground cities. He could have warned her about this. She has fallen right into the trap. When only the Mirins and the chosen one had known, she got kidnapped by the chosen one and the Mirins came to take her away. What would happen if the whole world knew? She will never have a normal life. "Master." Damin appears in front of them. "Do you want to escape?" Kyo gives him a nod. "We are going toward the gate." "I can open one from here," He calls the gate. A dark gate of ck bricks with silver dragons and shiny purple runes emerges in front of them. There is a powerful aura. "Humans have surrounded the gate in the middle of the cities. We cannot reach it unless we plow over all the humans. We don''t have time." "RENASIR!" Kresi holds Kyo''s hands when she hears a scream. Someone has seen them. The sound of footsteps is getting closer. "RENASIR IS THERE." Kresi asks with an ominous voice. "Where does it go?" "Sor Kaya." He pauses and looks at Kyo. "Capital of the Dema continent." She grabs Kyo''s wrist and tries to move away from the gate. "We can''t go there, Kyo." Damin blocks her path and sps her arm tightly. "You have taken enough advantage of the Dark God''s repressed state. Now, I know that you are the Renasir. I cannot trust you more." "Let go of her." Kyo scowls at Damin. Damin lets go of her. With his left hand, he gives her a push toward the gate to Sor Kaya. She stumbles on her feet and loses her bnce. The gate is opened and pulls her toward it. She widens her eyes when she feels the sucking force. It happens in less than a second. Kyo is running toward her, trying to grab her hand. A rune of wind escapes her palm and hits his body. It pushes him back until his back hits the wall. He looks at her with a bewildered expression. Before Damin can take a step toward Kyo to help him, a rope formed of raw ehres out of her left hand and ties around his foot. He stumbles the same way Kresi stumbled and falls toward the gate. In 4-star city, Deia wakes up after a strange dream. She finds Damin gone. He must have gone downstairs. She dresses quickly. She can feel his ehr throbbing in her vein. Feeling happy, she goes to find Kresi. Her room is empty. Everyone is gone. She goes downstairs and asks the innkeeper about it. "She left hours ago." The innkeeper tells her quietly, "You better not leave now. The new Renasir made an appearance in the 3rd city. People are going crazy. It''s rumored that she is thest Renasir who is the crucial key to save the world from the Harbinger and the Dark God. There is a new prophecy too." New renasir? Suddenly, a vision appears in front of her eyes. Damin and Kresi falling into the gate. Kyo is desperately trying to dig the ground where the gate was. Mogrok is running toward the inn. The vision is too clear. As if it is happening right now. She runs outside the inn and waits. After 10 minutes, she sees Mogrok running toward her. "We have to leave." Mogrok is relieved to find her outside. "Master is waiting for us at the gate in the middle of the cities." Deia looks at him gravely. "Mogrok, I don''t think that she is there." Chapter 68: You are his mate Chapter 68: You are his mate Mogrok and Deia find Kyo at the spot where she has seen him. He is digging the ground with his hands and crying. "Sister..." "Boy, stop." Mogrok sighs. He gets the idea of what might have happened here. He turns to the Seer. "Do you see anything, Seer?" She shakes her head. A question has been bothering her. "Mogrok, is it the new Renasir''s doing?" Mogrok stares at her. "Seer, the new Renasir is my master." "What?" She touches her forehead. "How is that possible?" "It should be impossible." Mogrok wonders what he should do. "That dragon... That''s why I told the master to stay away from a traitor''s son." Deia has an empty feeling in her heart. After making the bond and giving her a new life, he left her without a word. Does the night have no meaning to him? Kyo suddenly stands up and turn around. His fingers are bleeding. "Beast, the gate to Dema realm is not opening. Why?" Sensing that the Dark God is awake, Deia steps backward. She still remembers what he did to her. She went crazy because of himst time. The Dark God doesn''t even nce at her. He res at Mogrok. "She''s too far from this realm. I can''t stay awake for a long time. Answer me now." "When the 11 gods separated the old world, the 12th God asked for a separate realm for Dema and everyone else who is born under hisw. The Dema are too strong to live with humans. So, the 11 gods agreed." Mogrok only knows what he has heard from his inmates. His inmates have heard it from the cursed children who often wandered into the prison in their dreams on the night of the unions. "Humans cannot go to the dema continent without the permission of the dragon god. The gate to the dema continent can only be opened by Dema who has the permission of the dragon god. In the same way, the dema cannot freelye to the human realms. But, the dragon god can send his blood if he acquires the permission of the renasir." "Kresi?" Deia asks, confused. "When did she give permission?" "It''s not her." Mogrok shakes his head. "It''s the previous Renasir." The Dark God feels his strength disappearing. Again. The higher and middle realms are close. His strength wasn''t affected much when she was taken to the edge of the higher realm by the chosen one. The Dema continent, the realm of Dema, is too far from the middle realm. He can''t even sense her or feel whether she is alright. That betrayer! If he hurts her... "You are his mate." He looks at Deia. He can''t hold for long. He must get close to her before he loses his awareness again. Deia is scared beyond words when she sees him walking toward him. "I want to help, but I don''t want to die." He can''t keep his awareness for long. "You won''t die." That''s the only words he offers. A summoning gate with no destination appears beneath them. Deia shrieks in fear when he bites her finger and drops the blood in the circle. Mogrok hops into the circle when the violent green fire heaves upward to swallow them. The Dark God falls asleep before they arepletely swallowed. *** When I found myself lying on a stranger''s bedst time, I was drugged with some magical potion and almost raped by the chosen one. I don''t see any man around me this time. I don''t think that this is a deluxe room either. Technically, I am sitting on a stone bed. There is a metal chain tied around my ankle. It''spletely dark and the room is hot. I am thirsty, feeling like I am going to die from dehydration. I lean back against the wall. The scalding heat burns my back. I move away. Who put me inside a microwave? Where the hell is Damin? I am supposed to be on thend of dragons. I am sure that my current status is a prisoner of the dragons. Haha! If it was my previous life, I wouldugh at the idea of dragons being real. Why dragons aren''t small and cute like Mogrok? Enough monologue. I need to get out of here. That''s when I realize that there isn''t a single drop of ehr around me. My channels are empty. It''s not broken or blocked. As empty as my stomach that''s growling for food. This chain is so annoying. It''s tight around my ankle. Why did they have to chain me? Just locking me in this room was enough. I wonder if Kyo was found by Mogrok. Kyo must have been upset because I used magic on him, but he would have fallen with me if I hadn''t pushed him away. I don''t know how he will be treated on thend of the betrayer god. I need to get back to him. "Hello?" I try to attract the attention of my captors. I am sure that we can talk civilly ande to an agreement. "Hello? Hello? Hello? Anyone there? I am thirsty. Can I get some water? Where the hell that ******** dragon go?" I didn''t need to add thest line. Controlling temper when you are hungry, thirsty, abducted, chained and sitting inside a room that like a microwave is very difficult. The stone door slides away. The person is tall. Very. Taller than Andareanesi. He is skinny. Thinner than Andareanesi. He has a long face and uplifted eyes. I find myself envying his straight long silky dark orange hair. "You are awake, Harbinger." He watches me with ruthlessness in his eyes. "The emperor wants to see you." "The 12th god?" I am not surprised. "I want to see him too." His stony expression remains the same. It takes a strong will to stand on my spot when hees closer and pulls the metal chain from the wall. He turns his back and walks ahead of me, pulling me using the chain. The chain is broken. I am out of the microwave. All I need is an opportunity to run. Chapter 69: Why I am still being treated wrong? Chapter 69: Why I am still being treated wrong? The sweet intoxicating scent of Torsha flower is lingering in the air. Under the ming red sky with no moon or sun, Deia finds herself sitting on the dry and hot rocky ground. It''s difficult to breathe because of the smoke and ashes in the air. She looks back and sees dark smoke rising from the mountain. "Volcano?" Mogrok is up at the spirits in the sky. They haven''t noticed them. If theye to attack, it will be a hotheaded fight. The spirits from this realm are stronger than the spirits from the human realms. He opens all of his thousand eyes and looks for his master in all the directions. Deia wraps her hands around herself. She''s scared. This ce is strange. The Dark God is sleeping. Kyo hasn''t awakened yet. Mogrok is looking for Kresi with his 1000 eyes. She wants to help too. The visiones to her like a distant dream. Damin is half-naked. Someone is striking his back with a thornysh. He''s not fighting back. The ground beneath him is covered with his blood. She snaps her violet eyes open. She fists her hands to stop them from trembling. She takes a deep breath. Why she is being upset? She has seen the visions. He left her after being done with her. She was a chore for him toplete. If he treated her like a mate, he wouldn''t leave her like that. He went away. He came for the Dark God and taking him to the dema continent was his only goal. He tried to leave the realm without her. He didn''t even have the decency to say goodbye once. She''s angry. She doesn''t care about that Dema. She''s thankful that he saved her and attached her channels with his core. Thanks to him, she can feel faint ehr flowing through her body. Keep getting hit. She doesn''t care. She doesn''t give a damn. She concentrates and tries to look into the near future. She finds Damin lying inside a dark prison. Alone. She can''t let her spirit. No, he''s her mate. She can''t let her mate end up like that. He might not want anything to do with her, but he is someone very important to her. After a few hours, his pupils rotate around his eyes until one of his eyes catch a glimpse of Damin in Sor Kaya, being punished. He can''t see his master anywhere. Damin must know where she is. *** I don''t like this quietness. We are walking through a tunnel built inside the ground. My heart is thumping loudly. Fear. I can''t hide it from the person walking in front of me. He doesn''t turn back once or say a single word. I stare at the end of the chain in his hand. I still can''t sense any ehr or summon any rune. It must be because of this chain. "Why I am chained?" I ask him with a smile. "It''s not like that I can run away. This is Dema continent. I don''t know how to summon a gate. I won''t recognize use a Cina''s gate. My magic level is basic too." He doesn''t answer me. "I feel awkward like this. You see, I am a human with some pride. Being chained like this make me feel like I am a ve." I say the words from my heart. "This is a vition of human rights." "Humans don''t have any right in this realm." His looks down at me. "This chain prevent you from ehr and keeps you undetected. Don''t ask me any more question." If I don''t ask you anything, how will I get to know what''sing for me? I ask him more questions, but he doesn''t answer or speak another world. Wee to a wall. He mumbles a word that sounds like the name of the rune. I am extremely sensitive to runes. So, I could tell easily. The wall disappears. He pulls me to the hall. The chandelier is made of gold. The cutleries on the dinner table is also made gold. The frames of paintings hanging on the walls are made of gold. One of the paintings attracts my eyes. I see Kyo. No, it''s the Dark God. He''s standing beside the man with silver hair. I have seen the same painting in the castle inside the cursed realm. My chain is the only metal that''s not made of gold. The grouchy man leaves after tying the end of my chain to the chair made of gold. There is no one in the room. I make myselffortable and sit on the chair. At least, the cushions aren''t made of gold. That would be too much. Can I steal a cup or two? I amcking money. Stealing gold from a dragon? I resist temptation and pour myself the wine. I want water, but I have to make do with the cool wine. It''s delicious. I like good alcohol. I start filling my empty stomach with fruits. I need strength to deal with whatever ising. When I am done, I pat my tummy with satisfaction. "It''s so good. I want to eat more, but there''s no space in my stomach." "That''s a shame." I jump in my chair and looks in the direction of the voice. The man with silver hair is sitting at the other end of the table and holding a ss. He is watching me with a shrewd smile on his lips. I didn''t sense his presence until he made it known. He must have been there for the whole time. "I apologize on behalf of my foolish son for treating you wrongly." His eyes are silver. "He is still young. He doesn''t understand much." I keep myself calm and pick up the cloth to clean my mouth as elegantly as I could. I hit the chain against the chair''s foot. "Why I am still being treated wrong?" Chapter 70: If you dont exist, I dont think that I can exist either Chapter 70: If you don''t exist, I don''t think that I can exist either Aeis smiles at the girl. She reminds him of a certain someone. She''s afraid and she knows that he can sense it easily, but she doesn''t care about it. She''s bravely looking at him. "You aren''t answering my question." "Does it make sense that the harbinger is the renasir?" He swirls the red wine in the cup. "Honestly, I don''t care." She lets out a tired sigh. "Whether I am the renasir or the harbinger, I have no intention of taking care of the problems created by you and the other gods. It should be the gods who should be bearing the responsibility." Aeis chuckles sarcastically. This girl has no knowledge about the old war. She''s not a full renasir yet. The previous renasir is still alive. That must be the reason. "Do you know what you truly are?" "Why don''t you tell me about it?" She rests her elbows on the table and leans forward. "I also heard things about you. You betrayed the Dark God. That''s why he lost the war. I heard that you were his friend. I don''t know the circumstances that led you to betray him, but I think that he doesn''t consider you as a friend. Why did you send your son to serve him and invite him here? Are you nning to betray him again?" Aeis crushes the wine cup. She is astonished by that reaction. He picks up the wine jar and walks to her. He pours the wine on her head. Tight-lipped, she looks at him with fury. Amusing. He picks up the second jar and empties it on her. Third. fourth. Fifth. She ispletely drenched from head to toe. He is irritated when there is no reaction. "You have no pride." "Am I supposed to get angry for this?" She kicks his leg. "There, happy? That''s my reaction for bathing me with wine." If it was somebody else, he would have shredded that person''s soul. "Are you close to him?" He leans closer to inhale her scent. Adira''s scent is lingering on her body. She shifts in the chair, ufortable because of the closing distance between their faces. "I am not close to the Dark God." He sps her throat with his w. "Then, why you are still alive?" She scratches the w. Her face turns blue because of the force. Aeis knows that she won''t die. Not until the core is taken from that chest. Not until she fulfills one of her destinies. Not until the word is spoken and her body is erased along with her soul. His silver eyes are glowing with hatred. He pushes his w in her chest. He grabs the core inside her. Before he could push it out, his wrist is grabbed by someone. He looks up and finds his friend looking down at him with deep loathing. Aeis releases the core and backs away. The Dark God takes her unconscious blood-soaked body in his arm protectively. The Dark God nces at her bloodless face. "Take your core back." Aeis spits out the words. "She''s the forbidden spell. After she bes the full renasir, you won''t be able to take it back." The Dark God stares at Aeis. "Why did you give that spell away?" The Dark God has given a lot of thought. Only the main gods know the knowledge of the forbidden spell. The 11 gods are asleep. This dragon god is insane enough to give the spell to the creator of that body despite knowing about the forbidden sin and manipting that creator to let the Harbinger live and free the Dark God. The previous Renasir must have been aware. "The previous Renasir struck a deal with me." Aeis lets out an exasperated sigh. "In return of the spell, she will let the harbinger live and release you. She was afraid that the next Renasir won''t turn up. She wanted to create one by herself. She didn''t care aboutmitting the forbidden sin. I did it because I wanted to you to be released from your wrongful imprisonment. I didn''t know that she would do this." The Dark God doesn''t say anything. Aeis frowns when he notices his gaze on the Harbinger. He asks him quietly, "Do you love her?" "No." His reply is short. "I pity her." Aeis'' eyes turn dark. "Then, why keep her alive for more than 3 years?" The Dark God sighs. During the first year, he was too weak. During the second year, he was being suppressed by his other-self. During the third year, he tried to kill her and she managed to change his mind. He decided to let her live for a while. He doesn''t love her. Just pity. That''s it. He breaks the chain tied to her ankle. "As my harbinger, she deserves respect." "As the Renasir who might imprison you again, she deserves this." Aeis'' voice is calmer, but anger isn''t gone. "Tch! The ten thousands of imprisonment didn''t improve your head." *** I wake up to find myself in warm water. I look up at him. "Kyo?" "Wife, you are awake." He grins at me brightly. "I am giving you a bath. Your body was sticky." "..." He is washing my hair. I feel warm and weird at the same time. It makes me feel warm that he is washing my hair like the way I used to do it to him. I feel weird because there is no piece of clothing on me. "Ahem." I cover my chest. The hot water pool is surrounded byrge locks. I get the idea that we aren''t back. "Kyo, how did youe here? Did the dragon god do anything to you?" "They had a talk, my wife." Kyo slips into the water, fully clothed. "It''s all fine now." I am? I nearly died again. "The Dark God is fine with the dragon god? They didn''t fight about betrayal?" "Don''t worry about them, Wife. It''s fine." Kyo sniffs my hair. "Your hair doesn''t smell of wine anymore." "Why are you calling me wife?" I frown at him. "Wife should be called wife." He tells me with a straightforward voice. "I thought about it while washing your hair." He is close and I am fully naked. I have experienced his crazy hormone moments. I push him away. "Stop sniffing me. How long have I been in the water?" He doesn''t answer my question. "Why do you love me?" That... The Dark God also asked the same question once. Why is he asking me this question now? Hees closer and gazes into my eyes deeply. My heart skips a beat when I notice the intensity in those dark eyes. My Kyo is changing bit by bit ever since he became aware of the Dark God. I realize that he is growing up, shredding his innocence bit by bit. I don''t know who he will be. "Tell me." He implores me. "I want to know why." I lean on him, resting my head on his chest. He has no heartbeat. But, my heart is beating fast. "When I came to this world for the first time, I was afraid of everything. I was alone and I had no one to trust. When I saw you for the first time, you looked up at me. At first, it was about taking care of you because you couldn''t take care of yourself. You became someone I wanted to protect at any cost. Your innocence. Your pure heart. Your way of looking up at me. You wanting me to take care of you. You needing me. I think that I was someone who wanted to be needed by someone else." I pause and wait for him to say something. He probably can''t even understand what I am saying. I hug him tighter. "Those might have been my initial reasons. You are growing up. You might not need me in the future. Even if all of those reasons are taken away and you are no longer the same Kyo, I will still love you. Whether you want me to be your wife or your sister, I am going to take any role to stay beside you. If you don''t exist, I don''t think that I can exist either." Chapter 71: Its beating fast Chapter 71: It''s beating fast "If you don''t exist, I don''t think that I can exist either." Kyo rests his chin on her head. His simple mind can''t think ofplicated things. There are things that he is trying his best to understand. There might be things that he understands better than the other person inside him. As things continue to change, things between him and her are also changing. "I don''t want to exist either if you don''t exist," He tells her seriously. She pinches his nose. "Idiot." He puckers his lips. "Why I am an idiot? I said the same thing that you did." "I get it now." She grabs his head and pulls it closer to her face. She looks at him seriously. "You keep looking into the Dark God''s memories when he is using this body. Then, you know what I am. That''s why you are acting strange." He looks sideways. That''s one of the reasons. "You are afraid that I will die?" Sheughs. "I used to be afraid of dying. But, I am not afraid anymore. This heart. It''s also mine. Listen." She presses his ear on her chest. He listens quietly. "It''s beating fast," He mumbles. "It''s recording my love for you." She pecks his forehead. "When it goes to your body, you will be able to feel it. I will always live as a part of you. Whenever you feel your heart beating fast, think that it is me singing to you." She''s trying to make him feel better. His gaze turns sorrowful. "Be the full Renasir. Complete the initiation." "How do you... ?" She closes her mouth. "You must have heard something. I will be the full Renasir because I want to heal your arm. Then, we will run away. We will go somewhere far. You and I will live together. And Mogrok too. Sounds good? We will build our home of happiness." He nods cheerfully. Just him and her. He will adjust with the spirit beast. There won''t me anyone bothering them. She won''t die after bing the full renasir because the bad god can''t take the heart away. Nobody will be able to take that heart away and kill her. *** There are tangled futures. Vague futures. The futures that will nevere true.The futures that can''t be avoided at any cost. In all the futures that Deia is seeing, the death of the Renasir is sure. In one of the futures, the cursed children are imploring the harbinger to take charge and fight the nameless knights. The chosen one. There is a war. Countless people die. The Harbinger is seeking more power. She makes the wrong choice. The seal is broken. The 11 gods wake up, but it''s toote. The cursed sea is swallowing the world. Nothing can stop it. In the second future, she bes the Renasir. She runs away with Kyo. The Dark God bes weak. He rarely appears. Slowly, the Renasir begins to lose her mind. The consciousness of the cursed sea is corrupting her mind and takes over her body. The dark core is controlled by the evil consciousness. The seal is broken. The end is the same. The cursed sea swallows the realms including the gods. There is an extremely vague future in which she chooses the world. The corrupted ehr is uncontroble. With the chosen one, she erases the source of corruption in the dark ehr and Kyo. She wakes up the 11 gods. When her destiny isplete, her body and soul gets erased on its own. The dark core chooses a new god. When all the 13 gods are united, the bnce is achieved and the world is fixed again. Deia inhales a mouthful of air after the end of the visions. The visions are clearer than before. Almost as if it was the concrete future. She is afraid for Kresi. She has to find her as soon as possible. The choices... all of them are ending with her and Kyo''s death. Why? "Seer!" Mogrok is screaming as he is running toward the pce. 3 dragons and 8 other spirits are chasing them. Around half an hour ago, the Dark God suddenly woke up and flew to the pce, leaving them behind. "It''s not the time for visions." "Mogrok, we have to find Kresi as soon as possible." "Seer, you think that I don''t know that." "Can''t we talk to them?" She looks up at the enormous dragons that are covering the sky. "We mean peace. We won''t harm anyone. We are just looking for a friend." The dragons'' roars nearly make her deaf. mes rain from the sky. Mogrok barely manages to survive. "Seer, don''t make them angry." "Why do they--?" Another loud earsplitting roar. The spirits and the dragons stop in the sky. Mogrok doesn''t stop. He jumps with Deia in his hand, crashes through the walls, andnds right in the middle of the pce. The man with the silver hair, dressed in exquisite clothes, looks at the spirit beast and the woman with the scent of a dragon from the sky. He looks up at his three sons fidgeting in the sky. "Did you not notice that this human is your brother''s mate? Then, why did you try to harm her?" The three dragons lower their heads in shame. It''s a huge crime to harm the mate. They really didn''t notice that the human is the mate. They found it weird that she had the scent of a dragon, but they never heard of a dragon having a human mate. So, they thought that the human was tricking them. "Go and take your punishments." Punishments, not punishment. The mighty dragons and the spirits tremble in fear. They are done. Aeis watches the girl with blonde hair. His youngest son has a human mate. What kind of idiot leaves his human mate behind? That boy also needs a lesson. "Where is my master?" Mogrok asks the dragon god. "Did you harm her, betrayer god? You better not have done this." "If you call me betrayer again, I will forget that you are one of his acquaintances." The dragon god is already at the limit of his temper. "I will rip apart your arm one by one and poke your eyes with my fork." Mogrok closes some of his eyes in fear. "I want to see my master." "She''s alive for now." He turns to the girl. "When did youplete the mating process with him? I am surprised that my idiot son even knew how to mate with a human." "That... " Deia chokes on the words. She is too embarrassed. Aeis scowls at her when she doesn''t answer him. Sensing that, Mogrok answers the question. "Theypleted it yesterday. They took a long time, but it was done." "Bring Damin," Aeismands one of the servants. He sighs. After ten thousand years, a dragon has a human mate. His youngest son has the least sense among all of his son. Why, among all the sons, that boy has a human mate? Chapter 72: Who wants to stay with this stupid man? Chapter 72: Who wants to stay with this stupid man? He sleeps with his head on myp. I touch his long eyshes. The bridge of his nose. His lips. He stirs in his sleep. I stroke his hair to calm him. I wonder what he is dreaming about. "MASTER!" Mogrok barges into the room. Kyo lifts his sleepy head. I re at Mogrok. He bes quiet. I look down at Kyo and smile, "Sleep. It''s only Mogrok." Kyo shuts his eyes again and falls asleep. "Master," Mogrok whispers to me. "Are you okay?" "I am fine." I move cautiously and put Kyo''s head on the pillow. He murmurs something in his sleep. I pat his head and kiss his cheek and say, "Sleep. Dream about me. I am not going anywhere." He smiles faintly. I wait for him to fall deeper in sleep. Then, I walk away cautiously. Without making any nose. I close the door behind me. "Tell me everything," I say to Mogrok. Mogrok finishes how they came to the Dema continent. "Deia and Damin are being interrogated by the Dragon God." "Will she be fine?" I ask him. "She won''t be hurt. She will get the status of prince consort." Hees closer and whispers to me, "The seer''s womb is quickened by the dragon''s seed. She doesn''t know it yet. I am sure that the dragon god has felt it already." "What the..." I keep getting shocks. "They did it only yesterday." "Dragon''s seeds are quite powerful when they mating with humans. She is his destined mate too." Mogrok ispletely in gossipy mode. "I don''t think that she will be able to leave the pce again." I don''t know whether that''s a good idea or not. She will be only human here. I will talk to her about it. "Where are they?" *** Damin widens his eyes when he sees his Seer standing in front of his emperor father. Why she is here? After finishing the Dark God''smand, he left her there because his father hated humans. He thought that she wouldn''t be epted. Besides, she is too fragile to live in the Dema continent. He hasn''t forgotten about the bleeding part. "You have only one chance to exin." Aeis stares at his foolish son. "Only one chance." He drops to his knees and gives him a thorough exnation of how the Dark Godmanded him to save her. He tried all methods and failed. When he had no choice, he epted her as his mate and went ahead with the mating process. He didn''t hide one single detail about the process, especially how she bled and he had to change his method to make a bond with her. He knows that it is a crime to abandon a mate. "Father, I didn''t bring her because you hate humans." Deia feels a rollercoaster of emotions. She finally loses her temper and ps him hard. "You moron! How could you talk about that in front of everyone?" Aeis shrugs. There are only three of them in the room. But, yes, he gets the idea that he has been wrong. His son''s stupidity is immeasurable. It''s not his son''s fault. There is ack of information and there has never been a human mate in thousands of years. His son is young too. "There is only my father. I have to tell him everything." Damin wonders why she is touching his cheek again and again. He can''t feel her ps. He grabs her wrist tightly. She yelps in pain. He releases it right away and feels bad for leaving those red finger marks on her wrist. "You shouldn''t havee here." "I didn''te here for you." Deia forgets about the third person in the room. "You are a horrible man. A worse spirit. How could you leave without saying goodbye? I felt so upset when I woke up alone in bed. I understand that you don''t want to be with me. After what we did until you were satisfied, you should have... have... " "I am not a spirit." Damin has lost count how many times he has told her that. This human doesn''t listen. She starts crying. "You don''t even have the decency of... I get it that I misunderstood you as my spirit. I am still your mate, isn''t? We have already bonded, isn''t? I feel your ehr in my channels. Isn''t it almost the same? A spirit is the most important being in wahr''s life. They are connected by souls, minds, hearts, and bodies. You and I are also connected simrly. Perhaps, it''s even deeper. Then, why do you leave me? I have loved you for my whole life. If you don''t like me and don''t want me to follow you, then stop getting hurt. Why do you have thoseshes marks? I had a vision that they were hurting you. It hurt so much to watch. I was so afraid. I wanted to save you. I didn''t even know where you were." Aeis rubs his forehead. Humans. He almost forgot how annoying they are. His son is watching her nkly, making no attempt to quieten her. Dragons are different. They aren''t easily swayed by emotions. They can''t show love as humans do. They don''t fall easily in love. If they love the person, they can''t stop loving the person for their entire life. Mating without love is not umon in Dema continent. This particr girl is also a seer "Damin, take her to your chamber. She will live here from now on." "But," Damin is hesitant. "Father, I don''t like humans either. I don''t want to live in the same room as her. I will have to watch my every step. I don''t know what will crush her and send her to the afterlife. Besides, I must follow the 12th God." His son is worried that he will kill the girl identally. His youngest son is also someone who is unusually kind among all of his sons. That''s why he sent him to convince the Dark God, thinking that his kindness would prevent him from harming weak humans. "I don''t want to stay here." Deia chins up. She "Who wants to stay with this stupid man?" Aeis ignores Deia. "Damin, he has already released you as his servant. He told me that he didn''t like a foolish dragon who abducted his heart and brought her to the Dema continent. You can''t abandon your mate. She needs you the most now." Damin doesn''t know the meaning of his words. But, he gets that his father wants him to take care of his mate. "If that''s father''s wish, I will take care of her as my mate." Chapter 73: I will stay here Chapter 73: I will stay here Damin drags Deia to his chamber. She struggles against him, but her attempts have no effects. He eyes her with an emotionless expression, "You will stay inside my chamber for the rest of your life." She will be a prisoner? "I don''t want to stay here." "Why did youe here if you didn''t want to?" Damin is furious at her. "I didn''t want a human mate. I don''t like humans. I mated with you and created the bond because the Dark God wanted me to save you at any cost. Why must I keep you with me? A mate is supposed to be her mate''s strength. You are my weakness." When Deia sobs in front of him, he softens his voice. "I left you there. I gave you a chance to live a life among humans. You are the only human here. You aren''t strong enough." Isn''t he here to protect her? She looks at him with sadness. She doesn''t care where she has to live. His words are stabbing her heart. He is calling her a weakness. "I felt lonely without you. Did you not feel anything when you went away? How can I live a normal life without you? We have bonded. Don''t you feel lonely without me?" Damin sighs. He doesn''t answer her. He did feel empty, but that''s the effect of being far away from his mate. When she''s near him, he feels extremely stressed. Loneliness. He''s used to it. Reality hits her finally. He doesn''t feel anything for her. Nothing. She has been looking for her all her life. He is a heartless person who feels nothing. There is a knock on the door. Damin opens it and sees Kresi with Mogrok. He turns around and nces at Deia who is looking down at her hands with sorrow. He leaves right away, feeling upset for some iprehensible reason. Emotional humans give contagious diseases. *** "Now, now... calm down." She''s been crying for a while. I pat her back. I have heard half of the conversation. It''s not like I wanted to hear it. But, they were shouting. I understand how Deia feels. She has been searching for her spirit. She even risked her life. She abandoned her home and family for a chance to find the spirit. Things turned out like this. I don''t know much about bonding. Mogrok and I are also bonded. I didn''t make any contract. The previous harbinger did with the heart of the Dark God. I wonder how I would have fared without him in this world. "Seer, you should not be distressed with a heavy womb." He is looking at us with bored eyes. "You are a human carrying halflings in your body. It is still early. You should start caring." She finally stops crying. "I am carrying what in my body?" "Didn''t the Dragon God tell you?" Mogrok bites his lip. "I shouldn''t have told you if he hasn''t told you. It looks like your mate has no idea either. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have left you alone after nting his seeds in your womb." "What do you mean?" She asks with a shaky voice. "Tell me now." Mogrok blinks at her. "In human terms, you are carrying his children. Two half human-half dragons in your womb. You should deliver them in three or four months." She drops him. Her face turns ghastly pale. "Pregnant already?" She doesn''t look happy. Maybe, I should skip congratting her. "Deia, I heard that you are going to stay here. Are you okay with it?" She''s going to be only human on this entire continent. "Pregnant." She holds her head. "He doesn''t even want me here." I sigh. I am not the best rtionship advisor. Things with Deia areplicated. Carrying human children are bothersome alone. How will she do about half-dragons? "Deia, look." I turn to face her. "You are overreacting a bit. Things did turn out unfair for you, but you found who you were looking for. He even saved your life. You know about him because you have had the visions. But, he had no clue about your existence before you appeared in his life. Besides, he isn''t a human. Think from his point of view. It''s like he is suddenly thrown into an arranged marriage with someone who belongs to an entirely different species. Even I would freak out if it was me." She is crying again. "I don''t know what to do. I never thought that I would sleep with a dragon and be pregnant with two half-dragons. He is so heartless." I wonder if she is extra emotional because she is pregnant. "Then, what do you want to do? If you want to leave, I will take you away." "No, Master. She''s carrying dragon''s seeds. If you take her away, the treaty will be broken. All the dragons will chase you to the human realm." Mogrok objects. "She needs to remain close with her mate especially when she is carrying the children. Through the bond, the mate will provide the strength and nutrients that she and the half-dragons need. Otherwise, she might die before she can deliver the halflings." He bes quiet. Deia has a lost look in her eyes. She covers her belly. "If it''s best for them to be here, I will stay here." "You are making the right decision, Seer." Mogrok crosses his arms and nods. "You are his mate. You belong to the royal family too. No other dragon or spirit with touch you or harm you. Don''t be scared. You also belong to thew of the 12th god. I am a witness to the wedding. You are his destined mate. He can''t even marry again without your permission." Deia seems delighted after hearing that. "Really? What else can I do?" "You will be treated like a princess. You will also wield certain powers since you carry the royal blood." Mogrok counts his fingers. "What else was there? I forgot about the old ways. I think that you should ask your mate. He should tell you about the ways of this ce. You have an advantage. Your visions. You will always know things before they can go wrong." "Right, visions." She yells suddenly, "Kresi, I have something to tell you." Chapter 74: How was the sex with a dragon? Chapter 74: How was the sex with a dragon? "What do you want to say?" Kresi smiles at her warmly. She hesitates after seeing her smile. Then, she turns to Mogrok. "Can you leave? I want to talk to her alone." Mogrok is suspicious. "Is it about visions?" "Visions?" Kresi raises her brow. "Did you see something?" Deia nods stiffly. "But, I will say it if we are alone." "Master, it''s never good to know about the future. You might make things worse while trying to change things." He has heard of seers and how they can manipte the future. This seer is untrained, but he can''t trust her. "It''s better if you don''t hear it." "I will hear it." Kresi tells him, "Leave. Guard the door. Don''t let anyonee inside until we are done talking." Mogrok sighs. His master is stubborn. He walks out and guards the door. He is going to listen. After Mogrok is gone, Deia tells her about the visions. "I don''t know what you will choose, but your life ends in death in all the routes that you take. Most of the time, you end up destroying the world. Your body is a spell. I don''t understandpletely. Your soul and body will be erased if you die." Kresi''s expression is unreadable. Despite hearing what she heard, she doesn''t cry or be upset. "I don''t die at the hands of the Dark God? He doesn''t take back his core?" Deia shakes her head. "I didn''t see that. If you don''t be the full renasir, the consciousness of the corrupted ehr takes control of your body and the dark core in the end. Kyo will try to protect you, but he will be weak and the chosen one will kill him during a battle. The seals are broken by the consciousness that takes over your body. If you be the full renasir, you and the chosen one bes enemy because his mother was killed by the previous harbinger in your body. Despite knowing the truth, he will still try to destroy your body because of hatred. You might run away with Kyo. He will be weak with time. You will still lose your mind because of consciousness." Deia doesn''t know exactly what this consciousness is. In all the visions, the foreign consciousness already exists in Kresi''s mind. In all the visions, Kresi loses her control in the end and her body is controlled by consciousness. The consciousness uses her body to break the seals and the cursed sea is released to the world. "There is one future. You and the chosen one erase the consciousness along with the dark god. You wake up the 11 gods from their slumber. You save the world. When your destiny ispleted, you still die." Kresi sighs. "Thank you for telling me." Deia wonders how Kresi is this calm. "Are you afraid?" "No." Kresi grins at her. "I already had some idea of my future, but things are clearer now. It seems like it is my burden to fix things in the end. Keep it a secret from others. Don''t worry. I won''t let this world end. You will deliver your babies and raise them safely." Deia is frightened after hearing those words. "You will not die, right? You will find a path where you will live." Kresi doesn''t say yes or no. She doesn''t promise her anything. She changes the topic. "By the way, how was the sex with a dragon?" *** Ie out of the room. Mogrok is crying a river. These days, I often find my two friends crying. I squat down and pick up the little Mogrok. "Why are you crying? Those visions aren''t real things." "Master!" He sobs harder. "I will not let that happen to you." I have guessed the corrupted consciousness is already in my body. I have heard her voice. I need to know about this thing. "Don''t let the Dark God or Kyo know. Mogrok, promise me. You will do what I say from now on. You are my spirit beast. Until the Dark Core is returned to Kyo, you will only listen to me." "Master, you know that your words aremands to me. I only care about you." He sniffles. "But, you can''t die." I pinch his cheeks. "You are cute." "Master." He blinks out his tears. "You won''t die, right?" "I can''t promise something like that." I sigh. "We both knew. But, I am surprised that the Dark God didn''t kill me. I understand that Kyo won''t kill me, but why the Dark God is also like that." Mogrok stares at me, but he doesn''t answer my questions. He is also hiding something. It''s fine. Just because he is my spirit beast, I don''t want to force him to say things that he doesn''t want to say. "Mogrok, go to Kyo. Keep him busy if he wakes up." I stand up. "I am going to have a talk with the dragon god." *** "Dragon God!" Kresi keeps yelling as she walks through the corridor. The servants stare and whisper, but they don''t approach her. They know who she is. The Harbinger of the Dark God. They have been warned that they should not approach the Dark God or the Harbinger. The 8th son of Aeis finds her. He is the same person who took her to Aeis after she woke up. He res at her. "Can''t you be respectful, Harbinger?" "I am sorry. I don''t know how to be respectful toward a person who nearly killed me." She res back. "Take me to him." He inhales sharply. His father has told everyone to not harm her. The Dark God is also here. She is untouchable. Nobody can go against the dragon god''smand. He stops in front of his father''s chamber. He isn''t allowed to go inside. He turns around and tells her, "Go in if you dare." Kresi rolls her eyes and goes inside without hesitation. He shakes his head. She''s too fearless. She will probably get killed for disturbing the dragon god during his resting time. Chapter 75: Tell me about the Dark God Chapter 75: Tell me about the Dark God His bedroom is quite simple. Though every item screams money, there is no gold cup or frames or bed. No tacky interior decoration. I still dislike him. It''s hard to like someone who tries to kill you after drenching you in wine. He is sitting on the bed with a scroll, wearing a white silk robe. His silver hair is loose. He doesn''t look surprised to see me. "Harbinger, are you here to warm my bed?" Ha! Look at his guts. "No, never." "Then, why are youing to an unfamiliar man''s room?" He puts down the scroll. "He will be jealous if he hears that you came here at this hour. You are his harbinger, after all." I see that he''s not pleased about it. "Tell me about the Dark God." Heughs lowly. "Why don''t you ask him?" "He and I don''t have a rtionship where we can share each other''s past." I sit on the chair near the wall. "You must know the story in detail." "Have you heard of the new prophecy?" He smiles at me slyly. "The oldest seer family in the higher realm have announced it recently. It speaks about the end of the world and how only the renasir can save the world. Unlike in the past, the chosen one isn''t mentioned." Aren. The boy who abducted me. The boy who promised me that he would make me fall in love with him. He is looking for the harbinger to pay the price. The harbinger who killed his mother. The chosen one wants me to choose him. There is a letter in my pocket. The letter by left by Raye and Gabriel at the inn. I have read it in the microwave prison when I was waiting for someone to appear. They asked me to meet them in the 6th city the night I came here. I am sure that they must want to use me to lead the army of the cursed children and fight the chosen one. The cursed children are being hunted and killed every day. The chosen one is crazy for revenge. "What will you choose?" The dragon god asks me. "My choice is Kyo." I tell him straight away, "There must be a way where Kyo and the world can survive together." He seems satisfied with my answer. "I will tell you the story then." *** Ten thousand years ago, there was a world where the gods and the humans lived together. There were not Sehr who needed to dilute ehr in their cores to use it in their channels. There were not wahr who needed to make a bond with a spirit beast to be able to wield diluted ehr. There were notmon humans were broken channels. Everyone could use magic. Making a contract with a spirit beast was entirely out of choice. There were no different realms. The world was one and unbroken. The 13 main gods watched the world and maintained harmony among humans, spirits, gods, and Dema. There were 13 mainws. 13 sources of ehr. 13 main constetions. The perfect and yet imperfect harmony was broken one day when a halfling man was punished by the god of light. A human was hurt by a halfling man identally. Back then, the halflings didn''t have equal status as humans. The halfling man died in the prison while his family and lover could only watch. The lover left the kingdom of the god of light. After many years, the god of darkness met a woman. He was surprised to see a human approach him in his kingdom. She imed that she was in love with him. He didn''t believe her, but he became curious about the woman. Little by little, the woman managed to win his heart. After many years, the god married her. It wasn''t odd for a god to marry a female human. In the wedding, all the gods were invited to be the witnesses. The god was madly in love with her. He would give her anything that she wanted to have. They lived happily for a few years until she asked him to prove that he trusted her. "I heard that gods don''t trust humans," The woman said to him. The paintbrush between her fingers glided smoothly on the canvass. "You don''t trust me either." The godughed. "I trust you more than I trust myself." "How do I know?" She asked him teasingly. "How do I prove it?" He walked to her and wraps his arms around her waist. He looked at the half-finished painting of his. She was always painting his portraits. "I wonder." She dipped the brush in the ck ink and paused. "Give me your heart." The heart of the god. His true core. He didn''t think of it as much. "Will that satisfy you?" "I will give you my core." She smiled at him. "You give me yours." He removed the core and gave it to her. She held it in her palm. It''s smaller than her fist. She curls her fingers around the dark throbbing core. "You shouldn''t have trusted me." The Dark God waged a war against the 11 gods. He unleashed all the dark elemental creatures and wielders. He sought the dragon god as an ally. He wanted to overthrow the 11 gods and change the world order. The dragon god agreed without a second thought. The war nearly destroyed the world. Near the end, it urred to the dragon god that something wasn''t right. That''s when he noticed that his friend was acting strange. The dark ehr is uncontroble and corrupted by something foreign and sinister. The Dark God wasn''t himself. He wanted to destroy everything. Countless lives were gone. The world was nearly destroyed. Still, the Dark God wasn''t satisfied. What was wrong with him? The dragon god visited him in his castle one day secretly. There, he saw Amara, the wife of the dark god, holding the dark core and the dark god bending his knees in front of her. "You hate me, don''t you?" The dark god didn''t answer her. "I thought that you could kill all the gods." She rubbed her thumb on the core. "You are not powerful without your heart. You cannot kill them all." "Why?" The dark god asked finally. "Why do you want to enact revenge on the gods?" "They killed the only man I loved." When the dragon god tried to snatch away the core from her, she made the dark god fight him. He ran away and went to the 11 gods. The 12 gods were united against the Dark God to save what was left of the world. Without the dragon god''s army and the heart, the dark god was weak. He was cornered from all the sides. Amara knew that they were losing. She stood closer to him. "Do you hate me?" He looked at the woman he loved more than his life. Even after everything, he couldn''t hate her. It hurt him to see her hurt. "No." "Then, you should kill me." She smiled at him regretfully. "This is mystmand." When the gods arrived, they saw the dark god holding her corpse. The core was lying on the floor. By then, the dark ehr was already corrupted by Amara''s dark desires. The dark ehr has its own twisted consciousness. The dark core was also affected. The 11 gods couldn''t trust the dark god again. The gods were afraid that the dark god might be controlled by that sinister consciousness after he took back his heart. They imprisoned the dark god and sent away the dark core in the reincarnation cycle. They created the renasir to stop the harbinger from freeing the dark god. The god of light left the fire of the star in the royal family of Aredes to take care of the dark god and twisted dark ehr if things went bad. *** "After thest renasir took the spell from me to make the body of the next renasir, the chosen one was born. I had no idea that she was trying to make a body that waspatible with the dark core and the chosen soul of the renasir." He nces at the door once and then, he turns his eyes back to me. "Why are you okay with it?" I raise my brow. "Wouldn''t he try to destroy the world after taking it?" "That was thousands of years ago." He sighs. "The dark core has been purified in the reincarnation cycle. I am sure that my friend is strong enough to kill consciousness by himself. Currently, you carry it. Unless you get affected by the twisted dark ehr, it won''t be a problem." I have been touched by the twisted dark ehr. I am sure the voice of the woman in my head belongs to that consciousness. I don''t tell him that I am carrying the damned consciousness in my body. Itughs in my head. ''So, you know what I am. What can you do about it? The dark core and you will be mine.'' Chapter 76: My real name is... Chapter 76: My real name is... "What do you think?" The dragon god asks her with an amused voice. "Was he fool to give his heart to the woman he loved?" "If it was Kyo and me, I would have given the heart to him." She gives him a shrug. "I guess I also belong to the category of fools." After she is gone, Aeis smiles and says, "You can''t hide your presence well." The darkness moves away from his body. The Dark God emerges near the closed door. "You shouldn''t have told her." "Are you embarrassed that she would think badly of you because you were used by a woman?" Aeis smirks at his closest friend. "Are you unhappy that she found out about your first love? She must be thinking that there was someone before her in your life." The dark god doesn''t miss the underlying meaning. "She means nothing to me. She is just my harbinger. I will take back my heart." "You gave your heart to your first woman. Your second woman was born with your heart." Aeis shakes his head and chuckles. "You say that you pity her. I wonder if I should pity you." The dark god scowls at him. "Are you done? Her soul will also get erased when she dies. If gods don''t pity humans, then who will? You should be worried about your son who has a human mate." Aeis'' headache returns. There is only one human in his realm and she is his daughter inw. The entire empire will be in an uproar. On top of it, she is already carrying halflings. "Don''t remind me of that." The Dark God is happy to see his friend like this. "I am d that the seer won''t be following us in the future." The dragon god watches his friend indignantly. "You gave thatmand intentionally." The Dark Godughs. "I didn''t like the fact that you lived peacefully for thousands of years. You hated humans the most." *** Damines back to his room with an anxious heart. She''s holding a pillow and sitting on the bed. He pauses, wondering whether he should go to another room. Then, his father has told him to take care of her. How does he take care of her? He isn''t moving from the doorstep. Deia''s temper is high again. "Are you going to stand there all night? "I am thinking about where to sleep." The bed is big enough. What if he crushes her in his sleep? Should he make her sleep on the floor? She shifts to one side of the bed. "Why are you being shy? We have already done what everything that a man and a woman can do. I am already pregnant with twins. Juste to bed. It''s big enough for ten people." Damin blinks in surprise. "You are...?" He rushes to her and puts his hand on her belly. The sign of another life. Not one. But, two. Dragons don''t get pregnant that easily. "I will be a father?" He is having trouble digesting that part. Half-humans? He knows about dragons, but what can he do about half-humans? "Do you know about human children?" "I know a bit." She doesn''t know whether tough or cry after seeing his expression. She realizes that he is as shocked as she is, but he isn''t unepting or hateful. He is just different. "Tell me what you want to eat." He says suddenly, "I will bring it to you." "You." She grins at him. She understands that they aren''t in love. It will take a lot of time to understand each other. Perhaps, she can make this dragon fall in love with her. He blinks at her. "Do human females need to eat males when they are carrying?" She chuckles. She is getting the hang of it. "We need to get loved a lot." "Oh." He gives her an understanding nod. "I will start loving you a lot then." *** Kresi returns to the room where she left Kyo and Mogrok. She finds Mogrok sleeping on the ground. Kyo is nowhere to be seen. "Why do I leave you with important tasks?" Kresi resists the urge of beating him up. Shees out of the room. "Where the hell did he go?" After walking around for a while in the pce, she reaches the garden. She turns around when she feels a presence. She finds Kyoing toward her. "Where were you?" "I was looking for you." He runs toward her with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. "You are here." It''s already dark. There are only stars in the sky. Kresi and Kyoy down on the grass, facing each other. There is a slight chill in the air. They hold each other to keep warm. Suddenly, he hears her mumble, "I already know a world without Kyo." He looks at her strangely. "What are you saying?" Shees closer to him and hugs him. He senses that something is not right with her. She raises her head and meets his lips. She kisses his lips gently for a long time. Before this, she has never kissed him like this. There was once when she kissed him like a woman who fell into the temptation when she was drunk. Then, she gave him pecks and small kisses all the time as his sister. This is the first time when she is kissing him like she is trying to tell him something. Kyo can''t understand the depth of her emotion. Her hot tears drop on his skin. He cups her face. "Why are you sad?" She doesn''t answer him. "Tell me." He is upset to see the sorrow in her eyes. "Are you hurt?" Her smile can''t hide her sadness in her heart. "I am not hurt. I just feel like crying." "Something must have made you sad." Kyo is uneasy. "What is it?" "Kyo, don''t ask any question." Sheys her head on his shoulder. "I just want to freeze this moment. This moment that belongs to you and me only. I want you to remember it. Just listen to me." "I will remember it," He tells her softly. "My real name is..." She pauses for a moment. "Before I came to this world and took the name that belonged to this body, my name was Ari. Takayama Ari." "Ari," He whispers her name. "Never forget." "I won''t." Chapter 77: I don鈥檛 want the world where she doesn鈥檛 exist Chapter 77: I don¡¯t want the world where she doesn¡¯t exist Kyo draws a line in the water with a stick. The line disappears instantly. No matter how many times he does it, the line in the water will keep disappearing. The Dark God sees this and says, "What are you doing?" Kyo doesn''t raise his head or look at him. "I am drawing a line. It always disappears." The Dark God bes quiet. He has never seen his other-self interacting with him like this. He wonders how simple this part of him is. "I keep trying to grow up." He hears him say. "I want to understand her, but I always hit a wall. The name that she gave me is binding me to my current state. I wonder if I will no longer be innocent if I understand her better." The Dark God shares his memories. Though the memories, he has seen how she talks to Kyo. He is an adult, but he doesn''t know either why she is upset. Was she upset for him? After hearing about his past, was she crying for him? Was it something else? If he asks her, she won''t tell him. Kyo stops drawing lines in the water and walks away from the Dark God. The Dark God follows him. They see the back of the woman dressed in white. She is sitting at the end of the cliff and humming a strange tune. "Amara?" The Dark God calls her name. She stops humming and turns around. It''s not Amara. She holds out her hand. Kyo runs to her and takes that hand. The Dark God hears herugh. She points at a flying house. "See." She leans on Kyo. "That is our house. We will run away from this ce. We will go to a world where we will find happiness together." The house flies to the edge of the cliff. Kresi climbs up the stairs. She looks back. Kyo is gone. The Dark God finds himself standing where Kyo was standing a moment ago. She smiles at him warmly. He takes a step, but the house moves away. He realizes that he can''t move anymore. She opens the door and walks inside. The house flies away from him. He can only watch. He yells at his harbinger, "Come back." He hears crying sounds behind him. Kyo is looking at the flying house. "Stop her before it is toote. I don''t want the world where she doesn''t exist." In the garden, the Dark God opens his eyes. Kresi is not beside him. A foreboding feeling grips his chest. He looks around and realizes that she is somewhere too far away. He hears Mogrok''s distressed screams. "Master, where did you go?" ** The woman is too weak to get up. There is barely any flesh on her body. Her hair ispletely white. The previous Renasir is barely hanging by a thread. In thest 3 years, she has lost nearly all of her powers to the new renasir. She is still alive, waiting for the new renasir toe and take thest heritance from her. She lived for more than 2000 years. In her long life, she had to kill countless innocent ones who were corrupted by ehr or born as the cursed children. Somewhere in her long life, she wished to die. She waited and waited and waited for the new renasir. When the next renasir didn''t appear, she made a decision and sought the dragon god. She bought the forbidden spell. She killed the harbinger and put the dark core in that forbidden body. She hoped that the soul would be chosen as the renasir. She wanted to finish it. The long tragedy. The cursed children. The unstable world. The death of innocent harbingers. She wanted to end it for once and all. But, the soul failed to be chosen as the next renasir. When she realized what she had done, she wanted to kill the child. She wanted to erase her existence. She gave her the name. Kresira. The daughter she wanted to erase. She couldn''t erase her. She left her on the street of the beggar city after stabbing her heart. She knew that the child would hate her. She wanted that child''s hate. The child was the harbinger. She was the renasir. They were each other''s tragedy. After years, she found out that the same child was chosen as the next renasir. That child. She must hate her. Is that why that child doesn''te to her to leave her to get tormented between death and life? Hours pass. She can see the rising sun through the window. She hears a noise. Her vision is already blurry. She senses the girl. Her death. "You are here." "Sorry foring uninvited." Kresies closer to the dying woman. The Mirins hasn''t noticed that she is here. The Dragon God is good with stealth. "I havee to take the inheritance." "You... that child... " Mayaeira Mirin realizes that the child. Her child. Kresira Mirin. The daughter she created is not the same. "You are not the same soul." "She died and I reced her in this body." Kresi doesn''t feel any pity for the woman. "Let''s finish this. I don''t have much time." Mayaeira shows a tired smile and raises her hand. Kresi takes that bony hand. There is silence. The golden orbs float out of the woman''s body and drift into the girl''s body. Mayaeira feels her life force weakening. The final piece of the puzzle is transferred to Kresi''s body. After 2 thousand years, the woman finds peace in her death. The dragon god emerges out of the shadows. "He is awake and trying to open the gate to the higher realm. It won''t be long before he breaks the gate andes here." Kresi ces a letter on the table. "There are a few things left." *** ''You are more powerful now.'' I hear it giggle. ''You already know about the future when you be the renasir. I know that you will never hurt the dark god. You will slowly sumb to me.'' I don''t have the time to talk to a frantic consciousness in my head. Like the heart of the dark god, she is also trapped in my body. She has been using Amara''s memories and feelings to manipte me. She also tries to lure me with power and the chance to rule the world alone. If I hadn''t heard of Deia''s visions, I might have given it some considerations. ''I can give you anything that you want. Kyo will remain as Kyo. The Dark God will disappear. Just Give in to me. You like magic. You want more power. Isn''t that why you became a full-fledged Renasir?'' She''s quite loud in my head. I am getting a headache. The gate to the realm where the 11 gods are asleep is made of white stone. There are countless runes. ''Yes, you should free them. Then, give into me. I will erase all the gods.'' I put my hands on the gate and inject the ehr of the renasir. With a loud snapping sound, all the runes are torn apart. I am the key to this door. "It''s done." I look at the dragon god behind me. "The 11 gods will wake up now." "He is almost here." The dragon god looks up at the sky. "Do you want to see him?" "No, I have already said my goodbyes." The gate is opening. The sunlight is pouring into the realm. I can sense the Dark God arriving. I might be a coward. I don''t want to leave a bad memory for Kyo. I don''t want him to see me disappear. I am selfish like that. I am making thisst decision on his behalf. I am leaving my Kyo. my dark god. But, I am not sad. The dragon god is here. Mogrok is here. I hope that he can forgive me for doing this. I close my eyes and say the word. The word that the previous renasir hid in the name of this body. The meaning of the rune that I was taught a long time ago. "[Kres]" Chapter 78: You closed the door, but I became the window Chapter 78: You closed the door, but I became the window He touches her clothes with shaking hands. "What did you do to her?" "She came to mest night." The dragon god looks down at him. The Renasir. The Harbinger. The girl has disappeared along with the consciousness. The dark core is lying on the floor. This scene reminds him of what happened thousands of years ago. One woman nearly destroyed the world and left the broken god. Another woman saved the world and left the same god broken with sorrow. "She told me to give you this message." The Dark looks up with grief in his eyes. "I wanted to save the world where I met Kyo for my selfish reasons." The dragon god utters the words mournfully. "This world where I met the man I loved. There are so many memories. Kyo is a part of you. Your innocence. Your beautiful part. Kyo and you are one being. I have also loved you. All of you. The God who nearly killed me, but didn''t kill me in the end. The boy who taught me how to love. The fool who gave away his heart to the woman he loved. The boy who wanted me to be the Renasir to save my life. It took me so long to realize that I have been in love with all sides of you. I wanted to save this world where you exist. I am only returning what belongs to you." The dark god makes no movement to take the core. He is afraid of feeling the pain that wille. The boy inside him is breaking. The dragon god puts the dark core in his hand. "Take it. Don''t waste her sacrifice." The Dark God absorbs the core. He finds himself standing in front of Kyo. Kyoughs at him mockingly. "You are afraid to know what I feel. You said that you pity her, but you knew that you loved her. After thousands of years, she freed you from your hell. She gave the warmth you needed. Her entire life revolved around you. She saved you from your pain. Because a woman broke your trust once, you didn''t want to admit that she loved you. You closed the door, but I became the window." Kyoes closer. "When you and I be one, you will feel the love that I felt and you will feel the pain that I feel. It''s toote now. She''s already gone. You couldn''t even tell her that you loved her too. This name that she gave you once...it will be gone too. There will be nothing left of her." The core unites them together. The name disappears as they merge. The Dark God feels it all. All the memories. Emotions. Pain. He begins to understand the meaning of her words. The look in her eyes. The goodbye that she saidst night. His heart feels like it ripping apart. A peal of softughter. He hears her fleeting voice in the corner of his heart before it is gone forever. ''Never forget. The woman who loved you more than her existence... her name is Ari. Takayama Ari.'' *** The 11 gods wake up. They find the dark god and the dragon god. The sinister consciousness from the dark ehr is gone. The cursed sea is no longer cursed. It starts to dissipate into the world. The broken realms begin to join together. There is a lot of work and little time to ask questions. The 13 gods work together in harmony again. The world is fixed. It cannot be the old world. It cannot remain broken either. It bes something new. Something better. Standing on the same spot where he met the renasir for the first time, the chosen one rereads the letter that she left him. The letter was delivered to him by the mirins after the gods woke up and the world began to change. [ Aren, The harbinger you are looking for died the same night your mother died. That night, the harbinger died and I reced her soul in her body. You have been waiting for revenge for more than 3 years. You were driven by hate and anger. I have heard of the cruel things that the previous harbinger did. You have also killed and tortured countless innocent cursed children. Do you think that your mother was right in killing the cursed children? That day, you could have made me your ve using that love potion. I don''t hate you. You have the conscience. You stopped at thest moment. You know the difference between the right and the wrong. That''s why I want you to stop. The world will change now. You no longer have to carry the weight of being the chosen one. The gods will take responsibility. Help the gods in the new world. You will find many paths to change the world. I hope that you take the right one. Wishing you happiness, The girl you fell in love at first sight. ] Aren smiles dismally when he finished reading the letter. The girl he fell in love at first sight. She is a cruel one. She didn''t even give him the chance to make her love him back. Chapter 79: If you want to see her that much, then go and see her Chapter 79: If you want to see her that much, then go and see her Monthster, Damin is to calm two infants in his arms. They cry most of the time. The infants'' loud cries keep all the people with sensitive hearing in the pce awake including the dragon god. "Why do they cry so much?" Damin asks his mate who has dark circles around her eyes. "They cry when they are hungry or upset." Deia is also tired. The halflings are more tiring human babies. Motherhood is not easy. "They are always hungry." "Feed her." He shoves the louder one in her arms. "I will distract this one until you are finished." Deia feeds the girl and watches her husband cooing the boy in his arms. Damin doesn''t show it. His words are easily misunderstood. But, he is kind and caring. He has been taking care of her day and night. He even shields her from other people including his father. Little by little, he has be less cautious of her. She has sessfully sneaked into his heart. "Why are you smiling?" He pats the baby. His eyes can''t hide the joy that he feels when he looks at his child. Sometimes, Deia finds him looking at her with love. He keeps hiding it from her. That''s fine for her. Someday, this shy dragon will say those words to her. Until then, she will keep telling him this. "Damin, I am d that I left the lower realm to find you." There has never been a moment when she regretted that decision. He clicks his tongue and turns his back to her. He doesn''t want to say that he is also d that she found him. He doesn''t have the name for the feeling that he has for this woman. This woman has invaded his space and reced his loneliness with something beautiful and tangible. Now, he can''t even imagine his life without her. *** Far away from the empire of the dragon god, the dark god is sitting in a room in his castle. The room is full of things that Ari left behind including him. He hugs the clothes that she wore the day she disappeared, trying to feel her presence. "You told me that I would feel you in my heartbeats." He digs his face in those clothes. "Why can''t I feel it? I want to hear your voice again. Why can''t I hear it? I want to see you again. Why can''t I see you anymore? The world where you fell in love with me is saved. Come back to me now. It''s enough. Stop hiding. I just want to be with you. That''s my only wish." He waits, hoping for a miracle. Maybe, it''s all a dream. She will appear before him and embrace him the way she always did. She would call him by that name and tell him that she didn''t go anywhere. She would open the door to her flying house and take him with him. He has been waiting for a long time. He will continue to wait, hoping that she would reappear. "Before you left me behind, you should have taught me how to live in a world where you don''t exist." Mogrok hesitates before he enters the room. His previous master, Kresi, has been dead for months now. The heart is inside the dark god. The contract is also transferred to the dark god. He is his master now. Though he can''t help but feel unflinching loyalty to his master, he still mourns for his previous master every day. He knocks the door. "Master." "Don''t call me that. You belong to her," The Dark God tells him curtly. Mogrok bows to him. "The 7th goddess is here." Mirinae, the goddess of night and wishes, has been visiting him frequently to meet him. He has denied all of her requests. He has isted himself in the castle. He doesn''t meet anyone including the dragon god. He only wants to see one person. That person is "Send her away." The 7th goddess keeps visiting. She is always sent back from the door. Years pass by. One day, the dark god goes outside to see the stars to remember that night before she left him. "You are outside." Mirinae descends from the night sky. She finally got the chance to see him face to face. His loud and powerful wishes have been bothering her since she woke up from her long slumber. "Leave." The dark god looks haggard. His hair is unkempt and full of knots. He is alive, but he is dead inside. Mirinae looks at him withpassion. "It''s been years. Are you ever going to stop wishing to see her? It bothers me a lot." He doesn''t answer her. He looks at the stars. Takayama Ari. That was her name. He only has her memories. The man ispletely lost. He doesn''t even want to listen to her. Mirinae stands in front of him and looks down. Her head blocks his view, snapping him out of his thoughts. She needs to tell him before she bes mad. "If you want to see her that much, then go and see her," She tells him with an irritated voice. "Stop wishing so loudly. Because of your constant wishing voices, I couldn''t rest for a single moment after fixing the world. I have been gathering her dissipated soul for years alone." Using the power of his wishes, she has been gathering the scattered bits of the girl''s soul in all the realms. She has been working continuously. Making or remodeling a new world is easier than collecting the dispersed pieces of a soul. If she was a soul from this world, she would have already be one with ehr. But, she was a soul from a foreign world. Her soul energy was different from the ehr of this world. He widens his eyes in surprise. "Are you telling the truth?" "Yes." Mirinae grins at him. "I have collected all the bits and pieces of her soul. Though, I couldn''t fuse it. The ehr of this world was too strong to use it on her soul. Her previous world was too far away. If I sent it there, her soul would have dissipated before it could reach her gods. So, I sent it to the world that was nearlypatible with her soul energy. I recently got the message that the gods of that world have seeded in fusing her. She has already reincarnated there." The Dark God grabs her by her shoulders. "Where? Why didn''t you tell me before?" "I came here, but you wouldn''t meet me." Mirinae frowns at him. "If you want to see her, I will transfer that debt to you right away. You can go and meet the gods of that world. The gods will decide how you are going to pay them for saving your wife." The Dark God leaves right away and arrives in that world. The gods have been waiting for him. This world is different. The energy of this world is mellowpared to the ehr in his world. "She has been reincarnated as a girl." The god, who handles the reincarnation cycle of that world, tells him, "She is still fragile. I am afraid that she will break if you take her back right away. It''s better if you don''t go close to her. Having a strong entity near her body might upset the structure of her soul." The Dark God has waited for so long for a miracle. The miracle has finally happened. He can''t wait to see her. "Is there no way for me to see her?" The god of reincarnation has been waiting to hear that. "There is one way. You can also pay the debt at the same time." ________ Author''s note: They will meet again, but that''s the start of another story in another world. Chapter 80: Interlude Chapter 80: Interlude Holding the te of snacks and looking at the big screen, two gods are observing the foreign god in the mortal world. God 1: Do you think it''s okay to send him to the mortal world in your ce? I have seen his profile information. He is quite the troublemaker. He nearly destroyed Iravan. It took 12 gods to stop him when he didn''t even have his core inside him. I have a feeling that he will create bigger problems instead of solving what we already have. God 2: Aish! Do you know how much I worked on that soul? I don''t have any energy left. Originally, it was Mirinae who told me that she would go instead of me. Then, she sent him. All of our ns had to be changed. God 1: Tch! That is true. I am tired of changing scripts. First, a man, then, a woman, and then, a man again. We already had to adjust one foreign soul. Then, it''s a powerful god from another world. You took care of his memories, right? If he remembers, he won''t follow the script. He seemed quite desperate to find her. It would be a disaster if two foreigner souls unite. They would be too powerful to handle. We wouldn''t be able to control their fates. We can''t do much if the foreigners go wayward in the mortal world. God 2: I have put a nice seal on his memories. He won''t remember in his lifetime. We don''t have to worry about that soul''s memories. Her memories cannot be restored because of the damage that her soul received. By the way, have you taken care of that soul''s cement? God 1: She is not a problem. I have ced her in Ashbourne family. She''s following the script. If everything goes the way we want, they will meet when she''s 96 when their grandchildren get married. By then, he will finish the things that you were supposed to do. God 2: Why the noble family? I told you to make her a princess or something. Mirinae said that she saved their world in her previous life. She told me that she would go on a date with me if I took care of the soul well. God 1: Hmph! That soul didn''t save our world. Besides, Mirinae is already married to the god of destruction. He wille and rip your spine out of your body if he finds out that you have been flirting with his wife. God 2: She likes young men like me. She''s so much hotter than all the goddesses of our world. Take care of it. I want that soul to have a spoiled life. She shouldn''t even have to drink the ss of water to drink water. Make her life even better than the queen of country A. God 1: I already have to monitor that god''s life. You are giving me more work. Ashbourne family isn''t bad. She is the only girl born after 50 generations. She will have a good life. Alright, don''t look at me that way. I will change the script a bit and fix her marriage to a prince of the country A. At the age of 16, she will get married and live a luxurious life better than the queen herself. How about it? God 2: If things go well, we can go on an early vacation. I can''t wait for the date with my sexy Mirinae. Chapter 81: I want to play with him Chapter 81: I want to y with him After the heavy rain, rays of sunlight through the clouds. The chill in the air makes the little girl shiver. Her mother is busy talking to the other woman. The little girl takes this chance to sneak out and go near the pond. She squeals when she sees the ck duck swimming in the pond. Small ck and brown ducklings are following the mommy duckling around in a line. Her round brown eyes be wide when one of the ducklings move toward her. She tries to grasp the baby duckling. "Ari!" The woman screams when she sees her daughter at the edge of the pond. Startled, Little Ari loses her bnce. She squeezes her eyes in fear. A hand grasps the back of her coat and pulls her back. She looks up at her savior, dazed by his bright blue eyes. "Miss Ashbourne, are you okay?" He asks her with a gentlemanly voice not matching his age. "You shouldn''t y near the pond." Their mother watches them with awe from the side. The boy is 8 and the girl is only 5. They are betrothed recently by the king himself. The engagement ispletely out of blue. When asked by the third consort, the king has told her that he was guided by an angel to engage Prince Tristan and the daughter of the Ashbourne family for the prosperity of the kingdom in his dream. Prince Tristan is the 6th son of the King. He is showing his genius from a young age. He has even shown a talent for soul magic. Ari Ashbourne is the first girl born after 50 generations in Ashbourne family. Even the princesses of the royal family are jealous of her life. From the point of view of the bloodline and status, she is quite suited to marry the prince. However, the girl has one major w. "Achoo!" She sneezes hard. Her gooey snotsnd right on his face. Tristan doesn''t know how to react at first. Then, heposes himself and takes out his handkerchief from his pocket. He cleans her face first and then, he cleans himself. She''s physically and spiritually weak. She is sick most of the days. Though she has shown a talent for magic, they don''t know if she will even live up to 16. The Ashbourne family has been shocked when they first found out about the engagement. Regardless of how their daughter is, they wouldn''t just ept anyone to marry their precious daughter. When they seem hesitant to ept the engagement, Prince Tristan and the third consort suddenly visits them. "They are already taking care of each other." He hears his mother say to the girl''s mother. "Prince Tristan will take care of your daughter well." The girl''s mother isn''t impressed. She knows how the royal family is. They wouldn''t do anything they don''t get benefitted from. She is afraid that her daughter might be a pawn to control the Ashbourne family in the future. Everyone in the kingdom knows that her daughter is the precious heart of all the men of the Ashbourne family. Shees to her daughter side and checks on her. "Ari, I told you that you can''te outside when it''s cold." "Mommy, who is he?" Ari points at the prince with her chubby finger. Her voice is tiny and chirrupy like a songbird. "He''s pretty. I want to y with him." Prince Tristan''s expression''s break a little. He resists the urge to hold that chubby finger and y with her. But, he keeps his faceposed as he has been taught to maintain. ________________________ God 2: Argh! Can''t you improve her immunity? That moment was sweet enough for them to fall in love, but shepletely ruined it. God 1: I can''t help it. Her soul is weak. It also affects her physical constitution. It doesn''t matter. I have added multiple charms to her physical body. That will make up for ruining moments. Well, we can''t do much about her personality. In the future, she will win men''s heart with her gaze alone. See, that prince is floored despite being sneezed at. God 2: Argh! I don''t know how that boy didn''t get disgusted. He reacted better than I would. God 1: Will we stop looking at the girl? I want to check on the god. Change the channel. ______________________ In the enemy country, a 4 years old boy with a stony face frowns when he looks out of the window. He feels like something unpleasant just happened, but he can''t pinpoint the reason. His rising gloominess instantly lowers the temperature of his surrounding. His royal mother covers herself with a thick nket and wondering why it''s cold when it''s the middle of summer. Outside, the sun is zing and people are dying of sunstrokes. Inside the pce, people are roaming around in winter clothes. She squints at her son. He has always been an odd one. He''s moody and quiet. He is rarely interested in anyone or anything. Despite the extreme aloofness, he is always excellent. Next year, he will be tested for magic. But, she already knows that he will test positive. It''s like he''s a god in the world of mortals. Nothing is worthy of his eyes. ________________________ God 2: Why he is like that? He should be a happy kid. Is he even four? God 1: You can seal his memories, but you can''t do much about his personality. For some reason, he is in a bad mood since birth. God 2: Does he feel cheated because we didn''t send him to the girl right away? We told him that he had to pay the debt first. God 1: You told him that he would meet her after his birth. God 2: He would meet her after his birth. Not right after his birth. God 1: He doesn''t even follow the dialogues of the script. 90% of the time, he answers people with his eyes or a shake of his head. His bad mood affects the environment a lot. At this rate, the country known for the constant summer season will be famous for winter. God 2: Gah! Let it be. We will just adjust the script. Chapter 82: Karma also follows Gods Chapter 82: Karma also follows Gods Prince Tristan visits Ari every day to y with her. Since Ari likes ying with Prince Tristan, nobody stops him froming. Ari''s family don''t ept the engagement or deny it. They quietly observe the prince. As the prince gets more close to her, he also begins to grow on her family. In the enemy country, a certain boy''s mood bes worse day by day. At a young age when other boys his age areughing and ying, he often sits by the window with a faraway gaze and darkness looming around him. No matter how manymps are light, the darkness seems to follow the boy. The sky above the pce is always filled with ck clouds. People can''t enter the dismal space around him. The country famous for its beautiful summer days be more famous for its dismal and cold weather. The empress dies because of pneumonia. The emperor wonders if the boy is a reincarnation of a demon. Whenever he visits his son, his legs would shake before he could enter the 10 meters radius of dismal area around the boy. Forget about scolding the boy. The emperor can''t even get close to him or even look directly into his eyes. At the age of 5, Adira Nilsen Kahn gets tested for magic. As per everyone''s expectation, he is found to have an extreme affinity for magic. The boy has an extremely strong affinity with darkness. In this world, there are only a handful of people who has an affinity with dark magic. For some reason, nobody is surprised. The emperor is overjoyed. Out of all of his sons, only Adira has the affinity with darkness. He is born to be the ruler who will extend their empire. The boy is chosen as the crown prince right away. The emperor hires the best tutors to groom him as a future ruler. But, all the tutors run away after 5 minutes of interaction. In Country A, Prince Tristan turns 11. He is sent away to be trained at the elite academy specifically for soul magicians located in a wild. The soul magic cannot be learned at the capital. 8 years old Ari cries a lot when Tristan leaves. She gets a fever and spends a few days on the bed. Everyone in the Ashbourne family loses their sleep. Adira''s mood bes worse. There are hailstorms all over the capital. The emperor is tired. At this rate, everyone will die from illnesses due to unpredictable weather in the capital of Country Z. He writes a letter to his son. He promises to give him anything as long as he cheers up a little and studies magic. In Country A, Ari''s mood brightens up when she receives a letter from Tristan. In Country Z, the heaviness in Adira''s heart reduces a bit. He sighs and epts the emperor''s humble offer. At the age of 10, Ari is trying hard to perform her first spell. She has some affinity with air. She is homeschooled. The best air magic tutors of Country Aes to teach her. At the age of 11, he leaves the capital to train as a dark magician in the country C. There is only one academy for dark magic in the world. Hees back after obtaining his degree and license at the age of 13. 2 years are minimum years required to be spent at the academy to obtain a degree in dark magic and a license to perform dark magic anywhere in the world. ____ God 2: Can you exin why his mood is linked to hers? He is unhappy when she''s happy. He''s also unhappy when she''s unhappy. God 1: That''s why you are single. God 2: I won''t be single for long. Mirinae asked me on a second date. Did you hear me? SHE.ASKED.ME. God 1: I heard you. I will wait and see how your spine is dug out and tied around your neck to choke you to death. Oh, right! You are immortal. You can''t die. God 2: You are a ray of sunshine. Your positive talk lifts my mood. God 1: Karma also follows Gods. Remember that. God 2: And Gods chase Karma to kill her. God 1: Nobody never caught her though. God 2: She''s quick on her feet. God 1: I heard that she is quite a sadist. Horrible things happen to people who are caught by her. God 2: Anyone who ticks her off is raped by her sadistically. Don''t talk about her. She might be listening. Karma: Toote. Both gods turn around in horror. They let out a breath of relief. They are the only one in the room. Chapter 83: What lays there? Chapter 83: Whatys there? Sometime after his return, 14 years old Adira Nielsen Kahn is looking in the direction of the country A from the window in the emperor''s chamber. He crosses his arms and deep frown forms on his exquisite face. The atmosphere in the room is getting darker and colder with each passing second. No one knows why this prince''s mood is foul. The emperor is sitting in the corner, trying his best to be quiet as much as possible. He wonders what did he do recently that his son personally visited him without any warning. Adira is his son and the crown prince. His son should be afraid of him. Sometimes, the emperor doubts whether he is really his son. It''s not his fault. Even the boy''s mother doubted it once. His features match neither of his parents. They secretly got him tested to see whether the boy is his son. They also tested to see if he has demonic blood in him. Unfortunately, he was their son by blood and he was also a human. That''s more frightening to them. The boy has been standing still near the window. It''s scaring the emperor. He asks him with a cooing voice, "My favourite son, do you want something from me? Adira turns around and looks at the wimpy emperor with a dark look in his eyes. He doesn''t like being talked like that. He''s not a spoiled brat. With each passing day, he is growing frustrated for some reason. There is something that he wants. He doesn''t know what that is. He wants it desperately as soon as possible. But what is it? He points in the direction of country A. "Whatys there?" Emperor squints and sees the part of the capital. "Eastern district of the city?" Adira is irritated because of his father''s low IQ. "Beyond that?" "My empire?" Emperor can''t guess what''s going on here. What does he want? He''s only 14. Should he get him betrothed to someone? He should dump this son on a cheerful girl. The girl might be able to remove that constant dark look on his face. His interests in women should begin around this age. "Beyond that?" Adira is on the verge of his patience. He can''t guess what''s on his father''s mind. If he knew, he would disapprove of him more. "Beyond the empire?" Emperor scratches his chin. "There are some small kingdoms." Adira crosses his arms. "Why are they not part of our empire yet?" The emperor gapes at him. He didn''t expect that his son would ask this question. "They are too small. So, I let them be." "I don''t want to let them be." Adira looks at him like he''s an idiot. "If they are too small to protect themselves, we should make them a part of us." The emperor swallows. Is he beingmanded by his son? He bes infuriated and steps toward him haughtily. "Son, are you -" The words drown in his throat when Adira raises his brow. He cowers back and thinks of a different solution. He might lose his throne to his son soon. It''s better to make this boy really really really busy. "Son, why don''t you go and win them yourselves?" Adira has a thoughtful look on his face. The emperor takes that as a hint. "You should go as far as you can go. Win them all. I willnd you all the resources." The emperor doesn''t have a single doubt that Adira is more than capable even if he''s young. He can''t wait to send this boy on an adventure to keep the throne to himself for a few years more. There will be some peace in his pce for some time. "Mn." Adira narrows his eyes in the direction of country A. "What will you give me in return for expanding your empire? "..." The emperor doesn''t know what to say. He''s the one who wants to expand them. "I want the throne when I return." Adira leaves after throwing hisstmand on the bbergasted emperor. *** "What?" The king of country A hears the news of the war initiated by country Z on the neighbouring countries. They have been peaceful for a long time. What happened suddenly? Between country A and Z, there are 10 more countries. So, the King isn''t worried that much. However, it is strange that country Z would suddenly break the peace after such a long time. The minister bows his head. "Yes, his majesty." The king still has a headache. He is sure that his son will finish his training by then and return to the pce. The soul magicians are rare. Once his son returns, no one will be able to invade the kingdom. He needs to protect his kingdom until then. "We should be ready for the war." The King is not a fool to ignore the danger. "Prepare." The minister takes themands and leaves quietly. In the Ashbourne manor, Ari Ashbourne is reading the letter sent by her fiance. It''s been years since she saw him. In the letter, he has promised her that he would return before her 16th birthday. She caresses the bead bracelet. It helps to strengthen the soul energy. Since she wore it, she is a little less sensitive to cold. She daydreams about Tristan. How does he look now? He must be handsome. She can''t wait to get married to him. When will her prince return? "Little Ari." Her third brother pulls her round porcin cheeks. "You can''t wait to leave us, can you?" She covers half of her face with the letter and looks at him shyly. She tells him with a voice that sounds like the soft ringing of the bells, "It''s not like that, third brother." "Then, what is it like?" Her third brother is annoyed - not by her. He''s annoyed at Tristan. The boy left three years ago, but he managed to capture his precious sister''s heart just with his letters. He would also send her dreamy gifts on every asion. He feels like his sister has been bribed to be taken away. "Don''t get married early. You can wait until you are thirty." "I second that." Her second brother appears out of nowhere. "Little Ari, don''t marry him. We will find a better man who will stay with you here." "I wonder if there''s any man good enough for our Ari." Her eldest brother walks to them slowly. He doesn''t like anyone from the royal family. Ari should be married to a man who only loves her. She should never share her husband with any other woman. If she marries Prince Tristan, there is always a chance that he will be forced to take more consorts to bear more magician children. "Tristan is best for me," She tells them stubbornly. "He loves me and me only. He hasn''t forgotten about me for a single day since he left." The brothers sigh. They hate Tristan more. How dare he takes their sister''s heart at such a young age? She even tells them that she loves him more than she loves them. Though her health is always a little weaker than other people, she is the most beautiful woman in the country. The sound of her voice can make a dead mane alive. Her gaze can make any man''s heart flutter pleasantly. Her smile is akin to the dawn after a long night. Her tears can make people rip their hearts out. She''s pure as the sunlight and captivating as the rare blue lotuses. So, how is there any man in the world who is good enough for her? _______________________ God 1: I don''t like where this is going. God 2: What''s there to dislike? He will expand the empire first. It''s going as we nned. God 1: I am suspicious. Ari lives in eastern direction. God 2: Haha... no! Wait, you are right. They can''t meet. Do something. Why isn''t that Tristan brat back yet? God 1 *sighs* Let''s get him to return soon and get married to the girl before the time. I am so tired of changing the scripts. God 2: Hurry! Chapter 84: You are the only one I have left Chapter 84: You are the only one I have left The next few years daze everyone. There is a rumour that a death god is born and he is pulverizing everything that ising in his way. He alone has massacred thousands of people with his dark magic, uprooted kings, and plummets through his obstacles toward his goal. His goal remains a mystery, even to himself. The death god is already at the doorstep of Country A. The King sends out all of his armies while waiting for his son''s return. His son haspleted his training early and received his magician license. His son will be arriving soon. He needs to hold it until he arrives. Hemands all the capable men to go to the war. Ari''s father and brothers also have to go to the war. Only their dead bodies return to the Ashbourne Manor after a few weeks. Ari''s mother gets a heart attack and dies after receiving the dismembered parts of their dead bodies. Ari is suddenly orphaned and alone. She doesn''t know whether to mourn the dead first or prepare for the funeral. After a few days, Prince Tristan arrives. He looks for Ari first. Ashbourne Manor is no longer maintained properly. Ari has been alone at the house, crying day and night. As a result, she gets sick. Her soul energy bes weaker when she''s upset. He heals her first. "Tristan..." She mumbles when she sees him. "Are you really here?" "Yes, I am." His heart aches when he notices how pale and thin she has be. "Ari, what happened to you?" She wraps her arms around his neck and cries for a good time. She tells him everything that happened in the past few months. Her fairytale life has been broken because of a bad demon. Her family is dead. She has nothing left. Seeing her in this state, Prince Tristan''s chest tightens painfully. He strokes her back gently. He has been in love with this girl since he met her. "Tristan." She sniffles. "You are the only one I have left." "Let''s get married," Prince Tristan tells her seriously after hearing that. Ari is his past, present, and she will be his future. "I will be your family. You will never be alone." Ari is surprised. After hellish days, she''s seeing a day of light. She thought that he will also leave her after her family is gone because she has nothing to offer as an orphan. She embraces him, feeling his warmth. She''s lucky to have a man like him. There are only two of them in the room. It''s a dangerous atmosphere. He sighs when he feels her body pressing against his intimately. Ari has grown up, but she doesn''t understand how she can affect him. He clears his throats and tells her, "Ari, get dressed. We will get married today." He leaves the room right away. If he stays there, he might end up doing something inappropriate to her before their marriage. He is a traditional man. He has only thought about her for the past years. There is one more reason why he wants to hurry for this wedding. He has heard of the Death God. The Death God is a user of dark magic. He wants to marry her before he leaves for the war. Even if anything happens to him, she won''t be abandoned by the royal family. She will be protected and live her life well. As an orphan, a lot of people might attack her. There''s no telling what can happen to a girl who lives alone in the manor. In the battlefield, Adira has a bad bad bad feeling. Something super bad is happening. He just knows it. His mood bes worse. He starts ying down everything that stands in his way. He needs to get somewhere. Fast. Before something really bad happens. Though he has no idea what that bad thing is, the others are suffering because of his sharp premonition. ______________________ God 2: #@$%! DO.SOMETHING. God 1: Just kill me. God 2: They can''t meet. We can''t sit still. God 1: Why did I ever agree with this thing? It was better if you went in his ce. It can''t be stopped now. God 2: What''s done is done. There''s no time. Rush the wedding. I will introduce more obstacles in his path. He would not try to steal someone else''s wife. Make sure that they... God 1: Argh! I think that it''s better if we kill her. God 2: No, suddenly killing her will damage her soul. Mirinae will kill me. God 1: I get. I am working on it. ______________________ Suddenly, there''s a freaking tornado heading toward Adira. As if Adira can''t see the tornado heading toward him, he races right into it andes out without a hair missing. Then, there are two tornadoes in front of him. The same thing repeats. The gods are frustrated. They send 10 tornadoes toward him - anything to dy him. In the capital of Country A, there is a small wedding going on. The King has agreed to ept Tristan''s wish. He still remembers the dream in which the angels promised prosperity if the girl enters the royal family. The wedding is quicklymenced and ends with Tristan taking her first kiss. The bride and groom enter the chamber to spend their wedding night. Tristan doesn''t know why he is feeling the rush in his blood. He feels like someone has injected a strong aphrodisiac in his blood. He should be heading to the battleground, but he wants her most at this moment. Is it because he is afraid to die? Ari looks at him with a flushed face. She has never made such expressions before. Her pure mind is still uncontaminated. When he looks at her looking at him like that, he feels like he wants to taint her with his seed. He pushes her down on the bed. Ragged breath and barely able to control himself, he looks into her eyes. He wants to wait for her to prepare herself, but something is driving him crazy and snapping away all the control. Chapter 85: Arent I already your woman? Chapter 85: Aren''t I already your woman? "Tristan, what''s wrong?" She asks him cluelessly. "Are you sick?" "I am sick, I think." Tristan swallows down. Her scent is making it worse. "Ari, I... can''t hold myself back. I am going to turn you into a woman before I leave." "Tristan." She cups his face and looks into his eclectic blue eyes. "Aren''t I already your woman?" Married women belong to their husbands. That''s what her mother taught her. "Yes, you are." Her white dress falls away with a pull of a ribbon, revealing her smooth and glowing porcin skin. The royal maids have done well. Ari blushes and covers her perfect shaped mounds with her arms. "Tristan, what are you doing?" She asks nervously. Her beauty takes his breath away. "Making you a woman," He tells her seriously. She''s truly the most beautiful girl in their country. He is driven madly by carnal desires to make her belong to him as soon as possible. Ari widens her eyes in shock when she sees the ugly thing between his legs. "Tristan, what is that... " Thest strings of sanity are broken in his mind because of her alluring but pure voice. He doesn''t answer her. He lifts her small waist and pushes it inside her with a hard thrust. As the thinyer of the flesh is broken away, she cries out in pain and tries to push him away. He grabs her hands and says, "Wait... it will only hurt for a while. Ari, you know that I love you. I won''t harm you ever." She puckers her lips, deciding to believe him. Tears run out of her eyes. She''s not prepared for him. He needs to wait for her to befortable with his size. He wants to slow down, but something pushes him in his mind again. He grabs her waist and plummets harder into her, making her cry more in pain. Tristan wants to stop, but he has lost all the control. It''s like something else is controlling his body. He wants to impregnate her and make sure that she always belong to him. Suddenly, a hand grabs him by the scruff of his neck and pulls him apart from Ari. Tristan''s body crashes against the wall. Before Tristan could get back his rity and understand what''s going on, Adria flicks his fingers. Dark rays emerge out of his body and twist together to form a sharp long sword. It pierces through Tristan''s heart. Tristan never finds out what killed him before he dies. "No!" The woman''s screen wakes him out of his stupor. He looks at the woman who is too shocked to cover herself. The blood on the white sheet makes his expression bes uglier. The woman is still bleeding, but she has no sense of self. He takes long steps toward her. She cowers away from him with fear. "Don''te near me, you monster." He halts for a moment. He has killed all the royal members of this kingdom. She''s thest one. Looking at her state and the blood on the sheet, he guesses the situation. He should kill her too and finish it off. This is thest country to win. He should not leave any leftover. Ari realizes that she''s naked. She covers herself with the nket. Her action makes him aware of her nakedness too. He has been too upied with the thought of blood and her dreadful expression. _____________________ God 2: This is... God 1: Let''s just give up. God 2: No, he can''t remember now. I am going to put more seals on his memories. Save Tristan. Their marriage is consummated. The guy loves her. God 1: How do I save a man who is already dead? His heart is blown to pieces. God 2: Do whatever it takes. In one way or another, we need him to finish the jobs. So... God 1 *Running out of the ideas* I wonder how should I resurrect him. _____________________ Ari runs to Tristan''s body while clumsily holding a nket to cover herself. She shakes his cold body. He looks like he''s sleeping. The gaping hole in his chest gives her the blow. She holds him with her arms and cries sorrowfully. Her mournful cries fill the wedding chamber. Adira presses his lips. He doesn''t know why he hasn''t killed this woman yet. She seems wounded too, but she doesn''t seem to care. Since she''s crying so much, he should send her to the ce where her husband went. His hand doesn''t make any move toward the sword. He watches her for a while. His heart is aching when he is seeing her cry. He wants her to stop crying. He grabs her shoulder and pulls her away from the body. She''s too weak to struggle against his enormous force. He raises his index finger and summons the incinerating smoke to take care of the corpse. Ari cries and tries to reach for him. In less than a second, the smoke engulfs Tristan''s body and leaves nothing on the ground. She''s to shocked to move. He looks at her carefully. She has dark hair and a round face. Her skin is freckle free. She looks so delicate and breakable. Usually, men feel instant lustful attraction toward her when they see her. Adira feels a stranger connection to her as if he has known her for a long time. Where has he seen her? He can''t recall. He''s sure that he would remember her if he had met her even once. "Did you love that man?" He asks her quietly. Devastated, she stares at him numbly. "He was my husband. He loved me the most." "I asked whether you loved him." He sighs tiredly. Ari lowers her head. She''s too shaken to reply. Everything is gone. When she doesn''t answer him, he sits down beside her and grips her jaw to make her look into his eyes. "You have two choices: die or be my wife." Ari is horrified by his words. "No, I will never ept you as my husband. You killed the man I loved." "So, you loved him." He looks at her darkly. "If you want to die so much, then I will take you as my wife." ____________________ God 2: What''s the point of deciding fates if he''s going to do whatever he wants? God 1: He destroyed the freaking body before I could resurrect him. God 2: All hope is not lost. I have thought of a new n. God 1: I am too tired because of overworking. God 2: Remember, if he finishes all the tasks, you will get a promotion and I will get a vacation to spend time with Mirinae. It''s beneficial for both of us. God 1: Yeah, sure. Let''s overwork ourselves to death. God 2: We can''t die, idiot. Chapter 86: Dont do indecent things Chapter 86: Don''t do indecent things There is no way that she will marry the man who killed her family and Tristan. Ari res at him, wanting to kill him right away. She fists her small hands and concentrates with her closed eyes. Adira furrows his brows. He wonders what she''s trying to do. 10 minutes pass. Nothing happens. He is still waiting. Ari opens her one eye. Nothing is happening. Why can''t she do magic when she wants to do it most? She notices him watching her curiously. In terms of looks, he is a hundred times better than Tristan. She has always been someone who easily gets infatuated with appearance. That was one of the reasons why she liked Tristan. Again, Tristan was kind to her always. If killing her family wasn''t enough, this creature took him from her on her wedding night. She grabs the hilt of the sword by his waist and tries to pull. She will kill him for sure. She seems to have forgotten that she is nearly zero when ites to magic and physical strength. She''s not very smart either. Her best attributes are her looks. No matter how hard she tries, the sword wouldn''t be pulled out. She bursts into tears and looks at him hatefully as if he is the one who is blocking her from taking the double-edged sword. "You want this?" Adira grabs the hand holding the hilt of the sword. He pulls it out of the sheath. He lets go of her hand. "Oh...wait..." The sword is too heavy to hold with one hand. She lets go of her nket and holds the sword to keep it from falling. Forget about using it on her enemy, she can barely keep it from falling on her face and splitting her in half. While she''s struggling, Adira''s dark eyesnd on her bare body again. This time, he notices that there are a few bruises on her body. There is a scent of another man on her. He regrets beingte. If he hade earlier, he could have prevented it. This is something that can''t be undone. However, he wouldn''t like any trace of another man on her. "Help!" Ari looks at him pleadingly. "I will die." The sword seems to lean toward her more whenever she tries to make it lean toward Adira. He finds it amusing. She said that she would rather die, but she''s afraid of death. When he takes the sword away from her, she lets out a breath of relief. She finds him staring at him again. Enraged, she stands up. glowers at him radiantly and says, "I won''t be your wife. I am Tristan''s wife forever. I will die as his wife only. Why are you still looking at me that way?" She hasn''t noticed that the nket fell away a long time ago. Adira crosses his arm and scans her body. The blood is still slowly dripping between her thighs. The man didn''t take any care. He should have torn his limps before killing him. "Doesn''t that hurt?" He points at the blood on her thighs. She looks down, realizing that she''s bleeding. It''s not the time of the month. It does hurt now. She didn''t pay attention because of everything that happened. Wait, this boy has seen everything! She presses her thighs together and grabs the nket again. "Turn around. I have to wear clothes." He takes long steps toward her. "Why would you love a man who doesn''t know how to properly treat a woman?" "Tristan knew how to properly treat me." Ari defends her dead husband. "He told me that he would make me a woman. It would stop hurting after some time." Adira shakes his head. The woman is an idiot. The man died an easy death. "Then, why hasn''t it stopped hurting?" "That..." How would she know? The man who told her this is already dead. "Ah... stop! What are you doing?" Adira carries her like a sack. He throws her on the bed. He widens her thighs and takes a look. The area is badly bruised. He is disgusted by that man''s action. "Where are you looking?" Ari screams at him. "Don''t do indecent things." As if he would listen to her. She flinches when she feels his cold finger inserting inside her cave. "Don''t touch me there." He closes his eyes and casts a basic healing spell. She begins to feel warm. The pain is going away. Adira isn''t done. He wants to clean everything. The scent of another man is driving him crazy. He carries her in his arms to the pool, ignoring her protests. He throws her into the pool. He''s going to wash all traces. He takes off his clothes. He hasn''t had a bath either for days. He has been on the battleground for months. She widens her eyes when she sees his naked body. On her wedding night, she has already seen two naked men. One of them is already dead. Her eyes quickly wander to the thing between his legs. She gasps. It''s bigger and thicker than Tristan. If he does poke to her with that, she is dead. "Don''t even think of doing something bad to me." Ari tenses her shoulders and sinks deeper into the water, showing on her head "I only belong to Tristan." Adira has seen her looking at him curiously. He has noticed the change in her eyes. She says that she only belongs to the dead man, but she can''t hide much. He goes into the water, leaning at the edge. Half of his chiseled body is revealed to her. She is tempted to go to him and run her fingers on his chest. She gulps and swims to the other edge. The water is cold, but her body is feeling hot. He killed her father and her brothers. Her mother died because of him. He killed her Tristan. She hates him the most. Even if he is beautiful, she won''t ever like this man. She''s not that crazy for good looking men. Chapter 87: Did he kiss you? Chapter 87: Did he kiss you? Seeing her swim away, his lips curl into a smile. He has never paid much attention to a woman before. Ever since he was born, he felt like he didn''t belong to this world. There is something that he wanted to find desperately. He couldn''t understand what it was. When he saw that woman for the first time, he felt relief in his heart. After a long time, he feels like he doesn''t need to look for that unknown thing. It''s right in front of him. He doesn''t know why. He hasn''t seen this woman before, but she seems so familiar as if he has known her for a lifetime. He doesn''t understand the connection between them. Why does he feel like this? He has a strange urge to hug her tightly. He didn''t give in to that urge yet. He''s curious how it would feel to hug her. So, he makes his way to her. Before she could run to the other edge, he hugs her from behind. Ari stiffens. He is naked. She is naked. They are hugging. Her heart is rapidly beating. She is turning hot and strange. She doesn''t dislike how it feels. He closes his eyes. It is peaceful to hug her. After such a long time, he doesn''t feel alone. Whoever she is, she is like a cooling balm that''s healing wounds left by losing someone precious once. Her presence in his arms is warming up his heart and soul. She regains her rity and struggles to free herself. Her body is soft as a marshmallow. When she moves without care and rub her skin against his, his body is also heating up. Adira stares at her small head and tells her with a cold voice, "Stop moving." She won''t listen to him. She tries harder. "Let me go." "Hmph!" He turns her around and squints at her in annoyance. He would love to do her right now. Should he seduce her? He has never seduced a woman before. He should find more about her first. Why does he feel this way for her? But, his little brother is twitching. This is difficult. He sighs and says, "I just want to have a bath. Why do you keep moving? I am still a man." "If you are a man, you should take a bath somewhere else. What does it have to do with me?" Ari can''t understand the meaning of his words. They are both young. She''s only 15. He''s only 14. But, Adira''s body is quite grown for his age. She even looks younger than him despite being older. He''s god and bound to break limits one way or another. It can''t be helped. "How are you married without basic knowledge?" He is more annoyed. "You have even done it someone else. Couldn''t you wait for me a little?" He is sure now that he has been looking for her. It surely means that she belongs to him. Then, why did she marry someone else and offer herself to that person? His mood is sour. If he has been longing to be with this woman for whatever strange reason, she should have felt the same. Why did he feel it alone? Ari''s soul isn''tpletely healed. She doesn''t remember her past life. She might never remember. It can''t be told if she can ever recall those feelings she once had for someone. When her soul has been fully healed, there may be a chance. However, things can never be the same. "He was my husband." Ari tries to push him away. "We were promised to each other since I was five. It was only natural that I would love him. Why do youin like we are something special?" Feeling sad, he touches her face. "I think that we are something special." "We are not." She ps his hand away. "You killed everyone I loved." "It''s good that you have no one to love." Adira doesn''t regret killing the man. If things were different, he would have done the same. He doesn''t know who else she''s talking about. "You can only love me." Ari didn''t think that he would say such a thing. She knows that people like her for her looks. She has been proposed by other princes and noblemen in the past despite the engagement with Tristan that was known all over the country. She didn''t think that the Death God would also fall for her like this. Adira has other worries. He takes some water in his hand and sshes it on her head. "Time to clean the germs." He means the scent and traces that Tristan left "Hey, what germs?" She ms her hands on his muscled chest. "I don''t have germs on my body." If he likes her, should he call her dirty? "You do." He scrubs her skin while she continues to protest, leaving no area untouched. She squeezes her eyes when he doesn''t stop rubbing her skin to clean off the germs. Her skin is rubbed red because of the callouses in his hands. "Are you done now?" She asks with misty eyes. No man has ever done this to her. "No, one ce is left.." He frowns slightly. "Don''t worry. I will be gentle." "What?" She lets out a gasp when his finger enters her vagina for the second time. This time, he starts moving it around, rubbing it against the wall, sending foreign sensations in her body. She blushes when she realizes that she''s letting out lewd moans. "Sssstop... you are killing me." Adira finds it difficult to control himself. He prates her with two fingers. She pants for air as he increases his pace. "Do you like it?" She closes her eyes, embarrassed. She doesn''t hate it. She will never tell this to him. Never ever. She can keep her mouth, but her body is answering him already. It shudders because of pleasure. She moans and looks at him with half-opened eyes. The way she looks at him changes his mind then. His fingers are not long enough to clean the germs thoroughly. Before cleaning her with his long weapon, he must prepare her. He doesn''t want to hurt her like the other man. He wants her to know how it should feel like. "Did he kiss you?" "Yes, he did. He was my husband." She stares at him, not trying to push him like before. He sighs and pulls his fingers out. The woman must be cleaned thoroughly everywhere. He lifts her chin. She opens her mouth to ask him to not do anything indecent, though she is helpless to his touches as much as he is feeling helpless to stop himself from touching her. Adira bends down his head and presses his lips against her, cleaning the mouth with relish. Chapter 88: Do you mind? Chapter 88: Do you mind? "He hasn''te out." Rirk, one of the prince''s personal guard asks his senior, Fryde. "Did something happen to him?" "Who could do anything to him?" Fryde tries to hide the worry in his heart. If something happens to the prince, what will happen to them? The emperor might not like Prince Adira, but Adira is still Emperor''s son. He''s only 14 too. At this young age, he has plundered kingdoms and butchered anyone who stood in his way. The entire king''s bloodline is wiped. There was no mercy. Sometimes, he wonders if he''s a human or a demon. "But, he wouldn''t take this long." Rirk''s words are right. Prince Adira is quick. He won''t stop anywhere for a cup of tea. Fryde takes a breath. Prince Adira has asked them to finish anyone who might have been missed in the pce. But, there are only dead bodies. They know about the soul magician prince. Did he do something? "We should go in and check." Fryde tries to calm himself down. Maybe they are still fighting. Along with other soldiers, they go inside to check. They don''t hear any sound. The silence is killing them. Did they fight and die? There is someone who can kill Prince Adira? No, it''s impossible. Theye to the pool. All of them see the pale back of the prince.There''s something small in that prince''s arm. He seems to be kissing what looks like a female. Rirk gasps. Fryde doesn''t know whether to close his eyes first or run for his life first. The other soldiers scream in horror. They are dead. Isn''t it sin to interfere when royals are busy like this? Adira realizes that they aren''t alone. He covers her with his body first, pressing her little face to his chest. He looks over his shoulder and res at his men. "Did you see?" Did see what? Fryde stares at him dumbly. Adira''s eyes are dark and fuming. The other soldiers'' eyes are already closed. They utter in unison, "We dare not see. We dare not see." Fryde also covers his eyes. It''s toote to say that he didn''t see. "Please forgive me, Prince. I didn''t mean to get the glimpse of your back. I am sorry." "Did you get the glimpse of my woman?" Adira ns to rip each of their eyes if they say yes. All of them know how to answer the question. "Woman? There is one here? We didn''t know, Prince. Forgive us. We will go back and take care of other things." The soldiers run away before Adira could punishment. "We have to continue this some other day." He sighs and looks down at her. "Do you mind?" She doesn''t say anything. Her body is too hot. Even in the water, she''s sweating. She closes her eyes and passes out right away. His strong presence along with everything that has happened to her in this night has taken a toll on her. She has also been in the water for too long. He takes her out of the water first andys her down on the floor. He ps her cheek. "What''s wrong with you?" She doesn''t respond. She''s burning with fever. Then, her soul is also sick because of his overwhelming presence. He''s god - a strong entity. Even normal people would feel his pressure. To Ari, it shakes the very structure of her soul. ________________ God 2: I already told him that. That''s one of the reasons why the seals must never be broken before her soul ispletely healed. She would copse if it is broken. This guy is such an idiot. He has no patience. That''s why Tristan was better for her. As a soul magician, he could help her heal faster. God 1: Shut up! Do something about her. God 2: What can I do? I did everything to save that soul. Now, she needs some healing time. Being with him will slow down her healing. God 1: Tch! I don''t like it. It''s better if he holds himself back. He''s god. Why can''t he remember that? God 2: My seals are really good. God 1: If they were that good, he would not look for her. *Ting* God 2 receives a text message. God 2: MIRINAE IS ASKING ME ON A DATE. BYE. God 1: Hey, don''t go. How can I handle this alone? God 2 is gone. God 1: Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Karma: Your intuition is right. God 1 forgets to breathe when he sees Karma sitting beside him. Chapter 89: Naughty Naughty Chapter 89: Naughty Naughty [Captial of Country Z] The clouds above the capital are so thick that not a ray of sunlight can fall into the city. It''s been a month since Country A has been destroyed. Ari is currently in the pce and unconscious. The people of country Z is already calling her Prince Adira''s sleeping beauty. All the healers are trying to wake up the sleeping beauty, but they fail. "What happened to her?" The healer sweats because of the pressure that Adira is giving him. "Prince, her soul is weak. She is sick because of the pressure from you." "Pressure from me..." Adira stares at Ari''s pale face, feeling guilty. Did he give her a big shock? "Is there any way to take it away?" "Take your pressure away..." The healer is stumped. It''s part of Prince''s personality. How does one take it away? "If you lighten your emotions, she won''t feel it." Adira looks at him quietly. "I mean..." The healer trembles and looks down. If he can''t take it well, how will this girl take it? "She will get used to it eventually. It will take some time, but her soul will gain immunity over time. I will give her some soul strengthening potions. It will take some time. She will get better eventually." "Is there any other way?" Adira is not convinced by healer''s words. The healers keep saying that she will wake up. He hasn''t killed them yet because there aren''t many soul healers. Only they can keep her stabilized. "If you keep a distance from her..." He pauses. The current healer has heard that the girl is taken in as Prince''s lover. "Other than that." Adira has no intention of staying away from her. He has just found her. He''s sure that he has been longing for her. She''s his peace. He wants to know why he feels this way. He wants to stay beside her and protect her always. The healer decides to write a will and choose his gravestone. "How to strengthen her soul?" Adira questions him with a neutral voice. The healer can see the intense worry in Adira''s eyes. The prince has never shown that kind of expression before. The boy is clearly in love. "Prince, I heard of a legendary flower," The healer tells Adira after many thoughts on the matter. If Ari dies, he''s going to die too. "But I heard about a legendary flower that strengthens the soul. Even sniffing it can heal any soul. But it only grows in the demon kingdom. Currently, the demon king is keeping it in his treasury." "Demon king." Adira has heard of that tyrannical demon king. He nces at Ari. If he didn''t hear the sound of her heartbeat, it would be hard to believe that she''s alive. "I will get that flower." The healer looks at him with fear. "Don''t go there. The demon king is..." "Evil." Adirapletes his words. "But he''s not worse than I am. Keep her alive and well while I am gone. If anything happens to her, I will burn everyone including you." *** Karma smiles at God 1 with a mischievous glint in her eyes. God 1 is frozen in his seat. Karma: Are you scared of me? God 1 nods stiffly. Karma: That''s good. She stares at the screen and flicks her fingers. God 1: Did you just remove the seal on his memories? Karma: You have been naughty. God 1: ... Karma: I like naughty. God 1: ... Karma leans closer. God 1 leans back. Karma: You are not smart, are you? God 1 gulps. Karma: I like foolish gods the most. God 1''s can''t move back further. Karma: ehehehehehe! God 1: Why are youughing? Karma: Your friend is getting it. God 1: Getting what? Karma: Want to see? The scene changes. God 2 shows up. His spinal cord is ripped out and used as a dog leash on God 2. Mirinae is standing behind her husband with a guilty look. Her husband is eyeing God 2 with rage in his eyes. Karma: Caught flirting with a married woman. God 1: Please forgive me. Karma: Do not worry. God 1: Thank you. Karma: I will personally ''take'' care of you. God 1: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Karma: You captured my attention, Naughty Naughty. God 1: Please don''t call me that. Karma: Come closer, Naughty Naughty. God 1: No, please... Ah! Chapter 90: My sadistic wife, where are you? Chapter 90: My sadistic wife, where are you? Adira leaves right away with his army toward the demon kingdom. If God2 and God1 have been watching this, they would have been happy beyond words. Right now, they are unhappy beyond words. Adira doesn''t take any rest during his journey. Without a stop, they march toward the demon kingdom. The army is both afraid and excited. They have a firm belief in their prince. In their eyes, their prince is even more fearsome than the demon king. On the 9th day of their journey, Adira suddenly feels a sharp pain in his head. He falls down from his horse and loses consciousness. The seal that God2 ced on his mind is broken by Karma easily Adira falls into a slumber, deep into the spirals of memories. After a few hours, he wakes up. Tears drop from his ears. "Ari..." Ari is here in this world. He remembers everything now the name, how she freed him, her love for him, even her sacrifice at the end, and how he came to this world. Since the seal is broken, he removes the seal on his powers. He gnashes his teeth when he recalls how the two gods made use of him. The deal was only to take care of the demon king, but they certainly wanted to use him for more. They purposely sent Tristan in Ari''s life. They sent the tornadoes to stop him from approaching his Ari. They didn''t tell him about the flower in the demon kingdom. The soldiers are sweating uneasily due to the terrifying pressure. It''s getting hauntingly quiet and dark. The calm before the storm? "What''s going on here?" "Did the prince wake up?" "I will check." When they enter, they see the tent empty. "Where did he go!!!" *** Adira crosses to the demon kingdom. Demons of this world are antspared to his strength. Adira destroys the kingdompletely, wiping all the demons from the world and crushing the demon king''s heart with his hand. He has never been a patient god. He has wasted 14 years in this world. He will heal her soul and take her back to his world. The soul healing flower is found in the treasury. Adira curses the two gods who fooled him. When this flower existed in this world, she didn''t need to suffer so much. The two weak gods probably wanted to kill the demon king to get this flower. Without dy, Adira goes back to Country Z. It''s only been 10 days. Ari''s condition has gotten better since Adira left. When he returns, her soul experiences heavy pressure. He takes her in the arm and gives her the essence of the flower before her soul could break into countless pieces again. The soul healing flower''s essence flows into her soul and strengthens it. He watches her soul being healed. Her paleness is going away. When he hears her heartbeat bes stronger, he lets out a breath of relief. "Wake up." He strokes her hair. "It''s my turn to pamper you every day. My Ari, how long will you make me wait? Am I not punished enough?" But Ari is dreaming. She''s dreaming of a strange world. A faraway world. A world without magic. *** God2 returns. God1 is staring nkly at the screen. God2: Can you help me put my spinal cord back in my body? God1 sighs. God2: Are you okay, God1? God1: She''s amazing. God2: Amazing? Who? God1: Karma. God 2 *speechless* The spinal cord drops to the ground. God1 wraps his arms around himself longingly. God1 : Should Imit more sins? God2: (@_@) ???? God1: I want her toe and punish me again. God2: What did she do to you? God1 *lovingly gazing at the screen*: She''s amazing. God2: Karma is amazing. Are you kidding me? She fucked me so badly. My spinal cord is lying near your feet. God1 *yells*: I can''t do this anymore. I am going to chase her until she marries me. Bye. God2: Wait, don''t leave me. Who will fit my spinal cord in my body? God1: My sadistic wife, where are you? God1 runs away. Chapter 91: When I had my first period, you couldnt even walk Chapter 91: When I had my first period, you couldn''t even walk Ari stares at the boy''s face. So pretty~ Though she remembers who this person is, she doesn''t feel bad toward him like before. It must be because she remembers her past life. She remembers dying at her home on Earth. She died because of herptop. After dying, she was reincarnated to this strange world. For 19 years, she lived a pampered life of a silly girl. She had a family who loved her a lot. She was always sickly. They took care of her as if she was made of ss. Then, the war happened. This boy was the reason behind her family''s death. And Tristan. He was handsome. But even she knows now that she didn''t love him. She liked his face more. The first time... Remembering it makes her grimace. The boy took advantage of her idiotic mind. How could he make it so painful? She didn''t even know that she didn''t like him. Damn! It''s still too bad that he died such a way. That boy loved her genuinely. She feels bad, but that night makes her frown again. The hell! He didn''t even kiss her properly. There was no forey. He just shoved it inside her. What the hell!!! How could her first time so horrible? He also died on the wedding night. It looks like 19 years of her fairytale-like life was destroyed in a few days. Ari, the one with maturity and wisdom of a 26 years old woman from Earth, is a great worshipper of beauty. She has a thing for cute or handsome men. Tristan was handsome, but this boy is many thousand times better than Tristan. But he''s young. She''s 26 and he''s 20 at most. This is not legal in her world. But her body is 19 years old. She remembers how he had treated her after killing Tristan. She wants to me him for killing his family. Logically speaking, wasn''t King of Country A more to be med? That stupid king knew that he couldn''t win against this dark magician prince of Country Z. But he still sent everyone to get ughtered by this person. Wasn''t it better to surrender first? He relied heavily on his son who came a bit toote. Though he married her first to protect her, she has bitter feelings toward him because of that night. Ari huffs. The bad luck from previous life has followed her to this life. This kid wants her as his wife. Not happening. She might be 19, but she likes older men. Meanwhile, Adira has sensed that she''s awake. But he doesn''t dare to open his eyes. He wonders if she remembers everything or not. Her soul is healed. She should remember him. But she hasn''t reacted. When she tries to move away from him, he pulls her closer and meets her calm eyes. Ari doesn''t look like Kresi. She has no golden eyes or pale skin. She''s not as beautiful as a Mirin, but this Ari is charming. She''s beautiful in a different way, more likely to entice men to take her to bed without a second thought. Even the emperor who hase to see her during Adira''s absence had the thoughts of taking her as his concubine, but the thought of Adira slicing his fleshyer byyer stopped him before hemitted such a mistake. Adira isn''t falling for the charms that the gods have put on her. He loves her heart and soul the most. If she was reborn without these looks that could entrap any man''s heart, he would love her anyway. She''s his Ari. His harbinger. His wife. His only love and everything. "Do you remember me?" He asks, breaking the silence. "I remember you." She gives him a small smile. "Prince Adira, how long have I been asleep?" Prince Adira... she''s calling him that. She''s different, but she doesn''t remember. He smiles at her sadly. "It''s only been 45 days." "Only 45 days?" The corner of her lips twitch. "That''s more than a month!" "You made me wait for a while, but it''s okay." He cups her face and eyes her with bottomless love in his eyes, making her heart palpitate abnormally. "I am relieved that you are awake. You are alive." He takes her in his warm embrace. Why is her heart acting weird? The boy is 18. At least, Tristan was 20. That''s still legal. She didn''t have her past life''s memories. She pushes him away, blushing. "Listen, you, boy! I remember what you did in the pool. You can''t do that to me again." After he bes an adult, she will give it a thought. She''s not into young boys. It''s absolutely not her thing. Adira sees the redness on her face. He smirks and teases her. "Why can''t I?" "Because..." Is not she a hostage? He literally took her as his wife. They aren''t legally married yet. At the age of 19, she''s already someone''s widow. Is she pregnant? "Hey, do you have... " "Have what?" Adira looks at her expectantly, waiting. She can''t ask him for pregnancy kit. But pregnancy kits don''t even exist in this world. "Is there a doctor?" She asks quietly. She''s been asleep for 45 days. She can''t tell if she''s pregnant or not. That''s her biggest worry. If she''s pregnant, the father is Tristan. Having her own child... The prince of the enemy nation is sitting beside her. "Are you feeling unwell?" Adira takes her wrist anxiously. The pulse is fine. "Tell me if you feel pain somewhere." "I..." She knows what he did. "Can you tell my physical state''s just by reading my pulse?" "Yes." He checks the state of her soul. All fine. Is it normal for princes to study medicine? Then, Tristan could also do things like this. She decides to ask straightforwardly, "Am I pregnant?" Adira stares at her for a long time before he answers, "I didn''t do my husband''s bed duties. How can you get pregnant? It''s better not to have children in this world. After we go back to Iravan, I will fulfill your wishes. How many do you want?" Making her immortal is easy after they go back to their world. She gapes at him. This boy''s strange. Where''s Iravan? Is it country I? Her voice is quiet when she asks again. "Am I pregnant with Tristan''s child?" His expression turns ck. He recalls now. That night. That Tristan! He remembers the blood. Someone else slept with his wife. HIS WIFE. Those two gods! "You are not." He killed that man before that man could nt his dirty seeds inside his wife. "Your womb isn''t allowed to have anyone else''s child. You are my wife." "Boy, when did we get married?" Ari res at him. His overbearing and possessive tone is enough to make her lose her temper and momentarily forget some matters. "Even if you are the scary prince of Country Z or A or B or all the letters in the alphabets, Ari is not interested in younger men. I like men who are matured like wine. Do you get it? I am 12 years older than you. When I had my first period, you couldn''t even walk." "Men who are matured like wine..." Adira mumbles her words. She didn''t say such things in the past life. She did dislike the idea of epting him as her husband. If they didn''t get identally married, she would have never married him. Why did she say that she''s 12 years older?Ari? Her name is Ari Ashbourne in this world. A thought urs to Adira. He finally understands. Her soul is healed. She remembers. Not her life on the Iravan. Not him. She remembers the life she had before she was born in his world. Chapter 92: I will wait for you, my vicious beauty Chapter 92: I will wait for you, my vicious beauty God 1 is chasing Karma who is busying chasing people who have sinned. God 1 decides tomit sins and waits for Karma like a masochistic lover. Karma: Naughty Naughty, you were naughty again. God 1: I love you, Karma. Will you marry me? I want to spend my eternity with you. Karma *blushing*: What do you like about me? God 1: You are sadistically sexy, smart, evil, beautiful, and you have stolen my heart since you *punished* me for my naughty sins. Karma: Is that why you did naughty things again? God 1 nods enthusiastically. Karma *sniffles*: People usually chase me because they hate me. This is the first time when someone came after me because he loves me. God 1: Karma, they don''t know how amazing you are. Karma: Let''s get married after your karma cycles are cleaned up. I wille back. I have a lot of work. Bye. God 1: Wait! Karma, where are you going? You forgot to punish me. Karma is gone. God 1 is sad. God 1: I will wait for you, my vicious beauty. *** Adira has finished his end of the deal when he killed the demon king and eradicated all the demons from this world. Ari''s soul is also healed. Her body is good. But she doesn''t remember him at all. Being a god, he knows that this situation is temporary. She will recover her memories. If she could remember her life on Earth, she will recover the memories of her life on Iravan. By any chance, if she doesn''t remember, he doesn''t think that it''s worse than not having her at all. It''s already a miracle that she''s alive and beside him. Adira isn''t interested in the throne or anything else in this world. He''s very interested in pampering his Ari and making her fall for him again. But, things are not going good in that direction. "I don''t like your tone." She pokes his chest. "You might be a prince. But you should not talk to me like I am your possession. I can have anyone in my heart. I can have anyone''s child in her womb." In her past life, she always adored him except the time when she faced his true self. During those times, she was usually afraid of him. She never talked to him like this. He doesn''t feel too bad. She''s different to him because she doesn''t remember. "You can''t." Adira shows her the marriage certificate. "The emperor granted out marriage. You are legally my wife." When she said that she wasn''t married to him legally, he got that old emperor to announce it legally. He''s marrying his wife again in this world. How strange! "Darn!" She frowns at the paper. "Why can your father decide my marriage? I am not even a citizen of this country?" "Now, you are." He cuts a slice out of the cake and takes it to her mouth. "Eat." She stares at it and says, "I have hands." "Stop arguing and eat." The slice of cake is nearly touching her lips. She opens her mouth and takes a bite. Her rigid expression changes to euphoria. "Ohmygod! This is heavenly delightful." For thest 15 years, she lived a spoiled life. But she didn''t appreciate what she had. After recovering her memories, she knows how lucky she is to taste this slice of cake. She puts away the certificate and takes another bite of the cake. Life is meant to be enjoyed, alright. "Mhmm." She licks her lips. Adira cuts another slice and feeds her. The happiness in her eyes is contagious. He smiles at her. She loves sweets that much. On Iravan, she always fed him the best pieces. If there was something delicious, she would give it to him first. Adira believes that he can''t love her enough. The way she loved him back then, even hundreds of him can''t love her that much. "Tell me more about yourself," He speaks softly. This is an opportunity to know how she was before she met him. He wants to know about her world and how she grew up. He wants to know everything about her. "Don''t you know everything about me?" Ari replies with a question. "I am Ari. I am 15. My parents and brothers died because of you and that stupid king. My husband was killed by you. You married me by force. What''s more to know?" Though she''s speaking that way, she''s not unhappy at all. She shoves the next slice in her mouth and squeals in joy. "Delicious. If you feed me such food every day, I will forgive you easily. I will also give you a chance after you grow up." Adira chuckles. She''s quite easy. She doesn''t hold grudges. How will she react when she finds out that he''s way older than her? Hopefully, not badly. He''s sure that he''s a mature ''man'' like wine. The older the wine is, the more delicious it is. "I want to know about your past life." Ari freezes. Past life? How does he know? Is it because of the things that she said to himst time? "Your life in the world without magic," Adira adds. He knows for sure. She blinks at him. "How?" "I am God." He pinches her cheek. "I can tell things." She snorts. "Yes, you are a god." Overconfident chipmunk! "I am right though. You remember your past life. It''s not strange. There are times when people remember their past lives." Adira can tell that she doesn''t believe him. She will believe him when he takes her out of this world. He wants to spend some time here with her with the way she is now before proceeding to Iravan. The gods of that world will be nosy. Then, there''s Mogrok. Her seer friend is also there. This world is free from those extras. "Do you want to go back to your world?" She looks at him seriously. "Can I?" "I can take you there." Adira wipes her mouth with the napkin. "Believe me." She doesn''t believe him. She''s familiar with the technology of this world. There''s no magic or tech for space travel. But the boy is interesting. At least, he offered to take her there. He seems genuine too. Since she woke up, he''s been taking care of her. She heard the maid whispering that he fought with the demon king for some magical flower that saved her life. "I will tell you anyway. My name is Yoshihara Ari. I am 26 years old." She starts with herself first. "I lived in a world without magic. But we had some superior technology. If your world and my world go on a war, I think that it will be a tie." This world is a lot weaker than Iravan. Adira doesn''t tell her that. She tells him about the boring stuff first the continents, her country, thenguages, and even global warming before she is led to her personal life by Adira''s questions. "So, you lived in Tokyo, Japan. What about your family?" "My father and mother divorced. My maternal grandparents raised me. They had a salon. They taught me how to cut hair." She nces at his long hair. "I can give you a cool haircut." Adira smiles. She did cut his hair once. "Did you love your grandparents?" "I did." She smiles at him sadly. "They are already dead. I had a few friends back in that world. But they all moved on. Some of them must be married now. It has already been 15 years in this world. So much time must have passed there. Nobody will recognize me if I go back. Actually, I don''t have much there. I didn''t even have a lover. I do miss Kyo, but she''s already dead." "Who?" Adira stares at her nkly. "Kyo? She?" "My cat." She tells him, "Kyo was my cat when I was in elementary school. She died in an ident. A car ran over her." "..." She named him after her pet cat. "She was quite important to me." She sighs in depression. "She was my best friend." Seeing that love for her cat, Adira is both sad and happy. He''s happy because she named him after something that was important for her and he''s sad because it was still the name of a pet. A pet cat. He''s not even on Mogrok''s level. "I was an ordinary woman. I didn''t have big dreams. I hoped to fall in love and start a family. But I was so unlucky in love. I was too shy to talk." She realizes that she''s easily talking to this boy. Is it because she was differently in this life? Kudos to her parents! "We will start a family soon." He strokes her head. "You haven''t told me how many do you want." She ps his hand away. "You haven''t even grown puberty hair. You will start a family with me? Dream on." He exhales solemnly. "You have seen me naked. Didn''t you see whether it''s grown or not?" Her face turns red as a tomato. She has seen everything. "You are still a boy." Adira wants to jump on her right away, but he decides against it. Patience. It''s not the correct time. Chapter 93: This is a promise of a god and your Kyo Chapter 93: This is a promise of a god and your Kyo Adira decides to sleep beside her. He''s been giving her space for thest few days because she recovered her memories of her first life and he didn''t want to pressure her suddenly. Since she thinks that he hasn''t even grown puberty hair, it''s alright for him to sleep with her. "What are you doing here?" She squints at him when hees to her. "I was having nightmares." He grins at her. "So, I want to sleep with you." "Go to your bed now." She points at the door, faint redness appearing on her cheeks. The boy''s robes are loose. She can see his smooth chest. Though she wants to appreciate the beauty, it is still wrong. Adira has noticed her gazes. He ''identally'' loosens the robe more. "We are husband and wife, but what can a boy do to his older wife? Do not worry, Ari. I don''t even have puberty hair." He stretches his arms and crosses them behind his head, leaning backwards. The front of the robe parts, showing off his assets in full glory. He sees her look away and blushing harder. He smirks evilly and says, "What''s this? Are those ''hairs''?" She tries to run away but he grabs her by the waist and pushes her on the bed. "I want to see if you have ''puberty'' hair." "Shut up." She covers her chest. "Don''t even think of doing strange things." "I won''t. I only want to see." Adira pins her wrists on the bed. "I am curious to see the hair of older women." "I am not that old." She stammers. "I am 15 physically. We are still kids. We shouldn''t be doing these things." "15." Heys himself down on the top of her. "Does my body feels young to you?" She widens her eyes when she sees him shed off the appearance of the 14 years old Adira. He grows bigger, taller, and more beautiful broad shoulders, chiselled jawline, and smooth beige skin. She can''t tell his age. He presses her palms on his muscled chest. "Am I mature enough now for your consideration? If you don''t like, I can grow older or younger. I told you that I am a god. I can control my age or appearance easily. But, this is my true appearance." Her throat turns dry when her eyes fall on the V-line. True appearance. She''s in awe. He looks like a man in his early 30s. No, maybe it''s in thete 20s. She can''t tell. There''s something timeless about his appearance. His dark eyes are sucking her into him like a ck hole. She swallows. If he does anything now, she won''t be able to say no. Adira leans closer to her ear. His voice is dark and husky. "Can you ept me as your husband then?" "Why me?" She stares into his eyes. "If you are a god, then why do you want to be with me? I am amoner." "You are not amoner." He kisses her lips, licking and sucking. She feels strange sensations in her body as if a small hot tornado is building in her stomach and spreading outward. She wants him to continue kissing. He pecks her once before continuing his words. "You don''t remember now. You were my harbinger once. You freed me from the darkness of my own heart. You taught me how to love again. When you were gone, I realized that the world had stopped revolving for me. There was nothing, but I couldn''t die. I am an immortal. That''s when I envied the mortal beings." She listens to him silently. He sounds truthful and lonely. "I already loved you, but I didn''t want to admit because I was afraid," Adira whispers to her softly. "When you were gone, I realized my mistake. I was a fool. You loved me without any restraint but I kept holding myself back. You taught me what it meant to live. A mortal taught a god how to live and love. But you made that miracle. When nobody believed me, you believed me. You loved a god who was hated by the entire world. Ari, I don''t know when I started loving you back. But you are essential for me to live. A world without you wasn''t a world at all. I lived with your memories, hoping for a miracle. It happened and you were born in this world. Your soul was saved." This man loves her. Ari''s heart is beating erratically. She can understand now. She has lived another life in another world after she died on Earth and before she was born here. This God already knows her from that world. Does she really love him? She can''t remember. "Even if you can''t remember me..." He nudges her ear with his nose. His hot breath falls on her sensitive skin. "I am grateful that you are alive. Your soul exists. You are back to me. Even if you don''t love me, I will love you so much that you will start loving me back. I will take you to your world. I want to see that world where you lived a life once. I will love you for the rest of our eternity. We will have a family. I will make you happy every day. This is a promise of a god and your Kyo." Her Kyo? She turns her head and looks into his eyes. Those eyes... Where had she seen them before? She decides to stay with him. Maybe she will remember. A few years are gone. Adira has grown on her. However, she can''t ept him either.One day, he tells her that they should return back to Iravan. "We have lived here long enough." He runs his fingers through her hair, stroking her. "Sleep. I will take you home tomorrow." She doesn''t close her eyes. She keeps staring into those dark eyes, thinking why does she suddenly find them familiar until she falls asleep. Chapter 94: My Kyo is Adira Chapter 94: My Kyo is Adira Ari doesn''t have anything left in this world. Her family is dead and the first husband is also dead. She found out that she lived another life on another. A god is her lover from another world. She creases her forehead while bathing quietly. "A god?" She sshes the water in frustration. After what she has seen and heardst night, it''s hard not to believe the guy. He sounded genuine. His words moved her. He said that he would take her to that. Did she fall for an alien in her previous life? An alien god? She ps her cheeks. "What was wrong with you? Were all normal men dead in that world?" The god killed Tristan. Now, she knows why. Strangely, she doesn''t feel bad for Tristan. Is it because Adira is more beautiful than Tristan? Is the world strange or she is? God made beautiful things to be appreciated. "He''s a god." She grasps her head. "A sexy god. Why I amining? An eternity with him doesn''t sound bad at all." But she wants to remember. "Did I really love him that much?" She murmurs to herself. She takes time while choosing clothes. What should be good for space travel? Wait, he''s a god. Then, are they travelling through a spaceship? Would it be something else? She decides on simple clothes trousers, long tunic, and boots. She ties her hair high, revealing the back of her neck. She almost looks like a teenager from the 21st century Earth. "Should I pack luggage?" She has another problem now. Adira walks into her room. To make things easy, he simply made the emperor believe that his son is not interested in the throne and he''s abandoning the empire to go on a long journey to east with his daughter-inw. Before returning to Ari, he has returned to his original appearance. "Don''t pack." He smiles at her and takes her hands. "We have to make a stop somewhere first. Then, we will go home." "Where are we stopping?" Why is she believing everything that he''s saying? She wants to see if he''s really a god. She will take a chance. "I need to take care of some lowly bugs." The smile on his face doesn''t meet his eyes. He looks to the right and says an incantation. She can''t grasp the sounds. It pulsates through her body. A door appears on the wall. "Are you ready?" "Yes." She''s excited to see the magical door. "I can''t wait to see that world." Adira coils his arms around her waist. "It''s better than the world you sawst time." He pushes open the door. It opens to the room with a screen showing the room that they have just left. "This is..." Ari''s face contorts in anger. "Were we being watched the whole time?" Adira''s expression isn''t any better. He sees the script on the couch and the alternations. His face turns darker. These two gods! "Ari, can you wait for me here for a moment?" The anger in his voice can''t be mistaken. "Okay." Ari doesn''t mind. She sits on the couch. Adira disappears from the room. She sees the script on the floor. She picks it up and starts reading. Her expression turns uglier. "Damn gods!" She curses the people who wrote the script. She believes Adira now. She''s reborn in that world after living another life on Iravan. *** Adira finds God 2 first. "Please forgive me." God 2 pleads. "I saved your wife''s life." "You could have healed herpletely with the soul healing treasure." Adira cracks his knuckles. "You havemitted way too many mistakes." "Pardon me!" God 2 stands on his knees and raises his arms. "Your wife is alive because of me. I healed her soul. Please let me go this once." Adira loves his wife so much. "I can forgive you for giving me a hard time, but sending another man to her..." God 2 bones are unravelled one by one and thrown in the different part of the gxy. God 2 spends his 5000 years looking for his bones. As for God 1... He kowtows to Adira when he finds him sitting in the space and waiting for Karma. He looks at Adira with a grave expression, "Please punish me. I need you to clean my Karma cycle. Otherwise, she won''t see me again." Adira didn''t expect him to be like that. Since he didn''t ask for pardon, he is lenient with God 1. He only breaks half of his bones and throws them in 10 different gxies. It takes 1000 years for God 1 to recollect his bones and fix it. When he''s done, Karmaes to him. Karma: Now, Naughty Naughty is clean. God 1: Karma~ I missed you so much! Karma hugs him. Karma: I didn''t miss you. I was busy dealing with the sinners. God 1: I can miss you enough for both of us. Karma: Naughty Naughty loves me. God 1: Karma, will you marry me now? Karma: Naughty Naughty, you are the only one who likes being tortured by me. God 1: There''s so much love in your tortures. Karma: I will marry you and torture you every day. God 1: I can''t wait to start my life with you. Karma and God 1 gets married and he gets tortured every day like he wished to. *** Adira returns and finds Ari reading the script. He sighs. "Do you feel bad?" "No." She shakes her head. "I remember now." "What do you remember?" Adira sits beside her and asks her curiously. "Why I found your eyes familiar?" She smiles at him. Her gaze is different. "My Kyo is Adira. Adira is my Kyo." He widens his eyes. How did she remember suddenly? "I was reading this script." She flips the pages. "When I read from the start to the end, I saw my life passing through my eyes. Then, I pushed harder to think back further. It suddenly appeared in my mind all at once. I remember who Kyo was and who you are." "Am I different from your Kyo?" Adira stares into her eyes. Ari smiles at him like Kresi used to. "You told me that I taught you how to love. But what if I say that it was you who taught me how to love? When I met you, you didn''t have your memories. I gave you the name Kyo because you looked at me like the way my cat used to. Each day, I learned how to love a pure person like Kyo. When I got to know him more, I could already see that more of Adira is showing up in him. I understood. Kyo is a part of Adira. Loving someone doesn''t mean loving only the good part of someone. Before I knew it, I already epted the dark god who was supposed to kill me. I don''t see Kyo different from Adira. Just like, Ari and Kresi are not different." Adira nts a kiss on the back of her hand. "You forgive me for trying to kill you in yourst life." "That depends." Ari looks at him yfully. "If you y the role of the husband well, I will think about forgiving you." "This husband will do his best." He leans closer to her. "Should I start doing my best now?" "No way." She pushes him away. "I am just 19. You are ancient. I am not having children just yet." Adira frowns. Didn''t she say that she wants to have a family? "Are you 19? You wereining that I was younger than you are." "That was before I found out that you were a god." She grumbles. "I want to start a family after a few more years." "We will have children when you want. I am a God. Don''t worry about those things." Adira puckers his lips. "Give me a kiss. Come now. You promised that you would kiss me twice every day." "What a baby!" She rolls her eyes when she sees the man-child. Seeing his longing eyes, she gives in after a while. She sits on hisp and raises his chin. His eyes are smiling at her with amusement. She chuckles before she leans down and pecks on his forehead twice like she used to do to Kyo. "I need to teach you a lot." He pinches her nose. "Shall we have a short lesson before we go home?" She shakes her head andughs. "Not here. Who knows who is watching us? I don''t want some pervert to see us like that." Adira''s expression bes ugly again. The two Gods! He should have incinerated them. "Calm down, husband." Ari smooches his lips to appease his anger. "Let''s go home. I want to see Mogrok and everyone else. It''s been a long time." He sighs. He just got here and now, he has to share her with that spirit beast again. "Don''t forget about me after going back." "Can I ever forget my Adira?" She winks at him. "That''s never happening." *** "Master!!!" Mogrok recognizes her the moment he sees her. Out of habit, he still calls her master. Her appearance might have changed, but her gaze and the scent are the same. He turns into his piggy form and jumps toward her. Before she could catch the pig ball, Adira ps it away. "She''s my wife. Keep the distance." Adira warns Mogrok mildly. "You aren''t her spirit beast." Ari rolls her eyes. Kyo or Adira, he''s still the same. Mogrok starts crying. "I missed you so much, Master Kresi." "Kresi!!!" She hears a woman screaming from the sky. A green dragon is hovering over them. Deia is sitting on the dragon''s head, grinning at Kresi. "I saw you in my vision. You are really back." "My name is Ari." She yells back. "Come down. Are you going to make me yell all day?" Damin takes his human form and brings Deia to the ground. Deia runs to Ari to hug her. Adira steps toward her. He stops when he sees Ari''s re. Clearing his throat, he holds himself back and looks away. It''s a female. He won''t be jealous. "Ari." Deia hugs her tightly. "I am so happy to see you back." "I am happier." Ari chuckles. "I am back. Everyone''s here. My Adira, Mogrok, and you." Adira can sense the happiness in her soul. He will make her happy like this every day in their life. It''s the beginning of their new life together. Chapter 95: How to divorce a god? Chapter 95: How to divorce a god? After thest Renasir of Iravan sacrificed herself, the godse back to the world. The thirteen gods are united and the world was fixed again. It could never go back to the way it was. The dark ehr is restored. The cursed sea is no longer cursed, though the sea is still filled with dangerous monsters. The cursed children find a ce in the new world. The world could never forget the sacrifice of thest Renasir. However, only a few know that the Renasir is alive and back in Iravan. Far from the kingdom of Noras, a dark castle is situated in the midst of the dark realm. For mysterious reasons, the sky is full of dark clouds. A gloomy mood pervades in the air. The dark creatures are afraid of going near the castle. "What happened now?" Looking through the telescope, Mirinae frowns. "It''s only been two months since they came back. Are they going through a marital discord already?" "Yes, I saw them arguing in the garden around a week ago," Raya, the goddess of wisdom, answers her with a yful tone. "I couldn''t listen in, Mother. The dark god has a soundproof barrier around the castle." "I wonder what they are fighting about." Mirinae looks at the castle thoughtfully. "They didn''t hold a wedding either." "I heard whispers." Riha, the goddess of prosperity, says with a soft voice, "The Dark God''s bride doesn''t want to get married to him." "Really?" Mirinae scrunches her brows. "They are united after such a long time. Why would she do that?" "I don''t know." Riha picks up the piece of cake and takes a bite. "That''s where the whispers ended." "I worked so hard for this." Mirinaeins to her daughters, "Why are they like this now? His dark mood affects the entire world. Everyone is wishing that someone would go to him and tell him to keep his depressing thoughts to himself." If one powerful god is upset, it disturbs all the realms. "Can''t you ask God Noras to do something?" Raya asks her. "Noras is busy with something." Mirinae leans against the window, depressed. Since she''s the goddess of night, stars, and wishes, she gets affected by the dark god''s mood a lot. "Bn became a barrennd when Cina''s daughter died. Cina is trying to restore his realm. They still haven''t figured out how she died. Does anyone of you know something?" Her two daughters shake their heads. Mirinae looks at the third moon goddess, Ril''Yah. "Do you know anything?" The third moon, Ril''Yah, gives her a sly smile. "You are not going to tell me." Mirinae turns her eyes back toward the castle. Her third daughter never tells the secrets. It is annoying sometimes. Most of her problems could be solved in a minute if her third daughter opens her mouth. The night is falling. Ril''Yah and her sisters disappear from the room. A small moon along with two crescent moons appear in the sky. Mirinae stares at Ril''Yah at the sky. "Don''t mess with Cina." The third moon remains silent. *** She sits on the bed and stares at the glint of moonlight on the ss of the window. The world has surely changed a lot. Her body is also different. She doesn''t have the same powers that she once had. She wouldn''t be able to do much if she had them anyway. The door opens slightly and mogrok peeks at her. "Master, are you upset?" "I am not your master any more." She snaps at the three-eyed pig. It''s the truth. Mogrok is the Dark God''s spirit beast since she returned her heart to the dark god. However, that dark god has be heartless since he got his heart back. "Don''t say that, Master." Mogrok hops toward her. "You will always be my master." "Then, why didn''t you take my side?" She stands up and puts her hands on her hips. "In this entire castle, nobody takes my side." Other than her and Adira, only Mogrok and a few servants are allowed to stay in the castle. The servants don''t dare to speak when the dark god and his bride are arguing. Poor Mogrok has a say, but "Master, I am always on your side." Mogrok raises his hands and scratches his head. "But I can''t fight the will of the dark god." "Tsk!" She clicks her tongue. "Damn god! Damn castle! Damn him!" "Um you shouldn''t be cursing" Mogrok closes his mouth when she res at him. But it''s not even his fault. Why is she mad at him when it''s the Dark God''s fault? "Cursing? I haven''t even started. Mogrok, I have always been behaving because he was innocent back then." Ari crosses her arms and yells loudly, "I am not carrying his heart anymore. So, I have to listen to him all the time. I should stay in the castle and learn from him. I should not go where I want to go. I should let him feed me as if I am an infant. Am I a child? Do I have no hands? There''s a limit to pampering someone." Mogrok sighs. The first reason why they are arguing is that the dark god pampers his bride too much. To be honest, he''s doing everything that she used to do for him. He has turned into her ve. That makes her unhappy instead. When she hears nothing from the dark god, she bes furious. "Damn you, Adira! Are you ignoring me now? I will go to Ilucia. I don''t need your permission." And that is the second reason. She insists on going to Ilucia, the academy, to learn magic. Obviously, the dark god is against this. He wants to teach her magic, but she keeps refusing to ept him as her teacher. She isn''t allowing to let him sleep with her either. Since she continues to hurt his ego by refusing to learn magic from him, he has started to ignore her. "Master, our dark god is a better teacher than any teacher at Ilucia." Mogrok tries to reason with her. He hasn''t been able to get enough sleep since they started fighting. Like a child who is watching his parents arguing day and night, he is highly distressed. "You should let him teach you." "Why should I?" Ari huffs at him. "Mogrok, I always wanted to go to Ilucia. I don''t want to give up like Deia. After having children, she''s caught up with her married life. I don''t want to be like her." She turns her head toward the door and speaks aloud, "All I want is to attend Ilucia before I marry a hard-headed stupid god who doesn''t even know the difference between pampering a wife and a child." Ari has no idea how many women would die to be in her position. A beautiful god is at her feet, but she would rather go to an academy to learn magic. Even Goddess Ea, the wife of God Noras, is not pampered the way Ari is. "All he knows now is how to ignore me." She kicks the bed. "I should have nevere with him. He should have continued living the life of a widower. Why does he even want to have a wedding again? Screw it! Where do I apply for a divorce in this world? I want to know how to divorce a god." Mogrok trembles he feels an intense pressure rising in the castle. The dark god''s mood has worsened. "Can anyone hear me? I am being held here without my wishes," Ari shouts from the window. "Oii moons, you can hear me for sure. Tell your mother to contact the authorities. I haveints against my husband who --" A hand covers her mouth and drags her away from the window. She looks at the spot where Mogrok was. The door is already closed and Mogrok is gone. She bites the hand with all of her strength. "Don''t hurt your teeth." He lets go of her. "Ari, you are not strong like before. You shouldn''t scream loudly and hurt your throat." Unbelievable! Ari turns around and looks at the most beautiful face in this world -- long dark hair, same enchanting dark eyes, and perfectly kissable lips. But she''s too angry to get tempted by his intoxicating gaze. "I didn''t know that I could hurt my throat by screaming." "You used to get sick," He grumbles, unhappy by her attitude toward him. Though her soul has been healed, she is still inside a mortal body. A mortal woman can get hurt easily. He can''t let her continue to live the way she once did. But this is the fearless woman who didn''t think for a second before dying for his sake. "I don''t get sick anymore." Ari pulls up her sleeves. Today is going to be the day. Whether it''s by hook or crook, she will convince this man. "If you love me, let me attend Ilucia." Chapter 96: Made a choice tonight Chapter 96: Made a choice tonight When he doesn''t budge, Ari blinks her eyes and clear her throats. Her threats don''t work on this man. Where did her Kyo go? He always used to do what she wanted him to do. This stubborn grumpy man! "Give my Kyo back to me." "I am Kyo," He huffs. "Just think that your Kyo grew up." "Go back to your younger self." She sniffles. "I raised him to be a well-behaved boy. You don''t listen to me at all." "Because he listened to you so well, you already died once." Adira crosses his arms and res at her. "What kind of idiot try to cross a dangerous sea with a stupid seer and a broken man?" "Oh, that guy" She scratches her chin. "Where is he though?" "I fixed his channels because you promised him." Adira shrugs. "I don''t know what happened to him after that." He had done a lot after she was gone. He even took care of the people she promised to help. Ari''s eyes be soft. "You made this world a better ce." "For you." He smiles at her. "But it''s not safe yet. I want to introduce you to the world at our wedding. Then, I will take you to your world. I want to see the ce where you grew up." To her world? Earth? She has no family there. Ari tries to imagine him in a suit. He would look She presses her hand on her nose to stop the nosebleed. "I think that it''s best if we don''t go." It''s dangerous for females. They might be crazy if they see someone as sexy as him. "But you wanted to go." He creases his forehead. "I will take you. I already asked Cina to make a gate to that world. He will get back to it after he''s done with some matters." Cina? She keeps forgetting the names of the god. "Adira, I also want to go to Ilucia." "No." He tells her sternly, "We already discussed it many times." "We didn''t discuss it." She snaps at him, "You denied the ideapletely. Why can''t I go? I want to experience going to a magical academy. I could not go to the academy when I was born in that world because of my sick body. There is no magical academy on earth. Do you know how much I want to go? Don''t look at it like that. You know it. We won''t be young forever. We should take advantage of our youth and --" "You will be immortal soon." He ces his hand on her mouth to stop her from talking nonsense. "You will be forever young if you want to be. Besides, I am not exactly young." He''s a grumpy old man in a young body. Where did her sweet and adorable Kyo go? She must do something. But what? He takes back his hand and tells her, "You had a wedding with another man in this body. That''s why we must have a wedding again. Don''t be stubborn, Ari." It''s strange that she had feelings for someone else other the man in front of her because of those gods. Her heart was manipted and other people had to suffer because of them. "If we have a wedding, everyone will know who I am. I want to attend Ilucia as amon person, not as the wife of the dark god." "I am sorry, but I can''t grant that wish." He caresses her cheek. But would she understand this kind of reason? She knows that things will never be the same if the world finds out who she is. Her face is unknown to the people. Her magic is not the same either. She will lose this opportunity forever if she has a wedding with him. She has given a part of her life before she died. Her lifepletely revolved around Kyo. This is her third life. Before starting a new life with him, she wants to live some moments for herself. Is it too much to ask? No, she won''t give up. She raises her head and bats her eyes mischievously. The corner of her red lips curls up into a seductive smile. As she leans closer, her long soft hair brushes against his arms. Standing on her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck, she stares deep into his dark eyes. Her voice is as sweet as honey. "Adira, you love me, don''t you?" The charms that the gods give to her body has no effect on him. It''s the way that she looks at him -- that immense love that she has for him in her eyes. That love is seductive indeed. He knows what she''s trying to do. Can he turn away when she''s doing things like this? He found her again after a long time. She also suffered in another world because of the selfish gods. "Why do you ask when you already know the answer?" This cold poodle! "When you were Kyo, you would tell me all the time that you loved me." "Ah!" He gives her a nod. "I also did other things." "All you have to do is" Her touch is as light as the feather. "Listen to me like you used to." Adira looks at her, amused. She keeps forgetting that he''s not a child anymore. "You have been a bad girl. You didn''t keep your promise to me." "What promise?" She asks him nervously, avoiding his wicked gaze. "Kissing me twice a day." He grasps her waist and bends down his head. "You kicked me out of your room. I didn''t get any kisses." She feels her face burning up. Damn those gods! They have made this body so sensitive. Whenever he touches her, she feels like she''s going to die. "If you behave, I will give you three kisses." "Oh, really?" He chuckles. "I have been behaving recently, but I don''t want to behave anymore. I will take all the kisses that you owe me." "Adira, I will never kiss you again if you don''t let me go to Ilucia," She tells him with a shaky voice. Her heart flutters when she notices the look in his eyes. "D-don''t look at me like that." It''s futile to resist. She knows that well. He is seducing her with his eyes alone. She presses her lips as he runs his fingers on her back, tracing her spice and reaching the back of her back. The tips of his warm fingers brush against the back of her neck lightly as he leans closer, raising her head. No, he doesn''t kiss her. The sly smile on his lips is inviting and challenging her. Can she continue to resist and stay mad at him? He wins! She''s seduced. She will worry about Iluciater. Ari lifts her head to meet his lips with fervour. Moving his lips against hers, he holds her body as they fall on the bed. His tongue hooks with her, sucking and ying. Nothing canpare to the taste of her mouth. When their lips part, he watches her gasp for breath with intoxicated eyes. Her robes are undone in a blink of the eye. She closes her eyes when he cups her mounds, biting her lower lip. He lets out a chuckle. She''s still a little shy of him, though he doesn''t understand why is that. He kneads her breasts without mercy and asks, "Will you insist on going to Ilucia again?" Her body is being doused in the mes. He explores her body as if he has never touched her before. His lips trail down on her to the curve of her waist, kissing her softly. No scent in the world canpare to hers. He can''t love her enough. But he hasn''t had enough of her yet. "Say my name louder." She hears his demanding voice. Ari pinches her lips together stubbornly. She won''t do it. "My little bad bride." He nces at her face. Her embarrassment is also delightful to watch. It''s an honour for him to break her stubborn will and make her moan his name. "Are you challenging me again?" Her eyes snap open. "I am not." "Then, say it." He touches her between her legs and watches her squirm. "My name, louder." "If you let me go to Ilucia" She tenses her shoulders when he inserts his two fingers into inside her, circling around the walls. "Say my name, Ari." He whispers it to her softly. His fingers move in and out of her wetness rapidly. The lewd sounds of his fingers moving in and out of her wetness burn her ears, sending fire through her blood. Frustration rises in her body when he slows down his fingers. "My little bad bride won''t say it." If she says it, it''s the end. He''s going to kill her with passion. She won''t be able to walk tomorrow. If she doesn''t say it then"I will say it if you let me go to Ilucia." "It looks like you have made a choice tonight." Adira smiles at her. "I want to see how long you can hold yourself back." Chapter 97: We are an item Chapter 97: We are an item "Mhmm" She bites her lower lips and squeezes her eyes when she feels his hot tongue between her thighs. He glides his tongue over her bud, circling around it. His delicious and stubborn bride is holding herself back. He epts this challenge dly. She covers her mouth with her hand when he bites her clit, refusing to scream his name. But the wicked god is in a mood. He injects his tongue inside her hole and swipes her drenched walls. Surges of electric pleasures burn through her nerves as she feels something building up in her body. She opens her mouth wide as she arches her body. Sound of her erotic rapid breaths fills the air. Feeling like she''s being executed by him, she curls her toes as the waves of pleasure spread in her body. Before she could reach the peak, he releases her. She looks at him with frustration. "My love, do you think that you can win if I decide to take your challenge seriously?" He smiles at her. Her stubborn anger amuses him. "What do you want now?" Asking her that question when he knows the answer clearly This wicked god! "I want--" Adira takes her lips before she could finish her sentence, cupping her breasts in his hands. She could feel the throbbing tip of his rod poking her at the entrance. She wants him inside her so much; however, the god has no intention of giving into her at all. He massages her mounds hard, twisting their shapes with his hands. He could feel her shivering in pleasure. Ari decides to fight back. She runs her hand on his back and grabs the back of his head with her other hand. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she lifts her waist a little. With her eyes closed, she entwines her tongue with his. But he is a god and she is a human. In the end, she''s out of breath. He pecks the side of her face and whispers in her ear, "Ari, if you keep refusing the wedding, then I will hold back." She res at him. Whether it was the past or the present, he does whatever he wants. Now, he wants to hold himself back? "We shouldn''t continue arguing in bed." "You are the one who refuses to say my name." He raises her hip and eyes her wetness with a glimmer in his eyes. "Why do I feel jealous of Ilucia? I heard you saying that name more than you say my name. You even want to leave me before of Ilucia. Should I destroy it? If there''s no Ilucia, my Ari won''t mistreat me." This sick bastard! He''s jealous of an academy. "I didn''t mistreat you." "You were asking the moons how to divorce me?" He cocks his head and looks at her sadly. If his cock hasn''t been rubbing against the entrance of her vagina, she might have taken his sadness seriously. "Ari, my world, you can go after having a wedding and reaching immortality. I will go with you. Before that, I can''t risk losing you again." How could he say these serious words while poking her there? "Just do it or speak those words. Don''t do them both at the same time." "Say my name." He glides the tip of his rod over her clit, watching her squirm in pleasure. "Say yes to the wedding." "I will do it." This is too much for her. He''s killing her like this. "Adira, don''t torment me anymore." "My Ari." He loves calling her name and seeing her blush like that. As he enters inside her slowly, he tells her with a husky voice, "I love tormenting you in pleasure." Even after the sun has lightened the sky, the bed doesn''t stop creaking. *** Wrapped in the warm nket, Ari sighs. Herher regions are sore. Why was he so excitedst night? She just can''t find the strength to get out of the bed. The door opens. Adira enters the room with a maid following behind her. The maid leaves after leaving the trolley of food. "My Ari, are you still tired?" Adira could only see her face out of the nket. "Whose fault is that?" She glowers at him, not wanting to get up. He sighs and sits beside her. "I am also tired." "Are you?" She frowns at him. "You are a god." "Who says that gods can''t get tired?" Heys down beside her and gets into the nket. Pulling her closer to his chest, he says to her with a whiny voice, "I want to spend all day here with you." Ari puts her arm around his waist and presses her face to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He''s her home and everything. However, she still wants to go to Ilucia. Since he found her again and brought her back to this world, he''s afraid for her. She did hurt him once by deciding to sacrifice herself. Going to Ilucia after the wedding won''t be same. However, they have gone through enough. "Alright, don''t feel tired. I will go to Ilucia after the wedding." "I am relieved." He hugs her tightly. Her body fits right into his arms. "After your body is turned immortal, I will take you to Ilucia. If you want, you can anonymously. Changing appearance won''t be difficult." "Aish!" She pulls his cheek. "You should have said it before. I thought that everyone would recognize me as your bride if I go after the wedding. I was arguing with you like an idiot." He furrows his brows. Did she not know? She''s not from this world. After she was reborn, she didn''t spend much time here. He smiles at her. "I am sorry. I should have exined it to you." "I forgive you." She grins at him. "Adira, don''t worry. Nothing will happen to me." Adira brushes her hair, watching her intently. If she dies, her soul won''t be reincarnated. It would disappear into nothing again. Last time, Mirinae was able to save her soul and the two gods were able to heal her. Even after that, she needed a lot of time before she could return. He''s sure that she will take this lightly. The world might have been fixed, but he still has enemies. Old grudges don''t go away easily and new grudges are being born. "Stay with me. That''s all I want." "Who else I stay with?" Her eyes gleam brightly. "Why do you still look worried? Bad things are long gone. You and I are pretty much an ''item''." "An ''item''?" Adira doesn''t understand the meaning of the word. It must be a word of thenguage from her original world. "What ''item''?" "It''s ng from my world." She chuckles. "It means that we are together." "An item." He nods with a serious look. "We are an item." She shakes her head andughs. "It sounds funny when you say it like that." "Then, how should I say it?" He blinks his eyes slowly. "Don''t bother." She bursts intoughter when she sees him frowning at her with a clueless look. It shouldn''t be funny, but he''s too cute. Seeing herughing like she used to, his lips curl up into a smile. He grimaces when he feels an oppressive presence getting closer to the castle. "Ari, I need to go." "Why?" She raises her head and creases her forehead. "Stay here with me." "Cina is here." Adira looks toward the door. That God is angry, but why? "Is something wrong, Adira?" She grabs his hand. She keeps hearing the name ''Cina''tely. "Who is he?" "He''s the god ofnd and trees." Adira climbs off the bed. It''s best if she doesn''t make her presence known to an angry god. "Don''te out until he''s gone." "Will you be fine?" She asks him anxiously. If it wasn''t something bad, he wouldn''t have asked her to stay hidden. "I will be fine." Adira bends down and kisses her forehead. "No matter what happens, don''te out." She watches him leave with mixed feelings in her eyes. Hide in here while her Adira facing a bad god? No way. She wears a dress and walks out of the room. But the corridores to an end. There''s only a wall in front of her. "Damn!" She curses out loud. He must have guessed that she would try toe to meet him. All the paths are blocked. The castle listens to the will of the dark god. It won''t listen to her until she marries him again. "But I already married him once." She kicks the wall and winces in pain. "Ow! My foot." She keeps forgetting that she''s no longer a Mirin. Her body won''t heal by itself if she gets hurt. She can''t absorb the ehr like Deia or other Wahr. She can''t form a bond with a spirit east. Her ability to summon magic through her source is also weak. "This sucks!" She crosses her arms and stares at the wall, missing the days when she could feel magic running through her veins. Chapter 98: Her last sins Chapter 98: Herst sins She lets out a heavy sigh. Maybe some things are not possible anymore. She should be d that she''s still alive. If her Adira hadn''t wished to see her again adamantly, the goddess of wishes wouldn''t be forced to find the remnants of her soul. Her Adira would have lived alone for eternity. Whoosh~ Ari feels goosebumps on her arms and back as if something is staring at her back. Creeped out by the intense stare, she slowly turns her head around. There''s no one. "What is this?" Ari rubs her arms and mumbles to herself, "I am sure that I felt something." "Hehehehehe!" She hears a spooky lowugh. Ari turns her head toward the voice. In the corner of her eyes, she sees a shadow passing by her. "What the hell!" "Dark God''s bride." The woman''s voice is low and husky, promising nothing good. "Time hase for you to pay the debt." "Who are you?" Ari turns around, trying to capture the shadow that keep moving behind her. "Can''t you stay still?" "Are you sure that you want to see me?" Staring right behind Ari, the woman with long ck hair whispers to her name, "Ari." "How did you get in?" Ari stays still when she feels the woman''s cold fingers on her shoulders. "I am the only debt collector. I can go anywhere who owes something to someone." The woman sighs, "Have you not recognized me?" "Debt collector? Are you from the bank?" Ari tenses her shoulders. She did owe some money when she was on earth. Can those debts collectors cross universes to find the person? Even after she died, she can''t find peace. What the hell? The woman smiles slowly. "Those debts have been paid. They sold everything that you had." "Oh I see." Ari releases her breath. "I don''t think that I owe anyone." "This debt" The woman chuckles. "You inherited it when you transmigrated into the harbinger''s body." "Kresi''s sins?" Ari looks over her head. The woman is gone again. Why is this debt collector never at one ce? When she looks ahead, she sees a woman in front of her. The pale-skinned woman is dressed in a simple white sundress. Her long coal-ck hair is straight and loose. The woman''s cherry red lips curl up into a dark smile. "I am Karma. I came to make you pay for Kresi''sst sins." *** The olive-skinned young man with wavy dark green hair stands in front of therge window, sping his hands behind his back. His pale yellow-green eyes narrow when he hears the sound of the footsteps behind him. He clenches his jaw, not wanting to turn around and greet the dark god. "Cina." Adira studies his back. Not beating around the bush, he asks him, "What happened?" "My child was killed by your harbinger," Cina utters the word with a toneced with hate. "I don''t think so." Adira frowns at him. "She was still alive when I was awakened." "Only in name." Cina turns around and looks at him darkly. "Your harbinger cursed her. She was killed by the same curse." Ari was reincarnated into previous harbinger''s body. Among all the gods, only Mirinae and he know it. Original Kresi''s soul has already crossed this world and reached a ce where the living can''t go. Adira raises his brow. "Why are you asking me about something that my harbinger did? I was sleeping at that time, just like you were. Who knows the reason behind the feud between my harbinger and your daughter? Both of them are dead." "Do you have nothing to say to me?" Cina clenches his fist. "How long do we have to pay for your mistake? If you hadn''t taken that mortal as your wife and foolishly given her your true core, we wouldn''t have suffered. I couldn''t see my only child after I woke up. Her entire existence is gone. She was eradicated by your harbinger, Kresira Mirin." Honestly, Adira doesn''t know about about the original Kresira Mirin. When he opened his eyes, it was Ari. If it hadn''t been Ari, he might have destroyed the world or got controlled by Amara''s corruption of Dark Ehr. He would have done exactly what the prophecy foretold. If thest harbinger wasn''t Ari, he wouldn''t be the person he''s today. Original Kresi was involved with the Cursed children who wanted revenge on the world. Ari foresaw it in Deia''s visions. In those visions, all the routes either ended in the world''s ends or his destruction. That''s the reason why she chose to sacrifice herself. However, Bn was still alive when he woke up. He is sure that Ari didn''t kill her. Then, what could have happened after the universal key was taken away from the heart of Bn? "I can''t change the past." Adira tells Cina, "But I am sure that myst harbinger didn''t kill Bn. It must have been someone else." "You still deny it." Cina grimaces at him. "She might not have used her hands, but I am sure that Kresira Mirin is the reason why she died." "What do you want me to do?" Adira asks him coldly. "There must be a reason why the harbinger decided to kill her. She was still a child back then. Why would a child kill your daughter if that child wasn''t thrown to a corner? Did you see the state of the children of darkness in the world that you and others created? They were hunted at sight by Noras'' knights. Some of them are still suffering from the nightmares of that world." "This wouldn''t have happened if you weren''t a fool." Cina spits the words at him, "It was your Amara who corrupted the dark ehr. All the dark ehr wielders got cursed because of that corruption. My daughter gave a home to your children. She protected them from the outside world." Adira pinches his lips together. He can''t deny it. None of it would have happened if he hadn''t given his true core to Amara, his first wife. However, he doesn''t regret it. If he hadn''t done it, he would have never met Ari who taught him how to love again. "Just because she sacrificed herself, her sins can''t be forgotten." Cina sneers at him. He has heard the rumours that the harbinger''s soul has been saved and she''s reborn. "I can find her since she indebted to me. Is it fine with you if I make your harbinger pay?" "She''s no longer my harbinger," Adira replies to him quietly. Cina must be looking for original Kresira. Since Ari didn''tmit those crimes, she wouldn''t be indebted to Cina. "But let me make this clear to you. The one who killed your daughter and the one who sacrificed herself for the world isn''t the same." "What are you saying?" Cina frowns in confusion. "Someone reced that person''s soul." Adira exins to him, "The one who killed your daughter died before the night of the union. Someone else took over the body and that person released me. She was also the one who was chosen as thest Renasir. I don''t want you to make a mistake. Find the one who owes you and asks her why she did it before you take any action. Don''t goa after the one who saved all of us." Cinaughs sardonically. "Look at you acting so righteous. Soul debts can''t be erased even after death. Even if that child is not your harbinger anymore, she was still a child of darkness. After I find her, I will bring her to you. Would you be able to act this righteous toward her?" Why did Kresira Mirin kill Bn Spirit? He should have looked into it aftering back to this world. The child was his harbinger once. All the cursed children and the harbingers had suffered greatly. The world might have be better for his children, but there are still some debts. Adira answers him with a solemn voice, "If she is indebted to you and Bn, I would do it." *** "What sins?" Ari furrows her brows. "I have done everything that she was supposed to do. I released the dark god. I returned his heart to him. The cursed children aren''t cursed anymore. I freaking died once." Karma giggles. The dark god''s bride is so stupid. "Why are youughing?" Ari crosses her arms. "How did I even inherit her sins? "You epted her sins quite willingly." Karma cocks her head and squints her eyes mischievously. "You took over her body. You gained her powers, her people, and even her name. Naturally, you also inherited her sins. If you had given up everything, you wouldn''t have received her sins either. Because of you, Kresira Mirin was able to go to a good ce." She did say once that Kresi''s sins were also her sins since she took over her body. If she had known that a real Karma goddess woulde and ask her to pay the sins, she might not have said it. "Alright, what were herst sins? " Chapter 99: The rope that will never break Chapter 99: The rope that will never break "That you have to find out on your own." Karma cocks her head and smiles. "If you don''t handle them, it will destroy everything that you hold dear to your heart." The damn cryptic warning! Can''t she just tell me? Ari curses the goddess inside her mind. How would she figure out something that Kresi did before that girl died? It happened so long ago. "You wouldn''t be here if you wanted to figure me out on my own." Karma covers her mouth and giggles with an irritating voice. When Ari frowns at her, sheughs harder. Is she insane? Ari scrunches her brows and purses her lips together. What is sheughing at? She didn''t choose to transmigrate in Kresira Mirin, but she did choose to live with her name. However, both Kresi and she have died. Just because she''s reincarnated again, why would she pay for someone else''s sins? "What were you going to do if I didn''t reincarnate?" "In that case." Karma scratches her chin. "The entire world would have to bear Kresira''sst sins. The seed that Kresi sowed on the heart of Bn had be a terrible creature. There''s still time. Since you have a lot of good Karma points, I came to warn you." "Isn''t the heart of Bn that ce?" Ari creases her forehead. When she came to this world for the first time, Raye and one other person took her to a ce called the heart of Bn. She got the universal key from that ce. "The ce where the moons and the stars don''t shine." But nothing happened back then. What did Kresi do there? All she heard was that Kresi''s friends were killed in Bn. Kresi saved two kids before she died. Their names were Mirai and Pebby. Last time, she saw them at Andrareanesi''s ce. Does she owe a debt to them? It''s likely that they owed a debt to Kresi for saving them. Then, who? The person who killed Kresi and Kresi''s friends also died in Bn. "Mogrok would know," Ari mumbles to herself. When Ari looks up at Karma, she realizes that Karma has already disappeared. Karma''s haunting voice rings in her head. "I came as a good Karma today. When I return, I won''t be good Karma." Creepy The moment she turns around, shees face to face with a man. Ari jumps back, startled. The man in a white robe has messy peach-orange hair and dark circles around his salmon eyes. He looks at the spot where Karma was standing a moment ago. He lets out a hopeless sigh. "She''s gone again." Why are strangers keep popping up here? Ari inches closer to the man hesitantly. "Who?" "My beloved." The man bends down on his knees and rubs the left side of his on the spot where Karma was. "She''s a workaholic. She doesn''t have any time for me. I am so lonely without her." That Karma Oh! She really met a Karma goddess. "Who are you?" What kind of god is he?" "I am" The man nces at the girl whom he knows too well. "Naughty." "W-Wha.." Ari blinks her eyes. "You are Naughty?" "Since she calls me naughty, I am Naughty." Naughty sniffs the ground like a drug addict. "She didn''t even leave her scent behind." These gods are weird. Ari puts her hands on her hips and watches Naughty with aplicated look on her face. The man is pitiable. "She said that she''s going toe back for me." "She is?" Naughty sits up abruptly and looks at her with wide-eyes. He''s been running after Karma for what feels like an eternity. He''s so lonely. He hasn''t been able to capture her at all. She''s always slipping away like an eel. "She promised me that she would return as Bad Karma." Ari sighs. An ideaes to her mind. "How about this? I will help you capture her if you help me." "Can you help me capture her?" Naughty lowers his eyebrows, studying her with caution. He has watched her growing up. A part of her suffering was written by his hands. However, the suffering of a mortal rarely matters to a god. There are many who live and die every day. Some stories are repeated in each lifetime. Among all the reasons behind people''s suffering, love causes the most pain. However, he''s d that the dark god broke the fate that he had written for her. Ever since he had fallen in love with Karma, he understands some of the pain that the Dark God must have felt when they kept trying to stop the dark god from meeting her. "I saved this world once." Ari smirks at him, "I need to deal with some leftover Karma. You help me and then, I will help you set up a trap for her. Once you capture her, you should tie her with a rope or something. So, you can always be with her." "Is there a rope in this world that can tie her to me?" Naughty scratches his chin with deep lines on his forehead. "She''s a powerful goddess. There''s rarely anything that can tie her down. She''s always running around, chasing the indebted ones. Someone always owes something to someone. When will my karma clean up?" "The Dark God is also a powerful god." Ari crosses her arms and tells him with a haughty voice, "Isn''t he tied to me? How can you show this kind of face? You shouldn''t chase her like a stalker. You should make her chase you-- No, nobody should chase anyone. We should do something that she would take you along with her since she''s always running around. If you keep waiting around for her to turn around, it will never happen." That''s true. She promised him that she would marry him after his karma cycles are cleaned up. But he keeps umting something while chasing her around. His vicious beauty never looks back at him. It won''t work out this way. "I will help you make the rope that will never break." Ari grins at him. "With that rope, we will tie her to you forever." There''s no harm in trying. Naughty gives her a determined nod. "What do I have to do?" *** With a smug look on her face, Ari looks for Mogrok. She wonders if Adira is still talking to Cina in the throne room. The sky is rather bright today. In the garden, she finds Mogrok snoring on the grass. "Aish! He''s either sleeping or eating these days." She wrinkles her nose and ps one of his arms. "Wake up, Mogrok." Drowsy, Mogrok opens some of his eyes and yawns. "Maaaaaaaster~" "Did you brush your teeth?" She pinches her nose and steps back. "Your mouth smells." "I forgot to brush today." Mogrok turns back to his smaller form and hops happily. "Master, are you here y with me?" "Nope." Ari sits down on the ss and moves closer to him. She speaks to him in a low voice, "This should be between us, alright?" She''s up to something. Mogrok could tell easily. "Master, you know that I can''t promise that. The dark god will throw me out of the castle if I help you go to Ilucia." "Tsk!" He calls her Master, but he''s only loyal to Adira. Ari shakes her head. It''s better to not tell him anything. "I am just curious about something." "What is it, Master?" Mogrok climbs on herp and puts his head on her thigh. "Can you tell me what happened to Kresi on the heart of Bn when she summoned you?" Ari strokes Mogrok''s head. "What did she do exactly and how she died?" Mogrok raises his head toward her. "Why are you curious, Master?" "I am curious, only curious," Ari replies with a light tone. He doesn''t think of it as much. "When she summoned me, she had been already hurt by the holy fire. She asked me to kill the vessel of the holy fire." "That''s all?" Ari frowns. The vessel of the holy fire was Aeline Starfire who was the chosen one''s mother. Does she owe the chosen one? Who was he again? His name was Aren Starfire. He nearly raped her. She takes a deep breath. Let bygone be bygone. They have all suffered because of what Kresi and Aeline did. But Aeline Starfire killed Kresi''s friends that night. Kresi killed her. Shouldn''t the debt be clear then? They both did evil things to each other. Certainly, Aeline''s sins weight more. "Did she sow some seeds there?" "Seeds?" Mogrok frowns. "I don''t remember her nting anything. From what I heard, I think that the Bn Spirit helped the vessel of holy fire to kill the cursed children. The spirit wanted to use the vessel''s hands to kill the harbinger. It didn''t work. Before killing Kresi, she made the Bn spirit take out Aeline''s child from Aeline''s belly and bound that child to Bn Spirit. Kresi punished the Bn Spirit by binding thewless child to her. He would have taken her ce, but things changed when the gods woke up. Since the dark ehr was cleansed, the prison was no longer a prison. I wonder what happened to that child." Chapter 100: Someone I know Chapter 100: Someone I know "Ai," She mumbles the name. "The rune for love." Her mirin magic might be gone, but the knowledge is still stuck inside her head. Kresi bound that child and the Bn Spirit with the rune of love. The Bn Spirit might not have fought back if the child tried to kill her. What has be of that child now? "It''s soplicated." Ari halts on her tracks and puts her hands on her hips. "Why did Kresi do this? She could have brought back the child when she left Bn. To make it worse, that child is Aren''s half brother. The father is" Gabriel. She has never met Gabriel. When she went to the underground city, Gabriel did send her a letter. She was supposed to meet Gabriel and Raye. However, she went to the Dema Kingdom before she could to that. Anyway, she wasn''t interested in meeting Gabriel and Raye. From what she heard from Raye when she met him for the first time, they were nning to start a revolution with the Dark God. If she had met them, she might have been tempted to start the revolution. "The world is a better ce for sure." She looks out of the window. "Nobody is cursed anymore." Nothing can change history. Many innocent children died. Quinn was also killed. Mirai and Pebby had to be Lady Gianna''s ves for protection. An innocent child had to be a killer because of the previous harbinger, Kresi Mirin. Now, Ari knows what are Kresi''sst sins. She pities that girl a lot. At the age of thirteen, that girl had to see all of her friends die in front of her. All the cursed children depended on her. Until herst breath, Kresi didn''t tell anyone that she was in pain. Karma told her that Kresi is in a better ce. "Though you have done wrong, I understand why you did it." Ari sighs. "I will deal with thisst mess for you. After all, I took your name and your destiny. I found precious people, thanks to you. If I can take all the good things that you left behind, I shouldn''t hesitate to take care of the mess that you left behind." So, should she start with Aren Starfire or Ai? Should she discuss this with Adira? She could already imagine his reaction. He would insist on getting married and turning an immortal first. Then, he won''t be happy if he hears about Aren. He doesn''t even want to send her to Ilucia. She''s sure that he won''t let her leave the castle if he finds out about Kresi''sst sins. What should she do? The Bn Spirit was Cina''s daughter. Cina is a freaking god. He must havee here today because of Kresi''sst sins. Realizing that the path has cleared away, Kresi heads toward the throne room. To her surprise, it''s empty. Where did he go? "Adira?" She calls his name a few times. When he doesn''t appear after a while, she frowns. "Did he leave the castle for something?" The time is right. If she finds Aren, she can talk to him about Ai. Should she take Mogrok with her? That disloyal beast! He''s going to report to Adira that she met Aren. That God is so possessive. She runs back to the ce where she left Naughty. She finds him sitting on the floor and touching the floor with longing in his eyes. "Karma, my love" Someone exists for everyone in the universe. Even Karma has a lover. She stands in front of Naughty. "Help me leave this castle." "Already?" Naughty raises his head toward her. "Are you sure that you want to leave without the dark god?" "If I don''t leave before hees back, I am sure that I won''t be able to leave before the wedding." Ari slumps her shoulders. Sometimes, she misses the day when only a kiss could satisfy him. "It''s better if I finish this before your Karma returns Bad Karma." "That would be better indeed." The god wonders if Karma can really make her pay for someone else''s sins. Bad Karma is such a beauty. She''s such perfection. When can he get punished by her again? He lets out a sigh and takes Ari''s hand. In a split second, they are standing in the midst of a green field. Small translucent spirits are flying in the sky. In the distant, she could see ake. She hasn''t been to this ce before. "Where is this?" "Kingdom of Cina." The god looks around. "I followed Karma instinctively. She came here and stayed here for a moment." And the energy is bad here. He wonders who made her angry. "Cina''s kingdom." Ari tsks. Of all the ces, did she have toe to the ce that is ruled by Cina? This god is so dumb. "We have to find Ai. That''s his bound name. You should be able to find it." "Ai." The god searches for the person''s name. Ai. It''s such a simple name. "I can''t find anyone with that name." "How is that possible?" She looks at him suspiciously. "Are you a god?" "I am a god." He nces at her face. If she gets hurt, the dark god will destroy him. Still, he has to take this risk. She is his chance to see Karma again. "I might be weaker than the gods of this world. It doesn''t mean that I can''t find someone by name." "That''s his name." Ari clicks her tongue, frustrated. The world is definitely not the same. The realms have changed. The thirteen gods rule the thirteen regions. Bn doesn''t exist anymore. The child was not born under anyw of the god. Still, he has a name that was given by the previous harbinger. "Why can''t you find him?" "He must be hiding." The god scratches his chin. "Or he changed his name. It could be anything." "Damn!" She stomps on the ground. He must be powerful if he can change his name or hide from a god. Why is he hiding though? "Can you find Aren Starfire?" The god raises his brow. "I found him." "That fast?" She blinks her eyes several times. Gods provide express services. "Take me to him." Silently, the god holds her hand. Instantly, she finds herself standing in front of an inn. This city seems familiar. Lower realm? "Raya rules this region," The god informs her. "It''s been a while since you came to this world. Why do you not know anything?" Is it her fault? The damn dark god won''t let her leave the castle before the wedding. These days, he''s afraid of everything. If she gets a scratch, he would freak out. She doesn''t know what to do with him. She did die once. She won''t die again. Dying isn''t fun, okay? "Is he in here?" She nces at the inn with aplicated gaze. "He should be." The god looks for the traces of Karma. He can''t sense her here. She didn''te here. "Wait" Ari realizes something. She turns around and points at him. "How do you know that I came to this world recently?" "I am a god." Naughty turns his head to his right and coughs, "You are still a mortal." How would he not know her? He and his friend suffer so much because of her and the Dark God. He''s not an idiot. If he tells her who he is, she might never help him. "Ah" Ari nods her head. That''s fair. Gods have some kind of special service in their brains. They can find out anything easily. It would have been fun if she was a god. Then, she shudders. Adira has to work a lot because he is the dark god. Maintaining the chaotic dark ehr is not easy. Who is she kidding? It would be awesome. Somethings are impossible though. She doesn''t even have enough magic. She can''t absorb the ehr again. Ea is the goddess of the wind and she lives so far from the dark kingdom. If she meets Ea, maybe she can fix her ability. As she walks into the inn, she ms into someone''s chest. "Ugh." "Miss, are you alright?" A pair of hands grab her shoulders to keep her from falling. She opens her eyes and looks at the man in front of her. ming red hair. Bright green eyes. He wears sses now. The boy has grown up into a man. She exims, pleasantly surprised. "Aren!" He blinks his eyes. The girl is young and beautiful. He is sure that he has never seen her before. Maybe it''s her tone or the way she''s looking at him. He feels something familiar about her. "Do I know you?" "I am--" Ari closes her mouth. Kresi is already dead. How is she going to introduce herself? "I am" "You are?" He looks straight into her dark eyes, trying to find out why he''s finding her familiar. "Someone I know, right?" Chapter 101: Depends on the debtor Chapter 101: Depends on the debtor In the kingdom of Noras, the skies are filled with golden rays of Eshyal. Darkness never arrives and the light is never gone. Not far from the pce of the God of light, Ilucia is seen near theke. The three moons are shining in the morning sky, smiling at the citizens of light. The chosen one, thest of Starfire bloodline gave up on everything and became a wanderer. Adira hasn''t seen him since the day Ari decided to sacrifice herself. It''s better if he doesn''t see him again. He waits for Noras in the sitting room, staring at Ilucia from the window. His beloved wants to go there. How does he exin to her? Ilucia is situated in Noras''nds. "Adira, I could never imagine that you woulde here." He looks at the goddess of the wind. The woman is tall and willowy, dressed in a long navy silk dress. Her dark hair is tied loosely. She ys with the strands of her wavy hair with her finger. She gazes at him yfully. More than ten thousand years of sleep hasn''t changed any god. "Why can''t Ie here?" Adira raises his brow sharply. "Where''s Noras?" "He wille." Ea stops near the window and nces in the direction of Ilucia. "There were some disturbances in Ilucia." "What kind of disturbances?" He asks her. "Something tried to break into Ilucia." She tilts her head and frowns. "It''s strange because that creature could surpass all the barriers. Even I didn''t feel anything. It didn''t leave any imprint behind, but we know that it had been there. A creature like that can go anywhere easily." She turns to him and smiles. "Maybe it can also go to the abodes of gods without any hindrance." Adira sighs. "Stop making baseless assumptions. Is there any creature in this world who can surpass thews of gods?" Except for powerful universal gods and Ari because she''s not from this world. Noras is a paranoid one. It''s one of the reasons why he doesn''t want Ari toe to Ilucia. Since she is unlikely to change her mind, he wille here with her after she turns into an immortal. Ea shrugs. "Have we not learned anything from our mistakes? Some idiotic mortal always finds a way to break the rules and create troubles. As their gods, we must always try to fix their mistakes." "There was a mortal who fixed the god''s mistakes." A heavy voice cuts through the air. Adira and Ea look back at the man with light hair and vivid silver eyes. He steps toward them. "We can''t always me the mortals. We have made several mistakes in the past. If Adira''s harbinger wasn''t wise enough to find the right way to save the world, none of us would be here." He''s talking about Ari. Other than Mirinae and her three daughters, Aeis, and Ari''s friends, nobody else knows that Ari is back. He wants to keep it that way until the wedding is done. Adira grits his teeth. It has be like this because of those two useless gods. If she hadn''t married that mortal, it wouldn''t beplicated. Adira had to shed his mortal body from that world after he came here. All the rtionships were severed since his mortal body is dead. Now, he has to have a wedding again. After she belongs to hisw, she would be able to wield the ehr of this world. It wouldn''t be difficult to make her immortal then. However, his mouth turns bitter whenever he recalls the scene that he saw when he found her in that world. Those two gods! He should have destroyed that man''s soul. "Adira?" Noras frowns at him. "Are you thinking about destroying the world again?" "I am not." Adira clicks his tongue. "Just destroying some gods from another world." "Oh, really? That''s interesting." Noras raises his brow. "You did leave for a time. Why did you go to another world?" "I wanted to take a trip," Adira replies with a casual tone. "I am here for a different business, Noras." Noras studies him. After he woke up from a long sleep, he has noticed that Adira has changed. In the past, they didn''t have a good rtion. It wasn''t exactly bad either. He and the dark god might stand at the opposite end of the spectrum, but both gods know that they are only a form of the higher will that pervades all. There''s no need for a fight. They do show off a little in front of the mortals sometimes. "What is it?" "I need to find a soul." Adira says to him, "She used to be my harbinger. She might havemitted some sins before she died. I can''t find her in the reincarnation cycle. Her dues are not paid. I don''t understand how she escaped the reincarnation cycle." Escaping the reincarnation cycle without paying the debts? Noras hasn''t heard of this case before. The gods of this world might miss it; however, the universal god who keeps the ount of dues won''t miss it at all. If the soul owes someone from a certain world, it has to return to that world to pay back what is owed. "Are you sure that she''s not present in our world?" "I am certain." Adira has looked for Kresi Mirin everywhere. He can''t find any trace of her. He doesn''t want anything to happen to Ari since Ari was transmigrated in Kresi''s body. Maybe he''s overreacting. Transmigration to someone''s body doesn''t mean that Ari would carry Kresi''s sins. "Just use the debt-link." Noras scoffs at him. "Why are you here to bother me over such a small thing?" "I am not the owner of the debt." That''s why Adira can''t find her either. He''s sure that Cina isn''t the owner of the debt since Cina came to see him first. That God would have brought Kresi to him if he could find Kresi through the debt-link. Then, who owes whom? Cina would do anything to find Kresi. Adira furrows his brows, worried. "She might be the reason why Bn died. Cina is looking for her. She was my harbinger once. I would decide her punishment, but I am afraid that Cina might harm the girl''s soul." "Bn I heard about her." Noras nods. "Cina is quite angry. Bn haspletely disappeared. Even thend is gone. It seems like a deed of someone with an extreme grudge. But she should have been reborn here, especially because she was your harbinger." Adira releases his breath. If Cina hadn''t told him about Bn, he wouldn''t have realized that it was his harbinger who did this. She didn''t have to harm a god''s child. Were all of his harbingers like this? Only Ari was smart enough to take a different route. Then, she didn''t suffer as much as his other harbingers did. "It could be the transfer of the debt." Ea chimes in. "If her debts were transferred to someone else, she would be released from the reincarnation cycle. I am curious who is foolish enough to take someone else''s debts." There''s some silence. The dreadful feeling in Adira''s chest bes stronger. Why does Ari''s facee to his head? She isn''t that much of a fool, is she? No, his Ari won''t do something like that. He goes through his memories to remember everything that happened since he met her. His earliest memories are a little hazy. "I don''t think that there''s anyone like that," Noras says to his wife andughs. "It''s the debt of a harbinger. It has to be someone equal. There was only the Renasir. I heard that thest Renasir and thest harbinger were the same. Then, it shouldn''t be possible." "..." Adira is speechless when he hears Noras'' words. Kresi and Ari are different. It was Ari who became both the harbinger and the Renasir. Kresi was only a harbinger. Did Ari take Kresi''s sins? When did she do that? Did she do it identally? "If the sins are transferred to another soul, what happens to that soul?" "That soul would receive the same punishments that the original sinner was meant for." Noras knits his brows. "Is it the transfer of the debt? If it is like that, who did she transfer her debt to?" "But what if she saved the world?" Adira fists his hands. "All the gods of this world owe her." "Your harbinger?" Noras wrinkles his brows, confused by Adira''s words. "Are you saying that your other harbinger transferred her sins to yourst harbinger who saved the world?" "Yes," Adira utters, breathing rapidly. "They were different people. Myst harbinger was also chosen as the Renasir. If she carried sins of someone else, what would her punishment be?" Noras watches him quietly, contemting. Thest harbinger died. Her soul dissipated into nothing. The sins should have been transferred to the world. If that happened, the entire world would be paying for it. The gods would also bear the burden. "If she is alive, she has to pay back the person whom she owes. The world would be indebted to her while she''s indebted to that one person. In the end, it depends on the debtor." Chapter 102: Only she is allowed to touch me Chapter 102: Only she is allowed to touch me "Whoa!" Ari grins, patting his arm. "Aren, we only brushed past briefly. You can already sense that I am someone you know. Take a guess. Who could I be? I will give you a hint. This is my reincarnation." Aren blinks his eyes, surprised by her words. She''s one of those people who have died and she can still remember who she was. How did she die then? What is familiar about her? He can''t sense much magic inside her. Ehr is not flowing in her veins. If she''s someone whom he killed, she won''t be smiling at him. He didn''t have friends. Who could she be? "I am sorry. I can''t take a guess." "You are boring." Ari huffs at him. She crosses her arms and raises her chin proudly. "I am Kresi Mirin. The Renasir you kidnapped, remember? You fed me a drug that day. Then, you left at thest moment. I hated you to guts, but I am d that you didn''t take that dark path. You have grown up well, Aren." He pales when he hears those words. Kresi Mirin. The Harbinger. The Renasir. She died. Her soul was also gone. She was his first love. "How could it be?" "It turned out like that." Ari chuckles when she sees his expression. "Don''t worry. I don''t hold grudges. I have already forgiven you. Actually, I came here to --" Aren pulls her in his arms. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he closes his eyes. He croaks out the words. "Thank goodness! You are still alive." "Um" Being hugged by a handsome man is nice, but she already belongs to someone else. She pushes him away and smiles at him. "I am here to talk about something to you." She wouldn''te to see him otherwise. Aren gives her a small smile. "Let''s talk in my room." Naughty wonders what he should do. After much contemtion, he decides to turn himself invisible to Aren and follows them to Aren''s room in the inn. Most rooms in the inn are empty. Aren gestures her to sit on the chair while he heads toward the table to pour her a drink. "It''s been a long time since you died." "Yes." She looks around the room. "What do you do these days?" "I travel mostly." She hears him say. "When I am not travelling, I work in some ces. I gave up the holy fire to King Noras. Now, I am an ordinary man." "No magic?" Ari widens her eyes. "Like me?" Aren gives her a ss of wine. When she takes the ss, he wonders how she can trust him again. He nearly turned her into her ve. He smiles to himself. She has truly forgiven him. "I can still wield the Ehr." "Ah." Ari sits on the bed and puts her one leg over the other, leaning back a little. "I can''t do it. My new body is currently incapable of wielding ehr." "You miss it?" He studies her. She looks young. Though her body has be more beautiful, her attitude is the same. The light in her eyes is dazzling to him. "Kresi, I might be able to do something about it." "Ari." She raises her finger at him. "My name is Ari. I reced the original Kresi''s soul in that body. That''s how I became both the renasir and harbinger. I am here to talk about her, Aren. Do you know that you have a half brother?" *** It depends on the debtor. So, a mere debtor will decide someone''s fate. Adira stares at Noras. "Why can''t we do anything about it? We are the gods." "Wasn''t it thew that all the gods decided together?" Noras frowns at him. "When we wrote thews that would govern this world, we made it clear that debts between mortals must be paid. Even if it takes multiple lifetimes, it would be paid back before their souls can move on to other worlds." With a solemn voice, he adds, "Our world is different, Adira. The magic is strongest here. It is one of the reasons why wee to be. We are not like other gods. We can''t stay aloof to mortals. We watch over this world and the magic along with the mortals." Thest secret is not uttered by Noras. He shares a look with Ea, suspicious of Adira''s behaviour. So many gods have been killed by the Dark God. "Help me find her soul," Adira says to him with a quiet voice. "I want to find Kresi Mirin. Even if she''s at the end of this universe, I want to bring her back in this world." "Why?" Noras narrows his eyes. "If her sins are transferred already, let the other person deal with it. Why are you getting involved in a mess created by a mortal?" "A mess created by a mortal?" Adira lets out a lowugh. "You me me for handing my true core to Amara. Have you forgotten why she did it? She watched her loved one die. It was our wrong judgment, Noras, that led her to do that. She started hating the gods because she was wronged by them. And yes, I loved her. I gave my heart to her because I trusted her. I hated her for what she did. That hate would have driven me mad if Ari wasn''t beside me. She taught me how to love again." He takes a breath. "I was prisoned. You were sleeping. The mortals suffered the most in this world without gods. Haven''t everyone gone through enough things? We are gods. We can''t let an innocent person suffer because of someone else''s deeds. If it is something that we can still fix, why should we not get involved in this mess?" Both gods watch each other -- one is calm while the other is emotionally agitated. Ea ps her hands. "No fighting, boys. You have done enough in the war." "We are not going to fight." Noras grimaces at his wife. "Why are you sticking so close to him?" Ea snorts at him. "I like him. What can you do? I should have married him instead of you." "You like everyone." Noras turns his eyes to Adira. "I will help you this time, Adira. In return, don''te to my ce ever again." Adira rolls his eyes. These two have been together for nearly an eternity now, but the god of light still gets jealous even if she stands a little closer to another man. Why would he be interested in someone like Ea? His Ari is waiting for him at home. He wonders what she is doing. A small smile appears on his lips, creeping Noras out. "What is that smile?" Noras points at his face. "Are you in love again, Adira?" "I don''t see how my love life is any of my business," Adira replies with a calm voice. If the soul is out of the reincarnation cycle, it goes to a ce where darkness can''t reach. Only Noras can go there because he''s a part of the light. If Adira didn''t need this god, he would have nevere here. Looking at Noras'' face ruins his mood. Ea presses her hands together and squeals in happiness. "I am happy for you, Adira. Who is she? Is it Mahuna?" "You will know at the wedding," Adira smirks at her. He should hold a wedding soon. How about next week? That''s too far. Maybe he should do it tomorrow. "Then again, Mahuna would have said something to me if she was marrying you." Ea crosses her arms and squints her eyes. "Why are you being mysterious, Adira? We are friends, aren''t we? Tell me about her." She grabs his arm and urges him to speak. Adira ps her hand off him. "Don''t touch me as you please. Only she is allowed to touch me." Noras feels chills down his spine when he notices the look in the Dark God''s eyes. Not again. Last time, this idiot gave away his heart to a mortal. "Adira, you are not marrying a human, are you?" The Dark God doesn''t answer him. Instead, he disappears into a wisp of darkness, leaving behind nothing. Noras looks at his wife with a straight face. "That foolish god is in love with another human. He gave away his heartst time. Who knows what he will do this time? We can''t have another disaster happen." "You are worried." Ea chuckles. "I thought that you would be happy if he finds someone again." "Not a mortal." Noras res at her. "There are spirits and goddesses. Why must he always choose a human to be with him? Humans scare me the most." Ea shakes her head. Who would believe that the god of light is scared of humans? But then, thest war was started because of a human. "Not all of them are same, Noras. A human also saved all of us." "We can never know when their hearts change." Noras takes a deep breath. "We can''t hand him over to just anyone. Find out who she is." Chapter 103: Are you showing off to me? Chapter 103: Are you showing off to me? Aren is aware that he has a half-brother. Kresi made him feel the same pain that his mother went through when she was dying. She challenged him to find her. Because of that torture, his vessels were broken. When he received the holy fire, he was in tremendous pain. It was Mayaeira Mirin, the previous Renasir and Kresi''s mother, who saved him. After he woke up, he lived like a mad man. He hunted down the cursed children and killed them mercilessly. More he killed, the worst he felt. No matter what he did, the harbinger didn''t reappear. Back then, Bn Continent was closed off. He couldn''t enter Bn and find his brother. After Ari died, the Bn just disappeared. He thought that his brother also died with Bn Spirit. Aren bends down his head and sighs. "I guess that I know what were Kresi''s sins. That night, Kresi made me suffer for something that was not my fault. I med her for a long time. I knew what kind of pain my mother felt when she died. I couldn''t forget that pain for a long time." He closes his eyes and exhales, shuddering. "I still can''t forget it." Ari crosses her arms. Aren was around Kresi''s age at that time. From what she heard from Mogrok, Kresi made Mogrok eat Aeline''s alive until thest of that woman was gone. Why was Kresi that cruel to Aren back then? Hate gives birth to more hate. "She challenged me to find her." Aren gives her a small smile. "That''s why I was looking for you. I wanted to destroy her. Until I received your letter, I had no idea that she also died back then." Then, Kresi''s first sin is Aren. Ari scratches her chin thoughtfully. But how does she resolve this debt? What does Kresi owe him? Kresi is dead. Aeline would never reincarnate because her soul was eaten by Mogrok. Kresi bound Ai with Bn Spirit in a way that Bn was supposed to die in Ai''s hands. Does Kresi owe something to Ai? "I have her debts." Ari asks him with a smile, "Do you want to destroy me?" "I am over it." Aren lets out a lowugh. "I understand why she did it. I was the same though. Since most of them are dead, why should the living ones bear the pain?" "I agree." Ari grins at him. "We should forget the past and move on." He leans forward and looks into her eyes. "But I like that you owe me." She chuckles. "How do you want me to pay you?" "How?" He cocks his head and scans her with his smiling eyes. "Did I tell you that you were my first love?" She blinks her eyes. First love? This arsehole! If she believes this crap, then she''s a mouse. She returns his smile anyway. "I am not a cindere and you are not a prince anymore." "What is Cindere?" Aren frowns at her. "I don''t care whether you are Cindere or not. But all I have to do is go back and im my rights again. It''s not difficult for me to be a prince again, even if it''s only in name." It''s funny how this idiot can''t understand her sarcasm. Ari lets out an exasperated sigh. "My husband is a possessive and jealous one. If he finds out that you are flirting with me, he''s going to wipe your existence." She''s married to the dark god. Why is he not surprised? Shaking his head, Aren clicks his tongue. "I don''t stand any chance." "I am d that you know that." Ari clears her throat. "Let''s talk about a serious matter. Ai is alive, I think. He killed Bn. As much as I know, he might have done it because of the binding rune between him and Bn. He was supposed to kill her in the end. The child was born on the heart of Bn. He doesn''t belong to anyw." Just like her, at the moment. "I don''t know what would be of him." She''s fine though. "Do you still want to find him?" "If he''s alive, I want to find him." It''s surprising that his half-brother was capable of killing Bn. Aren purses his lips. Awless child? What did Kresi say to him back then? "Ari, can you find him?" "I don''t know." She puckers her lips. It''s like Ai''s not registered in this world''s directory. It''s hard to find someone who has no identity. He could be anywhere at the moment. She doesn''t know how he looks like. What could be his state of mind? Bn loved the child because of the rune. She must have also hated him. What did he feel when he killed Bn? If it was something that he was forced to do, he must have felt hate. Hated whom? What if he knew everything that happened? Who would tell him though? Bn knew. Then, Bn could have told him everything. "What are you thinking?" Aren questions her when he sees her deep in thoughts. "I am trying to understand your brother." She takes a breath. "If I was in his ce, what would I have done?" "I don''t think that you can imagine it." He replies with a quiet voice, "You are not like other people. Since he''s my brother, I can tell you what he would have done." "Then, what are you waiting for?" Ari makes a face. "You should tell me." She''s an impatient one. Aren tilts his head to his right. "I would be driven by hate and looked for the person who caused me to be the way I am." If it is like that, she should have looked for the person who threw her in Kresi''s body. But she didn''t want revenge or follow hate. It doesn''t make sense to her why would people not want to cherish their lives. The words in her head surprise her. Uh didn''t she die willingly? That''s not cherishing life. Then again, if anyone hurt her people, she would also get driven by anger. She''s not a saint. How could she judge other people? "Kresi made him the way he is." Ari runs her fingers through her dark hair and releases her breath, feeling tired. How a thirteen-year-old could cause so much trouble? When she was thirteen, she was busy studying in school and ying with her friends. Even in the second world where she was reborn as Ari, she lived her life in leisure. She can''t judge the children of this world with the same experiences that she had. Kresi''s creator had abandoned her after hurting her. Kresi''s family were only those children. But why the hell did Kresi have to hurt Aren and throw Ai on Bn''s face like that? Couldn''t that girl find better ways to deal with Bn? Leaving debts behind for her to deal with just where the heck that girl is? "You look angry." Aren can''t help it. He pinches her soft cheeks. "Why are you so pretty in this life? Is it because you saved the world?" "If I could choose, I wouldn''t choose beauty for sure." She ps his hand. "I would choose magic and a long life with my man." "Your man." Aren scoffs at her. "Are you showing off to me? We are not exactly friends." "We aren''t enemies either." Ari rubs her cheeks. Why does everyone attack her cheeks? Being beautiful is such a hassle. It''s like she''s made for pleasure. Her cheeks me when she remembers the previous night with Adira. He always loves her like there''s never going to be morning. "You are thinking something dirty." Aren wrinkles his nose. "It shows on your face. You have such a lecherous grin. Show some restraint, okay? You are a girl." "What do you mean?" Ari scowls at him. "Girls aren''t allowed to think dirty? What''s wrong with you? It''s not like I am thinking dirty about you. My man is infinitely times better than yours." Aren''s lips purse into a thin line. She didn''t have to say it like that. To appear in front of him like this and reigniting the old feelings that he once had for her while showing off how her man is better than him, this woman has no shame at all. He shakes his head andughs. "Why are youughing?" Ari creases her forehead. "Ourst meeting was not a pleasant memory." Aren answers her with an amused tone, "I am happy that Kresi gave her sins to you. Otherwise, you wouldn''t havee to see if you weren''t indebted to me." "It''s a pain for me," Ari murmurs with an irritated look in her eyes. "I don''t know how to resolve these debts either." "I know a thing or two." Aren gets up and grabs his small bag. He stuffs the things on the table into his bag. "The real question is how do we find Ai." Chapter 104: I will give him a name Chapter 104: I will give him a name She''s not here. Adira can''t find a trace of her in the castle. He arrives in the garden and sees the head guard sleeping without any care. He ps Mogrok''s head. "Master, I love you!" Mogrok shouts when he feels the p. He blinks his thousand-eyes. It''s the Dark God. Ari is nowhere to be seen. "Where''s Master?" "You were supposed to guard her." Adira eyes him darkly. This spirit beast has bezy and fat, living life too leisurely. "You tell me where she is." All of Mogrok''s eyes snap open. He tries to see as far as he could. "Master is not here." This spirit beast has also be dumber since then. Adira wonders if he should poke this beast''s eyes with a pitchfork. What is stopping him from doing that? Ari. She would be mad if she hears that he did something to Mogrok. Sometimes, it feels like she loves Mogrok more than she loves him. "Hmph!" She loves him the most. He has to ept the fact that she doesn''t love only him. "If something happens to her, you will sleep forever." Mogrok shivers in fear. "Lord, we must find her first. If she''s left alone, she''s going to do something bad again." He also knows that. In these times, she shouldn''t be alone. But he can''t find her since she is not his harbinger anymore. She doesn''t belong to anyw. Why did it have to be like this? He only went out for some time. "Mogrok, send every creature of the dark kingdom to look for her. If she''s found, bring her back to the castle immediately." "Yes, Lord." Mogrok lets out a loud roar, alerting every creature in the dark kingdom. In a split second, his roar is joined by other creatures. Adira hears them running in all directions. His heart is anxious for some reasons. "Mogrok, do you know about Kresi?" Adira asks Mogrok suddenly. Mogrok blinks his eyes. "The previous harbinger? Master also came to ask me about her. She asked me about the things that Kresi did on Bn." "Ari did?" Why would she do that suddenly? Unless she found out about Cina and Kresi, she wouldn''t try to learn about Kresi. "What did you tell her?" Mogrok tells him everything that he said to Ari. "Master was suddenly interested. I wonder why." "Did Kresi''s sins transfer to her by any chance?" Adira questions Mogrok with a hesitating voice. "I think I heard her say something like that once." Mogrok widens his eyes. "Master did say something like that once. It was a long time ago. Her exact words were this: If I can ept your name without shame, I also ept the sins that you left behind." That''s enough for the transfer of debt. Adira lets out an exasperated sigh. Why does Ari do things without thinking? She should have asked this spirit beast. "Why didn''t you warn her?" "Did she ever listen?" Mogrok retorts. He shrinks when Adira''s chilling gaze falls on him. "I tried to warn her, but I wasn''t sure if words could transfer sins like that." "She was a Renasir." Adira puts his hands on his hips. His intuition has been right. The sins are really on Ari. He has to find Ari before Cina finds her. How many people does Kresi owe? Where could she have gone? She couldn''t have left this castle without someone''s help. Did she get abducted? Not even Noras know that she''s here. It has to be another god. Adira nces at the spying moon in the sky. She would know. *** "Would you know a way?" Ari nces at the god sitting in the corner. "Who are you talking to?" Aren follows her gaze. He can''t see anyone there. "Are you mumbling to yourself?" The god lifts the spell from his body with a flicker of his fingers. "I can trace the child by bloodline." "Who?" Aren steps back when he sees the god sitting in the corner of his room with a grumpy face. "When? How?" "Sorry for startling you." Ari chuckles. "He came with me. He''s a god." Naughty waves his hand once. "I am Naughty." What a ridiculous name for a god! Aren purses his lips, wondering what to say. Ari is surely connected to the gods well. "If I can get the blood of child''s father or mother, I can find the child." Naughty says to them, "Even if he''s born under now, he is still carrying a bloodline." "She''s dead." Aren replies to him with a straightforward voice, "Would a half-brother''s blood work?" "If your mother''s bloodline is stronger in you, it should work." The god scratches his chin. "The spell is rather exhausting." "Are you really a god?" Ari knits her brows. "Why would a god be exhausted?" "Not all gods are strong." Aren takes out a knife hidden under his sleeve and draws it over his palm. Drops of blood fall on the floor. "Hurry up! I want to meet my brother." Ari is also curious. What kind of person Ai is? Then, how would she resolve the sins after meeting him? She hasn''t figured out the second question yet. "Naughty, do it." Why is he being ordered around by two mortals? Naughty gets up and walks to Aren. He takes some of Aren''s blood in his palm. He could smell the fire in that blood. This mortal is powerful. Curling his fingers into a fist, he concentrates on finding the link in the psychic ne. He could sense several mortals around the world. It would take a while to search through them. Sweat trickles down on his skin. Naughty feels a strong repulsive force from a source. He turns to that direction and sees a big twisted dark creature running toward him. Naughty lunges to his right. The creature suddenly disappears. A phantom in his mind? Who? Naughty searches for the source. It keeps hiding from him. He hears a child''sughter. "Who is looking for me?" He feels small hands over his eyes. "Uncle, would you be able to find me before I find you?" A shiver runs down his spine. "Ai?" "That''s my name." The boy whispers in his ear, "It''s also not my name. Do you know my name then?" What is this creature? "No." "Then, you lose!" Arge force ms against Naughty''s head. He opens his eyes, gasping for breath. Not even a minute has passed in the world. He touches the back of his head. It''s wet and sticky. "Blood." Ari runs to him and presses her hand on the wound. "How did this happen? You didn''t go anywhere." "Ugh!" Blood pours out of his eyes and ears. "That little scoundrel!" She helps him sit on the bed and turns her head toward Aren. "What are you looking at? Heal his head." "He''s a god." Aren shakes his head. "His body would heal itself." "Just help him anyway." Ari snaps at him, "His blood is getting everywhere." That''s what she''s worried about? Both men wonder. Aren shakes his head. The Renasir is still strange. He inhales sharply. Ehr is flowing through his veins. He channels the ehr toward the centre of his palm, letting it circte into the god''s wound. Guiding the energy to work on the broken skull, he works on closing the wound first. He''s sure that the god''s broken head would heal itself. "Tell us what happened." Ari barely gives any time for Naughty to get ready. "You were standing there and suddenly, your head was sted open." "Ai did it to me." Naughty has never felt this kind of pain before. Then again, it''s not fun to have one''s skull broken by a psychic attack. "I found him and then, I lost him." "It''s more like he kicked your arse." Ari steps away from him and crosses her arms. "He''s stronger than a god." Hearing that, Aren doesn''t know whether he should feel proud of his brother or be afraid for his brother. Being powerful than a god is not a good thing in this world. Thews are limitations on the mortals and also, protection charms. The power without limit would drive his brother mad. "The rune I think it lost the binding after Ari died and her body was erased." Naughty exins with a solemn voice, "Ai used to be his name, but it''s not his name anymore. He''s nameless at the moment. I could sense his power rising with time. I think that he''s also looking for someone who can give him a name." Names are really important in this world. If that kid also lost the name, then how did he survive till now? Was he trying to be powerful? Bing powerful to receive only a name That''s unlikely indeed. Ari can''t understand this little kid. She doesn''t even know if he''s a little kid. "Can you contact him again? Tell him that I will give him a name." Chapter 105: She doesnt owe anyone Chapter 105: She doesn''t owe anyone "I don''t want to." Naughty declines her request. "If I go back, he might kill me." And telling such a creature toe to her? The bride of the Dark God? If anything happens to her He doesn''t even want to imagine what would happen to him. "He''s a kid, isn''t he?" Ari crosses her arms and tilts her head. "Tell him that I owe him. It''s not a lie." "Don''t put yourself on the risk, Ari." Aren frowns at her. "We don''t know why he''s acting like that. He might hurt you. It''s better if he tells him that I am waiting for him here. I am his half-brother." A brother is also a good bait. Ari approves of Aren''s idea. "Fair enough. We will tell him that his half-brother is waiting for him here. If he doesn''t like it, tell him that I am also here." "Both of you just want to send me back to get my head sted open again." Naughty looks at them with narrowed eyes. "Does my head has no value?" "You are a god." Ari gives him a charming smile. Even Naughty is affected by the charm that he gave to her. "Naughty, you won''t die if you get your skull broken again." "I would have gone if I could." Aren steps closer to Ari, indicating that he''s on her side. "But I am a mortal. If I get my head broken by my brother, I will die for sure. That''s not good for my brother." Not good for his brother? It''s his skull that would be broken here. Naughty gives in the end. In fact, it''s a way to clear his debt to Ari. He and his friend had helped her soul for a price. When she was in their world, they were supposed to give her a good life. Though her initial years were good, they turned her life into hell due to their selfish desires. They couldn''t control the Dark God. Ari also lost her family. She married Tristan and saw him being killed in front of her. Because of them, she had to go through something that she didn''t deserve. His friend is also paying for his sins. Though he was also punished by the Dark God, he has a chance to clear the remnants of his sins. He will exin everything once this thing is over. He also needs that rope. Hopefully, she will help him. "Alright." Naughty walks to Aren and presses the wound on Aren''s hand. Blood spout out of the cut and smears on Naughty''s palm. He takes a step back and clenches his fist, letting his mind reenter the psychic ne. It should be easier to find Ai again. He rushes through the minds, looking and looking until he feels the same energy. Before he could turn around, he is grabbed by a force. "I didn''t expect you toe back." Ai''s nails dig into Naughty''s flesh. "Should I kill you?" "Wait!" Naughty yells, "I have something to tell you." "What might that be?" Ai tightens his hold on Naughty''s head. "Your half-brother is looking for you." Naughty shouts, "Pleasee to the kingdom of three moons. We are waiting for you." The force lightens a bit. "I have a brother?" "Yes, a brother." Naughty feels his heart beating fast. He could feel that there''s something wrong with this kid. A nameless creature is already dangerous. But it shouldn''t be this bad. "He will give you a name." "Only the Renasir or the gods of this world can give me a name." Ai snarls at the god. "You are trying to trick me." "I didn''t mean it like that." Naughty yells, "The renasir is also there." Instead of calming down, it makes Ai furious. He grabs Naughty''s arms and tears it away from his body. Naughty screams fill his ears. Ai smiles at him. His ming red eyes gleam in delight. "She died." This creature should be killed as soon as possible. It''s dangerous for everyone in this world. Naughty closes his eyes and tries to leave. When he reopens his eyes, he finds himself in the psychic ne. "Why" "Because I am the ruler of this world." A small child appears in front of him. The boy has curly green hair and a round pale face. His eyes are vivid green, filled with mischievousness. He lets out a lowugh. "I don''t like liars. What should I do with you? I can''t kill you for sure. But I can hurt you a lot." Naughty tries to leave again. Something keeps blocking him from leaving. He sees a wall forming around him. "Ai, your father and brother are alive. They are looking for you." "Without a name, I don''t belong to anyone." The child smiles at him sadly. "I don''t have a brother or a father. I am not Ai anymore." "Ai, you can be saved. Go back to the real world." Naughty hollers at him as the red wall closes down around him. The rest of his words are muffled out. Ai looks at the grave of the god. He can''t kill gods, but he can force them to stay inside the graves that he created for them. "Who should I bring next?" Wondering that, he walks alone in the darkness. His brother and father are alive. Should he bring them and put them in the graves here? Ai chortles. He should do that. What did that god say? He must go to the kingdom of three moons. *** In the room, Naughty''s body disappears out of their sight. Ari and Aren are surprised. They look around for Naughty. There''s no trace of him. "Did he leave?" Ari looks at Aren, puzzled by the disappearance of the god. Aren has a bad feeling. Is the disappearance rted to his brother? He grabs his bag. "We should leave this ce." "What, why?" Ari asks him, confused. "He mighte back." "I think that something happened." Aren grasps her hand and takes her along with him. "Naughty didn''t seem like someone who would disappear like that. I think that my brother did something. We don''t know what kind of creature he is. I have to find out something first." She understands what he''s trying to say. If the disappearance is rted to Ai, then Ai can even hurt the gods. That''s a fearsome strength. "Can you hurt the gods?" "With the holy fire, I could do it." He ms the money on the table in front of the innkeeper and takes long strides of the inn. "I can''t hurt the gods anymore. I wouldn''t dream of it anyway. Our world is governed by the gods." It would be best if he sends her back to the castle of the Dark God. If his brother, who is not a human anymore, finds out about her, he might do something to her. No, his brother could do something bad to anyone. The Dark God can protect her. He stops walking when he sees a man standing in front of the carriage. The man is watching them solemnly. Why is God Cina here? Ari follows his gaze and looks at Cina. Who is this punk? She has never seen him before. Something about him is just different. Not mortal. His green hair stands out a lot. Definitely, not mortal. A god or someone like Andareanesi? When Aren gives a deep respectful bow to the man, she does the same. The sound of his light footsteps is getting closer. Fear crawls in her skin. She raises her head a little and sees blood dripping from the carriage. Who did he hurt? This man is dangerous. Aren could feel the same. But the opponent is a god. For the first time, he regrets giving up the holy fire. Who is this God after? He''s been in this world for a long time. Cina had nevere to look for him before. Then, is he here for Ari? Bn was Cina''s daughter. "Run, Ari." Aren summons the Ehr. "Get away from here." Fire emerges from the centre of his palm, aiming at the god in front of him. Ari is astonished by the sudden turn of events. But she can''t leave Aren here to die. She squeezes her eyes shut and tries to feel the magic in her veins. The faint heat runs through her veins, but it''s barely anything to create. Only a breeze passes by. Ari curses out loudly, "Crap!" Cina doesn''t even bat his eyes when the fire hits him. He waves his hand dismissively and the mes are gone. He nces at Aren. "Mortal, I have nothing against you. Step away from her. She owes me." "She doesn''t owe anyone." Aren stands in front of her, shielding her from Cina''s eyes. "Bn was in the wrong. She killed all those children. My mother was also in the wrong. Don''t hurt an innocent one. Your daughtermitted the crimes, not Ari. She has nothing to do with what happened back then." Chapter 106: It could be you tricking me Chapter 106: It could be you tricking me The god ofnd and trees seems too angry to reason with. Aren has no idea how he was able to find Ari. Who did this god hurt? "What do you know?" Cina snarls at Aren. "My daughter didn''t kill those children. She gave them shelter and provided for them. She helped them survive. It was the vessel who killed them. Hand her over to me, Mortal." "Run, Ari." Aren whispers to Ari, "Don''t worry about me. He won''t kill me. I was a chosen one once. Noras would get pissed if he kills someone like me. Run as fast as you can. I will hold him off as long as I can." Is running enough? They are talking about God here. Not just any god. It''s an angry god. Ari clenches her teeth. She pushes Aren away. "Hey, you! Do you think that your daughter was an angel? She didn''t give them shelter for free. Your daughter helped the criminal kill the children. She wanted to kill the harbinger using the hands of someone else. She''s also a killer." Raye, the person who took her to the heart of Bn, said something about this once. Mogrok said the same. That''s why Kresi was furious. Bn was supposed to protect the children. Original Kresi didn''t care about dying. She didn''t want anyone else to die. Quinn also diedter. Only two children lived from that ce -- Mirai and Pebby. "So, you remember everything." Cina smiles at her darkly. "Did you not know that Bn was my daughter? How did you kill her? Not even a drop of her essence exists in this world. I don''t care what you did to that vessel. But killing a child of a god is a heinous sin. You should have done anything except killing her." That makes Ariugh. "First of all, let me make this clear to you, I am not Kresi Mirin. She died a long time ago. I reced her body and took her sins." "Took her sins?" Cina frowns at her. Adira said something about this. There is a foolish soul who would do something like this. "Doing anything except killing her is fine." Ari snorts. "Yeah, yeah, Gods and their special kids can do anything. This world is no different from mine in some aspects. Children of the gods have special privileges. They can do anything they want. If your daughter wanted to kill Kresi because she was the harbinger, it was FINE for her to help someone kill all the other children." "That''s right." Cina steps toward her. Seeing that, Aren stands up and grabs Ari''s hand. Cinaes to a halt only a few steps away from them. He can''t harm Aren since he was the chosen one who wielded the fire of the star once. Noras, the god of light, would start a war with him if Aren even gets a scratch because of him. However, he wants to get hold of Ari. She must be the same soul who saved the world once. Adira was crazy after the renasir died. Then, he could make the dark god pay for what his harbinger did to his daughter. Now that he thinks about it None of this would have happened if the Dark God didn''t make the mistake all those years ago. This stupid god doesn''t understand sarcasm. Ari clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "If I were her, I would kill her right then. I would have asked Mogrok to make that Bn''s death a hundred times painful than what Kresi did to the vessel. If anyone hurts my loved ones, I would tear their body with my own hands. You still have the face toe and act as if Kresi did wrong. Hear me, whatever god you are. Kresi did do wrong. She should not have punished a child because she was angry at his father and mother. She shouldn''t have punished an innocent boy who was already losing his mother. Lastly, she shouldn''t have be the reason why that child couldn''t meet his father and brother. That''s the debt she owes -- Ai, Aren and Gabriel. She doesn''t owe anyone else. Neither do I." Around a hundred metres away, a little kid around four is hiding behind and tree and watching everything with his red eyes. He stares at the girl whose face is red with anger. She puts her hand on her hips and continues to defend Kresi. Bn had told everything to this kid. In fact, he watched Bn kill Quinn in the night of union. But he didn''t know that Kresi, the harbinger who gave him that name and forced Bn to love him, had died the same night. When the dark ehr was cleansed and he felt his binding name disappear along with his true name, he killed Bn in the same way Kresi killed Aeline, the vessel of holy fire. But the Renasir is still here. She is more interesting than his brother and father. She is pretty. He likes her. Giggling, he runs toward them. Aren looks over when he feels something strange. Cina also feels the presence of a strange force in the atmosphere. The air is vibrating around them. The sound ofughter fills the air. But they can''t see anyone. "Stop acting high and mighty." Ari hasn''t noticed anything at all. She glowers at the god. "You should be ashamed of your daughter''s deed. You should apologize on her behalf. Actually, you should help me clear Kresi''s debts and pray that all of their souls rest in peace." Okay, thest one might be a stretch. Ari is a little afraid. It''s not like she hasn''t killed people. She also made Mogrok eat her problems. But somehow, her sins have been taken care of. "Show yourself," Cina growls in Ari''s direction who jumps back in surprise. Aren pulls her behind her. The sky is getting darker. In the horizon, a hoard of dark creatures is heading in their direction with a raging dark storm. Cina nces at the sky. It''s good. Adira ising. He will make that dark god punish this girl. Something cold touches Ari''s leg. She looks down and sees a child smiling brightly at her. She blinks her eyes. He has a round and porcin face. His big red eyes are like rabbits. She squeals. "So cute." "What?" Aren follows her gaze. He can''t see anything. The force is somewhere close to him. He sees Ari reaching for something. He grabs her arm. "No, don''t." The dark god descends from the sky. He nces at the spot where Ari and Aren were standing a moment ago. "Where are they?" Where did they go? They were here a moment ago. Cina looks around. He can''t sense them here. "Did they run away?" "No." Adira walks to the spot and presses his palm on the ground, trying to feel the energy. "They were taken away." "Adira, are you trying to trick me?" Cina glowers at him. "Who could take them away in the presence of two gods?" "Who knows?" Adira narrows his dark eyes on Cina. Though he looks calm, he''s anything but calm. "It could be you tricking me." Cina grits his teeth. This sinister god is trying to trick him for sure. What is the meaning of taking away the debtor? "I know that it''s not you." Adira nces at the tree where Ai was hiding some time ago. It''s the creature that Kresi created that night. "I am d that you were able to hold back. If you had hurt her, I would have made you pay for it." "I would have killed her if the chosen one wasn''t here." Cina hollers at him. "She is important to you, isn''t she? I will find her and bring her to you. I will make you punish her right in front of me." "You just want someone to pay for your daughter''s death." Adira turns around to face him. "I have asked Noras to find Kresi -- the one who started this all. A trial will be held. Everyone who was involved in that incident would be called to the trial. We will hear all sides of the truth. When the timees, act like a god instead of a father." The Dark God even wants to save Kresi. Cina purses his lips. His knuckles be white. He wasn''t able to see his daughter for onest time after more than ten thousand years. Do gods always have to act selflessly? He used all of his strength to save the world along with other gods because of one god''s mistake. What did he get after he woke up? He''s alone in this new world. Always acting like a godes with a price. Is he not even allowed to punish the one who is the reason behind his daughter''s death? Kresi didn''t kill his daughter. But she was the reason. Let here to the trial. He will give her the same death that Bn received. Chapter 107: I need your cooperation Chapter 107: I need your cooperation "Sister, do you know how the nameless creatures are born?" Raya asks her sister curiously. "I don''t know." Riha gives her a sly look. "How are they born?" "Silly, they aren''t born." Raya chuckles. "Those sad creatures Their names are stripped away from them. They spend the rest of their lives looking for their names. They have no ce in the world." "Then, do they ever find their names?" Riha frowns at her. "Do they?" Raya smirks. "Can they find something that doesn''t exist anymore? All things have a ce in the world except for the nameless creatures. They can continue to beg or fight. In the end, they will be found by the gods and destroyed." "That''s sad." The corners of Riha''s lips curl down. "Yes, it is." Raya sighs. "Once a soul loses its true name, it is usually never found." "Can''t it get a new name?" Riha''s eyes turn bright. "Can''t it find a new ce in the world?" "Only if someone gives it to him," Raya replies, taking a nce a Ril''Yah who has been watching something afar with a meaningful smile on her lips. "Third Sister is always acting mysteriously." Riha frowns at Ril''Yah. "I am sure that you can help people. Can''t you open your mouth for once and help people? Does it make you happy if you act all smug and mysterious?" "She likes to drive people insane." Raya clicks her tongue. "Third Sister could resolve everything in a second, but she won''t do it. ording to her, people should always find their ways on their own." "Most people get lost." Riha walks to Ril''Yah and covers her eyes. "If you don''t see, would you speak and tell us what is going inside your mind?" The light of the third moon bes dim in the sky. But the sun is already shining bright. Nobody notices the changes in the moon, not even the gods. It''s not the first time when the three sisters started ying around like this. People usually get lost because they can''t see what is invisible to the naked eyes. Ril''Yah smiles. Though her eyes are closed, she could still see. She''s the only moon who is able to see things that are usually invisible to the naked eyes. If she says it simply, nobody would try to see for themselves. The true name has been erased along with the given name. The child has been suffering for a long time, knowing no love despite being given the name that means love. Who owes whom? It is only a matter of perspective. But who can help whom? She wonders. *** Adira steps toward the carriage and pulls the door. A man with grey hair is lying on the floor of the carriage with blood gushing out of his shoulder. Adira looks over his head and narrows his eyes on Cina. "You are rather calm." Cina sneers at him. "Do you really care about the Renasir?" "She won''t be harmed." That''s what he wants to believe. Adira didn''t sense hostile energy from the force. He''s terrified, of course. That force is a nameless creature. If he loses his calm, he might never be able to find Ari. First of all, he must find out how and why that nameless creature was created. Even if that child was born in special circumstances, he wasn''t born as a nameless creature. Kresi also gave that child a name. Why did that child lose it? Was it because Ari erased her body along with the corruption in the dark ehr? Kresi gave that rune to Ai. If it was still connected to the magic inside Kresi''s body, it could have been erased after Ari used the rune ''Kres'' to erase everything including the corruption in the dark Ehr. But did Kresi mistakenly bound Ai''s soul along with his body to Bn using the rune? A thirteen-year-old harbinger can''t be a wise one. She was also hurt. That kid might have done it in a hurry. She would have never thought that the body would be erased in such a way by Ari. Though he knows the answers now, he''s not happy. A nameless creature has been wandering in the world and no god had detected it in the past. The creature that''s been going into the abodes of gods and causing troubles must have been Ai. His Ari is with a nameless creature at this moment. He heals the man with grey hair. He could tell that this is the third person who is connected to Ai and Kresi. He needs this person alive for the trial. In that same trial, the fate of the nameless creature would be decided. To find the nameless creature, help of all the gods are required since they don''t know where it could be at any moment. The god of thends has been studying the dark god. If it was the previous dark god, he would be wreaking havoc or looking for the woman madly. Cina res at his back. This facade is almost believable. "Do you not want to find out the one who actually killed Bn?" Adira questions him with a calm voice. "It was the harbinger who created it." Cina creases his forehead and says to him with a cold voice, "I don''t care about whose hands were used. I only want to find the one who started this." It should be the Dark God. It''s useless to talk to someone who only wants to hold someone responsible. Right now, he wants to find Ari. She''s probably not in this realm anymore. "You are afraid of the nameless creature." Cina chortles. "Why would I be afraid? I am a god." "A nameless creature can take away someone else''s name, especially if it fits." Adira smiles at him. "I felt Bn''s energy in him." "So what?" Cina glowers at him. "Are you thinking ofmitting a sin against me? Was my daughter not enough?" Adira sps his hands behind his back. "I don''t dare. I don''t. You don''t have to be afraid of me. I told you that the one who is truly in wrong would be punished in the trial." "I don''t believe you." Cina flicks his sleeve. Surely, the god of the darkness is up to something. "You can find me when Kresi returns." As he''s about to return to his kingdom, Adira grasps the back of his cor. The god ofnds gave a little part of his powers to his daughter, Bn before he went to sleep. What could the best bait other than the true name of a god that ispatible with the nameless creature? How could he let this god leave? "I need your cooperation with the trial''s preparation." "Lies!" Cina snarls at him. "If you don''t want to start another war, let go of me now." Adira needs to find Ari. That nameless creature is also important for the trial.He let go of Cina''s neck and smiles at him. "I see that you don''t want to cooperate with me." Still suspicious, Cina fixes his robe. When he looks up, Adira is no longer standing at the spot. "Where did... Ugh!" The Dark God looks at the god ofnds lying on the ground. But why would he want a war when he can resolve this using fists? After all, his Ari died for this world once. "I wouldn''t mind letting that creature be a god instead of you. Then again, you are quite good at what you do." Noras and others would bother him a lot if he kills another god. Chapter 108: The love that you deserve Chapter 108: The love that you deserve "She''s not waking up." Ai puts his index fingers together and looks at Ari''s face, blinking his eyes anxiously. She should have woken up by now. Then, this is the first time when he brought a human here. He pokes her nose with his finger. He softly murmurs to her, "Pretty Sister, wake up." She frowns when she feels something poking her face. When she opens her eyes, she sees the same boy''s face right above her. Looking into the boy''s eyes, she wonders why is so lucky. This boy is ever cuter than Kyo. "Did you call me Sister?" "I don''t know your name." The boy scrutinizes her expression. This is the reincarnation of the Renasir. She''s different from what he imagined. Bn told him that thest renasir was also the one who gave that name to him. Earlier, he heard that it wasn''t the case. "Pretty Sister, were you or were you not the one who gave me the name Ai?" Ai? She sits up abruptly and looks around. It seems like she''s sitting in a dark empty space with fireflies of different colours of different colour floating around. There''s no sky or ground. "Where is this ce?" "It''s my home." Ai stands up and grabs one of the fireflies. "I don''t know where is this ce." Ari winces when she hears screaming and sees shes of a man writhing in pain on the floor. She gasps, not able to understand what''s going on. Just then, Ai lets go of the firefly with expression. "Pretty Sister, no matter what I do, I can''t kill people here." Why does he even want to kill people? He''s just a kid. Ari lets out a sigh. She''s always meeting kids who don''t act like kids. "Ai, I am going to help you. We will find your name together. Don''t think about killing people okay." He looks at her, listening to her quietly. It doesn''t feel like she''s forcing herself to speak like that to him. She doesn''t seem scared. He can''t sense any animosity from her. Though she knows what he is, she hasn''t tried to hurt him. "Killing people is bad." Ari tells him slowly, "You should focus on ying." "Nobody wants to y with me." Ai squats down and wraps his arms around his knees. "The spirits are scared of me. They won''te near me at all. When I go near people, they can''t see me anymore. I lost my name a long time ago. I kept looking for it everywhere. I heard that a Renasir can give me a name." But the renasirs don''t exist anymore. She was thest Renasir. Her heart aches for the boy when she sees him sighing. Why is he still small? He looks like he''s only three or four years old. It''s been such a long time since she was born in this world. Is hisck of growth rted to the loss of the name? "I will help you receive a new name." He doesn''t believe her though. Ai stares at her and asks her, "Are you the one who gave me the name Ai?" For some reasons, she feels like the name suits the child. What was Kresi thinking when she gave that name to this boy? Did she truly give this name to him because she wanted to punish Bn? The boy also got hurt in the end. "I am not her, but I am sure that she had reasons for doing that to you." "Bn told me that I was her punishment." Ai takes a deep breath. "Bn hated me because she loved me. She hated me every day. She couldn''t hurt me. So, she would hurt herself. I never hated Bn. I didn''t want to hurt her. I wanted to help her. She begged me every day to release her. I didn''t know how to do it. She told me then. After I did what she wanted me to do, she wasn''t there anymore. I kept looking for her on the continent until I realized that she was truly gone." Big drops of tears fall and be lost in the emptiness. "I didn''t know. I only did what she told me to. Since then, the spirits started to listen to me. They told me that I had taken Bn''s life away and took her ce." When he hears sniffling, he looks up. Surprised to see her crying along with him, he forgets about crying. "Why are you crying, Pretty Sister?" "Ai,e here." She spreads her arms. "Nothing bad will happen to you anymore." He doesn''t understand what she was trying to do. But he''s not afraid of her. Ai takes hesitant steps toward her until he''s only half of an arm-length away. She grabs his hand and pulls him in her embrace, tightening her arm around his little body and stroking his head. "You have me from now on. I will protect you from bad things." Her voice is loud, but it''s filled with affection that he has never known. The boy could hear the sound of her heartbeats. He wonders why she''s sad. Is she sad for him? "That Bn!" Ari clicks her tongue and puts him on herp "Ai, it wasn''t your fault. Bn tricked you." Bn scared of the prophecy that Kresi made. Instead of waiting for death, she manipted Ai. In the end, the prophecy came true. Bn died. He took her ce. Then, he shouldn''t have be like this. Something else must have happened. Ari ces her hand on his cheek. "What happened to you after I died?" "Nobody could see me anymore." He puts his head on her shoulder. Sitting like this feelsfortable to him. Pretty Sister is good. She''s nicer than everyone he has met. "The spirits couldn''t see me either. I felt sick all the times. Something was missing inside me, Pretty Sister. I didn''t know what to do. My name didn''t feel like my name anymore. Whenever someone calls me Ai, I feel sick." So, he felt sick when she called him Ai. "I won''t call you that again." "It''s fine if you call me that." He smiles at her, looking at her brightly. "Pretty Sister, I don''t mind feeling a little sick if you want to call me by that name." He reminds her of Kyo. Even Adira is like him sometimes. Why did this boy have to suffer like that? All kids are born innocent. They are shaped by the experiences that they have. Somehow, it feels like the boy hasn''t been growing at all. He''s different from Kyo who was Adira''s innocence. She fell for Adira''s innocence first. Then, it was his wickedness that grasped her love. She runs her fingers in Ai''s hair, untangling his hair slowly. "You shouldn''t be like that, Child. You shouldn''t sacrifice yourself this way to make someone feel happy. We will find your name and then, I will call you by that name." Seeing him watching her in silence, she stops fixing his hair, "Do you feel sick when I call you, Child?" He shakes her head. "Bn used to call me that sometimes." "..." That''s awkward. To be honest, Ari feels like Bn is the worst spirit in the world. Surely, she was also in Bn''s position once. Kyo was supposed to kill her. But she had never treated Kyo like that. How could that spirit be this cruel to this adorable child? Honestly, this kid''s birth mother wasn''t a saint either. Then, there was Kresi. This child had to meet such crazy personalities. "I am not like Bn. I will never trick you or hurt you. Child, I will make sure that you find your ce in the world again. You will receive the love that you deserve. " After all, that was the name Kresi gave this child once. Despite everything, Ari believes that Kresi would not give that name to a child if she wanted to give only pain to Ai. Chapter 109: What would he do with my name? Chapter 109: What would he do with my name? Aren hisses in pain when he gets up. He squints his eyes, looking around. Why are there colourful dots floating around him? Is he dead? His head won''t hurt if he was dead. When he touches a red floating dot, strange memories sh into his head. He moves away, wincing in pain. What are these things? Aren reaches for another floating dot, ready for the pain and memories. As soon as he makes the contact, he feels a searing pain in his head again. He forces himself to look. Memories of his world emerge in his head again. He could feel the pain of the person. Suddenly, he lets go. "Is this the ce where all the minds coexist?" Aren gapes at the blinking light. That''s the only exnation. These dots are minds of creatures who live in Iravan. They feel pain when someone touches these blinking lights here. Aren massages his forehead. "How did I get here?" Something came for Ari. He was trying to stop Ari from touching it. That invisible force was it Ai? Nameless creatures what does he know about them? As far as he can see, there are only these floating lights. "Damn!" "Would she be fine?" Aren murmurs to himself. Nameless creatures are unpredictable. But Ai is still his brother. He frowns. How could she see Ai when he couldn''t? She''s not from this world. Is that why? Aren shakes his head. Though both Ai and Ari don''t belong to anyw in this world, Ai is still different. Ai lost his true name. She shouldn''t be able to see Ai. Is she also here? Then, why can''t he see her? He starts walking, hoping toe across anything that gives him a clue about what''s going on. Where is Ai? Can he see him in this world or not? "Why could she see something that even a god couldn''t?" Aren stops walking when a realization hits him. The harbinger returned the heart to the Dark God. So, Ari lost all the powers of the harbinger. But about the magic that she received because her soul chosen as a renasir? Could she still have some of it? But she said that she couldn''t wield the ehr. Is that why she can''t wield her powers as the renasir? But the Renasirs are always Mirins. Her body is not the same. She shouldn''t be able to see Ai. Aren shakes his head. He needs to find her and his brother. *** Meanwhile, there''s another emergency in the world. "What did you do?" Mirinae res at Raya and Riha. "We did nothing." Raya fidgets with her fingers, not meeting her mother''s gaze. Riha stands with her head bowed down. "If you did nothing," Mirinae points at the night sky. "Where did Ril''Yah go?" Under the intense pressure of her mother, Riha suddenly yells, "Mother, Raya bullied her." Raya opens her mouth wide. Riha is trying to put all the me on her. "I didn''t do it alone. You also did it." "What did I do?" Riha scowls at her. "You kept saying to her that she was an egoistic know-it-all. You even told her that she creates problems in people life by not helping them." "You agreed with me" Raya balls her hands. "You said that she should help people instead of being a mysterious mute." Mirinae looks at her daughters. Just who would believe that they are supposed to be wise and all? How did she create these good-for-nothing moons? All they know is how to create troubles. Her third daughter is nothing less. Since she''s gone from this world, there''s no third moon in the sky. The nights are too dark. Travellers get lost easily. People''s mindsets are also affected. The kingdom of the moons iscking a ruler who represents hope. "I only asked her about the nameless creatures." Raya puts her hand on her waist. "If she knows about them, she should just say it. Why does she always keep her mouth shut?" "It''s been more than ten thousand years." Riha sighs. "I only wanted to hear her voice. She didn''t have to leave like that." "I am sure that she wants us to find her." Raya narrows her eyes. "She''s ying hide and seek with us. Come, Riha. We will find her and then, we will beat her up for making us and Mother worry." "Just" Mirinae''s head hurts. She closes her eyes. Why did she get married and have children? She was having such a good life when she was single. She can''t even date or flirt because of her husband who is a god of war and destruction. "Find her. Don''t beat her up." Raya smirks at Riha who winks back at her. In the next moment, the two moons also disappear from the sky. Mirinae nces at the moonless sky. The world before her daughters were born was like this. Why did Ril''Yah leave? She didn''t leave the sky even when Mirinae and other gods were asleep. Her third daughter isn''t the type who would run away because of her sisters'' teasings. What is going on? Did her third daughter get involved in something? "A nameless creature?" Mirinae tap her chin. "They are usually killed at sight." Why did her daughters show interest in nameless creatures? They often don''t know why they are showing interest in something except for Ril''Yah. Her third daughter gives her the most headache by not answerin anything to her. Is she even her daughter? Her two daughters are always talking. Even Mirinae is quite talkative. There''s Ril''Yah who doesn''t talk unless she feels that she must. If a nameless creature is wandering in the world, it''s a matter of concern for all the main gods of this world. Only two gods are capable of killing such creatures. Should she visit Noras? Maybe he has heard something about a nameless creature. However, Noras is also secretive. Ea would tell her. *** When Cina wakes up, he finds himself in a dungeon. His body is bound with ropes made of pure dark ehr. He can''t even lift a finger. "Adira!" Cina snarls. In the darkness, he can''t hear or see anything. He can''t even hear his own voice. Then, he realizes that something strange inside him. Something is missing. His core is right there. "My true name." He gasps. "Why? No, how did he?" Is the god of darkness strong enough to snatch another god''s true name? The Dark God is even holding him, a nameless god, in his prison. "What would he do with my name? It''s useless to him." Restless and lost, he writhes on the stony floor. His eyes sh red. He has no idea how long can he stay like this. This pain is not physical, but the mental anguish is the worst. "Is he going to give my name to that nameless creature?" He nches, horrified. "No, I am the god of thends. He can''t turn someone else into me." If the name is given to that nameless creature with an affinity with him, he will never be able to take it back. That creature will take his ce, just like that creature took Bn''s ce. When the world doesn''t need him anymore, he will diffuse into ehr. The Dark God is doing this to him on purpose. There''s going to be a trial. If Cina is gone, Adira could manipte the trial as he wishes. Chapter 110: I cant use it anyway Chapter 110: I can''t use it anyway "This is the ce where I rest." Ai points at the spot with this little finger. He looks up and beams at her. "Pretty Sister, you can rest here with me." Ari purses her lips. The kid is showing her around this strange ce that is his ''home''. All the spots look the same to her. Well, it''s not like she can say that to a kid who is excited. "Child, I like this ce. It''s so" empty. "Big." "There are only two of us." Ai grins at her. Then, he lowers his head and frowns. There are a few unwanted people here. He should throw them out of here. Then, he and his pretty sister can stay without a worry. "No one will bother us here." This Deja-Vu feeling Ai sits down and pulls him toward her. It''s a kid. She can coax him into leaving this ce. "Child, this ce is really nice. But I know a better ce." He senses that she wants to leave. The corners of his lips curl down. He puckers his lips and looks side-ways. Seeing that, Ari resists the urge to squeal. She''s not a sadist, but this kid is just precious. "Child, you can''t live here forever. There''s your father waiting for you. Your brother also wants to meet you. Do you know that your brother was a chosen one? He''s a really cool person. Your father is also" She doesn''t know much about Gabriel. "A wonderful person, I am sure." Ai cocks his head and mumbles while fidgeting with fingers, "I just want to be with you." "..." Deja-Vu again! He is so much like Kyo. Maybe Adira will like him. "Then, we will be together. Child, I also have people who are important to me. I am sure that they will like you a lot. They might be able to help you find your true name." "But I am fine without a name if I am with you." Ai sighs, looking down. "What if those people take you away from me?" She gives him a hug. "Nobody will take you away from me. I have powerful backing. He will beat all the bad people. Trust me, Child? He will protect us both." "If you say so," Ai mumbles, finding it hard to trust others. Convincing him hadn''t been hard. She lets out a breath of relief. Thankfully, this kid doesn''t throw tantrums like Kyo. He''s such a well-behaved child. "Then, we should leave this ce. I will introduce you to my friends. We will get you a new name soon. Then, you can live in world with everyone else." His nose twitches when he inhales a scent that reminds him of Bn Continent. He blinks his several times, feeling jittery and restless. The child suddenly squirms in her embrace. "Pretty Sister, I have to go." "Where?" She releases him, surprised to see the feral look in his eyes. He steps back, hyperventting. Trying his best not to show his other side to her, he clenches his teeth and runs away from her on his all fours. "Child!" She yells after him. "Wait, where are you going?" A tear appears in the space. The kid lunges toward it. With a sh of light, both Ai and the doorway to Iravan are gone. Ari frowns hard. What is going on? Why did he run away like this? What''s she going to do here? "Why does it always happen to me?" She touches her temple. "I don''t understand why kids never listen to their elders. How I am supposed to chase after him? Mogrok isn''t with me either." Chasing Kyo in the cursed sea was easier for sure. "I can take you." Startled, Ari jumps away from the young girl standing beside her. She gapes at the girl with long golden hair and big sapphire eyes. How long has this girl been here? She didn''t notice this girl. The girl curtsies to her politely. "Bride of the dark god, the saviour of Iravan, and thest Renasir, ept my greetings." Ari studies the girl. The girl looks around seven or eight. She''s dressed in a frilly blue and white dress. Though Ari has never seen the girl before, she finds her familiar. "Who are you?" "I am Ril''Yah, the third moon of Iravan, daughter of Goddess Mirinae." Ril''Yah smiles at her. "I have been watching you since the day you were born on Iravan." "Wait." Ari furrows her brows and raises her hand. "I was never born on Iravan. My soul was thrown inside someone''s body without my permission." Ril''Yah chuckles. "Isn''t it like that always? Usually, the souls are thrown inside a foetus with no memories of past life. I admit that your case was different. You were born inside someone else''s body and you also had your memories." Technically, the girl is right. When Ari was on earth, she often heard stories of people who remembered their past lives. She always thought that those were fake news. "But I am still someone who doesn''t belong to anyw." "That''s also true." Ril''Yah says to her with a calm voice, "Do you even want to belong to any?" Is that even a question? Ari frowns at her. "Can you make people belong to this world? Then, why aren''t you helping that child? He lost his name and ce." "I can''t help him." Ril''Yah sighs, gazing at her with sorrow in her eyes. "It was an ident that his true name got erased when you took your life. I wasn''t strong enough to stop it when I realized the problem. The power of naming was given away to someone a long time ago." "Then, find that person." Ari yells at her, "Why would you even give away such important power to someone else?" "It was given away for the sake of the world." Ril''Yah sps her hands behind her back. "It was supposed to be returned, but the person killed herself and the soul was dissipated into many pieces. Along with her soul, that power was also broken down. When her soul was reconstructed, it was impossible to take it back. The power and the soul became one That power will go with that soul wherever she goes." This story sounds familiar. Ari''s lips purse into a thin line. Does she still have the powers of Renasir? "How?" "After the war, the gods decided to put the dark god in the prison. His dark heart was put into the reincarnation cycle. But they needed someone to take care of the world after they were gone. Cina gave a piece of his power to Bn who took care of the spirits and the beasts. Noras left his holy fire to the Starfire bloodline. But it wasn''t enough." Ril''Yah exins to her, "My mother and all the gods created a new power to protect the world. It was too much for a mortal to handle it. So, my mother created a special bloodline. That''s how the Mirins came to be. You were supposed to give it back, just like the chosen one did. However, it''s merged in your soul. We can''t take it back anymore." Should she be sorry that she died? Ari shrugs. "I can''t use it anyway." Ril''Yah agrees with her. "That''s why the child will be destroyed soon." "What?" Ari widens her eyes. "Why would he get destroyed?" Why do these gods like killing children so much? "I saw you promising him that the Dark God will protect him." Ril''Yah snickers. "You are quite naive. The Dark God is still a god of Iravan. He set up a trap to capture that child. That child will be destroyed by him after the trial is finished." Chapter 111: Forget about the wedding Chapter 111: Forget about the wedding Running on his fours, Ai halts in his track when he hears a strange sound. His little nose twitches a few times, trying to sense something. The castle is empty. The hallways are filled with harrowing silence. Only his breathing sound is heard by him. He hastens toward the scent. Everything inside him is being pulled toward it. He doesn''t know what it is or why it''s happening to him. He blinks his eyes several times, trying to control himself. His instincts are telling him to stop. At the same time, something is calling to him. He hesitates for a few moments. He could tell that it would fill the emptiness inside him. The need to acquire it and be whole overpowers his rational thoughts. He dashes toward the room in the end of the hall. Inside the room, only darkness wee him. He prowls around the room, looking for the thing that attracted him to this ce. The door is closed. The scent is also gone. Ai freezes on the spot. After his rationality returns, he blinks his eyes several times. What happened to him? He straightens his back. In the darkness, he can''t see anything. Not even himself. He could even hear the sound of his heart beating aberrantly. Not wanting to waste another moment, he tries to open the door to the ce that he calls home. No matter what he does, it doesn''t open again. He screams in frustration and fear. "Where is she?" A dark and emotionless voice echoes through the room. Ai turns his head, trying to find the source. The little child panics when something wraps around his ankles and wrists. In the next instant, he''s pulled in all directions. "Aaaaaaah!" Ai shrieks in pain. "Release me." A figure emerges from the darkness and steps toward the child. The creature''s body is covered with ayered of darkness. He could smell Ari''s scent on the creature. "If you answer me, I will give you a painless end." The child starts crying instead of answering, much to Adira''s annoyance. He clenches his teeth and grabs the child''s head. "I know that you were wronged. But it''s better to die than exist as a nameless creature. You didn''t hurt Ari, did you? " "Bad God." Ai res at Adira. "I will never tell you where she is." The Dark God has been acting patiently with this creature after considering what this creature had to go through. But there''s a limit. That limit is Ari. He has already forgiven this creature for taking his Ari away. Now, this creature is refusing to tell where she is That is uneptable. Maybe he should kill it now and take a look at the memories to find out where she is. Adira raises his w to dig out the heart of the nameless creature. "Adira!" Ari''s loud scream pierces through the darkness. In the darkness, she''s shimmering like the stars, watching him with wide eyes. Adira lowers his hand and takes long strides toward her. She doesn''t look hurt. When he reaches for her hand, she steps back. "What were you doing?" She furrows her brows. "He''s a kid." "Ari, I was only" Adira exhales. He knows that her principles are different. "He''s not really a kid." "He''s a kid to me." She folds her fingers, resisting the urge to punch his face. "Adira, are you really going to kill him?" "Yes." Adira could see that she has be attached to the creature. For some reasons, he has expected this oue. That''s just how she is. "He needs to die." "I won''t let you kill him." Ari steps between him and Ai. "Release him now." Is she going to fight with him because of a nameless creature? Adira sowls at her. "He might seem like a kid right now, but he will be more violent with time. His soul will erode away and he will be a creature who will hurt anything that he will see. He will also get hurt. It''s better to put him out of this misery instead of letting him be a creature who loses his soul eventually." Ari bes silent, staring at him with her dark eyes. She hasn''t expected this. Ril''Yah did tell her everything. But this She asks him with a small voice. "How could you act like this?" He takes a deep breath. It must be difficult for her to understand. Gods can''t always be merciful. There are times when a god has to act cruelly. What started with a god''s cruelty toward Amara''s lover must end with his cruelty toward this nameless creature. There''s no other way. "Ari, nameless creatures can''t be saved. You are wasting your kindness on him. Don''t be attached to that creature." " Ha!" She looks at him with disappointment in her eyes. "It''s funny that you have forgotten everything. If I had left you inside that dark prison that day, you would have been stuck there. If I always saw you as a creature who was going to kill me, would you and I stand here today? Ai is like you. Bn always saw her as someone who was going to kill her. That''s why he became like this. What happened to him was wrong. Because of Kresi''s mistake, he had to live with someone like Bn and he ended up losing his true name. Why did Kresi make that mistake? That also started with you and all the other gods. Did they have to make this world so cruel to the cursed children? Was there no other solution than killing them like that? Instead of taking responsibility for the mistakes, all of you only know killing." She''s frustrated. It feels like she died in vain. The world is still the same if a child like Ai has to die. Ari inhales sharply and meets his dark gaze. "It was better if I was never resurrected." "Ari, don''t say that." Adira creases his forehead. Only he knows how those days were. "Why is that creature so important to you?" "Because he reminds me of you," Ari yells at him. "I died because I loved you. I didn''t want a war. I didn''t want Kyo to die. I wanted this world to be better. Is it still the same world where Mirai and Pebby had to be ves for protection? Is it the same world that would have hated Kyo because of someme prophecy?" Adira purses his lips. He doesn''t know how to answer. He understands what she''s saying, but letting a nameless creature live is against thews. "A nameless creature is different, Ari. He''s not like Kresi or you. He has to be put to death." A silence falls between them. Ai''s little sobs fill the darkness of the room. He could make sense of what was going on. Pretty Sister is trying to save him. "Pretty Sister, I don''t want to die." Both of them hears Ai''s pleadings. There''s no change in Adira''s expression. It''s something that needs to be done. It''s easier to kill a nameless creature than give him a new name. That''s how things are always done. Then again, giving a new name is nearly impossible due to some circumstances. The power to give a new name is no longer in the hands of the gods. "If Ai is hurt, it''s the end of our rtionship." Ari tells him with a straight voice, "Do you hear me? Forget about the wedding. I will not even look at your face anymore." Chapter 112: Worse than how I imagined you Chapter 112: Worse than how I imagined you Aren raises his brow when he sees a brick grave. Just why is there a grave out of nowhere here? He knocks on it. "Is something in there?" When he hears muffled screams, Aren steps closer to listen. The sounds are rather familiar. He takes a deep breath. Naughty is in there, isn''t? It''s impressive that his younger brother is able to trap a god. "How do I break this?" Aren sighs. The magic is rather strong. It will take a long time to break this thing. He wonders if Ari is also here. He should look for Ari first. Aren takes a step away from the grave, not bothering with the god anymore. When he hears his muffled pleadings, he stops and releases his breath. How long would it take to find Ari in this ce? Having a god by his side would be better. "Don''t cry." Aren furrows his brows and puts his hand on the grave. "I am going to take you out of here." He doesn''t notice a woman standing around twenty feet away from him, watching him conjuring the fire. Karma purses her lips and sps her hands behind her back. Her eyes be darker, filling with indifference. This world has been bothering her for a while. Bad. Good. So many people owe each other and the karma umtions have surpassed her patience. The gods haven''t been doing a good job. It has to be reset before she could move to the next world. She did warn the Renasir. All the chess pieces will be gathered soon. Then, she will begin her judgment. *** Noras raises his head and looks up at the sky. It''s bright, clear, and unchanging. The leaves of the tree have turned ck and shrunk. The grass has turned yellow and dry. At the seam of the small dimension, there arerge tears. However, the small house is still intact. He steps toward the quiet cottage. As he gets closer, he sees some toys on the porch. He stops in his track when a pale girl with long dark wavy haires out. She looks to be about twelve or thirteen. Her golden eyes stand out the most. "I won''t leave." Kresi says to him quietly, "I have no interest in getting reincarnated." The souls of the children who died in Bn were taken to this small space created by one of the children. This ce, in reality, is nothing but an illusion. This ce is a small ce between life and afterlife. This ce is meant to be a resting ce for the souls before they could reincarnate, but it''s never meant to be their homes. "You are the only one here?" Noras can''t sense any other soul inside. "The souls must have gone back to Iravan." Kresi doesn''t answer him. He looks familiar to her. A distant memory emerges in her head. When she was young, her mother taught her the names of the thirteen gods. One of them was the god of light. She snickers. "It''s you, King of Gods and Mortals, Noras." Her tone is rather insulting. However, Noras doesn''t take it to his heart. Children are often testing adults. Besides, he could see it in her eyes. She has suffered a lot -- even in her afterlife. Staying here even after her friends were gone It speaks a lot. "Can I take a seat?" He asks her with a solemn voice. "If I say no, would you leave?" Kresi spits the words at him. "Of all the gods, I hate you the most. I don''t want your unholy feet inside my home." It''s his holy fire that killed her family right in front of her. The fire She will never forget it. She grew up while she was being hunted. *** After Shayera brought her here, everything was fine for a while. It was peaceful. Not everyone had realized that they had died. But the truth couldn''t be hidden for long. They eventually noticed that Gabriel had stopped visiting. Mirai and Pebby were missing. Quinn was nowhere to be seen. Aeline was also gone. Whenever they reached the end of the forest, they would find themselves back in the cottage. Some of them remembered their deaths. Shayera had to tell the truth to everyone. Even Rui finally understood what death meant. After that, all of them decided to stay the way they used to. They were family. Then, the guides starteding here. One by one, they began to disappear. Maybe they were getting tired of living every day in this fake heaven that Shayera created. Shayera epted it. She also sent Rui away. In the end, it was only Shayera and Kresi left in the house. One day, Shayera asked her to reincarnate with her. "They said that Iravan is not the same anymore." Shayera had told her, "We will not have any bad memory. We can start anew. You and I will meet again. Kresi, pleasee with me." Due to karmic reasons, all the children had to go back to Iravan. The soul guides had shown them that the children were reborn in a good family. They were living a happy life. However, Kresi didn''t want to go back to that world she hated the most. Everyone could forget, but she couldn''t. Everyone including Shayera died because of her. When the soul guide came again, Shayera was ready to leave. Kresi watched her hold the guide''s hand. Then, Shayera turned around and looked at her. "Kresi, aren''t youing?" Kresi smiled at her. "I hope that there''s only happiness in this life, Shayera." Shayera widened her eyes when she realized that she had been tricked. She tried to jerk off the soul guide''s hand. However, the decision had been made and it couldn''t be changed. In the next instant, both the guide and the soul were gone. Since then, Kresi was living in that house alone. *** Unholy? This is the first time someone called him unholy. Noras stays still on the spot. He hasn''t realized that he would be hated to this extent by someone. Then again, this is the harbinger of the dark god. He didn''t want to agitate this soul. However, the hatred in her eyes raises the hair on his skin. It reminds him of Amara. That mortal had destroyed nearly destroyed the world using the Dark God. If he takes her now, he has to give her a body for the trial. She won''t forget her past life. A mortal like her is dangerous. Instead of taking this grudging soul with him, he should go back. As he turns around, words of the dark god pop up in his head again. Amara became like this because of a wrong judgment made by him. That started everything. Everyone including him paid a price in that war. Did Adira only be a prisoner? No. He and the other gods had to sleep for more than ten thousand years. This child also became like this because of his wrong judgment. "Your name is Kresi, isn''t?" Noras looks at the girl. His wrong judgment took away Amara''s lover''s life. But he had never met this girl before. "Why do you hate me?" He dares to ask this question. Isn''t he a god? Kresi fists her hands as all the memories resurface in her head. "Have you lost your home? Have you seen your world getting burned right before your eyes? That happened to me. Your holy fire burned all of them right in front of my eyes. Is reincarnation enough? Dying and getting reborn in good families? Does it change what happened to us? Why did you create such a world where the cursed children were hated like that?" The dark ehr was corrupted. It could infect and control the dark ehr wielders. It was the reason why they were hunted down and killed. Noras exhales. He understands the child, but there''s nothing that he could have done back then. "Child, good and bad times are a part of life. Death is an absolute truth in a mortal''s life. I am sure that you know why the cursed children were hated and killed like that. It wasn''t their fault, but it couldn''t be helped. I heard that you were the daughter of the previous Renasir. Surely, you understand. Your mother has also reincarnated somewhere. If you want, I can take you to her." Take her to her so-called mother? Kresiughs. "Are you sure that you want to take me to her?" It''s not a good idea. But he''s trying to lure her. Mortals are usually attached to their mothers. Noras gives her a nod. "She won''t remember her past life. But I can let you see her for a moment." Let her see her mother for a moment? Kresi shakes her head. "You are worse than how I imagined you." He creases his forehead. He''s losing his patience with this girl. She keeps taunting him. "Kresira Mirin, do you know that I don''t need your permission to take you with me?" "Is that right?" The corner of her lips curls up into a chilling smile. "You could do that. After all, you are a god. Mortals like me have to follow the words of gods. But I am curious why does the god of light suddenly remembers an insignificant mortal like me?" Chapter 113: Again and again as the harbinger Chapter 113: Again and again as the harbinger Adira stares hard at her, finding it difficult to ept those words. How could she say them? That creature is a stranger. It''s only been a few hours since she met that nameless creature. "Because of someone else, you want to end everything between us?" Is that all she feels about him? Her chest feels a pang of sharp pain when she sees the hurt in his eyes. She inhales sharply. Were they always this different? She knows that she''s not a saint. However, how could she ept this? "I don''t think that I can look at myself in the mirror or continue to love you if I fail to protect him." "He is more important to you than I am." Adira curls his fingers when she looks away from him. "Does he really remind you of me or the time that you spent with Kyo? Is your heart wavering because he calls you sister?" Though it doesn''t show on her face, the words pierce her heart. What did he mean by those words? No innocencests long in this wicked world. She loves him. Nothing can ever change that fact. But she understands something now. Loving someone tremendously doesn''t mean that one can understand the person''s heart. Why is she feeling like Adira has never understood her? Is it because he''s a god and she''s a mortal? She doesn''t want to exin herself to someone who can''t understand her. "Yes, my heart is wavering." Ari walks to Ai and grabs his arm. The child has been quiet, but she could see that he''s been quivering in pain. She looks over her shoulder and tells Adira, "Dark God, he and I wille to trial on time. Don''t look for me." What? Adira frowns at her. Is she going somewhere? In the next instant, Ari and Ai vanish before his eyes. He stays still, watching the empty darkness before him. She really left him because of someone else. Someone must have helped her leave with Ai. He parts his lips and inhales sharply. Does she not love him anymore? She likes children. The love that she showed to Kyo is different from the love that she shows to him. He had doubts. So, he had been trying to love her more. She always seemed unhappy about something. He can''t remain the same boy anymore. Did her heart truly change because he is no longer the same? Though he loves her so much, she''s truly ready to end everything because of another creature. "I won''t look for you." He utters with rage in his eyes, "Stay with that boy then. I will wait for you in the trial and I will erase him with my own hands." Before that, he must find out the gods who are helping her. *** "A trial." Kresi raises her brow. "So, the soul who reced me is going to pay for some sins that Imitted before I died." "Come with me." Noras has exined everything to her. There are some things that he doesn''t know either. The trial would reveal all the answers. "She has already suffered enough. Cina is insisting on the trial because of the death of his daughter, Bn. It''s connected to you. Only you can truly exin what happened that night." He could have fooled someone else, but not Kresi. She sits down on the porch. After she died, someone else reced her soul in that wretched body. That soul was also chosen as the Renasir. Kresi puts her hand on her chest. Though she doesn''t have that body, she could still feel the phantom pain from that day. She sighs. Bn is dead. Then, what happened to that child? "You don''t want to punish your hero. You want me toe and take responsibility." The girl isn''t an idiot. Noras scrutinizes her. "Don''t you think that she shouldn''t be punished for something that you did?" It''s been ages and she''s like this. She was angry that night and she chose to forget about that child. There was someone else she owed. Ai was Gabriel''s son. She should have taken him out of Bn. But she chose to turn Ai into a punishment for Bn. Losing everyone one by one and then, being alone in this ce After everything, the god of Iravan came to see her for some debts. "Let her suffer in my ce then." "Kresi." Noras takes a step toward her. "Come with me, Child. This is not heaven or hell. How long are you going to stay stuck here?" "I don''t know." She feels tired. Hatred. Pain. Abandonment. Blood. Loss. Fire. Death. She''s been in this despicable cycle for a long time, even if she doesn''t remember. "It hasn''t been ten thousand years, has it? How many times have I been killed by the Renasir, God Noras? I don''t remember the lives before I was born in the body of Kresi Mirin." Noras purses his life. How much does she know? "Until that soul reced me, I was reborn again and again as the harbinger." Kresi looks at him with empty eyes. "I was killed in each life before I turned thirteen. The previous Renasirs had never noticed it. It was my mother. She created that body in the hopes of creating a creature that was both the harbinger and the renasir. Wasn''t she smart? She was wrong about one thing though." When his face bes pale, she lets out augh. "The body was perfect. Her experiment shouldn''t have failed. Then, why I wasn''t chosen as the renasir, God Noras?" She''s watching him, just like the way she did. His throat turns dry. It''s impossible. They destroyed every essence of her except for her soul. Even if she was reincarnated multiple times, she wouldn''t remember anything because there''s nothing left of her from each time. But, she wasn''t killed by a Renasirst time. Her soul was rather pulled out of her body by another soul when she was in a weakened state. The body didn''t die. So, the new soul came and became the new harbinger. "You have been hiding a secret from everyone, haven''t you?" Kresi continues with a mocking voice, "She found out that secret and told me why I wasn''t chosen as the Renasir. I already know why I had to go through that punishment. Why is that punishment not enough, God Noras? You still want me toe and take more punishment? Were ten thousand years not enough?" After a long silence, Noras answers her, "They should have been enough if you hadn''tmitted more sins, especially when you knew why you were being punished." "I doubt it." Kresi smiles at him. "If my so-called mother hadn''t created the special Mirin body that waspatible with the dark heart or If I hadn''t got hurt by Aeline and Shayera hadn''t killed me when I was in a weak state, it wouldn''t have ended. God Noras, do you really want to take me with you? I don''t think that it would be good for anyone if I go back to that world." It is worse than he realized. Noras is sure that she wouldn''t remember anything because she''s not that person. Only the empty soul was left behind. Unfortunately, they needed a soul that would be the harbinger in each lifetime. Finding a soul that waspatible with the heart of the dark god was nearly an impossible task. "I can destroy you right now." "Go ahead." Kresi replieszily, "Isn''t that all you do?" Though he wants to destroy her, Noras can''t bring himself to do it. The memories are gone. Emotions and feelings don''t exist from that time. However, the look in those eyes is the same. A part of him knows that it was a cycle. It began from his wrong judgment, after all. He takes a deep breath. She is not that person. He can''t let a mortal affect him this way. "If you want to stay here, I will not force you toe with me. However, not everyone gets a chance to make their wrongs right. Kresira Mirin, do you want toe with me?" A chance, huh? Kresi leans against the wall and closes her eyes. Past lives don''t matter to her. Despite the words that she said to that god, the heaviness in her soul isn''t going away. What happened to that child after Bn died? "I will go with you." It''s just a trial. She also wants to see the faces of all the gods of Iravan, especially the Dark God. Chapter 114: To be such a fool Chapter 114: To be such a fool Though he said that he wouldn''t look for Ari, the dark god can''t stop himself from looking for her. However, finding her isn''t easy. Soon, he realizes that she''s not even in this world. Knowing full well that Ari can''t do magic right now, he''s even surer that someone is helping her. "She''s not even in this world," He grumbles to himself. Why would she talk about ending things? No matter what happens, she should never speak like that. He can''t even think of a life without her. He gnashes his teeth. To think about ending things with him because of someone else? "Ending things? It will never happen." But who is helping her? Adira frowns. Why is she like this toward him? He should have held onto her. He takes a deep breath and then, he paces around the room. Is she really going to end things with him? Adira has never felt like this before. The thought of living his life without her again fills him with fear. He presses his hand on his chest. There''s no way that he will let her go. However, her demand is too unreasonable. Why does she want to save something that can''t be saved? He walks to the window and looks at the sky. There are only two moons visible. Where did the third moon go? Adira creases his forehead and narrows his eyes. Is it Ril''Yah? He clenches his teeth. Is Mirinae behind this? After a few minutes, Adira is ring at two girls around eight-year-old. Raya and Riha hold each other''s hand, shaking nervously under Adira''s intense pressure. They couldn''t refuse when the Dark God summoned them. Where is their mother? "Where is my bride?" Adira asks them with a prating voice. "We don''t know." Raya tells him with a quivering voice, "We haven''t seen her since the time she was taken away by the nameless creature." Raya and Riha wince when the temperature of the room drops further. Adira fists his hand. They don''t seem like they are telling a lie. But there''s a missing moon. He has a feeling that Ari is with the third moon. "Where is your third sister?" "She''s missing." Riha doesn''t dare to look at him. "She is not in this world right now." Both Ari and Ril''Yah are gone at the same time. Adira lets out a frustrated sigh. Does Ari hate him now? If she starts hating him, what will he do? She''s mad at him. How is he going to pacify her? He shouldn''t have lost his temper back then. A nameless creature who reminds her of him? What''s simr between them? Ari is too kind. Isn''t that one of the reasons why he loves her? There''s a knock on the door. Mogrok enters the hall. "Lord, there''s a messenger from the kingdom of light." Did Noras find Kresi already? Adira nces at the two sisters. "You can leave now." In the next instant, the two moons are gone. A spiritual beast walks into the hall. It''s an enormous bird made up of sparkling colourful light. Adira shakes his head, annoyed. Noras is such a show-off. "Say it." The Dark God is already losing his patience, worried and frustrated. The colourful rays of light are adding to his annoyance. She''s with someone else. That boy calls her sister. His face turns sour. Sister? Why does that boy call her sister? Couldn''t it be ady or something else? She can''t have a brother or a lover. What if she leaves him for that boy? She did leave him for that boy. "I brought Kresi back." Noras'' deep voicees out of the bird''s mouth. "She''s in prison for now. I have sent the summon to everyone who has been involved with this case. The trial will start tomorrow morning. Don''t bete." The bird gives him a bow and leaves through the door. "Kresi Mirin," Adira murmurs. He needs to have a talk with her. It''s best if the sins are transferred back to Kresi before the trial begins. When he arrives at Noras'' Pce, he is informed that Noras is preparing for the trial. Ea and other goddesses are busy with something. He''s invited to their gathering right away. After refusing the invitation, Adira pretends to leave the pce. He sneaks to the dungeon where Noras keeps his prisoner. After walking through the maze, he reaches thest cell. As usual, Noras is using the same spell to lock the door. Adira has broken them countless times. In the past, the god of light would imprison any dark creature who had gone to the kingdom of light. Whenever the prison became full, Adira woulde and free his people without having a discussion. That''s probably one of the reasons why God Noras hates him. Adira steps into the cell. The girl is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She looks just like how Ari used to look before she died. It''s irritating for him. Though their appearance is the same, they aren''t same in any way. Her body is fully human, incapable of conducting ehr through her vessel. This must be the body that Noras gave her. She opens her eyes. A snicker escapes her lips. "Why are youughing?" Adira questions her calmly. She used to be his harbinger once. "I heard a lot about the Dark God." Kresi tilts her head, watching him with her golden eyes. "You look too human to me." He used to be different. Adira stares at her. There was a time when those golden eyes used to be full of affection for him. Those were Ari''s eyes. Why did Ari look at him with disappointment? Did he hurt her? "You are here, but your mind is somewhere else." Kresi clicks her tongue. "Dark God, are you truly prepared for the trial tomorrow?" "You should be worried," Adira says to her. He did want to ask why she was that cruel. Then, he has an inkling why Kresi became like this. "You were my harbinger. Tell me everything that happened that night. Don''t leave any detail. I will do my best to help you." After hearing that, Kresi bursts intoughter. Adira knits his brows. Did he make a joke? He''s not in a good mood. If this mortal hadn''t made such a mistake, that nameless creature wouldn''t be here. His Ari wouldn''t be mad at him. He releases his breath. "Don''t test my patience, Kresi Mirin." "I didn''t expect the Dark God to be such a fool." Kresi jeers at him. "Of all the people, I thought that you would recognize my soul." He studies her. Her soul? There aren''t any previous life''s memory in that soul. Did she never reincarnate before she was born as Kresi Mirin? She must be a new soul then. "I don''t think that we have met before." "Oh, we did." Kresi smiles at him darkly. "Dark God, I am Amara, your first wife." Chapter 115: I still hate her Chapter 115: I still hate her That name Adira takes a step back, looking at her with disbelief. It''s impossible. She can''t be Amara. He killed her with his own hands. He stares at her, trying to find any simrity. But he can''t see it. "Oops!" Kresi pats her mouth, pretending to be sorry to him. "I said it wrong. I am not Amara. I have her soul. I don''t have any memories of that life. You look like you had no idea. Is it that surprising? You did kill me when I was Amara, but you didn''t destroy my soul." But he heard that Noras destroyed Amara''s soul. The woman who was his first love and his first wife... The same woman who betrayed him andmanded him to kill her that cruel woman has been reincarnating as his harbinger for more than ten thousand years. She carried his heart -- the same core that she used for controlling him. "My soul was quitepatible with your heart." Kresi scrutinizes his face. He looks so pale. She wonders if he will copse because of the shock. It''s ridiculous that he had never thought about what happened to Amara''s soul. "Isn''t this ironic?" "If you are lying, you will wish for death every day," Adira warns her with a frosty tone. He''s been treating her kindly because she was his harbinger once. She gives him a mild smile. "What will you do if I am telling the truth?" If she''s really Amara, what will he do? He doesn''t know how to answer that question. Should he kill her again? Though he can understand why Amara did those things, he did love her once. He trusted her more than he trusted himself. Betraying him because she lost her lover That vicious woman had never loved him. He storms out of the cell. Noras has a lot to answer. *** Ari pats the child''s head. It had taken some time to soothe the child since he found out that the gods wanted to kill him. She stares at his face with a heavy heart. Honestly, she didn''t expect Adira to be like that. Why does she still have to exin her feelings to him? She had stopped seeing Kyo and Adira differently. If it was meant to be like this, it was better they only had a tonic rtionship. "They are preparing for the trial," Ril'' Yah informs her quietly and gives two envelops to her. "Here''s your and Ai''s summons." She opens the envelope and reads the summon. On the back, there''s a list of the names that are being summoned for hearing. In the list, she sees other familiar names -- Mirai, Pebby, Raye, Gabriel. "Kresi?" Ari widens her eyes. "How did they?" "God Noras must have found her soul and brought her back to Iravan," Ril'' Yah tells her. There''s another ominous presence behind them, waiting for the right time to strike. If things go wrong, someone will get hurt. It could be Ai, Ari, or Kresi. "If she takes her sins back, you will be free." "I see." Ari folds the paper. She hasn''t figured out how to save Ai. "Is there no way to use my powers of Renasir?" "You can''t use it because you can''t channel Ehr." Ril''Yah takes her hand and presses her two fingers on her vein. "Even if you can channel it, giving a true name to a soul is different from giving a runic name to someone. You need years of training. The gods won''t take a risk." Ari takes a deep breath. She''s going to stop this nonsense. There''s no way that she will let an innocent child die. "How do I channel the ehr again?" "You need to be a part of this world." Ril''Yah grins at her. "Marry the dark god and be an immortal with his help. The other way is having all the gods approve you as a part of this world. I don''t think that Cina would approve of you though. Thest way is to leave this body and enter a body that will help you channel the ehr." "You want me to die again?" Ari frowns at her. "I don''t want to steal someone else''s body again." "You wanted to know how to channel ehr again." Ril''Yah puckers her lips, swaying her body toward her. "Bride of the dark god, you should go back and marry him. He has the ability to make you immortal." Ari bes silent, not wanting to talk about her rtionship problems with a kid. Maybe she and Adira need a break. He doesn''t understand her anyway. Is it because she''s from a different world? Is she the only one who finds everything illogical in this world? "He didn''t make his first wife immortal." Ril''Yah says to her with a light tone, "They had been married for a long time." His first wife? Ari wrinkles her nose. Well, she had been married once too. It was a super short marriage to Tristan. Adira killed him. She exhales. She can''t me him for killing her family and Tristan. Why is her life soplicated? "The Dark God met her again." Ril''Yah taps her chin yfully. "Would he marry you now? He did love Amara a lot." "What did you say?" Ari looks at her, surprised. Amara died more than ten thousand years ago. How could that woman appear now? "Who met whom?" "God Adira met Amara''s reincarnation," Ril''Yah replies. She chuckles when she sees the surprise in Ari''s eyes. "Not everyone knows this, but Amara''s soul was chosen as the soul that would be reborn again and again as the harbinger of the dark god until she returned it to the Dark God. It''s not like God Noras had any choice. There was no soul that waspatible with the heart of the dark god. In fact, you are the second soul that could hold the dark heart. Isn''t it amazing? Both of you were Dark God''s wives once." In the pce of the god of light, Adira clenches his jaw when he hears a simr exnation from God Noras. "How could you do this, Noras?" "I had no choice." Noras had no ns of hiding it for long. Kresi was already dead when he woke up in the world. Then, he found out that it was Ari who saved the world. "She held your core for a long time. That''s why the dark heart was harmonious with her soul." "It was Amara''s darkness that corrupted the dark ehr," Adira yells at him. "We couldn''t give the heart back in your body because it would have controlled you instead of you controlling it." Noras feels tired suddenly. "The corruption in the dark ehr was uncontroble. So, we needed someone to carry it until another solution could be found. I removed Amara''s memories from her soul with my own hands. Later, she always lost the memories of her lives whenever she was killed by the Renasirs. It was a way to prevent her from controlling the dark core." If she was killed by Renasir Mayaeirast time, she wouldn''t have remembered her life as Kresi Mirin. But she was killed by Aeline instead. That is why Kresi never forgot her life. Adira fists his hand and punches Noras'' jaw. Noras hisses in pain, but he doesn''t retaliate. If they start using powers, it would be another war. "Adira, I only did what was necessary back then." Kresi had asked him what he would do if she was telling the truth. Adira didn''t want it to be true. Now, he doesn''t know what to do. He had already killed her once. Then, she was killed again and again as his harbinger. "You shouldn''t have brought her back." "Even if I had let her go, she would be paying for her sins in this world," Noras exins. The stinging pain in his jaw makes him wince once. Did this dark god have to punch him this hard? "I only made it easier for us." "It is not easy for me to ept that she carried my heart for ten thousand years." Adira whispers, "She doesn''t even remember." There are questions that he wants to ask her. There''s no meaning though. Asking those questions is akin to grabbing a thorny branch of the tree when he is fully aware that it will only hurt him. Her betrayal had hurt him tremendously. There was something else that hurt him more. It was the moment when she asked him to kill her. He had to do it because it was hermand. She died before his eyes with her blood on his hands. He hated her because he loved her. Noras observes the pain emerging in Adira''s eyes. "Do you still love her?" "I still hate her," Adira admits. He''s been telling himself that he didn''t hate Amara. However, the memories had rushed back in his head after seeing Kresi. She was cruel to him until the end. She was also punished for thousands of years. Now, he doesn''t know how to face the girl who has Amara''s soul. It seems like bringing Amara back was a bad decision. Noras lets out an exasperated sigh. Though he was worried, Noras was also a little relieved when he found out that Adira had another mortal. He summons a vial in his palm. "I kept the memories of her life when she was Amara. I will let you decide what you want to do with it." Chapter 116: Not the only one who lost someone Chapter 116: Not the only one who lost someone The small vial feels too heavy in his hand. Adira slowly walks back to the cell. It never gets dark in the kingdom of Noras. The light in the pce makes him feel dizzy. He wants to go back to the darkness thatforts him. However, he can''t stop himself from going back to Kresi with the memories in his hand. She''s sitting at the same ce where he left her. The door of the cell is not locked. She could have run away. But then, where could she go? What is her ce in this world? He can''t even punish her since she has already gone through her punishment over the years. Why? It''s not fair. She needs to give him an answer -- the same bitter answer that will break his heart again. "So, what are you going to do to me?" Kresi meets his eyes. "Destroy my soul? Kill me here or have me go through the cycle of pain again? There''s nothing that I have gone through. I just don''t remember it." "I have memories of Amara." Adira outstretches his arm and uncurls his finger, revealing the vial of memories on his palm. Noras told him that he could decide whether he wanted Kresi to remember or not. However, he didn''t think the same. These are not his memories. The owner should decide whether they want them or not. "You me the gods and the people for your pain. These memories might give you an answer to why you were punished in such a way." She takes the vial from his hand and stares at it. Memories of Amara Would she also remember the time when she was married to the Dark God? She doesn''t care much about it. But she''s curious. What did Amara think when she was destroying the world? Was her previous reincarnation was the same as her? Didn''t she also wish the same? This rotten world should have been destroyed. She would have gone ahead with it if she hadn''t died back then. "I will see you in the trial tomorrow." Adira turns around and walks away from her. His insides are crumbling down. Where''s Ari? He needs her the most right now. Why does Amara keep appearing in his head? He didn''t want her to suffer like that. He doesn''t want to hate Amara. Understanding Amara''s heart doesn''t mean that he can stop hating her. Though she was a victim, she shouldn''t have used him to kill all the people. Then again, she shouldn''t have forced him to kill her. Kresi wonders what to do. Would remembering help? She shrugs. It won''t hurt her. Because of the sins that Amaramitted, she wasn''t chosen as the Renasir. For more than ten thousand years, she was reborn again and again with the dark heart. The answer to her question is in the vial. She opens the vial and empties the content in her mouth. It tastes like nothing but cold air. Her eyelids be heavy. Kresi lies down on the floor and closes her eyes, falling deep into the memories of other life. *** "You can''t see God Noras." The priest says to her with an irritated look in his eyes, "Do you think that the gods are sitting idle? They don''t have time for these things." It''s been days since Jase died. His body was incinerated after the trial was over. He was med for stealing something from the temple of God Noras. After a few days, the real culprit was found. Amara''s nails dig into her palms. How could this happen to him? He had never done anything wrong in his life. He was a better person than her. "He killed my fiance. How could he do that to him? Ask him to bring him back to life. He''s a god. Jase is dead because of his mistake. He has to bring my Jase back." "Is there anyone in the world who have never lost anyone? You are not the only one who lost someone." The priest jeers at her. "It was that man''s fault for getting entangled into that situation. All the evidence were against him at that time. The gods don''t make mistakes. It''s the mortal''s actions that lead them to their fates. Don''t question anymore. Get out. You are not wee here." Amara is thrown out of the temple. For days, she sits on the road and stares at the pce of the god of light. Jase was taken away from her. A thought emerges in her mind. Why does this world need gods if they make mistakes like that? This world would have been better without the gods. Her Jase wouldn''t have died if there were no gods in this world. On the thirteenth day, she stands up and leaves the kingdom of light. She will do whatever it takes to destroy the gods. The enemy of light is the darkness. In the memories, Kresi relives her life as Amara -- meeting the god of darkness as a painter, getting his attention, making him fall for her, and then, gaining his trust. It''s been easy for her because the darkness usually hides everything in its embrace. When she opens her eyes, she''s no longer the same Kresi. She remembers how she betrayed the dark god and the destruction that she brought to the world. The Dark Ehr was corrupted because of her twisted feelings. Numerous people were born cursed because of that. They suffered and died over the tears. Eventually, even her family was killed because they were cursed. She created the world that she hated so much. If she hadn''t started that war and influenced the dark ehr, it wouldn''t have be like this. Kresi finally understands why she couldn''t be the Renasir. Even when she was given a chance, she always ended up with hatred. The gods wronged her. She wronged the world. Then, the world wronged her again. What did she do in return? "Adira." Kresi leans back on the wall. The face of the dark god appears in her mind. "He''s still suffering because of me." Even when she did all those things, he still loved her. That''s why she hated him the most. She became such a twisted creature. He should have hated her. However, there was only hurt in those dark eyes until the end. "Ah." Kresi coils her arms around her knees. "There was someone who loved me that much." Chapter 117: To judge the gods Chapter 117: To judge the gods People are excited about the first trial being held after ten thousand years. In the court, the main gods gather one by one. The atmosphere is heavy and solemn. Eshyal, the god of sun, takes a seat beside Noras. "So, what is this about?" "Did youe here without preparation?" Noras res at him. "All I heard is that Adira did something again." Eshyal yawns. "Something to Bn?" "Cina demanded the trial." Mahuna, the goddess of fire, exins to Eshyal. "Some creature killed Bn. It wasn''t Adira. It''s rted to his harbinger. I don''t know why we need a trial for something so small." "Speaking of Adira, did you hear that he''s getting married again?" Ni, the goddess of water, grins at Eshyal and Mahuna. "Again?" Mahuna makes a face. "Is he marrying you?" "What?" Ni shudders at the thought of marrying the god of darkness. "Never!" "Why not? Everyone knows that you used to have a crush on him." Mirinae raises her chin and puckers her lips yfully. Eaughs. "I remember how she used to chase him around before he married Amara." "You don''t have to say it like that." Ni crosses her arms and scowls at Ea. Why does nobody forget about the things that she did ages ago? Even the world got destroyed once. "All of you used to think that he was quite good looking, and you, Ea, you even said that it was quite hot how he destroyed the world for his wife." Noras narrows his eyes on his wife who avoids his gaze like a thief. Ni smiles at Mirinae mischievously. "Chasing him is nothingpared to entering his room naked. Am I right, Mirinae?" All the eyes turn to Mirinae who wants to run away at that exact moment. "Mirinae." Sion leans toward his wife with a livid expression. "You did what?" "Why did you mention that, Ni?" Mirinae wrinkles her nose. She''s done now. Her husband, the god of war and destruction, is going to eat her head with questions. "So, you really entered his room naked." Sion''s eyes turn dark. "I need to have a talk with Adira." "It happened before I married you." Mirinae clicks her tongue. "I am sure that Adira doesn''t even remember that incident." "Is he going to forget about a naked womaning on to him?" Mahuna taps her chin. "That''s interesting." Eshyal nces at Mahuna. He doesn''t like that she''s showing interest in Adira. Maybe he should remind her that he has another woman. "So, who is he marrying?" Noras exhales. Why did he even bother calling these gods? Did they forget that there''s going to be a trial here? Where are Adira and Cina? "Who else?" Mirinae looks at him smugly. "It''s one of my children, thest renasir." "What?" Ni opens her mouth wide. "But the Renasir is dead." "I brought her back to life." Mirinae points at herself. "It was nearly impossible, but I was able to do it." "I heard that her soul was dissipated into bits and pieces." Even Ea is amazed by the information. "So, he has a thing for another mortal. Ni, you would have had a chance if you weren''t a goddess." Ni frowns hard. "I don''t understand his fetish for mortals. What does he like about them so much?" "She''s not any other mortal." Mirinae is fully on her gossip mode. "Her soul came from a world without magic. She wasn''t born in this world. She reced the harbinger soul in that body." "She''s that strong?" Ni sneers at her. "I already dislike her." "This conversation is interesting." Ea sighs. "I need wine." "I am wondering why I am even here." Eshyal nces at Noras. "I think that I have many important things to do other than hear the women gossip about someone''s marriage." "Maybe I should seduce that woman." Sion looks dagger at Mirinae. "Since my wife is going around and walking into other men''s room naked." Mahuna chuckles. "If you don''t want another war with Adira, go ahead." "Oh, Adira is here." Mirinae hushes everyone to quiet down. Noras releases his breath when he sees Adira and Aeis walking inside the hall. A few mortals are walking behind Adira. They take the seat to the right rows where the witnesses and other people who are involved are supposed to be seated. The left rows are full of mortals who came to watch the trial. Adira and Aeis sit down at their designated seats. Next, Cina enters the hall. Noras raises his brow when Cina marches toward him instead of going to his seat. "The Dark God took away my true name," Cina tells him with a strained voice. "He did what?" Noras widens his eyes. The other gods nce at Adira with questions in their eyes. Taking another god''s true name is breaking aw. "Why are you acting like this, Cina?" Aeis cocks his head and smirks at him, "Didn''t Adira return your true name?" "He returned it?" Noras asks Cina for confirmation. Cina gives him a stiff nod. "It doesn''t change the fact that he stripped it from me first." "My friend wouldn''t do anything for no reason." Aeis leans toward his friend. Adira isn''t in the mood to talk. "To drive out the nameless creature, he needed Cina''s true name. Gods are supposed to help each other, aren''t they?" "He wanted to do it to find that mortal." Cina yells at them, "Did he kill that creature? No! He let them both go." "Wait!" Noras massages his forehead. "Adira, did you strip another god''s name because of a mortal or your responsibility as a god?" Adira takes a breath. Not caring about the repercussions, he utters with a low voice, "I did it to find my Ari." "See!" Cina points at him with his index finger. "He says that I should act like a god when he doesn''t act like a god." Who has been acting like a god here? Noras shakes his head. "Let''s discuss this after the trial is over." Cina clenches his teeth and throws a re at Adira who couldn''t care less. Adira wonders if he should have just given Cina''s true name to that nameless creature. Then, his Ari wouldn''t have gone mad. Maybe he should do it after the trial is over. Where is his Ari? At the same time, a girl of around sixteen steps into the hall with a little boy beside her. The boy is invisible to everyone except her; however, the gods could sense the presence of the nameless creature. She stops in the centre of the hall. Dressed in a white long dress, the girl has a straight posture. Her dark eyes scrutinize the faces of the gods. When her gaze meets Adira''s eyes, her eyes turn indifferent as if she doesn''t know him at all. Adira folds his fingers when he realizes that she''s truly treating him as if he''s nothing to her. Why is she being like that? Does love end with mere words? "My name is Ari." Her voice is loud, clear, and resounding. She holds the child''s hand tightly. "Today, I came here to judge the gods of Iravan for their crimes." Chapter 118: When she wrongs a god? Chapter 118: When she wrongs a god? A heavy silence descends in the hall. All the gods stare at the girl, surprised by her words. Judging the gods? No one ever had said something like this before. Can a mortal ever judge a god? "Can you repeat your words, Mortal?" Noras asks the girl with a calm voice. He nces at Adira who is watching the girl quietly. This girl is thest renasir. She is Adira''s bride. Then, why is she doing here? He will let this go if she changes her words. Ari speaks louder, "I said that I am here to judge the gods for their sins." The silence among the people is broken by the whispers. Aren leans back in his seat and crosses his arms. He''s been wondering where Ari had gone after he left that ce with God Naughty. To think that she woulde here and challenge the gods for his younger brother, a girl like her is truly rare. "Renasir, we know that you sacrificed your life to save our world once." Mahuna tilts her head slightly. "However, you do not be above the gods. Just what makes you qualified to judge us?" "Qualification?" Ari lets out augh. "What makes you qualified to judge us?" "What did you?" Mahuna glowers at her. "Do you know who are you talking to?" "Of course, I know who you are." Ari smiles at her. "You are a goddess. I don''t need to know more. Now, I am going to start questioning. Please cooperate with me, Lady." "You!" Mahuna stands up and ms the table. Her eyes be burning orange. The fire emits from her body. Ni frowns and shifts away from her, preparing herself to use her powers in case the goddess of fire goes on a rampage. "Don''t." Ea grabs Mahuna''s hand. "We can''t lose our temper because of a mortal. Otherwise, there would be no difference between them and us." "Ah no difference." Ari clicks her tongue. "Are you that different from us? As much as I know, God of light made a wrong judgment. Did he ever apologize to that person or that person''s family? Why would God Noras do that? He''s a god, right?" Adira''s eyes don''t leave Ari. It seems that she had made a decision. His heart is restless. What is she going to do? "We are not gathered here to talk about something that happened more than ten thousand years ago. In reality, you are not even rted to this." Noras furrows his brows. He looks at the guards. "Bring her inside." The door is opened by the gatekeeper. Two guards bring a young girl inside. She stops only two metres away from Ari. The girl with golden eyes raises her head and looks at Adira. Though she has Amara''s memories, she is still not that woman. However, she''s not Kresi either. That life seems too foreign to her. She hasn''t been able to digest everything. "She is the real Kresi Mirin, the harbinger of the Dark God." Noras says to Ari, "After you reced her soul in her body, her sins were transferred to you. She will take back those sins. After that, you won''t be rted to this case." "Is that so?" Ari turns her head toward Kresi and beams at her. "You really look like a Mirin. Are you really Kresi? The one who killed Aeline Starfire and bound this child to Bn?" So, it''s that girl. Cina clenches his teeth. Whether she gets punished in this trial or not, he''s going to torment her for eternity. Kresi looks at Ari, the person who reced her and saved the world. Though she has known that she would have met Ari here, she didn''t expect Ari to talk to her with a casual tone. Honestly, she doesn''t want to see the renasir. She just wants this trial to be over. It would be one more punishment. Her voice is low and calm. "I am Kresi Mirin, the reincarnation of Amara who the first wife of the Dark God. I was the one who started the war around ten thousand years ago. Today, I take back all the sins that were transferred to Ari''s soul when she was in my body." The Dark God takes a breath of relief. He was worried that Kresi might not take back those sins. Thankfully, she did take those sins back. The debts are Kresi''s burdens now. He will do his best to protect Kresi since she was his harbinger once. Amara''s dues have already been paid. "Did you hear that?" Noras questions Ari. "It''s time for you to step aside." Ari looks down at Ai''s face. The boy is peering at Kresi curiously. If she lets go of this boy''s hand, he will not open his eyes tomorrow. "I refuse." "Ari!" Adira shouts at her. "Step aside." "I refuse." Ari eyes him darkly. "To return those sins back to her. In reality, Kresi is the one who is unrted to this case. Get her out of here." Baffled, Kresi gapes at the girl. What is this girl even saying? Does she understand the meaning of keeping those sins? She scowls at Ari. "Are you pitying me? I don''t need your help. This is not the worst that has happened to me. Stop acting like a saint and leave. This is not your battle." "It''s funny that you would say that now." Ari shakes her head andughs. "I became the harbinger after you were gone. I epted your body, your fate, your name, and everything else that you left behind. I freed the Dark God and returned his heart to him. After everything that happened so far, I am being told that this is unrted to me. How I am not a part? Fine then, I am going to make myself a part of this. You heard me. I refuse to return those sins to you. Even if you are willing, you can''t take it back." She''s crazy. Kresi widens her eyes and mutters, "Why are you doing this?" "I am tired of this shitty world, just like you were." Ari faces the gods. "I am tired of these shitty gods who made this world into a messy ce. I regret saving the world where kids like Kresi, Ai, and others have to die. If I still had the heart of the dark god, I would have destroyed this world where the gods can never be questioned after they make mistakes." "Why do you always choose women who want to destroy the world?" Aeis murmurs. "I actually liked this girl." Adira closes his eyes. Did she have to speak like that? She could be thrown in the prison for threatening the world right now. "Ari, just let this go and give her sins back to her. You shouldn''t take someone''s chance at redemption." "Thirteenth God, don''t speak informally to me." Ari gives him an artificial smile. "I don''t think that we are close enough." That hurts. He narrows his eyes on her. "You are my wife." "I was," Ari utters the words slowly. "I died and was reborn as someone else. Even if I have my past life memories, we are not husband and wife. If you still say that we are, then Kresi is also your wife. Is that the case, Dark God?" Adira is speechless after hearing that. Is she truly going to be like this? Seeing her indifferent attitude toward him, he gnashes his teeth and res his nostrils. "Then, are we strangers after everything we went through?" She puckers her lips and looks up at the ceiling, creasing her forehead as if she''s thinking something hard. "It''s a difficult question. We can''t be called strangers Then, what is the word? Ah! We are exes. I broke up with you that day. There''s nothing between us now. So, God of darkness, thirteenth god, or whatever you are called, please act professionally. We are having a trial right now. You are a fucking judge and I am the defendant." "So, Adira is single again." Mirinae has been enjoying the trial so far. This kind of trial has never happened before. "Ni, you still have a chance." "Shut up!" Ni snaps at her. Who knew that Adira was married twice? "Who wants a man who had lost two wives?" Noras exhales, feeling tired. It''s only been ten minutes since the trial started, but he feels like it''s been more than ten thousand years. Why is nothing going his way? "We aren''t exes." The word ''exes'' feels strange to speak. Adira puts his elbows on the table and says to Ari with a chilling tone, "I refuse to end things between us." Wasn''t this trial supposed to be about the sins that shemitted before she died? Kresi gawks at Adira. In the memories of Amara, Adira had never acted like this. He was a loving and gentle-hearted man. It''s true that Amara had never loved Adira. It also seems like someone else has taken Amara''s ce in Adira''s heart. "It has already ended." Ari replies coldly, "That day it ended between us." "If you can deny returning the sins to the original owner when the other person is willing to take it back, I can''t deny that things haven''t ended between us?" Adira raises his brow. "Who is going to question the renasir when she wrongs a god?" Chapter 119: Because I was Amara Chapter 119: Because I was Amara They stare at each other for a long moment. In the end, Ari breaks eye contact first. She turns toward the god of light. "God Noras, let''s get back to the matter. I want to judge the gods for their crimes." Noras nces at the Dark God who''s been ignored by the Renasir as if she didn''t hear him at all. Should he proceed with this trial? "Before judging someone''s crimes, shouldn''t you be free of the sins?" Cina gives her a dark look. Because of this girl, Kresi is walking away free. "Are you qualified to judge our sins, Renasir?" "Ah!" Ari raises her hand and lets out augh. "You are talking about thest sins of Kresi Mirin. I am sure that I can defend myself?" "You were not even there that night," Cina bellows. "Why don''t you just return those sins to the culprit?" "Don''t talk to her like that," Adira growls at Cina. "She''s my bride." "I am not your bride." Ari puts her hand on her hip. "Stop giving wrong ideas to people. You are ruining my chance at dating guys." "Dating guys?" Adira can''t believe what he''s hearing. "Why are you thinking about dating guys when I am there?" He should not have held an open trial. Noras massages his forehead. There are so many mortals here. Their image is ruined. Completely ruined. "Everyone, I am not marrying that stupid god." Ari points at Adira and announces to the people. "In fact, I am looking for a man who is not a thickheaded moron. If you are interested in me, meet me after this trial. Thank you for hearing me." "What a daring girl!" Ea chuckles. "Ni, you should make an announcement like that." "I am not that desperate." Ni crosses her arms and huffs at her. "I am the goddess of water." "She''s hopeless." Mirinae sighs. "She wants a god who is more beautiful than Adira. There''s no one like that here." Sion eyes his wife darkly. "What do you mean? I am more good looking than he is." The goddessesugh at the same time. Sion''s face turns red. He doesn''t care about other goddesses. But why is his wife saying that Adira is better looking than him? He gnashes his teeth. He''s going to teach Adira a lesson. "Are you fine with a married god, Renasir?" The entire hall falls in silence for the second time. Did god of war say that?" "If your wife is fine with it," Ari answers with a deadpanned voice. "We can try it." "Sion!" Adira ms the table. "I am warning you." Why is this happening? Noras holds his head. He can''t take this anymore. "Aish!" Mirinae takes off her heel and throws at Sion, her husband. "Stop causing trouble. Can''t you see that they are having a lover quarrel?" "What about you and me?" Sion glowers at her. "We are also having a fight." "I can''t do anything about your insecurity, Sion." Mirinae rolls her eyes. "We have been married for so long. We even have three beautiful children. But you still doubt me." "You went on a date with another god." Sion snaps at her. "I even forgot his name." "I did it because he was helping me with something." Mirinae pouts. "No matter what, you should not date --" Before Sion could finish his words, Noras bellows at them. "This is a trial, you idiots! If you can''t act like a god, get out of here." Silence falls in the hall for the third time. "Ahem!" Ari clears her throat. "So, let''s talk about Kresi''sst sins. I heard that all sins and good deeds are called debts here. So, Kresi owes three people in this world. The names are Aren Starfire, Gabriel Grey, and Ai. Before we do that, I want to talk to Gabriel Grey. Is he here?" She looks toward the witnesses. A grey-haired man with a bandage around his head stands up. He''s been watching Kresi for a long time. Kresi lowers her head and sighs. She doesn''t want to see him the most. "Tell me what happened with Aeline Starfire," Arimands him. "Speak the truth. It''s a matter of your child''s future." "My child?" Gabriel Grey frowns at her. "I don''t have a child." "You don''t know?" Ari blinks her eyes, surprised. "Your and Aeline''s son is alive." "How is that possible?" Gabriel nces at Kresi. "Aeline died that night along with my Kresi?" This is what Kresi owed him -- the right to know about his son. Ari looks at the child who is equally shocked. Aren knew about his brother, but Gabriel didn''t. When Kresi doesn''t reply, Gabriel''s knees turn weak. Raye stands up and supports him. After a long time, they are seeing Kresi again. They haven''t been able to grasp the situation. Ari continues, "Gabriel Grey, please tell us what happened with Aeline. Why did you bring her to the house where the cursed children were staying?" "I didn''t know that she was the queen of the high realm," Gabriel speaks with a shaky voice. "She was one of my childhood friends. I met her at a bar in the middle realm. She seemed kind I didn''t know that she was a holy vessel. I brought her to that ce because I thought that she wanted to help them. She was good to them for months I didn''t know that she would do that to them." "You should not have trusted her!" Kresi screams at him. "Poison of dhath she mixed them in their meals That bitch didn''t even spare Rui who was only five... Everyone was excited about your child. Shayera even chose the name. They were so happy about getting a younger sibling. They loved your child before he even came to the world They didn''t deserve to die like that That Bn That monstrous spirit knew everything. She wanted to use the vessel to kill me, Gabriel. Even after drinking their blood every full moon, Bn still broke the contract" Kresi falls on her knees and speaks softly. "You fell easily into Aeline''s trap. That''s why I hated you. If you hadn''t brought Aeline, nothing would have happened. I trusted her because you trusted her, Gabriel. That''s why I bound your son to Bn. " Aren stares at Kresi. Once, he hated her so much. Seeing her now, he realizes that she''s a miserable girl who is also like him. He lost his mother. She lost his family. There was a time when he thought that killing cursed children was right. He wanted to use the Renasir to achieve his goal. But Those children were just children, weren''t they? Even if they were cursed, they were just kids who wanted to live. "I know that I am a horrible creature because I was also an Aeline once." Kresi continues with a broken voice, "I did the same to the Dark God. I used his love for me to trap him and made him do the horrible deeds. Everything that happened so far I am the reason. The corruption in the dark ehr was born from my heart. They were born with a curse because of me. Everyone died because of me. I knew all of it but I didn''t know how to fix that. My mother created me because she hoped that I would be able to change the world. When she found out the reason why I can''t be chosen as the renasir, she stabbed me" Kresi presses her hand on her chest. "That night, she fed me with her own hand. She put me to sleep. Then, at night, I woke up to pain in my chest. Once twice thrice She didn''t stop. Her forehead was sweating and crying... She was suffering more than I was. But I couldn''t die. I was her creation. The Mirin with the heart of the Dark God the dagger could only wound me. She left in the morning, leaving behind the dagger in my chest. I was abandonedpletely because I couldn''t be the renasir because I was Amara, the sinner who tried to destroy this world." Ari touches her chest. She recalled the pain in her chest when she was transmigrated for the first time. That vague pain was always there as long as she lived as Kresi Mirin. Kresi''s own mother did it to her. Mayaeira Mirin. She did meet that woman before her death. That person was such a cruel being. "In my past life, I came to your temple many times." Kresi raises her head and looks at Noras with misty eyes. "Because of your hasty judgment, he died. I wanted you to bring him back. I wasn''t even allowed to see you. I waited for days. Why wasn''t I allowed to question you? You are a god. Just like you brought this Renasir and me back to this world, you could have brought him back too. Why didn''t you do it?" Chapter 120: The reason why you werent chosen Chapter 120: The reason why you weren''t chosen He knew that he had to answer this question. That''s how this world is. Gods are present among the mortals. They are questioned all the times. There are also times when a god makes mistakes. Then, just like all the mortals, he also has to answer one way or another. The god of light stands up and looks at the woman whom he had wronged a long time ago. "I couldn''t bring him back because he had already reincarnated by the time I found out that he wasn''t the perpetrator." Kresi widens her eyes in shock. "What?" "Not all souls stay around among their loved ones after their deaths." Noras speaks with a clear voice, "Your lover, Jase, was reborn as the son of the Dragon God. His name is Damin." This time, Aeis opens his mouth wide. His stupid son was mortal once? "Jase is reborn?" Kresi murmurs the words. When she saw the dark god, she didn''t feel like this. But Jase She has a desperate urge to see him as soon as possible. "He was reborn around that time as a dragon." Noras continues, "I couldn''t kill another child to make your lovere back to life. The Dragon God would have had my head if I touched his kin." "You are right about that, Noras." Aeis res at him. Even if his soncksmon sense, Damin is still his son. "If you had done something to my son, I would have fed your head to my other sons." Noras ignores the Dragon God. "Amara, do you remember the seer, Parisa?" Kresi scrutinizes the memories of Amara. There was someone with that name. Parisa, the seer, was an advisor of the gods. That seer died during the war. "Parisa was reborn as Deia Parisa in this era." Noras tells her, "With the help of Renasir, Deia Parisa was able to find her true mate, Damin." She bes pale when she hears those words. True mates they are meant for each other in each life. If Deia is Damin''s true mate, then Parisa was also Jase''s true mate. "Even if he didn''t die back then, nothing could have stopped him from leaving you for Parisa after meeting her." He sighs when he sees tear drops falling from Kresi''s eyes. These are not Kresi''s tears. Those are Amara''s tears. "Parisa already knew that Jase would have died. She also knew that he would be reborn as Damin. She knew about her fate and the fact that she would meet Damin as Deia in the future. She knew that it was unfair, but she never made aint. Being a great seer, she could even see the future to this time. I am sure that she even saw this trial. Before she died, she told me that that I should give you a chance to repent. That''s one of the reasons why I chose you to carry the heart of the Dark God for more than ten thousand years." For mortals, it''s all about one life. They get easily affected by love, hatred, or greed. They think that it''s over once someone is dead. However, it''s not the same for the gods. In Noras'' eyes, Kresi and Amara are just two sides of the same coin. It''s the same with Ari, Jase and Damin, or Deia and Parisa. The gods recognize the soul, not the person. To them, the soul is just changing bodies as the mortals change clothes. Lovers from one life can be enemies in their next life. The siblings from one life can be reborn as a parent and a child. Rtionships change. Feelings also change with time. Perhaps, that is the reason why they are indifferent to deaths of mortals. There are certain hearts that don''t change at all. Those are true mates. "When you decided to destroy the world because your lover was dead, she chose to wait for more than ten thousand years to meet Damin again." Noras doesn''t feel any pity for her. She was reincarnated as Kresi Mirin and did the same thing to an innocent child. "Because of your hatred, a young child lost his true name. He isn''t visible to anyone from this world. He could receive a father''s or brother''s love. He can''t be reborn either. Even if you paid for your sins as the harbinger of the dark god, you still chose the same path that Amara chose. You killed a god''s daughter and someone''s mother. Both Aeline and Bn can''t be reborn because their souls have beenpletely destroyed by you. You talk about giving justice to those children who died at Aeline''s hands. Those children are reincarnated again. Aeline owed them. If you had only killed Aeline and punished Bn in a different way, those children would have had the chance to get back what they were owed." "What is the guarantee that Aeline would have changed?" Kresi asks him loudly. "She was evil." "How are you any different?" Noras stares at her. "You said it yourself. You did wrong to the Dark God. You caused the destruction of the world. The world turned out to be a horrible ce for the children who wielded dark ehr because of you. We could have destroyed your soul back then, just like you did it to Aeline and Bn. Instead of that, we gave you the chance to repent. Because of that chance, you were able to meet the people you treasure so much. You were able to love again. You also learned to hate again. Did Aeline and Bn not deserve that chance?" Kresi is speechless. She has never seen it that way. In her eyes, the evil needed to be destroyed. Even she should have been destroyed. But she''s still here. "Kresi, you areining that you weren''t chosen as the renasir because of your past life." Noras nces at the Renasir who has been quiet since he started talking. "What if I tell you that it wasn''t the reason why you weren''t chosen as a renasir?" "If that is not the reason, then what was it?" Kresi stares at him. "My mother told me that I was the great sinner of Iravan. She was afraid of me. That''s why she wanted to kill me. Are you saying that my mother was wrong?" "You are wrong about your mother." Noras understands that part of the reasons why Kresi became like this is because of this world. However, being a victim didn''t mean that she had to take the path of hatred. Even if she was wronged, it didn''t mean that she had to hurt someone else and kill innocent people. "Your mother could have killed you. A renasir is powerful enough to kill any creation except the gods. Mayaeira Mirin was trying to destroy the heart of the dark god and turn you into a normal person. You might have been her creation, but she started caring for you as her daughter. It is the reason why she had never told anyone who was the harbinger of the dark god. She was ashamed of her deed for the rest of her life. That''s why she couldn''te to face you. She couldn''t bring you to the higher realm because someone would have noticed that you were the harbinger. Though she abandoned you in the cruel city, there was no other ce where a harbinger who was also a Mirin could live unnoticed." Kresi bespletely still. Those words are hard to believe. Her mother was a cruel person. Her mother hated her. Yes, she wanted her dead. "A renasir is not a person who has never done any wrong in her life." The god of light tells her with a low voice, "Your mother might have felt hatred for you in one moment of her life, but she also loved you. Her love was the reason why she hurt you like that. It is also the reason why she didn''t kill you when she could have done it easily. A renasir is a person who can ovee hatred. Ari was also killed in herst life, but she has never thought of going back to her world and seek revenge. When she met the dark god, she knew that she would lose her life to him. She didn''t abandon him. After hearing about what he did, she didn''t hate him as the world did. The corruption in the dark ehr was never able to take over her soul because she was never tempted by power. She loved Adira and sympathized with the cursed children, but she didn''t want to hurt whose who wronged them. She didn''t want another war. Even now, she is fighting the gods and the man she loves because she can''t see an innocent child die." He takes a breath. "Kresi, in your both lives, you were blinded by love. But you had never understood what it meant. That is the reason why you weren''t chosen as the renasir." Chapter 121: Might have visited you at night and slit your throat Chapter 121: Might have visited you at night and slit your throat So, everything that she did Hot tears drop on the floor one by one. Kresi slowly blinks her eyes. Her mother. Jase. Everyone else "Can I speak now?" Ari raises her hand. "God Noras?" It''s not like she won''t speak if he says no. God Noras gives her a nod. Ari takes a step forward with Ai. "Why didn''t you tell her that Jase was reincarnated before she seduced God Adira?" Why is she saying it like that? The Dark God exhales. He wasn''t seduced. She is making him sound so easy. "Because I had no idea who was Adira''s wife until he started the rampage." Noras sighs. "Usually, the gods do not reveal where the soul is reincarnated, especially to the mortals. If I had told her, there would be others who would have demanded to know where their rtives were reborn. It''s not fair to the reincarnated ones. Everyone has to go through the grief of losing someone. I revealed it today because of the special circumstances." "Then, you should have apologized to her." Ari tilts her head. Her tone is rather empty of emotions. "She was there for days. You could have met her once and exined the circumstances. At least, you should have apologized for your mistakes." "I wasn''t informed that she came to see me." Noras replies to her calmly, "Besides, Ipensated Jase''s family. She was not his wife." "Alright." Ari gives him an understanding nod. "Apologize now." "What?" Noras frowns at her. "Why should I apologize to someone who kept making the same mistake? She destroyed the world. Even I had to pay along with all the other gods. We couldn''t die, but we had to sleep for thousands of years." "That''s why we should all apologize to each other." Ari nces at Kresi. "I am sure that she''s feeling regretful about all the things that she did. God Noras, you aren''t exactly godly here. It was your mistake though. Don''t give me the crap that it was meant to be. So, Kresi isn''t like Parisa but her love wasn''t anything less. To be honest, if my lover was killed in such a manner. I might have visited you at night and slit your throat." "..." "Or incinerate you." Ari scratches her chin. "You are immortal, aren''t you? It would have been fun watching you burn for eternity." "..." "How about maiming?" Ari turns to Kresi and says to her. "You should havemanded the Dark God to maim his dick." Kresi raises her head and stares at her with a dumb expression. What is this Renasir saying? "You have been giving a long speech about how she''s wrong and how I am the kindhearted saint who saved the world." Ari wrinkles her nose. "Has anything changed though? Why didn''t you leave somemands on how to conduct this world after you have gone to sleep? Say, the cursed children were killed because there was a chance that the twisted dark ehr would control them. Then, you should havee up with a rule that they would be killed only if they showed signs of possession by the corrupted ehr. However, the holy knights, the vessel, and the renasirs have been killing them whether they be crazy creatures or not." To be honest, Noras and the other gods had never left anymand to kill the cursed children at sight. They left the holy fire with the vessel and made the Renasir for keeping the world going in their absence. "Mirai and Pebby were cursed children. They had to go to Andrareanesi and be ves for protection." Ari continues, "Then again, the children were living well in the Bn forest until Aeline decided to kill them. Those children were in a contract with Bn Spirit and it was Bn spirit who broke it first. You, gods, left a cruel spirit like that behind. You also deserve the me." "We didn''t know that it was going to be like this." Eshyal says to her, "There wasn''t enough time to make guidelines for the new world. We left our powers to the mortals and they did what they have to survive. Why are you asking us questions for something that mortals did?" "It was just not your priority." Ari smiles at the god of the sun. "It''s more like you didn''t care what would happen to the mortals. You didn''t care how would Amara feel after Jase''s death. All of you are ming her. Even her mother who stabbed her like that How would Kresi know what was going inside her mother''s mind? Did She choose the path of hatred? Was she given any other path? Was she taught to take another path? When she was stuck in the cycle of hate, did anyone try to take her out of it? Just giving her a chance is enough? It''s more like you threw her in a cycle of self-torture." "Are you siding with her after what she did?" Cina eyes her darkly. "The nameless creature beside you is her sin. That creature killed my daughter." "Your daughter killed many other children," She retorts back. "She broke the contract, helped Aeline in killing those kids, and she even manipted this kid into killing her. She did it because she was afraid of loving him and dying at his hands. She chose to die like that instead of waiting for you. Don''t me other people for your daughter''s choice. She was an adult there." Cina purses his lips, not able to find any word to say back to her. His daughter didmit a crime. Breaking the contract is a big sin. Still, he doesn''t think that she deservedplete destruction of her essence. "I want to say something." Aren raises his arm. He''s been listening to everything. It''s the right time to do what he came here for. "Go ahead," Noras gives him a quietmand. "I want to free Ari of the debt that she owes me." Aren looks at Ari and smirks at her, "If she epts to be freed, then I am fine with it. Because of her, I was able to find my brother again." "I totally ept." Ari gives him a thumbs up. "Thank you for freeing me from the debt." "I am d." Aren chuckles. He turns to face the gods. "Also, I don''t have any ill feelings toward Kresi Mirin. Kresi''s mother, Mayaeira Mirin, helped me live by fixing my broken vessel when the holy fire left my mother and entered my body. I havee to ept that my mothermitted a lot of sins in her life. I am partly responsible. My mother was chasing the harbinger because she didn''t want me to sufferter. Thanks to the Renasir, I was able to change before it was toote." After he finishes, Gabriel Grey stands up. "I release Ari of any obligation that she has toward me. Because of her, I found out that I have a son. I don''t have any hatred toward Kresi, regardless of who she was in her past life. For me, she''s is only Kresi. I have always thought of her as my daughter, just like the other children were. As a parent, I failed to protect them. I am responsible for everything that happened to them that night. Ai, my son, is alive because of my daughter, Kresi. Please don''t me her anymore." He was wrong. Noras gazes at Ari. So, she took Kresi''s sins to give a new beginning to Kresi. "Ari is free of the debts that she owes to Gabriel Grey and Arenyr Starfire. There''s still one more person." "It''s fine." Ari grins at the child. "Child, don''t release me from the debt." "Pretty Sister, is that okay?" Ai asks her slowly. "I don''t want you to get hurt because of me." "Don''t worry. I am going to handle this." Ari winks at him. She takes a deep breath. Everything is going well so far. "As thest renasir of Iravan, I request the gods to make me, Ai, and Kresi the citizens of Iravan." All the gods have expected to hear something like that. But they don''t understand why she''s asking for Kresi too. Noras shares a look with the Dark God who gives him a nod. The god of light speaks with a distant tone, "We can''t ept a nameless creature as the citizen of this world. He will be killed after this trial is over. Kresi is free of all the debts that she owed this world. So, it is up to her whether she wants to continue living in this world or reincarnate in a different world. As for you" He pauses for a moment. Whether she was the dark god''s bride or not, she deserves this. Having her in this world won''t be bad. Maybe the gods of Iravan also need someone who can question them loudly like this. "If you return that sin back to Kresi, we will dly ept you as a permanent citizen of this world." Chapter 122: Second to the god Chapter 122: Second to the god "I won''t return it." Ari shakes her head and scowls at them."The gods of Iravan are something. It''s not like this child is doomed. I still have the power of Renasir. I can draw a true name for this child in the future. Are you saying that you won''t even take a chance at me and this kid who is clearly innocent?" There are whispers among the mortals. If there''s a chance that the Renasir can give a name to that child, then why are gods insisting on killing that child? Noras takes a breath. Drawing a true name isn''t easy. It''s even difficult for a god. How could they take this chance? "Tsk! Tsk! So cruel." Ari crosses her arms. "You were talking so much about how Kresi did this and that. What about you? I am telling you. I am taking responsibility for this child. I will give him a true name. He''s a family to me. If you can''t take the risk, then kill both of us in front of everyone." Adira gives a dark look to the gods. If anyone even thinks about... "Wait, Mortal." Eshyal raises his hand. "We need to discuss this among us." "Aish!" She clicks her tongue. "Discuss it then. I also have something to discuss with Kresi." She goes to Kresi''s side and sits down. Adira watches the two girls with aplicated gaze. Is she fine with talking to Kresi like this? When he heard that Kresi was Amara''s reincarnation, all the pain came back to him. He hated that woman and then, he also understood her. That cruel woman gave him a scar. Because of that scar and the imprisonment, he came back to the world as Kyo. Ari saved him, loved him, and then, she taught him to love again. Without a doubt, only Ari matters to him. But why does she want to leave him alone now? "A permanent citizen?" Cina protests in a low voice, "You want to allow her to live in this world even if she owes a debt to a nameless creature? She should be killed along with that creature." "You are forgetting that we also owe this girl." Ea says to Cina with anguid voice, "She''s the saviour of Iravan. Because of her, we were able to wake up. Also, her soul has the power of the renasir. We can''t ever take back the power of the name. It''s best if she stays in Iravan." "It''s a nameless creature." Cina knits his brows. "It might be something dangerous in the future. We should do whatever it takes to transfer that sin to Kresi." "It is up to Ari." Noras closes his eyes, exhausted. "She won''t return it back to Kresi." "Then, we should destroy her along with the nameless creature." Sion frowns at Noras. "Whether we owe her or not, she and that nameless creature are a danger to this world." Noras doesn''t reply. The girl is clever. She put up with this show and got the mortals to start doubting the gods. The mortals even empathize with Kresi now. If he even thinks about killing this girl, the entire Iravan might start questioning the gods. There might even be a revolt. "If she''s harmed in any way, it won''t be good for any of us." Adira cautions them with a dark voice, "There would be another war. This time, I will do it willingly." The gods be silent. Noras regards the dark god silently. The Dark God won''t leave any of the gods alone if they harm this girl. The dragon god would side with the dark god. The former prince of the higher realm, the cursed children, and many other people are supporting this girl. In addition to that, the Seer and the dragon god''s son are close to Ari. No god wants another war. Not even the Dark God. One war has taken a lot from all of them. That''s why Adira wanted to bring Kresi back. However, there''s no choice left if Ari refuses to return the sin back to Kresi. "Adira, will you take responsibility if she fails to draw a true name for that creature?" Noras questions the dark god. "If we give her a chance and she fails, would you do what is necessary when the timees?" *** "Kresi, I heard a lot about you." Ari smiles at her. "I was truly surprised when I found out that you were Amara." Kresi raises her head and looks at Ari, saying nothing to her. Even though the gods have said that she''s freed of any debt in this world, she feels burdened by everything that had happened. "Don''t you hate me?" "Yes, I do," Ari answers her frankly. "When I found out what happened between you and Adira, I really wanted to find you and break all of your bones. I was thinking how could this woman do this to a man like that. Though I understand your reasons, I can''t stop myself from hating you. You are still the woman who hurt my Adira." "Your Adira" The corners of Kresi''s lips curl up into a smile. "Weren''t you saying that you want to break up with him?" "Oh, I have already broken up with him." Ari leans closer and whispers to her. "It doesn''t mean that I stopped loving him though. I heard that he used to love Amara a lot. Who knows? Maybe his feelings for Amara mighte back. Instead of getting involved in a tragic love triangle, I want to step aside with pride." "You are an idiot." Kresi snorts at her. "Would you be okay if I take him then? Won''t you feel jealous if he starts loving me again?" "I don''t want to fight another woman for someone''s affection." Ari takes a nce at Adira. "If he likes you, then it''s okay." "You aren''t asking him what he wants," Kresi observes. "I have no interest in him." Kresi isn''t an idiot. The Dark God clearly loves this Renasir. "It''s between me and him then." Ari puffs up her cheeks. "By the way, do you want to stay in this world or move on to another one?" Why is she showing interest in her affairs? Kresi raises her brow. "I am free of all the debts. Isn''t it a good opportunity to leave this world and start anew somewhere else? I have nothing here. This world doesn''t want me either." "Will you be fine though?" Ari cocks her head and stares hard at her. "You might be free of the debts. I don''t think that you feel free. You still have people here. Besides, I am sure that I would need some help. I heard that drawing a true name is a difficult task. You were personally trained by Mayaeira Mirin. I am sure that you are quite knowledgeable." This girl is giving her a chance to do something for people. Kresi feels something on her hand. Though she can''t see it, she''s sure that it''s Ai''s hand. This child lost his true name because of her. "He wants to know why did you give him the name Love," She hears Ari say. Why that name? Kresi thinks about the time in that house in the forest. "Everyone was looking forward to your arrival. They loved you before you even came to the world. The even prepared a cradle for you. Everyone decided the name together. They thought that Gabriel''s child should receive everyone''s love in the world. So, I gave you that rune." And what did she do? If she hadn''t been driven by hatred and anger that day, Ai wouldn''t be suffering like this. She had never told Shayera about Ai. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. "I am sorry, Ai. I hurt you because I was angry with your father and mother. I didn''t know that you would lose your true name like that. I wanted to make Bn receive death in the hands of someone she loved but I forgot that forced love isn''t love. After Bn''s death, you were supposed to live a free life. I thought that someone would find you I made you suffer for something that wasn''t your fault. I promise you that I will help the renasir draw your true name again." After a moment, Ari opens her mouth to ry Ai''s words to Kresi. Just then, Noras'' voice pierces the hall. "Renasir of Iravan." What did they decide? Ari knits her brows and stands up with Ai. "Yes." "Because of your deeds, you are epted as a permanent citizen of this world. You are free from the reincarnation cycles and you will be formally reinstated as thest and only Renasir of Iravan," God Noras deres. "I grant you permission to channel the ehr of Iravan. As a Renasir, your opinions will hold equal importance as the opinion of any other main god of Iravan. Your status will be second to the gods." Chapter 123: The moment when they kiss and make love? Chapter 123: The moment when they kiss and make love? "Wait." She frowns. Why did he not say a word about Ai? She points at the child. "What about him?" "You have fifteen days to draw a true name for him." Noras gives her a solemn look. "No god will help you in this task. You must find a way on your own. If you fail, he will be executed." "That''s not fair," Ari shouts. "Fifteen days are too less and" "If you don''t want to ept that, then both of you will be executed now." Noras tells her sternly, "A nameless creature is too dangerous for this world. Letting it live so far is already mercy." Ari gnashes her teeth in rage. What''s wrong with these gods? Letting Ai live is mercy? She finally understands why Amara wanted to kill all the gods. "ept it." Kresi whispers to her, "I promised that I will help you." Ari swallows. Fifteen days. Learning magic is so difficult. Her new body might be able to channel ehr, but who knows what kind of tricks these gods are ying? It''s not like she has a choice now. "Fine, fine. I ept your offer. I will draw a true name for this nameless child within fifteen days." "This trial is over," Noras announces. He nces at Ari who is clearly not satisfied with the decision. It''s not like he expects her to understand. Noras is about to leave when Kresi stands up abruptly. "God Noras." She states with a clear voice, "Allow me to live here." Noras releases his breath. There''s clear dissatisfaction among the other gods except for one god, Cina. After everything that happened, they don''t want Kresi to stay in their world. Adira feels the same. Kresi knows who Jase''s reincarnation is. Things will beplicated if she decides to interfere in Damin''s life. It is one of the reasons why information regarding reincarnations like this are not revealed to mortals. Also, he''s worried that Ari might be uneasy around the reincarnation of his first wife in the future. He thinks about Tristan. If Tristan''s reincarnation appeared like Kresi, he would be uneasy. Ari must be hiding her uneasiness. "Are you sure, Kresi?" Noras narrows his eyes. She must have changed her mind after talking to Ari. This Renasir''s wisdom is rather questionable. "This is an opportunity to leave this world and begin anew at some other world. If you stay here, you will reenter the reincarnation cycle." "I want to make amends to the people I have hurt." Kresi meets his eyes and deres, "I might be free from the debts formally, but my heart isn''t released. This child lost his name because of me. With my memories of Amara and Kresi, I want to help the Renasir. Please give me one more chance." One more chance... Can he trust this troublemaker? No, it''s three troublemakers now. He already said that Kresi could stay if she wanted to. At that time, he was sure that she wouldn''t stay. He should have watched his mouth. Noras agrees to let her stay here. "Fine! Remember that you are a mortal. Your body is not the same as your previous body. After your death, you will reenter the reincarnation cycle like anybody else. You won''t remember your past life as Kresi or Amara. I hope that you don''t make the same mistakes again." Far away from the pce of God Noras, Naughty lets out a weak sigh. He leans against the tree and stares at the Torsha flower in his hand. The scent of Torsha is strong and intoxicating. The spirits are usually addicted to it. The gods are no exception. However, Naughty is already addicted to someone else. The scent of Torsha is too weakpared to it. "You have done well." Not looking at the woman in front of him, he tears the white petals of the flower one by one. "I knew that you led me to her because you wanted me to help her." "Thanks to that, you were able to get rid of thest bits of bad karma that you owed her." She sits on the ground and picks up the white petal. If Ari hadn''t met Ai, things would have been different. The trial wouldn''t have gone this way. After receiving her sins back, Kresi wouldn''t have changed. Aren and Gabriel wouldn''t have released her from the debt. The gods would have punished Kresi and killed Ai. "This world takes care of its Karma cycle on its own. Their system iszy and unfair. Being the only face of Karma and not being able to interfere was rather annoying. If Ari hadn''t been born in your world, I wouldn''t be able to take any action." She wanted to get recognized as a god here. The gods of Iravan haven''t realized it yet. From now on, even the gods have to go through karma cycles in a clean and systematic way. Naughty pouts at her. "What about me?" He''s been yed since the beginning. She chuckles. Karma ces her finger under his chin and lifts his head. "What do you want me to do to you?" "Let me be with you." He stares into her dark eyes. "Marry me." "What if I say no?" She smirks. Her dark eyes twinkle mischievously. After realizing that he was tricked by her, she thought that he wouldn''t want to be with her anymore. "I will do something bad again, my vicious beauty." He has even changed his name and abandoned his world because of her. "Then, you have toe back to me again." There''s no doubt that she will appear whenever there''s some unfinished Karma. Karma guffaws. There''s rarely anyone who is this keen to meet her. "Do you know that even I can''t escape Karma?" After chasing her for so many years, he has realized that she is quite different than the worldly gods like him and the gods of Iravan. "What does that mean?" "Because I tricked you, I guess that I am at your mercy." She winks at him. "Naughty, Naughty, what do you want to do to me?" Naughty widens his eyes, surprised. At his mercy? "I also promised you that I would ept you after your karma is cleansed." Karma bends her head and bites his lower lip softly. "Once you are tied to me, there''s no escaping me whether I turn bad or good. Do you still want to be with me?" So, she already knew about the deal between him and Ari. When Ari said that she would help him get a rope that would help him tie Karma to him, he was tempted. However, he also knew that tying someone to him when she didn''t want him was a cruel thing that he would have done to both of them. Even gods couldn''t force someone to love like this. "Karma, I don''t want to run behind you. From now on, I want to run by your side. So, you will never be alone in this infinite world." Karma smiles and gives her hand to him. "Once you hold it, I won''t let ever let go." Though she''s strong, there are uncertainties in her eyes. Karma is never liked anywhere. People usually remember her when they want someone to pay for their bad crimes. In some way, she''s hated for her justice. In any case, the arrival of Karma is never seen as a happy asion. He also used to be the same. But he was able to understand her after following her for so long. She''s impartial and partial at the same time. At other times, she''s merciless. He has also seen her kindness. She''s rarely recognized. That''s why she must have thought that he was only obsessed with her. Naughty holds her hand tightly. "My vicious beauty, it''s me who will never let go of this hand. I am not going to let you have any second thoughts about me. I will work hard to be a better person. So that you will never regret letting me hold your hand today." Her heart races for the first time. Karma curls her toes. She kept giving him a chance to turn around and leave, but he still continued to follow her around. He even waited for her toe back. She questions him with a low voice, "Naughty, Naughty, do you really love someone like me?" She''s seeing him for the first time. Now, she won''t look away. He beams at her. "This rope is stronger than any rope in the world, my vicious beauty. It is connected from the heart to the heart. Now, you are tied to me." Karma watches him in silence for a long moment, making him feel nervous. He wonders if he had said anything wrong. Isn''t this the moment when they kiss and make love? "Alright." Karma pulls him toward her. "Let''s go." His eyes be bright. "My vicious beauty, where are we doing?" "You said that you want to run beside me." She gives him a sly smile when he opens his mouth wide in shock. "What did you think that we will do?" "But, but" He did say that he wanted to run beside her"My vicious beauty..." Karma drags him along with her with a teasing smile on her face. Can she not tell what is going inside his mind? Since he''s being like this, she might give him treats on the way. Chapter 124: Already trying to steal her away? Chapter 124: Already trying to steal her away? After the trial is over and the main gods leave their seats, someone runs to Kresi and pulls her in his arms. She frowns in confusion. Although she had existed as a soul for many years, her body is only thirteen at the moment because she died at the age of thirteen. The man tightens his arms around her. She bites her inner cheek, ufortable in his embrace. "Are you trying to kill her?" She hears a woman''s loud and piercing voice. "You are going to crush her this way." The man puts her down on the ground and scrutinizes her with his eyes, feeling guilty. "Are you hurt, Kresi?" Is it Kresi blinks her eyes, surprised by what she''s seeing. "Mirai?" "You recognized me." Mirai cocks his head slightly and grins at her, cing hisrge hands on her thin shoulders. "I have grown up. I am way taller and stronger than you are, Kresi. You don''t have to worry about anything. I will protect you." "I am so happy that you decided to stay in this world, Kresi." The woman grabs Kresi''s hand suddenly. Her action startles Kresi. Is this Pebby? Pebby has grown into a beautiful woman with long strawberry blonder hair with dark roots, light eyes, and a hearty smile. "Mirai and I have our own home in the dark realm. Whether it''s a spirit or human, all of them have equal rights in the realm of the Dark God. You shoulde with us." "But I" Kresi doesn''t want to go to the Dark realm. Her history with the Dark God is ratherplicated. Although it''s only the memories, she feels too awkward now. She still can''t figure out why she was agitated when she asked God Noras about what happened in her past life. The Dema Continent is also not a choice. Jase''s reincarnation is there. Without a doubt, Cina''snds should be scratched out from the list of ces where she can go. However, she has to follow Ari and help her draw a true name for Ai. "Already trying to steal her away?" A man with dark brown hair with orange highlights res at Pebby. He seems to be in his mid-twenties. "Kresi is mine." "..." Now, who is this? "Elder brother." Pebby wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Kresi is a child. How could you say that she is yours?" "Why are you" The man makes a face, clearly grossed out by his sister''s words. "I didn''t mean it that way. Before she was gone, she was closest to me." "She used to be closer to Shayera actually." Pebby sneers at him. "You left the house earlier." "Kresi, tell her that she''s wrong." The man looks at Kresi and points at his sister. "We used to do so many things together." Things like assassinating, hunting, stealing, and whatnot. "Who are you?" Kresi knits her brows. "You look familiar, but I can''t remember you." The poor man feels like his soul has been broken apart into a million pieces. How could she not remember her partner in crime? "Kresi" Mirai leans closer to Kresi and whispers in her ear. "He is Raye." Kresi gapes at the man. Raye the kid who was only a few inches taller than her he has grown into a bamboo shoot, like a half-ling. There''s a scar over his left eye. His skin is a few shades darker. She gives him a warm smile. Everyone has grown up except for her. "You have changed." Under her gaze, he looks away, scratching his ear. She hasn''t changed. "Not that much." "Kresi." She nces at the man with grey hair, deep wrinkles on his face, and a dark grey eyes that has seen pain and suffering. She pinches her lips together, not knowing what to say. He said that she was his daughter, though they have no blood connection. All those years ago, he found her on the streets of beggar city and helped with the wounds on her chest. She shouldn''t have done that to his child. If she had taken that child with her and left him in Raye''s care, that child would have grown up well. There''s no excuse. She was angry and hateful that day. Whether it was a newborn child, a boy who did nothing wrong to her, or a man who gave her a home, she wanted all of them to experience her pain. It was an irrational desire. She didn''t want to reason either. "I am sorry, Gabriel," She utters the words with a soft voice. "I have done wrong to your son." Gabriel shakes his head. "If you hadn''t saved him, he wouldn''t have lived till now." She looks at Ari who is standing at a little distance from them. Kresi can''t see or hear Ai. It''s probably the same for everyone else. "Gabriel, I will do everything that I can. You will get back your son." *** "That man is my father?" Ai''s eyes be round, watching Gabriel talking to Kresi. "Yes," Ari says to Ai. "I will take you to your father after they finish talking." "Pretty Sister, are you going to leave me to him?" Ai nudges her arm, looking up at her. "I want to stay with you." Ari smiles at him. The boy has to return to his family whether she wants him to stay with her or not. "I haven''t given a name to you, Child. You can''t leave me yet." "After I get my true name?" Ai asks her with a low voice. He doesn''t want to live with a man whom he doesn''t know. He likes his pretty sister. "Everyone will be able to see you." Ari bends down on her knees and pulls his cheeks. "Then, you can talk to everyone, you can y with everyone, and you can go to school like everyone else." "But I want to be with you." The corners of his lips curl down. He looks at her, tears welling up in his eyes. "Don''t send me away." "I won''t send you away." She takes the child in her embrace and pats his back. "We are going to stay together as long as you want, okay?" "What about me then?" Adira res at her. "You promised the same thing to me." Ai coils his arms around Ari when he hears that voice. He squeezes his eyes shut,shaking in fear. Ari ces her hand on the back of Ai''s head and scowls at the Dark God. "I don''t talk to sadistic gods who enjoy tormenting little kids." "Ari, I was only trying to --" Adira shuts his mouth when she grimaces at him. Fine, he did go too far with that kid. But that child is a nameless creature and he was looking for her. Though he was acting calm, looking calm, talking in a calm manner, only he knows what he was going through when she was taken away by this nameless creature. He believed that the nameless creature won''t hurt her. But what if this kid did it? Chapter 125: Who says that I love you? Chapter 125: Who says that I love you? "Ari, stop acting like this." Adira furrows his brows. "I won''t hurt the child." For now. "I don''t believe you." She squints her eyes and steps back, holding Ai protectively. "You have already hurt him once." She''s protecting someone else in the same way she used to protect him from people. He grits his teeth. That child is taking his ce in her heart. "Do you love him more than you love me?" "What?" Ari wrinkles her nose. "Who says that I love you?" "I say it." He scowls at her darkly. "You love me. You told me that many times. Are you going to take back your words because you found another innocent child who calls you sister?" "Don''t start again," She snaps, enraged by his words. "He''s a child. You are an adult -- a god, Adira. You are a god." "So what?" He crosses his arms, creasing his forehead. "What I am to you?" "My ex." She raises her chin and tells him, "I broke up with you that day." Aren, who''s been watching them argue for a while, wonders if he hase at a wrong time. He wants to meet his brother, although he can''t see him. The dark god and the renasir are having a lover''s quarrel. It''s good that he didn''t pursue her after finding out that she is the dark god''s bride. The dark god won''t even spare a child. Then, what would have he done to him? "I didn''t agree with it." The dark god has had enough of it. He takes long strides toward her and grabs her arm. "Leave with me." She stomps on his foot. "I refuse." So, it''s going to be like this. He lets go of her arm. "You are really not going toe with me?" "I am going to look for the way to draw a true name for this child." Ari rxes her shoulders when Adira steps away from her, making some distance. "Besides, you and I--" The words are left hanging in the air. Ari widens her eyes, shocked by the view. Not just her. Everyone around her gasps when they see it, wondering what is going on. The Dark God has turned into a chubby three-year-old toddler with porcin skin, baby pink lips, big round eyes, a small nose, and dark hair. He''s wearing a small ck robe. Lifting his round chin, Adira sps his hands behind his back and pouts. She''s basically looking at a mini-version of Adira. She''s going to love someone else more than him? That''s uneptable. He''s a god. He can change his forms with a flicker of his fingers. "Why are you silent? Do you still like that child more than me?" At the moment, Ari is trying to figure out Adira''s real age. He was imprisoned more than ten thousand years ago. Before that, he was already married to Amara for a few years. Then, he should have been at a marriageable age when he met Amara. In any case, Adira is old. Super old. Her age is nothingpared to his. Then, why is he so dumb? He doesn''t even have the intelligence of a three-year-old boy. She shakes her head and turns around. Adira opens his mouth to call her name. Just then, he hears a chuckle. Though he can''t see the child, he could hear his voice. The nameless child isughing. "Pretty Sister is mine." Ai takes his tongue out of his mouth, mocking the toddler in front of him. Adira can''t see the mockery, but he could sense it. He clenches his fists and waddles behind Ari. "Ari, he''sughing at me," Heins with a loud voice, following her as she walks toward Kresi and others. Aren sighs and walks behind them. Just what is he seeing? "Oh, my!" Ea presses her palms together when she sees the y happening in the midst of the hall. "Are we seeing the Dark God''s child avatar?" "I think that I am lucky." Ni sighs. The Dark God''s idiocy is too much. "I am so lucky that I didn''t chase him for long." "He''s so cute. I want a son like that." Mirinae fists her hands, looking at Adira with sparkling eyes. "Where''s my husband? I need to make a baby." "You already have three daughters." Mahuna makes a face at her. "You want more?" "Yes, I forgot..." Mirinae slumps her shoulders. "Having three notorious daughters is tiring enough." "Why is she acting like that?" Ni stares at Ari''s back. "The Dark God even took that humiliating form to earn her love back. She should be happy." "Will you be happy?" Mahuna questions her with a solemn voice. "If you see your man in a child form? Would you carry him in your arms like a mother?" The Dark God stumbles on his feet and falls on his face. He''s not used to this body. It''s awkward to walk around with small feet. Hearing him fall behind her, she halts in her track. Ari purses her lips, wanting to look behind. Just then, Ai lifts his head and looks at her. "Pretty Sister?" "Hm?" Ari meets his red eyes. "Are you going to give me to him?" He blinks his eyes slowly. "I won''t do anything bad anymore, Pretty Sister. I will listen to you." "I am never going to give you to him," She assures him. "Child, I won''t let anyone harm you." A wide smile appears on Ai''s lips. "Pretty Sister, I love you." She kisses Ai''s cheek. "I love you too." On the floor, the Dark God stares at Ari with disbelief. Did she just tell someone else that? Did she kiss another boy right in front of him? His face turns dark. The air around him bes tense and freezing. In the next moment, everyone except for Ari and Ai feels a crushing pressure on them. Though the gods can endure the wrath of an angry god, the mortals can''t endure it. They fall on their knees and pants for air, sweating profusely. Seeing that, Ari releases her breath. She puts down Ai on the floor and walks back to Adira. He eyes her darkly, too angry to speak. She raises her brow, equally enraged by his usual tactic. They re at each other while the people around them feel like they are dying. "Why are you kissing another male?" He breaks the silence first. "That''s a male for you?" She puts her hand on her hip. "Adira, stop being childish." "I am a child right now." He raises his arms. "Pick me up and kiss me." "Are you an idiot?" She frowns. What is wrong with this god''s head? She treated him like a kid when he was Kyo. Then, he grew up. That''s the end of it. How could he expect her to treat him like she treats Ai? "You are turning me into an idiot." He lowers his arms, feeling dejected by her rejection. Suddenly, the air turns too dark and depressing, making people feel like they want to bawl their eyes out. "Would you alsopete with your son?" She asks him with a cold tone. "Say you get married to some woman and--" "I will only marry you. I will only make children with you," Adira shouts at her with a whiny tone. "You, only you! We should get married and make a son now." "..." She pinches her lips together. If he had said the same words when he was a grown man, she might have had a different reaction. But it''s a toddler who is saying those words to her. Nobody can understand her feelings. It was different with Kyo. It''s certainly different with Ai. But this is the Dark God pretending to be a toddler. Adira stands up and walks toward her. He wraps his small arms around her knees and looks up at her. "Ari, please don''t kiss someone else like that. Your lips are mine." This man won''t tolerate if she kisses their son, would he? "I can''t wait anymore." It must be because he''s in his toddler form. Adira can''t hide his emotions anymore. His eyes well up, tears rolling out of the corners of his eyes. Around them, the mortals start sobbing as if their hearts are being stabbed by tremendous sadness. "Ari, don''t love someone else. I will be anything that you want. I beg you to hug me and kiss me now." Honestly, what''s worse than seeing his Ari kissing another male? Whether it''s small or big, old or young, invisible or visible, it''s a male. Actually, he can''t bear it if it''s a female either. He can endure if she loves and cares about other people. But he wants to have most of her love. That nameless creature is threatening his position in her heart. She even said that she doesn''t love him because of that nameless creature. "If you don''t do it, I am going to cry." Chapter 126: When did she become this heartless? Chapter 126: When did she be this heartless? He''s already crying though. Ari purses her lips. Has she been too harsh on him? Adira presses his face between her knees, rubbing his face on her skirt. He has abandoned his pride and shame. He would rather die than live a life without her again. Then, he''s a god. He can''t die easily. With his soft voice, he pleads to her, "Ari, please." She curls her fingers. People make mistakes all the time. Even if he''s a god, it doesn''t mean that he''s perfect. If he can''t understand what he had done wrong, she can exin it to him. Ari reaches for his hand. Seeing that, Ai runs to her and grasps the hand that was reaching for Adira. "Pretty Sister." Adira turns his little head toward the nameless creature and scowls at him darkly. This kid is trying to create discord between him and his Ari. If only he could kill this kid right now "I am not angry at him anymore." Ai nces at Adira. The animosity in Adira''s eyes is clear to him. He might be young, but he''s not an ignorant one. "You should make up with him." She lets out a sigh. Howe a kid is so sensible. She looks at Adira sternly. "Adira, aren''t you going to apologize to Ai?" "Apologize to him?" Adira blinks his eyes, surprised. "Why?" "Because you hurt him like that." Ari frowns. His tears moved her a little, but how did she forget? This man had hurt an innocent kid. "But" Adira shoots daggers at the kid. The kid is taking advantage of Ari''s kindness. So what if the kid is young? The nameless child is dangerous and evil -- not eviler than he is. He''s the Dark God. He should be the evilest one. This kid is trying to snatch his Ari away. "Do you want us to be together again?" Ari asks him with a solemn tone. Adira gives her an enthusiastic nod. If she says yes once, he''s going to get married to her right away. Since she is a permanent citizen of this world, he will work on making her immortal as soon as possible. At their wedding, he will invite a universal god to approve their marriage. That way, they would be married in every universe. She won''t be able to break up with him. Ever. "Apologize to him then." Ari crosses her arms, taking a clear stance. The god of light didn''t apologize to Amara. She couldn''t do much about it. If he is also like Noras, she would rather not be with him at all. "If you can''t apologize, forget about me then." His red lips tremble. He snivels, looking at her as if she had asked him to eat a bitter medicine. But there''s little he can do about it. Since his bride has given him an ultimatum, he has to do it. He utters the word with a low and reluctant voice, "Sorry." "Big Brother, I forgive you." Ai grins at the Dark God. "But don''t take my Pretty Sister away from me." "She''s not yours!" Adira snaps. "She''s my bride. She''s going to be my wife. I will make sure of it." "Is that true, Pretty Sister?" Ai lifts his chin and looks at her. She exhales. When would Adira act like an adult? What would a wedding change? They had already lived together like husband and wife. The entire world knows that she is his bride. Nobody would dare toe close to her. "It''s true." After hearing that, Ai continues with a heartbroken voice, "Are you going to abandon me?" "No, you can be me for as long as you want." Ari picks up the child with a smile on her face. "You and I are going to stay together." What does that suppose to mean? Adira knits his small brows, envying the invisible entity in Ari''s arms. "Why are you not picking me up?" Ari raises her brow. "Don''t you have feet?" "I was crying earlier." Adira points at himself, feeling betrayed by his bride. "You didn''t hug and kiss me." When did she be this heartless? "I can''t carry two people." She shrugs when he narrows his eyes. "It''s not like you are really a kid." Aren releases his breath when he feels the atmosphere bing lighter. They are still arguing. People around Ari are stiff and flinching because of the pressure. Kresi is no different. If this continues, everyone will be tormented here for eternity. He gets up, ignoring the ache in his body. "Lady Ari, let me hold my brother." "You want to?" Ari is pleasantly surprised. She turns her head to Ai. Her eyes be bright. "Child, he is your elder brother." The nameless child doesn''t want to leave Ari''s arms. He has never known anyone as nice as her. But he is afraid that she might get angry or sad if he refuses to go to his brother. He gives her a soft nod. Ari kisses his forehead. Her action incenses the other toddler standing near her feet. The atmosphere bes heavy again. It''s difficult to breathe in this environment. Aren quickly takes the child whom he can''t see and walks toward Gabriel and Kresi, hoping that the Dark God''s anger would reduce a little. "Pick me," Adiramands her after Aren and Ai are gone. "You are thousand of years old." Ari creases her forehead, eyeing him darkly. "Ask someone else to pick you up." She didn''t even pick him up when he was Kyo. He''s too old for this antics. "Do it before I do something that you would regret," Adira warns her with a low voice. He has used up all the patience that he had. Now, he might destroy everything if she kisses someone else again. "Tch!" Even Ari knows that she has pushed him enough. He did apologize though. She carries him in her arms, feeling a little awkward. This toddler is supposed to be her groom, her lover, and a god; She''s carrying him like a mother. He wraps his arms around her neck, digs his face in the curve of her neck, inhales her scent; the pressure in the air disappears instantly. Mortals let out a breath of relief while the gods shake their heads. Noras, who has been watching it from far away, has an urge toe and ask the Dark God why he''s so keen about embarrassing the gods in this way. Just who would believe that he is a dark god? He took a child form, begged a girl like that, threw a tantrum, and then, threatened. Noras is exhausted. He doesn''t want to be the king of the gods. Someone else should do it. He wants to retire and leave this ce. This is too embarrassing to bear. The corners of her lips curl up when she hears his light breathing. She pats his back gently to calm him down. This is Kyo''s side. He hasn''t acted like this since she was reborn. So what if he''s thousand years old? He can act like this because she''s there. "Satisfied?" "No." The Dark God grips her shoulders with his small hands and whispers in her ear, "Where are my kisses?" This guy is so stubborn. She turns her head to kiss him. The look in his eyes changes at the same time. His dark eyes are not sad or angry. She widens her eyes when she sees him smirking at her. Chapter 127: Are you going to break up with me again? Chapter 127: Are you going to break up with me again? "My son?" Gabriel looks at the former prince of the higher realm with hesitation. Mirai and Pebby step away, keeping some distance from the former prince. Raye frowns, clenching his teeth. After Aeline''s death and before Ari''s death, this man had done many atrocious deeds against the cursed children. Other people might not care, but they can''t live as if nothing happened. "Yes." Aren senses resentmenting from Raye and others. They are avoiding his gaze. It''s not like he can''t understand why. In his way, he''s trying to make up for his crimes. He nces at the invisible figure in his arm. "We can''t hear him. Maybe he can write something down for us." Ai stays still in his arms. The spirits had taught him how to read and write before he became the way he is now. His father''s keep focusing on the wrong spot. His face is here -- not there. He can''t tell them that. "Here." Pebby gives a small notepad and a pen to Aren. "Maybe he can use this." Kresi has been studying Aren curiously. It''s the same boy whom she challenged a long time ago. She died before he could find her. Aren Starfire is different from how she imagined him to be. Though he has the same vivid green eyes and vermillion hair, he doesn''t have the cruelty that his mother had. His smile is easy and rxing. There is no hidden agenda in his eyes. His skin is tanner than the nobles of the higher realm. His face is symmetrical; there''s a hint of a moustache. He has a high nose; and beautiful phoenix eyes. He''s so different. It''s hard to believe that he was a prince once. "Ai, if you can hear me, can youmunicate with us using the notepad and pen." Aren takes the notepad and pen from Pebby. When he takes it toward Ai, the pen and paper are taken by the invisible child. Raye watches the pen scribbling something on the paper with bewilderment. Aren nces at the paper and smiles. "He''s saying that he''s happy to meet us all." Overwhelmed with emotions, Gabriel reaches for the boy''s face, touching his mouth identally. A pair of small hands grab his hand and ce them on what feels like a child''s cheek. His eyes be wet when he tries to imagine what his son looked like, bursting into sobs. "I am sorry, my son." Kresi looks down, sighing. It''s her fault. Within fifteen days, she will do everything to help the Renasir. "Oh, where did they go?" Pebby inquires. The Dark God and the Renasir are gone. Ai turns his head, looking at the spot where Ari was standing a while ago. Did that bad god take away his pretty sister when he was distracted? Tensed, he squirms to get out Aren''s arms. Aren holds him tighter to his chest. "Little Brother, don''t leave like this. Lady wille back soon. She told me that she wanted us to spend some time together." Ai raises his chin and looks at his elder brother, furrowing his little brows, clearly suspicious of Aren''s words. "I am telling the truth." Aren beams at him. "She might get mad at you if you misbehave. Lady is really strict." The little child turns the page of the notepad and smacks Aren''s chest with it. Aren reads the content loudly. "When will shee back?" How would Aren know? Ari was definitely taken away by the Dark God. Although he''s sure that she would return, he has no idea when she wille back. "After some time." Ai grimaces at him. Surely, things are not as they seem. "Ai." Kresi steps closer to Aren and Ai. "Your brother, father, and I am also here. We met you today for the first time. We want to know more about you. If you spend some time with us, I am sure that it would make her happy." The child curls his fingers, peering at Kresi quietly. After a tense minute, he writes something on the paper. "I will wait for her." Aren smiles after reading the words. "Ai, I am going to make you something delicious that our mother used to make." Gabriel blinks his eyes when he hears that. Aeline also had a good side. Maybe only her son had seen that side of her. "Come to my ce." Mirai, Pebby, Raye, and Kresi walk behind Gabriel and Aren. Ai keeps turning his head. His eyes search for Ari. The only thing that is keeping him from looking for Ari is that she might get angry if he doesn''t listen to her. He knows that she got mad at the bad god because of him. He won''t make the same mistake as that bad good. *** As soon as they manifest in their bedroom, Adira pushes her down on the bed. He grasps her jaw and presses his lips against hers, prating her mouth with his tongue. Hisrge hands wander to her bosoms, kneading them with a little resentment. She grabs his shoulders, curling her toes as he pokes, teases, and ys with her tongue until her face bes red. Adira raises his head, taking a long nce at her face. Her dark eyes are dazed. She pants for air, watching him with a hint of lust and anger. "Don''t kiss anyone else again," Adira tells her with a lowmanding voice. "What about our children?" She raises her brows, narrowing her eyes. "Are you still going to act like an idiot when we have children?" "You can''t kiss anyone else," He tells her, "I will kiss our children for you." "You are" She has no words for him. Idiot? Fool? Someone who needs a hard smack on his head? "Don''t be like this." "Are you okay if I kiss other people?" Adira''s eyes be soft. "I understand that I have to share you with other people you care about, but I want to be one who has thergest space in your heart." Ari sighs. Though she understands him, she also wants to beat him up. "You are already the one I love the most." "More than that nameless child?" Adira looks at her with expectation. "Right?" "Yes, yes." Ari ps his cheek lightly, blushing a little. Comparing himself to a kid So childish! "You like children so much," Admiral mumbles with a deep frown. "I should give you a child before we get married." "Wait." Ari''s protests are stopped by Adira''s kiss. In an instant, she is suddenly naked with him on the bed. His long fingers part her soft folds and rub her clit. She doesn''t know why his touches make her go crazy like this. He knows exactly where to touch and how to make her body ache for him. He nibbles her ear, trailing down to her breast, taking her erect pink nipple in his mouth. Still jealous, he bites it lightly to punish her, hearing her gasp. Ari grabs his hair hard, clutching him closer with her arms. He flicks her nipple hard as his two long fingers move in and out of her wetness. He stops and pressed his fingers against her slippery wall, squeezing her other breast. Her body is growing hot, mes flowing through her vessels. She wants him. A lot. She raises her chin, opening her mouth wide, reaching the climax as waves of pleasure wash over her. He stops suddenly and looks at her. "Are you going to break up with me again?" "???" She gawks at him. Is that important right now? Chapter 128: I dont lack theoretical knowledge Chapter 128: I don''tck theoretical knowledge "What if you break up with me after we get married?" He grimaces at her. His tone is whiny but sharp. "You left me because of someone else. Then again, you have a habit of sacrificing yourself for other people. What would I do without you?" The Dark God has been traumatized. "..." She only died once. For him. And well, to prevent war and save the world. When did she sacrifice herself? "Aren''t you supposed to say something to me?" Adira pinches the swollen bud, watching her flinch. She trembles when he bends down his head and brushes his lips on her bud; and then, he lifts his head and looks at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Are you ever going to say that you will leave me?" Chaining her with marriage or children? It might work on other women -- not her. He is terrified of hearing that she might leave him again. Even jokes on that matter are not epted. Idiot! Ari inhales sharply. He''s starting another quarrel. What is she supposed to say? If he does something bad again She bites her lower lip. His wet tongue glides over her clit, sucking her wetness. He thrusts his tongue inside her vagina, wiggling in and out while massaging her bud with his thumb. Tingling heat rushes through her veins, sending waves of pleasure to the tips of her toes; she squeezes her eyes shut and raises her chest, driven madly to a pinnacle. Wet licking sounds and her shameful moans fill the warm air. "Ah ah" She holds her breath as she reaches closer and closer to the climax and then He presses her bud between his teeth, teasing it with his tongue. She purses her lips, ignoring the sweet pain. Furrowing her brows, she eyes the man whose eyes are filled withughter. "I hate you!" She yells at him. "Get away from me." "Is that so?" He straightens his back, face covered with her glistening fluid. Her face burns red when he leans over her. She puts her hands on his hard chest, widening her legs as he presses the scalding tip of his penis her clit. He smirks at her, "You say this, but your actions say otherwise." "Are you going to tease me all day?" She narrows her eyes slightly, running her palms over his muscles. His body is a masterpiece. If he was on earth, he would have been a famous celebrity, making all the women drool over him. "All you have to do is promise me that you will never leave me." He pecks her lips, unable to resist when she''s looking at him like that. His throbbing hardness wants to be inside her. But he has to get this promise. "Promise me." "Stupid." Ari chuckles. Does he think that only he has the advantage in bed? Promising that isn''t big. But she''s going to teach him a lesson today. Don''t mess with a 21st-century woman from earth. She cups his face and kisses his lips, probing with her tongue slowly. He stiffens, startled. Ari takes the opportunity and pushes him on the bed. She brushes her lips against his, demanding him to grant him the entrance. He gathers his wits and purses his lips together. He wants a promise first. Oh, he''s not going to make it easy. Ari clicks her tongue. "You are quite stubborn." "You are also stubborn." Adira blinks, knitting his brows. But he doesn''t move. He wants to see what she is nning to do. "Do you know where I am from?" She smiles at him. "I might not have an experience like you had, but I don''tck theoretical knowledge, you dimwit god! Do you think that you can use sex against me?" "It''s just a promise." He can''t figure out why they are even arguing about this. His tone bes sorrowful like a lover who wants assurance. "I won''t ever leave you. There will be nobody else other than you. I just want to hear that. Ari, you act like you can leave me anytime." She used to make such promises to him before. Why did she change suddenly? Maybe people be dumb after living for so long. He looks so sad. Well, she did scare him. Maybe she shouldn''t have said that she was going to leave him. How many times have they fought? There''s no doubt that they will fight again. But nothing can change the fact that he loves her and she loves him. "Ari." He gives her an aggrieved look. "A promise?" "Alright." She wonders how he''s holding himself back. His rod is poking her butt and it''s rather annoying to feel that. "I promise that I will never leave you." As soon as those words escaped her lips, she founds herself beneath him. Ari blinks her eyes rapidly. What? In the next instant, she yelps when he thrusts his penis into her hole. "A-Adira, s-s-slowly" But the Dark God has been holding himself back. Then, he''s been agitated from the moment she disappeared. He also saw her kissing someone else. Finally, he''s a little relieved. Not much. When she was trying to gain control over him, he was barely holding himself back. Even he''s surprised that he could endure this far. "Ari I can''t anymore" He sounds a little apologetic as he pummels into her. She grips the bedsheet, hearing his groans as her silken walls tighten around his rod. With each thrust, he goes rams deeper into her. Letting out a loud moan, she wraps her legs around his waist. Sensing her walls bing tighter, he bends down and nibbles her lips gently, kneading her mounds, barely able to control his strength. She quivers beneath him as a blissful sensation overwhelms her; a surge of pleasure crashes her down as warm liquid flows out of her hole when he moves his rod out of her hole. Sweat dribbles on her skin. Adira scrutinizes her face. He can''t get enough of her. When Kresi reappeared in the body that Ari used to have, he felt nothing for that woman. The body did look like how Ari used to look like, but those golden eyes didn''t hold the soul that these dark eyes do. "I am sorry," He mumbles to her. "Why are you apologizing?" She asks with a raspy voice. Surely, the day isn''t over. His hardness is still pressed against herher region. She knows how fearsome his stamina is. He holds back himself because she''s still a mortal. If she wasn''t a mortal, he could have gone for days. Now, she knows the source of Kyo''s crazy lust when they slept for the first time in that inn. But why did he stop? He pulls his bride in his embrace, staring into her dark eyes. Though he gets jealous over a little kid, she didn''t even flinch when Amara showed up. Does she trust him or her love for him? "When I saw Amara, I was affected. I don''t love her, but I had a hard time because" She puts her finger on his lips. "I understand. You don''t have to say it." "You do?" He holds her hand. "What do you understand?" "If you really loved her once, it''s not strange that you were affected by her reappearance," She says to him with a steady gaze. "Amara is a part of your past. It''s not like I wasn''t affected when I heard that she came back. You loved her so much once. I was jealous too. I thought that you might want to be with her again. That doesn''t seem to be the case now. I am relieved." "You were jealous?" Adira''s eyes be bright. "Were you, really? For me?" "Why are you surprised?" Ari scowls at him. "I might get jealous, but I am not a woman who would fight with you or another woman over it. If you start having feelings for someone, I will ditch you at that exact moment whether I love you or not. I am not someone who gets envious over kissing little kids like you..." She trails off when she sees his burning eyes. "Um don''t get too excited. Adira, I am still aah..." He grabs the back of her head, pulling her face closer to his as he puts his leg over his hip. His hardness slips into her drenched hole. Her moan is muffled by his kiss. Ari apologizes to the women of 21st century from her as he pounds into her without restraints while ravenously flicking her tongue with his. It seems that she can''t ever have control over his god on the bed. Chapter 129: I am done with you Chapter 129: I am done with you When Ari wakes up, she finds herself in his arms. That''s not all. Her body hurts like hell and there''s something still inside her vagina. Feeling her stir, his member hardens inside her. She bes still, widening her eyes. It still has the energy to be hard? Adira opens his eyes and stares at her. She holds his gaze quietly for a moment. If she moves, he might get turned on. Again. How many times have they done it already? Can he take it out already? And then, he smiles at her; his dark eyes twinkle mischievously. Ari sighs and prepares herself for another round. He kisses her softly, entering her sweet mouth as he runs his palm on her back, ramming his cock into her hole slowly. Intense heating from his body drowns her. She responds to him, entangling her tongue with his, sucking. Sensing the need building up in her body, he pulls away, letting her breath. Turning her around, he raises her hip to meet his hardened member. She gasps when he suddenly enters her. Adira, addicted to her sweet moans and gasps, ps her buttocks. She lets out a lewd moan. "Don''t like this position?" Adira asks her teasingly. His slow thrusts are rather frustrating. "Why do you tease me so much?" She replies with a raspy voice. The tension is building up in her body. He ys around with it too much. "Faster, please." "This God shall grant your wish." He grabs on her hips and increases his speed, pummeling deeper into her with each thrust. Like a woman who only cares about pleasure, she screams whenever she reaches the climax. Only groans and moans are heard from the room. With a final thrust, he releases his warm seeds into her. Ari pants for air, mentally cursing the god for turning her like this. Adira bends down and gives a soft kiss on her shoulder, caressing her body while rubbing his penis on her butt. "Are you not done?" She res at him. "How many times have we done it already?" "I don''t know." He blinks his eyes. "Did you expect me to count? My mind was upied with pleasuring my bride." "Pleasuring, my foot!" She ps his arm. Herher regions are sore. Her hip is aching. Her breasts have been twisted, kneaded, and sucked. She doesn''t even want to start on the love bites all over her body. "I am a mortal. I don''t have your stamina." "That''s why you should marry me and be an immortal soon." Adira cups her bosoms, squeezing them to his delight. "Let''s have a wedding today. Tomorrow, I will force the gods to grant you immortality." "I have more important things to do than getting married." Ari grabs his grabs hard, Intending to teach him a lesson. "It''s not going to enter me until we get married then." "What are you...?" He gasps. Her soft hands stir a pleasurable sensation in his body. "This is your theoretical knowledge?" "..." Why is it not working? She tightens her fingers. This is not how it''s supposed to be. She raises her head and stares at his face. His eyes are drunk with heat. He inhales sharply. Shit! He''s a god. Of course, a mortal can''t use this trick on him. Why didn''t she think of this before? He''s already turned on. When she releases his balls, he grabs her hands and takes them to his hardening rod. "Ari, it''s time that you practice your theoretical knowledge," He whispers into her ear with a raspy voice. He''s very curious about what she knows. She has dug her grave with her own hands. It''s useless to argue with him. "This will be thest time for today." "Mhmm." Adira nibbles her ear. Whether it will best or not, they will see itter. His scalding rod is throbbing between her fingers. She curls her hand around the base clumsily. But giving a handjob is not easy. Instead of finding relief, his member is standing tall and proud. She meets his gaze and trembles. The intense need is clear in his eyes. He''s waiting. Before he starts, she must do something. It would have been better if he was an average person. His stamina is worrying her. She has no choice left now. Adira watches her climbing over him hesitantly. She keeps looking at him with a scarlet face. He wonders if he should help her with it. Then, he decides against it. She parts her thighs and slowly guides his cock into her. She closes her eyes, embarrassed under his shameless stare and gasps. His rod swells inside her. It''s too big. She wonders why she is also turned on. Has she be a sexual beast, thanks to this damned god? She moves up and down slowly, curling her toes. His dark eyes sweep over her. Her breasts are jiggling. But it''s her expression that''s making him crazy. She seems so embarrassed and yet, her face is flushed with bliss. Her slow movement is making it worse. His long arms seize her by the curve of her waist. Ari opens her eyes and looks at him. "You told me" "Helping you." He sits up and holds her closer, moaning her name. "Ari." And that''s all she needs to hear. She knows that she can''t say any more words. Ari coils her arms around his neck, her long dark hair flowing down on her smooth back. Her body bounces on hisp, taking all of his erged hardness. He squeezes her butt as he goes deep into her, hitting the entrance of her womb. Her mounds rub against his muscled chest. She cries in pleasure, forgetting about her initial embarrassment due to the deep sensations rushing through her veins, numbing her brain with pleasure. Beads of sweat roll down on their skin. He groans loudly as he loads his semen into her with onest thrust. Ari is too tired to move. She puts her chin on his shoulder, still sitting on hisp with his penis inside her dripping vagina. If it''s going to be like this, she should stop resisting and enjoy till the end. Her mind has been twisted because of the things that he made her body feel. "My love?" He ces his hand on her back. He senses that his seeds have quickened her womb. "We are going to have a child soon." "What?" She raises her head and stares at him, wide-eyed. "I seeded this time." He gives her a bright smile. "I can''t tell if it''s a girl or boy yet." "You!" Her mind is clear-headed after hearing those words. She moves away from hisp in a hurry and climbs off the bed. Adira cocks his head and watches her grab the bedsheet and cover her body. Why is she covering herself? He has seen all of her. Ari looks at his semi-hard penis. She picks up the pillow and throws it at his member. "Adira, get a grip. You are a Dark God -- not a God of lust." "You make me like this." He licks his lip, staring at her covered body. The bedsheet can''t hide the erectness of her nipples. "Are you a seductress, Renasir?" "Turning me pregnant at neen!" She points at him. "You! It''s not legal." "I am not sure what you are talking about." He taps his chin. It''s amusing how she talks about her world whenever she''s angry. "In this world, people are considered an adult at thirteen. From the age of thirteen, they can get married, have children, and do anything that an adult from your world can do. Our world is different from other worlds. Due to the strong ehr, the body reaches adulthood soon. By the way, you are physically neen while your mind is definitely not young. You have been sleeping with me for months and you are also epted as a citizen of this world. I don''t know what''s not legal since we both want each other madly." Want each other madly that''s true. Ari bites her lip. But where are condoms in this world? Where are pregnancy prevention medicines in this world? She didn''t bother with them because he told her that he wouldn''t impregnate her before marriage. "You did wrong! You said that you won''t get me pregnant before we get married." "You like kids." He crosses his arms, watching her with a quiet gaze. "Besides, we are getting married soon." "I don''t want to get married before I give a name to Ai." Ari fists her hands. He''s doing whatever he wants to do. Why can''t he ask her what she wants? "I am done with you." "What do you mean?" He furrows his brows. "I am not going to marry you." She raises her chin and deres, "I won''t lose my freedom to a man who won''t consider his partner''s wishes." Chapter 130: We will do this your way Chapter 130: We will do this your way Adira crosses his arms. "Okay." She puckers her lips, creasing her forehead. Didn''t he agree too quickly? "You are not going to leave me, right?" He speaks slowly, stressing each word. "You promised mest night." She gives him a nod. That''s true. Promises can''t be broken easily in this world, especially if it''s spoken by a Renasir. Since she gets angry easily and he doesn''t understand why it''s like this, he''s not going to bother arguing with her. It makes things worse anyway. He takes slow steps toward her, not wanting to agitate her further. She hasn''t realized what it means to carry a god''s child. He has so much work to do -- preparing the wedding, preparing a room for their first child, and whatnot. Maybe he should consult with the dragon god. His friend had more than three dozen children. "What are you doing?" She scowls at him when he carries her in his arms suddenly. "Arguing is bad for our child." He takes her to the bathroom,ying her down in therge tub. The water is warm. He stares into her eyes. "I hope that she''s just like you." Her face softens when she hears those words. But how would she trust him again? He didn''t impregnate her because having a child was his priority. Otherwise, he would have told her. He did it because he wanted to tie her to him. How would she trust him again? Doing whatever he wants to how is their rtionship going to survive? When she''s deep in thoughts, Adira gets into the tub and pulls her closer to him, making her sit on his hardness. He ces hisrge hands on her bosoms, massaging them into various shapes. She snaps out of her thoughts. "Adira, you haven''t you eaten enough?" "Whenever you get mad, I am going to love you more." He nibbles her ear. "Each time you want to argue with me, I will kiss your mouth. If you think about leaving me, I am going to make your legs numb with pleasure. You say that you don''t want to marry me. That''s fine. We have been married to each other twice. This wedding is nothing more than a formality. You are already my wife in every way. I am going to make you realize that you are my wife." Her threat is useless? She blinks her eyes. Yes, another wedding is just a formality. They have been making love to each other ever since they came back here. He has treated her like his wife in every way. And she admits that she likes his pampering, even if it''s annoying at times. But what should she do about his insecurity? He should have figured out by now that he''s the only one for her. Why should she say it all the time? She gasps when he licks her neck hungrily as he twists her nipples. This pleasure with pain is sending foreign sensations in her body. He''s angry for sure, though he''s not showing it. "Adira, we need to talk." Talking ends up in arguments. He grabs her jaw and turns her head toward him, sealing her mouth with his. He tongue forces her mouth open, invading her mouth with passionate rage. He kneads her bosom furiously, pinching her nipple. His other hand crawls to herher region, rubbing her rosebud. His hardness is pressing against the entrance of her hole. He''s going to fuck her until she stops thinking about useless things. Not bothering to give her time to breath, he prates her tense hole. She lets out a whimper. Her walls clench around his erged rod, obstructing his movement. Staring into her dark eyes, he thrusts deep into her while rubbing her clit without a stop. His movements are neither slow nor fast. Each thrust is deep, knocking the breath out of her. She parts her lips, panting for air. He''s making her crazy again. What is this way of resolving their arguments? Her thoughts are put to stop when he bends down his head and kisses her gently, bing still. Her heart calms down, thinking that the big God is not angry anymore. In the next instant, he presses her toward the edge of the tub. With a crazed speed, his dick moves in and out of her. His hand grabs her left breast, rubs her hardened nipple. He bites into the curve of her neck, licking while teasing her clit mercilessly. Jolts of molten heat awash her body. Her bones feel like they are melting in the waves of pleasure that seems to take her to peak and drowns her in the next moment. His raspy breaths burn her ear as he rams into her weing walls violently. "Since you don''t want to marry me, I won''t hold myself back either." Whether consciously or unconsciously, he''s been always considerate of her mortal body. But now, he is consciously not controlling himself. She squirms, wanting more of him when it hurts to take all of him. Even in his breaths, she feels like she''s hearing her name. "I should have seen thising. You are confident to stay mortal because you can take all of me, aren''t you? I must have built your endurance in bed," He teases her with a deep stimting voice. He shoves his dick deeper into her suddenly, making her whimper. He chuckles. "Do you know that there''s a method to reach immortality through sex?" What? She can''t help but blush. His seeds burst into her, filling her to the brim. She takes a deep breath of relief, thinking it''s over. Then, he turns her around to face him, eyeing her with a devilish look in his eyes. "I see. This is what you want. You want to reach immortality through sex. My love, I apologize deeply for not understanding you properly. We don''t need to get married and get the blessing of those pesky gods." When did she say that? He''s going to fuck her like this to turn her body immortal. She doesn''t even want to imagine how many times he''s going to do it every day. "Adira, I am pregnant. Having too much sex is bad for the baby." He frowns at her. "Who said that? Having more sex will help our child to grow faster." Ari stares at him. What does that suppose to mean? "Ah." He realizes that she truly doesn''t know much about Iravan. "I don''t know how things were in your world. In this world, having more sex when the female is pregnant with a child of a God helps the child''s growth tremendously. Do you know that Mirinae and Sion didn''t leave their abode for until the triplet moons were born? Look how adorable and cute they are." His earlier anger evaporates from his mind. His eyes sparkle when he realizes that he might have three daughters too. He could imagine them running around the castle. What should he name them? He will let his wife decide. She''s a Renasir, after all. Who cares about having a wedding now? He will give so much of his essence to her that her body will be immortal on its own. "Why did you want to have a wedding when you could do this?" She can''t help but ask him. He looks happier after hearing that she didn''t want to marry him. Ari feels like she has dug her own grave. "I wanted to court you properly. I didn''t want to find any reason to point finger at you for not being married to me. But you don''t care about it," He smiles at her. "Earlier, you couldn''t channel ehr. You weren''t a citizen of this world. But your body still got strong because of our bed activity. Now, you are a citizen of this world. Your channels are open to the magic. You are also a Renasir. We will do this your way." Having sex to reach immortality Ari gulps. She can''t even move her legs. Her hip is aching and she doesn''t even want to think about the condition of her vagina. "Adira, I don''t mind having a wedding" "I mind now." Adira smooches her lips, silencing her next words. "My beautiful bride, we will have a wedding only when your body bes immortal." Ari feels like hitting her head as he begins another round of kisses and fondles, his erect tip already finding its way into her warm hole. Who says that he''s the god fo darkness? He''s the god of lust. At a small building in the realm of three moons, Kresi and Aren are having a hard time pacifying a child who is on the verge of destroying the house and killing anyone.When everything fails, Kresi decides to go to the Dark Castle and seek Ari on her own. Little Ai calms down after hearing that. This sister is the only one who understands him. "I will go with you," Aren tells her. When she narrows her golden eyes, he adds with a lighter tone, "He''s my brother." Chapter 131: Too sophisticated for this commoners company Chapter 131: Too sophisticated for thismoner''spany The entire house is a little awkward because of Aren, the former prince who was the leader of the hunters once. Only Gabriel talks to Aren normally. Mirai and Pebby avoid him. Raye ignores his existence. Kresi is always silent around him. Aren is used to seeing her non-verbal gestures rather than hearing her voice. "You can''te with us, Aren," Kresi speaks to him for the first time. Her voice is eerily cold, filled with a distant ent of the lower realm. He flinches -- an unwanted reaction from the night she talked to him through the connection that he had with his mother''s mind. He hates this reaction, but his body doesn''t listen to him. The girl is younger than him now. She''s powerless. Besides, he knows that she wasn''t in the wrong. She wanted revenge for her friends. He also wanted revenge for his mother. But this cycle had to end somewhere. He ended it, thanks to Ari''s words. Hating someone might be a choice. What about fear? Why is he still afraid of her? She''s not a harbinger anymore. He steels his heart. This is about his little brother. "Why can''t Ie with you?" "Drawing a true name is a dangerous task." Kresi stares at him with a straight face. The former prince''s fear is clear to her. That night must have left an effect on him. Even his channels were broken because of the torment that she gave him through the link he had with his mother. She takes a sharp breath. How is she going to get retribution? "It''s not safe for you to be around us." Before Raye could open his mouth and say that he wants toe along, Kresi gives him a cold look. "You too." "Are you going alone?" Pebby asks her with a concerned voice. "The gates can only be essed by the gods. Dark Realm is far from here. It will take two days to reach the castle of the Dark God. We shoulde with you. Our home is in the Dark Realm, albeit it''s a little far from the Dark Castle." "No, I don''t want you toe with me. It''s too dangerous," Kresi says to them. "I know a shortcut. It should take a day to reach the Dark Castle directly if we take that route." What kind of shortcut? Raye''s ears perk up. The world has changed. Though this new world is better, there are also some limitations. But Kresi offers him no exnation. Gabriel watches her solemnly, knowing full well that it''s useless to argue with her if she has made up her mind. Kresi''s reasons aren''t unfounded. There is a danger in being close to a nameless creature. Even if Ai seems not dangerous now, he shouldn''t be unestimated. Being in the dark castle might be best for his son until his son receives a true name. "Isn''t this unsafe for you too?" Mirai questions her quietly. "You might also get hurt. What will we do without you?" "You will start living the way you did before I came back to life." Her tone is calm and unbending, clearly not wanting to argue anymore. Mirai, Pebby, and Raye stuff their protests in their hearts. Before she died, Kresi was the leader of the cursed children. There was a rumour that she killed a royal bloodline in Milegia, participated in the war secretly, controlled the politics of the lower realm, and even cause a war between two countries. Though Mirai and Pebby aren''t sure about the rumours, Raye and Gabriel know the truth. This girl had fought with the beasts in the underground realm and tore open human beings in front of others to entertain them. Even if she can''t channel ehr right now, she shouldn''t be underestimated. "Mirai, why do you worry so much? It''s our Kresi." Raye walks to her side and wraps his arm around her shoulder. Aren knits his brows, not saying a word. The gesture might seem okay between two men, but Kresi is a girl and Raye is a man. He has a feeling that Kresi still treats them all as if they are kids. Though she has a strange mature look in her eyes, there''s also a certain ignorance toward the functionality of this world. Perhaps, he''s overthinking because he had a crush on the girl with golden eyes once. "I know." Mirai whines, "I will be sad if she is gone again." "Me too." Pebby''s lips tremble. Her eyes turn misty. "We are family, Kresi. How could we go on living the same way after you are gone again?" Kresi lets out a sigh. "I won''t be gone. There''s no need to worry." "I am worried," Aren interrupts. "You can''t even channel ehr now. What if a spirit beast attacks you? You are forgetting that God Cina still holds a grudge against you." She blinks her eyes, surprised by his words. Worried? Funny! "Of all the people whom I have wronged, he''s the least important one on that list. If hees to get a beating, I will satisfy his desire with happiness." "..." She''s talking about a god, right? All of them gulp except for Ai who is looking at her with awe. "Tch!" She clicks her tongue in distaste. "He was acting all high and mighty. Bn broke the contract and she chose her own death. How is that my fault? I only said that she was going to die. When did I say that it would be an eternal death?" That''s true, but Aren frowns at her. Why didn''t she say these words during the trial? "Whether I say it or not, Cina won''t stop hating me. If hees, I will deal with him." She looks at her hands that can''t sense any ehr. It''s a problem that she can''t channel ehr. Noras won''t agree to open her channels. Should she ask the Renasir? It might be too much. She will see in the future. Her priority is Ai''s true name. "I guess that you are afraid because I can''t use ehr anymore. That''s a handicap, but it''s not a big issue." How is that? He can''t even imagine a life without magic. Aren nces at Gabriel who doesn''t seem surprised by Kresi''s words. Raye gives her a heavy nod, knowing that she has survived in an environment where she couldn''t do any magic against her opponent. Mirai and Pebby don''t argue anymore. Only Aren can''t understand why these people are so easy going about this. Little Ai has been hearing them argue for a while. He writes something on the notepad and gives it to Kresi. Kresi takes the notepad hanging in the air and gives a nce to the words. She shakes her head at him. "Boy, you can''t go back to that ce again. It will be difficult for her to draw a name if the thread that connects you to this world bes weaker. Don''t use your abilities until you receive a true name. Do you hear me?" The child holds her hand, giving her a nudge. She releases her breath. Maybe she should find another way to prevent this kid from using his abilities. "Kresi," Aren calls her name, feeling awkward when she responds by raising her brow nonchntly. "I aming with you whether you like it or not." "Because you are worried about me?" She sneers at him. "I didn''t know Arenyr Starfire would worry about his mother''s murderer too." "Shut your mouth." He scowls at her darkly. "I will shut my mouth if you stop saying ridiculous things." Kresi crosses her arms. "We are talking about a nameless creature. Did nobody teach this prince about them? Maybe the prince has such a big heart that he wants to be his brother''s food." Aren clenches his teeth. Nevermind! He hates this girl. Who does she think she is? "I don''t require amoner''s permission. He''s my brother, royal blood. If you and Ari aren''t afraid of being close to him, why do you expect me to be? Even someone like me is better than a cripple who can''t channel ehr." Little Ai curves his brows, wondering why they are fighting when he doesn''t want either of them to go with him. He wants to meet Ari alone if it''s possible The former prince bites his inner cheek. Why did he call her a cripple? He shouldn''t have lost his temper. But the girl seems unaffected. She rolls her eyes. "Is cripple all you cane up with? The prince is too sophisticated for thismoner''spany." Pebby covers her mouth to hold back a snicker. Mirai and Raye burst intoughter. Even Gabriel smiles. Aren grimaces at all of them. Are theyughing at him because he couldn''te up with a worse insult? "If this graceful prince wants toe, then I won''t stop him. I also won''t acknowledge his presence. He''s responsible for his own safety." Kresi turns to Gabriel and others. "I am sure that you are not as wise, kind, and courageous as this holy prince. Mirai, leave now with Pebby. She''s with a child, isn''t she? You should be staying at home with her." Sophisticated. Graceful. Wise. Kind. Courageous. Holy. Each word has a loud sarcastic hint. Aren''s heart fills with bitterness. This girl''s words cut deeply. Chapter 132: Forbidden magic Chapter 132: Forbidden magic Raye gives a nce to his sister. "Is she right?" Pebby blushes, avoiding his gaze. They haven''t announced this news yet. She''s not even showing. How did Kresi find out? "It hasn''t been long." Miraiughs nervously. "Idiot." Raye smacks the back of Mirai''s head. "You should not have travelled this far when she''s carrying. When I gave you permission to marry her, I told you that her safety shoulde before anything else." "It''s only been a month." Mirai rubs his head. "She wanted to see Kresi a lot, and your sister listens to no one." "I shouldn''t have let her marry a weakling like you." Raye reaches for Mirai''s head who dodges his paw and runs toward Pebby. "Help me, Pebby," Mirai cries. "He''s going to kill me." Raye yells, "Why are you hiding? Get your beatings like a man." "Brother, don''t hurt my husband." Pebby shields her husband from her angry brother. "I wanted to see Kresi. It''s not his fault. He didn''t want me toe. He was going toe alone." "That''s even worse!" Raye bellows. "How could he think of leaving his pregnant wife alone?" "Waa Brother-inw, don''t hurt me. You must scold your sister." "I gave you my precious sister. You should be getting the beatings." Just what kind of logic is that? Mirai can only hold back his tears. Kresi ignores the chaos and gives a list to Gabriel. "I need some items. I will give you the list. You should bring it to the Dark Castle within two days. Take Raye with you. Some items are difficult to find." "I understand," Gabriel replies. "Will you be okay on your own?" She looks at Aren and says quietly, "This cripple will rely on the holy prince." Even Ai could tell that she is taunting Aren. He sighs. Why are adults soplicated? His pretty sister is the only one who seems normal to him. "The Dark God''s first wife is not updated with thetest news," Aren snaps at her. "I am no longer a prince. I gave up the holy fire and my position as a prince." That ticks her off. "What did you call me?" "Dark God''s first wife." He has finally found an upper hand on her. "Why? Am I lying, Amara?" She wrinkles her nose, burying her rage deep into her heart. It''s not worth getting angry over. "Don''t call me that." He gives her a dark look. "Don''t call me a prince." The girl rolls her eyes. Even if he gave up the position officially, everyone knows that he was the prince and they will remember him as one. It''s the same with her. As long as people can remember, they won''t forget that she''s the sinner of Iravan. She nces at the spot where Ai is standing. "Boy, I am going to pack. If you need anything, grab it and stuff in your bag." After saying her piece, she goes back to her room. They hear loud noisesing from the room. Gabriel nces at the list and frowns. Some items are rare treasures. "Was she always like that?" Aren asks Gabriel, pointing toward the room. "She shows no respect for anyone. Wasn''t she only thirteen when she died? She is still thirteen. All of us are older than her." "Who are you to judge?" Raye scowls at him. "That was her being extremely nice to you." Extremely nice? The corner of his lips twitches. If that was nice, he''s curious to see her worse side. Then, he remembers. He has seen her worst side on that night. "Her mental age is not the same as her physical age." Gabriel gives a smile to Aren. "She''s Amara''s reincarnation. She also remembers her previous life. Amara was older than you when she died. Besides, all of us know that Kresi has experienced things that most of us haven''t." After hearing that, Aren releases his breath. Both Ari and Kresi are alike in some way. Both of them have died and reborn again. The difference is also huge. Why is he bothered about it anyway? The one he likes is already married to the Dark God. The one he wants to avoid is helping his little brother. He heads to his room and quickly packs his things in a hurry. Who knows? The girl might leave without him. To his surprise, Kresi hasn''te out of the room. Mirai and Pebby are already there with their packed bags. Gabriel is also ready to leave with Raye. It seems that everyone is waiting for Kresi toe out. He gives a nce toward Kresi''s room. Where''s Ai, by the way? Did she escape with Ai? He can''t help but doubt that sharp-tongued girl. "You, prince or whatever." Raye beckons him with his index finger. "We need to talk." Aren frowns, but he quietly follows Raye out of the house. Raye turns around and crosses his arms. "Prince Arenyr Starfire." "Just Aren would do," Aren tells him calmly. He already has some idea what this talk would be about. Admiration and devotion in this man''s eyes for Kresi is clear to him. "Don''t even think about harming her in any way." Raye narrows his eyes on the former prince. "I don''t care what the gods say. If I was in her ce, I would have done the same to your mother and Bn." His mother indeed did wrong. He isn''t a saint either. But why does he have to prove his intentions all over again? "I am here for my brother." "I want to believe that." Raye wrinkles his brows. He studies Aren with a quiet gaze. After a pause, he continues, "Don''t get killed by her." Is she that bad? Nevermind! Aren shrugs. "I might have given up my holy fire, but I am sure that I can deal with a girl like her." "Your confidence is rather funny." Raye shakes his head and chuckles. "You couldn''t even catch Gabriel and me. Do you think that you can deal with her? Geez! You are too pure for this world. " "She''s not a god. " Aren scowls at him. What''s so extraordinary about her? She might have been different in the past. But she''s a human with broken channels. Even if she has the appearance of a Mirin, she is not a Mirin. "There must be a reason why the cursed children trusted Kresi more than they trusted the Dark God." Raye leans closer and whispers, "I trust that she can defend herself; however, I will chase you to the end of this world if you make any move against her." Aren lets out an exasperated sigh. That''s themest threat that he has heard. "I will repeat myself for thest time. I am only here for my brother." He doesn''t wait for Raye to respond. He takes long strides into the house, walks past Gabriel and others in the room, climbs the stairs before anyone could stop him, and storms into Kresi''s room. He blinks his eyes, astonished to see her sitting on her knees in front of a toddler. She is dressed in full ck. A thick furry cloak hides her skinny body. Her long dark hair is tied into a ponytail. It seems that she''s in the midst of something. Ignoring his existence, she ces the mask on the child''s face. "Can you see, kid?" The little figure gives her a nod. Aren realizes why she''s been taking too long. Ai is clothed in dark clothes with a dark cloak hiding his head. The mask is covering his face. At a nce, he looks like an overly dressed kid, but that''s not as bad as an invisible kid. Now, they can see him, though they can''t see his face. Kresi isn''t done. Aren watches her draw a symbol on the paper. He creases his forehead. That''s a forbidden rune. Mortals aren''t allowed to venture in that field. Having that knowledge is bad enough for the gods to exterminate the person. What the hell is she doing? How did she even learn all that? Did the previous Renasir teach her? But he''s curious. She can''t channel ehr into that symbol. Then, it''s nothing but paper. He won''t help her in any What? The girl takes off the cork of the vial and sprinkles the white powder over the symbol. It glimmers as the powder seeps into the symbol. She ms the paper on Ai''s back. The kid twists his body as the paper burns into the cloak. He screams when a visible chains ties around his body, holding him back. The pain is gone. Ai pants for air. What did this sister do to him? Something is wrong with him. He tries to escape, but he can''t sense the space anymore. He looks at Kresi, puzzled. Why did she do this? He didn''t use his abilities. Then, why are they blocked? "What did you do?" Aren runs to his little brother. "That''s forbidden magic." Chapter 133: Are you not afraid? Chapter 133: Are you not afraid? "I didn''t do any magic." Kresi tells him with a straight face, "I can''t do magic. My channels are broken. I can''t make a contract with a spirit either. Why do you use me of something that I can''t do?" "That I saw with my own eyes." He points at his brother''s little back. The symbol from the paper has disappeared. He takes the vial from her hand and sniffs. It smells like ehr. "What is this?"There''s a faint smile on her red lips. "What do you think?" "Is it what I think it is?" He narrows his eyes dangerously. "How would I know what you are thinking?" She can''t help but tease him. It''s part of her habit to y with the prey before she butchers them. She frowns at the thought. Why did she think of bully this dumb prince? But it sort of feels like he''s asking for a beating. "If it is what I think it is, you aremitting a grave crime." He corks the vial. Has she learned nothing? "You received a new life. Don''t squander the Renasir''s efforts like this." Kresi exhales. She doesn''t want to use her energy arguing with this dumb prince. "You are scared of me. Then, why did youe to my room?" How did she find out? Aren hides his surprise under the mask of anger. "Who said that I am afraid of you?" "Ah I was wrong then." She tilts her head, studying him. "Then, let me ask in another way. Why did youe to my room when you should be waiting for me outside? I am still a woman. I could have been in the middle of changing." "..." Woman? He gives her a look over. The girl only reaches to his chest. Her face is thin and pale, but her eyes are as deep as the ocean, making people feel secure in a way. He realizes his mistake. She''s still a girl. But he won''t admit it. "I don''t see a woman in this room." She clicks her tongue. "Taking a blind man with me is going to be quite a trouble." "Do you want me to treat you like a woman then?" He crosses his arms and stares at her. "Does the harbinger like me?" "This cripple doesn''t dare to," She replies with a t voice, unaffected by his attempt at making her flustered. "Whether you see me as a man, woman, halfling, god, spirit, or something else, you must always knock before you enter my room if you don''t want to lose your useless eyes." Aren huffs at her. "I don''t n to stay with you for long." "If my guess is right, you are going to stay until your brother gets his true name." Kresi turns her gaze at the kid, sensing his animosity. "I blocked your abilities because you might be tempted to use your abilities again. It would harm the Renasir too. Her debt to her is also dangerous for her." He can''t use his abilities anymore. Little Ai looks at her glumly. Couldn''t she tell him before doing that to him? Kresi shrugs. "Also, don''t trust people like me." Aren knits his brows together. She did some forbidden magic. The preserved ehr was used to activate the rune. But what kind of magic was that? He had never heard of someone with broken channels being able to do magic. "Little Brother, are you feeling okay?" The little boy gives him a nod. This sister is already on her bad list. His brother is a little better, but he''s always arguing with this sister. Little Ai hasn''t been to have some quiet time ever since he came here. Someone is always trying to start a conversation with him, although they know that they can''t hear his voice. Now, he''s forced to wear these kinds of clothes over his robe. Only he knows the difort of wearing too manyyers. It''s time to leave. She shoves her bag in Aren''s arms. "This cripple trusts that his royal highness'' arms are kind enough to carry this." He clenches his teeth when the weight of the bag hits him. What the hell is she carrying inside it? She takes Little Ai''s bag and puts it over her bag in Aren''s arms. "His royal highness is a gentleman." "..." At first, she didn''t want him toe with her, and now she''s using him as a servant. "Let''s go, kid." Kresi grabs Little Ai''s gloved hand, dragging him along with her while Ai continues to re her back. He has a little choice than follow her lead since she sealed her abilities like that. He should have just left earlier instead of being a good child and listen to this sister. He''s going toin about this sister to his Pretty Sister. Kresi has no idea what this little boy is thinking and she doesn''t care either. After they reached the living room, Gabriel is surprised to see the toddler beside her. "Is he...?" "Yes." Kresi replies, "I didn''t know if it would work. His body is still invisible, but the clothes from this world aren''t." "Kresi, you are a genius," Pebby presses her palms together and cries in joy. "All of us can see him now." "Only the clothes, not him." She nces at Pebby. "Why are you still here? You should be on your way." "We were nning to leave with you." Mirai lowers his eyes when she grimaces at him. "What I mean is that we won''t travel together We can apany you as long as we can" Their tactics are ratherme. She didn''t get dumber after her death. There''s no way that she would take these two with her. The trial has revealed her identity. As much as possible, she doesn''t want to be seen with innocent ones. Surely, there are people who sympathize with her. There are also those who hate her with guts. If Ari is the saviour, she''s definitely the annihtor. Renasir will be treated with the utmost respect. She will only bring prejudice to the people around her. After Ai receives his name, she ns to go somewhere far away from these people who aren''t ''cursed children'' anymore. She''s someone with no future. She has no home. She has no heart to ept anyone''s love and care. "Gabriel, don''t bete," She tells Gabriel. Aren follows her out of the house. They head toward the stables. Aren shoves the bags on the brown horse''s back and releases his breath. Did she pack the entire room? By the way, why is he even carrying her bags? When she reaches for Little Ai, he waddles toward his elder brother and grabs his brother''s hand. Sitting with his brother is better than being with this unpredictable sister. Kresi shrugs her shoulders and climbs the horse, riding it toward the south. Aren quickly climbs the horse and helps his brother sit with him. When he reaches up to her, he grabs her arm. "Hey, where are you going?" She jerks his hand off with a frown. "Shortcut." "It''s the opposite direction." Aren yells at her, "You are heading toward Mahuna''snds." "Shortcut," Kresi mumbles again, already at a limit of her patience. "What shortcut?" He scowls at her back. "Thendscapes have changed since the gods fixed this world. I am sure that your shortcut doesn''t exist anymore." She looks over her head with deep lines on her forehead, clearly annoyed by his constant doubts. "If you say another word, I am going to stuff your mouth with mud." "Hmph!" He harrumphs. As if that would scare him! However, not another word is heard from the former prince. Kresi looks ahead. The corner of her vermillion lips rises. Her eyes twinkle, amused by the former prince''s reaction. The saffron rays of the sun descend on the outstretchednd. Little Ai leans back, resting the back of his head on Aren''s chest. The little boy blinks his eyes slowly until he falls asleep. Aren wraps his one arm around his little brother, holding his body steady as he continues to seethe in silence. "If I am wrong about the shortcut, his royal highness will help this cripple finding the right direction." After hearing that, he calms down a bit. Perhaps, this girl is not that bad. "If this cripple is right, one hopes that the chosen one doesn''t open his giant mouth for the rest of the way." She continues to call herself a cripple. "Can you stop calling yourself a cripple?" "Am I not?" She chuckles. It''s easy to poke this prince into speaking. "Broken channels can be healed." Aren squeezes the horse''s side with his legs, loosening the reins. He reaches to her side. "I am a living example of that." "It''s funny that you want my channels healed." She looks at him with a quiet gaze. "You close your mouth when I threaten you, but you want me to feel magic again. Are you not afraid that I might hurt you if I receive my magic back?" Chapter 134: Want to kill her royal highness? Chapter 134: Want to kill her royal highness? The thought sends a jolt in his body. He hates feeling like this. Why does he still feel fear around her? The nightmares from that night still haunt his sleep. What would have happened if Ari had never reced Kresi''s soul? Would he have crumbled due to his fear or warred with her because of his hate? He had stopped hating her. He epted everything that his mother did. Both his mother and Kresi died that night. Who could he me for the scars that the night left on his soul? His mother was partly responsible too. It''s a girl. Only a girl with broken channels. He tells her with a steady voice, "You have no reason to hurt me." "Why do you assume that?" She tilts her head and regards him with a puzzled gaze. "You are the first person whom I want to kill right after I regain my abilities." "Oh, really?" He presses down the fear, hiding his trembling hand under his cloak. His green eyes contract, darkening a little. She''s never going to change, is she? Ari''s efforts are a waste. The girl is still hungry for blood. He asks her bitterly, "Why does this cripple want to kill her royal highness?" "I hate you," She replies with a clear voice, going ahead of him. "You look a lot like her your hair, eyes, nose, lips, and the tone of your skin remind me of her. That''s enough for me to hate you." He inhales sharply. He should be the one who should carry such hate. Does he like being around this girl who killed his mother mercilessly? She was still his mother. "Kresi Mirin, this hate is mutual." Oh, she knows when someone hates her. His voicecks the so-called hate. There is an annoyance and a little anger in his tone. But disgust and hate are missing from his eyes and She snorts, not bothering to reply. Just then, a metallic ball shoots in her direction. She ducks her head, shifting on the saddle. The horse is startled. She slips from the seat, falling on the ground with a loud thump. "Ugh!" Lying on the ground, she lets out a sigh. She''s a little out of touch. Aren lets out a curse. Who is attacking them now? He climbs off the horse with his little brother under his arm, covering his brother''s body with his cloak. His green eyes search for the assassin. Fiery ehr vibrates in his veins, rushing toward the tips of his fingers. A fireball manifests in the centre of his palm. He sees a glimpse of a dark figure running toward the figure. In the next instant, the figure is gone. Illusion? He shoots the fireball at the tree. The fire engulfs the tree. There''s no sign of the figure. Ai squirms in his grasp. Aren doesn''t let him go. Protecting his brother is his top priority. He nces at the spot where Kresi fell earlier and finds it empty. Where did she go? He turns his head around and sees her standing close to a boulder, leaning slightly on in. She''s holding an icy blue bow, twice the size of her body. A thin silvery snake, as thin as a string, is biting the one end of the bow with its tail curled around the other end. It looks familiar. That bow looks quite simr to a treasure that he had seen in a book once. "That''s Serpent''s Sting!" He exims in horror. When the gods went to sleep, they left their treasures behind. Their priests guarded those treasures in the temples for generations while they waited for their return. When he studied at Ilucia, he had seen the picture of this bow in one of the books. How did she get this? She tilts her head with closed eyes, listening to the sound. Though her senses are duller than before, she hasn''t lost everything. She moves to her right swiftly, putting a wooden arrow on the godly bow. He gapes at her. Her posture is simr to the royal warriors. Under the moonlight, she has a different glow. With a sharp look in her eyes, she releases the arrow. The wooden arrow cuts through the air, hitting an obstruction. The elusive shield smashes like a mirror. However, the arrow doesn''t stop. The figure, who is a man in histe thirties, gasps as the arrow hits his shoulder. He copses on the ground. The bow shrinks into a pair of snakes; one is blue and the other one is silver. They climb her arms swiftly and hide under her cloak. Kresi takes long strides toward the fallen man. The man, wearing ck trousers and a ck tunic, res at her. But he can''t move his body. The pain in his shoulder is excruciating. She bends down on her knees and pulls off the cloth covering the lower half of his face. "Eh? I don''t remember offending you in my lifetime." "Whore!" He spits at her face. "Sinners like should be tortured to death." "Whore." That''s a first. Maybe not. She taps her chin. "I have never parted my legs for a man, you know. I am not sure that it applies to me." Aren covers his little brother''s ears. What does she mean? She was married to the dark god once. "Even if I have had sex, it doesn''t make me a whore." She sighs. "Why do these men use this word as abuse? What about the men who visit the whores? Are they any worse?" "Shut up, Sinner!" The man roars. "I would have thrown you into the den of deranged half-lings who would have fucked you until your death." "How do you know that I have never been thrown into those dens?" Kresi cocks her head andughs. "If I were you, I would not have let my enemy die. The gods won''t bring me back if I die this time. I would be reborn without memories of Kresi or Amara. Then, I could be reborn as your daughter or someone else''s child in this world. That sounds too good for me, right? If you want revenge, it''s better to keep me alive and torture me every day. Then again, being fucked by halflings soundsme." The man blinks his eyes. The tone of her voice doesn''t match her age. The shine in her eyes is maniacal, frightening. He swallows, forgetting about his pain. He came here to capture this sinner because of things that she did. Iravan was destroyed by this woman. She even caused trouble when she was the harbinger. The woman like her shouldn''t be released without punishment. The Gods are too kind. This woman doesn''t deserve such kindness. "Your friend ran away without you." She checks the wound on the man''s shoulder. "You are lucky that I can''t do magic." She pulls out the arrow and tosses it on the ground. The man screams. With a cool voice, she continues, "Your bone is hit. I don''t think that you can ever use your arms again. But what do I know about healer''s magic? Maybe you can go to the gods andin that I hurt you. Then again, do you think that the gods would punish me for self-defence? I don''t have any magic. You couldn''t even protect yourself from a harmless wooden arrow? Good luck with that, Sehr." Kresi clicks her tongue, standing up. She walks toward Aren. Her horse is nowhere to be seen. What should she do now? "We will capture you." The man shouts behind her. "You will beg for death from us. Even the holy knights are with us. You won''t go unpunished, you hateful creature!" Holy knights? Aren knits his brows. He was the leader of the holy knights once. They were disbanded after the gods reappeared in the world. Is this some fake group that''s masquerading as the holy knights? Do they have no will to live? He needs to investigate this. He can''t do it now. Taking Ai to the castle is his top priority. "Hateful creature is better than whore or cripple, I guess," She mumbles absent-mindedly as she walks past Aren. She takes out a talisman from the inner pocket of her cloak. Then, she sprinkles the white powder on it. The talisman shines once, reacting to the powder. She only has five more. Would it be enough for this journey? They need to reach the Dark Castle as soon as possible. Kresi ms the talisman on the horse''s belly, feeling the magic throbbing under her palm. The vigorous energy rushes into the horse. It res its nostrils, ready to charge ahead. She turns around and frowns at him. "What are you waiting for?" How is she nonchnt about this? He can''t help but feel like an idiot beside her. "What did you do to the horse?" "It''s simr to aphrodisiac." She knows that he won''t budge without an exnation. Should she try stuffing mud in his mouth? He won''t let her do that willingly. She doesn''t want to harm this man in the process. She climbs the horse. "Its stamina has increased. He won''tst the whole journey, but he will get us as far as he can." Aren narrows his eyes, wrinkling his nose. "It will kill this horse." "If that man''s friends arrive, it will be an ugly battle." She bends down her waist and takes Ai from his arm. The little toddler lets out a sigh. He couldn''t do any magic earlier. This sister is so bad. Kresi makes him sit in front of her, covering the boy with her cloak. She looks at Aren quietly, waiting. "What?" He takes a step back, curving his brows. Does she want him to sit behind her? "No!" The girl shakes her head. What is he afraid of? She won''t bite him. Chapter 135: So, you do want to kill me Chapter 135: So, you do want to kill me "I will walk!" Aren snaps at her, not being able to endure her staring. Is she an idiot? How could he sit with her? A cold shiver runs down his body. She''s... "Can you catch you with a horse with enhanced stamina?" She narrows her eyes on him. "Take the usual path to the dark castle. We will meet after two days." "You are going to leave without me?" He grabs her thigh when the horse steps ahead. Kresi pulls the reins and nces at the hand on her thigh. Realizing his mistake, he takes his hand back awkwardly. "I told you. You are just a girl in my eyes. I don''t think of you as a woman. This gesture means nothing." She''s too young. A kid. She''s not even fully grown. If he was thirteen or fourteen, this might have been normal. He''s freaking Ah! He was so popr in Ilucia when he was younger. "If you want toe with me, climb the horse." Kresi res at the weirdo in front of her. "Don''t waste my time." They were attacked a moment ago. How could he leave his brother with her? He doesn''t have any choice. He hates this idea so much. This girl is his mother''s murderer. He hears her sigh loudly, seemingly annoyed by him. "You are the most annoying creature in the entire universe." He sits behind her, taking the reins from her hands. "Where are we going?" "Broken Fog," Kresi mumbles. "It was Misty Groves in the lower realm before the unification of the realms." How far is the Dark Castle from Broken Fog Woods? It seems like they are going further and further away. Kresi bends down and touches the horse''s neck, tapping once. The horse neighs loudly, running ahead. Aren clenches his teeth, trying to control the enraged horse. Only Kresi and Ai are sitting with calm faces as Aren does his best to control the horse. It keeps running until they are in the midst of the Broken Fog Woods. It bes lethargic suddenly. They climb off the horse. Aren looks at the dying horse and sighs. This is the effect of enhancers. That drug was created in the middle realm. It was widely used on humans, half-lings, or spirits who fought in the rings. He nces at Kresi who is patting the horse''s head as it takes itsst breath. Thrown in the den of mad halflings? But why? She was a Mirin, a royal bloodline. She was still a Renasir''s daughter. Even if she was abandoned, she shouldn''t be thrown into the fighting den in the middle realm. Kresi closes the horse''s eyes and stands up. It''s already night. They are furthest from the Dark Castle. She scrutinizes the area around her. It has changed a little. But the stars and the moons won''t lie. She looks up at the sky, checking the positions of the moons and the constetions. How much time does she have before Cina notices that she''s in this forest? "How did you get to the dens?" Aren''s question makes her frown. What''s his problem? Can''t he keep his mouth shut? There''s suspicion in his voice. "Did you lie? You were only thirteen. Children under thirteen aren''t allowed to visit the underground realm." "Or so people believe." She looks at him calmly. She has no expectations from anyone from the world. It''s not surprising that he has no idea about how the world worked. Even now, things haven''t changed. Much. Maybe children aren''t cursed anymore. So what? "Mirai and Pebby were eleven when they became Gianna''s ves. Pebby lost her first child when she was twelve. Mirai wasn''t the father. She was entertaining a guest and things went rough." Aren inhales sharply. Lady Gianna is Andareanesi''s Bagoodi''s wife. He knows about the dark dealings of the underground realm, but he hasn''t expected it to be that bad. "Their lives were better than other cursed children who sought shelter there." Kresi stares at the sky again, speaking with a mechanical tone. "There were so-called nobles from the higher realm who liked to watch the cursed children fight the spirit beasts. I was the hand of Andareanesi once. Back then, they had rings where nobody could do magic. You relied on your strength or other skills. There were matches where only one person would survive. I picked up a skill or two during those times, I think." She speaks as if it''s normal. They were around the same age. When he was at the pce, she was in the middle realm. "Why did Gabriel let you fight there?" "Bn would only give shelter to the kids younger than thirteen." Kresi starts walking in the north direction. Aren picks up Ai and the bags; and then, he follows her. She keeps ncing at the sky as if it''s a map. Can she also read the star? What does she not know? Mayaeira Mirin must have taught her well. "The older ones had nowhere to go." She continues, "Hiding in the lower realm was okay, but we were also preparing for war. Andareanesi was interested in me. So, I volunteered to be Andareanesi''s toy in exchange for support from him. In return, the older ones will find shelter in the middle realm. " She lets out a chuckle. "It''s funny. Our efforts were a waste. The war didn''t happen." Little Ai is listening to her in silence, though he can''t understand everythingpletely. The man named Andareanesi seems bad. He quietly adds that name in his list. In his heart, he removes the sister''s name. She doesn''t seem that bad. Her back doesn''t show any weakness. Aren realizes why Gabriel and others rely on her. By the way, what does she mean by war? Is it the prophesied war between the chosen one and the dark god? They have been preparing it for a long time? "Where did you get that Serpent''s Sting? Did Lord Andareanesi give you that?" Serpent''s sting is supposed to be in the temple of Sion, the god of war and destruction. "I stole it." Her voice is small and quiet. Aren shakes his head. Why is he not surprised? "Did it ur to you that you should return it now?" Aren questions her. "Why should I?" She pats the snakes in her pocket. They are lovely. "That god doesn''tck weapons. He doesn''t even remember the serpent''s sting." "But it''s not yours." He looks at his brother who is listening to Kresi with a serious expression. Is his brother learning this all? His brother would be a thief if this goes on. "If it''s in your hands, it''s yours." She stops walking, stretching her arms. "It''s been such a long time since I fought with someone. Maybe I should find Andareanesi and Gianna after this is over." Aren sighs. He must ask Ari to teach good things to his brother. "Why do you want to meet that halfling?" "I am going to beat him up for fun." She winks at him. "No revenge, no revenge." "..." This girl has learned nothing. Kresi walks to him and shoves something inside Aren''s pocket. "If you keep going north, you will find a cave that looks like a mouse''s mouth. Enter that cave. Keep walking until you reach a fork. Go left. You will meet a dead end. The end of the cave is a gate. All you need to do is use this talisman on the gate. It leads to another cave near the dark castle." "How do you--" She ps his lips. His curiosity is annoying. "I went there to meet the dark god once." "Is that still going to work?" As much as he knows, all the gates except for a few ones stopped working when Bn died. "If it doesn''t work, take the usual route." She pushes him away. "What about you?" He frowns at her. Is she abandoning them? She promised that she would help the Renasir. "Cina is almost here." She stares at the tree in front of them. "The distraction didn''t work for long. It must be your chattering that attracted him here. Go now. I will deal with him." "I can''t leave you alone to die." Aren puts Ai down on the ground. He gives the talisman to his brother and exins, "Ai, you heard her, right? You have to find that cave and use that talisman. After you reach the dark realm, wait for us. We wille soon." "Are you mad?" Kresi scrunches her nose. "You are sending your brother alone." "He will be fine." Aren rubs his brother''s head. "Do you know where north is?" Ai nods. He can tell that much. "Go. Your brother will find you soon." Aren pats his brother''s back. Ai runs in the north direction. Kresi gapes at him. Did he forget that he is afraid of her? Aren smiles at her. So, she shows that kind of expression too? "I can''t leave my enemy to die here." Strange person! Kresi huffs at him. He must want revenge. "So, you do want to kill me with your hands." "I want to fight with you in those dens." He steps closer to her. "If I win, you must submit to me, okay?" "If we live through today." Kresi promises him, "I will certainly grant your wish for blood." Chapter 136: I dont remember forgiving her Chapter 136: I don''t remember forgiving her Why is she not here yet? Cina has kept a watch on that girl since the trial. He''s been waiting in the woods since her arrival. When she doesn''t appear when she should have, he furrows his brows. The Dark God''s bride hasn''t left the castle. It seems that Adira won''t let her leave. He has clearly heard a whisper that Kresi would leave with that child. He presses his palm on the tree and closes his eyes, listening to the voices of his children all over the world. Through the senses of his children, he finds himself in Unbroken Fog, a redeveloped forest that existed in the pre-war era. Obviously, the forest is definitely not the same. What''s lost in the war cannot be recreated. He could only make something simr to it. Cina clenches his teeth. She''s really there. He''s duped. The girl didn''t take the usual path to the Dark Castle. She''s too smart. Did she guess that he would hinder her journey? Cina''s figure crumbles into countless tiny leaves, flowing with the wind in the direction of the Unbroken Fog. He''s going to do the same thing that she did to his daughter. Whilst he''s at it, he will also take care of that nameless child. If that nameless child and the Renasir don''t meet with the stipted time, the child would be killed. After promising Aren that she would give him the one on one battle that she promised him on that night, Kresi takes out the Serpent''s Sting. Though most godly weapons require channelling ehr, this weapon can work without ehr. There''s a rumour that Sion created this with mortals in his mind. Even if magic ismon in this world, every living being''s ability to wield ehr is not the same. In this unequal world, abilities are decided by innate talent, bloodline, hard work, attitude, and perseverance. Just having immense talent isn''t enough either. Sorcerers, called Sehr in the oldnguage, wield magic through channelling ehr through their vessels. Contractual Wizards or Wahr can wield magic if they make a contract with apatible spirit. Usually, their familiar spirit is already chosen for them before they are born. Both Sehr and Wahr are different from each other. Each one has advantages and disadvantages. Wizards are physically stronger with extra senses. They can wield magic, though it''s limited to the magic that their spirits have, and they also have apanion. Sorcerers don''t have such limitations, but they are physically weaker too. What about the broken ones? She did meet broken ones before. In the lower realms, wielding magic isn''tmon. Themoners'' ehr vessels are usually broken. They are born like that. Some get their vessels broken as a punishment or a part of the cruelty. Broken vessels can''t be rejoined again -- not by the usual healers. Gods can heal them, but they don''t do it usually. There is the Renasir, nearly equal to a God. But Ari has to be taught how to fix the channelling vessels. Anyway, she''s not helpless. Humans always find some way to make it possible. In the beggar cities, experiments have been done and results are made into a weapon. A different kind of sorcerers is born from the shadows of the beggar cities. The gods might or might not be aware of it. Well, they try to remain aloof as much as possible. When the tiny autumn leaves arrive with the wind, the corner of her lips curls up. That God is in for the fun. The autumn leaves gather together into a human form, swirling as it merges together. As it takes shape, Cina''s figure starts to manifest. Aren inhales sharply. It''s truly the God of trees. Do all the gods secretly want Kresi to die? God Noras has allowed Kresi to stay in this world. Cina opens his eyes and looks at the girl standing in front of him. There''s no trace of fear on that face. She''s studying him as he''s studying her. He turns his gaze toward Aren and frowns at him. Why is this person here? He doesn''t want to offend Noras by hurting his people. Arenyr Starfire might have rescinded his title, but he''s still a Starfire. That bloodline has served Noras for a long time. "God Cina." Aren gives him a deep bow. The god is certainly here with a different motive, but it''s best if he tries peaceful ways first. "We apologize for entering your territory without your permission. We are heading to the Dark Castle. Please allow us to pass through yournd." The boy is upright. He has no qualms with this boy. But his presence is a problem. "Mortal, I give you permission. Leave." "You are kind, God Cina." Aren''s jubnt voice makes him smile. It seems that the boy would leave without any issue. Where''s the nameless child though? Aren turns to Kresi and grabs her wrist. "Let''s go." "Wait." God Cina eyes them darkly. "Why are you taking her with you?" Still pretending that he has no clue about Cina''s motive, Aren says to the angry god, "God Cina, you have seen what happened at the trial. The Renasir wants to see her." "She''s not allowed to leave." Cina takes a step toward them. "Leave when I am still considering your link to Noras." "I don''t understand." Aren shakes his head slightly. "Why can''t she leave with me?" "She''s the reason why my daughter is dead." That''s not all. During the war that she caused, forests were destroyed. How many of his children died back then? Only Bn was left. Cina takes a deep breath. "Arenyr Starfire, hand over that creature to me." "God Noras allowed her to stay here." Aren pulls her toward him, shielding her body. "She has no debts. Her sins were forgiven." "I don''t remember forgiving her." Cina jeers at Aren. He points at the girl who is half-hidden behind Aren''s body. "I would eat her just like the way your mother''s soul and Bn''s essence were eaten. Don''t you want the same thing? Whether her name is Amara or Kresi, she''s a sinner. She must be given the same treatment that she gave the world." Standing behind Aren, she jerks Aren''s hand off her. She nces at the snakes curled around her wrists like bracelets. She slips her hand inside her pocket and takes out a vial with a silvery glow. She turns her back to Cina and quickly empties the content in her mouth. It''s barely a drop. She purses her lips as a searing pain spreads in her veins. The vessels on her veins bulge with a silvery glow. She pulls the sleeve and hides it. She uncurls the serpents with her left hand. Aren knits his brows. Her back is touching his. Even though there areyers of fabric between them, he senses the magic throbbing in her body. Her temperature is rising. How is this possible? "God Cina, she has already paid for her sins. Being reincarnated for more than ten thousand years to die as a harbinger is more than enough. Also, I think that you should rethink this. In the trial, God Noras is letting her live here. No one protested it back then. If you, a main god of Iravan, try to harm her now, it won''t look good on you." Chapter 137: You vile thing! Chapter 137: You vile thing! "Are gods that free?" Cina cocks her head and smiles at them. It''s true that Noras might get angry. But they are all gods. Noras did make a mistake a long time ago. If he also makes a ''mistake'', who can me him? The other gods can''t care less about this sinner. Even if he buries her body in this woods, nobody will know. But he doesn''t intend to leave any sign. He will eat her in the same way his daughter was eaten. Even her essence would be gone. "Please rethink this," Aren stresses his words. He feels her leave the spot behind him. Is she trying to escape? That''s good. He''s going to distract this god as much as possible. It''s likely that the god won''t kill him for this offence. Being a Starfire has benefits. Instead of escaping, Kresi lowers her body and runs to hide behind a tree. She brings out the talisman papers and draws runes on them quickly. On each talisman, she rubs the ehr. She pauses for a moment. If nothing works, she should be prepared. She writes down one more rune on the talisman and looks at it with aplicated gaze. Gods can''t be killed. She can''t channel ehr. All the talismans are weak with ehr powders. They hold only one percent of the power that they could have. It can''t be helped. She takes out all the remaining vials of ehr powders. These ehr powders have rather heinous origins. Though there are tools that can gather ehr from the environment, it''s not efficient. The most efficient way is to gather it from the sorcerers or contractual wizards. The sorcerers and contractual wizards usually die after their cores are taken out and processed into precious ehr powders. The second method is to capture spirits and extract the cores. Using the same methods, enhancers are made. Enhancers allow a broken one to use magic temporarily. Evenmoners can use magic for a certain period of time. Simr enhancers can be used on spirits, beasts, or halflings. The enhancers are addictive and harmful to the body. It slowly erodes away the soul. But she doesn''t give a damn about that. If she dies after Ai gains the true name and she can exterminate the trauma in this prince''s heart, she can die with peace. She uncorks the poison type enhancer. The smell causes her to retch. The poison didn''t bother her before. This body is rather different. But she''s fine with it. She would rather be amoner than have that abnormal body again. She drinks the poison type enhancer. Currently, her body has two types of magic -- poison and ice. She can''t do any other type of magic or cast spells since she can''t absorb ehr or convert it in another form. "Even as a god, I don''t understand why you would try to protect that mortal." Cina sneers at Aren. "Your mother was killed and your brother lost his true name. Your vessels were broken. Did you forget it all? No justice was given to you." The god is still busy arguing with the prince. Kresi climbs the tallest tree that''s only twenty feet away from Cina. She stands on the branch that gives a perfect view of Cina''s back. She hands three talismans on the branches. Aren exhales. If gods say provoking words like that, what are mortals going to do? "God Cina, I don''t want justice. I have already let go of the past. Let all of us live in peace. Enough blood has been shed since the first war. I don''t want to be a part of the cycle of hatred and revenge." Having heard his preachy words, Cina grits his teeth. Those words gnaw on his heart. Maybe this mortal can let go of it. He can''t let go of Bn''s death. Clenching his teeth, he raises his arm and flickers his first finger. Long thick branches ram against Aren before he could react. He grunts when his body ms against a tree''s trunk. The branches coil around Aren, tying him to the trunk. He groans in pain as the thorns dig into his flesh. Meanwhile, Cina looks at the spot where Kresi was supposed to be. The girl is nowhere to be seen. But where can she run to? He listens to the chattering of his children and senses her standing on one of the tall tree branches behind him. She smiles as she pulls the arrow made of iceced with an average poison. But that''s not an issue for her. Serpent''s Sting is a godly weapon. The arrow shoots through the air as the bluish glow on the arrow bes darker. Cina steps out of the way, chuckling as the arrow reaches him. This stupid girl thinks that she can hurt a god. How ridiculous! All of a sudden, the arrow bends its body, turning into a serpent. Cina widens his eyes when he realizes what it is. The ice serpent opens its mouth wide and bites into Cina''s shoulder, injecting poison into the god''s veins. "Sion''s" Cina snarls at Kresi. "You vile thing!" How could she have that? Sion hasn''t given the weapons to any mortal since the war. Then, how did she get this weapon? Kresi touches the cut on her wrist, drawing the poisonously enhanced blood. It''s no longer red. As she draws a trail of blood, a bluish ice arrow manifests between her fingers. She puts it on the bow. She takes a deep breath as she pulls the string. Cina grabs the tail of the ice serpent and pulls it away from his body. Just then, another arrow hits his back. He hisses in pain. The serpent in his hand curls around his arm and digs its fangs into his flesh. "Argh!" Why is she still able to stand on that tree? Why is that tree not listening to hismand? Cina summons his children and aims all of them in her direction. The live branches of trees m against an invisible barrier around her. She grips the branch above her head to not lose her footing as the vibrations from the barrier shake the body. It can''t hold for long. She puts another arrow on her bow and shoots it in Cina''s direction. Cina has seen iting. A wall ofnd rises before Cina as the arrow approach him. The arrow changes into the serpent, climbing on the wall to reach Cina. However, it is blocked by arge carnivorous red flower. The serpent is eaten alive in one swallow. At the same time, the serpents on his arm and shoulder turn purple as the rune shines on its sleek body. The runes travel to Cina''s body, sneaking into his robe. The snakes fall on the ground. Cina doesn''t pay attention to them. This little poison can''t do much to him. The rest? The snakes are devoured by the other carnivorous nts. Shit! Why didn''t she escape when she could? Aren ingests the ehr from the surrounding, feeling it pulsating in his channels. He directs it toward his core, letting it gather into it before it runs through his veins again. Fire burns in his channel as his body grows hotter. Cina gives him a nce when the branches around Aren''s start to burn. He flicks his hand and the tree''s bark split. Aren gasps when he realizes that his body is being eaten by the tree. "Take him somewhere away," Cinamands his children with a cold voice. "Somewhere in Noras'' kingdom." Kresi takes a breath of relief. That prince won''t be killed. The enhancer in her body is dying. She drinks another one and prepares for what ising for her. Chapter 138: All you have been doing is... Chapter 138: All you have been doing is... In the cave, Little Ai takes off his mask and his clothes. He takes out the talisman from his cloak''s inner pocket. After unfolding it, he looks at the symbol. The pungent scent of dead ehr assaults his nose. He turns around and nces at the wall. Should he wait here for them or leave this ce? He purses his lips. He can''t wait to see his Pretty Sister. Ai steps toward the wall and ms the talisman on it. He waits for a few seconds. When nothing happens, he scowls. Did that Pretty Sister trick him? He takes a step back. To his surprise, the talisman is glued to the wall. The symbols on the talisman glow brightly before they are absorbed by the magic in the wall. Ai widens his eyes when shimmering lines manifest on the wall until there''s a door in front of him. He fists his hands and grins. This must be the door to the Dark Realm. Excited, he runs toward the door and pushes it open. It opens to another cave. "..." That''s disappointing. The cave is too dark. What should he do? He looks behind. That Sister and her Elder Brother aren''t here yet. Then, he can leave? He should see where this cave leads to. He continues walking for a long time. Time seems to be flowing slowly here. There''s no sound or smell. He sees a bright light at the end. Where is this ce? When hees out of the cave, he finds himself near ake. The azure sky is clear. There''s not a single cloud. He looks around. There''s a forest around theke. Dark spirit beasts are drinking water at the shore. These spirit beasts can''t see him. How will he find his Pretty Sister? He''s sure that Sister and Elder Brother need help. Little Ai taps his chin. He''s been to the dark castle once. He knows his Pretty Sister''s scent too. He closes his eyes and focuses on finding his pretty sister''s scent. It''s faint, but her scent is lingering in her air. He starts running in the direction. It''s not far away. He runs for a long time, not paying attention to anything on the way. After half an hour, he''s standing in front of the gate of the dark castle. Little Ai pants for breath, wondering what to do now. The gate is closed. His clothes are drenched with sweat. Little Ai takes off his shoes. He''s not exactly a human. If he must climb the gate then, he will do it dly. Nothing can stop him from meeting her. Little Ai climbs the gate quickly. When he reaches on the top, he looks down and sees a giant spirit beast leaning against the door and snoring with some of his eyes open. There are other spirits standing here and there. Are they guards? Why are they sozy about this? He jumps on the spirit beast, sliding down his body as the spirit beast''s eyes snap open. No matter where he looks, Mogrok can''t see the thing on his body. Startled, he rubs his thousand arms all over himself, trying to capture what feels like a small ball of cotton. The cotton ball slides down and dashes away. Mogrok screams in horror. "There''s an invisible intruder!!!" All the spirit beasts are alert. But they can''t sense an intruder nearby. All of them run around, looking for the invisible intruder who dared toe to the dark castle. Little Ai is already in the hall, heading toward Ari''s room. He wipes his sweat. He''s been running for a long time. Why is he getting tired like this? Is it because of the talisman? It would have been easier if he could use his magic. "Pretty Sister!!!" He pushes the door open and A pillow hits his face before he could see anything. When the pillow drops, Ai realizes that his eyes and ears are covered with the dark ehr. He can''t see or hear anything. Struggling to move, he yells for his sister, "Pretty Sister?" "Oh my god!" Ari screams, pushing Adira away from her. "It''s a kid." "Don''t worry." Adira takes his dick out of her vagina reluctantly. "He hasn''t seen or heard anything." "It''s all your fault." Ari picks up the nket and covers her body. "All you have been doing is" She bites her lower lip, not wanting to say the word in front of a kid. Adira shrugs. "You chose this way." "I didn''t choose this," Ari barks at him. "I wonder how he got in here." He stands up and picks up his robe from the floor. Then, who can sense this nameless child except for him and the Renasir? He nces at Ari who is on her way to the bathroom. A chuckle escapes his lips. His little bride is amusing these days. Though he got angry at her first, he truly doesn''t hate the idea of turning her immortal this way. "Pretty Sister, Elder Brother and Sister are in trouble!" Ai shouts with a pleading voice. "The bad god wants to kill Sister." Now, what should he do about this nameless child? Adira frowns at the child. He removes the barrier on Ai''s hearing. "Who are you talking about?" Hearing that dark voice, Ai shudders in fear. Is it the bad god again? "Are you going to hurt me?" "I can''t hurt you." For a while. Adira walks to the child. "Tell me what happened." Aries out of the bathroom, dressed in a robe. She didn''t want to touch Ai after She shakes her head. She knits her brows when she sees that Adira is gone. Little Ai is sitting on the chair, tied with chains of dark ehr. "Pretty Sister." Ai bursts into tears when he sees her. "The bad god tied me here." "Huh?" Ari scurries to the kid and grabs the dark chains. No matter what, she can''t break it. Then, she curls her fingers around the chair and channels the ehr in her body. Warm ehr surges through her channels. Her eyes shine bright as her veins glisten with a golden light. She says thebination rune that she''s most familiar with, "[Kres]" The chain vibrates in her hands for a moment. Then, nothing happens. "What?" She pulls the strange. "Hey, break already No, get erased. Why is the rune not working? It worked well in the past." "Master, it''s because you aren''t the harbinger anymore." She lets go of the chain when she hears Mogrok''s voice. He''s standing near the door in his smaller form, looking grievous. "Oh, Mogrok." She blinks her eyes. "What do you mean?" "You don''t carry the heart of the dark god." Mogrok continues with a tired voice, "Carrying the dark god made your magic stronger. That body was also special. Now, you are back to level zero. Your body isn''t used to channelling ehr yet And" Mogrok res at the invisible entity on the chair. "Because of that nameless creature, I got punished today." Mogrok and his fellow beasts have to patrol the borders of the dark kingdom day and night without any sleep for the next decade. "..." Why are there more bad news than good ones? Ari runs her fingers through her hair. Adira that idiot god! "Where''s your dark god, Mogrok?" "He left the castle." Mogrok looks at the messy bed and clicks his tongue. It would have been better if the dark god remained as that idiot boy who didn''t know about the matter between the man and the woman. "That''s strange," Ari mumbles. Leaving right after meeting Ai? Adira must have something important to do then. "He went to save Sister." Ai raises his chin and reveals it to Ari, "Elder Brother sent me away and stayed behind to protect Sister. A bad god wasing." "You mean, Kresi?" Ari exims. "Is it Cina?" Ai nods his head. "I told Pretty Sister''s husband that Sister and Elder Brother are in danger." "Husband?" The corner of Ari''s lips twitch. He won''t marry her until she reaches immortality, but he goes around and tells kids that he''s her husband? "He exined everything to me before he left." Ai''s eyes be big and round. "He told me that I shouldn''t call you Pretty Sister anymore. You have a child inside your belly." Huh? Wait? She likes being called Sister. "Ai, don''t take his words seriously." "He said that it''s bad luck to call you a sister because you are a mother now." Ai interrupts her with sparkling eyes. "From now on, I will call you Mother." Chapter 139: You want to see her happy? Chapter 139: You want to see her happy? Somewhere else, a giant flower squirts out Aren''s drenched body on the ground and retches. Aren inhales the warm air filled with the scent of Torsha. There''s only one ce on Iravan where these flowers grow. That ce is Sviesal, the capital of the Kingdom of God Noras. He struggles to get up. His joints are in pain. The poison of the flower is not going to kill him, but it''s slowing his movements. He grits his teeth and reaches for the fragile Torsha flower on the ground. As the flower is crushed in his hand, he mumbles weakly, "I, a descendant of the Abe, the chosen one to carry the holy fire, call the patron and protector of my bloodline." In the pce, God Noras opens his eyes. How long has it been since a mortal called him for protection? He looks toward the window. The sky is dark. What must have happened? Lying beside him, Ea raises her head. "What''s wrong?" "I need to go." He casts a spell to change his clothes. "My son is hurt." Ea sighs. It must be one of his worshippers. Usually, they can''t ignore the deep call of an ardent worshipper, especially if the gods have promised them protection. Whether their voices can reach them or not, it depends on their faiths. "I am going to sleep while I can." Who knows when one of her children calls her? God Noras sighs. He wishes that he could be as easy going as his wife is. But then, she''s the goddess of the wind. She''s free as the wind. Now, who caused trouble for his son? He materializes in front of Arenyr Starfire. When he sees his condition, he frowns darkly. Who did this to him? This boy is not only from the Starfire bloodline, but he''s also the chosen one. He is still a prince, although it''s no longer a formal title. Noras removes the poison from Arenyr''s body and walks to him. He helps him sit up. "Tell me who did this to you." The god''s voice is calm, but the underlying anger is evident. "Lord, help her," Arenyr utters the words with urgency. "God Cina is going to kill Kresi." So, it''s Cina. Noras understands the situation. Cina is unlikely to let go of his grudge. If Arenyr had tried to save Kresi, Cina must have sent this boy here. God Noras raises his brow. "You called me here to help her?" "Yes," Arenyr replies to him. "She''s a citizen of Iravan. Killing her like this is wrong. She has paid for her crimes. Please, stop him. I want to see her living a happy life." Though Cina''s actions are not a surprise to him, Arenyr''s words sound puzzling Noras asks him to reconfirm his words, "You want to see her happy?" "Yes." Arenyr looks at him with conviction. "I am going to change her beliefs about this world and change her ways." A faint smile appears on God Noras'' lips. Mortals are rather strange. *** Cina stretches his neck. The Serpent''s Sting is in his hand. The girl is on her knees in front of him. Her left shoulder is dislocated. Knees and arms are full of wounds. All of her tricks have failed. In the end, there''s a limit to what a mortal can do against a god. He grabs her hair and lifts her head to meet his eyes. "Who taught you the forbidden magic?" What a petty god! She chuckles, not bothering to answer. "You stole magic from other people." He nces at the empty vials on the ground. "I never thought that the first wife of the dark god would stoop this low." "I am not his wife anymore." Kresi glowers at him. "I died. All rtionships end with death. I also died as Kresi Mirin. I am nobody''s daughter -- not even Mayaeira Mirin. I am only Kresi now. A god should know that much." "In our eyes, you are Amara." His nail digs into her cheek, tearing her skin as he moves his finger toward her jaw. "The woman who challenged the gods." "If you want to eat me, go ahead." Her breathing is erratic. Her legs are numb. There''s only a little magic left inside her. Poison won''t affect this god. Ice can do little to him. However, the runes are inscribed on his skin. All she needs to do is "Beg me." With a smile, he leans closer and holds her arm, twisting it backwards. She pinches her lips together to hold back her scream. This pain is nothing. It''s truly nothing. She has been through worse. It''s nothingpared to the pain of watching her friends'' deaths that night. She reaches for something in her inner pocket. One moment. That''s all she needs. But is it enough? Her left arm is misshapen. Cina nces at her pale and sweaty face. Instead of misery, he only sees mockingughter in her eyes. This woman shouldn''t be allowed to exist in this world. Not just this world, she should be wiped away. The god of light is too soft. Cina''s eyes turn bloodthirsty. "How many lives were lost because of you? After you got a chance to change your ways, you still took Bn''s life. You know what? After taking care of you, I am going to kill that nameless child, even if Renasir seeds in giving him a true name." "Why do you want to kill him?" She shouts at him. "He did nothing wrong." "He was your tool." Cina''s fingers curl around her neck. "You used him to kill my Bn." "She broke the contract," Kresi chokes out the words. "I should have killed her with my own hands that night." Having heard that, the string of rationality breaks inside Cina''s mind. He pushes her on the ground, strangling her. "What does it feel like to die, Amara? I opposed Noras. I told him that he should have erased your soul. If he had done it that day, Bn wouldn''t have died. I am going to do it today. You will lose your essence along with your true name to me. Whether it''s Kresi or Amara, you would be gone for once and all." Kresi opens her mouth to breathe. Her face bes ghostly pale. She looks at Cina''s chest. The core. It has to be there. She raises her hand and ms the talisman paper on his chest. The rune burns under her palm. She injects all the ehr magic in it. The runes on Cina''s fleshes in contact with the final rune on his chest. A stifling feeling emerges from his chest as his fingers loosen around her throat. Cina looks down at her hand pressed against his chest. "This seal" He murmurs. The runes turn ming red, burning his skin. His body grows sluggish as he feels chains of runes wrap around his core. This seal is the same one that they did on Adira. How did this woman learn that rune formation? Kresi feels the talisman draining her blood after all the magic of the enhancers is drained. The talisman is too strong. She realizes that she can''t stop it. Her entire body along with her soul will be converted into ehr at this rate. She meets Cina''s eyes. He''s watching her in horror. The forest around them is changing into a prison. It must be stopped before it''s toote. But she can''t stop the talisman. Vapours arise from her body. Her sight is darkening. If death must happen, then she''s going to punish this god. A thousand or ten thousands? She has no idea how long her life can keep this god sealed inside this prison. After this god is gone, Ai will be safe. Ari will be able to find some way to give a name to that child. She trusts Renasir. She closes her eyes and stops struggling, feeling her life source bing ehr. Her consciousness fades. However, her hand is still glued to Cina''s chest. Unmoving at his spot, Cina looks at the walls growing around him. The ground is turning ck. "No! Stop this. Noras, help me." Cina''s screams echo in the forest. Chapter 140: Here on urgent business Chapter 140: Here on urgent business When the Dark God arrives, he senses that something is wrong. Strong waves of ehr are swirling around Cina and Kresi as the entire forest begins to dissolve into ehr, being reced by dark walls. He widens his eyes when he realizes what''s going on. He dashes toward Kresi and finds her hand stuck on Cina''s chest. "Adira, stop this." Cina pants for breath. Metallic golden chains are tied around his arms and legs. His powers are sealed already. If the prison formation isn''t stopped, he will be stuck in Qeshaya for a long time. Adira ignores him and grabs Kresi''s hand. Her body and soul are on the verge of diffusing into ehr. But the talisman refuses to release her hand. He grits his teeth. This must be done quickly. He cuts her wrist, separating her hand and her arm. There''s no blood. Soon, Kresi''s hand dissolves into ehr. He heals the wound and carries her in his arms. Once the prison formation begins, it can''t be stopped. He must leave immediately. When he turns around, he realizes that it''s toote. Golden runes shine on the dark walls. There''s not a single door or window. This is the prison that he''s familiar with. He nces at Cina. The god of trees andnds is asleep on the floor. Unlike Adira, he hasn''t lost his heart yet. However, the rune on the talisman is older than Iravan itself. Cina can''t move or wake up. The chains on Cina''s body is keeping him in a dormant state. Adira stares at the runes on the wall. Qeshaya. He''s back here again. No god or Mortal can break it from inside. How long will it take this time? Heys her down on the floor and checks her wound. Enhancers. Why is she so troublesome? How much energy did Kresi give to the talisman? The wounds are healed, but the body and the soul are too damaged. If he let her be, she will be gonepletely. The runes on the walls sap the energy of the prisoners. Kresi is no exception. Should he let her die? *** Leave them alone for a moment and they end up wiping out an entire forest Noras lets out an exasperated sigh. He''s a momentte. The entire forest is gone. Wiped out. Clean. There''s only unfertilized barrennd stretched as far as he can see. He rubs his be. The god of trees andnds is gone from this world. "What''s going on here?" He bends down on his one knee and presses his hand on the charred spot on thend. Closing his eyes, he tries to sense the spell. Foul magic. Forbidden runes. His eyes snap open. "Qeshaya?" Did Kresi do this? This rune Only gods are supposed to know its formation. How did that woman find out? His head hurts. Why does that one woman keep causing trouble? He should have never let here here. "Huh?" He feels another faint energy at the spot. "Adira was also here?" A bad feeling rises in his chest. Just what happened here? Did Adira form that rune to seal Cina? No, Iravan found peace after a long time. Adira won''t do this. Sealing God affects the entire world. He must find Adira first. Before he could leave, the three moons appear in front of him. Raya, Ril''Yah, and Riha are dressed in white robes. Their hairs are braided into twin tails. Noras has never been able to tell which one is who. Spare him! He has never interacted with the triplets much. "God Noras, we have something to tell you," Three of them utter together. "We saw what happened here." "Tell me everything," He says quietly. It''s not unusual for these little moons to witness what happened here. These three are basically Mirinae''s spies. The three little moons reveal everything to God Noras. "The Dark God is also taken along with God Cina and Kresi." He holds his head and sighs. This is worse than he imagined it to be. Cina is not just the god of trees andnds. That god is also the gate maker. Qeshaya, the shadow prison, is built by him. No prisoner can escape from that ce. The key to that prison? Didn''t that god give it to Bn before they went to sleep? Even Adira is gone. Having the key isn''t enough. They must wait for the right moment to summon the universal gate. The gate can only be opened on the night of union. It was the Renasir who freed the Dark God. She should have the universal key with her. God Noras goes to the Dark Castle. He rushes to the room where Ari is. When he opens the door, he finds her struggling to remove the dark ehr chain around an invisible entity sitting on the chair. Now, what is going on here? "God Noras?" Ari blinks her eyes. "Why are you here?" Without notice? Not even bothering to knock the door beforeing in? Did he think that this is his home? These gods know no manners. Mogrok gives him a deep bow. He signals him to leave. He needs to talk to Renasir alone. But there''s another person in the room. Nobody can hear or see this nameless creature. It''s not worrisome if this creature hears this. "Renasir, I am here on urgent business." "Before that," Ari points at Ai, "Can you help me remove these chains?" "..." Nobody has ordered him around before. Except for Adira. The Dark God''s bride also has the same attitude. Noras closes the door and looks at her sternly. "Renasir, where is the universal key?" "Universal key" She creases her forehead. Didn''t she use that thing to release Adira? "Why do you need that?" She gave it to Andareanesi in exchange of getting released from a contract that Kresi made. "Due to some circumstance, the Dark God is in Qeshaya again," Noras tells her calmly, though his heart is turbulent. Even as a God, he can''t open the gate without the universal key. "What?" Her eyes be round and big. "Did you imprison him again, you bastards? I am going to kill all of you. What do you think of yourself? Was ten thousand years not enough? Why is my Adira back in that ce? If you don''t bring him out of that ce at this instant, I am going to send all of you to that ce." "Renasir," He seethes. He has enough. He''s still a God. How could a mortal talk to him like this? "Adira went to that ce when he was trying to save Kresi, the woman you helped during the trial." "Huh?" Ari knits her brows. Adira did go to the forest to save Kresi from Cina. "How?" Seeing her shocked and pale face, Noras feels a tinge of regret. He shouldn''t have yelled at her. He''s anxious for his friend. With a tensed voice, he reveals everything that he knows. Ari sits down on the bed, feeling numb. "I need the universal key. Where is it, Renasir?" Right! The prison can be opened again. There''s no need to worry. Ari turns her head to Noras. "I gave it to Andareanesi. He should have it." "The halfling?" Noras asks her again. "Andareanesi Bagoodi, the son of God Bagoodi?" God Bagoodi is a minor trickster god of brooms. "Yes, him." Ari stands up. "Take me with you. I am --" The god is already gone. "..." She hates this teleporting ability of the gods. Adira is gone. She releases her breath. She did fight with him, but she didn''t want this. She crosses her arms. Her heart is drumming against her chest. He would be released right? They won''t let him stay in Qeshaya like this. She''s not a harbinger anymore. But can she open that gate? She doesn''t even know how to summon the universal gate. "That idiot!" She kicks the bed. "How could he go to Qeshaya after impregnating me? How am I going to give a true name to Ai without him? He told me to value my life more. But he let himself get imprisoned because of his first wife?" She can''t help but feel jealous. He did say that his heart was affected because of Amara. He would go back to Qeshaya for Amara? They are together in Qeshaya right now. His heart won''t get too ''affected'', right? No, he said that he won''t think of anyone else. Ari inhales and exhales. First of all, Adira and Kresi must be released from that ce. She trusts Adira. That lustful god won''t dare to waver. "Mother, don''t worry." Ai senses that she''s distressed. She''s been making tensed expressions since she heard the news. "He wille back." After hearing the child''s words, she gives him a weak smile. "I know. He wille back home safely. Nothing would happen to him. He has toe back before I give birth to your sibling." If he doesn''te back in time, she''s not going to talk to him for a week. Maybe a year. Chapter 141: I wont return to this world Chapter 141: I won''t return to this world When Noras takes a step in the hall, a strong sweet smell hits him. The hall is filled with intoxicating smoke. He scrunches his nose, annoyed. The smoke is produced from the Torsha flowers. For the halflings and spirits, the sharine smoke is blissful. It makes them stronger. However, it has an opposite effect on humans. Humans get addicted to this smoke that is poisonous for their bodies. The shady underworld under the rule of the beggar king is not a secret to him or any other god. But it is a fact that evil will exist in this world in one or another form. It''s a part of the bnce. Something that can''t be avoided. Humans and other creatures will always get tempted by evil. If he didn''t need the universal key, he wouldn''t havee here. He waves his hand and the smoke is gone from the hall. Naked entangled bodies are lying here and there. Most of them are human females lying with halflings or spirit beasts. Most halflings are from the middle realm. Now, he knows why. He walks past them, resisting the urge to incinerate them all into ashes. He stops in front of a pair of halfling man and a human female. The woman is sitting on the top of the halfling man, lost in ecstasy. Her loud moans make him sigh louder. How shameless these creatures can be? Noras grabs the woman''s shoulder and pulls her away from the man, tossing her on another pair of male and female who are preupied with mating. The woman screams when her body hits the male. The male spirit beast is already high on the Torsha''s smoke. He pulls it out of the exhausted human female. Numb to the pain on his back, he grabs the woman and forces his erged penis into her. "Gianna!" Andareanesi widens his eyes, shocked to see her being fucked by a spirit beast. He clenches his teeth and looks at the man before him. How dare--? His eyes meet the thunderous gaze of God Noras. Andareanesi Bagoodi lowers his head right away, looking for anything to hide his body with. Unfortunately, there''s nothing around. Why is a God here? "Bagoodi''s son." Noras grabs his hair, raising his head to look into his eyes. "Where''s the universal key?" The universal key? Andareanesi swallows. He got the universal key from Renasir. Since that day, he has used the key to open a gate to any realm. Since the gates are still not fixed, a lot of passengers pass through his city and pay for the passage. "My lord, I don''t have that key." Andareanesi''s loud screams prate the air. No one bats an eye. Everyone except for Noras and Andareanesi is still lost in the effect of the smoke. It will take a few hours for it to be gone. Even if Andareanesi is skinned alive, no one wille to save him. "I-I h-have the key." Andareanesi utters in pain, "My lord, please forgive me. I havemitted a huge crime. I should have returned the key to you after your return, but I was blinded by greed. Mercy, my lord, mercy. I will repent for my sins." A god can tell whether someone is being sincere or not. Anyway, he has bigger issues than dealing with this halfling. Noras releases Andareneasi''s head. With an eerie voice, hemands him, "Give me the key." Andareanesi summons the universal key in his hand. He raises it toward Noras, trembling in fear and pain. Noras takes it and leaves the underground city in the next instant. He goes straight to the realm of three moons. The three sisters are ying in the meadow in front of their parents'' house. He walks to them and asks, "Can you increase the speed and make that daye sooner?" The three girls look at him with expressionless faces. Noras sighs. Why does he feel dumber whenever he''s talking to kids? Maybe he should say it in another way. "You know what happened." He bends down on his knees. Being on the same eye level relieves his nervousness. "The talisman doesn''t have any power source. It wasn''t done by the gods. If they stay in that ce for long, they will have adverse effects." Last time, it took twelve gods to seal the dark god in that ce. They were already weak after the war. That rune took the rest of their strength. After sealing was done, they had to leave the world to take rest. Even then, the Dark God was reduced to his child form. A mortal strength isn''t enough for that rune. The rune would eat the strengths of the imprisoned gods in order to keep the seal. Both gods have their cores with them. They won''t die, but there''s no telling what would happen to them. "The gate of Qeshaya can be opened only on the day of union." Noras continues with a light tone, "I know that the night of union already happened in the past and the hundred years aren''t over yet. If you move faster" "God Noras, the sun also needs to move fast with us." Ril''Yah replies to him, "The entire day will move fast. Will it be fine?" They are not talking about one or two days. The night of union happens after a hundred years. The previous night of union was around thirty years ago. Seventy years are long. The lives of mortals would turn upside down. It will affect every living creature of this world. Time will also flow in Qeshaya. "God Noras, Renasir is with the child. If you y with time, it will affect her too." Riha reveals to him, "It''s just not her. Other lives will be affected if the bnce is lost. Your method is too dangerous." They are right, but the gods need to be brought back. If two gods are gone from this world, it will be chaotic soon. Noras lets out an exasperated sigh. "Why don''t we disappear like Ril''Yah did?" Raya taps her chin, pulling her little brows together. "Isn''t it the same as the night of union? We will only disappear from the sky for some time. We only need to go to Ril''Yah''s hiding ce." Ril''Yah stares at her sister. "You are taking advantage of this situation." "I am only trying to help." Raya raises her chin and crosses her arms. If she doesn''t take advantage of this situation to find out Ril'' Yah''s secret ce, she would rename herself an idiot. Whenever they are ying hide and seek or they tease Ril''Yah, she would always hide in that secret ce. They would never be able to find her. Then, their mother would always scold them or punish them. Their father would get mad at their mother. Then, Mother would be angrier and leave home. Then, Father would also leave home to chase their mother. It happens once a month. "Ril''Yah, you are wise." Noras gives a long nce to the third moon. "Your help is needed at this moment. I promise that I will return this favour." The corner of her lips curls up into a smile. Her eyes hold a faint mischievous glimmer. Riha and Raya blink their eyes, surprised. "God Noras, I will help only after you help the Renasir draw the true name of that child." He scowls at her darkly. "Child, do you know who are you talking to? Freeing Adira and Cina is more important than naming that child." "Each passing minute is bad for him. You already know how to draw a true name, but you lost that power to renasir." Ril''Yah crosses her arms, watching him with a solemn gaze. "After God Adira and God Cina return, I am sure that you won''t be interested in naming that child. Why? It''s because that child is no longer a human or a spirit. He is a good candidate to be a god. The true name will decide which god he will be." That''s something he''s trying to avoid. "Iravan doesn''t need more gods." "That''s what you think, God Noras." Ril''Yah smiles at him. "You are going to make me an enemy for that child?" Noras narrows his eyes dangerously. "Why are you going this far for him?" He knows that she was the one who met with Renasir and told her everything about the gods'' ns regarding the nameless creature. This moon is the one who amplified the wish of the dark god to save Renasir''s soul. She''s been manipting everything in the background ever since she came back to this world. "God Noras, you aren''t the only one who talked to Oracle Parisa." Ril''Yah speaks with a steady voice and a grim look in her eyes, "She also spoke to me. That child is someone I must save. And my reason? I don''t want to tell you. Unless you help Renasir Ari, I won''t return to this world." And Ril''Yah disappears from the world. Chapter 142: Why does that Dark God never sits still? Chapter 142: Why does that Dark God never sits still? No matter what, the god of light can''t find the third moon anywhere. When he''s tired, he goes to see her mother, the goddess of night and wishes. "I don''t know either." Mirinae gives him an annoyed look. "That daughter of mine is too secretive." "What about you, Sion?" Noras inquires Ril'' Yah''s father, the god of war. "You are close to her, aren''t you?" "No." Sion replies curtly, "Ril'' Yah never listens to me." What kind of parents are they? How could they never try to find out where their daughter disappears to? Noras glowers at them. "Is she your daughter?" "You don''t understand." Mirinae exims, "Ril'' Yah is different from her sisters. Ever since she was born, she would do things her way. I can''t understand what goes inside her head." "We give freedom to our children." Sion adds, "If Ril'' Yah doesn''t want to say, we don''t force her to speak. Besides, she''s a goddess too." Since Noras doesn''t have any children except for his worshippers, he doesn''t argue with them. What freedom? Children shouldn''t be given freedom until they understand the meaning of freedom. If Ea ever decides to have a child, he''s going to keep that child within the pce all the time. "Have Parisa ever visited Ril''Yah?" Noras questions them. Ril'' Yah''s behaviour seems strange to him. She might have done everything so far to save the child. Is it pity? Kindness? But the third moon has never shown this kind of interest in any other creature of Iravan. "Once, I think." Sion frowns. "Ril'' Yah was only a baby back then." "She would never cry." Mirinae sighs. "She either slept or stared at the ceiling like an adult. It scared me sometimes." "God''s children are different from mortals," Noras mutters. "The Renasir is carrying the Dark God''s child." "Really?" Mirinae ps her hand. "A child of another main god it''s time for the celebration." "It will be a halfling." Sion scrunches his nose. "Renasir isn''t immortal yet." "Still, it''s the first child of the Dark God." Mirinae walks to the window and looks at the constetions. "Adira must be excited -- Where is he? I can''t feel his presence." "I can''t sense him either." Sion scowls darkly. "A god shouldn''t leave his woman alone at this time." Noras sighs. "There''s a situation." "Not again." Sion shakes his head. "Why does that Dark God never sits still?" "It''s not Adira''s fault." Noras continues, "Cina attacked Kresi. I don''t know how Kresi was able to summon the forbidden rune to imprison Cina. Adira was pulled along with them when he tried to save them." "What?" Mirinae widens her mouth. This is a piece of horrible news. Renasir is carrying the child and the Dark God is in Qeshaya again. Even Cina is in that ce. "It is either Amara or Adira." Sion crosses his arms, grumbling. "We shouldn''t have let that woman stay in Iravan." "Sion, stop talking about what we should have done." Mirinae scolds him, "We should focus on freeing them from Qeshaya." "Why are you screaming? We can open the realm again." Sion turns to Noras. "Where''s the universal key, Noras?" "I have it." Noras shows them the key. "The night of union won''t happen anytime soon. I need the three moons to leave the Iravan for some time to summon the universal gate. However, Ril'' Yah wants me to help Renasir draw the true name." Sion and Mirinae be quiet. They understand Noras'' hesitation. Who knows what will be that boy''s true name? And teaching Renasir to draw the true name? It''s not something that happens in one or two days. Sion says quietly, "If Ril'' Yah is gone, we only need to send Raya and Riha somewhere away from this world." "I don''t know any ce that can remove their presence from this worldpletely." Noras ponders, "Ril'' Yah knows." "Noras, Ril'' Yah might be smart, but I am her mother." Mirinae puts her hand on her hip. "Let that wayward child do whatever she wants. Since she''s gone, the effect of the three moons is already weak. Also, we don''t need topletely remove the three moons from this world. We only need to send Raya and Riha somewhere far away. I know many faraway worlds. I will take them with me for a while." "That might work," Noras mumbles. "Contact the other gods. Ask them to leave this world for a while. I will open the gate in their absence." "You want to recreate the same situation that was there before our return." Sion nces at him solemnly. "What if it doesn''t work?" "Then, there''s no choice but to help Renasir." Noras exhales tiredly. "It might not take that long." Naming the child might be urgent, but freeing the gods is more urgent. In the night, the moons and the stars disappear from the sky. The sun also disappears, leaving the world in darkness. Ari looks at the sky. The moons are missing. The starless night reminds her of the night of the union. God Noras must have received the key. Adira will return. God Norases to the barrennd that was a forest once. He touches the charred ground, summoning the universal gate. After a long moment, the gate appears before him. He lets out a breath of relief. It is working. He puts in the key and waits for it to open. Click! Click! Click! Multiple locks are undone. Noras purses his lips. Even a second feels like an hour to him. How would he find them? He''s sure that Kresi would be exterminated by now. Qeshaya would devour that mortal. What about Adira and Cina? Since Cina brought this upon himself, he can''t sympathize with that god. But Renasir is carrying a child. Nothing should happen to Adira. When the gate opens, only darkness wees him. He walks toward thest room in the nearly endless corridor. Qeshaya, the forbidden realm, is a prison that all the main gods created a long time ago. It is bound by thews that even the gods can''t break. So far, this prison has only been summoned twice -- once, it was called by the gods, and this time, it was a mortal. What is that woman? She shouldn''t be able to understand that rune. Only the Renasir and the main gods hold that capacity. Did Mayaeira teach Kresi? He doesn''t think that even Mayaeira knew how to draw forbidden runes. He reaches thest room. The door is locked from outside. He uses the universal key again. When he opens the door, the glimmering runes on the wall flicker violently. He nces at the figure in the centre. Cina is in his child form, barely older than five or six. Noras breaks the chain of runes and frees his body. Then, he goes to Adira''s side. Thankfully, Adira hasn''t returned to his weaker form. But the Dark God is unconscious. Noras looks at the girl''s body on the floor. Her hand is missing. Adira''s hand is on her forehead. She''s still alive. Did the Dark God Noras purses his lips. First of all, he needs to bring them out of his ce. Noras bring the Dark God out of the room. Heys him down on the floor and returns to the room. When hees out of the room with Cina and Kresi, he finds the Dark God standing with a straight face. "You are awake already." Noras smiles at him. "Are you feeling okay, Adira?" The Dark God doesn''t reply. He puts his hand on his chest, looking confused. "Did your core get affected?" Noras queries him. When he doesn''t get any reply, he speaks with an annoyed tone, "Say something, Adira." Adira takes Kresi away from Noras and takes long strides toward the universal gate. That Dark God''s attachment toward his first wife is a little bothersome to the god of light. Chapter 143: Your heart has only me Chapter 143: Your heart has only me "Master, he''s back!" Mogrok jumps in joy. "Our Lord has returned from Qeshaya." Having heard Mogrok''s words, Ari rushes out of her room. She runs through the corridors, looking for him everywhere. Where the heck did he go? She stops running and looks at Mogrok. "Where is he?" "Our Dark God..." Mogrok frowns. "He is in Lady Amara''s room." That room? Ari scrunches her brows. Why would he go there? She heads toward Amara''s room. Did something happen between Kresi and Adira? That''s impossible. Adirays Kresi on the bed. He nces at her missing right hand. Holding her wrist, he tries to rebuild her right hand. However, the ehr keeps getting rejected. Adira exhales. It''s impossible now. "Adira!" He turns around and looks at the woman standing at the doorway. She dashes in his direction and wraps her arms around him, bursting into sobs. "I was scared. I thought that I might not be able to see you again." See him? He pushes the woman away from him, scrutinizing her face. She has dark eyes and long dark hair. He realizes that the mortal is young, not older than sixteen. The ehr seems to be in tune with her soul. Even the dark ehr favours this woman. Strange! Only gods should have this kind of affinity with the ehr. Regardless of who or what she is, what is she doing in his castle? Why did she hug him like that? Even going as far as calling him by his name? She has some guts. "Who are you?" He asks with a solemn voice. Ari stares at him. There''s no familiarity in his eyes. He''s watching her as if he has seen her for the first time. Sheughs awkwardly, suppressing the dread in her heart. "Adira, I know that you are mad at me because I rejected the idea of marriage. But isn''t this too much? Alright! I will marry you now. You can use any method to make me immortal. However, you must not do a dangerous thing." "Marry me?" Adira snorts at her, giving her a dark look. "Mortal, don''t you know your ce?" He did marry a mortal once. That person betrayed him. How could he ever marry a mortal again? He would rather go back to Qeshaya and spend eternity in that prison. "Why are you not calling me by my name?" Ari blinks at him, curling her fingers. "I don''t know your name, Mortal." Adira res at her. "And I don''t care who you are. Tell me how you enter my castle. Did they send you here to keep a watch on me?" He''s acting differently. Does he truly not remember her? When she freed him for the first time, he did lose all of his memories. Ari takes a step toward him. "Adira, do you not remember me?" "You are still calling me by my name." He grasps her chin, looking into her dark eyes. A heavy pressure descends in the room. She feels her blood turning cold, sweating under his chilling gaze. Such unfamiliarity and coldness... He has never looked at her like this -- not even when he wanted to kill her in the cursed sea. Sensing her fear, Adiraughs at her. "Then again, this is not the first time when a woman entered my castle like this. However, you are the first mortal who came here without my permission." Now, she''s sure that he truly doesn''t remember her. Qeshaya has taken away his memories of her. He remembered everythingst time. He would remember again. She moves closer to him, raising her hand to touch his face. "I am Ari -- your Ari." He ps her hand away and wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Step back, Mortal." Her heart wrenches in pain. Ari purses her lips. It''s temporary. She shouldn''t let this get to her. He''s acting like this because he doesn''t remember. Didn''t she do the same when she was in his ce? "Adira, you forgot everything. That''s why you are like this. I will tell you everything that has happened. You will remember in time." However, Adira is not paying attention to her. He nces at Kresi who is deep in sleep. The soul has taken damage and the body is not doing well. Did the other gods do this to Amara''s reincarnation? There''s no reason why Amara should be in prison. His heart was taken away before the imprisonment, but it''s back in his body now. Surely, Noras must have returned it. The condition of the world is better. How long has passed? Cina was also there in Qeshaya. The other gods must have sent Cina for another crime. But why did they send Amara there? Why did Noras release them? Did Amara try to release him and that forced Noras toe? He clenches his fists when he recalls the betrayal. Amara did it to him because she wanted to avenge the gods. He trusted her so much A mortal tricked a god. It''s ridiculous. "Adira," Ari calls his name with a frantic voice, shaking him awake from his thoughts. "Are you listening to me? Your name was Kyo once. I gave you that name. Remember me, please." "Annoying," He mutters under his breath as he raises his hand to p her face for touching him. Why is this mortal still here? Maybe he should kill her now. She widens her eyes, freezing in her spot. His hand stops only a few inches away from her cheek. He fists his hand and moves away from her. Hements with a low dark voice, "You are carrying a child." "Your child," Her voice breaks. "I am carrying your child." "Mortal, you are testing my patience." Adira resists the urge to wipe her out. He doesn''t want to kill an unborn life. "I am sure that you know who I am. I came out of imprisonment after a long time. When did I sleep with you? I am sure that I didn''t grant any boon to any strange woman." And then, she loses her temper. Strange woman? Who is he calling strange? "I am going easy on you because you had a hard time, but you keep talking shit to me. Do you know how many times you have slept with me?" She grimaces at him. "We kept fucking like rabbits. You even said that you were going to do this to me until I reached immortality. You lustful god! You dare to act like a saint now. You better remember everything before tomorrowes or I will--" Fucking like rabbits? He crosses his arms, wondering whether he shouldugh or pull her tongue out. She must have been sent by other gods. Whose child is she carrying? It''s certainly a halfling. He can''t endure her lies. "I will smack your head." Ari finishes her words. "I promise you! I will hit your head until you remember everything." "You really have a death wish." He grabs her arm and drags her out of Amara''s room. The girl is resting. This time is crucial. If this woman continues to scream, the girl might wake up. He closes the door and turns to face the strange woman. "I don''t know who sent you here, but I will ignore it since you are carrying a child. Leave the castle now. I don''t want to harm you or your child." "I can''t leave." She scowls at him. "I am telling you. This is your baby. I can prove it. Is there DNA testing here?" What is DNA testing? Adira frowns at her. Is it some new magic? "Do you know the girl who is lying unconscious on the bed?" "Yes." She knits her brows. He even forgot about Kresi? "That''s my wife''s reincarnation, Amara." He informs her, "I killed her, but that doesn''t change anything. I love her and only her, and I also hate her. Nobody else will take her ce in my heart. I will wait for her to wake up. You should return to the man who is the father of your child. At this time, you should be staying with him since you are carrying a halfling. The halfling would be born weak if you don''t stay with him." After hearing that, she doesn''t know what to say. To see that kind of look in his eyes for another woman Did he go through this pain when she was crying for Tristan? The rtionship between her and Tristan was different from the rtionship between him and Amara. Does he love her again? But even when she didn''t remember him, she still felt something for him. Ari ces her hand on her belly, staring at him calmly. "You are wrong. Your heart has only me. There''s no ce for her. You made love to me and this child is yours. You don''t love her. You love me." Her stubborn deration makes his heart skip. He narrows his gaze on her. Who is this woman? Chapter 144: If this nameless creature was mine Chapter 144: If this nameless creature was mine He creases his forehead, eyeing her darkly. Love a mortal like her? From the top to the bottom, there are countless beauty charms on her body. She must have seduced a lot of gods with those charms. Women like her are known for their trades. He grasps her neck, pushing her against the wall. When he tightens his fingers, Ari pinches her lips together. Seeing her like this, his eyes darken. Her face turns pale when he presses his cold hand on her belly. "Woman, do you not care about your child''s life?" She senses turbulent ehr throbbing into her flesh, threatening her child''s life. Ari widens her eyes. Is he really going to kill their child? She gasps. "Don''t do that." "And why should I do that?" His nails dig into her flesh. Heughs when fear finally appears in her eyes. "Such a fragile woman! If I snap your neck now, you and your child would die. But you are still here." "Stop!" Ari cries out in pain. "Please," The sound of her pained voice triggers something in his body. He releases her, taking a few steps away from her as she falls on her knees. Ari puts her arms on her belly protectively, taking deep breaths. He narrows his eyes on his trembling hand. Why couldn''t he do it? He doesn''t remember. That''s why he''s doing this. Ari nces at him. Her heart drums fast against her chest. That dark ehr did have the intention of killing her and her child. "If I see you again, I will kill you," Adira states with a low voice. Looking at her troubles his heart. He returns to Amara''s room and closes the door behind him. He observes the figure on the bed with aplicated gaze. Memories of the night when he killed this woman is vivid in his mind. So, she reincarnated in the same world. Seeing this woman is still painful. Ari wipes her tears and stands up. This is unfair. She can''t even get mad at him because this is not his fault. She yells loudly, "Fine, I will go away. I won''t return until youe to me and apologize. " Inside the room, Adira hears those words. He looks daggers at the door. That woman isn''t gone yet? She''s testing his limits now. He will kill her right at this moment. Adira storms out of the room and finds her gone. "Tch!" Now, where did she go? Out of habit, he continues to walk until he reaches the corridor that leads to Ari''s room. He stops walking when he sees her pulling a chair along with her. "Damn! Why is this chair so heavy?" Ari puts her hand on her hip. "We have to leave this ce. If I had known that my life was going to turn into a soap opera, I would have seen them instead of binge-watching anime in my previous life." "Master, I don''t understand what you are saying." Mogrok raises his head and frowns at her? "Did you fight with the Dark God again?" "He picked a fight with me." Ari glowers at Mogrok. "Anyway, help me move this out of the castle. I need to go to Mirins. I am sure that they can help me." "But you are carrying a child." Mogrok points at her belly. "Master, you shouldn''t leave the castle. You should stay here. It''s not safe out there." "Mother." Little Ai raises his head. "Don''t leave the castle. I don''t want you to get hurt because of me." Ari bends her waist and leans closer to Little Ai, cupping his face. "Child, I am not going to hurt. Didn''t I promise you that I will give you a name? Kresi is sick right now. That''s why we must find another way to find a name for you." So, she has another child. Adira glowers at the chair. The child is invisible, but there''s a presence of the nameless creature. The chain of dark ehr is puzzling. When did he make that? Something is amiss. In any case, why is there a nameless creature in his castle? Did this woman bring it here? It doesn''t matter why this nameless creature is here. Adira takes long strides toward them. The nameless creature must be killed right now. Hearing his footsteps, Ari looks over her head. Did he remember everything already? A smile appears on her lips. "Adira." He ignores her and reaches for the nameless creature. Just then, the third moon appears before him and shields Ai. "No!" "Step aside." Adira snaps at her. "This thing must be eradicated now." "Adira, you are" Ari blinks her eyes, disappointed. So, he''s here to kill Little Ai. Sheposes herself and takes a step toward him. "You can''t kill him." Adira doesn''t understand why it bothers him whenever she looks at him like that. "Are you going to say now that this child is also mine?" His eyes turn colder when she says nothing. "If this nameless creature was mine, I would have killed it the moment it was born." "Oh." She whispers. "So, if the child in my belly is a nameless child like he is, you would kill our child too." "Yes, I would." Adira replies, "But it''s not my child. You are clearly a woman who entertains men. Who sent you, woman? Was it Noras? He''s too honourable to do something like this. Do you even know who is the real father of your children?" A teardrop rolls down on her cheek when she hears those words. Though she understands why this is happening, those words stab her heart cruelly. "Lord!" Mogrok exims. "What are you saying? You can''t say those words to her." "Shut up!" Adira barks at the spirit beast. "How dare you question a god? Get out of here right now." As it is amand, Mogrok can''t help but leave the vicinity. "And you." Adira gives a chilling look at Ril''Yah who is standing in front of Ai like a shield. "You are Sion''s and Mirinae''s daughter. Do you not know what a nameless creature is? You shouldn''t be protecting this creature." "Dark God, you may not remember but gods gave a chance to Renasir." Ril''Yah speaks quickly, "Within twelve days, the renasir has to draw a name for this child. If she fails, then you or God Noras can take this child''s life. If you don''t believe us, you can seek God Noras." Chapter 145: He loves her? Chapter 145: He loves her? "Renasir?" Adira frowns. "Who is the Renasir?" Ari doesn''t say anything. She returns to Little Ai''s side. Her face is expressionless,pletely hiding the painful feelings in her chest. "This is not your awakening, Dark God." Ril''Yah doesn''t answer his questions. "The Renasir freed you a long time ago. A lot has happened since then. You went to Qeshaya because of a situation that involved God Cina and Lady Amara''s reincarnation." Adira furrows his brows, confused. "If you don''t believe us, ask the Dragon God." Ril''Yah urges him with a desperate voice, "Ask anyone." But none of the gods except for Noras are currently on Iravan. Adira stares at Ril''Yah. There''s only one person -- God Noras. That''s thest person he wants to see. "Ril''Yah." Ari ces her hand on the girl''s shoulder. Ril''Yah turns around and looks up at her anxiously. "Take us away from here." Ari meets Adira''s gaze. "There''s no point arguing with someone who doesn''t want to believe anyone. I don''t have time anyway. Kresi isn''t the only one who can help us." Before Adira can say anything, Ril''Yah grabs Ari''s and Ai''s hands. In the next instant, they vanish from the corridor, leaving Adira behind. He clenches his fists. A nameless creature. A strange woman. And even the third moon. What is going on here? *** Kresi stirs on the bed. Her eyelids flutter. She raises her hand, murmuring something inaudible. Her head hurts badly. She slowly opens, touching her forehead. Feeling that something is wrong, she looks at her hand. It''s gone. There''s no change in her golden eyes. God Cina. Forest. The rune that nearly killed her. All the memories surge back in her mind. Her lips tremble. She inhales sharply. She''s still alive and this room is Amara''s room. Why is she here? She sits up. Every cell of her body is aching. She realizes that something feels different. The air around her has a soft familiar pressure. Isn''t this ehr? Kresi uncurls her left hand, ingesting the ehr. It fills her veins, flowing like a raging river. She blinks her eyes. To be able to feel magic again How was it possible? Did the Renasir heal her broken veins? Then, Ari must have been able to draw a name for Ai. How did Renasir learn it by herself? She climbs off the bed and heads toward the door. When she pulls the door, she finds it locked. "Why is this locked from outside?" Did they lock her here because she attacked God Cina? Kresi absorbs the ehr from her surroundings and directs it toward her left hand. She draws a rune on the door swiftly. The bluish rune glimmers in the air before turning into dust. "It''s rejected." Kresi mumbles to herself, "There''s a stronger seal on the door." Just then, the door is opened. Adira is standing before her. He looks at her with a prating gaze. Kresi knits her brows and takes a step back. If the Dark God is angry with her, she deserves it. However, it''s awkward standing in front of the man who was her husband once, even if it was her previous life. She sits down on her knees and bows her head. "Lord, I know that my sins can''t be forgiven. I have betrayed you in my past life and caused the great war. I am ready for the punishment that you have for me." Adira stares at her. "So, you remember your previous life, Amara." Kresi creases her forehead. Why is he addressing her with that name? And why does he sound surprised? She raises her head to look at him. "You were the one who gave me those memories, God Adira." Did he? He scrutinizes her face. She seems to be telling the truth. "How did you end up in Qeshaya?" "God Cina attacked me." Kresi chuckles, "Gods know how to hold a grudge. I summoned Qeshaya to imprison him. You must be wondering how I learned that. Before I died, I had studied your heart inside me. Well, it was not difficult because my entire body was filled with runes. I was determined to free you. So, I studied the rune''s imprint on your heart. It took me ten years. I didn''t know that the rune needed a lot of ehr that I couldn''t give it. I wonder how I am still alive." After hearing her words, Adira realizes that Ril''Yah has been telling the truth. He must have woken up a long time ago. If he had gone to Qeshaya again, there''s a chance that he lost some memories. But why does Amara remember everything? "I guess I havemitted great sins again." Kresi grins at him. "God Adira, you have a good reason to kill me now." He studies her for a long time. Everything about her has changed, even the way she talks. It makes him feel lonelier. Somehow, he''s stuck in the past and this woman is not the same. His memories are fresh as if it only happened yesterday. Her blood was on her hands. She gave him a cruel smile when she died. "Why did you give me thatmand?" Adira asks her with a mechanical voice. "You made me fight the other gods and destroy Iravan. You forced me to kill my friend''s children and countless innocent people. You even corrupted the dark ehr with your dark desires. Even after everything, I still couldn''t think of killing you. I had every right to hate you, but I, a god at the mercy of a mortal woman, couldn''t find the strength to hate you back then." Until he felt her blood on his hand. That memory is also fresh in her mind. Amara''s emotionse alive on her face. It''s been thousands of years; and yet, she still doesn''t regret that decision. Perhaps, dying at his hand has been a kindness. "You are still hung up on that." Kresi meets her gaze with the same cruel smile. "I did it because I hated you. I knew that it would destroy you. Even after you became a puppet god, you still loved me. Dark God, I didn''t hate you because you were a god. I hated you because you continued to love me when I hated myself. It hurt me every day." Adira feels heaviness enveloping his heart. A lump emerges in the back of his throat. He fists his hands, forcing himself to listen to this. "Why did you trust me like that?" Kresi continues, "You should have trusted me. I married you, but we never consummated our marriage. You were fine when I told you that I wanted to be immortal before we did it. You let me find my own way to immortality when you clearly knew many quick methods. You held me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. How could you do that?" She pauses for a moment. "That was painful." "I didn''t know that loving and trusting you was making you suffer." Adira says to her, "You must have loved fooling me." "I hated every second of it." Kresi looks at her wrist with a quiet gaze. "You were so good to me. I hated myself more with every passing second that I spent with you. I wanted to forget everything and fall in love with you, but I don''t know why I couldn''t forget Jase. In this lifetime, I don''t care about him as much as I cared about him back then. He got reincarnated as the son of the dragon god and now, he already has a true mate. I feel somewhat happy for him. I was d when I found out that you have Ari now. I saw how much you love her. I am not Amara anymore, but I am not Kresi either. I want to pay for the things that I did, but I don''t know how to." Ari? Adira curves his brows, surprised. That woman''s name is Ari. He loves her? Chapter 146: I can also hear it Chapter 146: I can also hear it "What should I do with him?" Noras frowns. God Cina, who is reduced to a small child, is lying on the bed in a fetal position. Noras has checked this god''s body and core. The sight of the damages makes him sigh. How long will it take for Cina to recover if he can recover? A thousand years? Noras sighs again. "Who is going to raise him?" The god of trees andnds has no kins except for the other gods. Obviously, Noras can''t leave this small kid in a forest. If Cina''s memories return, then it''s fine. He presses his hand on Cina''s forehead and looks for memories. nk. There''s nothing. Every corner of Cina''s mind is empty. His eyes snap open. "What did Amara do?" Did the forbidden realm also take Cina''s memories in order to suppress him? Qeshaya has done it to the Dark God. However, the memories of Dark God came back after he started recovering. "The situation is different." Noras leans back in the chair, studying Cina''s sleeping figure. When the gods used their strengths to seal the Dark God inside Qeshaya, they made sure that the Dark God would be suppressed only. Qeshaya weakened the Dark God by suppressing both memories and strength. If a mortal tries to summon Qeshaya, it wouldn''t receive enough energy from the mortal. Kresi''s soul and body were also intact. Adira was also fine. Did Qeshaya absorb Cina''s memories and strength to suppress him? This is god''s death. It''s true that gods are immortal, but there are ways in which gods can die too. Losing all the memories is one. In deaths like this, gods are reset to their initial forms. Though he''s Cina too, he will never be the same. Cina will grow up into a new person. Noras holds his head, feeling exhausted. "Do I have to raise a god now?" The other gods aren''t back yet. They must have gone to a distant world. He has to send a messenger. Noras raises his head when he feels a presence. Why is Renasir Ari here? The third moon is also here. He walks out of the room and takes long strides toward the sitting room. Since she''s here without Adira, it must be rted to what happened in Qeshaya. He pushes open the door and enters the room. Renasir Ari is sitting on the couch with one hand on her belly and another hand around an invisible entity. Ril''Yah is also beside her. Renasir Ari looks at him coldly. "God Noras, what happened to Adira?" "Is something wrong with him?" Noras asks her with a heavy voice. God Cina is enough of a problem now. If something happens to Adira, he has no idea what to do. "He doesn''t remember anything before the time I freed him from Qeshaya," Renasir Ari replies. Her voice is low and emotionless, hiding everything in her heart. "He doesn''t remember me." God Noras'' heart drops to his stomach when he hears that. "What happened to Kresi?" "I don''t know." Renasir Ari curls her fingers and knits her forehead. "She didn''t wake up before I left the castle." "He might have lost his memories because he spent some time in Qeshaya." God Noras creases his forehead, looking down at the floor. It was only memory suppression, right? If it''s only the suppression, he can make him remember. "Renasir, wait here. I will see Adira now." After God Noras is gone, Ari fidgets with her fingers. Even if she knows that the amnesia is temporary, she has an ominous feeling. Would he truly kill their child if it was also a nameless creature? He wouldn''t even try to draw a name and save their child. Is he that kind of person? Or is it because he doesn''t remember anything? "Ril''Yah, what is the difference between a mortal and a god?" Ari questions the girl beside her. "Why I am having this difficulty understanding him? It wasn''t like this when he was Kyo." "Renasir, I know what you are thinking about. Being a god isn''t easy." Ril''Yah tells her with a soft voice, "We have to make choices that a mortal wouldn''t make. Kyo didn''t remember his true self. He didn''t care about his responsibilities. The Dark God Adira is a god. He has to do things that Kyo would not have done. Gods can''t show kindness without thinking about repercussions. Think about it. You saved Kresi. Though you did nothing wrong, God Cina took another decision. One thing led to another. God Adira lost his memories today and Cina died in a way. If the nameless creature died before the trial, things might not have gone this far." "You are here though." She mutters, "You are trying to save a nameless child." "I am a selfish one, Renasir." Ril''Yah sighs. "ording to thews, the nameless creatures should be killed. With time, they will forget about themselves and turn into a creature who would eat other people''s true names. When it reaches that stage, there''s no turning back. No matter how much it devours, it will never be content. It will also seek the true names of the gods. That is the reason why gods kill the nameless creatures at sight." Little Ai peeks at Ril''Yah. The third moon is also pretty. She''s nice too. But she rarely talks to him. Then, she can''t hear his voice. "What is your selfish reason?" Ari narrows her eyes. The moons might look young, but they are way older than anyone else in this room. Why is Ril''Yah going this far to save Little Ai? Would it harm Little Ai in the future? "I will tell you if you are able to draw the name." Ril''Yah stands up. "I am going to the Mirins. They still have Renasir Mayaeira''s things. I will look for the knowledge of the names." Ari says nothing. She pulls Little Ai closer to her. Gods areplicated. She''s having trouble understanding Ril''Yah too. If everyone just talks, it wouldn''t be thisplicated. Before the Renasir Mayaeira died, she gave awayst of her powers and knowledge to her. It only means that Renasir Mayaeira didn''t know the knowledge of the names. Does Renasir Mayaeira have something left behind? If even Renasir Mayaeira didn''t know, then why does Kresi knows? Did Kresi learn from somewhere else? Why is that girl so mysterious? She doesn''t want to me Kresi for what happened to Adira. If she was in Kresi''s situation, she might have done the same. It seems like he truly believed that he loved Amara at the moment. Does he truly love her now? "Mother." Little Ai nudges her. "What are you thinking about?" "I never thought that love would be thisplicated," Ari murmurs softly. "My love for you is simple, Mother." He rubs his cheek on her arm and smiles up at her. "I love my sibling too." Ari chuckles, rubbing Little Ai''s head. "I guess so. My son''s love doesn''t lead me to overthink." Honestly, what''s wrong with her? She shouldn''t be thinking like this. She loves Adira. He also loves her. Nothing can change that fact. Love might not be enough in a rtionship. Differences in opinions might be there. She should try to understand his side. Since he doesn''t remember her, this is also her chance to know him better. When he remembers her, his attitude toward her will also change. "Mother, I can hear their heartbeats." Ai presses his ear on her belly. "They are growing fast." They? Ari purses her lips. It hasn''t been long since she got pregnant. How can he hear heartbeats already? "They told me that they miss their father." Ai blinks at her. "When are you going to return to the Dark God, Mother?" Foetuses can talk? "Child, don''t y jokes like that. It''s too soon for them to speak." She''s sure that they don''t even have a mouth. "I can also hear it." Chapter 147: Will you be my friend? Chapter 147: Will you be my friend? Ari nces toward the door where a child is standing. He''s two or three years older than Little Ai. His hair is a curly mess and he''s wearing a white robe. She recognizes him right away. This damned god! Everything happened because of him. But why does he look so adorable right now? She can''t p those mushy cheeks. "They are so loud." Cina walks to her with a deep frown. "I woke up because of their constant whines." "..." Should she apologize? But she can''t hear anything. Little Ai jumps off the couch and steps toward Cina. "Don''te closer, you bad god." Cina can''t see Little Ai, but he feels that obstacle is in front of him. He squints his eyes. "I am not a bad god." "You are bad!" Little Ai pushes him. "You tried to hurt sister." "I didn''t do anything," Cina yells as he lunges toward the invisible figure. Little Ai steps aside. The god falls on his face. Cina lifts his head. There''s a big red bump on his forehead. His lips are split. Tears roll out of his eyes. He sniffles, trying not to try. Seeing him like that, Little Aiughs and sits on Cina''s back. "You, bad god! I am going to beat you up for hurting Elder Brother and Sister." The god bursts into tears, crying loudly. His loud cries echo in the entire pce. Ari gasps when she sees vines storming the sitting room through the windows and the doors. In a few seconds, the entire room is filled with trees and vines. Is this the wrath of the child-god? "Hmph!" Little Ai grabs Cina''s hair, pulling his head toward him. "Who are you trying to scare? I can eat them all right now." "Let me go!" Cina thrashes his arms and legs on the floor. "I didn''t do anything bad." "You did bad." Little Ai ps Cina''s cheek. "You hurt Sister and Elder Brother. Because of you, my mother is sad." "Child, it''s not--" Ari pauses when she sees trees leaning toward them. Why does she feel like she''s going to be attacked next? "I don''t remember anything." Cina bawls, trying to push off Little Ai from his body. "I don''t remember. Stop hurting me." "You are also making my siblings sad." Little Ai starts shaking Cina''s shoulders. "Stop crying now. My siblings shouldn''t be sad because of you." Instead of shutting up, Cina''s cries be louder. "Why do you cry so much?" Little Ai scowls at him. He smacks Cina''s head. "I told you to stop crying." "It hurts." Cina wipes his nose. "My head and lips hurt." "Your head hurts because you are dumb." Little Ai hits Cina''s head again. "You are bad and dumb." "I am not bad and dumb." Cina looks at Ari pleadingly. "Please help me, Mother. He is going to kill me." "Why are you calling me that?" Ari steps back, looking at him with disbelief. This god was an adult god a while ago. There''s no way that she would ever ept him as her kid. She already has Ai and there are ''they'' in her womb. "They are calling you that." Cina points toward her belly. "He also calls you that." "You can''t call me that." Ari shakes her head. "My babies can call me that. That child on your back can call me that. You can never ever call me that." "Why?" Cina slowly blinks his eyes. "They told me that I can call you that." Little Ai res at Ari''s belly. "You have me as your elder brother. Why do you need this crying bad god? Both of you are too greedy. I am a hundred times better than he is. You also have my elder brother." No! Ari sits down on the couch. Aren is also her son? Technically, if Ai is her son, then Aren should be No! No! No! It''s uneptable. She can''t be a mother to the entire world. Cina lowers his head and wails. Ari doesn''t know how tofort Cina when she can''tfort herself. By the way, is she carrying twins? Greedy twins? "Tsk!" Little Ai wrinkles his nose. "Mother, they said that they really want this crying bad god as their pet because they want to bully him in the future." What kind of reason is that? Ari nces down. They aren''t even a month old and they already want to bully a god. "They said that they are tired because the bad god won''t stop crying." Little Ai covers Cina''s mouth. "Didn''t you hear that? If you don''t stop crying, they will never bully you in the future." "But why do they want to bully me?" Cina scrunches his brows. "I don''t want to be bullied, Mother." "Please don''t call me that." Ari feels like crying. "I am too young to have four kids." "Why are you questioning them?" Little Ai pats Cina''s head. "If they bully you, no one else will bully you. They will teach you how to be a good god. Then, everyone will love you." "Really?" Cina smiles at Ari. "Mother, will you also love me?" "Nope." Ari waves her hands. "Never." "Mother, they have already epted him as their pet." Little Ai cocks his head. "They told me that their decision is final." "Screw them!" Ari folds her arms. "I am their mother. I won''t ept this god as a pet. I can''t raise four children, even if one of them is a pet. Mogrok is there if they want a pet that badly." "They said that they like this god more than Mogrok because he only has two eyes. They will raise him." Little Ai nces at Cina who is still smiling. "You only have to raise them and me." Her head hurts. Where is Adira? She wants to beat him up. How could he forget everything at times like this? She can''t deal with this situation. If Cina bes her babies'' pet, she will start crying. It''s not like she can do anything to Cina when he''s a kid. She''s only neen, technically. She hasn''t attended Ilucia yet. "You are our pet god from now on." Little Ai feels tired for some reasons. His twin siblings are whining about missing their father again. He doesn''t like the Dark God much, but he has a little choice. "You must always treat us as your master." This isn''t right. If other gods hear that God Cina is a pet god of her kids Ari doesn''t even want to imagine God Noras'' face. Meanwhile, Little Ai is cleaning the blood from Cina''s face. He plucks a few leaves from a nt and mashes it between his hands. He applies the juice on Cina''s lips. "Don''t cry too much. They dislike crying noises. If you act like a good god, they will promote you to their sibling." She has no say, right? Ari lies down on the couch, too tired to say a word. "I won''t cry," Cina promises him. He gives a side-long nce to Ari. "Mother, they miss their father." "I also miss him." Ari puts her arm over her eyes. Little Ai goes to her and wraps his arms around her belly. "Don''t be sad, Mother. I am here." "Yeah." Ari gives him a smile that doesn''t meet her eyes. She''s missing Adira more now. Maybe it''s because she knows that her unborn children want to be near their father. She can''t give any soothing word to them. "Mother, eat these." Cinaes to her with fruits in his hands. "I heard that they are good for unborn babies." "Who told you that?" Ari raises her brow. "They." Cina grins at the tree with the red fruits. "They said that you don''t have to worry about food. If you take care of me, they will be in your debt." "I don''t like debts." She scrutinizes Cina''s face. He looks innocent. Is he going to be like this after he remembers? "You aren''t nobody''s pet. I am not your mother. But if you want to be with me and my kids, you can stay as long as you don''t harm them." "I won''t harm them." Cina nods. "I will be a good god from now on." "You should be." Little Ai glowers at him. "When you meet Elder Brother and Sister, you should apologize to them on your knees." "I will apologize." Cina ces his hands on Little Ai, trying to feel his skin. "Mother said that you can''t be my master. Then, will you be my friend?" "I am not your mother," Ari whispers with closed eyes. Whenever this god calls her that, she feels goosebumps in her body. "Mother and sisters said that she''s fine with you being with us. Then, I am also fine." Sisters? She''s going to have twin daughters. Adira would be happy. "Then, you and I are friends from now on." Cina giggles. "Sisters told me that they will also consider me as a friend." "I wonder how long we have to wait until theye out." Little Ai leans closer to Ari, trying to hear the voices. "Come out soon. I want to see you." "Me too." Cina says softly, "Don''t make us wait for long." Four kids. How is she going to raise them? It''s going to be chaotic. Chapter 148: Begging for her to be with you Chapter 148: Begging for her to be with you Sitting on the chair next to the window, Adira leans back with his eyes closed. Amara is still in that room. He doesn''t want to see her. After hearing her reasons for the things that she did, he doesn''t know what to feel. There''s a dull ache in his heart. He wants something, but he doesn''t know what it is. He is fully aware that it''s not Amara. Even if she''s in the castle, he has no urge to see her or be next to her. He doesn''t even feel any pain now, especially after hearing her reasons. However, there''s a deep longing. Something. Someone. A name that is foreign to him and yet so familiar. Why did he want to see that woman in Amara? How did he even fall for another mortal? That is ridiculous. Why is he sitting in that woman''s room? This ce is filled with her scent and it is strangelyforting. Being in love with another mortal is a catastrophe. He has no recollection of that catastrophe. "You are here." Noras steps into the room casually, looking around. This must "You didn''te out to see me." "It meant that I didn''t want to see you." Adira doesn''t open his eyes. "Why are you here?" "I heard that you forgot some things." Noras wonders where he should sit. The bed is out of the question. The Dark God is rather rude. Since this god doesn''t remember a few things, he will let this go. In the end, he leans against the wall and crosses his arms. "Did you try to look into yourself? Cina''s memories can''t be recovered. That rune devoured his strength and memories in Qeshaya. Technically, Cina died and was reborn again." "The rune was drawn clumsily." Adira has sensed the changes in this world and himself. "It was also a little different." "You are irresponsible, Adira." Noras res at him. "Instead of protecting yourself, you were protecting her. You are lucky that only your memories are gone. If you had ended up like Cina, it would have been hard on Renasir. She''s already carrying your seeds. I can''t imagine what she would have done if she had to raise you." So, she''s truly a Renasir. She was carrying his seeds. Noras would never lie. The god of light dislikes lying. "What of that nameless creature?" "Amara''sst sin," Noras tells him with a quiet voice. "That Renasir did release you." Noras reveals everything that he knows about Renasir, Little Ai, and Kresi. "If it''s difficult to believe, you can look into their memories." "I don''t want to." Adira runs his fingers through his hair. "I find it hard to believe that I would ever love someone like her." That woman ispletely opposite of Amara. The charms on her body are quite powerful. They are irritating, making him feel strange things. He hates being manipted. Did he fall for her because of those charms? That Renasir did die to save him. In her previous life, she slipped into Amara No, it''s Kresi''s body. "You will remember again." Noras assures him, "Until then, don''t be hard on Renasir. She is truly the woman you love." Love? He doesn''t feel any of it for that person. She''s a stranger to him. Adira nces at Noras. "How do you know that I will remember? My memories could have been devoured by Qeshaya." "No, your memories wouldn''t get eaten by Qeshaya." Noras shakes his head. It would be too much for him if that happens. "Qeshaya was eating in and out of Cina. It would have moved on to Kresi after cleansing Cinapletely. After all, she was the one who called the rune. Then, it would havee to you. You tried your best to protect Kresi while slowly feeding your energy to Qeshaya. Your memories are suppressed. It would take some time for you to recover, but you should remember everything." "You don''t sound confident." Adira sighs. He knows all that. "If my memories were suppressed, I would have felt something. However, all I see is empty space in my mind. It feels like I woke up after that day. Everything that you told me sounds like a made-up story." "But you know that it''s the truth." Noras replies, "The world? The corrupted Ehr? Renasir resolved all the issues that the gods should have. You were there with her." And that is strange. He would rather destroy the world than fix it. Maybe not. He is the Dark God, but he has never felt bloodthirst. "Why didn''t I marry her if I love her so much?" "As much as I know, you wanted to marry her." Noras furrows his brows. "It might have been postponed because of the nameless child. She did reject you during the trial." "She did what?" Adira raises his brow. "You were begging for her to be with you." Noras feels embarrassed when he recalls that memory. "In front of everyone, a god was telling a mortal that she couldn''t break up with him. You were clinging to her miserably. Even the great war wasn''t this bad. Actually, I would rather have a great war than seeing you clinging, begging, and crying because she didn''t want to be with you." Adira stands up, flushed. "I would never do that." "You don''t believe me?" Noras puts his hands on his hips. "You wouldn''t. Why would you? You don''t remember it. Maybe I should go to Qeshaya and get my memories suppressed. It''s better than remembering you embarrassing all the main gods. You had no dignity, Adira. For a mortal, how could you take a child form because you were jealous of the love that she was showing to that nameless child? You ran after in your toddler form. She had to carry you and soothe you because you wouldn''t stop crying." "That''s impossible." Adira raises his hand. "I can kill people for my woman, but I won''t throw away my pride for her. Now, I am sure that that person wasn''t me. It must be someone else with my face." "Is it possible for someone to fool twelve gods?" Noras scowls at him. "Ask anyone. The entire world witnessed it. Come with me. Whether you remember or not, she''s carrying your child. That is enough for evidence. What kind of father are you? You know how important it is to be with her at a time like this. Instead, you sent her away." Adira shrugs. How could he believe that a random woman would be carrying his children? He has no memory of sleeping with her. "I will check if she''s really carrying my child." "Do whatever you want." Noras jeers at him. "Take your woman back. Until the child is born, she shouldn''t step out of this castle. Yes, bring back that nameless creature here. If she fails to draw a name for that child, take care of him." "Why would she think of drawing true names when she''s carrying?" Adira grumbles. A nameless creature near the woman who is carrying his child? If she''s truly carrying his child, he''s going to lock him away until the time period is over. That woman shouldn''t strain her body at a time like this. "I know." Noras releases his breath. "She wasn''t pregnant when I made that decision. If I had known, I wouldn''t have given her a chance. In any case, you should take care of this. This entire problem was created because of your woman. She wouldn''t return Kresi''s sins back to her. We had tried everything." "Whether she''s my woman or not, I will kill that creature." Adira mutters, "Mortals are fools. Gods shouldn''t be swayed by them." "You were not only swayed but you also fell in love with them." Noras wrinkles his nose. "You should have married a goddess." Adira doesn''t bother replying. "Let''s go. I want to see if she''s really carrying my child." "Stubborn." Noras clicks his tongue. This Dark God already knows that she is. When they reappear in the sitting room where Noras left Ari and others, both of them widen their eyes in shock. The entire room is a forest. There''s no sign of Ari or the nameless creature. The third moon is also gone. "Where did they go?" Noras senses that Cina''s presence is gone from the world along with the third moon. "They are not in this world anymore." Chapter 149: Lets go to my world Chapter 149: Let''s go to my world "Hmm." Kresi stares at the door. Is she a prisoner now? The dark god was acting strange at that time. She was also acting strange. Those feelings were Amara''s feelings. It seems that the dark god had some sort of closure. Why did he put a seal on the door again? She mutters under her breath, frustrated. "I have to meet Renasir Ari." There''s no news of Aren Starfire either. Where is he? She crosses her arms and squints at the door. He should be fine. Cina won''t kill him. It''s already been some time. Are Gabriel and Raye here yet? "This is tiresome." She grits her teeth and kicks the door. "Dark God, I want to meet Renasir Ari. Let me out at this instant." The door is pulled open. Kresi blinks her eyes, taking a few steps back. The person in front of her is the Dark God himself. His dark eyes bore into her. She looks away, feeling awkward. "Erm I have to see Renasir." "She''s gone," He replies to her with a low voice, "From this world." "What?" She exims loudly. "How?" And why is he calm? "She left the world with the third moon." Adira sighs. He has looked for Ari in the entire world. There''s no presence. Cina is also gone. Two gods are missing from this world. "Do you know anything?" Why would Renasir Ari do that? Kresi shakes her head. "No." "Don''t leave the castle," He warns her with a low voice. He has to look for that woman who is reckless enough to run away from this world with a nameless creature and two child-gods. "You were my wife once. I am sure that you can take care of the dark realm while I am gone. If you need anything, ask Mogrok." "But I don''t think that --" The rest of her words are left hanging in the air. Adira is already gone. Kresi holds her head. What the hell is going on? Why does nobody bother to tell her anything? She must find out what is going on here. And leaving his realm to her She''s not his wife anymore. "Tch! Is that woman dumb? We don''t have enough time." *** Ril''Yah drops the bags on the floor and closes the door. They can''t stay in this world for long. She walks to the inner room. Cina is asleep on the bed with the nameless creature beside him. It was better if she had left God Cina back there, but this god wouldn''t let go of the Renasir. In the end, she had to bring him with them. She nces at the Renasir who is sitting on an armchair, gazing at the clouds floating away in the cyan sky. The third moon sighs. After visiting the Mirins, she went to the Dark Castle to talk to Kresi about the book that she found at Mayaeira Mirin''s room. At the dark castle, she heard about Adira''s ns. She returned to the pce and revealed everything to Ari. Renasir''s mood has been bad since that moment. "I brought what Kresi asked Gabriel and Raye to bring to the dark castle," Ril''Yah informs her. It was risky; however, Noras and Adira were distracted. It was like ying the hide and seek game. She couldn''t bring Kresi because of the seal on the door. "How long do we have?" Ari asks her. "They will find us in three hours." Ril''Yah estimates, "The Dark God will continue to look for you even if others stop. You are carrying his children." Ari nods. "We can''t stay here then." "Where should we go?" Ril''Yah nces at the spot beside God Cina anxiously. "He''s going to be killed like this." He doesn''t deserve it. What did he do wrong? This world isn''t far from Iravan. The gods of this world will notice the nameless creature soon. They need to leave. But where? "Let''s go to my world." Ari stands up and picks up the blue cloak from the chair''s arm. "It''s quite far from here. Since we don''t have to worry about the time limit anymore, we should go there." "Your world?" Ril''Yah frowns at her. "Are you talking about Earth?" "En." Ari walks to the bed and takes Little Ai in her arms. "We have God Cina with us. I heard that he can create gates. Since it will take time to make a direct gate to Earth, we will make him summon a gate to the world that is closer to that world. It will give us some time before they catch up -- if they catch up." Earth is really far. This is an impossible trip. How many worlds do they have to cross before they reach that ce? Ril''Yah shakes her head. "Renasir, we don''t have that much time." "If we wait here, Little Ai will be killed." Ari stares at her calmly. "He doesn''t remember where I am from. Even if the other gods know, how would theye there? The gate to that world is not on Iravan. Only Cina can make the gates. If they take other routes, it will take forever for them to reach us. By that time, I am sure that I can draw a true name for Little Ai." Ril''Yah didn''t find it when she went to the Mirins. But she found thest piece of the knowledge that Renasir Mayaeira didn''t know -- the knowledge of forbidden runes. It was hidden inside her mother''s temple. Since her mother was gone, she looked into it. Who knew that she would also find the information on the true names in that book? So, she borrowed it for a while. She''s been keeping a watch on Kresi. There was no doubt that the ingredients that Gabriel and Raye were bringing to the Dark castle were rted to the ritual for the true name. "God Cina will be exhausted by the time we reach there." Ril''Yah fidgets with her fingers. "What if God Cina isn''t able to open the gate to Iravan again? He''s already weak right now." "Then, we will stay there," Ari tells her solemnly. After hearing Adira''s ns, her soul is tired. She doesn''t want to be with a person who is like that. She has tried to understand him, but she can''t figure it out. If he kills Little Ai, her feelings for him will end. So, she should leave before that could happen. "When he recovers, you can return to Iravan with him." Go to a strange world? Ril''Yah looks down at the floor. Is this the decision that Seer Parisa was talking about? She must choose between her duties as the goddess of Iravan and the person in Renasir''s arms. "It''s not even a choice." "Huh?" Ari knits her brows. "You don''t want toe?" "I have toe." Ril''Yah smiles at her. "I will wake God Cina and guide him to open the gate to the world that is closest to your world. When we reach there, he and I will work on building a gate to your world while you should focus on drawing the true name for the child in your arms." Little Ai stirs in Renasir''s arms, murmuring something inaudible in response. Ari pats the child''s back. "Sounds good." Chapter 150: Have some faith in me Chapter 150: Have some faith in me "Stolen?" Kresi grimaces at Raye. "Who stole them?" "I don''t know." Raye lowers his head. "When I looked back, they were gone." "We didn''t feel anyone''s presence," Gabriel says to her. On their way to the Dark Castle, everything was stolen. The culprit didn''t leave any traces. "I think it was someone powerful." Kresi crosses her arms. What is going on here? The ingredients were stolen. Is it rted to Renasir Ari''s disappearance? "Have you heard something on your way here?" "About what?" Raye raises his brows. "About the Renasir," She tells him. "We didn''t hear anything about her," Raye replies with a frown. "But we heard something about the gods returning to the world. I didn''t even notice that they were gone." "Did something happen, Kresi?" Gabriel leans forward, creasing his forehead. "You know that you don''t have to bear everything alone." "Renasir Ari left the world with Little Ai," Kresi reveals it to him. Since he''s Little Ai''s father, he deserves to know. "The Dark God went after her. I have to take care of the dark realm until hees back. I don''t know anything else." For some reasons, God Adira was acting strange. She doesn''t know whom to ask about this. The spirit beasts of this castle won''t talk to her. They hate her for sure. "What?" Raye exims. "Dark Realm is so big. How would you take care of it?" She doesn''t even want to take care of it. Kresi sighs. This is an unwanted responsibility. When people die, all of their ties die with the body. Why is she still called his ex-wife? She shouldn''t have taken that vial of Amara''s memories. Gabriel holds his head, taking deep breaths. His son is gone again. The Renasir must have done this to protect his son. The nameless creatures are extremely dangerous. Drawing a true name is too difficult. The gods were reluctant to give her the chance. "She must have taken the ingredients." Kresi has some grasp of the situation. "Gabriel, I think that the Renasir will not stop until Little Ai receives a true name. She wille back with him." "I hope that they are fine." Gabriel closes his eyes, entwining his fingers together. The Renasir will be in danger if she fails to draw a true name. If the gods aren''t around her to protect her, she could lose her true name to Little Ai. "I am sure that there''s a god with her." Kresi ces her hand over Gabriel''s hands. "Gabriel, she''s the one who saved the world. I am sure that she can save Little Ai." *** Cina wipes his sweat and resumes working on the gate. He''s been trying hard for days. The magic in this world is different. He draws a circle with an arrow on the stone. The source is drawn, but the destination is missing. What is the name of that world? "Earth," Ril''Yah reminds him again. After bringing them here, God Cina is already on his limit. But he''s working hard to create another gate. She''s been healing him continuously. Meanwhile, the Renasir hasn''t left the hut. The gods of this world are not bothered about them. Civilization is too far from this ce in the mountains. Since this world is far from Iravan, it will take some time for the Dark God to find them. The estimated time is a few weeks, but he might find them in two weeks if he travels through the universes without a stop. "That is not that world''s true name." Cina scratches his head. "Should I make a seeker gate?" "Seeker gate?" Ril''Yah moves closer, curious to listen. "What type of gates are those?" "It opens to the world where the passenger wants to go." Cina nces at her, wondering how does he know that. He continues with a quiet voice, "The seeker has to think of the ce and the gate to that ce will open, but this gate only works once." It will also take most of his magic. He would be sleepy when he arrives in that world. "Do it." Ril''Yah says to him, "I am going to check on the Renasir. You should quickly finish it." Ril''Yah walks back to the hut. She knocks on the door a few times before opening the door. Little Ai sits up on the bed, drowsy. In thest few days, he''s always been sleepy. He is starting to forget things. There are moments when he can''t hear his sisters. He closes his eyes again, too sleepy to stay awake. "Renasir, he might be able to make the gate by tomorrow morning." She bends down on her knees. "How long will you take?" "I will draw the true name tonight." The Renasir stares at thebination runes that she had drawn on the floor. She picks up the book. "It has to be done in the woods." For thest few days, she''s been reading the book that Ril''Yah brought. Drawing a true name requires an understanding. Every living being in this world has a true name. A true name represents the essence of a creature. It is simr to identity. Just like a person is lost without a name, creatures without true names are often lost. At the beginning of everything, the supreme one gave name to everything. All the gods in different universes are born from that supreme one. Even humans, spirit beasts, or magic are born out of the one. That''s how everything is the same and yet, everyone has grown into their own being. Iravan is the only world where true names can be erased. Little Ai can''t have the same true name that he had when he was born. After his true name was gone, Little Ai had changed. He has grown into a different person. The old name won''t suit him anymore. It would twist his soul. To shape a true name for someone who has lost it, she must understand that person. "This book doesn''t say how to shape a true name." Ari smiles at Ril''Yah. "In fact, the ingredients aren''t required for the naming." "We don''t?" Ril''Yah looks at the ck bags in the corner of the hut. "Then, why did she collect them?" "Those are used for creating a barrier around the nameless creature." Ari traces the rune drawn on the floor with a quiet gaze. "Little Ai is losing his senses. It won''t be long before he starts attacking people." Maybe they only have days in their hands. "I will start the preparation." Ril''Yah looks at the bed where Little Ai is sleeping. "Renasir, if it doesn''t work" "It will work." Ari''s voice is clear and stubborn. "Have some faith in me." . "Just in case," Ril''Yah continues, "Give my name to him." "I don''t think that your mother would like that." Ari chuckles. "I think that this is too much, even if he is going to be your future husband." "How did you know?" Ril''Yah questions her loudly, awakening Little Ai again. The boy inhales sharply, annoyed. However, he can''t seem to stay awake to listen to the conversation. "I had my doubts." Ari opens the book and turns the pages. "Why would a god go this far for a nameless child? I am sure that the gods won''t do anything without a good reason. So, I tried the rune to see your future and guess what I found? There is a good chance that you will have a green-haired husband in the future." "You were practising the art of predicting the future." Ril''Yah scowls at her. "You should be focussing on drawing a true name for him." Ariughs. Blushing hard, the third moon res at the Renasir. "How did you know that he was going to be your husband?" Ari inquires curiously. "His true name was gone before you woke up." Chapter 151: After your daughters are born Chapter 151: After your daughters are born "Before the war, I met Oracle Parisa once." Ril''Yah peeks at the bed where Little Ai is sleeping. "She told me a few things." "Really?" Ari closes the book and puts it on the floor. Oracle Parisa, Deia''s previous reincarnation, seems interesting. "What did she say?" "Oracle Parisa had seen a long future." Though it''s been a long time, Ril''Yah hasn''t forgotten the oracle''s words. "She told me that he can be saved if I help you. If I save him, he and I will get married." "So, you did it because you wanted to get married?" Ari scrunches her brows. The girl doesn''t look older than eight. When she was this girl''s age, she only cared about watching anime and reading manga. "She said that he would make me really happy." Ril''Yah fumbles with the fabric of her skirt. "If I don''t save him, I will never find love." Parisa was smart, wasn''t she? Ari can''t help but feel that the oracle had manipted this little girl. Maybe she''s wrong. If Little Ai marries her, wouldn''t Ril''Yah be her daughter-inw? Ari closes her eyes and sighs. She shouldn''t think much about it. These children can do whatever they want to do. She mumbles softly, "If I seed tonight, we can return to Iravan. We don''t have to use the seeker gate." "Renasir, there''s something that you should know about." Ril''Yah looks down at her hands. "Oracle Parisa also talked about your future." Ari looks at her solemnly. "What is it?" "The Dark God''s memories won''t return soon." Ril''Yah divulges, "After your daughters are born, he will send you away from the Dark Castle." "That damned god!" Ari scowls. "I know that he''s a stubborn asshole, but I didn''t think that he would go this far." "You will fight with him for your daughters, but you won''t win even if you are the Renasir. But he will remember." Ril''Yah continues, "When he remembers everything, he will seek forgiveness. It might take a few decades." "Decades." Ari presses her hand on her belly. "I am not staying away from my kids for decades." "That''s what she said." The third moon stands up. "I will let you decide because my future husband is attached to you." After Ril''Yah is gone, Ari goes to the bed and sits beside Little Ai. She strokes his head gently. Take her daughters away? If Adira does that, she mighte to hate that god. But would he really do something like that? Adira is different after the memory loss. Is their love limited only to the memories? If he doesn''t remember, he would continue to do things that would hurt her. Whether Parisa is right or not, she can''t take the risk. Besides, she doesn''t want to go to the person who is so heartless. *** The moonlight streams through the trees, enlightening the silver lines on the ground. Ari scrutinizes the circle again and rechecks the shapes of the runes with those in the book. "Ril''Yah, am I doing it right?" Ril''Yah takes a long nce at the circle. "It seems correct to me." "The barrier needs to be activated." Ari licks her lips nervously. Little Ai has Bn''s essence. So, his true name is alsopatible with wood element. The naming must be done in the woods. That child has to be in the centre of the barrier for our safety. "Where''s Cina?" "He''s working on the seeker gate." Ril''Yah answers her, "I have told him to note here until the naming is done." Cina is in a weak state. If hees here, he might get into danger. She also has to keep herself and her daughters safe. The barrier would be strong enough to keep Little Ai inside if if she fails. She has a feeling that she won''t fail. She has practised magic every day. Rune magic is different from the usual magic. It requires a lot of energy to call the runes older than this world. "Ril''Yah, bring Little Ai here." After some time, Ril''Yah carries Little Ai on her back. Sheys him down in the centre of the circle. The third moon stares at the spot where Little Ai is lying. She hasn''t seen his face yet. "I have gone this far for you. If you don''t get a true name tonight, I am going to marry an even more handsome mortal. Did you hear me? Don''t waste my efforts." The Renasir shakes her head. What''s wrong with the kids of this generation? Oh, wait! Ril''Yah is older than she is. Ari lets out an exasperated sigh. Little Ai already has a bride. The third moon steps out of the circle. She checks the runes and the connecting lines again. Everything is in ce. It should go well. Furthermore, the oracle has said that the Renasir will seed. But efforts should be made if anyone wants sess. The gods didn''t even want to try. If the oracle was sure that telling God Noras would make a difference, the oracle wouldn''t havee to Ril''Yah. Ari looks up at the sky. This should work. Even if Adira isn''t with her, her daughters are here with her. She exhales and inhales several times to calm herself. Ari closes her eyes and summons the universal magic. Instead of connecting to the magic of the strange world, she has chosen the universal magic instead. The source is inside her. It''s the same with her daughters. They already have enough consciousness to feel the magic. That''s what the book talked about. The universal magic is present everywhere whether it''s Iravan or Earth. The air around her bes tense. The runes in the circle burn brightly. Little Ai opens his eyes and looks around. He sees his mother and Ril''Yah standing outside the circle. His skin is too hot. Little Ai runs toward them, only to hit a barrier and fall back on his butt. He looks at the silver lines on his arms. From the cracks on his skin, silver light ising out. Is he going to break? Little Ai widens his eyes, afraid of what is happening to him. Though there''s no pain, he realizes that he can''t hear or smell anymore. He opens his mouth to call his mother, but no voice woulde out. Ari drops on her knees, wincing in pain. The magic is burning her skin. Clenching her teeth, she clutches on her belly. Her trouser is soaked with blood. Is she This can''t be happening. Ril''Yah gasps when she sees the blood. She runs to the Renasir and sends healing energy to Ari''s body. "Renasir, stop. You are going to lose your daughters at this rate." She shakes her head. The faucet of universal magic is open. Her body is the medium between the faucet and the circle. She utters through her clenched teeth, "Hang on!" Her daughters must stay strong. They are going to finish this. Ari pushes away Ril''Yah and draws a rune in the air to create a second barrier around them. No one muste inside the circle before this is finished. Suddenly, the forest disappears around her. Ril''Yah is also gone. The sky is no longer dark. At the horizon, she sees the sea and the sky meet. The water is only ankle-deep, but she can''t feel the ground beneath her feet. Ari realizes that she''s wearing the same clothes that she wore the day she died on earth. Even her body is the same. Her forehead is bleeding. What is happening to her? A white orb materializes before her. She moves closer to it. It smells like pine trees, wet soil, and the sweet scent of flowers. "Little Ai?" Why did she think that this white orb is Little Ai? She knits her brows. It is him. She just knows it. It must be done now. Ari holds the soul in her hands, trying to feel Little Ai. What should his true name be? There''s already a hint in the soul. Little Ai has already gone through a lot. He will go through a lot more. For some unknown reasons, she envisions a seedling grown on the concrete road after the storm. The leaves are green and soft as the cotton. The sky is clear after a long time and the rays of spring are nourishing the seedling. It''s growing into its own being. Chapter 152: Maybe its love Chapter 152: Maybe it''s love It''s done. Ari''s eyes be moist. Happiness surges in her chest. Little Ai has a name now. Instead of giving him a true name, she has only helped him shape what was already there. Little Ai''s soul disappears from her sight. She looks around, wondering why she''s still here. She has no idea what happens after giving a true name to someone. Ari looks at her reflection in the water. She doesn''t have the beauty that the gods have given her. Her body seems to be in her mid-twenties. She has the same brown eyes and mid-length messy dark hair. This is Takayama Ari, a twenty-six years old woman from J Country who died when she was trying to stop the burrs from taking herptop. She''s dressed in an old t-shirt and dark checkered pants with an old coffee stain. "I was always an idiot." She bends down on her knees and touches the wound on her forehead. "Aptop can be bought again." However, she''s not feeling sad. That day, she died. Then, she was able to experience a miracle. She met Adira. From a person who cared more about aptop than her life, she changed into a person who understood the value of life. She loved people and received their love in return. She had died again, but her second death didn''t feel as empty as her first death. The wound on her forehead heals, leaving a tiny scar. Her lips curl up into a bright smile. She immerses her fingers in the water. "The ce where the sea and the sky meet...Where it never gets dark It''s a surprise." Her true name is a beautiful ce. "I chose you for an important task." Her reflection speaks to her with a tender voice. The dark eyes are filled with immense affection. "You did well." Ari doesn''t know why she''s crying. She can''t find any word. Has she been this lonely for so long? She closes her eyes, feeling exhausted. She doesn''t want to save worlds or people. She only wants It would have been better if she could have some sleep. Ari bends down her head. She feels tiny hands on her cheeks. "You can''t fall asleep." Her eyes flutter. She opens her eyes to look at the person before her. There are two little girls. In a blink, the girls are gone. The sun is rising at the horizon. Saffron rays fill the sky. She sees a woman with long golden hair and clear blue eyes. She''s dressed in a long blue and white dress. Deia? "I am not Deia Parisa." The woman ces her hand on Ari''s head and chuckles, "Did you think that I would look exactly like her?" Ari can''t speak. She tries hard to keep her eyes open, falling forward. A young boy wraps his arms around her, preventing her from falling in the water. She looks at the boy''s face. Kyo? "It''s someone you want to see." The boy grows into an adult. Adira continues with a deep voice, "I am him, but he''s not me." "Who are you?" She whispers to the person to keep changing his appearance. The personys her head in itsp. Her hair is golden again. Her dark eyes be sapphire blue. She tilts her head. "I have many names. Sometimes, I am only a will. At other times, I am someone''s sight. Then, I might be a wind that blew you to Iravan. I could be a storm that cleared away the darkness from the world. I was also the corruption of dark ehr that you carried in your body and the rune that erased your body. I was the magic who brought you back to life. I exist in all the names, and yet I have no name. Do you know who I am now?" Is this a puzzle? Ari feels content for some reason. She doesn''t want to bother with this. "That''s why I like you, Takayama Ari." The womanughs. "You have surpassed all my expectations. Choosing you was a good decision." Ari says nothing, falling deep in the slumber. The woman pats her head, staring at her face. "Take rest for some time before your new journey begins. My dear Ari, you are never alone. I will give you the best gift after you finish the tasks that I have assigned to you. I assure you that happiness will find you. When it does, it will never leave you again." *** When the blinding light disappears, the barriers are also gone. Ril''Yah sees Little Ai at the centre of the circle. She rushes to Little Ai''s side and checks his breathing. He''s alive. "Renasir, you have seeded. Ai is visible to us now. I can see him." There''s no answer. Ril''Yah looks over her shoulder. Where is Renasir Ari? She should be here. Ril''Yah walks to the spot where Renasir Ari was sitting earlier. The drops of her blood are still on the ground. There''s no sign of Ari. She has an ominous feeling about this. Where could Renasir go? Ril''Yah shouts, "Renasir Ari! Where are you?" Ril''Yah''s distressed voice awakens Little Ai. He looks at the third moon''s back, rubbing his right eye. "What is going on?" "She''s not here," Ril''Yah turns around and tells him. "Renasir Ari is gone." Little Ai widens his eyes. He recalls seeing Ari somewhere. But he can''t remember exactly where. The memories of that ce slip through his mind. In a few seconds, he feels like he has forgotten something important. "I heard something went wrong." Cina runs toward them. "Where is Mother?" "You." Ril''Yah grabs Cina''s shoulders. "Ask all the trees of this world if they have seen Renasir. She can''t leave this world without us." Cina shakes his head. "They told me that they haven''t seen her since the light engulfed her." Even Ril''Yah has seen the engulfing lights that took both Renasir Ari and Little Ai. But she could not go into the circle because of the barriers. This can''t be happening. Did something go wrong and Renasir Ari had to sacrifice herself? Ril''Yah utters weakly, "She could have used my true name instead of sacrificing herself." Both boys start crying. Ril''Yah fists her hands, looking down on the floor as her eyes well up. If the Dark God finds out that Renasir died, he would kill all of them. Ril''Yah shakes her head. She can''t let this happen. They must leave this ce as soon as possible. Where can they go? The Dark God will arrive in this world someday. Where should they go? Earth? But she doesn''t know anything about that world. Ril''Yah drags Little Ai and Cina to the seeker gate anyway. She inserts her ehr in the gate and activates it. "Take me to the world where Renasir wanted to go." Ril''Yahmands the gate, "To the world where she was born as Ari for the first time." After a pause, she adds, "Before the moment she died in that world." They can''t avoid an angry god. So, they must find other ways to appease that god first. *** After a few years, Adira arrives at the world where the true naming took ce. There''s a flourishing city in the ce of the forest. The small hut is reced by a big mansion. He strolls through the market, looking for the woman and his children. He reaches the ce where he feels the remnant of her presence. He bends down his knees and touches the ground. Her energy is still here. Did she seed? Then, why is she not here? Where she could have gone? It''s been years. His memories haven''t returned. He doesn''t even think that they would ever return. It feels like her presence is gone from this universe. He scowls darkly. She should be alive somewhere. If she dares to die again Again? He massages his forehead. His heart has been uneasy for a long time. While he''s been trying to reach her, yearning has reached him. Though he has no memories of their past, he''s been longing for her. "Maybe it''s love." He murmurs to himself, "But why are you running away from me?" Is it because he doesn''t remember? He runs his fingers through his hair. He did treat her harshly that day. She must be scared of him. But he didn''t get a chance to make up with her. "You are carrying my child, Woman." He grabs the soil with the remnant of her magic and pours it in a small pouch. "If you truly loved me, then did you not know me a little? Would I ever hurt the mother of my children?" He sighs. The remnant of her magic only makes him feel lonelier. He will continue to look for her. Chapter 153: Did she mind that I called her fat? Chapter 153: Did she mind that I called her fat? "Ugh!" Lying on the floor, she holds her head. "It hurts like hell." Where the heck is she? She sits up and looks around. The lights are gone, but she could see in the dark. Her things are lying here and there. The door is open. It looks like a burry took ce here. Ari lets out an exasperated sigh. She''s back on earth. Takayama Ari presses her hand on the wound on her forehead. Those burrs hit her head hard. So, she''s back to the day she was killed here. Was she even killed? Her body is the same. She''s twenty-six-year-old woman again. Her messy dark hair is back. But how did she get back here? What happened during the naming? There was someone at that ce. Her head throbs with pain. She winces, cursing Adira. "It happened because of that damn god." She walks to the kitchen to find food. It feels like she hasn''t eaten for years. When she opens the cupboard, she only finds expired ramen. Ari scowls darkly and grabs the ramen packets. She needs to call the police after having a meal. Maybe she should clean up first. Was all of that real? It''s illogical for her to wake up here again. This body should have been dead. Did she dream about the whole thing? "The whole thing does seem strange." Ari crosses her arms and stares at the boiling water. "Was it real or not? Did I dream the whole thing?" She looks at the clock. It''s been two hours since the burry. Was she unconscious for two hours? While the ramen is boiling, she washes the wound on her forehead in the sink. Then, she goes to the living room. Where is the first aid kit? Does she even have a first aid kit? Ari puts her hands on her hips. "Was that dream or not?" Who can answer her? She goes to the mirror and stares at her reflection. The wound is just a small cut. It doesn''t even require stitches. "This wound can''t kill someone like me." Honestly, her skull is pretty sturdy. "Logically, it doesn''t make sense." She returns to the kitchen. Thinking is a difficult job with an empty stomach and throbbing head. "If it was all true, what happened to my daughters?" She had a different body back then. Rena What was that word? She can''t seem to recall it. She turns off the gas. Ramen is cooked. She carries the pot back to the living room and sits on the couch. "It feels like a distant dream." She picks up her phone and checks her messages. Her voice bes mncholic. "If it was real, Takayama Ari should be dead right now." Are things like transmigration even possible? When the officeres, she tells them about the burry. They take a few pictures and asks her about the men she has seen. When it''s all over, she closes the door and lies down on the bed. "I am hungry." She rubs her belly. "Should I order something? I want to eat something" Her eyes be wet. She rolls on her stomach and weeps in the dead of the night. *** This is so heavy. Ari drags the bag out of her house. When did she clean her housest time? Why did she spend a fortune on anime figurines? Her life seems like a mystery to her. Maybe it''s the aftereffect of a near-death experience. "Takayama-san, where are you taking these things?" Aomine Masaki, her neighbour, stops on his track and asks her, not expecting a reply. "I need to throw them away. I am emptying the rooms." She pants, feeling exhausted. "Aomine, it''s been a long time since I saw you." "I came back two weeks ago." Doesn''t she live alone? He looks at the house. It''s been a few years since her grandparents died. "Is someone moving in with you?" "I am going to rent the empty rooms." She puts her hand on her belly. Why is she hungry again? She ate a moment ago. "There was a burry in the house two days ago. It''s safer if there are more people here." "Really?" Aomine squints his eyes. He did hear about the burry. She must have been scared. But the house is old. The roof might fall at any moment. Who woulde to live in such a ce? He points at her. "You!" "What?" Ari blinks her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "You never replied to me before." He frowns at her. "We used to go to the elementary school together; and then, you ignored me until this moment." "Because of you, my cat died." Ari gives him a dark look. "If you hadn''t left that door open that day--" "Tch!" He wrinkles his nose. "You can hold grudges for sure." "Why the hell I am talking to you now?" Ari waves her hand. "Get out of my sight. Looking at you give me a bad taste." "Sight is not rted to taste." Aomine Masaki takes the bag from her hands and opens it. To his surprise, it''s full of anime figurines. "Are you truly going to throw this away?" "I told you that I need to make space." She rubs her hand on her belly and sniffs the air. Is someone making beef soup somewhere? Too bad! She''s not friendly with her neighbours. "Why don''t you sell them and use the money to renovate the house?" He looks at her stomach. She looks a little chubby there. He meets her eyes. "Some of these figurines would sell at a good price. I know a ce. Come with me." "I am starving." Ari squats down on the concrete, holding her stomach. She puckers her lips, looking at him with puppy eyes. "Aomine, your mother is making beef soup, isn''t? Bring some for me. You can have these figurines." He has never seen a shameless person like this. Aomine Masaki lets out augh. "Say, aren''t you an adult? Can''t you cook beef soup for yourself?" "I don''t have beef." She sits down on the road. "I don''t have energy to go back inside my house and cook. I am going to die if I don''t eat a good meal." She wipes her drool and sighs. Maybe she should have gone to the hospital and get her head checked. But how is head rted to stomach? Why is she always hungry these days? "Alright, alright." He gives his hand to her. "Stop being dramatic. I will bring some beef soup for you." "You are a true friend." She holds his hand and stands up. "Bring some rice too." "How did you know that my mother is making beef soup?" He can''t smell anything in the air. Does she have a dog nose? "Don''t ask many questions." Ari inhales the air sharply. She doesn''t even like beef. Why the heck is she craving beef soup? "Keep the figurines. Those are my payment for the beef soup." "But these are" Aomine Masaki closes his mouth when he sees her walking back inside the house. He mumbles to himself, "Didn''t she say that she has no strength to walk back home? She''s really strange." His mother doesn''t like her much. Now, he has to steal from his own house. *** After two weeks, Takayama Ari looks at her house with satisfaction. After the renovation, her house certainly looks cleaner and better. Now, she needs to find the tenants. "I told you." Aomine Masaki smirks at her, "You will get a lot from those figurines." "You could keep the money though." She nces at him. "I don''t like owing debts." "It''s too much to keep all that money for a bowl of beef soup." He shakes his head. Why is he still delivering beef soup to her everyday? He''s sick of drinking that soup. "You should cook for yourself now. I am going back to K City soon." "Oh!" Takayama Ari slumps her shoulders. "I will miss that soup." "I am just a soup delivery boy to you, aren''t I?" Aomine Masaki puts his hands in his pockets and studies her with a quiet gaze. The pigtails girl grew into a beautiful woman. "You should exercise more. You have a potbelly now." "Potbelly?" Ari looks down at her stomach and creases her forehead. Why doesn''t she have this? When did she have her periods again? She can''t be pregnant with the twins. That was a dream, wasn''t it? "That''s what happens if you treat your old friend like a delivery boy." Heughs when she grimaces at him. The pigtail girl hasn''t changed that much. "I will send you the recipe of the beef soup." "Later." Ari walks away from him. She needs to buy pregnancy stick. Maybe it''s nothing. What if she''s truly pregnant? Then, everything was real. She really did go to that world. Aomine Masaki yells after her, "Where are you going? You didn''t lock your house." "Look after it," She yells back. "I will be back soon." "She''s still weird." Aomine Masaki looks at her back until she disappears from his sight. He scratches his chin. "Did she mind that I called her fat?" After buying the pregnancy kit, she runs to a public bathroom. When she''s done with the instructions on the kit, she holds the stick in front of her face. "It was a dream it couldn''t be real." However, the double lines on the stick say otherwise. Chapter 154: Carrying the blood of a god Chapter 154: Carrying the blood of a god "Congrattions!" Thedy doctor beams at her. "You are two months pregnant." Takayama Ari gapes at the doctor. It really wasn''t a dream. Otherwise, how could she get pregnant? If all of those things really happened, then she must be carrying twins. "You are carrying twins," Thedy doctor tells her, removing any doubts in her head. You should take care of your health. If you don''t eat well, it would have bad effects on your babies." Does it mean that she can do magic? Takayama Ari looks at her hands. What happened to Little Ai? The true-naming should have gone right. How did she end up here? "Takayama-san, are you listening?" Thedy doctor raises her voice when there''s no response. She narrows her brown eyes on Ari''s belly. "You must take care of yourself. Carrying the blood of a god is difficult for a human." "Huh?" Takayama Ari blinks her eyes, straightening her back. "What did you say?" "Are you living alone, Takayama-san?" Thedy doctor gives her a warm smile. "Ah yes." Ari nods. She nces at the name tag on thedy doctor''s white coat. Thisdy doctor is nice. "Not for long, Doctor Mihara." "I am relieved." Doctor Mihara scribbles something on the paper. "I am writing down some supplements for you. Remember to take them on time. Don''t miss your appointments. If anything happens, call me at this number." "Thank you, Doctor Mihara." Ari takes the prescription. She''s truly pregnant. Is she carrying demi gods in her belly? They should be alright on earth, right? Her daughters are half-humans. She leaves the hospital with aplicated feeling. "Are you missing your father?" She mumbles to herself with her hand on her belly. "Unfortunately, I can''t hear your voice like Little Ai and God Cina. I know that you can hear me though." It''s true that she''s been a little selfish. Will Adirae to this world? His memories will return someday. When will that timee? "Your father is a fool." Ari grumbles, "Couldn''t he trust me a little? I was able to give a name to that child." But she did end up here. "I don''t know how that happened though." She walks back to her house. Her mouth is salivating. She''s craving meat again. "My daughters want to eat meat." In front of her house, she sees a slender man dressed in a navy yukata. His white hair is knee-length long. His face is long with a sharp nose and thin purplish lips. She tilts her head and furrows her brows. "Cosyer?" The man with dragon eyes turns his head toward her and smiles at her brightly. "Are you the owner of this house?" "I am." She replies calmly, "May I know who you are, Sir?" "I heard that you are renting out the rooms." The man raises his hand slightly. "I don''t have any home. Can I stay here?" Is he homeless? She''s not doing charity work though. She''s going to have two kids at the same time. Ari frowns at him. "Sir, can you pay the rent? Don''t look down at the house. The rent is pretty high. I suggest that you look for another ce." The man lowers his head and lets out a heavy sigh. "My home was taken over by someone else. I can''t go back there. If you let me stay at this ce, I will make sure to pay you in every way possible." This cosyer She opens her mouth to tell him to leave. At the same time, her stomach grumbles loudly. The man stares at her belly and blinks his eyes. Her face burns in embarrassment. She stutters, "I-I get hungry after a long walk." "I don''t have anywhere to go." The man looks at her. "Please let me stay at your ce." But he''s so strange. How can she let this punk stay at her ce? She''s still a woman, alright? Besides, she doesn''t even know his name. "What do you do, Sir?" "Work" He scratches his head. "These days, I only wait for people." "Huh?" She scrutinizes him. Is something wrong with his head? Likely so! Ari grins at him. "Sir, thanks for your interest. I don''t want shady tenants." Not waiting for his reply, she storms into her house. Her stomach makes a loud roar again. She clicks her tongue and heads to the kitchen. How much fund does she have? She needs to find a way to make a living again. Should she resume working as a frence programmer? She remembers magical runes, but she can''t remember a programmingnguage anymore. She has to relearn everything. Ari opens the refrigerator and finds the soup. Aomine Masaki must have left it here. She picks up the note beside it. [Recipe is on the back of this paper. You better cook for yourself from now on. Don''t mind my words. You aren''t fat. Work out every day to get rid of your pot belly. See you in winter.] Ari exhales. He must have left by now. She picks up the bowl and goes to the living room. After turning on the television, she opens the lid on the bowl. "Ugh!" Looking at the beef soup makes her sick. But she wants to eat it. "Why do they want to eat beef soup only? There''s chicken soup, prawn soup, and pork soup." Her mouth waters, recalling the taste of different soups. "Crap! I shouldn''t have mentioned them now." Her daughters must be foodies. It seems that she needs rich tenants to afford the food that they want to eat. She''s craving prawn soup now. "Is it raining?" She looks up at the ceiling and frowns. Her intuition is certainly better. She walks to the window and looks out. It''s dark outside and raining. "Hail storm?" Unseasonal rain? She is about to close the window when she sees shadows gathering in front of her house. She pulls open the window wide and looks at the house on the opposite side of the road. Why is it raining only at her house? She looks at the man in the navy yukata. There''s a small ck cloud right above his head and it''s raining on him too. His lips are curled down. He is watching her like an abandoned dog in the street. "..." Why did she think that she would have a normal life on earth? *** Sitting on the bench under a cherry tree, Rilyah lets out a heavy sigh. This world is too strange. Carriages are metallic. Magic is a little different here. Minor gods of this world are dying. People are always looking at their phones. Where is Renasir Ari? There are seven continents and billions of people. On top of that, gods aren''t active. Most gods arezy or asleep. Others are too weak. There are otherworldly creatures, but they aren''t much help. It''s not easy to find a person with the only first name. She looks up at the clear sky. The crescent moon is barely visible. The moon goddess of this world is too mysterious for her to handle. Moon goddess isn''t helpful at all. Basically, Rilyah is ignored. "Finding a person is too difficult." She looks at the orphanage building. At least, they are growing well. Ai walks toward the third moon of Iravan. "Rilyah, it''s going to rain soon." He is also grown up. Rilyah puckers her lips. But he''s still dumb. "There''s not a single cloud in the sky. Why would it rain?" "You are right." Ai narrows his brown eyes. Since they are here, Rilyah has changed their appearances. She also has ink-ck dark hair and dark eyes. Cina isn''t spared either. By the way, where is Cina? He hasn''t seen him since the morning. "He''s sleeping up there," Rilyah answers before he could ask. She points at the branch an eighteen-year-old boy is sleeping like a sloth. The god of Iravan is pretty nonchnt. Since this god is here, all the trees and nts of this garden are always lively. The children never go hungry because trees would always produce fruits, thanks to Cina''s presence. "We have to leave this orphanage soon," Rilyah exims, crossing her arms. "This guy isn''t worried at all." In the papers, Rilyah and Cina are already eighteen. They have already received their highschool diplomas. Though they have settled in the peculiar human world, the reality of this world still manages to surprise them. "I don''t want to worry about going to college." Cina opens his right eye. "We are gods, Rilyah." It''s been a decade since they came here. Cina''s memories haven''t returned. But he does have some knowledge about his origin. "You failed the entrance test." Rilyah wrinkles her nose. "How could the god of trees fail to get into a botany course?" "We didn''t fail the test." Cina jumps down the tree. "There were just too many people who were taking the test. And the test was too difficult." Thepetition in this country is too much. The kids study like demons. He''s a god, alright? He would never go hungry if he doesn''t get the schrship for college. Gods don''t need degrees. "It wasn''t difficult though." Ai interjects, "I solved the question paper in fifteen minutes." Both gods re at Ai. The thirteen-year-old boy is already studying in a special program at the top university of the country. Ai is also a national level champion at chess in his age group. This so-called genius can never understand the woes of studying. "Haven''t you appeared on TV already?" Rilyah scowls at him. She can''t believe that this idiot is going to be her future husband. He''s only good at studies. "Why didn''t you try to find your mother?" "There are too many people with that name. It would attract unwanted attention if I use that method." Ai raises his head and nces at the dark cloud floating in the sky. It''s not raining here. "Where are these clouds going?" Chapter 155: I am not a fucker Chapter 155: I am not a fucker "Isn''t it following the will of a god?" Cina narrows his dark eyes. "It looks like a god is angry." "Or just upset." Rilyah utters with a frown, "It''s going toward D District." Ai doesn''t know why, but he feels like he should see what is going on. Gods of this world are rather passive. Who could have stirred something like this? They are in T City, but it is only raining in one area. "Should we check it out?" "Of course, we should." Cina gives him a thumbs up. "Nothing interesting ever happens in this world. I also want to see who can make a god be like this." The boys look at the third moon, the one who decides everything. Rilyah squints her eyes. Should they go? Well, if they help the gods of this world, they might be able to ask for help. They haven''t been able to find Renasir Ari. If they are unable to find her before the Dark God arrives, their fate is pretty gruesome. "Let''s go." "I thought that you would say no." Ai grins at her. "I am d, Elder Sister." "How many times have I told you?" Rilyah snaps at him. "I am not your sister." "Aren''t you being weird?" Cina wrinkles his nose. "You are my twin and his elder sister in the orphanage. What else is he supposed to call you? The people in the orphanage already think that we don''t look alike." She ignores Cina. What does this tree god know? She''s sure that there''s only wood in this god''s head. There''s no way that she''s going to let Ai have family love for her. He''s supposed to be her husband. "When we are alone, you should use my name." "I feel" Ai shuts his mouth when she res at him. Since she''s a goddess who is certainly older than him, he finds it awkward to use her name. "Then, we should hurry. The clouds are disappearing." "Yeah!" Cina roars. "Let''s check out the nuisance who angered a god." "We have also angered a certain god," Rilyah mutters under her breath. A very dangerous god. She''s sure that the dark god would throw them in Qeshaya if he finds out what happened all those years ago. Hopefully, they will find her soon. *** "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" In her house, Renasir Ari is freaking out. me her pregnancy or the knee-deep water in her house! It hasn''t been two days since the renovation waspleted. How could she ept such a disaster? Do the people outside know how much it cost to renovate an old house? Of course, they don''t. It hurts physically hurts to see the wall seepage. She doesn''t deserve this shit! After the burry, she''s poor. All she can do is magic. But magic is useless when an upset god is standing outside her main door. "Damn those creatures!" If she doesn''t stop then, there might be a flood in the house. "How could they be so shameless? Aren''t they afraid of tomorrow''s headlines?" [MYSTERIOUS CLOUDS RAINING OVER A HOUSE IN D DISTRICT] Ari shakes her head. That headline is likely to happen if she doesn''t stop this shit. She drags herself to the cupboard and grabs the raincoat. She takes a long deep breath. "If I can marry a god twice, I can deal with a god of this world." By now, she should be an expert at handling gods. Right? "That was Iravan." She walks to the door and opens it slightly. The people are still there. "Why are earth gods so weird?" And not-so-good-looking! They certainly fail in terms of looks. This is her property. She will pass it down to her babies who aren''t born yet. She must fight for her house because she''s a single mother now. Takayama Ari storms out of the house and stops in front of the silver-haired man. "What''s your problem, Fucker?" "Fucker?" The man scrunches his brows. "I am not a fucker." If he''s not fucking with her house, then what is he doing? Ari crosses her arms. "Stop this rain right at this instant." "I can''t stop it either." The man looks down and sighs. "I don''t have a home or a worshipper. I am a homeless god and mortals aren''t kind to me. I live on the streets because mortals don''t let me enter their house. I am" "Stop." She raises her hand. How many times did he say that he is homeless? She gets his point. "If you don''t stop the rain, both of us will be homeless." "If you let me and my friends enter the house, the rain will stop." The man promises her, "I will pay for your kindness in every way that I know. Kind mortal, if we don''t get a ce to live, we will dissolve into nothing." But why her home? Ari looks at his friends -- a dwarf wearing a big hat, a skinny woman in a purple kimono, a tall and bald man in a suit, and a teenager who is hiding his face under a brown paper bag. First, she must save the house. Then, she can deal with these people. "Come inside." The moment she says the words, the rain stops and the sunlight shines on her rooftop. Ari blinks her eyes in a daze. The water is still in her house though. "What are you waiting for?" The dwarf fists his hands. "The lord has found his new shrine. We must start working." "Shrine?" Ari gapes at them. "What shrine?" "You gave permission to use this ce as a shrine." The skinny woman smiles at her. "We thank you on our lord''s behalf." What the heck! Ari turns to the man. "When did I say that you can use my ce as a shrine?" "This ce"--The man sniffs the air -- "If I make a shrine here, I will certainly be a popr god in the area." Popr god? When did the gods start caring about poprity? She yells at them, "I can''t let you turn this ce into a shrine. I intend to open a fortune-telling shop here Hey!" The man and his fellows ignore her and go inside the house with contended looks. The door closes. "Did I get kicked out of my own ce?" Ari puts her hands on her lips as her stomach growls. "I am hungry and homeless. How did this happen to me?" If Yakuza were trying to take over her home, it would have made sense. How is she going to deal with the gods? This is unfair beyond words. "Mother?" Ari turns around and looks at the boy in front of her. He seems to be thirteen or fourteen years old. He is dressed in a green sweater and dark trousers. A girl with long dark hair and round face is standing to his left. She must be around eighteen. Lastly, the tallboy, who is standing to the boy''s right, has a long face and wavy dark hair. Now, who are these people? "I am not your mother." "Mother, did you not recognize me?" The boy steps forward and grabs her hand. He tells her with a frantic voice, "I am Ai, your son." "Ai, don''t be hasty." Rilyah ces her hand on Ai''s shoulder. "She might not remember anything." "Ai." Ari scrutinizes the boy''s face. Is he truly Ai? How did that toddler grow up so soon? "When did you grow up? How many years have passed? Why are you in this world?" "She remembers!" Rilyah gasps. Her eyes be moist. "We aren''t going to Qeshaya." "Mother." Ai hugs Ari and cries, "I missed you so much." "Me too." Cina pulls them both in a bear hug. "We finally found our mother." "We really found her." Rilyah coils her arm around them. "I am so relieved to see you, Renasir." Unborn twins, two teenage sons and a future daughter-inw Ari, squeezed between two gods and a spirit, sighs. She should get used to hearing them call her mother. Chapter 156: Go back to Iravan Chapter 156: Go back to Iravan "I didn''t know that there was a shrine here." The middle-aged woman, who is Ari''s neighbour and Masaki Aomine''s mother, points at the house. "Is it rain god?" "Why is there a rain god''s shrine here?" The middle-aged woman''spanion asks her, "Did Takayama girl sell this house?" "I didn''t know we could have a shrine here," Aomine Masaki''s mother nces at the woman. "We should go inside and pray." "Yes, we should." The other woman grins at him. "We should take advantage of the opportunity." Sitting in the corner and nearly invisible to the women, Ari lets out a pronounced sigh. Not only that her house is taken over, but the entire exterior of the house is also being changed. It looks like a modernized shrine from outside and the four fellows of that damned god aren''t listening to anyone. "We should go inside and kick them out." Cina peers at Ari. "Mother, don''t be sad. We will get your house back." "Why do we need it though?" Rilyah furrows her brows. "Renasir is fine. We can just go back to Iravan." "Did you forget that I can''t make a gate yet?" Cina smacks the back of Rilyah''s head. "Do you want Mother to travel through different universes? It will take forever to reach Iravan." "How many times have I told you?" Rilyah scowls at Cina. "Don''t use violence. We are in this situation because of you." "Since I don''t remember it, I won''t take responsibility for it." Cina raises his chin and wrinkles his nose. "Give me some credit. If I didn''t make the gates, we wouldn''t be able to leave Iravan. Ai would have died." The third moon grabs Cina''s hair. "We wouldn''t need to leave Iravan if you hadn''t attacked Kresi." "Mother, help me." Cina looks at Ari with moist eyes. "Rilyah is bullying me." "Am I not your elder twin?" Rilyah ps his face. "I should discipline you when you are being wayward." "We aren''t really twins." Cina grasps her wrist and res at her. "Don''t fight with me for no reason." "It''s a good reason." "It happened ages ago." "So what? Technically, Renasir lost her house because of you. If you hadn''t--" "Quiet!" Ari raises her hand and looks at them coldly. "Did youe here to fight." Rilyah releases Cina and nces at Ai who is shaking his head at her. The corner of her lips curl down. "Renasir, I am just keeping in check lest he bes crazy again." Ari takes a deep breath. "How did youe here and why are you all grown up? It hasn''t been a month since I woke up in this world." "Only a month?" Rilyah gasps. "We used the seeker gate toe to this world. I wanted toe to the time before you died. I think that I wasn''t specific enough. That must be the reason why we ended up in ten years in the past." Ten years are long. Ari looks at Ai who smiles at her. The little toddler has grown up into a wonderful boy. Where''s Adira then? "This world is a little different from Iravan." Rilyah continues, "We are growing fast. I think that we are also following thews of this world. The gods are strange. I don''t understand why they need shrines. In addition to that, there are certain rules that we have to follow whether we like it or not. We can''t enter a ce without the permission of the owner. I heard that the gods of this world also die." "They disappear back to the ce where they came from." Cina adds with a low voice, "Some gods mighte back though. Their powerse from the faith of people. So, if the faith bes stronger, they cane back. I also heard that there are other realms close to this world. I met some demons a few weeks back." "Did you went to hang out with demons again?" Rilyah glowers at Cina. How many times has she warned this guy? This god always hangs out with bad people. "Those demons are bad influence." She''s like a mother. Ari stares at Rilyah. She must have had a hard time in thest decade. It''s not easy to raise two kids when one is a kid herself. "They are not that bad." Cina hunches his shoulders, looking down on the concrete. He mutters with a soft voice, "They are my good friends." "What, good friends?" Rilyah pulls Cina''s ear. "What about the time you broke into a mall with those demons? They are always up to no good." Ari leaves the two gods alone and turns to Ai who is no longer ''Little''. He''s a foot shorter than Cina, but he''s taller than her. "You have grown up well." "How could I not?" Ai shifts closer to her. "I wanted to be someone my mother could rely upon." "Cheesy." Ari smiles at him. This is why she went so far. At this moment, she doesn''t regret anything. If she''s given the same choice, she would do it again. She runs her fingers through the boy''s hair. "Do you miss your brother and father?" "I missed you more." Ai takes her hand. "When I was young, I started calling you Mother because I heard that you were going to be a mother. But I realized that you are truly my mother. I don''t know if I was going to be born if my real mother wasn''t killed by Kresi. But you freed me from a nameless life. I gave me a true name and I was able to be a part of the world, thanks to you. You are the most important person to me." After listening to his words, tears well up in Ari''s eyes. She sniffles. Honestly, she''s missing the days when this boy was a cute toddler with chubby cheeks. But he''s growing into a handsome man. "I wish I could watch you grow up." "I am still young." Ai makes a face. "Mother, when are my sisters going toe out? I have been waiting for them for so long. It''s been a decade." "Don''t say it like that." Ari rubs her belly. "I am starving. Let''s go to a restaurant to eat. Then, we can think about the situation." "My sisters must be hungry." Ai chuckles. He can no longer hear his sisters'' voices. It must be because he''s no longer a child. He is not sure. But how long does it take for babies toe out? They are halflings. It shouldn''t take too long. On their way to the restaurant, Rilyah asks Ari, "Renasir, why don''t you leave with us?" "You are at it again." Cina scowls at Rilyah. "We don''t have any means to go back to Iravan since I haven''t recovered yet." "That''s true." Ari says to them with a light tone, "Besides, I am pregnant now. I don''t want to take any more risks. I don''t know if Adira remembers me or not. What if I go back and he''s still the same thick-headed bastard?" "Renasir." Rilyah gives her a look. "Yournguage" "You" --Ari flicks the third moon''s forehead -- "are old enough to hear a few cursed words." "Ai isn''t old yet." Rilyah protests, "Don''t teach him bad things." He''s not a kid. Ai releases his breath. He can''t figure out why Rilyah is so protective of him. He already knows enough about badnguage, though he just chooses not to get influenced. "Whether we leave or not, we can''t let some stray gods take over our mother''s home." Cinaments, "We must kick them out of her house." "We can''t do that." Rilyah ps Cina''s arm. "And why do you always talk about using violence?" "But why do they need my ce though?" Ari halts in her track. She has never heard of a god without a shrine. "If I find them a new ce for their shrine, they should leave." "I agree." Ai nods. "We should talk to them about the situation first." "Why should we be nice to them?" Cina frowns at Ai. "I am a god. Rilyah is also a god. You are nearly a spirit. She''s the renasir. We can easily overtake them." "The gods of this world are different." Rilyah massages her head. How many times has she said this to this guy? Maybe God Cina lost his IQ in Qeshaya. "We can''t offend the gods here. Renasir might get into danger." What should they do? Ari closes her eyes, salivating for some tofu stew. First, she should eat; and then, she should go back to her house and talk to those thug gods. Chapter 157: Will never go hungry as long as I am here Chapter 157: Will never go hungry as long as I am here "She left too easily." Ame Onna, the rain spirit, covers her mouth andughs. Her eyes curve into crescent moons. "Master, this ce has good energy. You will recover quickly at this ce." Left? Ryou, the rain god, gazes at the door. It''s true that this ce has good energy. However, locations like this are not rare in this country. The reason why he came here is that something dragged him here. Currently, this ce is missing that thing. "It''s an honour to serve our master." Sosuri, a dwarf inugami in disguise, gives a heavy nod. "She must have realized it." "I think that she wille back." Gama, the boy with his head inside a paper bag, says softly, "I felt special energy from her." "I also felt it." Kozo, the old man in a pristine ck suit, opens his eyes slightly. "It''s not the energy of this world." "I didn''t feel anything like that." Ame Onna tilts her head, scratching her chin. "Maybe I didn''t pay attention." "This is enough." Sosuri ps his hands. "Our work isn''t done. We must set up the ce for the visitors. I can sense that our master will be a popr god here." Ryou doesn''t say a word. His four servants resume working again. While waiting for the person toe back in silence, he lies down on Rie''s bed and closes his eyes. There''s a faint scent of death in the room. How long has it been since someone died here? A few weeks? Unless a higher will is involved, she shouldn''t be alive. There''s a knock. Ame Onna enters the room. "Master, the woman is back." "See that she''s treated with respect.." Ryou''s voice is as smooth as honey. "I will return in a while." *** Though this is her house, it doesn''t feel like one. The living room ispletely different. It''s a traditional style sitting room. Even the colour of the walls has changed. There''s a painting of a blue dragon on the wall and incense burning in the corner. The dwarf man is dressed in a dark green robe. But he looks more human than he did earlier. "It took so much money to renovate this ce." And these gods could do it in one day. Ari lets out an exasperated sigh. She can''t say how unfair this is. "Mother, don''t worry," Cina whispers to her. "I will kick them out of this ce if they don''t listen to polite words." Rilyah shakes her head. This tree god only knows how to use violence. The woman returns with some tea and snacks. Ari scrutinizes her. The woman looks to be around thirty-five. Her dark hair is matted to her head and tied into a bun. Whenever the woman smiles, her eyes would curve into crescent moons that give a soothing feeling. Ari doesn''t touch the teacup or eat the snack, although the scent is testing her resolve. Ari ces her hand on her belly. Whenever she is nervous, she finds herself doing that. Something is definitely wrong with her. Even if she''s pregnant, she shouldn''t be craving food every minute. This is puzzling her. "I am Ame Onna." The woman introduces herself to the group and bows her head slightly. "I am Master Ryou''s servant." "Sosuri." The dwarf utters quietly, not bothering to pay respect to Ari or her group. "I am the head servant." The other two are missing. Ari sps her hands together. "I am Takayama Ari, the owner of this house." "Rilyah, the third moon of Iravan." Rilyah adds when the servants of the rain god look at her with confusion, "It''s a distant world." "I am the god of trees andnd." Cina sneers at them. He''s waiting for his mother to say something about the take over of the house. He will make sure to torture these people before he kicks them out of this ce. "Cina." "I am Takayama Ai." Ai smiles at Ame Onna and Sosuri. "I am not a god." Ari nces at the boy beside him. Instead of using his father''s or brother''s surname, he has taken her surname. Her heart warms at the thought that there''s one more Takayama in her family. He''s truly her son. "Ah!" Cina furrows his brows. "I am also Takayama Cina." "Takayama Rilyah," Rilyah utters with a straight face. In this world, women would often change their surnames to their husband''s after they get married. She finds that practice a little sweet. If Ai is a Takayama now, she''s going to be a Takayama anyway. Okay, there are too many Takayama now. Ari sighs. "Where''s your master?" "He wille to see you in a while," Ame Onna informs her while taking a short nce at Ai. He''s a part human and many other things. She peeks at Rilyah, the third moon. There''s certain energying from the girl with clear eyes. The tree god is not to be estimated either. So, they are from a different world except for Takayama Ari. The door is slid open. Dressed in a marvellous navy robe with golden embroidery, the rain god walks into the room. He doesn''t look like a homeless cosyer anymore. His silver hair is tied neatly. His skin is clear and bright. Sosuri and Ame Onna bow to their master. He takes a seat in front of Ari and gives her a bright smile. "You made me wait a lot." "I went out to eat," Ari blurts out, dazed by his appearance. She curses herself mentally. In front of Adira, this guy falls short. Then again, she''s a little partial to Adira''s appearance because she loves him. "Who are you exactly?" "I am one of the faces of the rain god." Ryou tells her with a calm andposed voice, "You can call me Ryou." His servants peer at him nervously. Why is their master telling amoner to call him by his name? She''s nothingpared to him. "Why should I call you by your name?" Ari smirks at him. Is she an idiot? She''s not putting her leg in a mess without finding out what''s going on. In human history, there is some legendary figure who asked what was in a name. Ari can answer it pretty well. Names hold power, especially true names. Ryou isn''t this god''s true name, but she can try finding it out if she wants. She chuckles when Ryou frowns at her. "Lord, I don''t dare to." "You are carrying children of darkness" -- His gaze falls on her belly --"one of the faces of darkness -- Even if they are half-humans, they have tremendous energy. You will attract creatures who are born from darkness and light." Ari purses her lips. Is that why this god is here? "What is your intention?" Cina res at the god. "Look, leave this property. My mother doesn''t want you here. Aren''t you ashamed of taking a mortal''s house like this?" Ryou studies the tree god. "You don''t have your memories with you." "H-How?" Cina points his finger at him. "You are not strong." "I am closely rted to the water god." Ryou reveals to them slowly, "Gods of this world are indeed different from yours, but we aren''t useless. All the faces of the gods are in fact one at the core. We follow different wills of the supreme one. You are no different if you want, I can bring back those memories." "What, no!" Rilyah grabs Cina''s cor and pulls him back to her. "Don''t bring his memories back. He will kill all of us." "I will never do that." Cina scowls at her darkly. "You, Ai, and Mother are my family." "You are saying that now." Rilyah creases her forehead. "Listen, I will allow you to hang out with demons. Don''t ask for your memories again." "But I wanted to know how I was in the past." Having fun with demons isn''t as important as his memories. Cina turns to his Mother. "Mother, do you not want me to remember?" Ari doesn''t answer him. She questions the rain god, "Can you really bring back his memories?" Nothing is free. Everythinges with a price. If he can truly bring back Cina''s memories, then he can also help Adira. But why would this rain god help her? "I told you that I would pay you the rent." The rain god beams at her. "You will never go hungry as long as I am here." Chapter 158: I can provide for my daughters Chapter 158: I can provide for my daughters The rain god''s servants raise their brows, surprised by their master''s words. What is going inside their master''s head? Is he going to take care of this mortal woman? Sosuri wrinkles his brows. Their master is interested in the mortal woman for sure. But what kind of interest is it? Gratitude or something else? It can''t be something as simple as gratitude. Cina gives a dirty look to the rain god. "I don''t want you to pay her by returning my memories. This house is important to her. You should give it back to her while we are being nice to her." The Renasir stares at the rain god, studying him with a quiet gaze. Is it as simple as paying rent? Ryou smiles at her, unperturbed. "You don''t believe me, Takayama Ari." "I have dealt with the gods a few times." She speaks slowly, "As much as I know, gods don''t do things in a straightforward manner." "Maybe you are talking about the demons or spirits." Ryou taps his finger on the floor. Ame Onna peers at his fingers with aplicated look in her eyes. The dwarf folds his fingers and bows his head slightly, hiding his face from the guests. Ryou adds with a mild tone, "What do you need for the rent?" "I don''t want my house to turn into a shrine." Ari frowns at him. "I want normal tenants." "Takayama Ari, you say that you have dealt with gods frequently." Ryou narrows his eyes and chuckles. "Still, you want to risk angering me. Is it because they are with you?" It''s true that they can''t risk angering a god of this world. They are not powerful enough to protect Renasir Ari. Rilyah takes a breath. "Why do you even want this ce? It''s odd that a god would want human''s dwelling." "It''s not odd in this world." The rain god tells her solemnly, "In the old days, gods and humans used to live together. Then, humans started to forget the ways of the old. The new gods are also born with the need of time. Where do you think they live?" The ticking sound of the clock is getting louder. Ari clutches her belly. It feels like she hasn''t eaten for three days. She inhales sharply. There must be something wrong with her. "Prepare a meal for myndlord." Ryoumands his servant, "I promised her that she would never go hungry as long as I am here." Ari bites her inner cheek. This god knows what''s wrong with her. She watches the servants leave. It''s been three weeks since she woke up here. With each passing day, her hunger is growing strong. Why are her daughters starving? "In the past, I had seen some gods whoid down with mortals." Ryou nces at the untouched tea and snacks lying in front of Ari. "The stronger the god is, the more difficult it is for the mortal to carry the seeds of the god. Sometimes, the human body can''t provide enough nourishment that the child needs." Rilyah widens her eyes when she hears that. She looks at the Renasir. "Renasir, how long has it been since you came to this world?" "Three weeks, I think?" Ari replies. "I don''t know why I woke up in this body. But I was pregnant when I woke up." And the twins are growing faster than a human foetus. She has no idea what would happen. "The dark god is not with you." Rilyah grabs Ari''s hand and utters quickly, "You aren''t on Iravan either. This world''s magic isn''t enough to nourish the twins." "That" Ari blinks her eyes. Shepletely forgot about that. The twins are halflings. Even if they are getting nutrients from human meals, they need magic too. There''s no ehr in this world. "We need to go to Iravan now." Rilyah looks at Cina. "How long will you take to recover? Are ten years not enough?" "You just said it yourself." Cina wrinkles his brows. "This god doesn''t have enough magic. It will take some time before I can build a gate again." "And there were creatures who would love to eat the mother and the child of the god for power," Ryou reveals to them nonchntly. "I am not one of them." But the gods of Iravan aren''t listening to him. Rilyah grabs Cina and shakes him. "What should we do? If anything happens to her or the twins, we are going to end up in Qeshaya. I am sure that we would never be let out of that ce." Ari creases her forehead. She hasn''t expected it to be like this. The children should be born whether she lives or not. Why is her body not capable of providing enough nourishment to her daughters? "If you let me stay here, I will ward off the evil energy from this ce." Ryou stands up and walks toward her. Stopping in front of her, he ces his hand on her head. "As long as I am here, no one will be able to harm you and your people. I don''t have the magic of that world, but I can send heavenly energy to your body until they are born safely." The strong burning hunger in her belly seems to be diminishing. She releases her breath. Heavenly energy? She has no idea what that is. Ari removes his hand from her head and looks up at him. "Why are you being kind to me?" "Isn''t this how a god should be?" He bends down his knees and ces his finger on her chin. "How could I watch myndlord suffer?" Is it this simple? Ari bites her lower lip. Does he only want a ce to stay? Ai grasps the rain god''s wrist and pulls it away from her. He scowls at him. "Rain god, keep a distance from her. She''s the bride of the dark god. Any inappropriate interest can be a reason for your death." The rain god sighs. "What must I do to make you believe that my intentions are honourable?" But his actions aren''t. Ai releases the god''s wrist. His mother is too naive. "She needs strong magic. I am not sure if heavenly energy can help her." "You are right." Ryou gives her a side-long nce at Ari. "But she''s human. I can reduce a bit of her suffering and I can find something that might send dark elements to her body. It''s not enough, but it will help her children." The rain god is going so far for her. Ari recalls everything that had happened. She was nning toe to this world anyway. Something did go wrong when she was shaping the true name. Even in this body, she has ess to the source of universal magic. Can''t she give that magic to her daughters? Universal magic is the rawest form of magic. Surely, it can help her daughters'' growth. "I don''t need your help." Ari doesn''t want to get involved with a shady god. She''s thankful to this rain god though. If he hadn''t pointed out why she was so hungry, she might have realized it toote. "I don''t need your help. I am strong enough to ward off any evil energy that tries to harm me and my people. Tell me why you are interested in this ce and me." "Renasir, you can?" Rilyah asks her. "How?" "If I can shape a true name in a strange world, can''t I siphon the universal magic again?" Ari cocks her head slightly. "I can provide for my daughters. I don''t need the Dark God or the magic of Iravan." "You can draw out universal energy?" Ryou looks at her with interest. "A mortal being able to do that the supreme one is full of surprises. But you are wrong about one thing. Just because you can use the universal energy, it doesn''t mean that your child can absorb the same energy. How are you going to transform universal energy into the magic of that world? Both grass and meat have energy; however, a lion can''t survive on grass." Ari clenches her teeth. The information in that book was iplete. On top of it, she didn''t have the book when she woke up in her body. The memories of the time when she was shaping Ai''s true name are also vague. She''s forgetting something important. "So, you can protect yourself and your people." Ryou seems amused for some reasons only known to him. "You still need an artefact that can provide the dark element to your children." Chapter 159: I will name my daughter after you Chapter 159: I will name my daughter after you For a long time, she doesn''t utter a word. Making a deal with the devil? This rain god is sly. It''s clear that he wants something; however, he''s making her dance around what he wants. It can''t simply be her house. "I will be yourndlord officially." Ari smiles at the rain god. The corners of her dark eyes narrow down. Ryouys down on his side like a cat, propping his head. He puts his arm on the raised knee and smirks at her, "We are talking, Landlord." "How disrespectful!" Rilyah looks at him scornfully. "Moon Goddess, I respect her a lot," Ryou replies to Rilyah calmly as Ame Onna enters the room with a tray full of various dishes. She ces them one by one in front of the guests; and then, she leaves the room soundlessly. "Why don''t you sit up and talk then?" Cina grabs the cup of tea with the intention of throwing it on Rain God. "She''s the Dark God''s bride and the Renasir of Iravan. Her status is only second to the gods. All gods must treat her with respect." The rain god sighs and sits up, leaning against the wall as tresses of his hair fall forwardnguidly. He stares at them with his upturned eyes. In a few seconds, the colour of his eyes turns vivid blue as his features turn soft. The colour of his turn pale pink. The rain god cocks his head and slowly blinks his eyes at Cina. Cina opens his mouth to say something, but no words woulde out. His heart is beating abnormally. What did this rain god do? "Why are you affected by his mour?" Rilyah smacks the back of his head. "Some gods of this world can change their genders. Don''t tell me that you fell in love with him?" "I was teasing him a bit." The rain god beams at hisndlord. "You are going to stay with us from now on, Takayama Ari." How ridiculous! It should be ''them'' staying with her from now on. Ari gives him a pleasant smile. "Rain God, let''s make a lease first." "Lease?" Ryou furrows his brows. He has never done a lease before. "To keep the rtionship between andlord" -- Ari points at herself -- "and you." She gestures in his direction and adds, "We must have a lease." "Do you think that you can take me to the court if something goes wrong?" The rain god looks at her questionably. "Gods of this word are divided into three tiers." Ai interrupts his mother before she could say anything, "The first tier belongs to the primordial gods who have been present since the beginning of the world. Iravan has two primordial gods -- God Noras and God Adira -- light and darkness. This world has three primordial gods -- Time, Death, and Power. The other gods are either present in dormant forms or the elements take avatars. The second and lower tiers belong to those gods who are born from the need of this world. These gods can disappear when the need is gone or reappear if the needes back." "You are knowledgeable, Ai-kun." The rain god''s smile doesn''t meet his eyes. "Regardless of the tier, the gods of this world also havews." Ai nces at Rain God''s fingers. "If they break thosews, they can''t go back to heaven. You are one of the faces of the rain. A minor god, I think? Your power is dissipating. Your shrine is gone. Your situation is so bad that you have to rent a shrine. Rain God, we won''t ask you what your true objective is. Everyone can keep secrets. However, a partnership can only happen if both parties benefit from the partnership. A lease will protect both partners. Use your seal. As long as you make a vow to follow the terms of the lease, it should be fine." Surprised, Ari observes Ai. How did he find out about God''s seals? He knows a lot about the gods of this world. Her son has truly grown up. But he''s only thirteen. "Fine." Rain God exhales and taps the table. "Sosuri!" The dwarf opens the door and enters the room. "Yes, Master." "Bring paper and my seal." Hemands him, "Thendlord wants to write down a lease." "As you say, Master." Sosuri runs out of the room. "Let''s discuss the terms." Ai smiles widely. "There are five tenants. How many rooms are needed?" "Sosuri will tell you," Ryou mutters. "I need this ce for a year, I think." "Do you have a previous address?" Ai takes out his small notebook and pen from his pockets. "Someone built a shopping mall at that ce." Ryou lets out a depressed sigh. "ZX Shopping Mall." "Any criminal activity?" Ai continues questioning him nonchntly. "I tried to make it rain at the shopping mall." Ryou knits his brows, clenching his hands into fists. "They have special protection for rainy seasons." "It''s really hard to survive as a minor god these days." Aiments sympathetically, "You have never hurt or killed anyone, have you? Even if it''s for self-defence, you should tell us beforehand. Hiding it would be against the terms of the lease." "Sosuri will recount them to you." Ryou crosses his arms. "I will start with our terms then." Ai gives a nod to his mother. "First of all, both parties will take care of their own foods and expenses that is, thendlord will never eat the food or drinks made by the tenant." "..." Ryou narrows his eyes slightly. "Secondly, monthly rent must be given to thendlord on the first of every month until the terms of the lease are over. The tenant must keep the ce clean. If there is any damage due to the shrine activities, he must pay for the damage." "That''s not a problem." Ryou says to him, "This ce is already attracting people. I will pay one-fourth part of the offerings to thendlord." "The tenant must never ever," Ai states with an emphasizing tone, "ever harm thendlord or anyone who is important to thendlord. It includes Ai Takayama, Rilyah Takayama, Cina Takayama, and her daughters who aren''t born yet." The rain god gives him a solemn nod. "epted." "The tenant must keep a respectful distance from thendlord. He must treat her with the utmost respect. He must guard the house and thendlord. In addition to that, the dark elemental artefact must be deposited as a security deposit." "You are good." The rain god murmurs, "She can keep it. It''s useless to me." "That''s the tenant''s choice." Ai closes the notebook and turns his head toward his mother. "Mother, do you have anything to add?" Didn''t he get everything already? Ari pats Ai''s head. "No, I trust you. You should do what you think best." "I will prepare the draft and show it to you before I finalize it." Ai curls his fingers. He doesn''t feel that it''s good if his mother stays alone here. "Mother, can I stay here with you?" "Yes!" Cina roars. "We must stay here with our mother." "That means" Rilyah''s eyes be big and round. "We don''t have to go to college and study anymore." Ai shakes his head. Is that all they can think about? "Mother, if you let me stay here, I will name my daughter after you." Cina holds Ari''s hands. "Please! We don''t have any ce to stay." "We are already eighteen officially." Rilyah puckers her lips, looking at her with misty eyes. If Mirinae and Sion could see their daughter acting like this, they would have thrown her in Qeshaya. "I really don''t want to study anymore. Life in this world is too hard." They can''t do magic openly. Otherwise, crazy humans might capture them and start running tests on them. Humans are already looking for aliens. Technically, they are aliens. Why is this world like this? Iravan is so friendly to the outsiders. "Of course." Ari ruffles Rilyah''s head. "You are already my family. I will contact the orphanage and tell them all of you are my families. We might have to make some fake proofs. though" "So many" The rain god releases his breath. "I can''t say much since this is not my ce." While Ari and her troupe are talking about the lease, Adira materializes at a distantnd. Chapter 160: If its only a possibility, its still a possibility Chapter 160: If it''s only a possibility, it''s still a possibility The lease is written. Both parties sign the lease. Ari lets them have the ground floor. The ground floor includes the kitchen, sitting room, three guest rooms and a master bedroom. The first floor has only four rooms and a small kitchen that was rarely used. Cina and Ai decide to share a room, much to Rilyah''s protests. "You can''t stay with a boy." Cina flicks Rilyah''s forehead. "He might be thirteen-year-old only, but he''s still a ''male''." "I saw you getting attracted to a ''male'' god earlier." Rilyah bars the door to prevent him from entering the room. "I don''t trust my Ai''s safety with you." "He looked like a woman!" Cina lets out an exasperated sigh when she makes a face. "Ril, don''t you think that you are acting strange? Ai is my little brother." "Little brother?" She wrinkles her nose in disgust. "If I hadn''t seen you eyeing the rain god like that, I would have never found out about your true face." "I don''t like men." Cina raises his head and closes his eyes, resisting the urge to cry. "Spare me! He was beautiful. If you were as half as beautiful as him" "What, then?" Rilyah furrows her brows. "No, how could I not be as half as beautiful as that crafty asshole god?" In the room, Ai looks toward the door with a deep frown. Are they fighting again? "You are not." Cina tells her with a straightforward voice, "You have a pimple on your left cheek." "Pimple?" Rilyah touches her cheek and runs to the bathroom to check. Cina rolls his eyes and walks into the room. "Don''t fight anymore." Ai says to him, "Mother might get stressed." "Why don''t you tell her not to pick a fight with me?" Cina scowls at him. "When you were young, you used to fight with me. Now, she fights with me. Why is everyone fighting with me?" "I was a kid back then." Ai turns his back to him and checks the books on the shelves. "She''s still a kid." "Then, she should fight with another kid!" Cina crosses his arms and huffs, "Why am I a fake twin? I don''t want to be her fake twin. Why is she so nice to you when I am her fake twin?" Ai lets out an exasperated sigh. When will these two gods grow up? He''s tired of acting as their guardian. In another room, Ari is packing her parents'' things. Her grandparents and her room are taken by the rain god on the ground floor. When she was young, her parents divorced and remarried. Her father did visit her a few times when she was young. Her father died when she was in high school. She has step-siblings who are busy with their own lives. Where is her mother though? They did stay in contact long ago. She picks up a diary that she found in the pile of things left behind by her mother. It''s a baby diary with her name. As Ari turns the pages, she reads the record that her mother kept about her. [Ari crawled for the first time today.] Takayama Ari chuckles. Maybe she should keep a pregnancy diary. The babies are growing fast. Someone knocks on the door. Ari walks to the door and opens it. "My master sent this." Ame Onna hands her a saltmp with a faint glow. "Keep it near your bed." "It won''t harm my babies, would it?" Ari looks into her eyes and asks. "It won''t." Ame Onna assures her gently. "You must take care of your health. Thismp can only provide much, but it can''t give everything. I heard that you can do universal magic. Strengthen your body. You need to be strong for childbirth." After the woman is gone, she takes the saltmp to her bedside. It is gleaming like a faint crescent moon. She ces her hand on it and feels the hunger do down a bit. This shouldn''t be enough. How can she reduce her children''s sufferings? There must be some way. "Renasir!" Rilyah storms into the room. "Cina locked himself in the room with Ai." It seems like she has five children -- three teenagers and two unborn daughters. Ari looks at her. "What happened?" "I am afraid that he would do something to him, Renasir." Rilyah sits on the floor, grabbing Ari''s legs. "Can''t you make Ai share his room with me?" "No." Ari replies in a beat, "Boys are demons. You never know when they attack you, especially the ones who are in their puberties." "But I want him to attack me." Rilyah snivels. "He''s too young." Ari coughs. "Wait for six years." "If you give him permission to marry me at sixteen, I only have to wait three years." Rilyah puts her head in Ari''sp. "Please, Renasir. I can''t wait anymore." "Wait for six years." Ari pulls the girl''s cheek. "Why are you in a hurry to get married? You should date other boys. Just because Parisa told you that he is going to be your husband, do you have to force yourself?" "What do you mean?" Rilyah creases her forehead in confusion. "All the prophecies came true." "Not all of them." Ari has been thinking about it. Deia Parisa is Oracle Parisa''s reincarnation. Deia has always seen possibilities. Then, Parisa could have seen possibilities only. So, she chose the possibilities with the highest possible chances and revealed it to the one who could affect the future mostly. "The war between the chosen one and the dark god didn''t happen. It was also her prophecy." And if Parisa could see everything, there wouldn''t have been the first war in the first ce. Amara could have been stopped before she started the war. "But Renasir, even if it''s only a possibility, it''s still a possibility." Rilyah looks up at her. "She saw that I was going to marry Little Ai." "Is that so?" Ari doesn''t talk on the topic anymore. There''s a possibility that Adira wouldn''t have killed Little Ai or he wouldn''t have separated her children from her. When she decided to die in order to erase the corruption in the dark ehr and release the dark heart, she had a firm belief that Adira wouldn''t destroy the world for revenge. Why didn''t she have the same trust in him? "I made some mistakes," Ari mumbles. She believed in some prophecies more than Adira. However, she could not take any chances. If Adira had decided to kill Little Ai, she couldn''t have done anything because she was not strong enough to protect Little Ai. Then again, why did Parisa care so much about Little Ai? Why did she tell those prophecies about Adira to Rilyah? At that time, Ari couldn''t think of anything else when she heard that Adira might take her daughters away from him. And how did she end up in her world? That doesn''t make sense at all. She''s still pregnant in the body of Ari Takayama while the body of Ari Ashbourne has disappeared. "What are you thinking about?" Rilyah asks her. Someone sent her here for sure. Ari shakes her head at Rilyah and smiles. "It''s time to make dinner." *** The sun is burning at the peak of the day. The air is dry as sandpaper. As far as one could see, there''s only golden sand. Adira looks around. He''s been travelling for years. The locks of his dark hair are brushing against the sand as he walks in a direction. His eyes are sharp, filled with only coldness. The magic in this world is nothingpared to Iravan. To make it worse, his energy is depleted after such a long trip. He doesn''t even have enough magic to cast a final spell. Where could she be in this world? The Dark God saunters on the seemingly unending desert whether it is night or day. After a few weeks, he reaches civilization. Chapter 161: How do I find her in this crazy world Chapter 161: How do I find her in this crazy world Some lightyears away from earth, there has been another chaos brewing in the air. What could it be? The dark god was gone. The third moon from the sky was missing. The god of trees andnds hadn''t been seen in a while. Lastly, there was no sign of the nameless creature either. High King Noras has enough problems, but problems left by the Dark God and Renasir Ari certainly top all of them. For example, take the dark realm. Why did that damned asshole god have to leave it under his ex-wife''s care? Even Noras exhales, holding his head. Where the heck is Dark God Adira? He can''t handle all this chaos alone. Kresi, Amara''s reincarnation, has turned the realm upside down. She has barred anyone from entering and leaving the realm, stating that she''s going to protect all the creatures until the Dark God returns. "What if your creatures pick a fight with his creatures?" She has repetitively told him off. "You don''t stop your people and youe to me withints when a dark creature fights back. Screw yourself, God Noras! All the creatures are equal in my eyes. If youe here to pick a fight with me, I am going to attack your kingdom and dethrone you." So, the dark realm has closed off the borders. "My daughter!!!" The goddess of night and wishes hasn''t stopped crying since the third moon disappeared from the sky. At first, she thought that it was her daughter''s usual tactics. But years have passed by. There has been no sign of her. Whenever she feels like eating Noras'' head, shees to his pce and cries, "My daughter might be dead somewhere--" "Gods can''t die," High King Noras tells her for the nth time. "Renasir Ari is with her. I am sure that she''s fine." "What do you know, Noras?" Sion roars. "Our precious daughter is missing. Her sisters cry for her all day and night. The sky is missing the moon of hope. Kresi Mirin has done the right thing. We will also close our borders from this moment." "W-Wait!" Noras raises his hand to stop them. But both Mirinae and Sion are gone. The kingdom of stars and weapons, arge area of the middle realm, is also closed off. Since Mahuna and Ni are close to Mirinae, they also seal their borders against the light kingdom. Eshyal, who is deeply in love with Mahuna for ages, follows the suit. That leaves the forests, Cina''s regions, that are already suffering without their god, and the high kingdom of wind. These days, his wife is a little mad at him. He has no idea why. When Aren enters the hall, he sees the god of light sitting on his throne and sighing. God Noras has a stubble beard and dark circles around his eyes. He seems older a decade older after the recent civil war among the gods. Honestly, it''s just gods throwing a tantrum. It''s been a few years since the dark god has left this world. He hasn''t heard about his brother or Renasir Ari. Kresi doesn''t want to meet him, and he hasn''t been able to find Gabriel or Raye. Mirai and Pebby live in the dark realm that has banned any entrance of the outsiders. Most likely, Gabriel and Raye are also in the Dark Realm. "Infiltrate the dark realm," God Noras gives him themand with a tired voice. "Convince that idiot to open the borders again. Once the dark realm ends the ban, the other realms will follow it." "But" Aren lowers his head slightly. "How am I going to enter that ce?" "I don''t know." God Noras throws the universal key at him. "Find some way. Cina is gone, but some random door should be lying around here or there." "..." Is it that easy to find a way to the dark realm when God Noras couldn''t do it himself? Aren picks up the universal key and leaves the pce of light withplicated feelings. What is Kresi doing and why? There''s been no news of her. He knows everything that happened after he passed out in the woods. That girl is a little annoying. How is he going to enter the dark realm anyway? Aren keeps wandering the forest until he reaches the spot where Qeshaya appearedst time. The forest is reced by long stretches of barrennd. He wonders if the cave is The cave!!! Where was it again? Aren scratches his head, trying to recall her instructions. After he remembers her words, he walks in that direction. The forest is gone, but the cave? Could it be here? He keeps walking until he finds the cave at the bottom of the mountain. Aren takes a deep breath. "Thank goodness!" Finding the wall has been easy, but the problem is He doesn''t have the rune key. "The universal key?" He takes the key out of his pocket and looks at it. Did Noras know about this? Then, why did that god not go to the dark realm by himself? Anyway, he shouldn''t be questioning why God Noras did this or not. He has to see that annoying girl. How could she go back on her words? When he presses the key on the wall, the gate activates. It opens to another cave. Aren walks through the gate. After crossing the second cave, he finds theke near the dark castle. He smirks, "I want to see how you are living in that castle, Cripple." *** [Some light-years away from Iravanm, Earth, J Country] Adira is at a loss for words. No, literally. He has no idea what the hell people are saying to him. They are dressed in strange clothes and he doesn''t have enough magic to cast a trantion spell. They take him to a luxurious room where a few nearly naked womene to give him a bath. Only his re is enough to send them away with their tails between their legs. After the bath, he changes into new clothes -- a white robe and a white headcloth. When hees out, more peoplee to greet him. He decides to remain quiet as they start bringing food and wine for him. Someone brings a carriage and gesture him to get into the carriage. He creases his forehead. Since he doesn''t know what''s going on, he decides to go inside the carriage anyway. Maybe he will run into her identally. The carriage takes off with the caravan that is going further away from J Country. The destination of the caravan remains a mystery. A few months pass by. Adira scowls at the people who keep bowing to him. He has learned thenguage during the journey. It seems that they are mistaking him as a pharaoh who came back to life since he appeared from the direction where an ancient pyramid was situated. Now, these people want him to take down the royalty of the A Country and bring back the old ways. How did he end up in this cult? He''s a god, but he is aware of the human''s cynical thoughts. First of all, he''s no Pharoah for sure. But the people won''t listen to him. Second of all, there''s no way that he''s going to give his seed to some random women. But they keep sending women to his chamber. Each night, he is kicking out the women while cursing a certain Renasir. Each day, he is trying to find a way out of this cult. "No world has been as crazy as this one," Adira grumbles when he gets the chance to escape the cult. "How do I find her in this crazy world without magic?" Chapter 162: The most hated person in this kingdom Chapter 162: The most hated person in this kingdom At present, the dark realm is different than any other realm. There''s no sun in the sky since Eshyal has closed off his borders. The moons are also missing because Mirinae and Sion won''t let them out of the household. The flora and fauna are in a weak state since Cina is gone. The dark ehr is tumbling since Dark God is not present in the realm. Arens sighs. At a time like this, what they need is unity. If all gods act like a douche, people will suffer the most, especially the dark realm. Aren makes his way to the dark castle. Standing tall and proud on the other side of theke, the majestic castle is built from ck stones from the mountain that surrounded the dark realm. He reaches the castle gates that are opened to everyone. Dark beasts are here and there as if it''s their home. Nobody stops him as he enters the corridor that is leading to the throne room. He''s been in the dark castle once before Renasir came back to this world. The purpose of that visit was simply paying respect to the dark god who didn''t even give him a nce. After removing his title, Aren has gone to see all the gods of Iravan once. "Why do you keep asking me that?" Aren hears a woman''s loud voice. "I don''t know how to manage them. I only need to keep them alive until that god returns, right?" What''s going on here? Aren leans closer to the wall and listens. "Kresi Mirin, the unrest is growing in the kingdom." Mogrok, the spirit beast tells her, "Do you know how bad it''s been? They don''t want you to rule the kingdom. Because of you, they were thrown in Qeshaya." "Hey!" Kresi, who has grown taller, points at the spirit beast. "I didn''t do it. Amara did it." "You are Amara''s reincarnation," Mogrok snaps at her. Aren peeks at the girl with vivid golden eyes and long ck hair. She''s not a girl anymore. Dressed in a long cerulean blue robe, her dark hair is tied into a high ponytail. Her face is oval, pale-skinned without a single freckle, smooth, and her lips are a vermillion red. He notices that her right sleeve is longer than her left one, hiding her right hand from his view. "Those old geezers need work." Kresi sits down on the steps below the throne and exhales, "I am trying to handle this. They keep making troubles with neighbouring realms. So I closed off the border to keep them inside. Now, they have started a rebellion. What are they rebelling against? I was appointed by their damned god." "That''s why they are rebelling." Mogrok points his arm at her. "You keep calling him a damned god." "He''s a damned god, beast." She sneers at him, "Damndest god of Iravan who told him to appoint me? I might be his ex-wife, but that was another life. I don''t remember all the details of that life. Besides, Amara had never run a kingdom. She was busy conspiring for his heart. Literally." "Shameless," Mogrok grumbles. "If you had paid attention to the dark god, we wouldn''t be having this problem right now." "At that time, getting his core was more important than learning how to run a kingdom." She retorts, "Tell me, Mogrok. You have been with him for a longer time than Amara ever was. How does he run this damned kingdom?" "Don''t curse this damned kingdom." Mogrok purses his lips when he realizes that he has cursed it too. "What I mean is we must stop the rebellion. I heard that some retired knights are ming the beasts. They might attack the castle soon." Are they talking about the holy knights who disbanded after the world was resettled? "Damn them!" Kresi stands up abruptly. Her eyes widen in rage as her eyebrows knit together. "We need to uproot the rebellion." "That''s what I am talking about." Mogrok nods his giant head. "I am going to kill them all," Kresi rages. "That''s what --" Mogrok narrows his thousand-eyes on the woman. "We can''t kill them. That will make things worse." Aren lets out an exasperated sigh. Did the Dark God think of no other person who could have been better than this cripple who thinks that violence is the only way? Why hasn''t she changed in all these years? He steps into the throne room and watches her face turn paler. Her eyes nearly bulge out when recognition spreads in her eyes. "You!" She points at him as she takes a step back. "How did you get inside the castle?" "Aren''t you the chosen one?" Mogrok blinks his few eyes. "What are you doing here? You are the second most-hated person in the realm." "Remember, you told me the way to the castle that day," He answers Kresi first, and then, he turns to Mogrok. "Why am I the second-hated person in the realm?" "You kidnapped Renasir once." Mogrok eyes him darkly, quite literally. "You were supposed to be the Dark God''s enemy." "I am no one''s enemy." He peers at Kresi who seems to have calmed down. Her eyes are unreadable. "God Noras is already friendly to the Dark God. Besides that, I did nothing to Renasir -- forget about the old matters. Tell me who is the most hated person in this kingdom." "Who else?" Mogrok res at Kresi. "The woman who sent all the creatures of the dark realm to Qeshaya including me and caused the great war." "I also freed you." Kresi scowls at the spirit beast. "You were the first one to make a contract with the dark god''s heart. That''s why you are enjoying your high position right now." "You left me in Qeshaya." Mogrok folds his arms. "And, I had no ce to sleep because I couldn''t enter my prison cell again. In addition to that, I didn''t ask you to release me." Kresi rolls her eyes. Nobody takes her side. Everyone thinks of her as a viiness. She''s trying to be good, okay? Maybe she should just be bad again. All she has to do what the rebels are fearing -- take the control of this realm. "Mogrok, I will help you deal with the rebellion," Aren tells Mogrok with a smile. "I was a ''Crown Prince'' once. I have learned a thing or two from my father. You can have trust in me." Mogrok squints his eyes. Kresi has made a mess of the kingdom. He can only watch and cry in the corner. Even when the Dark God was in another world for Renasir''s recuperation, things weren''t this bad. Back then, nobody knew that Amara was alive. If it''s this person, maybe it''s possible. Surely, the prince had dealt with rebellion before. Besides, the former crown prince studied in Ilucia. "Can you give me some time alone with Kresi Mirin?" Aren requests the spirit beast who is still wondering whether he should take Aren''s help or not. Mogrok leaves the throne without any question. The smile on the former prince''s face is gone. He stares at Kresi who avoids his gaze nervously. "I thought that you were going to have a battle with me in the underground city." "I was busy," Kresi mutters, turning toward the window. "If you can''t handle this, you should have asked for help." He walks to her side. "Why did you refuse meeting me? Did I do something that offended you? If it''s about that day, I wanted to help you -- but I wasn''t capable, Kresi. Cina sent me to the realm of God Noras. I asked for the Light God''s help, but he arrivedte. I heard what happened with the Dark God and Cina. Are you alright? Did you get hurt that day?" Chapter 163: The finger between his legs? Chapter 163: The finger between his legs? "I am fine." She flips her right sleeve and steps away from him. Her voice is cold and distant. "You don''t have to get involved in this." He puts his hands inside his pocket awkwardly. She''s a grown woman now. "I am not here to help you because I want to. I was sent by God Noras." She scowls at him. "That nosy god!" "You should mind that tongue of yours." Though he notices her unconsciously hiding her hand behind her waist, he pretends that he has seen nothing. "Iravan is in chaos again because you decided to seal the borders." Kresi stares at the throne of the Dark God. "I know that everything is my fault." Seeing the mncholy in her eyes, he lets out an exasperated sigh. "I didn''t mean it like that." "But it''s my fault." Kresi takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "And I will take responsibility for it." "You don''t have to be responsible alone." Aren furrows his brows. "There are people who want to help you." "I don''t need anyone''s help." She turns her face to him. "Leave" Asking him to leave while showing a face like that? How is he going to face himself if he leaves someone behind? Part of Kresi''s scars is caused by his mother. He steps forward and grabs her right hand to see what is she trying to hide from him. "Stop!" Kresi shouts at him. But the sleeve is already pulled up and the secret is revealed. He widens his eyes when he sees that her hand is missing. His heart tightens. "Why?" "I really became a cripple." She pushes him away from him. "A hand is nothingpared to veins that can feel magic again." Aren scrutinizes her face. There''s a dark smile on her vermillion lips. Her eyes have a haughty look that can only belong to her at this time. Her body might have grown up a bit, but she''s still an idiot in her head. "I never wanted you to be a cripple, Fool. " "I am not a fool." She frowns at him. "I thought that you were scared of me. Why are you here?" Did she notice it back then? He exhales. Maybe he had shown it too much. "I am not afraid fo you anymore." "You should be." She sits down on the steps, leaning back,zily stretching he legs. "I have magic now." "You still had magic back then." Forbidden one. He doesn''t say the word. Kresi Mirin has surpassed his expectations. She doesn''t need him or his help to save herself. Maybe that''s what he likes -- Aren creases his forehead, shaking away the dangerous thought immediately. What? Like her? She''s a moron who only knows how to use violence. People like her need teaching how to be human again. "If you aren''t going to battle me, give me your life." "..." She knits her brows, squinting her eyes. "I can''t wait until the Dark Godes back." He tells her nonchntly, "I already gave you enough time. Give up your life to me." "I am not giving up anything without a fight," She snaps at him. "I promised that I will safeguard his kingdom until his arrival." "I can''t live for eternity." He crosses his arms. "You and I are not immortal. We may have long lives because we can do magic now, but what do we know about tomorrow? I can die in the next moment. I want your life or you fight me in the underground world." What is wrong with this royal highness? She cocks her head and observes the man before her eyes. Tips of red hair are touching his broad shoulders. His eyes are the same vivid shade of green, exuberant and soft at the same time. "I can''t leave this realm until the dark godes back." "Then, give up your life to me." He keeps going, "Are you not going to keep your promise to me? I thought that you had some shame." "Fine," She mutters, annoyed. "If you don''t give up your life then" Aren stutters, "-W-What?" "You can have my life." She leans forward, eyeing him with a faint smile. "Only if you let me protect this kingdom until that godes back. However, you must battle with me when I can leave this castle. If I win, I will be released from your hold." "What?" His face cracks when he hears those words. His original n was that he would ckmail her into giving in to his demands. She wouldn''t give up her life. So, he would suggest opening the borders. But he didn''t expect this. "Are you sure? You are a woman. Think about it. What if I do something bad to you?" Kresi has already guessed his intentions. There''s no way that she would let other godse inside. Mayhems of the dark realm will stay in the dark realm. "I didn''t be your ve, your royal highness. You have my life, but not me. If you put a finger on my skin again, I am going to enjoy my time breaking the finger between your legs." The finger between his legs? Aren gapes at her. What crudenguage! "It''s not a finger." "Thumb?" She taps her chin as her gaze lingers on his crotch. "When I was in beggar city, nobles would oftene to the flower houses for entertainment. The flowers of those houses would often talk about how some nobles would always have their noses high but they couldn''t get their small and boneless sticks to get high." In his entire life, this is the first time he has heard a woman talk like that. Stick? Thumb? Boneless finger? He touches his forehead, feeling dizzy. What is this? How could a girl say things like that in front of a man? "Mine is not a thumb or a finger. It''s long and thick enough." "I didn''t see it." She shrugs. "I have no interest in seeing it. So, if you" "It can get high, okay?" He doesn''t know why he''s getting so defensive. But she''s his enemy from now on. A woman like her no, she''s not even a woman. He refuses to see her as a member of the fair sex. "It''s not malfunctioning." "Why?" She props her chin on her hand, looking at him curiously. "Did you test it? But you have that scent on you.." "W-What scent?" He raises his chin and asks, afraid to hear her answer. "When I was in beggar city, the flowers often talked about how to tell the difference between a flower that never had his nectar sucked by a --" "Stop!" He closes his eyes and raises his hand. She might not be embarrassed about it, but he has enough shame for both of them. "I don''t want to hear those flower talks." "That would the pure flower usually say." She lets out a pronounced sigh."His royal highness never had a woman or a man. It''s a little sad. Maybe he''s not confident in his ability." "If you don''t shut up, I am going to kill you now," Aren bellows at her. "I wonder if his royal highness can survive the dark realm." Kresi blinks her eyes at him. "Should I send some flowers to your chamber, your highness? Do you prefer men or women or spirit beasts? I know people who will love to teach you how to get your thumb high." Aren grimaces at her and tells her through clenched teeth, "Why don''t youe to my chamber at night? We will see whether I can get it high or not." "No, thank you." She rolls her eyes. "How could this cripple look at his royal highness who is as bright as the stars? Besides, this cripple doesn''t have such exquisite tastes." Chapter 164: Be prepared for a new life after you lose to me Chapter 164: Be prepared for a new life after you lose to me Aren inhales and exhales before he speaks to her again. "Little girl!" She narrows her eyes on him. "Do you know you are younger than me?" Aren gives her a dark look. "I was already an adult when you came back to this world. You are still a little girl in my eyes. I have no such interest in you. I won''t touch you." He wrinkles his nose as he scrutinizes her face. "There''s nothing feminine about you, Cripple. Besides that, I am still popr. Many noblewomen would jump at me if I say the world." And he''s not lying. His father has been nagging him to get married to continue the line. He doesn''t see the point of continuing the line though. It''s not like the Starfire family will rule the higher realm again. "So, you need a noblewoman." She nods her head. "We don''t have any noble blood here. The Dark God has given equal status to all living beings. There are only men, women, children, and spirit beasts." He raises his brow. What does she want to say? "I was already an adult though." Kresi scratches her chin. "ording to thews of Iravan, everyone bes a legitimate adult at the age of thirteen. Besides that, my body might be young but I have been keeping my consciousness for years in another dimension. I was a year older than you when I left this world. Considering it all, I am still the older one." "But--" Aren opens his mouth to refute her. Kresi interrupts him, "In any case, you are an average man now. Just because I was calling you a royalty, it doesn''t mean that you are one. Sure, I made a promise to you. You can stay here within the boundary of the castle. If you interfere with my life, let me tell you this: I also break my promises and throw people in the ring with spirit beasts. In fact, I have already told Mogrok to make a ring for fights here." "You are talking like Andareanesi." Aren scowls at her. "Are you going to start ring fights here?" "Andreanesi was selfish, but he wasn''t a fool." Kresi tilts her head. "Why do you think that gods are doing nothing about the underground city? Evil will exist anyway. But we should control it in some form." "Can you control the fights though?" Aren crosses his arms. "They might not listen to you." "The dark beasts are too uncontroble after the Dark God is gone. They need a ce to let out the steam." Kresi continues, "Instead of having them fight randomly, I n to start a fighting ring legally until the dark god returns. Those who want to speak with their fists will get the chance to use their fists. The one who wants to talk can go to Mogrok. I don''t have a well-formed n yet, but yes, it''s going to be simr to the underground city." Aren doesn''t like what he''s hearing. If a second underground city starts in the Dark Realm, what would be the after effect? "We should be concentrating on the rebellion." "To resolve the rebellion, I havee up with this n." Kresi looks at her fingers solemnly. "I will ask them toe to the ring and fight me. If they win, they can rule the dark kingdom." "Have you gone insane?" He steps closer to her and bends down his knees, grabbing her shoulders to shake her awake. "Why do you want to die so much?" "You are wrong." She frowns at him, surprised. "I don''t want to die." "Then, why are you thinking of fighting them in the ring?" Aren scrutinises her face. "I don''t understand you." "I didn''t ask you to understand me." The lines on her forehead be deeper as if she''s confused. "You should mind your business, Arenyr Starfire." He bends down on his knees and lowers his head, exasperated. "Your life is mine. I won''t let you do dangerous things." "About that" She tells him with a light voice, "We can''t go to the underground city, but we can fight in the ring. Let''s fight after it is built. If I lose, you can have my life but you can''t kill me until the dark godes back. If you lose, you will leave the city and never show me your face." The former prince doesn''t know why he feels a pang in his chest. If he leaves, what kind of crazy things will she do? Sending a god to Qeshaya? Will she make another Qeshaya here? The girl already knows forbidden runes. Now, she can even do magic. Lastly, can she win if she fights the spirit beasts? Maybe she can. But he doesn''t want her to be hardheaded. There are people who only understand fists. There are women who don''t understand the logic. If there''s a right or wrong way to do something, she will definitely choose the craziest way that might involve building a sinning city or summoning Qeshaya. "Let''s fight then." He looks into her golden eyes, determined to bring her on the right path. Because of his mother, he feels partly responsible for her crooked ways. Maybe she was already crooked before she met his mother. Then again, he wants any reason to stick by her side. Furthermore, he told the light god that he would bring her to the right path. "Wait for a few days." Kresi pushes him away. "Also, I told you that I will break the finger between your legs if you touch me. Don''t touch me again." Oh, she''s annoyed. "Kresi." He ces his hand on her shoulder with a smile. "My hand is not on your skin. There''s ayer of clothing between my skin and yours." The woman scrunches her brows, disgusted. "Lewd!" "Why?" He chuckles with glittering eyes. "The flowers didn''t teach you how to flirt back? Since you are a pretty woman who is ''older'' than me, I will treat you like a woman." "Crazy," She barks at him, pping his hand off her. And then, she strides away from in a hurry. "No retort?" Aren trails after her, wanting to annoy her to death if it''s possible. He says loudly, "I will really treat you as a woman. I absolutely don''t mind if youe to my chamber tonight to raise my finger high." Though she''s been teasing him, she hasn''t expected him to turn the table like that. Kresi halts in her tracks and turns around with a straight face. "You! I told you I don''t have any interest in a small finger." "Don''t call it small if you haven''t seen it." Heughs at her. "If you are curious, I can show it to you right now." "We will fight on the new moon." She tells him off, "Seven days! Practice a lot if you don''t want to lose." "I won''t lose." He leans closer, stopping only a few centimetres from her. The corner of her eyes quiver when he puts his arms on her shoulders. "You should be prepared for a new life after you lose to me." She sneers at him. "In your dreams." "We will see it then." He releases her. "Cripple, see me tomorrow. We should do something about your hand." After saying his piece, he walks away from her. "I won''t see you," Kresi yells, watching his back. A burst of heartyughter responds to her. Aren waves his arm as he crosses the corridor to meet Mogrok and discuss how to end the rebellion. Chapter 165: Why do you have humans inside your belly? Chapter 165: Why do you have humans inside your belly? After two months, Aomine Masaki returns from K City. After freshening up and eating lunch at his mother''s ce, he leaves the house and walks to his neighbour''s ce, curious about Takiyama Rie. Does she still like beef soup? Imagine his surprise when he sees that the house is reced by a three-storey shrine. People are going in and out of the shrine, making wishes to the surreal rain god, and tying wishes on the cherry tree near the gate. "How?" Aomine Masaki frowns at the shrine''s gate. Where did she go? Did she donate her ce to some religious organization and leave this ce? Why did she not tell him once? Then again, they aren''t exactly friends. "Isn''t this Aomine?" He blinks his eyes when he hears the familiar voice. A woman with a huge belly is walking toward him. In her left hand, there''s a big packet of french fries. A teen girl and two boys are walking behind her, on her sides, with a cold look in their eyes. "You look like my friend, Takayama Ari," Aomine Masaki tells the woman with a frown. It''s not something that he should say to the woman he has just met. It''s only been two months since he''s been gone from this ce. Surely, his friend can''t get nine months pregnant in two months? It''s impossible! "Oi, Aomine, it''s me." The woman''s cheeks are chubby, a little red. Her eyes are dark and narrow, down-turned; her skin is smooth, glowing and a little tanned. "How could you not recognize me?" "You?" His voice is several pitches higher as his eyes be rounder and bigger. "But why do you have humans inside your belly?" "It sort of turned out like this." Ari shrugs. "I have twins in there." "What?" Aomine Masaki holds his head in disbelief. "How? When? Who?" "It''s been a long time, but I didn''t know that I was pregnant." Ari lies through her teeth with a calm look in her eyes. "When you met me, I was already seven months pregnant." "B-B-But--" He nces at her belly that is swollen like a balloon. "Who? Are you married?" "No." She answers him nonchntly, "Their father is somewhere very very very very far away." Does she mean that the guy died? Aomine Masaki feels a rush of emotions in his chest. This woman is alone --pletely alone after her parents got divorced and grandparents died. She is even pregnant and the man is already dead. "You should have called me. When is the due date?" "I heard that it was today." Ari puts her hand in the packet, grabbing a few french friends and stuffing it in her mouth. She''s gluttonous these days. Her children are safe, but they aren''t getting enough nutrients. So, they aren''t ready toe out yet. "The doctor told me that it might happen within a few days." "Someday?" His face cracks. "What kind of doctor is that? You look like you are ready to give birth right now." "I may look like this." She runs her hand on her belly and sighs. "But my daughters aren''t ready." They need more dark elements. Where can she get them? Universal magic is not helping them. The artefact is not enough. "Argh!" Aomine Masaki grabs his hair, worried. "You shouldn''t be wandering on the streets anyway." "I need to take a walk." Ari tells him, "If I stay at home, I will get crazy." "Why is there a shrine then?" He nces at the house. "I thought that you were going to rent it." "I rented it to the god." Ari lets out a pronounced sigh, "What I mean is the shrine is rented. We live on the second floor." "Of all the people in the world, why would you rent it to a priest?" Aomine Masaki feels a headacheing. "It turned out like that." She gives him a vague reply. "Say Aomine, how''s your life in K City? Your mother was praying for your promotion and grandchildren." "I got promoted." Aomine Masaki announces awkwardly, "I am going on a business trip after next week." "Where are you going?" Ari asks him curiously. "NZ Country," He tells her, raising his chin high proudly, "I am the ambassador for SevenNeen Brand. If you need discounts --" "They don''t sell food." She lets out a sigh again. "What will I do with discounts on cosmetic items? Friends like you are useless." "Ari!" Aomine Masaki yells at her. "You are still a woman." "Food is more important." She shows him the middle finger. "At the moment, I will sell you for food." "Mother." Ai steps closer to her and bends down his knees to reach her eye level. "Let''s go to the restaurant. You were craving chicken earlier." When he hears the ''word'', Aomine Masaki scowls at the boy. "Why are you calling her that?" "What else would he call me?" Ari scowls at Aomine Masaki. "He''s my son." "..." Aomine Masaki looks at the boy and then, he looks at her. "Ari, say something that is logical." "They are my adopted children." She rubs Ai''s hair. "Aomine, I am leaving now. You should pay your respect to the neighbourhood god and make sure to leave arge offering." After saying her piece, she walks away from him with three teenagers on her tail. "Wait are those" Aomine scratches his head. "They aren''t the dead guy''s children, are they? Then, how old was that man?" Seeing that the kids are teenagers, the man must be middle-aged or something. How did Ari fall for such an old guy? What is the story? Shaking his head, he runs after Ari, intending to join her for the evening snacks. *** After a week, Aomine Masaki, dressed in a formal ck suit, is in a conference room, presenting the SevenNinteen''s products to the potential business partners. "This is the collection for the spring season." He smiles warmly at his audience as he taps on the keyboard. "We areunching a new lipstick line, targeting the young women in their twenties. Spring season is famous among youngsters for the confession of love and hope. Girls are --" He frowns when he sees people looking at the projection on the screen andughing. Someone raises his hand, pointing at the screen, andughs, "The colour of the ketchup would be famous among the youngsters indeed." Ketchup? Aomine Masaki turns around to look at the screen. To his horror, the pictures of him with Ari and her adopted teen children are on the screen. The ketchup was smeared on her mouth as he''s ring at the camera. How did this happen? He looks at theptop screen and realizes that he identally added those pictures in the slidest night when he was making the presentation. "I am sorry for this." Aomine Masakiughs nervously. "Let me show you the collection." Among the audience, a pair of cold dark eyes narrow on the screen. Though he can''t recognize the woman with chubby cheeks, Cina and Rilyah are recognized immediately. If he can find the gods of Iravan, he can find the Renasir. Chapter 166: There is no debt between us Chapter 166: There is no debt between us Two days after Aomine Masaki is gone, Ari''s water broke. And it invites a mess. The sky is covered with clouds for humans, but other creatures could see the things hidden in those clouds. "What Why?" Standing on the roof of the house, Cina croaks when he sees shadows hiding in the clouds. Takayama Ari is in her room, screaming in pain. "We need to take Mother to the hospital." "Taking her out of this ce is dangerous," Sosuri tells him. "We must guard the house. These creatures must not be let in." "Let''s do this." Ai cracks his fingers, prepared. In the past two months, the demons have been staying away since they have guarded Ari for twenty hours of the day. But the demons are overactive today. They must have sensed that the children are going to be born. "Whatever happens, we can''t let them reach our sister, Cina." "Yes." Cina rolls up his sleeves. He looks at the Rain God''s people. Ame Onna is not here. Cina takes a deep breath and folds his fingers into a fist. "Come at me, you suckers!" On the first floor, Takayama Ari howls like a cow being butchered in her room. Ame Onna brings hot water to the room while Rilyah is hyperventting while telling Ari to breathe. "I think that you should leave the room if you can''t bear to see it," Ame Onna tells the girl who hasn''t seen a woman giving birth before. The girl is too pale, on the verge of passing out. "We can''t have two patients in this dire time." "B-But" Rilyah looks at Ari who is clenching her teeth and trying to push the bundle out. "Will she--" "I can''t do this." Ari cries, "It hurts too much." "Your mother has done it." Ame Onna scolds Ari, "You can also do it." Rilyah wonders how her mother felt when she was giving birth to her and her sisters. Was it this painful? "Breathe," Ame Onna reminds Ari, but it''s Rilyah who is inhaling and exhaling, panicking as she sees the baby''s head. How is thating out of that small ce? Even to a goddess, it''s a mystery. "It''s almost done." "Yes, I can see the head." "Push! You must push now!" Ame Onna''s voice is urgent. Ari purses her lips as she pushes the first twin out of her. Sound of baby''s cries pierces the room. "Is it done?" Rilyah asks Ame Onna. Her hands are trembling. She nces at the baby girl who is thered in blood. The child has clear dark eyes, an exact copy of Adira''s eyes. "No." Ame Onna pats Ari''s head. "Take the baby and give her a wash. I am sure that you can do that much." "Yes, yes," Rilyah rushes toward the baby. The baby girl stops crying when she wraps a piece of clothing around her, walking out of the room in a hurry. "One more time," Ame Onna tells Ari. "You can do this! You are strong! Breathe and push her out!" It sounds wrong to Ari''s ears. Her mind is muddled with pain. She inhales and exhales sharply, feeling like her woman canal is being torn about, half-doubting if she''s even alive. Then, she must be alive if she can feel this pain. No more children! She promises herself as she pushes the second twin out. Outside the room, Rilyah bathes to the baby gently. This is her first time holding a newborn baby. "You are going to be a beautiful one." The baby doesn''t make any fuss. She watches Rilyah, holding her palms together. "Don''t worry, Ena." Rilyah wipes her clean with a smile. Renasir Ari has already decided names for her daughters-- Ena and "Your younger sister wille out healthy." After she''s done, she carries the baby back to the room. The door is slightly open. When she enters, she finds Renasir unconscious on the bed, bleeding profusely with her legs widespread. Ame Onna is gone and there''s no baby in the room. Did she leave to give a bath to the baby? But then, why did she leave Renasir like this? Rilyah ces the child in the crib and rushes over to Renasir. She stops her bleeding, healing her body, and shakes her awake. "Renasir!" "Rilyah, where my daughters?" Renasir asks her with a weak voice. "Misumi is here." Rilyah brings the first twin to her. "Ame Onna must have taken Misaki with her." "Where" Feeling that something is wrong, Ari climbs off the bed, wincing in pain. "Why did I fall asleep like that?" "You were inbour for thirteen hours." Rilyah shrieks, "Don''t walk. I will look for her." "I need to find her." Ari staggers toward the door, summoning the universal energy to give strength to her body. Thebour and the childbirth have weakened her body a lot. Barely hanging on to her consciousness, she walks down the stairs with Rilyah trailing after her with Misumi in her arms. The shrine is gone. Ari opens the door to the rain god''s room and finds that he''s also gone. There''s no presence. No traces. How could this happen? "Where are Cina and Ai?" By now, Rilyah also senses that something is not right. She hands the baby to Ari. "I will look for them now." With Misumi in her arms, she drops down on her knees. The lease? It would protect her. Where is the lease? When she checks the drawer in her room, she finds a letter. ''Renasir Ari, I am leaving now. There is no debt between us. Thank you for letting me stay here.'' The letter doesn''t make sense. She looks at the lease and rereads the contents. The god''s seal is still there. When she presses her hand on the paper to sense the magic, she realizes that nothing is broken. "Why?" Then, where is Misaki? Where is Ame Onna? A foreboding feeling feels her heart. She reads the uses in the lease. ''I, Ryou, a face of the rain god, will never ever harm myndlord and her people. I will never'' Ah He won''t do it. But what about Ame Onna? That spirit can take her child away. They must not have gone far away. She can still find Misaki. Sheys down Misumi in the crib and caresses her daughter''s face who is calm and quiet. "Stay here. I need to find your sister, okay?" Ari leaves the house that day. She''s never seen in the vicinity again. Chapter 167: Where the woman went Chapter 167: Where the woman went Cina frowns when the demons start to leave on their own. They have been fighting them for a while. Suddenly, the sky is getting clear and the demons are running away. "That''s strange," Ai mutters, turning around to look at Rain God''s people. There are only Cina and Ai on the room. "Shit!" "Why are you cursing?" Cina has never heard this boy curse before. "Our sisters must have been born safely. That''s why the demons are gone." "No." Ai marches toward the roof''s door. "The rain god''s people are gone. It''s suspicious." When they are climbing down the stairs, they meet Rilyah halfway. Her eyes are big and round, filled with panic. "Ame Onna and the rain god are gone," Rilyah pants, "They took Misaki with them." "Damn!" Cina clenches his teeth. "How could they there was a lease." "They must have found a loophole." Ai runs down the stairs and goes to Ari''s room. A baby is in the crib, peacefully asleep but there''s no sign of his mother. He looks over his head and yells at Rilyah, "Where''s Mother?" "She was just here," Rilyah replies as a foreboding feeling envelops her heart. "She couldn''t have gone after them alone, could she?" "Both of you, look after her." Ai nces at Misumi once. "I will look for Misaki and Mother." "You can''t leave alone!" Rilyah protests, "Ai, those people are dangerous. All of us should look for them together." "Misumi needs care." Ai stares at her calmly. "And Rain God''s people mighte back to take her. There might be others who would want Misumi. Cina and you are considered adults in this world, and powerful enough to protect her. Misumi is only a baby. I can''t do some things because of thews of this world. Only Cina can. You must take care of her while Mother is away, Rilyah. Don''t worry about me. I will send you a message if I find anything." Rilyah begins to say something, but Cina raises his hand to stop her. "He''s not saying it wrong. The demons mighte back. Mother is not a weak person. I trust her, and I think that she trusts us too. Else, she wouldn''t have left Misumi in our care." "The rain god could have taken them both." Ai creases his forehead. "He didn''t take a chance or he only wanted Misaki. In any case, protect Misumi while I look for Mother and Misaki. You know that my sense of scent is still good." "Yeah, you are a dog." Cina sighs. "Call me when you find anyone of them. We will protect Misumi, and wait for you and Mother here." The third moon sighs. She can''t stop Ai. "Don''t act foolishly. You must act smart." "I will," He promises her. "Protect Misumi." Ai leaves the house right away, using his senses to track Ari and Misaki. There''s no trace of the Rain God or his people. When he reaches the banks of the S river, it starts raining. He lets out a curse as the rain sshes on the concrete. Ari''s scent is washed away. "I know that she came here," He mumbles to himself as he walks around the bridge in rain. If he asks somebody, he might find out. Ai catches a glimpse of a spirit surrounded by ghosts gathered on the bank of the river under the bridge. He runs toward them. The ghosts shy away from the toad spirit when they feel himing. The toad spirit, a lime green toad as big as a calf with red spots on his back, turns his ruby eyes toward Ai and curses him, "You ruin my business, Foreigner!" Foreigner? Ai has been called that before. It seems that the spirits of these worlds can sense that he is from somewhere far away. It could be his scent or the magic that gives him away. "I apologize, respected sir. But I require a favour and I am willing to pay for it." And nothing is free in this world. Favours are the currencies. Whether it''s spirit or fae, favours are exchanged or something of equal value. That ''something'' could be something simple as a sock or a piece of a name. In any case, deals in this world areplex. "You should have said it before." The toad spirit rubs his hand with a grin. "My esteemed customer, what do you need?" "I need information." Ai takes out his wallet and removes the picture that he had taken with Ari, Cina, and Rilyah. He shows it to the toad. "Have you seen this woman?" The toad narrows his eyes on the woman in the picture. "I might have." Ai doesn''t ask him for the information straight away. "Then, do you know about the Rain God named Ryou?" "Ryou?" The toad spirit blinks his eyes, taking his tongue out. "I have never heard of such god." "I am sure that there''s a rain god with such a calling name." Ai frowns at the toad. "I am a toad spirit who has been descending under this bridge since the moment it was constructed for the first time." The toad spirit res at him. "Do you think that I wouldn''t know the faces of the rain gods? I am a toad spirit!" "I get it." Not wanting to argue with the toad, Ai takes out a piece of paper and unfolds it. "Do you know about this seal?" The toad spirit puts on his sses and inspects the seal. After a long moment, he deres, "This seal is a counterfeit of the main rain god." "What?" Ai gawks at him. "Counterfeit?" "There are many ancient spirits who pretend to be gods." The toad grabs the lease and flips through it. "A shrine? Why would a rain god need a shrine in the city? Rain Gods are still popr in this country, remembered whenever it''s the peak of the summer. Even if they don''t have a shrine, they can survive. Nevermind! The main rain god takes care of all of his faces in the main shrine." "Fuck!" Ai curses for the second time in his life. "How could I not think of this? I should have visited the shrine of the main god." "You got scammed by a spirit for sure." The toad pities the boy, even though he doesn''t know the details. "The seal is almost simr to the seal of the main rain god. It means that one of the main rain god''s people are involved in this. It will bring great shame to the main rain god, but I will receive a hefty reward if one reports it. How about you give this lease to me and I will grant you any information that you require?" Great shame to the rain god? The gods of this world have a certain aversion to the gods of another world. If he goes to the main rain god, he''s sure that he will receive anything but a reward. "Will you tell me anything that I want to know?" "Gathering pieces of information is my speciality." The toad nces at the ghosts standing on the other side of the river. "Tell me what you want to know." "I need to know where the woman went." His mother must have been on the fake rain god''s trail. How did she trace him? That is something only she can answer. "She went toward east." The toad pauses. "There was a scent of magic and blood on her. So she attracted my attention. If you go east south, you will reach the river that divides the world of living and death. On the way, one passes by many small cracks between the reality of this world and the other worlds. These cracks allow the spirits of adjacent worlds toe to this world. Since her scent no longer lingers in this world, she might have gone to another world already." He has expected this already. Mother must have been in a hurry to catch those bastards while they are still on the run. "Do you know who this scammer is?" "This one is difficult." The toad looks at the seal. "You must have met this ''Ryou'' god." "I felt that he was a god, not a spirit," Ai reveals to him. "He was much more powerful than I am. He had four servants. A dog spirit was among them." "I don''t know if there''s any god who will dare to impersonate the main rain god." The toad spirit frowns. "He''s also using a fake character of his name in this lease." They have beenpletely fooled. Ai purses his lips, feeling an urge to p himself for being such a fool. He should have paid more attention. It''s no wonder that the god was so rxed. How could that god fool Cina and Rilyah too? Then again, the strength of both gods of Iravan have weakened ever since they came here. "I am sure that the rain god would look for him." The toad spirit tells him casually, "What did he do anyway?" "He stole the child of a god." Ai adds when the toad rxes his shoulders, "A primordial god." "What?" The toad jumps. "A primordial god?" "Yes, the god of darkness." Ai crosses his arms. "Do you still want this lease?" "No!" The toad tosses the lease at Ai. "Go away! I don''t deal with troublesome people." Ai rolls his eyes. He puts his hand in his pocket and grabs the coins. "I have some pennies. It should be enough to clear the debt." The toad hisses at him, but he takes the pennies anyway. Who wants to be a loan shark to someone who is connected to a primordial god? After picking up the lease, Ai informs Cina about everything that he found out. The boys discuss something over the call. When the call is over, Ai heads east to find his mother and sister. Chapter 168: I always wanted a fat wife Chapter 168: I always wanted a fat wife For thest four days, there''s been a crisis in the shrine of the rain god. It seems that trees, nts, and anything green is growing anywhere at any time, covering the entire shrine. No matter how many times they remove the weed, it would regrow madly. The shrine appears to be a mini-forest to outsiders. "What happened here?" "I am sure that there was a shrine here." The onlookers keep wondering. On the fifth day, the priests run away, thinking that the shrine is haunted or it''s the wrath of the god. "Who dares to invade my shrine?" Sitting in the main shrine room, the rain god, as fat as a bear with huge round eyes, dressed in blue silk robes, materializes and roars, "Show yourself!" "And I was wondering how long it takes to tick off a rain god." The echoing voice is cool, amused, and prating. "It takes five days." "Who?" The rain god storms out of the shrine and looks around, trying to find the boy who had dared to take over the shrine. The vicinity is covered with thick and tall trees with wide green foliages. When the rain god can''t find the person, the fat rain god leans against the tree and shouts again. "Show yourself at once." "Only if you look up." There''s a deep sigh. "Why is this god so dumb?" The fat rain god looks up at the teenager sitting on the branch of the tree. The boy seems to be around 18, long-legged, vivid green hair, and a slight tan on his skin. "You!" The fat rain god pants, "You are not a god of this world!" "Doesn''t stop me from messing up your ce." Cina jumps down and steps toward the fat rain god. "So, you are the main face of the rain god. This country worships you well." "Step away!" The clouds cover the sky and the lightning glimmers in the sky. The fat rain god lunges at him in rage. A short fight ensues. Cina dodges the rain god''s attacks until the fat god falls down, unable to get up. Cina sits on the top of the rain god and says, "I am not here to fight with you. This forest is a gift, actually." Flustered, the rain god shrieks, "You unruly foreigner! Know your ce and get off me!" "No, I like this seat." Cina hops on the fat rain god''s back. "You are soft. I wish you were a woman. I could hug you to sleep." "You!" The rain god croaks. "Let me off." "I won''t." Cina pinches the rain god''s cheeks with a toothy grin on his face. "So soft! What do you eat rain god? Dumplings? You are even better than Ai when he was younger." Poor rain god has never faced this humiliation before. "I will kill you." "Only if you can get up." Cina removes the hairpin from rain god''s head. "Why is it a butterfly? Did you wear your wife''s hairpin?" "You, bastard!" The rain god''s face is round and red. "I am female. Get off me." "What the hell!" Cinaughs at the rain god. "I won''t get fooled again." "If you are a god, get off me!" Rain god ils her arms up and down. For a while, she''s been hiding in this shrine to rest. The shrine gets a good offering. She has gotten carried away by all the offerings and turned fat. Where are her other faces? They are all working somewhere. "I am a god and I won''t get off you." He dangles the piece of paper in front of her face. "Have you seen this seal or not?" The rain god squints her eyes. "That looks like my seal, but it''s not mine. The character is slightly off." "That''s right. Someone is personating you and renting people''s house for a shrine." Cina eyes her darkly. "What are you doing while this craziness is happening in the outside world? Eating, sleeping, and repeating?" "I am famous." The rain god retorts, "How is it my fault that someone tries to personate me? It''s people''s fault for believing in the fake rain god." "Is it?" Cina twists her ears, making her yelp. "Then, why did you not react when strange clouds floated to a house and threatened to flood it? Do you have no responsibility, you fool? What about a few days ago? The dark clouds brought countless stray foul spirits. Did you not see them?" Actually, she didn''t. She has been asleep for a while, resting and getting fat. "I was busy!!!" "You, pig of a god!!!" Cina pinches her cheeks again. "You have to take responsibility now. That fake god kidnapped my little sister. She wasn''t anything ordinary -- a child of the primordial dark god. Tell me. What should I do with you? If a tree god eats a rain god, does that rain god die or be a part of the tree god?" "Do you think that you can digest me?" The main face of the rain god snaps at Cina, reaching for his face. "I have been chosen as the main face of the rain god. I am the strongest one. I can kill you right now." "But you are lying beneath me." He grabs her chin and raises her head. "Damn! Your skin is so soft. I am sure that I can chew you easily." Before she could fight back, he bends down and bites her cheek, digging all his teeth into her flesh. The rain god thrashes on the ground, screaming for help but he doesn''t stop. "Don''t eat me," She cries. Why is she weaker than this god? "What do you want from me?" "There, you speak mynguage now." Cina licks his lips. The taste of this god''s blood is good. "First of all, you must help us look for the fake god." "I already n to find that fake god," She hisses at him as her cheek heals. "What else do you want?" "Bless my little sister, Misumi." Cina scratches his chin. "She''s suffering because her mother and sister are not here. Send people to look for her mother and sister in all the realms. Also, give her a high status in this world. Extra protection shouldn''t hurt. Also, nobody should dare to think about harming her." "Fine!" The rain god clenches her teeth. "Get off me now." "Ah!" Cina looks at her. "You know, my twin isn''t a good cook. You seem like you get good food. Why don''t you send some offerings to my ce?" The rain god res her nostrils. "You want what?" "Offerings." Cinays down on the top of her and wraps his arms around her, crushing her. "Damn! You are such a soft god. Your chests are quite fat. How much do you eat every day? I also want to eat that much, and be cute and round like you." What the hell is wrong with this god? Rain God squirms in his arms. "I will give you anything you want. Don''t touch me there." "Why are you being like this?" Cina squeezes the melons. "Damn! You are a man but these are so big. If you were a woman, I would have married you." "Bastard! Uncultured! Foreigner!" Rain God''s eyes turn red in anger. "I told you that I am a woman." "And I am also a woman." Cina gives her a look. "I clearly heard that the main face of the rain god is a man." "That was the previous one." Rain god elbows him hard, pushing him off her. She rolls away quickly and gets on her knees. "I am Amami! I became the main face of the rain god around a hundred years ago. People don''t know me because I don''t go out much." "What" Cina blinks his eyes. His gaze falls on her chest. The robes have been loosened due to his squeezing, and he could see the cleavage. His throat turns dry as his fingers tremble. "You are a real woman?" "Yes." She covers her chest and squints her eyes on him. "You are a disgusting --" "Ah, let''s get married." Cina grins at him. "I always wanted a fat wife I could hug at night." "..." "Your skin is soft enough. I can kiss it all night." "..." "Also, Misumi is small now. I should be a man already. I want to start by getting married. Ah! I should wait for Mother toe back." Cina puckers his lips. "I am sure that she will approve of you. Let''s go to my home. I will show Rilyah that I am definitely interested in women a perfect woman with curves like you." The rain god, Amami, doesn''t know whether she wants to choke this uncultured swine or bury him under her weight. Chapter 169: Her melons smell so good Chapter 169: Her melons smell so good The rain goddess and Cina wrestle until he wins by hugging her until she''s too tired to move. "What do you want!" She yells at him. "Marry me!" He replies in the same tone, rubbing his cheek on her melon. "No!" She refuses him loudly. "You are a foreigner!" "But I am a man first." He raises his head and looks at her. "I won''t ever find anyone like you. Please marry me. I want to show Rilyah what true beauty is." She has no idea who Rilyah is. But this god is crossing his limits. How could she, the main face of rain, can marry a god who is not from this world? But it''s a sad truth that he''s indeed stronger than her and she''s too fat to move. "Alright!" "You agree?" Cina blinks his eyes. "Give me one month." She smiles at him. "I willpensate you for the damage that my fake face did. However, you can''t visit me for a month." "After a month, you will marry me?" He asks her again suspiciously. "Definitely!" She grins at him. "Come back after a month. If you still want to marry me, I will definitely be your bride and get married in this shrine." "I can wait for a month." Cina nts a kiss on her cheek. "Be prepared. I won''t let you sleep for a second on our first night." After saying his piece, the tree god leaves the shrine. Amami -- the rain goddess -- has to take a cold bath before she deals with the forest in the temples. The priestse back, unable to see the rain goddess huffing and cursing a certain tree god. The other faces of rain gode back. She sends them on their ways to find information on the fake rain god. Every cloud on earth is looking for Ari and Misaki. The spirits, who travel between the worlds, have been told to look for them. The rain goddess keeps her promise. "Does he really think that I am going to marry him?" Sheys down on the small garden behind the temple and starts doing sit-ups. "I am going to lose all the weight in the next thirty days. Then, he will lose interest for sure." If she''s no longer fat, he wouldn''t bother her anymore. *** "Ah!" Cina sniffs his palms as he walks home in a daze. "Her melons smell so good." The rain god -- should he call her a goddess -- is rather a softball of cotton. If he hadn''t seen the melons, he would have thought that he was fooled again. Now, he''s going to tell Rilyah who is a true beauty. That third moon thinks of herself as a beauty. Hmph! A beautiful must be huggable andfortable. Look at the rain goddess! Her voice is sweet like the sound of drizzle. And she smells like the rain, as expected of the rain goddess. His cotton ball!!! She will marry him after a month. Surely, he''s old enough to get married now. After spending time with Misumi, he also wants his own little cotton balls. "What''s going on?" Cina furrows when he feels an oppressive aura from the house. It''s dark and gloomy, heavy yet prating, and he finds himself sweating. Though fear grips his bones and flesh, and the veins on his legs be atrophied with terror, Cina drags himself toward the house -- Rilyah and Misumi are inside. When he enters the house, he hears Rilyah''s sobbing voice. The fear is reced by adrenaline. He rushes toward the sitting room and slides open the door. Rilyah is kowtowing on the floor. A trail of blood starts from the middle of her forehead and drips on the floor from her chin as she keeps kowtowing while chanting apologies. "Who is --" The words are lost when Cina sees the dark god sitting on the seat, leaning against the wall with a stoic face, and carrying Misumi in his arms. The child is only a few days old, but she doesn''t cry as the man, whom she met for the first time, strokes her gently despite the hardened look on his face. "Adira?" Cina''s knees be weak. "H-How? W-W-Why?...I-I C-C-Can Exin. Don''t hurt Rilyah." "I already know everything." Adira grimaces at him. "Do I dare to me you, Cina? You were helpless back then." "That is true but --" Cina nces at Rilyah. "She was also a child." "I didn''t ask her to kowtow to me." Adira scrunches his brows. "I only asked where the Renasir is." Cina''s heart drops to his stomach. How could they answer? "Mother is" "What did you say?" Adira looks at him scornfully. "Mother? Renasir is your mother? My daughter is your sister. Cina, do you want me to pull your tongue out?" He swallows his saliva. The Dark God minds it a lot. "Renasir Ari already epted me as her son." "Just because she did it, what gave you the right to be her son?" Adira scowls at him darkly. "I might not remember everything, but I heard that she was my bride. As a mother of my only daughter, she''s bound to be my wife." Rilyah raises her head and widens her eyes. "D-Daughter?" "Where''s she?" Adira questions her again. "How could she leave a few days on a child in your care? When she was fighting for a nameless boy, she showed so much passion, and yet, she dares to leave our daughter in someone else''s care. Tell me where she is." "Adira, you are mistaken," Cina says to him, "about --" "She has gone to another world." Rilyah interrupts Cina quickly, "Renasir Ari went somewhere and Ai went after her. They should being back soon." "But, Rilyah" When Cina starts to say the truth, Rilyah shakes her head at him. "Why did she leave a newborn behind? What could be so important than caring for her newborn?" Adira narrows his eyes dangerously. "She also ran away from Iravan and prevented my child from taking my essence. My child is born weak." The temperature of the room drops down as the pressure increases. Rilyah licks her lips in fear. "To do the shaping of the true name when she was pregnant without any main god around her Such a careless woman!" Adira''s voice is cold and bitter. "She doesn''t deserve to be my bride or mother of my daughter." "Adira, you are --" Cina opens his mouth to tell him the truth. Rilyah rushes to him and puts her hand on Cina''s mouth. "Dark God, we will leave you alone with Misumi for a while." Without waiting for the Dark God''s response, she drags Cina out of the house. "Why did you lie to him?" Cina glowers at her. "He thinks that she abandoned Misumi." "What do you think?" Rilyah grabs his elbows and shakes him, clearly panicking. "Her second daughter is kidnapped and Renasir Ari is gone. It happened while we were here. We would be killed." "Gods can''t die." Cina stares at her face. "We shouldn''t be lying to him. What would happen when theye back?" "If we tell him now, he will punish us gravely. We might get cursed." Rilyah was quivering in fear. "Did you forget what I told you? He started the great war for Amara. In another world, he ughtered countless people to get to Renasir Ari. What would he do now? This world might get destroyed by him if he gets angry. Didn''t you feel his power?" She pauses for a moment. "You and I came to this world through the gate and he traveled all the way from Iravan. All of us came in different eras. He''s been in this world for thousands of years already. Unlike you and I, he''s not weak anymore. Dark God is too powerful. He will destroy this world, the gods, and adjacent realms to find his second daughter." "But we need to find her." Cina urges, "What if he finds the truth from other sources?" "If the child and Renasire back, everything will be fine." Rilyah takes a deep breath. "Listen, we can''t risk this world. It''s weak and fragile. There are many worlds surrounding this world. Though itcks in magic, it is acting as a bncing point for all the worlds and realms surrounding it. If the bnce of the world is destroyed, it will destroy all the leaning worlds eventually. Renasir would never want that. When theye back, we will get punishments for sure but we won''t end up in Qeshaya. Renasir will save us." "There must be a better way." Cina utters uneasily, "Rilyah, what would happen if Renasir Ari and Misaki are never found?" "Then, we won''t tell him." Rilyah straightens her back and says, "You gather your powers and concentrate on making the gates again. I will go after Renasir and Ai." Cina bites his lower lip. This whole idea seems horrible to him. "Going where?" The prating cold voice makes them jump. Cina and Rilyah turn to the Dark God who is watching them quietly. Rilyah steps forward. "Dark God, I want to go after Renasir Ari and Ai. They should havee back already." "No." The Dark God holds Misumi closer to his chest. "That woman keeps running away, abandoning people behind. There''s no need to look for them. If she cares one bit about our child, she woulde back on her own." "T-That" Rilyah''s voice tremble. "Dark God, I think that they might be in trouble. If you let me go --" "We are leaving this world," The Dark God announces. Chapter 170: This is cheating! Chapter 170: This is cheating! The Dark God has been wandering in this world for two thousand years. Stuck among plebeians without magic, he''s been able to keep going because he wanted to find Renasir Ari and his child. When he does find them -- though he has no idea how he ended up in the past -- Renasir Ari is gone, leaving behind a newborn in thep of a goddess who is barely capable of caring for a newborn. His daughter, Misumi, is a demi-god, nheless a halfling. The child is born weak because she didn''t get appropriate care when she was in her mother''s belly. She needs her mother the most. Does that woman not know how much a halfling newborn needs her mother? It''s clear to him that the newborn didn''t even get the first drop of her mother''s breast milk. What could be more important than a child? He can forgive anything but this. Leaving just after naming the child what a cruel woman! Nothing should be more important than a child for a mother. He''s been running after that woman, but he''s going to stop now. His child''s health is his only priority. "This world is not right for my child''s growth. The magic isn''t enough."He says to Rilyah and Cina, "I can''t have her suffer more here." "Renasir and Ai also want to go to Iravan," Rilyah replies in a rushed voice, "It''s their home." "Then, why did they leave?" Adira eyes her darkly, "They shouldn''t have travelled that far away from Iravan if they thought that it was your home. Even now, she doesn''t think of Iravan as her home or Misumi as her child. No mother would leave her newborn behind like this." "Dark God, please try to understand." Rilyah folds her fingers nervously. "I am sure that something bad happened. That''s why they left. If you wait for a while" "Cina!" The Dark God turns to the tree god. "Start preparing for the gate. You will finish it as soon as possible. I will lend you my strength." "Adira, I think that Rilyah is right." Cina tries to reason with him. "We can''t leave them behind." "They will find their way home if they think of it as their home." The Dark God snaps at him, "Did you think about what is bing of Iravan with you and this moon? The world must be in chaos. Did you forget your responsibility as a god?" Cina purses his lips and shakes his head. "And you." Adira turns to the girl who is looking down on the floor in fear. "I know that you were the one who made use of Cina''s naivety back then. You will receive your punishment after we return. We are going back to Iravan whether you like it or not." Adira storms inside the house, carrying his daughter. Misumi is hungry. His halfling child has to be fed cow milk that doesn''t help her body much. Outside, Cina and Rilyah look at each other, not knowing what to do. "We should tell him," Cina says with a concerned look in his eyes. "Though he''s right, we know how much Renasir suffered when she was carrying Misumi and Misaki. The babies must have suffered too." "Even if we tell him, he won''t be able to find them. This is not our world. We can''t find people like we used to. Think! It took us a decade to find Renasir Ari, and he had been in this world for a longer time. When he doesn''t find them, he will get frustrated and wage a war," Rilyah replies solemnly. "Create the gate. We can always sneak back here after taking him back to Iravan." "What if we go back to the past again?" Cina questions her. "It won''t happen this time. We already know about this world, and now, you know the name of this world." Rilyah sighs. "You don''t have much strength. If you go back to Iravan, you can gather your power faster. Then, we can create a seeker gate to the ce where Misumi and Renasir are." "A seeker gate would work," Cina agrees. The gate can open to any location, but it takes too much power. At the moment, he doesn''t have enough strength to make that gate. Even if he takes Adira''s strength, it will never be enough to make such a powerful gate. In fact, creating the gate in the past used nearly all of his strength. His body has gathered some magic in a decade, but it is still not enough. He''s sure that Adira isn''t at his peak either, even if he''s been in this world for a longer time. Most of the time, it''s only one-time use. It means that he has to make two seeker gates before hees to this ce -- the second gate is for their return to Iravan. Hopefully, Ai will find Renasir before that. Inside the house, Adira feeds his daughter, watching her with soft eyes. His daughter is too calm for a newborn, and he doesn''t find it unusual, considering that she''s a halfling -- half human and half god. Because she didn''t get enough dark ehr, her channels are dry. She''s weaker than a human child, and her growth will be affected. At this moment, she also needs her mother''s care. But her cruel mother has decided to abandon her. "She took you away from me," He says to Misumi with a heart-wrenching voice, "she also abandoned you. Did she hate us that much?" The child stops drinking and turns her mouth away from the milk bottle, letting out a pained cry. "It doesn''t satisfy you." He touches the child''s temple, sending his magic through the shrunken channels, warming them up. "Bear it for a while. We will return home. I will never let you out of my sight again." It''s a promise of the god. Misumi stops crying, blinking her eyes at her father. He strokes her cheek gently, silently humming a luby that he doesn''t seem to remember where he heard it from. His bones remember the luby, but his mind seems to have forgotten it. *** [A few light-years away, Dark Realm, Iravan] Kresi scratches her chin, watching the fighting ring with an intense look in her eyes. Honestly, she''s been bored. Running a kingdom is so not her thing. Mogrok prefers peace, and she prefers fists. Arguing with the thousand-eyed-beast is rather tiring. He did say a few times that he wants to eat the beasts who cause trouble all the time, but he holds himself back when the timese to do the deed. "I wonder why he''s holding back." Kresi stretches her back. "Whatever his reasons are, he''s no fun. I am going to beat these rebels up and send them back home." Let''s face the truth. The rebels started rebelling because she''s on the throne. They don''t like that the so-called world-destroyer gets to rule them again. Some of these rebels are the spirit beasts and humans who had to spend time in Qeshaya because of her. Then again, the retired holy knights are fuelling these rebels'' anger. There''s only one solution: fists. "Tomorrow." Her eyes shine brightly. "I am going to teach them what it means to mess with me." "Nope!" Aren''s voice startles her. Kresi looks behind and finds him leaning against the door frame, watching her quietly. "Who are you to decide?" She puts her hand on her hip. "Your owner." He squints his eyes on her. "Let''s fight now." "I want to fight the rebels first." She replies curtly, "You are no fun." "Are you afraid of me, Oh-so-great Kresi Mirin?" The sarcasm in his tone is heart-slicing. "I am heading to the ring. If you don''te, then you are the loser." She watches him jump inside the fighting ring and go to the middle. "Royal arse!" Kresi leaps into the ring, intending to fight his royal highness. Today, she''s going to teach him what magic is. At a distance, Mogrok watches them from a hidden spot, wondering who he should bet on. "I think that the chosen one will win," One of the spirit beasts sitting on the seat beside Mogrok utters excitedly. "The sinner has higher chances," Other spirit beast replies. "1000 on Sinner." "500 on the chosen one." The first spirit says, "He does look weak." "10000 on the chosen one," Mogrok announces, "I want him to win." Inside the ring, Kresi and Aren stare at each other until Kresi growls, "Attack me." "Are you sure?" Aren raises his brow. "Can you bear my attack?" "I want to see what you have." She smirks at him, summoning a forbidden rune in her left palm. "I give you the first chance to attack since I owe you a bit." "Don''t regret your wordster." Aren winks at her before he casts the spell. In the next second, the rune disappears from Kresi''s palm. She widens her mouth in shock. Aren ispletely naked, showing off his third arm between his legs with his hands on his hips. "Y-Y-You!" Kresi stutters. Though she has seen a lot in her life, she has never expected him to use this trick. His thing is longer and thicker than she has expected it to be, clearly not as small and thin as her middle finger. The spirit-beasts can''t keep straight faces either. They all turn to Mogrok. "I got nothing to say." Mogrok rolls his eyes. "Shameless royalty!" The former-prince takes advantage of Kresi''s shock and lunges in her direction, surrounding her with fire. Instead of casting a rune against the fire, she raises her arm toward him and sends a mild rune in his direction. He dodges it smoothly, ducking down as he rushes toward her. The me envelops her in a minute, not burning her but turning her blind in its light. She lets out a curse as she summons another rune. Aren grabs the back of her neck, pinning her down on the ground and grabbing her elbow with his left hand and pushing it away. The rune is shining bright on her left palm. "This is cheating!" Kresi howls at him. "It is," Aren admits. She has underestimated him for sure -- not bringing her poisons or talismans. Then again, she can''t use the serpent''s sting because her right hand is gone. He has expected her to rely on the forbidden runes to defeat him. However, the forbidden runes -- though powerful and bothersome -- have certain disadvantages. He has seen herst battle: the runes need a medium for transmission from the owner to the target. It''s probably because she hasn''t mastered the other runes that don''t need a transmission medium. Surprising her is one way. "You already lost. Don''t think of sending those runes to my body using your body as a medium." Kresi clenches her teeth. "I want to kill you." "No, you can''t." He releases her and casts a spell to cloth himself. "From now on, you are my ve. You will listen to everything I say." Chapter 171: I am your slave now Chapter 171: I am your ve now Gnashing her teeth, Kresi scratches the dry ground, fisting the dirt in rage, lifting her head to look daggers at him.If looks could kill, Aren should have dropped dead long ago. He meets her gaze quietly, seemingly unperturbed. They stare at each other while the spirit beasts stare at them. The breaths are held. The tension in the air is so thick that their reptilian hearts are suffocating. All the spirit beasts, except one, have one question in their mind: what will Kresi do? "I won," Mogrok smirks, breaking the silence. "Hand me the money." "You seemed to be sure that he would win." One spirit beast squints his quartet orange eyes at him. His tone turns dry. "To bet so high on the chosen one" "I gave him that idea." Mogrok lets out a low chuckle. "I knew that it would take her off guard." "You, sneak!" The second spirit beast growls darkly, "I lost my money because of you." "If you don''t want to lose money, then don''t bet," Mogrok huffs at the spirit beast. "You should be ready to lose if you want to y." "But you helped him!" The first spirit beast yells at him. "It''s not fair." "Did I stop anyone from helping Kresi?" Mogrok ils his arms, rotating his waist in joy. "This is the first time I won something." *** In the ring, Arenwalks to her and offers her hand with a smile. "My ve, how long are you going to lie down there?" "I hate you," Kresi spits out the words. "So intense!" He chuckles. "I like passionate women." "Passionate?" She narrows her eyes on him."You are a lot like your mother who also used underhanded means back then." Having heard her words, the smile is wiped off his face. Aren stares at the ground, retracting his hand. His eyes darken as he turns his head to look around, not meeting her gaze. "Hmph!" She gets up on her feet and dusts off her clothes. "I am your ve now. What do you want me to do?" "Open the borders," He tells her calmly. His voice is emotionless and his gaze has turned distant as he continues to speak, "Let me handle the rebels. In the meantime, you should take some rest. You did a good job of holding for so long, but you are not good at managing a kingdom. Violence is not the only way to deal with the rebels." He''s praising her? Kresi curves her brows and replies to him, "I don''t want to rest." "Then, clean the castle with one hand," He snaps at her. "Honestly, I can''t care less. I am only here to open the borders and help the god of light. After this, you and I are going our separate ways. I don''t need a ve like you." The corner of her lips twitch. If he doesn''t need her as a ve, why did he go this far? "Are you angry because Ipared you to your mother?" "Did I say that?" He frowns hard at her. "I just find you irritating. You are self-entitled, immature, and thoughtless. Even after dying and reincarnating, you haven''t learned a lesson. If you are given a peaceful way or a violent way, you will always choose violence over peace. You don''t understand what it means to be human." Kresi hears the spirit beasts unsatisfied grumbling while walking away from the fighting ring. Mogrok is heading in their direction with a euphoric look in his eyes. The sky is getting dark already, and she feels a certain chill in the air. "It''s no wonder that a person like you caused the great war or became the reason why countless cursed children died to this date." Aren yells at her, "You me my mother for killing them, but you should never forget that none of this would have happened if you hadn''t corrupted the dark ehr." Kresi takes a step back, widening her eyes. The hurt lingers only for a second before a goofy smile cracks on her face. "Alright, it''s my fault. I hand over the rebel problem to you. Furthermore, I am not your ve anymore since you don''t want me to be. Don''t change your mindter." "That''s right." Aren wrinkles his nose. "You don''t even deserve to be a ve." And then, he hurries away from her as if he can''t bear to look at her anymore. She nces at her missing hand. It''s awkward -- standing out like an eyesore. Is losing it worth it? If she had chosen to die that day instead of trying too hard to survive, Adira wouldn''t have lost his memories and Renasir wouldn''t have left this world. Survival has be a habit. A sharp tongue is another weapon that she can''t cease herself from using. "I am tired," She whispers. "Is it possible for me to find peace?" The former prince she didn''t want to meet him. He lost his brother again because of her. It started from her inability to get over Jase''s death, and it hasn''t stopped yet. All of this is happening because of her. Where is that little kid? Are Renasir and Ai okay? Did he even get his true name? "Aren''t you going toe inside the castle?" Mogrok''s voice startles her. Then again, he''s been beside her for a while. "I think that I am going to take a walk," She says to him, "You saw who won. He''s good with these things. Go and help him." "Come back soon after the walk." Mogrok pats her head with his one arm. "The Dark God left you in charge. I am sure that he trusted you somewhat." That''s hurtful. She shrugs and walks away, toward theke where Adira met her for the first time. It''s not her favourite ce. These days, she doesn''t understand who she is. Whenever she''s lost in regrets, she finds walking toward theke. When it''s a night in the dark realm, it''s always a day in the realm of the light. The stars are gone from the sky since Mirinae and Sion''s kingdom is closed to others. The moons are also gone. The indigo sky feels lonely, deep, and it feels like her. Kresi sits down on the shore of theke, dipping her feet. She inhales the cold wind mixed with a certain scent of salty mineral, the familiar scent of poisonous Thura that only grow in the dark realm, and the -- When she looks down at her chest, a silvertip glistens in her sight. It seems that she''s losing her touch. "I got distracted." Blood drenches her robes as the assant steps away and roars mockingly, "Sinner! It''s time for you to die!" There''s no change in her eyes. She lets out a sigh, not even bothering to look back at the face of the assant. Faint silver runes gleam on the assant''s flesh. His eyes bulge out when he sees smoke rising from his skin. "Why? You couldn''t defeat that man." He screams, "Then, how could you cast runes on me? There''s no medium." His body goes out like a flicker in themp, leaving only ck dust on the spot. "Annoying." She ces the tip of her finger on the de and it disintegrates. "What made you think that I will treat you the same?" But death is painful. She has to go now. Dying at thiske is rather Kresi slips into the water as she closes her eyes. rather satisfying. Chapter 172: Who would love a woman like me? Chapter 172: Who would love a woman like me? Aren doesn''t return to the castle. Rather, he lingers near the gate, feeling grumpy and restless. In his mind, he reys the words that he said to her -- over and over until his heart is heavy with guilt but his face scowls when he recalls the look in her eyes. Damn her! What does she think about herself? He only wants to help her a bit. Is it impossible for them to be friends? Maybe it''s impossible. She killed his mother and his brother lost his true name because of her. His mother killed the people she cared about, and he had also yed a fair role in the extermination of the cursed children before he met Renasir Ari. Someone like his mother... Why did she have to say that? The girl knows how to tick him off. But why did he have to lose his temper? He shouldn''t have said those words. She was upset for sure. "Frustrating." He kicks the ground. "You are frustrating, Kresira Mirin. I am trying to understand you, but you seem like a puzzle that refuses to get solved." He understands that Kresi isn''t an ordinary girl. "Aren''t you going inside?" Mogrok appears before him. "It''s already night." The spirit beast is here. Aren looks around. His eyes search for the frustrating girl. There''s no sign of that golden-eyed girl. "Where is she?" "She is taking a walk," Mogrok tells him. "And congrattions on winning." "Where is she taking a walk?" Aren frowns at him. "She should be back and cleaning the castle with her one hand." "Boy, aren''t you being too harsh?" Mogrok blinks his several eyes. "Great sinner or not, she was Dark God''s wife once. We can''t have her cleaning the castle. Besides, she let you win easily." "What do you mean by that?" Aren curves his brows. Did she let him win? She was clearly surprised. Mogrok rolls his eyes. "She needed a medium when she couldn''t channel ehr. Why would she need it now? That''s why she went to the ring without her weapons or talismans. I have seen her for a few years. That shock wouldn''t havested long." After hearing Mogrok words, Aren starts running. He has to meet that stupid woman right now. "Go to theke!" Mogrok yells. "That''s where she always goes." As thekees in his view, he sees a man in a ck robe. In the next second, the man turns to dust on the ground. Aren''s feet slow down when he realizes that the hilt of the dagger is on Kresi''s back. Again, the dagger is gone. Blood drips on her robe before she falls in theke. "Kresi!" He screams, rushing toward her. He jumps into theke, piercing through the icy water. Her ehr is leaving her body, turning her body cold. He wraps his arm around her and casts a healing spell. After taking her to the surface, heys her down on the ground. Her face is unusually pale, almost white. There''s no sign of life in her. "No" He doesn''t understand how someone could die like this. "Kresi, damn! You can''t die. You are my ve." He should not have said those harsh words to her. "Why are you dying!" He undoes her robe and looks at the wound on her chest. The skin around the wound is navy blue, darkening the veins as the poison spreads. The dagger must have been poisoned. "Is it the poison of Thura?" The same one that grows around thiske? The spell is useless. Her body won''t heal unless the poison is taken out. He sends his ehr in her body, slowing down the poison and keeping her heart beating while he shouts at her, "If you die, I am going to kill you." There''s some sign of life in her body. Her ehr circtes in her channel again. If the ehrpletely leaves, there''s no way to save her life. "Poison of Thura" He wrecks his brain. "What is the antidote again?" The nts are quite fragile. They usually grow under a specific type of mineral. The flowers are poisonous but the roots"That''s right." He searches for the Thura nts under the rocks. As he has expected, bluish small flowers nts are growing under the rock. He takes a few out and separates the roots, and runs back to Kresi. Anyone can tell that the woman is not in any state to chew the root. Aren presses the roots between his palms and extracts the essence with the help of a spell. He directs the essence toward the wound. Applying it directly there should remove the poison fast. "Please, work!" He prays with a desperate voice. It''s been a long time since he studied poison, and he can''t tell if sending essence can work or not. But there''s no time. Every moment is a deciding factor whether she will live or not. "You aren''t allowed to die, Kresira Mirin. You haven''t cleaned the castle!" "Noisy royal arse." Her voice is faint. "Can''t even let me die in peace!" "You!" Aren pants as his tears drop on the ground. "I hate you, woman! You are the worst ve in the world." She opens her eyes slightly as she covers her bare mounds with her arms. "You already told me that you didn''t want me as a ve." "I didn''t tell you to go and die!" When she winces, he realizes that he''s shouting at the woman who nearly died a moment ago. His voice softens. "How could you let an assassin stab you?" "My bad!" She closes her eyes again. "I was busy admiring this cursed ce." "Damn you!" He has lost count how many times he has cursed her already. But he is raging and he doesn''t know why. He shouldn''t be screaming at her for sure. "Hateful! Ugly! Infuriating!" "Now, now..." She turns her head toward him. "I am not ugly. Golden eyes of Mirins are called the most beautiful eyes in the realms." Damn her! How could she confidently say that she''s not ugly? Her face is the ugliest in the world. So what if she has Mirins'' golden eyes? There should be some shame in those eyes at this moment. "Is that all you can say to me?" He grumbles as he lifts her up in his arms. How could she be this light when she''s already an adult woman? "Getting poisoned I had higher expectations of you." "Mirins don''t die from poisons." She rests her head on his shoulder and sighs, "I look like mirin, but I am not one." "That''s right. You aren''t mirin." He sighs. She truly dislikes being called mirin. "You are just Kresi." "I am not your ve either." She mumbles, "I gave you an offer once and you rejected it." "Fine!" He holds her tighter to his chest. It''s not like he truly wants her as a ve. She won''t make a good ve anyway. "Just live, would you? Live as Kresi only Not as Amara or Kresi Mirin or the great sinner Show some smiles and try to live normally as a woman Fall in love start a family and have kids if you want. If not, travel and make memories. I don''t know. Do anything that you want but not kill or get killed." Sheughs and asks, "Who would love a woman like me?" Chapter 173: Why cant you go a little easy on yourself Chapter 173: Why can''t you go a little easy on yourself "I am Amara -- the great sinner. I am Kresi Mirin, the harbinger." She says, "I don''t deserve something as wonderful as love." He enters the castle. The spirit beasts look at them but say nothing. As he walks toward her chamber, he says to her, "Who wouldn''t? You might be a horrible ve, but you are not ugly. I am sure that there''s someone in the world who would look at you as if you are the only woman who exists in this world." "There was one." He hears her murmur. "He was my husband once, but I didn''t love him." Does she regret it? He decides not to ask. Aren kicks open the door to her chamber. Her chamber is simple -- a bed and a wardrobe. There is nothing else. He doesn''t know what he has expected to see -- but he hasn''t expected this. Shouldn''t a girl''s room be more colourful? Maybe he''s stereotyping here. He might have expected more life, but it looks like a room where someone is living for the sake of living. Arenys her down on the bed, covering her with a nket. She covers her head, turning to her side. Aren watches her for a long time. "Is it that impossible for you to live and love again?" He questions her, not expecting a reply. "You were the chosen one." The voice is low, but clear to his ear. "You won''t understand what it feels like to regret everything that you have done. I loved a man who wasn''t fated to be mine and threw away who loved me more than anything in the world. I mourned the loss of my family, and then, I was the very reason why they had to die in such a cruel way. You won''t understand, Chosen one." He also has regrets. Aren leans forward, wondering what to say to her. Surely, his regrets are nothingpared to hers. "You are right." He puts his hand on her head. "You are the girl who had done everything to survive, and you avenged your friends and lover. So you weren''t always right. And you had hurt others because you were hurt. But you are human. Even gods make mistakes in this world. Then why can''t you go a little easy on yourself, Kresi?" There''s no reply. Aren leaves the room with a gentle smile on his face. *** Next day, Aren arrives in her chamber before she even gets the chance to get off her bed. She frowns at him when he shows a bright smile to her. The wound is slowly healing. The pain hasn''t left her body. All night, she''s been tossing right and left in pain. As a result, her eyes are full of dark circles. "Why are you beaming brighter the sun so early in the morning?" She asks him in a grumpy tone. "You haven''t fixed your robe," Aren says to her with the same bright smile. Kresi looks down and sees her perky mounds gloriously revealed to him. Her cheeks flush red as she covers them with the nket. Furious, she turns her head toward him and barks, "What the heck are you doing in a female''s room?" "I brought medicines." He takes out vials from shirt''s pocket and ces them on the bed beside her. "Why is there no table here?" "I don''t need it." She wrinkles her nose when she sees the colour of the medicines in the vial. "You made them? They aren''t properly grounded." "I am not a potion master." Aren''s gaze falls on her chest. "I have already seen it yesterday night. Why are you hiding them now? There''s nothing special. They are too small for my taste." "Do you want me to kill you?" She grimaces at him. "Don''t look there." "So, you know how to react like a woman." He raises his brow. "I thought that the flowers taught you everything. Then, why do you not know how to take care of your body? Your beans are too small. I don''t like too big either, but it''s fine as long as they fit in my palms. Then again, I am a flower who hasn''t been visited by bees. Let me see if they fit in my palms." "..." Just how did this conversation escte to this? "I am sure that they will." Aren lets out a sigh. "Too pale it looks like you have no blood in your body. Do you even eat? I have never seen you eat." Why does he keep rambling? She blinks her eyes slowly. "Come closer." Aren follows hermand and leans closer to her. She looks into his eyes and realizes that his eyes are overly dted. "You inhaled or ingested the drugs. That''s why you are high." "I don''t mind being high like this if I can be a little closer to you." Aren chortles, climbing the bed. "I like your golden eyes so lively. I wish I could see your eyes smile." "Hey, don''t!" She tries to push him away. But Aren grabs her nket and slips inside, pulling her in his embrace, giggling like a little boy. "Shit!" She can''t budge. The crazy guy is holding her tightly. Aren runs his palm on her skin, sending jolts in her nerves. "Don''t touch me, you buffoon!" "Feels good." He presses her under his body, staring into her golden eyes. "I like your golden eyes. They are even more beautiful than those of mirins. I don''t know why is that Renasir Ari had your body once, but she looked so different from you. And you look so different from her. Your golden eyes are so" "Lively?" She scowls at him. "Full of life." He sighs against her ear. "And one can easily see everything that you have been through. It''s clear and enchanting. I find myself curious wanting to know more about you every day. I don''t know why but I want to see you happy. I want to see them light up with" Suddenly, he falls into silence. Chapter 174: His heart is too soft Chapter 174: His heart is too soft "I want to see them light up with" Silence. "Light up with what?" She asks, pping his back. "You are heavy, you know?" Sound of snoring enters her ear. "Royal arse!" She pushes him off her and glowers at him. "Damn you! I am letting you live because you saved my life yesterday night." Aren wraps his arm around her waist and holds her closer to his chest, brushing his nose in her hair until he''s satisfied, and then, he puts his leg over her. "Mhmm." "Should I kill you?" She asks him in a dead tone. "Mhmm." He moans in his sleep. It seems killing has to wait. Kresi releases a heavy sigh. What a royal arse! At first, he calls them small, and then, he wants to test if they fit in his palms. "Perverted royal arse!" He might befortable, but she''s not. Kresi draws a rune on his back with her finger. Suddenly his body bes light. She slips out of his arms and pushes him to the middle of the bed. After covering him with the nket, she climbs off. The vials are on the floor, but they are still intact. "Doesn''t know how to make potions at all." She picks them up and walks to the wardrobe. "If I drink this, I might dance in the castle naked." The herbs are effective for reducing the pain but they have some side effects. This royal flower must have spent all night on the medicine. "I would have told him how to make them if he had only asked." Kresi changes her robe and turns around to look at the man who is dead asleep on the bed. "His heart is too soft." And she shrugs when his words haunt her mind. Lively smiling golden eyes? She''s not so sure about that. It''s time to deal with the rebels who sent that assant. *** Aren awakens to the night. He gets the glimpse of Raya through the window. Kresi must have opened the border. As he gets up, he realizes that something isn''t right with the room. Why does it look so nd? He turns his head around and realizes why. This is not his room and he''s certainly not sleeping on his bed. "What happened here?" He rubs his forehead. "Did Ie to her room in my sleep? But I have never sleepwalked before." And where is she? Why are his limbs still intact? Did he climb her bed when she was still here? "Haha" Heughs nervously. "That''s impossible. She would have kicked me out." But where is she anyway? He fixes the bed, trying to remove any trace of his presence. Then, he walks out. "Maybe she wasn''t in her room when I got here. That exins why I am still alive." He hasn''t forgotten her warning. There''s no way that she would let him sleep on her bed. As he makes his way to the throne room where she''s usually dwelling, hees up with a number of scenarios how he could have ended up on her bed when she wasn''t there. When he enters the throne room, he hears Mogrok arguing with Kresi about something. It seems that they are arguing about the rebels again. Kresi is sitting on the steps below the throne. Her robe is torn here and there. There''s arge cut on her cheek and patches of blood on her robe. Her eyes are dull, bored out of her mind as she props her chin with her hand and listens to Mogrok''s nagging. "You could have died!" Mogrok roars. "You got stabbed a night ago." "What happened here?" Aren rushes to her when he notices the blood and wounds. "How did you get hurt again?" "You are awake finally." Mogrok squints his eyes on Aren. "You were gone for five days." "What?" Aren widens his eyes, shocked. "How could I sleep for five days?" "She challenged the rebels around five days ago, and fought them for thest five days without rest in the ring," Mogrok informs Aren, "All of them lost to her." "Have you lost your mind?" Aren grabs her chin and turns her right cheek toward her. The gash is deep. "What if it leaves a scar?" "It''s fine with me." She ps his hand away, shrugging her shoulders. "Since you are awake, I will go to my room and change. Mogrok will brief you with other issues. Handle them." Mogrok exhales. "I am so exhausted. When will my lorde back? This is a disaster. I miss the old days when I could only eat and sleep." The former prince ignores the wailing spirit beast and runs after Kresi. He grabs her elbow and turns her around to face him. "Did you give me sleeping herbs?" "Where would I get them?" She frowns. "You showed up in my room with the vials of sleeping herbs. Don''t put your crimes on me." "Crimes?" He stares at her. "How many hours has it been since you dealt with the rebels?" "Six or seven maybe." She yawns. "You can question the rebels and find out who sent the assants, can''t you? I would like some sleep now." "No, your wounds need washing." He tells her scornfully, "Or they will get infected. That cut on your cheek will leave an ugly scar." "I don''t mind being ugly." She pushes him away. "Keep a distance from me. Don''t touch me anytime as you please." "This brat!" Aren puts his hands on his hips. "Do you think that I have other interests in you? I can see you naked and feel nothing. Hold on! I have seen you nearly naked and felt nothing." But he was too focused on saving her. Aren looks away when her prating gaze falls on him. "I didn''t see much." "You have seen my upper half." She replies, "I have seen your lower half. We are equal now." Equal? Aren gawks at her back as she strides away. How could the upper half be equal to the lower half? "Tsk!" It''s not like he wants to see her lower half. Aren trails after her. He won''t leave her alone unless he casts a healing spell. Besides, it would be a waste of a beautiful face if the scar remains. Chapter 175: This doesnt sound like her Chapter 175: This doesn''t sound like her She closes the door before he could enter. Her cold gaze falls on the bed. It''s neatly made. Did he try to remove his traces from this room? Shaking her head, she goes to the bathroom. The clothes are discarded on the floor. She immerses her body in the water tub, trying to rx. An ominous feeling trickles her in her chest. Kresi furrows her brows. How is Renasir Ari doing? The Dark God shoulde back already. This is tiring. Though the annoying royal arse hasn''t realized it yet... No! She''s wrong. There''s nothing other than pity. What if there''s something more? "Who would see me as a woman?" Kresi stretches her legs. "Even if someone sees me as a woman, is it that easy to love that person? Nothing grows in the desert other than thorns." Too old. Too young. Too many lifetimes of regrets. Too bitter. Too empty. "It''s too much for me to be happy." She runs her fingers through her hair. "I only bring misery to people around me." People like her don''t deserve love. "And I am tired." Her soul feels weary. "Still, I cling to life. When did it be a habit? I want to stop and give up, but I continue to do this. Even if my skin rots, it won''t be darker than my twisted heart. What do I want? I only want to survive myself." The water is no longer warm. Kresi gets up and walks out of the bathroom. Since rebels are taken care of, there shouldn''t be any hups in the future. Maybe she should study the forbidden runes since she has decided to specialize in them. "You, woman!" The scream startles her. She summons a rune to her palm, ready to kill the person before her. Kresi blinks her eyes when she sees a pair of familiar green eyes. Aren covers his eyes and runs toward the door, only to crash on the door and falls back on his butt. "Ah!" He shouts. "I didn''t want to see. It was an ident. Don''t kill me." Then, she realizes that she''s naked. Both furious and ashamed, Kresi gnashed her teeth as she cast a rune on the door. The door wouldn''t open up until she wants it to. She should have cast it earlier. "Please let me leave." Aren struggles to open the door. He uses every spell that he knows. "Woman, it''s your fault. You shouldn''t be walking around naked." The ''woman'' ignores him. She wears a simple robe as he tries to burn the door to crisp. When nothing works, he sits down on the floor and covers his face. "I am sorry. I am telling you that I saw nothing." "Then, why are you overreacting?" She asks him, walking in his direction. "Say, were my breasts big enough for your liking? You like things that fit in your palms." "What?" He raises his head to look at her. Then, he closes his eyes. "I don''t know. I didn''t see." The tips of his ears are red. Kresi clicks her tongue. He has seen everything. "Why are you in my room?" "I wanted to treat your wounds." He mumbles with his eyes closed, "You are the type of person who makes other people worry." Somehow, it''s her fault that he barged into her room and saw her naked. Kresi crosses her arms over her chest. "I locked the door for sure." "I opened it with a spell when you didn''t open it." He answers her honestly, "I am sorry. I should have left when I realized that you were bathing yourself. I didn''t expect that you woulde out naked." "So, you saw," She remarks darkly. "I didn''t see!" He emphasizes strongly. "Kresi, what''s there to see anyway? I prefer women with curves. You are a bamboo shoot. Besides, I saw your Well, there''s nothing new to see." What is stopping her from killing this guy? She has never beenpared to a bamboo shoot before. His nerves are getting on her nerves now. "If you haven''t seen me naked, you wouldn''t know whether I am a bamboo shoot or curvy pottery." "..." He purses his lips. Annoying! She sits on the bed. "I can also do magic. My wounds will heal itself since ehr runs in my body. Don''t worry about your mother''s murderer so much." "Do you always have to mention that?" Aren exhales. "I already forgave you." Kresi studies him calmly. "I am wearing clothes. You can look at me now." He takes a breath of relief before he removes his hands from his face. "Thank goodness!" "And take your potions." She throws a pouch on him. "Don''t try the art of healing if you want to keep your dignity." "Why?" He opens the pouch and sees the potions. "Were they bad?" "I have never seen anything worse than that." Kresi summons back the rune from the door. "Leave." Aren squints his eyes on her. "If you let the ehr heal your wounds, it might leave a scar." "It''s better to be ugly than drink potions that do anything but healing." She rolls her eyes. "If you stay here for another moment" Kresi pauses, staring at the open door. She inhales the cold air sharply. "He''s back." "The dark god?" Aren mutters, turning his head toward the door. The pressure in the castle has changed. A certain chill is back. Kresi and Aren run toward the arena where the gate has appeared. Mogrok and other spirit beasts are already there, bent on their knees, paying respect to the three gods of Iravan. The child in the Dark God''s arms coos. Mogrok peers at the dark god. He searches for Renasir Ari with his gaze. The gate disappears behind them but Renasir Ari doesn''t appear. "Where is Renasir Ari?" Kresi asks the Dark God anxiously. "Where''s Ai?" "I don''t know." Adira scowls at her. "You aren''t dressed properly." "Don''t dictate me." Kresi snaps at him. "I am no longer your wife. Your woman is Renasir Ari. Why is she not with you? Who is that child?" Rilyah and Cina look down nervously. "She''s my daughter." Adira tells her, "Her mother abandoned her right after her birth and left with her adopted son. Do you want to hear more?" Kresi takes a step back. Adopted son? Is he Ai? But can Renasir Ari abandon her own daughter? "This doesn''t sound like her." Chapter 176: What is Renasir Ari going through? Chapter 176: What is Renasir Ari going through? At the same time, other gods appear in the arena. Spirit beasts are dismissed right away by God Noras. He nces at Adira who is carrying a child. "Is she your daughter?" He asks him. The child is weak for a halfling. "Yes," Adira answers Noras. The pressure from all the gods might harm his child. The ehr is also too strong. The child''s channels must be strengthened slowly before she is exposed to the dense ehr. "I need to leave. Deal with these two." Kresi yells, "What about Ai?" The dark god scowls at her. But he can''t stay here a second more. In the next second, he''s gone. The barrier appears around the dark castle, repelling the strong flow of ehr. "He got the name." Rilyah replies with an uneasy voice, "But he''s also missing with the Renasir." "You have stirred quite a trouble, Rilyah." Mirinae scowls at her daughter. "Even if Cina wasn''t in his right mind, you knew that Renasir shouldn''t have left this world at that time. Why did you do that?" Rilyah lowers her head. "I heard the light god and the dark god talking about taking care of Ai. I wanted to save him. There was a prophecy that the dark god will separate Renasir''s daughters from her. Parisa told me that a long time ago. That''s why--" "What did you say?" Kresi takes a step forward. "Daughters?" The third moon pales. "I mean" "Didn''t Adira return with only one child?" Mahuna questions God Noras. "Is another one with Renasir?" "It means that she didn''t abandon her daughter." Arenments, "Renasir Ari wouldn''t do that anyway. She''s not that kind of person. There might be a reason." Cina nces at Rilyah and sighs. The third moon is biting her lower lip, distressed. It''s clear that she has dug her own grave. Then again, he''s also in trouble. If he had told the truth to the dark god "Rilyah, I think that you should reveal the truth." He pats the moon''s back. "Everything, starting from the prophecies." The third moon nods. There''s no other way left. She has made a mistake and identally revealed that there are daughters. "More than ten thousand years ago, Parisa came to me." Rilyah reveals everything that happened truthfully, "I lied because I was afraid. We were going to go back after creating the seeker gate." "You!" Kresi shouts. "How could you do this? If he had been there" "She didn''t do wrong." Noras interrupts her, "Adira might have destroyed the world and all the realms in order to find his second daughter." "What about now?" Kresi folds her fingers into a fist. "His second daughter will be suffering in a strange world. Ari''s life might be in danger. And Ai? What about all of them? That world is too far. In any case, Adira needs to know that Ari didn''t abandon her child." "Before that." Mirinae nces at her daughter. "My daughter needs to be punished for her crimes. Noras, send her to Qeshaya." "Mirinae, what are you saying?" Sion frowns at her. "That ce is only for the grave sinners. Rilyah''s crimes are" "Dark God''s daughters are harmed." Mirinae meets her husband''s gaze. "Cina couldn''t remember, but Rilyah knew that it would be harmful to Adira''s daughters if Renasir Ari leaves this world like that. She lied to the Dark God and hid important prophecies from all of us. What do you think Adira will do if he finds out the truth? He will destroy her. Before he hears of this, send her to Qeshaya. She needs to be punished for her sins. Let her stay there until Renasir and her child return to this world." Rilyah''s breathing is uneven. She doesn''t want to go to Qeshaya. Her memories will be lost for sure. She might be someone like Cina or something worse. What about Ai then? How is she going to "I should be punished too." Cina sighs. "But I want to apologize to the Dark God before I am sent to Qeshaya. I should have told the truth to Adira, but I was also afraid of him." The third moon nces at Cina, realizing her mistakes. She has never thought of apologizing to the Dark God. If Ai finds out what she has done, she will be hated by him. "We can''t send you to Qeshaya." Noras says to Cina, "You have already been there recently and your body hasn''t recovered. You might never recall your memories either. Besides, your sin is that you lied to the Dark God. However, you are also needed because only you can create the gate. Rilyah''s sins are graver and it can''t be ignored. We will send her to Qeshaya right away." Raya and Riha burst into sobs when they hear that. Mirinae hardens her heart and casts a spell on Rilyah, binding her memory. Nobody knows how effective this spell can be. Qeshaya is unpredictable. Someone drags Cina''s away from Rilyah. When he looks at the person, he realizes that it''s none other than Eshyal. "Is there no other way?" Cina asks Eshyal. "I can''t bear to see her suffer." "Adira paid. You paid. She must also pay." Eshyal pushes him out of the circle. "Stay there. You can still redeem yourself by helping Adira. Don''t be emotional. It''s aw of this world." The third moon, knowing that she must face the punishment that she was afraid of, bends down on her knees. She shuts her eyes closed, shaking as the air begins to change around her. Chains grow from the ground, enveloping her body. At that moment, she opens her eyes and looks at her mother. Her mother is crying. "I am sorry." Rilyah mouthes before she''s swallowed by Qeshaya. The goddess of nights and wishes break down into tears. "My daughter, my daughter," Rilyah is too young. Can she survive Qeshaya? The forbidden prison can even damage a primordial god. What if nothing is left of Rilyah by the time Renasir Ari returns? "If you are suffering like this," Kresi --who has been watching everything quietly -- utters," what is Renasir Ari going through?" Chapter 177: If you must choose between Renasir and the child Chapter 177: If you must choose between Renasir and the child There''s silence. Sion takes his wife away from the Dark Realm, back to his realm. The other gods leave quietly. Only Noras and Cina remain behind. "I need to talk to Adira." Noras sighs. "Cina, stay here. You must focus on improving your health. We might need to create many seeker gates." Cina gives him a nod, though his heart is heavy after seeing Rilyah''s punishment. For years, she''s been his sister in name and he did think of her as his sister. He''s concerned about Ai too. And then, Renasir and her daughter Renasir Ari has always been good to him. "Go to the dark castle," Kresi says to Aren after Noras is gone. "Something might happen. You might be needed." "What about you?" Aren frowns at her. "Are you going to stay here with God Cina?" "He won''t harm me." She smiles at Aren. "He has changed." After Aren is gone, Kresi goes to Cina''s side. He''s still staring at the charred ground where Rilyah was sitting a while ago. "How long does it take to make a key for the universal gate?" Kresi''s question jolt him awake from his thoughts. He studies her with a quiet gaze. From what Rilyah told him, she''s the woman who killed his daughter, Bn. He questions her slowly, "Why do you want to know?" "I have a little knowledge of gates." Kresi nces at the charred spot. "The universal gate is your best creation. However, I don''t think that you understand your own creation, Cina." Talking to him casually like this Cina shrugs. He has no energy to correct this woman''s ways. "I don''t want to discuss it with someone who killed my daughter." "I used Ai''s hands." Kresi lets out augh. "I don''t think that you med him after losing your memories. Now that I think about it, both you and Adira changed a lot after losing their memories." "You have killed the previous Cina." He narrows his eyes on her. "Gods can''t die, but they can lose themselves. The memories are" He pauses for a moment. That fake god did say that it was possible to bring his memories back. "Not impossible to bring them back." Kresi gives him a side-long nce. "It''s not in my power, but the Renasir can do it. If she gets a grip on your true name then again, it''s quite dangerous." "It''s always been." Cina looks up at the sky. "I am fine without my memories. I have a feeling that I might start disliking everyone if I receive my memories back." "Maybe." Kresi turns her head toward the dark castle. "His memories should return by now. I don''t understand why he''s not remembering He has changed so much. When Ari appeared during the trial, he wouldn''t look at anything but her. Now, he abandoned her in another world." "He doesn''t remember loving her." Cina says with a mncholic voice, "Renasir Ari didn''t show it, but she was often thinking about him." "How do you know?" She inquires curiously. "She might have hated him." "The tree next to her window told me." Cina stares at her. "Why did you ask me about the key of the universal gate?" "There are two ways to summon Qeshaya: universal gate and the forbidden runes." Kresi raises her arm. "I used the forbidden runes. I was thinking if it''s possible to turn the universal gate into a seeker gate or the gate to the world where Renasir is." "Universal gates can''t be converted into seeker gates." Cina shakes his head. "Seeker gates are created from apletely different form. They can open the gates to any world at any time. It means that we can go back to the past if we want. But thews of time must be followed. That''s why we couldn''t find Renasir Ari until she hade to this world and returned to her world. If we had met her before her soul came to this world, it would have caused instability." It sounds usible. The working of the gates has always been a mystery to her. Kresi bites her inner chin. "You and Rilyah went to the past using the seeker gate because you wanted to go to a time when Renasir was alive. It makes sense that you weren''t able to find her until her soul went back to her body. Why did Adira go that far back in time? He didn''t use a seeker gate." "I don''t understand that either." Cina creases his forehead. "Flow of time could be different. Iravan''s time might be behind that world''s time. That world was strange anyway. There were too many interwoven worlds with that one. Small pocket dimensions were here and there. Gods hid among the humans and their powers were much different from us. Most of them needed to rely on the faith of humans. One god had many faces. Thews of that world were a headache." Renasir disappeared during the true-naming and went back to her original body. She was pregnant when she returned. The soul might return to the body. That could happen. But how did the twins get transferred to another human body? Unless someone did it. And who is powerful enough to do that? ''Once, there was only one god.'' Her mother''s wordse back to her. ''From its loneliness, came the many worlds and many faces of the gods. Every creature is the face of that god. Every creature, whether its evil or good, follows a will of that god. These many faces have many wills. Thus, each true name is another name of that god.'' And who is powerful enough to Kresi looks at the dark castle. Is something blocking his memories? "A seeker key might not fit in the universal gate." Cina scratches his chin. "But I know the name of that world now. I think that I can create a key that will lead us back to that world. But then, I can''t say where we will arrive." "Make me the key to that world." Her work is finished here. The Dark God hase back with his daughter. If she''s right, something is keeping the dark god from remembering and Why would the dark god lose his memories in Qeshaya when she didn''t? Cina received the most punishment. Qeshaya affected both her and Adira. Nheless, it wasn''t enough to wipe all the memories of Ari from his mind. In any case, his memories should have returned by now. Chapter 178: Protecting her soul from the beginning Chapter 178: Protecting her soul from the beginning "I am sure that the Dark God would return to the world after hearing" Cina stops talking when she shakes her head at him. "Things aren''t that simple." Kresi says to him, "Make me the key now. I will go to her world." "I can''t send you there like that." Cina frowns at her. "I also need to" "Make the seeker gate." She tells him, "If you must choose between Renasir and the child, choose the child. You might find her first." "What are you trying to say?" Cina scrunches his brows. "Renasir must have found the child by now. She''s a true-name shaper." "You don''t understand." Kresi gives him a long look. "The goal was never the child. It was Renasir herself." Cina''s face turns white when he hears that. "Renasir? Who?" "The same one who brought her to this world." Kresi sits down on the steps, feeling tired. "It could be someone else. All we know is that she''s in a mess. From the beginning, it was odd that she transmigrated into this world in such a way." After a pause, Kresi continues, "You know, Iravan is different from all the worlds. Not everyone can enter the karma system of this world, and it''s not easy to leave the karma system of this world either, especially during the time when the cursed ehr was flowing in this world. Same people died and reborn again. No external soul was able to take birth in this world." "That why didn''t we think of that?" Cina blinks his eyes. "Even if it was transmigration" "And it was an artificial body." Kresi exins, "My mother created that body. Shayera thought that she took my soul away and sent someone else in that body. But Shayera shouldn''t be stronger than my mother who was a Renasir at that time. The forbidden runes in that body aren''t something that Shayera could handle. So, it must be something else." She takes a breath. "Ari was able to enter it smoothly and leave without any hurdle. After her soul was erased, it was another oddity that Mirinae was able to find the fragments of her soul. The rune [Kres] could erase the corruptionpletely. Shouldn''t Ari already be part of the ehr? Recreating her soul shouldn''t be possible even if a primordial god was wishing for it unless" "Someone was protecting her soul from the beginning," Cina chimes in. "Parisa was also involved." She pauses for a moment. "Of all the futures that Parisa could see, why did she believe in certain futures? She told Rilyah about Ai, Renasir, and Adira. I was also a pawn. Whoever it was, it started creating small unnoticeable chaos and it turned into the great war. The first unnoticeable chaos was Jase''s death that prompted me to seek revenge. This world could have ended without Renasir''s interference." Cina inhales sharply. "That''s ridiculous. You are thinking too much. In the end, you were the one who started the chaotic war." "True." She slumps her shoulders. "It is also a fact that I shouldn''t have died back then. My mother would have been thest Renasir. Anyway, Parisa''sst prophecy didn''te true. Then again, she made another prophecy that made Noras believe that the world could be saved." In this long game, she was nothing but a small pawn that made big movements against the world. Kresi brushes her hair back. "Make me the key to Earth. I have nothing to do in this world anyway. There''s no harm. Besides, Dark God''s priority will be his daughter and Ari. Everyone will forget about Ai. If he''s not with Ari, he might never return to this world. I will look for him and find another way to send him back to this world." After some thoughts, Cina gives her a nod. It''s true that everyone''s priority will be Ari and her daughter, Misaki. Especially, after they hear this theory, they will try to find her. "It will take a few minutes to make the key. Wait for a while." **** Adirays her daughter on the bed. His daughter has a slight fever. Her eyes are in a daze. He wonders if she''s dreaming about something. The flow of ehr is mild inside the castle, just enough to keep her warm and safe. Her channels are healing slowly. Since he brought her here in time, she might be able to channel ehr someday. She''s a halfling -- half-god and half-human. He doesn''t know what''s her abilities are. He can tell that she''sfortable around him. "You must have dark ehr in you." He strokes her forehead gently. "Do you feel unhappy without your mother?" The child closes her eyes, falling deep into slumber. He sighs and covers her with a light nket. Her fever should subside after a while. "You will grow strong." He kisses her forehead. "Misumi, sleep well." After making sure about herforts, he walks out of the room, heading toward the sitting room where Noras is waiting for him. "Why are you here?" Adira scowls at Noras. "My daughter isn''t strong enough to endure a primordial god''s aura." "My apologies." Noras says to him, "Rilyah has been punished." Adira takes a seat. "Is that why Qeshaya was summoned in my realm?" "Yes." Noras takes a seat opposite him. "There is something that you need to know." Adira senses that it''s something grave from the look in Noras'' eyes. "Go ahead." High King Noras reveals everything that has happened: the prophecies, why Renasir chose to leave this world, Rilyah''s lies, and what happened to Adira''s second daughter. "She didn''t abandon your first child. She went after the people who kidnapped your second child." The Dark God is still. Completely still. An ominous feeling grows in his chest, enveloping him into a cold bottom of the fear. "My second child must be" "Cina is creating a seeker gate." Noras tells him, "That gate will lead us to Renasir and Misaki." "I misunderstood her." Adira holds his head. "If I had found them in time" "You have done your best." The god of light sighs. "You did right by bringing Cina here. After his body heals, he will be able to create the seeker''s gate easily. Meanwhile, you should concentrate on recuperating. Your daughter also needs a lot of care." "Renasir Ari I need to find them." Adira utters with a frantic voice, "Noras, what is happening to Misaki? She needs to return to this world. Otherwise..." "We will go back in past if we must." Noras pauses for a moment. "Do you feel that?" Adira creases his forehead. Universal gate? Who is summoning that? *** Aren has been on his way to see High King Noras and Adira when he realizes that something is amiss. Why did she smile? He halts in his track. Kresi smiling at him? That kind of smile? It felt like a goodbye. And why does he need to see High King Noras anyway? "I was manipted." He lets out a curse and spins around. "That girl she convinced me quickly that I am needed here." He runs toward the arena where he left her. As he nears the arena, he sees the colossal gate appearing in the midst of Arena. She''s standing right in front of it. He watches her putting in the key. "Kresi!" He screams but the girl doesn''t look behind. The gate opens slowly and she walks in, disappearing into the light as the gate closes and vanishes from everyone''s sight. Adira and Noras reappear in the Arena right after the gate is gone. Cina looks at them, being aware of the reason why they are here. "Adira, before you say anything" Cina sits down on his knees. "I want to apologize for lying to you. I shouldn''t have done that." "Stand up." Adiramands him, "What happened here?" "Kresi wanted to go back to Renasir''s world and...," Cina tells him Kresi''s spections about Renasir Ari and Misaki in details. "It might be true, considering that Renasir disappeared during the true-naming." But there are two primordial gods. Who could fool both of them? Adira nces at the spot where the universal gate appeared a moment ago. "Can she find Renasir Ari?" "I am not sure." Cina sighs. "Renasir Ari is not in that world. But she was determined to go there. I had a feeling that she would have done something dangerous if I hadn''t given her the keys. She has the key to Iravan. In the future, she cane back if she seeds." "Let her be." Adira decides not to pursue that matter. "Seeker gate should take us directly to Ari and Misaki. Start working on the seeker gate." After hearing everything, Aren exhales. Nobody cares about Kresi. Chapter 179: I was also a pawn Chapter 179: I was also a pawn "Ha!" Kresi lets out a snicker. "What a joke!" As far as she can see, all she can see is ck The water is ck. The sky is ck. Everything except for herself is ck. At the horizon, the endless sea and the sky meet. She looks at her hands. Her missing hand is back. No, it''s not even her body. Kresi looks at her reflection calmly. A pair of arctic blue eyes stare back at her. The ce is strange. Though there''s only darkness here, she can see her reflection. Her height has decreased by a few inches. Her hair is long andpletely white. She''s dressed in a white robe. Her skin is white and chalky, dead andcking a certain lustre. Her rosy lips have turned vermillion red. This is her true appearance. "I was also sent to that world then." Kresi bends down on her knees and moves her fingers in the water, causing ripples in the ck water. "I should have guessed it." She was Amara who made the dark god start the great war. She was Kresi who killed Aeline and cursed Bn. She was the reason why the Dark God had to go to Qeshaya and lose his memories. "I was also a pawn." ****************************************************** [MANY LIGHTYEARS AWAY FROM IRAVAN] ****************************************************** Takayama Ari clutches on her stomach, wincing in pain as she drags herself forward. The robe is clinging to her like a second skin. Blood from her clothes has been washed away. She looks up at the dark sky and lets out a curse, "Fuck you! I will find you, Ryou!" Vehicles pass by her on the road. Some passersby point at her. A fewe to her and ask if she''s alright. Ari ignores them and keeps walking under the rain, following her instinct. After walking for a long time, she reaches another bridge -- small, wooden and rural, and worn out -- lying over a small stream that shouldn''t be there, and ordinary people pass by it as if they can''t see it. A bridge to another world. Ever since she has returned to this world, she has seen many bridges like that. The world hasn''t been the same for her. This world has many small crevices that lead to other worlds. Some of these worlds are as small as her kitchen while the others are bigger than this world. This one leads to a small pocket dimension. The bridge seems like it would break under her weight. Nheless, Ari holds her breath and steps further, toward the crack in reality that leads to another world. The crack is barelyrge for her to pass through. If she falls in the stream Ari nces down. The stream doesn''t look deep. However, this stream is something that can''t be seen by ordinary people. It can''t be underestimated. Streams like this flow between the realities. It reminds her of the cursed ehr that used to flow between the realms in Iravan. These streams radiate energy and faint magic. Nevertheless, it''s useless to her. She can''t take the external magic or ehr anymore. Ever since she came back, she''s been unable to ingest the magic of the outside world like Cina or Rilyah. She must cross this bridge. Her sense is telling her that her child is in that direction. She can only trust her gut feelings at this time. Misumi There are Ai, Rilyah, and Cina. They will take care of her until she returns with Misaki. Feeling anxious, Ari takes quick steps toward the other end. The seemingly small bridge seems never-ending. When she looks back, she realizes that the human world has disappeared. The stream is no longer a small stream. There''s a raging river beneath the bridge. Vapours are arising from the river. Shadows of screaming spirits with hollowed eyes and mouth try to emerge from the river, reaching for Ari. Something seems to be holding back. "This is" Ari grasps the rope and takes deep breaths. "I only need to get to the other end." Takayama Ari takes another step toward the world when she hears a soft voice. "Can you?" "Ame Onna!" Ari widens her eyes when she sees the woman standing on the other end of the bridge. Her eyes search for Misaki. "Where''s my daughter, you bitch?" "Don''t worry about her, Takayama Ari." Ame Onna smiles at her, tilting her head. "My lord is keeping her safe until the Dark Godes to get her." Ari blinks her eyes, confused. "Adira ising?" "Yes." Ame Onna ces her hands on the ropes. "Do you know how long you have been on this bridge?" It could be minutes or years. Ari can''t tell. Time is flowing strangely in this ce. "Why did you take my daughter?" "I wonder" Ame Onna sighs, covering her mouth with her sleeve. She nces at the river. "This stream merges with the river of death ahead. Anyone who falls in this stream cannot leave it for eternity, even if it''s the face of a god or a mere vessel." Ari clutches the rope tighter, trying to ess the universal energy from the depth of her soul. She realizes that the faucets are closed. She can''t summon any universal magic. "When you are standing in the world of forsaken, you follow thews of forsaken." Ame Onna eyes her quietly. "My lord might have lied to you about his true self but he keeps his promises nheless. Your child won''t be harmed. She will be found by her father or brother soon. However, you" Ame Onna closes her eyes and curls her fingers around the ropes on both sides. "My Lord doesn''t want you to live anymore." "You have been" Ari gasps when the bridge shakes violently. "But why? What did I ever do to you?" "My lord doesn''t have anything against you." Ame Onna exins, "In fact, he could have killed you the moment he found you. But you were carrying two lives in your womb. So, he waited for you to give birth to them because he couldn''t bear to harm the innocent" "I am also innocent." Ari yells at her, "I want to live. I have a family." "That''s true." Ame Onna pulls the ropes hard and it breaks like a vine. "It''s not your fault but you are a nuisance in his eyes." The bridge falls. Ari screams as she plummets into the river. She tries desperately to fight against the damned souls. No matter what she does, she can''t free herself. They coil themselves around her body, trying to blend with her, reaching for the depth of her soul. Her robe is ripped apart, her hair is burned to crips, skin melting and dissolving with the toxic water. The furious river that carries her away as the echoes of her screams fade. "And he wanted me to apologize to you." Ame Onna sps her hands behind her back. "Please ept his apologies, Takayama Ari." Ame Onna turns around and takes a step, disappearing into nothing. Chapter 180: A healthy cub for sale! Chapter 180: A healthy cub for sale! The rain has stopped and the ground is wet. People areing out of their home. The leaves of the tree are a bright shade of green. Rain washes the old, bringing the new colours forward to the world. Trotting on the same road that Takayama Ari has taken only a while ago, Ai outstretches his mind-sense and searches for Ari. No matter how much he looks for her,he can''t sense her. Ai stops running and spins around, trying to hear anything suspicious. The trees often whisper. The wind also carries messages. One only needs to pay attention to it. And he hears something. It''s a soft mewl. On the sidewalk, a small weed is growing out of the crack in the concrete. It''s leaning to its left, swayed easily by the breeze. Ai notices that the tall trees are quiet but a little one is whimpering. Ai sends his energy into the little nt, helping it gain some strength. When the weed seems to be stronger, he asks it, "Have you seen a woman with" "I hear the cries of an infant." The weed nt replies before he can finish, "It''s on the other side of the river." Cries of an infant? Is it Misaki? "You can hear the sound from the other world." "I was born from the seed that came with the wind." The weed tells him, "I can hear the other world. The bridge is broken. You need to take the other way." He also hears the sound of a river flowing in the distant but he can''t see any river. The area is a concrete jungle, full of buildings. "Where is the other way?" "If you go straight, there''s another bridge." The weed gives him the direction. "Go quickly. The child is making my ears bleed." But this nt doesn''t have ears. Ai decides not to correct this weed and rushes ahead. After Ai is gone, the weed transforms into an old bald man in a ck suit. He lets out a breath and stretches his body. "I thought he would never leave." "He should find her soon." A voicees out of the cherry tree as the rainwater rolls down on the beam of the tree, gathers together on the ground, morphing into a teenager boy with a paper bag. "Our work is done. Let''s go back to our lord." "All this" Kozo straightens his body. "Gama, do you know what happens to the creatures who fall into the river of death?" River of three roads. River of death. River Styx. Oh, it has many names. Gama shrugs his shoulders. "They don''t die or live. They never reincarnate or find peace. At the bottom of the river, they rot for eternity. Even the depth of hell is a better ce than that." And there are different versions of hell in all religions. All versions of hell exist, just like all faces of the gods are true. When the one true God created the world, it created many faces of the world that coexisted as its different wills. All of his wills became different faces. Some of these faces die and some are born again. His lord is also the face of a god. "Wouldn''t it be better to send her to oblivion?" Kozo asks with pity in his tone. Once someone enters oblivion, it never leaves. Whether its a god or a mortal, oblivion is the eternal death. Gama stares at Kozo. "Lord is too kind." "Did he give her a chance then?" Kozoughs, standing up and dusting off his clothes. "She went to the bottom as a mortal. What would be of her when she rises Oh, if she rises from the depth of the river of the forsaken ones?" "If she rises," Gama contemtes, "she might be something frightful and unnatural something that doesn''t belong to any more. That is only if, my friend Kozo, if she rises from the depth of river of three roads." "Surely, she won''t rise." Kozo wraps his arm around the boy''s shoulders. "Our lord is waiting for us." Gama and Kozo walk away from the world. *** Ai keeps running until he gets the glimpse of the stream again. There''s a small bridge to the other world. "Did she go through here?" Ai looks around. There''s no sign of Ari, his mother. He hears the distant sound of a baby crying. Uneasily, he steps on the hanging bridge that shakes under his weight. By the time he reaches the middle, he realizes that something is wrong. The stream is a raging river and the air around him has changed. "Strange damned world." Ai lets out a curse as he steps toward the other end in a hurry. Each time he takes a step, he hears someone''s howling from the river. He looks down. There are faces with hollow eyes and mouth trying to escape the river. Ai swallows. What would be of him if he falls? He hardens his heart and hurries to the other end of the bridge. Once he''s off the bridge, he takes a deep breath. All of a sudden, it''s bright around him. The bridge and the river are gone. There''s a red brick wall behind him. On either side of the cobblestone road, he sees small toad people underrge red mushrooms with white spots. The green toad people with red swollen lips, dressed in ancient robes, seems to be in a hurry. Ai frowns. He''s sure that he heard the sound of an infant''s cries from here. But it''s silent now. The toads are speaking a different tongue -- anguage that he can''t understand. The toad people nce at him when he makes his way on the road. He sends his sense in all directions, listening to every sound around him. His red eyes inspect every movement of these creatures. Soon the sun is dwelling at the horizon and the sky is a bright shade of orange. He reaches a street market. People in robes, different from the toads, are looking at the items showcased at the street shops. Ai puts his hands in the pockets. He can''t smell his mother anywhere. There''s no sign of any human around here. Maybe he''s in a different world. "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~" A shrill ear-piercing cryes out of a shop. Ai inhales the scent as he runs in that direction. It''s not a human scent but it is the same cry that he heard earlier. He reaches a meat shop. A toad woman is holding a baby from its ankles. She ps the infant''s butt. "A healthy cub for sale! Only ten golds! Only ten golds! Look at its clear skin! It would make a beautiful bag or a mask." "Uwaaaaaaaa~" The infant cries louder. The people cover their ears when the prating scream enters their ears. The toad woman shoves clothes in the infant''s mouth. "Shut up!" Before the toad woman could smack the infant again, it''s snatched away from her webbed hands. She looks around and finds the infant in a young boy''s arms. "You thief!" The toad woman shrieks at the boy with red eyes and green hair. "If you want cub, you need to pay ten golds." "Thief!" Ai grits his teeth. He pats the infant''s shoulders to soothe her. "You deserve death for hurting my sister." "Sister?" The toad woman wrinkles her nose. "It doesn''t matter if she''s your sister. I found this cub. It''s mine now. If you want it, you pay for it." "I will pay for sure." Ai takes off his coat, holding the infant in his right arm, shifting the baby to his left arm before removing the coatpletely. He covers Misaki first. The child is quiet, watching him with her dark eyes. Ai nts a kiss on her forehead. "Misa, you are safe now. Your brother is here." "Thief! Thief! Thief!" The toad woman is howling. "This thief is taking away what belongs to me. He doesn''t pay and he makes excuses. Help me get the cub back. I will pay five golds to anyone who helps me get it back." Ai''s gaze turns dark when he sees people gathering around him. Most of them are short toads. Ai sighs. It''s been a while, hasn''t it? Clutching Misaki to his chest steadily with his right arm, he raises his left arm that elongates into a wooden branch. His red eyes shine and his lips curl up into a dark smile. "You dare to hurt my sister?" Chapter 181: Stop using me as your pawn Chapter 181: Stop using me as your pawn "Ra Rum... Rum" Her voice is soft and melodic, disturbing the silence while carrying a certain silence with her eyes closed and her arms are widespread; long sleeves presenting an illusion of wings as she floats in a timeless horizon. "Rum Ra Ra Rum Rum" She hums a tune. "Nah Nah Nah Oh, it was all in vain." A chuckle in the darkness. Someone asks, "What was?" "My redemption." Kresi doesn''t open her eyes. "Oh, I can never be redeemed of my sins.. I am" Anotherughter. "It breaks slowly." Kresi lifts her hand that is not supposed to be there. "Then again, it''s surprising that I managed to survive Qeshaya." "What do you mean?" The voice is childish and mocking. "Do you know something that I don''t?" "Shayera, Quinn, Rui, Mirai, Pebby, Gabriel," She says the names of everyone she met in her two long lives. "Ai, and Aren," "What about them?" Kresi ces the back of her hand on the cold water lightly, letting the cold seep into her skin. Slowly, Slowly the sense of scent returns to her. The ce is not that quiet. Her heart doesn''t beat. Her lungs don''t breathe. Though her eyes are closed, she still sees everything. "They are temporary," She whispers, staring at the eternal dark sky. "They passed by me, meant to be lost in the flow of time." "Do you know who you are now?" The voice questions her. Silence creeps, stalking her, tiptoeing around her. The voice diminishes into the darkness. Kresi looks neither old nor young. Time doesn''t touch her anymore. Free from the cycle of life and death, she floats in oblivion. "I am the chaotic will of the true one," Kresi mumbles. "I am the first face of chaos." And she has always been the harbinger of chaos while being chaos herself. Anything that she touched has ended up in chaos: the end of Iravan that she wanted because of Jase''s death and that ending that became the reason for new Iravan. "And who was she?" The voice questions her after a long time. "Oh, I know her well." Kresi sighs. "Something that the true one created to stop me. An annoying one, she is" From the endless horizon, a silver light emerges, heading in her direction. As it moves through the ck water, disturbing the tranquillity of the ck sea, causing waves running in her direction, the silver light seems to take the form of a man as it gets nearer to Kresi. His hair is bright silver. He brings four small mes behind him. Chaos sits up, watching him quietly. The man in the white robe sits down on his knees. The four mes transform into four spirits. Following the man''s action, they also bow before Kresi. "You are one of my faces." Chaos tilts her head. There''s a certain disinterest in her eyes. "What have you been doing while I was gone?" He raises his head and meets her gaze. "My lord, I have been waiting for you toe back." "Is that so?" She lets out a chuckle. "Do you think that you can hide it from me? Ryou? Is that the name you go by?" The fake rain god, Ryou, purses his lips. The spirits behind him tremble as Chaos''s cold gaze falls on them one by one. Ryou lowers his head and says, "My lord, that''s just I thought that it would be better if I take care of her. She has ruined your ns many times." "You were trying to help me?" Chaos chortles. "How annoying! I go away for a while and one of my little faces start doing things on his own. Did you expect me to never return, Ryou?" The silence in the darknessughs. The sky cracks and the light seeps into the realm of chaos. Bubbles rise in the dark water. The water is sinking. The spirits realize that something is wrong. Sosuri, Gama, Kozo, and Ame Onna find themselves sinking with the water. They raise their head, wailing for mercy. The primal face of Chaos, Chaos herself, watches them with emotionless eyes. What is mercy? Chaos doesn''t acknowledge it. It''s not something she''s born to do. She''s Chaos, the chaotic will of the true one, the first face of chaos, and the only one that matters. When he looks up, he finds her sitting on a white throne. Built from the chaotic energy, this throne has not been seen since Chaos was gone. The throne of chaos will only allow true chaos to sit in that ce. The ck water along with the four spirits are gone. The floor is reced by white cold marble. The sky is a white canvas. The perfect silence seems to suck all the noise, including the sound of Ryou''s breathing. True chaos is silent indeed. Ryou swallows his saliva. The true face of Chaos is offended. After all, he did something without her permission. "Darkness chose to go to Iravan." Chaos utters with a discontented voice, "I decided to follow him. And look, I nearly managed to do it all over again and then, she came, like always, interfering with my ns. It''s rather sad, isn''t it? I always love to see how she tries so hard to bring order and peace to my disorder." He folds his fingers on his knees. "Forgive me, my lord." "She and I bnce each other." Chaos clicks her tongue. "Or so the true one likes to believe. However, she was born as a mortal face of a god. She and I would have met again and again. This is an endless cycle. As long as I exist, she will also exist." Ryou blinks his eyes when he hears that. "You mean?" "The river of death is nothing for another will of the true one." Chaos stands up and climbs down the steps, walking to Ryou who squeezes his eyes shut. "Even I don''t know what she will be." Chaos ces her hand on Ryou''s neck. "You have done such an unnecessary thing." "Don''t, please don''t kill me," Ryou begs softly. "Lord, please have mercy on me. I only wanted to help you." "Rather." Her fingers press against his pulse on his neck. Her eyes remain unchanging, aloof yet smiling. "You were afraid that she might be an obstacle in your ns. You weren''t half-wrong. After all, she was sent in that world to stop the next cycle of chaos." Ryou looks up at her hopefully. "My lord, I did it because I was carrying your work." She runs her fingers through his silver hair. "You are one of my faces. If you don''t carry my work, then what would you be doing?" "I" Ryou opens his mouth to apologize to her again. However, he never finishes his words. Chaos darts her hand into his mouth and grabs his tongue. He widens his eyes, asking for pity. "Nevertheless, you shouldn''t have touched something that was meant for me to deal with." Chaos pulls out his tongue in the next instant, tearing it out of his mouth. "This is for the lies you told." No matter what, Ryou can''t scream or move. She grabs his wrists and twists his arms before she presses her foot on his chest, cracking his bones. "You have been working for a long time, haven''t you? It''s time for you to rest. Since you are a part of me, I will take you back -- after I have punished you for your nosy deeds." By the time she''s done with the punishment, bits and pieces of Ryou''s existence are lying on the cold floor. She walks back to her throne and takes a seat. Small fragments from the cold marble floor rise in the air and glimmer a dark light before flowing into her. Chaos looks at the distance. The river of death appears in her sight. Nothing is left of Ari''s body. Her existence is lying at the bottom of the river, surrounded by the forsaken creatures who are feeding on her. "Don''t you wish for death, my brave friend?" Chaos inquires softly. "Don''t I wish for death sometimes? But the primordial god of death is a funny one. He chases the mortals who cheat death, and he ignores the ones who desperately seek death, Ari." What will she do? Chaos closes her eyes, propping her head under her hand. "Maybe she will go back and y happily with her family." Chaos snorts. "It would have been better if Adira found her and turned her immortal." But that one has turned this into such a face. "Did you send me here to remind me of my true self, Sister?" The woman manifests in front of her. She has taken the face of the person who was her mother once, Mayaeira Mirin. She says nothing to her. "You don''t have a face of your own." Chaos'' eyes darken. "Still, you don''t even take care of your mortal''s face." "Both of you are my faces." Mayaeira lets out a sigh. "Both of you need me." "Primordial goddess of energy." Chaos shakes her head. "But you took her side this time." "Her will was stronger than yours." Mayaeira sneers at her. "Does it hurt your pride, Mayhem?" To cause mayhem, one needs power. To bring order, one still needs power. The primordial goddess of energy is the only goddess who exists in its primal form. She has no face or a form. She can exist in someone''s consciousness, someone''s source, someone''s will, or someone''s sight. Mayhem grimaces at her. "Stop using me as your pawn for your amusement." Chapter 182: Too red for my taste Chapter 182: Too red for my taste "It is your nature to do this." Atvi, the goddess of energy, sps her hands behind her back. Her body is petite, and her eyes have turned big and round. She looks like Rui, the five-year-old girl who was killed by Aeline. "Why are you angry at me? Ari or whatever her name is she might never rise from the depth of that river. Aren''t you free to do what you want?" Chaos grits her teeth. "Someone else will take her ce." It''s thew of nature. Thew of bnce. When the scale is tilted, chaos transpires in the universe. Something is born from the chaos itself to counteract the imbnce. Gods are nothing but forces of nature itself,pelled to follow their own natures. "Or she will return as a new face." Atvi taps her chin yfully. "What do you n to do?'' "I want to kill you." Chaos hisses at her, "Why did you have to interfere between me and her?" Atvi sps her hands behind her and starts walking around the throne. "I have been watching both of you for so long. You draw me when you need me. You throw me away when you don''t need me. It made me upset." "Attention seeker whore!" Chaos raises her chin andughs, not bothering to look at her anymore. She sits on her throne, cing her one leg over the other, and she leans forward with pride in her eyes. "In the end, you are nothing better than us. You are tainted." "Am I?" Atvi smirks at her. "I am the one who sent her to Iravan to stop you." Chaos scowls at her. "And what did you get from this? The primordial goddess of energy lets out augh. "What do you think? I am only doing what I am supposed to do." "Is that so?" Chaos lets out a heavy sigh, tilting her head, watching her with azy gaze. "Beginning or ending is part of the time. Many worlds have ended at my hands and many have begun. I am also doing what I am supposed to do. It''s my nature. It''s my will." Atvi smiles at her. "Then are you going back to the Iravan to finish what you have started?" To end Iravan? Chaos rolls her eyes. "I have no interest in that world anymore." Moreover, the world has reached a point of bnce. The end isn''t arriving in that world anytime soon. There are two primordial gods present in that world. "Why are they not aware of their true selves?" "It''s something that they chose to do." Atvi exhales, "It''s boring, isn''t? You also thought of doing the same. Didn''t you imitate the mortal god Ari by trying to be a mortal?" Be a mortal. Follow thews of mortals. She was Amara. She was also Kresi. Between her life as Amara and her life as Kresi, she had many mortal lives. All the memories are in her head. She can''t help but feel bitter when she recalls those days of weakness; take birth in the world, live for a while, and then die, only to take birth again. "Death for mortals is nothing but an illusion." "True." Atvi replies with pity in her clear eyes, "Mortals also have the opportunity to leave the reincarnation cycles and find eternal death." "Or immortality." Chaos wrinkles her nose. "Mortals seek immortality." "Eternal death is also immortality." Atvi says to her calmly, "Once a mortal is freed from the cycles of karma and reincarnation, they get a chance to be one with the true one. Look at us! We might sleep for a while but we can''t find a way to return. Then again, you created this oblivion to trap all the creatures who don''t deserve salvation." "Void and disorder." Chaos shrugs. "I represent two wills of the true one. That''s why Ari was born. Another will to always fight me. It''s better if Adira finds her and takes her back to Iravan. I can go on and do what I was born to do." And she recalls something important. Chaos gazes at the little girl standing in front of her. "Why did you make Adira forget?" God of darkness shouldn''t have forgotten. If idents did ur, he should have recovered his memories already. It''s been long already. "The wheel was already in motion." Atvi muses, "He might remember it soon." "You set the wheel in motion." Chaos creases her forehead. "Don''t pester him too much. He might recall his true self and chase you to perpetuity." The goddess of power and energy says nothing. She smiles at Chaos before whisking away from Chaos'' oblivion. "I don''t like her." Chaos leans back, narrowing her frosty blue eyes. "I got involved in an unnecessary drama because of this whore." Atvi is the only goddess who doesn''t have any face yet. Her form is unstable. "Since it has turned like this anyway..." Chaos stares hard in the oblivion. Ai appears in her sight. He''s surrounded by toad folks. "I have also used him to cause chaos for a while. If she hadn''t interfered, Ai could have turned into a powerful nameless creature who would have eaten all the gods of Iravan except for Noras and Adira." The child in Ai''s arms is smiling. "Ha!" Chaos chuckles. "Born to cause chaos, little one? I hadn''t expected that one of my faces would be born out of the darkness." It''s no wonder that Ryou couldn''t kill this child. There''s a small piece of chaos in that one. What about the other one? Chaos closes her eyes and recalls Misumi. That one is too calm for an infant. Maybe she doesn''t need to do anything for Iravan. Both of them will certainly change that world -- as expected from the twin daughters of the darkness. "Where should I go now?" Chaos questions herselfnguidly. A pesky redhead''s face pops up in her mind. "Tsk! Too red for my taste." Her ear perks up when she hears an infant''s cry in the distance. A slow smile forms on her lips. "You want me, little one?" Chapter 183: Mother will be surprised Chapter 183: Mother will be surprised The toad woman gulps when she sees the change in Ai. The boy looked like an ordinary human who has turned into something more and different. His eyes gleam red and bright as the whites of his eyes turn moss green. His wavy spring green hair, a few shades lighter than Cina''s hair, grows to his shoulder''s length. Brown and dry cork grow on his pale skin, reaching his jawline. He lowers his head, eyeing the toad woman whilst he clutches Misaki closer to him. "As if we are afraid of you!" The toad woman huffs at him. She turns to the crowd. "If anyone can get that cub back, I will let him choose any item from my shop." "This woman is keen on dying," Ai whispers to Misaki who is smiling at him. Based on his knowledge about humans, an infant shouldn''t be able to smile. But Misaki is a demi-god. "My sister wants to see me fighting?" Misaki lets out augh. He takes it as a ''yes''. A pair of roots sprout from his back and wrap themselves around Misaki, sticking her safely to his chest. Molten mes rise from the fissures of his arms. Being a child of a Starfire, he''s born with an affinity of star fire just like his brother and mother. After absorbing the essence of Bn Spirit, he has evolved into a demi-spirit. Between him and Misaki, there''s not much difference. One carries a part of the spirit in him and the other one is born with a part of god. Ai''s red eyes sweep over the creatures around him. The visitors in the toad valley are watching him in anticipation. The toads are moving closer to him. Sound of their breathing is clear to his ears. He closes his eyes, spreading his arms wide. Thorny branches shoot out of his arm as he spins around. Misaki''sughter resonates with the sound of toads'' screams. The ground is covered with wounded toad-men, burned at several ces. Stray arms and legs are lying around them. A few toad-men take theirst breath. Seeing that, the toad-woman grabs whatever she could grab in that moment and darts away. "Haha!" Ai guffaws as his right arm extends further. His w curls around the toad woman''s waist. Heat seeps into her flesh and her pitiful screams pierce the surrounding. His fingers dig into her like a de, breaking her torso away from her hips. The onlookers gasp, scream, and whispers among themselves. Some of them leave in a hurry. Ai doesn''t chase them. He looks down at Misaki''s face. She''s watching him with dark eyes. He exhales, "Mother would be angry if she finds out that I let you see that." Misaki gives him a toothless grin. Ai turns back to his ''human'' self. His red eyes turn brown and his green hair bes ck. He picks up a piece of cloth from the toad woman''s shop and cleans his hands. "Let''s keep this a secret between us, Misa." His sister lets out a cheery squeal. "Need to look for our Mother." Ai ces his hand on her head and runs his fingers through her soft ck hair. His fingers brush against two small horns hidden under the ck mass of her hair. "What''s this?" He parts her hair and sees the pointy ck horns. Ai releases his breath. Halflings are often born with inhuman traits. Misumi lookspletely human but Misaki is a little different. And he wasn''t born as a demi-spirit. He was a human once, turning into something else when Bn sent his essence to his body. "Mother will be surprised." Ai gives her a smile. "But they are cute." The child blinks her eyes happily. "You are smart, aren''t you?" He gives a peck on her forehead. "And mischievous. I remember now. You were the one who wanted to make Cina your pet." Misaki responds with a peal of lightughter. At the moment, Ai can''t understand her. "Let''s look for our Mother." Ai wraps his arms around her, retracting the roots back to his body. He looks around, wondering about their mother''s whereabouts. "Where could she be?" **** Her flesh has eaten away. Bones are slowly corroding at the bottom of the river. Her soul is clinging to her skeleton as the forsaken creatures chew her soul and bones. Takayama Ari stares at the faint light gleaming in the dark water. It''s too far. No matter what she does, she can''t rise and grab that light. Her life flickers in her mind: being born in her family; her loving mother and father; their separation; her grandparents; learning how to cut hair; her pet cat Kyo who died in an ident; the people she started to distrust after her parents'' divorce and innocence that she didn''t believe in anymore; pushing people away and turning into a socially inadequate woman, and dying for herptop; her transmigration; meeting so many people; meeting her Adira who taught her how to love selflessly; Deia who became a close friend; dying without any regrets and being reborn again in a loving family who gave her the love that she didn''t receive in her first life; meeting Adira again and falling for him again; having a boy who called her Mother with such a bright smile and daughters whom she couldn''t hold to her heart content. Life seems to be lost in the light that is shining on the surface and death has abandoned her long ago. Why is she feeling regrets? She has always done her best. "Adira." She whispers, "Will you" Her voice fades in the gurgling sounds of the forsaken ones. Ari loses thest of her will. A tornado rises in the water. A bright violet light glimmers in the midst. Thest of her flesh, bones, and her soul are gone. The forsaken ones scream as they begin to twist together in the tornado, dissipating away as another creature seems to be precipitated in the centre, taking a human form slowly. Chapter 184: I heard Aris voice Chapter 184: I heard Ari''s voice ****IRAVAN*** It''s been a month since Rilyah went to Qeshaya. There''s a certain unrest in all the realms of Iravan. The goddess of night and wishes rarelyes out of her pce since her daughter had been punished. Rilyah''s sisters have lost their usual liveliness. The entire Iravan is under a mncholic mood. The other gods stay in their realms, trying to fix what can be fixed and wait for solutions. The Dark Realm is not doing anything better. There''s barely any noise. The entire realm is shrouded in fear and silence. The Dark God is rarely in a good mood these days. The only time when he smiles is in the moments that he spends with his daughter. Misumi is getting better. Her channels are nearly healed but she''s not ready to be exposed to the world. The Dark God doesn''t let anyone see the child -- not even Mogrok. In the dark castle, he''s the only one who takes care of her. The child is quiet but she smiles a lot. The days go on. Adira is impatient and afraid but he hangs on to the string of hope because of Misumi''s smile. The days go on. After sixty-two days since Rilyah''s punishment, Cinapletes the first seeker gate. The abode of Cina is a small cave. The beams of light manage to enlighten the cavepletely. Vines with small pink flowers cover the wall of the caves. Sitting on the cold floor, Cina is giving finishing touches to the first seeker gate carved out of condensed ehr stones. "I was able to finish it early because of your help." Cina wipes his sweat as he says to Aren, "You have helped me a lot." "I needed to do something." Aren leans back on the wall, taking a deep breath. "How many more?" "I guess I only need to make keys to Iravan for our return." Cina pauses. "We can summon the universal gate ande back here. But I am worried if what Kresi said was true." Kresi hasn''t returned to this world. It only means that she hasn''t found Ai or something happened to her. Aren wants to use the seeker gate to find Kresi but he knows well that Dark God''s daughter and Ari must be found first. Kresi can take care of herself. He will go to that world with the gods, and he will look for Kresi and Ai. Aren gets up and says to Cina with a smile, "I will inform the Dark God." Cina only nods. He needs to start carving the keys. It will take a few minutes. After a while, Adira and Noras appear in the cave with Aren. Cina looks over his shoulder. The Dark God doesn''t look any good. There''s dark circles around his eyes and his skin has turned yellowish. He doesn''t look like he has slept for days. "Who is taking care of Misumi?" Cina questions him, not bothering with Dark God''s worries. "I left a copy of myself." Adira replies calmly, "He has half of my powers to protect Misumi." Cina blinks his eyes. He hasn''t expected to hear that. Gods can make their clones but it''s unadvisable to do that. "I didn''t know that you would do that." "I promised Misumi that I would always keep her in front of my eyes." Adira sighs. "Besides, she needs protection. Her vessels aren''t cured yet. I can only imagine what is happening to my second daughter." Misaki is still in a different world. "Don''t worry too much." Noras pats Adira''s back. "The seeker gate will take us to the time when she was just born or maybe sometime after she''s born. Misumi is already with us. Cina, look for the Renasir." The god of the trees gives them a nod. He taps the runes on the gate one by one, chanting a certain spell and calling Renasir Ari''s and Misaki''s names a few times. The gate, no matter how hard he tries, doesn''t react to his power at all. "What''s going on?" Adira steps forward. "Why is the gate not opening?" "I don''t know." Cina tries again. At the same time, Kresi''s words echo in his head. If they can''t open the gate to the ce where Ari and Misaki are together, then they must try to open the gate to Misaki. "Dark God, who do you want to find first: Misaki or Ari?" The Dark God scowls at him. "What kind of question is that? I want to find both." "No, the gate isn''t reacting." Cina nces at Aren once. "Kresi told me that the gate might not open to the ce where Renasir Ari and Misaki are together." Adira exhales. Where could that woman be? Why is it so difficult to find her? He can''t sleep at night because of that woman. During day time, she''s been haunting his thoughts all the time. His daughter and what is Ari to him? Why can''t his memories return? He wants to know who she is. Adira whispers, "Misaki. Find Misaki first." His daughter needs to be saved. He can''t let his daughter be handicapped. The gate reacts to Cina when he says Misaki''s name. Cina tries to find the earliest time where he can find Misaki. The time is flowing differently at different realms. If they find Misaki on the same day she went missing, there''s a high chance that they might find Renasir Ari somewhere near. Cina frowns when he sees the gate opening to a strange world of giant mushrooms. He turns around and tells Adira and Noras, "This is where Misaki is." The two gods head toward the world together. Aren and Cina follow them. They arrive at the location where the dead toad-like creatures are lying on the floor. What could have happened here? Aren looks around. "Who killed these people?" Adira takes a sniff. There''s a scent of demi-god child in the air. It''s quite strong. His child isn''t far away. He points at the wall. "My daughter has gone there." The wall is a small gate to another world. The gods tear it down. When the river of death appears before their eyes, each one of them turns pale. "What kind of world is this?" Noras wrinkles his nose. "Who created such a grotesque prison for the forsaken ones?" Aren looks down at the river and gulps. There are countless faces screaming, trying to get out of the river. "It''s a prison? Are these people alive?" "They are neither alive nor dead." Noras answers him, "This ce is worse than Qeshaya." "Let''s cross the river." Adira flies over the bridge, heading to the other side fast. Noras also flies behind him. Cina, being weakened after making the seeker gate, takes a deep breath and walks over the bridge while steeling his heart. Aren also does the same. ''Adira.'' Halfway in his path, Adira stops mid-air. He looks toward the river. The water is raging wildly. What was that voice? He''s sure that he heard something. But there are only screamsing from the river -- cries of the forsaken ones. "What''s wrong?" Noras questions him, surprised by his action. "There''s something" Adira''s eyes search for the owner of the voice. Is it Ari? But there''s no trace of her essence in the water. "I think that I heard Ari''s voice." "Renasir Ari in that ce?" Noras creases his forehead. Even contemting that idea is sending goosebumps in his body. "I think that one of the forsaken ones imitated her. She must have passed through this bridge earlier. These foul spirits imitate to attract the people." Adira purses his lips. Could she have gone through this bridge? He can''t smell her scent here. There''s no way that she could be in this river. He shrugs and continues flying to the other side. He must find his daughter first. Chapter 185: One time was more than enough Chapter 185: One time was more than enough "Why is it empty?" Ai mumbles to himself as he enters the house. He can feel that there''s no one inside. What happened after he was gone? He doesn''t even know how many days have gone by. His sister is asleep in his arms. Ai takes her to his mother''s bedroom. It''s empty. The cradle must have been used by Misumi. There are a few toys on the floor too. It feels like the people left this ce recently. "Were they attacked?" Ai climbs downstairs and heads toward the sitting room. He takes a few steps back when he sees a woman with long white hair in the room. Dressed in a flimsy white robe, the woman is petite and beautiful in her own face. She''s sitting at the same ce where Ryou used to sit. Leaning back on the wall, she turns her head toward him. "Little Ai, you have grown up." Ai blinks his eyes several times. The woman looks familiar. Her eyes are pale blue. But there''s something about her face. She has little simrities with Kresi. "Do I know you?" "Did you forget about me already?" Chaos grins at him. "You know me as Kresi Mirin, I guess." Though the face has changed a lot, her voice is the same. Ai purses his lips. Why did she change like this? "Come and take a seat." Chaos gestures to him toe inside as if it''s her house. Ai finds himself walking into the room. He sits opposite her, keeping some distance and holding the child close to his chest. "It''s a long story." Chaos looks at him with smiling eyes. "In short, I am the goddess of Chaos." What? Ai furrows his brows, worried. How could there be a goddess of chaos? He has never heard of one. "I don''t understand?" "The child in your arms is one of my faces." Chaos utters solemnly, "She called me to her." Faces of the god he understands the meaning. If Kresi is really Chaos, he can''t see her as someone with goodwill. Then again, the dark god is also supposed to be evil. Ai creases his forehead, confused. What should he do? If she''s truly a god, he can''t win against her. Maybe he should try to find out what she wants. "Isn''t she a cute one?" Chaos''ughter stirs Misaki awake. The child whimpers in Ai''s arms. Chaos lets out a chuckle. "But her arrogance managed to get my attention." Misaki is truly mischievous. Ai shields the child''s eyes and stops Misaki looking at Chaos, trying to distract her. Who knows what this child might be saying to Chaos at the moment? He smiles at Chaos and asks her, "Elder Sister, what do you exactly want?" She shakes her head and guffaws. "I am not Kresi anymore. I am definitely not your Elder Sister. If you call me that again, I will rip your tongue out." Her tone is lighthearted but her message is clear. She has never been close to Ai. But the boy is quite different from his elder brother. Ai is more sensible and realistic than the redhead who thinks that anyone can be saved. Chaos clicks her tongue. The man was quite annoying. "My apologies." Ai bows his head respectfully. "Goddess, I am curious what you want from this child." "What can I ever want from this little fledging?" Chaos raises her brow. "I am not like Adira or Noras. I am fully aware of myself while they limit themselves to only one world. Then again, they will lose littlepassion that they have for the mortals if they don''t do that." If she doesn''t want anything, why is she not leaving? Is it because of Misaki? Ai looks down at Misaki''s face. The child is smiling slowly. "What does Misaki want from you?" Misaki blinks her eyes full of mischief. "That''s between me and her." Chaos sighs. "I am waiting for Adira to appear. He should be here already." "They areing here?" Ai asks loudly. "Child." Chaos looks toward the door. "They are here already." The door slides open. The dark god steps into the sitting room. His dark gaze falls on Ai and the child in his arms. Adira lets out a breath of relief. He gives a nod of approval to Ai. "You have done a good job." It''s clear who killed the toad-folks in the other dimension. "No greetings to your ex-wife?" Chaos tilts her head and taunts Adira as he steps toward his daughter. Adira halts in his track and turns his head toward Chaos, lifting his brow questionably. "Don''t tell me that you didn''t recognize me?" Chaos gasps. She raises her head and looks at Noras who is equally confused. "Not you too, Noras?" Cina scrutinizes Chaos'' face. Though she looks familiar, he can''t remember where she has seen her. He can''t feel any mortal or immortal energy from the woman. She''s hiding her powers. "Are you a goddess?" She doesn''t answer his question. Chaos tsks. "Gods with little to nothing in their heads." Behind Cina, Aren has been observing the woman since he came. There''s a shadow of Kresi in her face. But that''s not how he recognizes her. It''s not her voice either. It''s the way she talks. "Why is your hair white, Kresi? Are you trying to change your fashion?" Chaos stares at the redhead with a straight face. "Oh, you are also here." "It''s Kresi?" Noras looks at her with disbelief. "How could you be a goddess?" "That''s true." Chaos puckers her lips yfully. "How could I be a goddess, Noras? But I am a goddess. Nothing can change that. You have forgotten about me, but I remember you, Light. It''s rare to see Light being so friendly to darkness." The Dark God can also see the simrities. His ex-wife is also a goddess. "Why did you take birth as a mortal?" "You mean why did I be Amara and Kresi?" Chaos props her chin on her hand. Her voice is a little sad. "Why, indeed?" There''s silence for some time. She stands up and walks to Adira. "Do you want to marry me again?" Adira shakes his head. "One time was more than enough." "That''s a pity." She releases her breath. "I came to Iravan to create chaos. After all, I am a goddess of chaos. I didn''t know about my true self until recently. By the way, it''s annoying that you look at me that way. You still don''t remember Ari, right? So annoying! I might be your ex-wife, but we never consummated our marriage. We both know that the marriage was in name only. So, don''t look at me as if I was betrayed." The dark god grapples her throat. "Married or not, you betrayed me, Amara." "Hurts." How bold of him! He''s barely himself. Half of his power is gone. Chaos clenches her teeth. "Let me teach you a lesson then." She lifts her hand and touches his forehead, removing the mist that Atvi put in his mind. Adira releases her throat and takes a step back. He gasps for air as the memories rush in his mind. Ari. Takayama Ari. He promised her that he would never forget her. His eyes well up. Adira drops on his knees, panting for air as he looks into the memories jumbled up in his mind. "What have you done to him?" Noras shouts at Chaos. "I gave his memories back to him." Chaos rolls her eyes. "This is what happens when you forget your true self. Anyway, I came here because of his daughter. Since she wants to go with me, I am taking her." Before anyone could react, she flicks Ai''s forehead. The boy falls backwards, wincing in pain. Chaos grabs Misaki and dematerializes from the room. Chapter 186: Meant to always stand on the opposite sides Chapter 186: Meant to always stand on the opposite sides He drops on his knees. The sharp pain in his head makes him dizzy. Feeling nauseated, Adira ces his hand on the floor to support his body. He looks at Ai who is holding his head tightly. The boy''s skull is broken. Blood pours out of the crack, soaking his shirt. Misaki and Chaos are gone. There are loud shouts. Everything happens in a blur. Noras is beside Adira. He grabs Adira''s shoulders and screams at him. Adira blinks his eyes. Memories are rushing in his head like a tsunami. Takayama Ari. Kresi. Ari Ashbourne. He remembers her now. "Where" Adira gasps, realizing what that look in her eyes meant. That day when he was being cruel to her "Ari." His nails dig into the wooden floor, crushing it under the strength of his palms. He pants for air, calling her name again and again. "Ari Ari... ARI TAKAYAMA!" Feeling like a hundred daggers have been stabbed into his chest, Adira gasps for air, calling her name again. "How could I forget her?" Noras releases his breath. His friend remembers everything. "S-She''s" Adira can''t forget the way she looked at him the day he returned from Qeshaya. She asked him if he really forgot her. She ran away because of him. He had been cruel to her and ignorant of her beliefs. Why did he do that? The nameless boy is sitting in front of him. She seeded in naming the boy. If he hadn''t been acting like that, she would have trusted him. She left Iravan because of him. Only him. "Why was I like that?" He covers his face. "How could I say those things to her? How could I think that about her?" "You didn''t remember." Noras tries tofort his friends. "Your mind was stuck in the time before you were released from Qeshaya for the first time. You only did what you thought was right." Now, he knows what kind of person he would have been if he hadn''t met Ari. "Where is she? I need to see her. I need to apologize to her." He abandoned her in this world. She could be hurt by that fake god. Tears stream down on his face. Adira quivers restlessly. Ari isn''t someone who would abandon her own daughters. He should have looked for her that day. If he couldn''t find her, he should have looked even harder Other gods got the chance to hurt her and their child because he wasn''t trying hard. "Ai, let me see your wound." Aren ces his hand under his younger brother''s chin and raises his face. Chaos'' strength is too much. Ai''s forehead is split open. The only reason why he is alive is that Ai is not a humanpletely. Ai''s eyes are closed. His head is throbbing with pain. He lets his brother heal him. It''s been such a long time but he hasn''t forgotten the time that he spent with his brother and father. He has a lot to say; however, he needs to find his sister first. "Dark God," Ai utters with closed eyes. His voice is pained. The wound is healing slowly. "Get a grip of yourself. We must find Mother and Misaki first. I have been looking for Mother. All I know is that she went after the fake rain god. I couldn''t find her because thest trace of her scent is gone." Adira looks at her boy. The rims of the Dark God''s eyes are red and swollen. He inhales sharply, trying to stop his tears. It''s not the time to cry. Ari. He must find her first. "I will go after Ari." "What about Misaki?" Noras questions him. "We don''t know what kind of goddess chaos is." "If she can bring back my memories," Adira says to him with a calm voice and storms in his eyes, "if she can do something that even you couldn''t do, Noras, do you think that she''s any minor god?" Noras purses his lips. Kresi is a god? Why is that woman full of surprises? If something happens, one can guarantee that she''s behind it. "A true god then?" "No." Adira shakes his head. "A god who is highly self-aware of its existence, unlike you and me." Adira and Noras know that they have limited their consciousness. Light and Darkness are too strong. To exist in mortal realms, gods often suppress their consciousness. That''s how they take mortal names. Gods'' true names are often unknown to the world. "It exins how she could control your core," Noras mumbles anxiously. How much did she suppress herself to be born as a mortal? To die and exist as a soul? Did she already know that this would be happening? No, it doesn''t make sense. She died countless times on Iravan. Is she crazy? A god won''t go through that without an objective. "What kind of goddess is she?" "Ugh." Ai opens his eyes after Aren has healed his wounds. He blinks his eyes several times before he tells them about the conversation between him and Kresi, "She said that Misaki called her. Misaki could be one of her faces. I don''t understand how. Misaki is half-human." Cina, leaning against the doorframe with a deep scowl on his face, chimes in, "How could an infant call a goddess? Misaki is Misaki. She can''t be a god''s face." And why are there faces anyway? Cina wrinkles his nose. Then, he remembers a certain rain goddess whom he was supposed to meet after a month. Time has been running strangely in all realms. On Iravan, it''s been more than two months. Judging from Ai''s appearance, Ai couldn''t have spent more than a day in the toadfolks'' world. But it seems that months have passed for this house. Isn''t it a good time to visit that huggable goddess? Maybe she knows something about the fat god. "We didn''t know that Kresi was a goddess." Noras releases a pronounced sigh. He turns his head toward his friend, Adira. The Dark God seems to have made a decision. "I will look for Kresi and Misaki. You should look for Renasir." "I am going to check up on the main rain god." Cina says, "I am not strong enough to do world travel for a while. So, I will be waiting here if I find any information. Since I don''t like misinformation, takemunication keys with you. They will work in any realm. If I find anything or if Renasires back, I will inform you all." He takes several small keys out of his inner pockets and hands it to each person. "I am not sure about the range or how long they will work for. I made this for the first time after being inspired by the technology that humans of this world use. They are like walkie-talkies. So, don''t break it." Noras furrows his brows, taking the keys before his eyes. "Are you sure that they will work?" "Do you have another option, Noras?" Cina rolls his eyes. "I am too weak to travel. So, I will be here recovering my strength and waiting for all of you. I will be working on a gate that leads to Renasir Ari, just in case all of you fail to find her. This world has many surrounding realms. She could be in any realm." Cina gives a nce to Adira. "I know that you want to find her as soon as possible, Adira. But don''t do anything rash. Rilyah didn''t tell you because she was afraid of your temper. She was worried about this world too. If you do the same thing that you did on Iravan and that world where Renasir''s soul went after her death on Iravan, it won''t be only one world that would crumble down. Bnce is important. Make sure not to harm anyone before you are sure that he has done wrong." "I only want to find her." Adira ces the key in his pocket. "If she appears here inform me." The chances are low, but Ari mighte back here. "I will," Cina replies. In the next instant, Adira is gone. When Cina turns around, he finds Noras gone too. "Tch! Not even goodbye." "I will go to the surrounding realms." Ai stands up and tells him, "I will keep looking for her until she''s found." "I aming with you." Aren pats his brother''s back. "You are clearly not in a state to travel alone." Ai looks at his brother and smiles. "Elder Brother, I am d to see you." "Not more than me." Aren gives him a smile back. Renasir Ari saved his brother. He will do anything to find her. He thinks about Kresi for a moment. A goddess, huh? For some reasons, it suits that self-entitled woman. He wonders if they are meant to always stand on the opposite sides. Chapter 187: Must you marry me? Chapter 187: Must you marry me? Amami, the main face of the rain goddess, rolls on the bed and reaches for the ck grapes on the bedside table. There''s azy smile on her face that is no longer chubby. Instead of the round and full cheeks, she has an oval face with slightly red cheeks. She has sessfully managed to lose all the extra weight in twenty-nine days. The foreigner god didn''t turn up. She was both happy and disappointed that day. Her disappointment came from the fact that she couldn''t see his disappointment. The reason behind her happiness was as simple as not being bothered by that god again. It took twenty-nine days to get rid of the weed in the shrine. It''s perfectly clean now and people areing here a lot. In fact, she is daring herself to eat again. But she doesn''t want to get fat lest he appears someday. "What is this?" The tiny grape falls from her lips. She looks over her shoulder and finds him sitting on a branch of a tree that is growing in the middle of the room. He is dressed in a white robe. His green hair is a little messy. But she can''t figure out if it''s due to his curly hair or not. "How could y-y-you do" Cina points at her with disbelief, feeling mortified that she is no longer a huggable goddess now. The girl has a slim figure -- narrow waist that he wants to hold more, round arse that he wants to pinch, and straight back that his hands are itching to feel. She was huggable before, and he can''t see how she''s not huggable now. This change is certainly delightful. He scrutinizes her face. Though her cheeks aren''t pinchable anymore, her features are well-defined. Darn! How could a person look this pretty even after losing weight? He has always wanted a fat wife but he still wants her after she lost weight. Amami hasn''t expected him to return. The moment she sees him, her heart skips a beat in anticipation. She gathers her wits soon and controls her expression. He seems heartbroken. "Tree God, I was dismayed by what other god with my name. So, I was depressed for days and couldn''t take care of myself. I ended up losing weight. I know that you don''t want me anymore. I won''t hold it against you. A handsome god like you should have a beautiful wife. I am no longer fit to be your wife anymore. I release you from the promise." She turns her face away from him, covering it with her palms, pretending to sob. Surely, this god will leave her alone now. Amami smirks internally. "My bride, you had a hard time without me." Cina''s voice is full of pity and mncholy. He jumps into the bed, startling her. Before she could react and run away, he pulls her into his embrace and rolls on the bed. She''s still so huggable. "You worked so hard that you even lost your weight. But my bride, do you not understand my heart? How could I abandon you? I am Cina, the god of trees andnds. I have chosen you as my bride. Until the end of time, you will remain as my bride." "..." This isn''t what she wanted. Amami squirms in his arms. Why is he so strong? The God of trees shouldn''t be able to hold onto rain. But Cina is clutching her tightly. She''s only wearing an inner robe -- nothing inside or outside. It''s not proper to roll on the bed with a man. The warmth from his skin seeps into hers. She swallows. "Cina, don''t you think that you are being hasty? Why don''t you marry a woman from your world? I am sure that there are many goddesses who want you." Cina digs his face in the curve of her neck and takes in her scent. The rain goddess smells like wet earth and sweet cherries. It''s a perfect scent. Drunk in her scent, he raises his head and brushes his lips against her earlobe. "Who cares if they want me or not? I want you. Isn''t that enough?" A shiver runs in her body. Amami squeezes her eyes shut. Is she done today? Why didn''t it work? He was clearly obsessed with fat women. "Cina, I am not a powerful goddess. As you can see, the main face of the rain god keeps changing. I might lose my position soon. I am afraid that I am not the right goddess to be with a god like you." "Is that why you are hesitating?" Cina lifts his head and looks at her face. Lying on the top of her, holding her narrow waist, there''s barely any space between his chest and hers. He seems to be losing himself in her dark eyes. "You are pretty. That''s enough for me." Last time, he said that being fat was enough for him. Amami feels like crying. "But I don''t want to marry you." "Your insecurities!" Cina shakes his head and clicks his tongue. This goddess has such a low confidence level. "You are still worried that you won''t match me, aren''t you? Don''t worry about it. I will ask Noras to include you in Iravan''s karma system. We will settle you as the only rain goddess in my realm. There''s Ni. She''s the goddess of water. I am sure that she will help you settle in my world. Don''t worry, my little bride. Iravan is a good ce. You don''t have to rely on faith or offering. Only power matters in that world. Gods and mortals mingle together and live a happy life." What kind of world is that? Amami blinks her eyes. Is it like ancient Earth? "And you have me." He bends down his head and licks her cheek. "I will take care of you as long as I exist. I will make sure that no harmes to you and you never feel like you lost your home. Whether you be fat or skinny, I will continue to hold you like this." That''s a strange thing to hear. Amami closes her eyes and sighs. There''s a promise between this god and her. She can''t deny the marriage even if he still wants her. Why is she paying for something that the fake god did? Ah! She shouldn''t have ignored the happenings in the city. "I couldn''t find the fake god." "It''s fine." Cina kisses her delectable neck. "The other gods are here. They will find who we are looking for." More gods? She ces her hand on his chest to stop him from kissing her. Each kiss from him burns her cool body. She peers at him with a blushing face. "If the main goddess does this before marriage, it will be badly looked upon." "You are right." Cina gives her an understanding look. "Let''s get married then. My children will be witnesses. All we have to do is a simple ceremony. Then, we can have a bigger one after Renasir is found." Who is Renasir? Amami bits her lower lip. She really can''t avoid this marriage. "Must you marry me?" "Of course." He pinches her nose. "You are a treasure. Only you can entice me with your fat and thin bodies." Of all the reasons, she hasn''t expected to hear that. "Can''t we --" Cina climbs off the bed and goes to the tree in the room. He pats the tree''s baulk. "Have you prepared for it? Should I let you dress her up?" What is this god talking about? Amami sits up and stares at Cina''s back. He mumbles a few things to the tree, and then, he looks back at her. "I will see you outside then." "Huh?" The god of trees walks out of her room without giving her an answer. After an hour, Amamies out of the shrine. She''s dressed in a red bridal robe. Her hair is ornated with flowers. The priests are praying loudly to her. People are surprised by the spring in winter. Nobody can see her though. She walks on the path of pink petals, toward the mini-forests that has appeared behind the shrine. It''s dark but the strange hanging flowers in the trees are glowing mildly with soft light. There''s a sweet scent in the air. She walks on the path that leads her to him. Under the sky full of twinkling stars, surrounded by the trees with glowing flowers, he''s standing quietly. Fireflies dance around him. She hears the sound of the night birds singing a joyful song. Amami heart flutters when he turns around and grins at her. This time, her heart isn''t afraid. Rather, it''s excited to hold that outstretched hand. Maybe, it''s not bad to get married. She''s been single too long. And there''s someone who appreciates her more than she appreciates herself.Eternity is too long without another hand to hold on to. So, Amami takes a step toward him and holds his hand. Chapter 188: Her elder brother is handsome. Chapter 188: Her elder brother is handsome. For a long time, there''s only silence. There''s nothing. She can''t feel anything for a long time. Slowly, her senses develop as her memories of the past start to slowly fade away. Thousand years are gone in the back of her mind. After some time, she is no longer Kwon Kyuri. As her consciousness develops, she is growing into someone else. Kwon Kyuri, the woman who has gone through a thousand years of trials for love, is the past life that she can no longer remember. In the womb, she is surrounded by a warm fluid. She reaches out and feels another presence. She feels her hand tugged. She doesn''t push her away. The presence isforting. After some time, she starts hearing voices. Her sister converses in anguage that only she can understand. She senses her mother''s griefs and her father''s anger. There are her siblings. They are arguing about something. Her father isn''t near them anymore. She feels the pain. It''s notfortable anymore. She and her sister cry for their father. Their voices are heard. "Ai." She hears her mother''s voice. "Cina." There are more voices. She doesn''t understand thempletely. But it''s noisy. The boy is crying. Her mother is against it. Want him. She doesn''t want to hear noisy crying anymore. So she suggests to Ai, her elder brother. He could hear her. Want him as a pet. Her twin sister is happy. She hears her twin sister utter in a melodic voice. Adopt him After many arguments, it seems that her mother has given in. The noises stop. She holds her sister''s hand, feeling happiness. *** Months pass by. They are too far away from their father. Her sister is also suffering. She cries a lot but her mother isn''t listening to her. Ai and Cina tell her to calm down. They try to entertain her. But she and her sister want to be near their father again. She feels her mother''s magic surrounding them. It calms them down a little but it''s not enough. After some time, they feel an oppressive force that seems to pull them apart from her mother. She and her sister hold on to each other tightly as the storm surrounds them. It''s sharp cold energy, gripping on their souls. Suddenly, they find themselves standing in front of their mother. She''s wounded. There''s blood on her head. Their mother looks like they will die at any moment. Everything turns dark for a moment. When the lightes back, they find themselves back in a familiar ce. It''s the same warm ce. They hold each other''s hands. They hear their mother talk to people. Though they know they are in a safe ce, they are burning. There''s not enough food. Not enough warmth. The womb is cold. Their bodies are turning dry. Their mother tries to make up for the nourishment but it''s never enough. After some time, their mother finds a way to give them some energy that is simr to their father''s. It''s barely anything but they feel a little better. One day, their mother gives them names. "Misumi and Misaki." They ept the names. *** The timees when their mother''s womb can''t contain them any longer. They hear their mother screams but it''s also painful for them. Her sister, Misumi, leaves first. Misaki also wants to follow her sister. After the tumultuous journey that nearly suffocates her, Misaki opens her eyes. The light is too blinding. Misaki cries loudly. The woman covers her mouth and whispers, "Shut up." That''s not her mother''s voice. The woman''s hands are cold. The woman wraps her with a cloth and covers her face. Misaki can''t cry because the woman''s hand is still on her mouth. They arrive in a colder ce. Misaki feels too cold. Her veins are turning dry. She tries to wail louder for her mother and father. Meanwhile, her mental maturity is growing. "What should we do with her, Lord?" The woman sounds frantic. "We should kill her, Lord." There''s another voice. "A demi-god." The man''s voice is chilling and dark. "Her father is the god of darkness. We can''t kill her." "Why?" "She''s a face of chaos." There''s a long silence. "Then, what should we do with her, Lord?" "She''s not a full god." "She''s a face of Chaos. We don''t know what her power is." What is chaos? Misaki''s ear perks up. "It seems to be dormant for now." Misaki bes quiet. She wants to hear what is going on. "You told me that her adopted brother is looking for her, Sosuri." "Yes, my lord." "Leave her at a ce where she can be found." There''s a pause. "Let her fate decide for her." Misaki doesn''t like that man. Another pair of arms hold her. She hears men grumbling about something. They move a lot before she isid down on the cold ground. By now, Misaki has figured out that she''s been kidnapped. "Is she going to be okay?" The voice is boyish. "Didn''t you hear, Gama?" The second voice clicks his tongue. "Let her fate decide." Misaki wonders what is her fate. The men walk away from her. Soon after they are gone, she is picked up by a foul-smelling creature. "Oh, what is this?" The creature removes the cloth from her face. Misaki blinks her eyes. The creature is green and it has big ck eyes. "You smell like many things." The creature''s long tongue licks her cheek. "Should I skin you?" Misaki screams as loud as she can. Where are her mother and father? Someone should help her. Annoyed, the creature pinches her skin. "Shut up." Misaki''s skin turns redder. She shrieks for help. Her loud cries echo through the dimensions. "So loud!" The toad-woman shoves a piece of cloth in Misaki''s mouth. "I should sell you as soon as possible. Cub''s meat should be delicious." After pinching, pping, and squeezing infant''s skin, the toad-woman takes the infant to her butcher shop. The cub should be sold for at least five gold. *** She''s hung upside down. Feeling the pain, Misaki screams loudly for help. At the time, she only feels dark rage toward the toad-woman. While the toad woman showcases her to the people, Misaki looks around to see if anyone can help her. Though she is an infant, her intelligence is higher than normal children. She''s a demi-god, daughter of the darkness. The toad-woman keeps pping her butt. "Ten gold! Look at this white meat. I am sure that you can make a nice purse out of it. Ten gold! Last price! I won''t ept bargaining." Though she can''t remember her past life anymore, she still has Kwon Kyuri''s soul. Even without memories and feelings of the past, her mind is growing faster. Misaki res at toad-woman. She wants to cook this toad in a pot. Suddenly, she''s snatched away from the woman. When she looks up, she sees a boy with red eyes and green hair. She knows this presence. It''s her adopted brother, Ai. While the ugly toad-woman is screaming, Misaki observes him quietly. Her elder brother is handsome. Her nts a kiss on her forehead. "Misa, you are safe now. Your brother is here." "Thief! Thief! Thief!" The toad woman howls. Her elder brother''s red eyes shine and his lips curl up into a dark smile. "You dare to hurt my sister?" Misaki smirks. Her brother is going to teach a lesson to the toad woman. Having noticed her smile, He looks down at her. "You want to see me fighting?" "Yes!" Misaki squeals. "Cook that toad-woman in a pot!" s! Her brother doesn''t understand her words. But he nods his head. Wooden branches clutch her to his chest safely as he teaches them a lesson. After he''s done with them, he looks at her with regrets in his eyes. "Mother would be angry if she finds out that I let you see that." Misaki thinks about her mother. She hasn''t seen her mother''s face. But who is Chaos? The man said that she''s a face of chaos. She wants to see Chaos. Is she her mother? She grins at her elder brother. "Let''s keep it a secret between us," Her brother exhales, exhausted. She giggles. "Need to look for our Mother." Her brother ces his hand on her head and runs his fingers through her soft ck hair. He frowns when he touches her horns. "What''s this?" After checking out her horns, he smiles at her. "Mother will be surprised. But they are cute." Misaki blinks her eyes. She agrees. He''s cute. "You are smart, aren''t you?" He gives a peck on her forehead. "And mischievous. I remember now. You were the one who wanted to make Cina your pet." Misaki responds with a peal of lightughter.She also wanted to turn him into a horse. "Let''s look for our Mother." Ai wraps his arms around her as he looks around."Where could she be?" While he''s mumbling to himself, Misaki is thinking about Chaos. She also wants to meet her mother soon. *********** "Isn''t she a cute one?" Misaki opens her eyes, letting out a whimper with aint. She turns her head toward the woman with white hair. The woman''s eyes are arctic blue. So beautiful... "But her arrogance managed to get my attention," The woman chuckles. "Elder Sister, what do you exactly want?" Her brother asks the woman. Elder sister? This beautiful woman is her sister. The woman shakes her head and guffaws. "I am not Kresi anymore. I am definitely not your Elder Sister. If you call me that again, I will rip your tongue out." "My apologies." Her elder brother bows his head respectfully. "Goddess, I am curious what you want from this child." Goddess? Misaki blinks her eyes. It must be Chaos. "Are you Chaos?" She asks the woman innocently. "Am I one of your faces?" Chaos nce at her. A voice rings in her head. [Yes.] "Can''t you hold me?" Misaki mumbles. "Aren''t you my mother?" "..." Chaos gives her a silent nce. "Hold me." Misaki looks at her with misty eyes. "Mother." "What can I ever want from this little fledging?" Chaos turns her attention to Ai. She raises her brow. "I am not like Adira or Noras. I am fully aware of myself while they limit themselves to only one world. Then again, they will lose littlepassion that they have for the mortals if they don''t do that." Misaki is disheartened when there''s no response. She doesn''t understand half of the conversation. [I guess I am your mother. I was married to your father once.] Not paying any attention to the conversation between her brother and Chaos, Misaki''s eyes light up. "Hold me then." There''s no answer. The door slides open. A tall figurees in. Misaki peers at the man. That''s her father. "Father, hold me," Misaki exims. Her father doesn''t pay attention to her. He says to her brother,"You have done a good job." They talk among themselves, ignoring her. Misaki is getting a headache. Why do they argue so much? They shout at each other. There''s her father''s scream. All of a sudden, Chaos grabs her. The room changes. Misaki looks up at the white sky. "Since you want me to hold you," Chaos says to her as she walks toward the throne, "I am going to hold you for a long time." Chapter 189: Without any conditions Chapter 189: Without any conditions Surrounded by towering and young trees, fireflies, and nightbirds, Amami and Cina stand in front of each other, holding each other''s hands. He keeps gazing at her with a goofy smile. She avoids his gaze awkwardly and shyly. "With my children, the stars, the moons, and every other creature who is witnessing this union," Cina bends down his head and vows, "I, Cina, take you as my wife and my mate for the end of the time and beyond without any conditions." Amami raises her head and looks into his green eyes. "Without any conditions?" "Yes." He grins at her. "Eternity is a long time. I am sure that a lot will happen to us. That''s why I don''t want to put any conditions. Whatever happens, I will always be on your side. I won''t look away from you." Why does he like her so much? Amami bites her inner cheek. What''s good about her? "Don''t you know the meaning of a god''s promise? Even if we are getting married, you shouldn''t say these words carelessly." "I mean each word." Cina tells her with a steady voice, "If I put conditions, do I really like you?" "But why do you like me?" Amami creases her forehead. "We only met once before." Cina thinks about it for a moment. He knits his brows. "Our first meeting was bad but I really liked hugging you." "..." He''s talking about her fat body, isn''t he? "And when I met you for the second time..." Cina stares into her dark eyes. "I still liked hugging you." Is he a simpleton? Something''s wrong with his head? Is he truly a god? If he likes hugging so much, he should get an oversized teddy bear. Amami lets out a short breath. But she already promised him. "I want to do things that only happen between husband and wife." Cina blurts out with widened eyes, "I know that we can do it even before we get married but I don''t want to make the same mistake that the dark god made. We should do it step-by-step. After we get married, we will get to know each other more. I will love you every day and, when the time is right, let''s have a lot of children." "..." He has made a n already. "When are you going to say the vow?" Cina whines. "I want to have a wedding night." "We can''t have a wedding night." Amami snaps at him, "Let''s get to know each other before we get married." Cina gawks at her. "What are you saying? That will take too long. Let''s get married and know each other in bed first. I want to hug your body. If we aren''t married, I will feel insecure. What if someone elsees and takes you away? Do you know how huggable you are? We must do it." It seems that he ns to attack her the moment she says the words. Amami shakes her head. "We can''t do it that fast." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "My bride is shy." Amami nods her head. Who wouldn''t be shy? This shameless man is talking about a wedding night like this. "Even if you lost weight, I am sure that you have an amazing body," Cina assures her, nodding his head lightly. "I know that it''s your first time but it''s also my first time. I have never been with a woman before. Let''s explore this together." Isn''t this like an arranged marriage? Amami scowls at him darkly when he smiles at her. She knows fully what he wants to explore. "You never had a woman before?" Cina blinks his eyes, thinking hard. He cant remember. However, he heard about his life from Rilyah. He did have children: trees, nts, and spirits. But he created them. As far as he knows, there''s been no woman in his life. "Of course, how could I have someone else? I was meant toe to this world and find you." She wrinkles her nose. However, his words tug the cords of her heart. "Alright, I already promised myself to you." "You did." Cina gives her a warm smile. "In front of all the witnesses, I" She meets his gaze. "Amami, the main face of the rain, take you, Cina, a god of Iravan, as my life partner in front of" "That''s all?" He chuckles. "Ama, you should put some conditions on me. I forced you to promise yourself to me. I will allow you to put some conditions on me." "Really?" She raises her brow. "What if I make you my ve?" "Would you?" He ces his hands on her narrow waist, pulling her close to him. Wind rustles the leaves. Long vines of flowers descend around them, shielding them from anyone''s views. He scans her blushing face as he feels his heart pulsing loudly. "What do you want me to do to you as a ve?" "T-That" Amami looks down, turning red. "I am not that kind of goddess. I won''t bind you like this. Since you trust me, I also have faith in you." That''s a beginning. Cina lifts her face to meet his eyes. When his wife bites her lower lip nervously, he lets out a chuckle. "I am going to hug you to sleep tonight." She blinks his eyes, surprised. Didn''t he say he would do it? "Surely, I want to do other things." He nts a kiss on the corner of her eye. "However, I want to make love to you when both of us can''t keep it inside our heart anymore." Amami clenches her hands nervously. He wants her to love him first? But aren''t they already husband and wife? Does it matter? "Rilyah told me." Cina divulges, "Children are smarter and more powerfulif they are born out of passionate love." "..." What kind of "She said that she and her sisters were born as moons of Iravan because their parents are really passionate." Cina continues solemnly, "She also said that sex is a lot better if you do it with the person you love." "Husband, I don''t think --" "I don''t want to feel nervous." He grabs her shoulders. "Besides, you lost too much weight. I am sure that you also lost strength. Let''s get you fat again." Amami lowers her brows and sighs. He just wants her to be fat again. "We can''t sleep at this ce." He holds her wrist and drags her along with him. "I have to stay at Renasir''s house. You should leave your juniors to work at the shrine. For the time being, rest at Renasir''s house with me." Leaving high and dry Amami nces at their joined hands, feeling disappointed. He''s truly only going to hug her to sleep, isn''t he? Cina takes her to Ari''s house. "Actually, I have to wait here for Renasir." He keeps talking about Renasir. Amami pouts. It''s supposed to be their wedding night. It''s her right to be shy and he should be doing a lot more than talking about other unimportant things. "Who is this Renasir?" "You don''t know much about me." Cina halts in his track. He turns around and looks at her. "Why am I making you walk?" They are already on the road. The city rarely sleeps. There are vehicles running on the road. But no one can see them at the moment. Both of them have turned themselves invisible to ordinary people. "I am fine with walking," Amami replies with a meek voice. "I can walk around the earth without getting tired." "I shouldn''t be making you walk." Cina mumbles as he looks around, "I can''t use my powers here. It will attract too much attention." She shakes her head. When he was turning the shrine into a forest, did he think that it wouldn''t attract attention? Her shrine is on the national channel. "Alright then." Cina lifts her up in his arms. "Wife, think of me as a pnquin." "Ah, you!" Amami ces her hand on her mouth. "I can walk!" "I don''t want you to walk." Cina jumps ahead, flying straight in the air beforending on the roof of a house. Honestly, it''s not hard to use his power here. But he wants to carry her like this. The shy look in her eyes, her vain denials, and the way she is holding him tightly are enough reasons to take a long way home. He can''t wait to know her more. Chapter 190: I almost fell for another ghosts trick Chapter 190: I almost fell for another ghost''s trick She doesn''t know what she''s been expecting after leaving the hall of purgatory, but she''s sure that it''s not this. The bridge between life and death is covered with a thickyer of mist. She stumbles upon the steps, falling forward on the concrete -- turning to her side to protect her face and letting her arm ms against the edge of the step. "Ugh!" She winces in pain, blinking her eyes rapidly as tears sting her eyes. "Why is it so misty?" The wind blows, howling as it ys with her long dark tresses like the fingers on the strings on the violin. A cold shiver runs down her spine. Sitting on the step, she checks the wound on her arm. "Can a ghost bleed?" She stares at the scratch on her upper arm. "Am I not dead?" A question that can only be answered by experts. And the door to the purgatory is closed. After making so much trouble, she doesn''t want to go back. What if they force her to reincarnate into a strange world? Nakashima Wakana, a twenty-five-year-old woman, who used to be a detective of a supernatural investigation agency, died because she was tricked by a ghost. She also helped a time-traveller escape the purgatory recently. Now, she''s surrounded by a thick white mist, sitting on the steps of the bridge that connects the mortal world and afterlife. But the problem is that she ran away from the purgatory and now, she can''t seem to move in this thick mist. Rather, she''s afraid of moving through this thick mist. It must be because of the stories that the ghosts told her earlier "I need to see him." She tells herself, "I need to talk to him. I need to tell him that he shouldn''t me himself" She keeps repeating the words as if she''s trying to hypnotise herself. But courage is often mistaken for adrenaline. "How could I have adrenaline?" Nakashima Wakana grabs her hair. "I don''t even have a body." Nevermind! She''s going to ask Choi Minho after she crosses the bridge. She presses her palms together and squeezes her eyes shut as she bows her head. "Dear God, I am sorry that I am going back to the mortal world but it can''t be helped. I need to see that moron I mean, Choi Minho. He''s smarter than me but he''s stupid in some areas. If I reincarnate into another world, I think that he will be sad." Or he will be foolishly waiting for her. How could she allow that? It makes her uneasy. Nakashima Wakana inhales sharply and climbs the steps. As soon as she steps on the bridge, she feels a sharp pain as if pieces of ss have pierced through her soles. Wakana bites her lower lip as she raises her one foot to check the wound. She can barely see through the mist. So she touches her sole with her fingers. It''s smooth. She only needs to cross the bridge. Then, she can check what is wrong with her feet when there''s enough light. Why would her soles hurt though? Isn''t she a ghost? Wakan takes another step. A cold sharp feeling pierces her soles again. It''s like she''s walking on a cold surface full of ice needles. Wakana clenches her teeth and takes the next step. "Ow!" She yelps as she starts jumping, taking long strides forward to make the minimal contact between the bridge and her feet. "What the hell is going on?" Are there needles on the bridge? Though her feet aren''t bleeding, it doesn''t hurt anything less. She looks over her shoulder, thinking of returning to the purgatory. A distressing cry pierces through the mist. Wakana gasps, forgetting about her pain for a moment. What could it be? ''Please save me.'' The woman''s voice is pained. It''sing from the river. ''Anyone..'' Wakana runs toward the railings of the bridge, climbing on it while holding on to the cables. The piercing feelings in her soles are gone. She lets out a breath of relief. "Goodness!" She lifts her foot and nces at it. "Something is wrong with the bridge." But who is that woman? She looks at the surface of the river. There aren''t any faces any more. The river is raging ahead with a red glimmer on the surface. "Was it a forsaken one?" The forsaken ones try to lure the souls away from this bridge. "Shit!" She clicks her tongue. "I almost fell for another ghost''s trick." As she turns her body slightly to climb off the railings, her heart leaps. A tall man, who is holding a ck umbre, is gazing toward the river. He''s wearing a fedora hat, slightly tipped to his right. He is wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a ck tie. This person looks more like a reaper than the reapers she met in purgatory. But his face Wakana squints her eyes. Though he''s standing only half an arm-length away, she can''t see it. His face is shrouded by the mist. "Did you die recently?" Wakana asks the man. He turns his head toward her. Wakana feels the person''s gaze on her. But there''s only silence. He says nothing to her. Nothing at all. Is he mute? Ghosts are always strange. As curiosity takes over her, Wakana leans closer to get a good look of his face and No eyes. No mouth. No nose. No brows. Her mouth bes dry. Is it a faceless man? But why does she feel like he''s staring at her? "Can you see me?" The man gives him a nod. "I see." Wakana licks her lips. "Sorry for asking this I know that it''s a rude question but you aren''t a faceless man, are you?" The man doesn''t answer her. He turns his head toward the river again as if he''s gazing at something that is happening at the distance. Wakana copies his action, looking at the river, trying to find out what he''s looking at. He doesn''t even have eyes. How could he do that? Chapter 191: Is it a coin or a diamond? Chapter 191: Is it a coin or a diamond? "Excuse me." Wakana asks the man beside her, "Is there something in the river?" The question is wrong. She knows well that the forsaken ones are swimming in the river instead of the fishes. But it doesn''t seem like this man would be gazing at the forsaken ones, especially if it''s a legendary faceless man. He doesn''t seem evil at all but he''s a little creepy. Is it that she can''t see his face or he doesn''t have any face at all? How could his eyes work though? Light enters through the eyes and forms an image. There''s some signal thing. Why is her brain even trying to find logic in this situation? ording to science, ghosts shouldn''t exist. For an instant, she feels a cold hard hand on her back. Before she could turn around and look at the faceless man again, there''s a hard push. She finds herself falling through the mist. As the surface of the river draws closer, Wakana screams. "NO!" There''s a loud ssh. She is pulled into the water. It''s icily cold. Wakana turns her head around, looking at everything with her eyes wide. The water river is nearly as red as blood. Pieces of fleshes are floating around. She swims upward, fighting the violent flow of the river. The dark howls of the forsaken ones enter her ear. She looks up at the bridge and shouts, "You fucking faceless shit!" The man shrugs and walks away, toward the other end of the bridge as he always has. The noises have been bothering him but he has found a perfect solution. Wakana tries to swim toward the shore, iling her arms and legs around. The river pushes against her. The forsaken ones surround her quickly, starving for her souls. Something pulls her toward the bottom. Wakana kicks the thing''s face as she loses her momentum. The river takes a hold of her. There''s a peal of mockingughter. She finds herself losing to the raging stream as something bits her ankle. Wakana cries loudly. She could feel the forsaken ones'' desire for hunger a desire to engulf everything, finding pieces of their lost souls. No, she won''t lose herself to them. All of a sudden, she feels a suction. There''s a whirlpool in the river. How is that possible? Then again, the river is so wide that she can barely see the shore. The forsaken ones let go of her ankles. They scream, unable to resist the force that is pulling them toward the centre. What is there? Who is doing this? All the forsaken ones seem to be falling into the whirlpool. Wakana keeps swimming away, never stopping once even if she can barely reach the shore. The loud and painful wailings fill the air. Something is wrong with the river. Very very wrong. After what seems like an eternity, she reaches the shore. Wakanays down on the cold ground, panting for air. She turns her head and stares at the whirlpool again. What the hell is that? Amidst the loud wailings of the forsaken ones, she hears a whisper. "Save me." "Adira." "Someone" It''s a mournful cry for help. Wakana knows that she shouldn''t listen to it. She should turn her back to the river and walk away. "My daughters please." She stops. Is it a forsaken one? It doesn''t sound like one. A forsaken one only howls madly (as far as she has observed). She stares at the whirlpool. It seems to be slowing down. After some time, it should stop. Maybe she should observe this situation a little more. *** It goes on for a long long time. It could have been a minute. Wakana has no idea. It feels like an eternity sometimes. The whirlpool is finally gone. The river is clean. She can''t hear any sound from the forsaken ones. In fact, she can''t see any faces. When she looks at the river''s surface, she sees her reflection in the reddish water. The water is that clean. It seems like the forsaken ones are gone. Wakana ces her finger on her chin. Did the river clean itself? The flow is also low. It''s not violent. Instead, it''s calm and soothing. "Is this an illusion?" It could be. Then, she should go away. Where is she anyway? Is she at the purgatory side or mortal world side? "Save" Her feet halt in their tracks. "Me." Now, her feet feel too heavy to move. For whatever reason, Wakana can''t ignore the cry for help. "Damn it!" She takes a deep breath. "I am only going to take a look." Let''s hope that she doesn''t regret this. With many hesitating thoughts, Wakana jumps into the river and swims toward the area where the whirlpool was. No forsaken onees to bother her. No hands grip her ankles and pull her toward the bottom. Nothing strange happens. It feels like she''s swimming in any normal river. It doesn''t feel like the river of death anymore. She moves toward the bottom of the river. As she goes down, she feels that the water is turning warmer and darker. However, there''s something shining at the bottom. It''s small and flickering. Is it a coin or a diamond? As she gets closer, she realizes that she''s wrong. It''s not a coin or a diamond for sure. It''s a person who is glowing red. The woman ispletely naked. The woman''s skin is pale and white as the dead. Her long dark hair reaches her knees. And her lips they are bluish and bloodless. The woman has her eyes closed but her lips are moving slowly. Wakana has no idea why this woman is at the bottom of the river but she certainly can''t leave her be. She grabs her hand a hand that is so cold that it makes her flinch. Wakana resists the urge to let the woman''s hand go, and she drags the woman toward the shore along with her. After some time, they manage to reach the shore. Chapter 192: These creatures inside me Chapter 192: These creatures inside me Wakana drags the woman toward the shore, further away from the edge of the river. Sheys her down and checks her breathing. Then, she shakes her head. Both of them are already dead, aren''t they? "Normally." Wakana wrinkles her nose. "People shouldn''t be alive after spending so much time in the river without an oxygen mask." But both of them are breathing, even if it''s only for pretence. Wakana scrutinizes the woman''s face she has an oval face, pallid skin, and bluish lips that are regaining colour. The woman''s nails are ck and a little longer than they should be. Wakana wonders how did this woman end up inside the river. All the forsaken ones have disappeared from the air. "Excuse me?" Wakana leans closer to the woman cautiously. The woman hasn''t moved a bit since she brought her outside the river. Is she dead? Right! She can''t be more dead. But she should say something. Wasn''t she saying something in the river a while ago? Why isn''t she saying anything now? "Please open your eyes." The woman doesn''t open her eyes. "This is frustrating." Wakana exhales, "I can''t leave you and it''s too cold to be here with you." The woman''s lips tremble. "Adi" "What?" Wakana moves her ear closer to her lips."Say it again. "...Ra" "Ra?" Wakana blinks her eyes. What does Ra mean? She heard of an Egyptian god ''Ra.'' Is her name Ra? She looks at the woman. "Are you Ra?" There''s silence again. It seems that the woman is unconscious again. "Where do I find clothes for you?" Wakana inhales sharply. The woman is naked from the top to her toes. The tips of her toes and fingers are bluish. She''s also quivering due to the cold. Wakana takes off her dress. She''s still wearing a thigh-length thin and white innerwear. The woman needs something to wear. She puts it on the woman. "Let''s get you out of here." And she doesn''t know herself where they are at the moment. After the woman is dressed, Wakana takes a breath of relief. She rubs the woman''s palms and legs for some time. "My daughters," Wakana hears her whisper. This time, the woman''s voice is quite clear. "Please take me to my daughters." "Where are your daughters?" Wakana questions her, forgetting that the woman might be a ghost. "They are" The woman takes in the air, heaving her chest up and down, opening her eyes a little. She mumbles the address to Wakana. "Misaki is" "Aish! We are from the same country." Wakana grins. She notices that the woman''s eyes are the same shade of red as the river. "Even the same city. What a coincidence! But you look a little different from a Japanese person. Don''t mind. I will take you there. Do you think that you can walk?" The woman nods her head slightly. She tries to get up, but her feet wobble and she falls down. Wakana grabs her, wrapping the woman''s arm around her shoulders with her left hand and supporting the woman''s back with her right hand. "Lean on me." The woman does as Wakana says. They walk toward the edge of the afterlife where the mortal world begins. Thend around them is covered with the mist. The sky has no sun or moon. There are no signs of any stars or living beings. The ground changes: icily cold to volcanic hot, rugged terrain to smoothndscapes. Both of them clench their teeth and continue to walk through the mist that would also add to their torment sometimes. "What''s your name?" The woman asks with a steady voice. "Nakashima Wakana," Wakana replies cheerfully, "and you are?" "I am " The woman closes her eyes, wincing in pain. "No, that''s not my name anymore." Wakana flinches when she hears the screamsing from inside the woman''s body. Dark howls of the forsaken ones vibrate through the woman''s soul. Even the woman''s flesh moves strangely under the white fabric. She asks her awkwardly, "What is going on with you?" "I lost myself." The woman says to her, "I even lost my heart and will of my life to the forsaken ones but I wanted to return to someone and my children. So, I took them back from the things that took them." Took them back? Wakana swallows. "When I took them back," the woman continues with a heavy voice, letting out augh, "I didn''t expect them toe to me. Didn''t you hear about that saying? What you lose never returns to you in the form you want." "I thought it was" Wakana blocks the woman''s emotions or the emotions of the forsaken ones. She doesn''t want to know or feel that darkness. "The universe never grants us what we want but it usually gives us what we need." "Is that so?" The woman''s voice is heavy. "I wonder if I needed these creatures inside me. I am them now and they are me." "Your will to survive was stronger than their will to break you down." Wakana smiles at her. "You wanted to see your children and that ''someone'' so much that you even defied the universe." "You say nice things." The woman sighs. "But my life won''t be nice anymore: it had never been nice before. Life kept giving me priceless treasures and then, it would take me away from those priceless treasures as if it wasughing at me all the time." "Then, hold on to it tightly this time," Wakana advises her as the ground under their feet changes again. It''s cold and concrete. The mist is clearing. Wakana sees the glimpse of the sun in the sky. "We have arrived in the world." And they are surrounded by graves. Vines are growing on the edge of the walls. Wakana takes a deep breath. This is the same grave where she came around seven years ago. It hasn''t changed at all. "Can we stop at my mother''s grave before I take you to your home?" "Okay," the woman replies. Chapter 193: You have always been here Chapter 193: You have always been here Nakashima Wakana hasn''t said a word since theye here. The headstone is pale grey, covered with names of the departed with dates of birth and death right below the names, and thest loving words for the departed. Ari stares at the headstone of the grave. There''s not one grave. She reads the names one by one in her mind: Nakashima Wataru, Nakashima Wakana, Nakashima, Sayuri, Nakashima Nachiko. Except for Nakashima Nachiko, others have died on the same day. It seems like the girl''s entire family is buried here. Ari nudges her. "Are you okay?" "My sister and father also died." Wakana bursts into tears. "I don''t understand." She doesn''t know what to say. Members of the Nakashima family died before she went to Iravan. It''s already been years. After she came back, there was that fake god. It means Nakashima Wakana was dead at that time. "If you don''t mind, how did they die?" "I don''t know." Wakana bends down on her knees and ces her hand on her father''s grave. Before she died, she couldn''t meet her father. Even now, she can''t ept that her sibling and her father are dead. If she hadn''te here, she would have never known. She sniffles, "It''s my fault. They must have been too shocked after they heard about my death." Ari creases her brows a little. "How old are your father and sister?" "My sister was my age." Wakana''s voice breaks. "My father was fifty-six-year-old." They aren''t too old. Ari nces at the woman sobbing before her. "Do you truly think that shock could have killed them?" She needs to get home. At the moment, she''s too weak to even walk on her own. Ari looks up at the sky, wondering if her daughter, Misaki, is okay. "If my daughter is dead, I would be shocked. But I would try my best to find out how she died, Wakana. And if she had died because of another living being, I would rip that person''s body and soul bit by bit." Wakana raises her head when she hears those words. That''s right. Sayuri and her father were healthy. They had strong hearts. They wouldn''t die because of shock. She needs to find out how they died. "We aren''t alone." Ari turns her head to her right and releases her breath slowly. Her head is noisy desires of all the existences inside her are noisy. Her heart is crying. The wounds are not hers. To survive, she has paid a tremendous price. Neither her heart nor her eyes are human anymore. The man is old. Older than anything that Ari has seen and heard. He''s dressed in old grey trousers, ck boots, and checkered red and white shirt faded by countless seasons. The old man''s skin is dry and wrinkled. His eyes are pitch-ck. There are no whites in those eyes only silence. He''s holding clothes in his left hand. "In the beginning, there was only silence," Ari says to the old man. "In the end, there would be only silence." The old man gives her a toothy smile. He tosses the clothes at Wakana who is still crying for the dead. The old man takes a look at her. "Wear that, Soul Guardian. It''s amusing to see someonee back from the purgatory and cry for another dead." "You are a face of death." Ari moves to her left, shielding Wakana from death''s eyes. "Where''s your owner?" "Does the goddess remember herself now?" The old man sneers at her. "A pity! You are not a mortal goddess that brings equilibrium anymore." It''s easy to break something. It''s impossible to put it back the way it was before. Ari''s soul has been broken not once, twice, or thrice. She has taken births many times not once, twice, or thrice. Her goal has always been peace bringing back the world to equilibrium. Where Chaos disturbs the equilibrium, she helps ite back. However, she''s carrying chaos within herself.Though she''s not chaos, she''s not equilibrium either. Not anymore. "Goddess of the lost ones." The old man cocks his head and smiles. "You are still a counterpart of Chaos. You are Abyss... Well, you have always been that. The primordial gods often want to y mortal and you chose to y the role that brings bnce. Now, all the things that lose their meanings wille to you for shelter. Meanwhile, you carry one of the apocalyptic horses within you. Have you recognized which one it is?" "Pestilence," Her eyes turn silver as she acknowledges herself with an emotionless voice. After she was reborn from the forsaken ones, she''s also a goddess of forsaken ones. Pestilence is born from the forsaken ones the foul creatures unwanted by even hell. Death can''t touch her anymore because it also abhors her now. Life will shy away because she can''t be a part of the mortal world. She has goals not one or two, but thousands or millions. She doesn''t know anymore. Perhaps, that''s why she''s not rushing to see her daughters. "And you are the pale horse, Death." What the Wakana raises her head and gapes at Ari. An apocalyptic horse? She heard about it from reaper Martha. Did she bring out an apocalyptic horse to earth? "As you know, primordial gods often downy themselves as chess pieces to y in the world." The old man yawns. "The primordial god of death is simr. Then again, he tries hard and that''s why I am here." Death as the apocalyptic horse has always existed. Ari shrugs. "You have always been here..." in one form or another. She finishes the rest in her mind. "Faces of gods are parts of gods." Death shakes his head. "I am just doing what I need to do." "Where are the others?" Ari questions the old man quietly. "Where are Famine and Conquest?" "Conquest is," The old man nces at Wakana and smirks,"is already born. He''s a cute kid." Wakana doesn''t understand what this creepy old man is trying to say. There''s no way that an apocalyptic horse can be cute. "As for Famine..." The old man scratches his chin. "She is also here. I don''t know where she''s hiding. She''s shy, you know can''t be helped. I don''t know why the three of you need to make special appearances for the apocalypse. The four horses have always been around as the forces that act as the bnce. The world needs darkness for the stars to shine, right?" Chapter 194: Are you really a goddess? Chapter 194: Are you really a goddess? "I don''t believe in your philosophy." Ari curls her fingers. "I won''t argue either. I have taken birth in many worlds to save it from the ''said'' apocalypse that you and other gods wanted to bring. I am not sure about taking a part in your ns now." The old manughs. "Child, you have been a part of it since the beginning. Life and death are two sides of the same coin. You should know it before anyone else." Yes, she does. So do the beings inside her. Ari looks up at the grey. Colours are bothersome. Grey seems peaceful. A peace that can never be hers now. "Where is Mayhem?" That''s one of the Chaos'' names. "How would I know?" The old man clicks his tongue. "I haven''t seen Atvi either." "Ah Atvi." A dangerous smile forms on Ari''s lips. "She has dues." "Don''t tell me that you are going to find her now?" The old man looks at her curiously. "Abyss." There are primordial powers in the world: time, energy, death, darkness, light, Mayhem, Abyss, and gravity. Mayhem, who calls herself Chaos proudly, has been taking birth as a mortal in many worlds. Abyss, who has only been a will of the supreme one, was sent as a mortal goddess to those worlds. This cycle has been going on for a long time until Abyss has fallen into the river of death and every foul being, taking the title of the goddess of the forsaken ones. "I will look for her." Ari closes her eyes, furrowing her brows. "After I find my daughters." "Goodluck with that." The old man turns around and walks toward a dpidated shed at the horizon. "I am going to take rest before Conquest arrives." She shrugs and turns toward the pale woman sitting on the ground. Nakashima Wakana is watching her with big round eyes. Ari stares at her. "Are you afraid of me?" Wakana nods her head. "I didn''t know that you want to hurt people." "I only want to hurt the ones who dared to mess with me," Ari replies coldly. "I am sure that you also want to do the same to the ones who caused your family''s death." "I don''t know how they died." Wakana frowns at her. "How could I be hateful?" Ari says nothing. The woman is kind. Like she used to be. She has no heart to be kind anymore. If she had let Kresi die that day, her children could have been safe. Her heart has some regrets. "Help me get to T City," She requests Nakashima Wakana. At the moment, her body can''t move an inch without this woman''s help. It will take a few hours before her body fully recovers. "I am sure that you also need to find out how your family died." Wakana nods. Her elder sister''s grave isn''t here. She must be alive. "I need to find my elder sister." "I will help you in any way I can." Ari, awakened and reborn as a goddess, knows the meaning of promises and debts. She doesn''t want to owe this woman. She''s also a goddess. Wakana peeks at Ari as she grabs the coat that the old man threw at her earlier. Why is an apocalyptic horse nice to her? Aren''t they supposed to be enemies? And who is this Conquest? She wears the long coat over her long white lingerie. Famine is also here. Why do the reapers not know about this? After she''s dressed, Wakana holds the woman''s hand and helps her walk to the railway station. Surely, ghosts can fly. However, both Wakana and Ari are in a weakened state. While they are waiting at the railway station, Ari questions Wakana, "Are you really a goddess?" "Unfortunately, yes," Ari tells her. "Why do you think that it''s unfortunate?" Wakana narrows her eyes. "Do you like being a soul guardian then?" Ari gives her a dark look. Wakana thinks about it for a moment. Is it bad to be a soul guardian? She has helped ghosts, hasn''t she? "I don''t think that it''s bad." "I also used to think that it wasn''t bad to be kind." Ari stretches her legs. Her veins are stiff. Universal magic is slowly returning to her new flesh. The forsaken ones are also getting stronger inside her. "I was wrong though. One should know when to be selfish and when to be kind." To be honest, she was good as Adira''s Ari. Then, she wouldn''t be feeling the way she''s feeling now. The hopelessness cries of the forsaken ones are loud in her heart. There are more who need help. "If I wasn''t kind, you wouldn''t be here." Wakana nces at the dark sky. "Even if you carry an apocalyptic horse within you, I don''t regret it." Ari is silent. Is it a good idea for her to be here? "You want to see your loved ones." Wakana leans back in her seat. "I also wanted to see my family" Wakana also regrets dying that day. If she hadn''t died, her family could have been alive today. "I don''t know why I feel that my father and my sister died because of me." "They might have died because of you." Ari ps her hands together. The train is arriving. "They might not have died because of you. Until you find out, you should hold that thought." "I will do as you say." Wakana smiles at her sadly. The train halts in front of them. Wakana helps Ari get on the train. They sit on the empty seats on the back. Ari continues to watch the mortals who can''t see them. All the mortals seem to have some worries in their eyes: rent, fees, illness, rtionship, or a desire that can''t be met. They all seem unsatisfied with something. It''s rare to meet a soul that is content. Maybe the apocalypse is needed to remind these people about the basics of life. To help them reset the world and begin again. Chapter 195: Payback for bringing me out Chapter 195: Payback for bringing me out How could they have died? Father could have been sick but what about Sayuri? She shouldn''t have died. While Wakana is thinking about the reasons, Ari is staring at the man sitting on the opposite seat. The man hasn''t seen them. He''s gazing out of the window with a lost look in his eyes. On his neck, there are two puncture holes. The man will die soon. Ari leans forward and touches his index finger once. The man jumps in his seat, looking around. But he can''t see anyone. Confused, he frowns deeply and takes his hand to his chest. That''s enough. Ari leans back and closes her eyes, closing her mind to every noise. The man will live. The poison will move to someone else. And slowly, it will change the other creatures. Pestilence will start soon. *** After a few hours, they arrive in T City. The sun is a sick shade of grey. Wakana''s heart is heavy. Where should she go first? The police station? Her apartment? Her elder sister? "Who do you want to see first?" Ari asks her when she sees her frowning. Debts can be burdening. If she lets go of Nakashima Wakana, she''s sure that they won''t meet again. Probably not soon. "Let''s go to the ce that is closest to this station." "My sister''s office." Wakana takes a deep breath. "She should be there right now." "Okay," Ari replies calmly. They walk toward the exit. Nakashima Wakana is lost in thoughts, literally being guided by Ari who has nearly recovered her strength. Ari observes everything as she passes by people, objects, and every other creature silently. She nces at the newspaper that a man on the bench is reading. The date It''s already been ten years. Ten years since she gave birth. Ari doesn''t show any reaction on her face. She takes Wakana out of the station quietly. After they are on the road, she asks her sister''s address. The office isn''t far from where she used to live. It''s funny. She has expected so many things to have changed in ten years. And they did change. But the person who changed the most is herself. Did Adira find their daughters? She did sense him when he passed over the river of death. Maybe it wasn''t her. It could have been one of the forsaken ones. There were others: Noras, Aren, and Cina. They reach the office. It''s gone. Thew office has been reced by an entertainment agency. "I don''t understand" Wakana''s lips quiver uneasily. "Did something happen to her?" Ari sighs. This little guardian is rather "What about her ce?" "She lived on C Road." Wakana tells her quickly, "Maybe she still lives there." "Maybe." In ten years, a lot of things change. Ari doesn''t say much to the ghost. She takes her straight to the apartment building on C Road. The apartment is locked. They pass through the door and find the apartment empty. "She doesn''t live here anymore," Ariments. "Then, where" Wakana looks down at her feet. Her tears disappear into the air before they could fall on the floor. "Did she also die?" "She would have a grave if she did." Ari says to her, "Is there anyone else you want to meet?" "There is." Wakana creases her forehead. "He might not be in this country anymore." After all, Choi Minho is from K Country. "That''s something." Ari exhales, "I can''t wander with you to another country. I am afraid that this is where we must part." Wakana realizes that she''s been dragging Ari with her when she promised to take her to her daughters. "I am sorry. I should have taken you to your home No, we can still go there. Your ce isn''t far from here." "No." Ari shakes her head. "I am fine now. I can go by myself. Besides, there are things that wille to pick a fight with me. You will get in trouble." "But you still look" Wakana stares into her silver eyes. "Your eyes have lost all colours." "It''s my true form." Ari smiles at her. "You have helped me a lot but you are so clueless about things. That''s a little sad." "Clueless about what?" Wakana knits her brows. "Well, I didn''t know you had pestilence in you. Please keep good control over it. We don''t need an apocalypse right now." "Not for me or you to decide." Ari stares at her. "Since you have rejected reincarnation and came back from purgatory, took a dip in the river of death, and walked back to the mortal world, you have lost all the chances of reincarnation. You will exist as neither dead nor living." Wakana can''t care less about it. She announces proudly, "I don''t care. I would choose the same thing again." "That''s good. You aren''t alone. There are creatures like you in this world creatures who have lost their chances at salvation." Ari muses, "Your kindness has helped me and I don''t like any debts. So, let me tell you this. You still have a chance at salvation and your salvation is love. Maybe you already know who or what it is. If you know it, you should hold on to it." Salvation? Wakana doesn''t care about it either. What can salvation do? Can it bring back her father and sister? "Thanks." "And " Ari ces her finger between her brows. "It''s payback for bringing me out of the river. It will hurt a little. I guess it''s still nothing for bringing me out of my prison." There''s tearing pain in her skull. Wakana lets out a loud cry. Her sight turns ck. Wakana writhes on the floor. The hot pain sears through her veins. She raises her chest, feeling her gifts being torn apart. The pain reminds her of the awakening, breaking her, rebuilding her, only to break her again. The door is closed. The woman is gone. Wakana''s screams are unheard until they be so loud that it reaches someone on the other side of the city. Chapter 196: This child is so loud Chapter 196: This child is so loud [Ten years ago] When Chaos holds her, Misaki observes her closely. Chaos'' hands are cold. Though the woman feelsforting for some reasons, her voice isn''t as soft and cooing as the woman who used to sing to her and her sister. But her energy is quite familiar. What was her mother''s name? Was it Chaos? She doesn''t remember much about the time that she spent in her mother''s belly. Back then, her brain was barely developed. She could recognize her father''s energy because he was quite strong. She recognized her elder brother because he would often talk to her. As for her mother, her mother''s energy was different at different times.As much as she remembers, her mother''s energy had been soft and caring. She only felt love from her mother. It was gentle and safe. This woman feels familiar but she doesn''t feel gentle and safe. Misaki blinks her eyes slowly. She feels good when she''s near this woman. Why is it not the same? "You feelfortable because you are one of my faces." Chaos sits on her throne andys Misaki on herp. She looks down at the child. "You will feel morefortable with me than the woman who gave birth to you." The child might be young but she can understand the meaning of those words. This white-haired woman is not her birth mother. "Who are you?" "I am Chaos." Chaos tells her again, "You are one of my faces. I used to be your father''s wife. In a way, I am your mother." But this is not the rtionship that she wanted. Misaki''s lips tremble uneasily. Where is her mother? "At the bottom of the unholy river." Chaos ces her hand on the child''s eyes. "See it for yourself." Misaki sees her mother -- or pieces of her mother''s flesh and soul in the river of death. The forsaken ones are feeding on her. There''s barely anything left of her mother''s existence. The young child shivers on Chaos''p. "Isn''t she weak?" Chaos removes her hand from Misaki''s eyes. "I don''t like your name. Shall I give you a new one?" "I like my name," Misaki utters in anguage that only Chaos could understand. "Send me back to my father." Now, this child wants to go back. Chaos guffaws. "Why would I send you back?" "I want to go back to my father and sister." Misaki cries, "I WANT MY MOTHER!" Chaos flicks her finger and Misaki''s cries be silent. No matter how much the child cries, it wouldn''t make any sound. Misaki sniffles, ring at Chaos. "None of my faces are born without any purpose." Chaos says to herzily, "Stop pretending to be a child. I know that you have high intelligence. Your infant''s tactics won''t work on me." "I want my family." Misaki puckers her lips. "You are my father''s ex-wife. You can never be my mother." "I don''t want to be your mother." A crib appears next to the throne. Chaosy down the child in the crib. "I feel some powersing from your soul but there''s no magic. What kind of chaos are you going to stir?" "Send me back to my family!" Misaki keeps screaming in her mind. She knows that Chaos can hear her. "Father, where are you? Come and find me! Mother is in the river of death. You should find her too. Sister, there''s an evil goddess here. Save me now. Elder Brother, help me!" "Tch!" Chaos knits her brows and covers her ears. "This child is so loud." "HELP ME! SAVE ME! WHERE IS EVERYONE? AN EVIL GODDESS PRETENDED TO BE MY MOTHER!" Misaki shouts. "CHAOS BROUGHT ME TO SOME WHITE SPACE. CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? MOTHER, YOU MUST NOT GET EATEN. PLEASE DON''T DIE." "Your mother won''t die." Chaos barks at Misaki, "She''s also a goddess. How could she die? Furthermore, nobody can hear you. You are in oblivion. It''s a space that even traps gods." Her mother won''t die. Misaki calms down when she hears that. She looks at Chaos with interest. "Then, what is happening to her?" "Who knows?" Chaos sighs. "I didn''t send her to that ce well, in a way, I did. But I didn''t consciously send her to that ce. One of my faces acted on his own will. She''s supposed to be bncing me in the world. She was born as a mortal goddess. That''s why you are half-mortal. Say, don''t you want to be a full goddess? Then, you might be something on your own." Misaki narrows her eyes. "I won''t believe you, you evil goddess!" "You don''t have to believe me." Chaos rolls her eyes. "I don''t know why everyone thinks of me as evil when I am only doing my job." "It''s probably because you pretend to be other children''s mother." Misaki mutters, "I am only a baby. I want to be with my mother, father, sister, and elder brother. I want to ride Cina''s back." "You have your life figured out, haven''t you?" Chaos shakes her head. She can''t believe that this simple child is one of her faces. "I also had such simple goals once, but the world wouldn''t let me be. Since you are one of my faces, let me tell you something. Wherever you go, you will induce chaos. Whatever you touch, it will break. You are bound to live a miserable life. You don''t believe me, do you? What about your mother then? Didn''t she fall into the river because of you? After all, she was trying to find you." Misaki''s eyes well up. "I love my mother." "Yes, I also loved people." Chaos ces her hand on the child''s head. "What if I say that your family will do better without you? If I take you back, you will always bring chaos in their life. Instead of causing pain to your family, why don''t we cause pain in the lives of people who deserve it? You will get stronger and you will never ever get hurt." Chapter 197: My mother was a human Chapter 197: My mother was a human [Ten Years Ago] While Aren and Ai look for Renasir Ari in the fae realms and the adjacent pocket dimensions, Adira has been looking for Ari in the lower worlds. No matter how far he goes, he can''t find her essence at all. It''s like she''s gone from this world. To make it worse, her essence in the soil that he took from the ground where she did the true-naming has also disappeared. He keeps looking for her. Even if it takes all the eternity, he will look for her. Just like that, eight years are spent in the lower realms but he doesn''t find her. After reaching thest of the lower realm, he is surrounded by darkness. He wonders where she could be. If she has died, she could have taken rebirth. Which world would she go to? "Rebirth." He mumbles to himself, "Where do the souls go after death in this world?" He''s been in contact with Cina and Ai. She hasn''t returned home yet. Ai hasn''t heard about her in the fae realms. Then, there''s only one possibility: she must have died. Though he wants it to be thest possibility, it could be true. Ari would never stay far away from him or her children. She loves children. If she could go that far for Ai, what would she do for Misaki and Misumi? She would have found some way to return to them. Even if it means reincarnation, she would do that. Adira takes the key out of his sleeve and speaks to it. "Ai." [Lord, I am listening.] "How does Ari''s world works? Where do the souls go after their death?" [The system is different here. The souls cross some bridge and reach purgatory. It''s decided by their karma if they will be born in this world or another world. Some of them even go to hell before they are allowed to be reborn again. Time flows differently on the other side of the river.] River was it that river? Adira narrows his eyes. "Is it that river that was flowing between the mortal world and the world where you found Misaki?" [That''s a small stream that ends in the river of death.] Back then, he heard Ari''s voice there. However, he didn''t hear it again. Noras told him that the forsaken creatures often imitate people''s voices. "Have you heard about her? She might have crossed that bridge." [i went back a few times. I couldn''t find any of her traces on that bridge. But I will go back to other locations again. Someone might have heard or seen something if she did cross the river.] "Does forsaken creatures imitate the living?" Adira questions doubtfully. [Lord, they often do it to tempt the soul into jumping into the river. They are quite cunning.] Could Ari have jumped into the river? She might have been fooled by those creatures. Adira closes his eyes. He should have looked when he heard the voice. What could those creatures do to him? "Ai, go to the river. See if there''s any trace of her in the river. I heard her voice once." There''s a long silence. "Ai, I aming to the mortal world." Adira looks ahead in the darkness. "I know she''s not here." [My lord, I will look for her. If she has crossed to the afterlife, I will follow her there. I will find her trace before you arrive here.] Adira closes his eyes, inhaling the cold air. It''s better if she''s reincarnated. A new life is a hope indeed. "Ai, she''s your mother, isn''t she? Then, I am your father. Don''t call me Lord." Another long silence. "I will leave it as a choice for you." Adira gets on his feet. "Let''s find your mother." [You will be my father only if you marry her.] Ai''s calm voice rings out of the key. [Mother and Sister will be found. I have faith in them.] There''s been no news of Misaki either. Noras is looking for Misaki in the realms of gods. "Yes, I have faith in them." That''s all Adira can say. *** Ai puts the key in his pocket as he turns to face his elder brother. "Brother, we must go to the river of death." "Could Ari be there?" Aren frowns at the idea. "That river is dangerous." "We can be sure only if we go there." Ai looks around. They are in the ruins of the spring court. There''s been a war here recently. The ground is thered with blood and limbs of the dead. Only the broken walls of a pce remain. Someone must have rained fire here. Ai lets out a sigh. There''s no sign of living as far as he could see. "Don''t think about it much." Aren pats his brother''s back. "I believe that the culprit would pay for his crime someday." "I think that there''s something" Ai nces at the pile of charred corpses above a fallen wall. There''s been a slight movement underneath the remains of the wall. He could hear faint breathing. "Someone is alive." Aren also notices the fading energy under the pile of the corpses. The brothers go to the corpses and remove them one by one. After that, they remove the wall. There''s more concrete beneath them. Ai uses his branches to dig the ground until he finds a cer. He nces at his brother. Aren gives him a nod. Ai takes a breath before he breaks open the ground. There''s a piercing scream. In the dark corner, there''s a boy. His clothes are covered with sshes of blood. There are dried blood drops on his face. The boy''s dark hair is matted with blood and dirt. He ces his hands in front of his face, terrified. "We aren''t here to hurt you." Ai retracts his branches. "You cane out now." The boy shakes his head, huddling in the corner as if he would push through the walls if he could. Aren scrutinizes the boy. It seems that the boy is also hurt: his left ankle is broken. There''s a wet knife wound on his back. The right leg is half burnt. What could have happened here? There''s no time to waste. Aren jumps into the cer and grabs the screaming child. He lifts him up toward Ai. "He''s wounded. We can try to win his trustter. First, we should heal him." "That''s what we should do," Ai exhales as he takes the boy and walks toward a half-broken wall. He puts down the quivering boy on the ground and checks his wound. When the boy wouldn''t stop sobbing with his mouth closed, AI looks at him and says, "I swear that I won''t hurt you. You are a fae, right? You know the meaning of an oath." The boy has vivid green eyes. So vibrant and alive. The boy doesn''t utter a word. His breathing is ragged and shoulders are tensed. Ai looks over his shoulder. "Brother, can you heal him?" "I aming." Aren runs toward them. He bends down on his knees and checks the half-burnt leg. "Who did this to you?" "My mother locked me there," The boy whispers. "There was an evil sorcerer." "Don''t worry. Nobody will touch you now." Aren heals the boy''s body. "I am afraid that your body will have some scars." "I also have one on my back." Ai grins at the boy. "Tell me your name." "Faes shouldn''t say their true names," The boy tells him sullenly. The pain in his body is receding. These men are better than his brothers. "That''s true." Ai chuckles. "What is your calling name then?" "Jun," The boy utters hesitantly. "My mother was a human. So, my human name is Li Jun." Chapter 198: Its not like we died for real Chapter 198: It''s not like we died for real [Two Years Ago] Aren and Ai don''t question the boy much. While Aren tends to the boy, Ai looks for other survivors. There''s none. After Ai is sure that there''s nobody else alive other than the child, he buries the corpses and marks the graves. "We can''t leave him here." Aren says to Ai, "Whoever killed these people mighte back and kill this boy." "Let''s take him with us." Ai nces at the boy in his brother''s arms. Li Jun seems to be around nine-year-old. The boy is a half-human like him. "I will look for his familyter in the fae market. We should head to the river of death." Aren nods. He looks down at the boy. "Li Jun, if you know anything about your family, you should tell me." "My mother was brought here from the human world," Li Jun says with a soft voice. "She didn''t like this ce but she couldn''t leave this ce either. She told me that her parents sold her to the fae before she was even born. If she could, she would have sold me too." Ai purses his lips, not knowing what to say. They cross thends bathed with blood and reach thend of winter. Across the winter, the barrennds begin. If one keeps walking, they would reach the shore of the river of death. "Though she hated me, she died saving my life." Li Jun rests his head on Aren''s chest. "She locked me in the cer and told me not to make a noise. Her name was Li Jingyi. She was from C Country. Her father''s name was Li Zhihao. Her father sold her because he wanted money. The fae promised them money. Just a day before she turned thirteen, the fae brought her here. At the age of sixteen, she became my father''s concubine." Ai releases his breath. There''s no way that they can send this child to Li Zhihao. That man might send Li Jun again for money. "My brothers hated me because I was half-human." Li Jun''s voice is faint. He seems to be sleepy. "The crown prince hated me the most. He said that my mother was a ve. ''Concubine'' was just a fancy word for a female ve." "You don''t have to say anymore." Aren strokes the boy''s shoulder gently. "Go to sleep. I will wake you up when we reach the mortal world." Li Jun closes his eyes and falls asleep. "You did apulsion spell on him." Ai gives him a judgmental look. "That''s why he was talking emotionlessly." "I needed to know if he has a family." Aren heaves a sigh. "His life was tragic." "He doesn''t have a family here or in the mortal world." Ai shakes his head. "Let''s keep him with us then." "What are you saying?" Aren makes a face. "We can''t keep him. Don''t be like Renasir Ari." "We should be like her." Ai scowls at his brother. "If she didn''t keep me, I wouldn''t be alive. Anyway, where should we leave this boy? He''s half-fae. He would always be different from humans. Do you want to send him to the orphanage? Orphanages are worse. There''s never enough to eat. Rilyah, I and Cina survived because we were different. We always had to pretend because humans don''t treat different kids nicely." Aren purses his lips. His brother must have lived a hard life in the human world. He nces at the boy''s face. The child will have scars on his body and soul. "Alright, we will keep him. If he ever wants toe back here, we will let him do so." "Alright," Ai mutters. They are walking on the shore of the river of death. The beginning and end of this river are unknown. Ai looks at the river''s surface. The glimmer of red is faint. It seems that something is cleansing the river. "Is something happening in the river?" Aren turns his head toward the left. "All the foul creatures are moving in that direction." "I don''t know the working of this world." Ai stumbles against something. He looks down and finds a milestone with strange letters. "I can''t read thenguage of the afterlife either." "Let me take a look." Aren bends down his waist while carrying the boy in his arms. "I think that it says the bridge is ten miles away?" "You are guessing." Ai doesn''t know what to do with his brother. His brother is dumber than he looks. If he says that the bridge is ten miles away, one can guarantee that the bridge is either on the other side of the world or only a step away. Ai thinks about what the dark lord said. "Brother, could she have fallen into the river?" Aren shudders. "She would better not." "Then, we should find out whether she reincarnated or not." Ai gestures him to walk ahead. As he has predicted, the bridge is only ten steps away from the milestone. "This bridge goes to the afterlife." "Should we take the boy with us?" Aren questions him with a creased forehead. "What else can we do?" Ai looks around. Many ghosts are stuck in the mist. But the mist doesn''t affect them. It must be because they are born in Iravan''s Karma system. "We can''t leave this boy here." "Let''s go then." Aren climbs the bridge. "He will be safe as long as he''s with us." Ai walks behind his brother. The boy is still asleep. After they are halfway on the bridge, Ai exims, "Brother, you should have waited at the shore with this boy." "Ah" Aren raises his chin, realizing his mistake. "I guess I could have." "Is it okay to take a mortal with us?" Ai knits his brows, worried. "Fae realm does fall in this karma system." "Aish! What could go wrong?" Aren looks at him. "We are only crossing the bridge. It''s not like we died for real. We will bring him back with us. If they cause problems, we will run away." "Okay then." Ai doesn''t argue. All they have to do is find out whether Renasir Ari has reincarnated or not. Surely, they can''t force a living person to die. Chapter 199: Its better to destroy this vile thing. Chapter 199: It''s better to destroy this vile thing. Purgatory is always busy. Today is not any different. There''s a long queue in front of the help desk. Aren and Ai ignore the queue and go straight to the helpdesk. Aren hides the boy under his cloak as he moves closer to the helpdesk. While Ai blocks the confused ghost with a smile, Aren goes to the help desk woman and asks, "Lady, I have a query." "You are breaking the queue." The woman eyes him darkly. "And you are alive." Not just him, the boy who is blocking the ghost is also alive. "Can you tell me if someone named Takayama Ari died or not?" Aren inquires with a polite voice. "It''s quite urgent. She was born on Iravan too. Her name was Well, it''s still Ari." "Just tell me your name." The woman clicks her tongue. "Ari is amon name. I will do the contact tracing." "I am Arenyr Starfire." Aren tells her, "Also, I am from Iravan." The woman types on theptop and furrows her brows. "Takayama Ari. She was forced to transmigrate to Iravan. Then, she returned to her body around nine years ago. After giving birth to two daughters, she disappeared from the world." "Does it say disappear?" Aren narrows his eyes on the woman. "Doesn''t it say where she is now?" "There''s no record after that." The woman clicks the mouse frequently. "If she had died, we would have a record. Was a god involved? They always mess up the records." "Gods?" Aren raises his brow. "Does it say something about a god named Ryou?" "Ryou?" The woman scratches her chin. "It says that she met with a face of chaos after she came back to earth. Then, she chased after the face of chaos. However, there''s nothing after that. It seems like she isn''t in the surveince cameras anymore." Surveince what? Aren feels a shiver down his spine. Are there spy cameras in the world? This world is creepy. "Can you give me a list of ces where the surveince cameras are not present?" "Realms of gods." The woman looks at him. "Broken realms, forsaken realms, private realms, shattered realms, the realm of death, the river of death, chasms of hopelessness, the world of devils and some of the lower realms, hell, heaven, the furthest realms, the realm of" "Okay, I get it." Aren smiles at her. He''s sure that Ari wouldn''t go too far from this world. The Dark God has looked into the lower world. God Noras has knocked heaven and the other upper realms to check whether Misaki is there. Surely, he would have said something if he had found any traces of Ari. That day, Chaos didn''t seem like she had Ari with her. Then, there''s only one ce left. It''s the ce where the Dark God had heard Ari''s voice. Aren leans closer to the window. "How often does the river of death gets the cleaning done?" The woman looks at him as if he has grown three heads. Even seeing that wouldn''t be as surprising as hearing that the river of death gets any cleaning done. "Say, we are already busy with the countless souls that pass through here. Do you also want us to clean the river of death? Don''t even think of suggesting this idea to our boss." "My apologies." Aren signals Ai to release the confused male ghost. "We are leaving then." "Wait!" The woman squints her eyes on them. "You and your brother aren''t from this world. So, I guess that it won''t do you any harm if you go back. However, why do I sense the life energy of this world on you?" "It could be because we have been living in this world for years." Aren blushes as he trails off. "We have been with a few women before we came here. Their energies might be on us." "Go away." The woman clicks her tongue. "Wasted so much of my time, hmph!" Aren and Ai head toward the exit quickly. On their way, they hear strange rumours among the ghosts. "Did you hear that the soul guardian returned to the mortal world?" "It''s been years though." "The reapers still talk about it. Before she left, she did something horrible." "What did she do?" "I heard that she helped a sinner escape through the door of reincarnation." "Why is it a problem though? The door to hell is still not working." "Well, that sinner was special. She had to go through cleansing in hell. Otherwise, she would bring great chaos in her next life. There''s a problem in the higher ups. The reapers are punished. I heard that a higher entity has been punished too." "That sounds scary." "There was an inspection visit from the higher department. They found where she was reborn but" "But?" "The child is in protection. They can''t touch her. In fact, I heard that she''s half-mortal." "Is that bad?" "It means that she can''t be killed easily. She was born in a private world. Also, her father is a super powerful guy." "I don''t know why but I am happy that they are having problems." "You are always happy for other people''s demise." "True, but aren''t they always happy when they are punishing us? Even in my next life, I am going to suffer a lot." At the exit, Ai nudges Aren''s elbow. "Brother, what are you listening to?" "They talked about a half-mortal." Aren trails after his brother. "I wonder who she is." "Let''s not worry about others now." Ai stares at the thick white mist. "The mist is blocking us." The boy in Aren''s arms moves a bit. Aren covers the boy''s face andpels him to sleep again. "The bridge shouldn''t be far from here." "I will find it." Ai closes his eyes and concentrates. The sound of the river is different under the bridge. The echoes are louder. Ai opens his eyes and ces his hand on his brother''s back. "Walk along with me. The mist wants us to separate." "Why do you speak thenguage of the mist?" Aren questions him. "Even I can''t do that." "It''s a part of my true name," Ai exins as he guides his brother toward the steps leading to the bridge. "My mother gave me a good name." They climb the steps and start walking on the bridge. Both of them feel stabbing pain under their soles. "What the" Aren res at the ground. "Is it trying to torture us?" "I wonder if I should break this bridge." Ai frowns hard. "I don''t like feeling needles under my feet." "If we do that, people won''t be able to cross over to the afterlife." Aren shakes his head at the idea. "I don''t know what will be our punishment." "We are not in this system. We won''t be punished." Ai replies glumly, "Anyway, who would know that we did it?" "Let''s do this after crossing the bridge." Aren gives in. The ground is scalding hot now. "Darn! I feel my skin being peeled off." Ai walks to the railing of the bridge and looks at the river. The river is stark clean, free of any foul spirit. "Brother, the river ispletely cleaned." He climbs on the railing. "Let''s destroy the bridge and jump into the river." "Fine!" Aren yells. It''s not like they can cross the bridge when it feels like they are walking on the edge of the sword. It''s better to destroy this vile thing. Chapter 200: Evil is inside everyone Chapter 200: Evil is inside everyone [Present.] Ai and Aren jump into the river with the boy who remains asleep. They swim across the river with the boy, not before they st the damn bridge together. "I am satisfied after seeing this gone." Arenys down the boy. The spell is still keeping the boy asleep. Aren checks the boy''s feet. Strangely, the boy''s feet are also wounded. Aren ponders solemnly, "I carried him all the way. How could he get his feet wounded?" "It must be symbolic." Ai''s eyes dart to the left and the right. He scans the river. "Brother, I am going to look for my mother." "I will be waiting here," Aren replies as he begins healing the boy. The river is truly clean. As of now, it''s free of the spirits, souls, or the forsaken ones. If there''s no cleaning service, who did it? He walks into the river until the water reaches his chest and bends his knees. He keeps his eyes open. The water is slightly red but he can see things. New ghosts are entering the river. Where did the old ones go? He looks for any sign of his mother. He spreads his arms as his roots outstretch from his back. He releases his senses outward. As far as he could feel, there''s no beating heart other than the ones that belong to his brother and the boy. While looking for any trace of his mother, Ai finds the point where extreme energy is concentrated. He swims in that direction. The area is extremely clean. The ground is deep. Ai stays still in the same spot where Ari was. Mother has been here. Not too long ago. Ai can''t feel his mother here anymore. She must have left this ce. He returns to the shore where Aren and Li Jun is. "She was here," Ai informs Aren as he steps out of the water. "She must have returned home." "Cina hasn''t said anything yet." Are takes his key out of his pocket. "Let''s ry this information to others." The key connects to Adira and Cina right away. [She hasn''t arrived here yet.] They hear Cina''s voice. [I am about to reach the mortal realm.] The Dark God announces. "If she had been in the river for all these years, she must have been stuck here," Aren says. "We will search for her in the mortal realm. I am sure that she wouldn''t have gone far." Ai nces at the river. What did Mother do to those forsaken creatures? Was she here when they were crossing the bridge? Then, why didn''t he sense her? They head toward the mortal realms. After walking for half a day, they reach the cemetery that connects the mortal realm and the afterlife. Nearly all the cemeteries connect the afterlife and the mortal realm. *** Cina walks out of the house, hoping to see Renasir Ari. It''s been ten years. He''s been waiting for her. Is she going to appear here today? "What''s wrong?" Amami calls out for him from the house. "Who are you looking for?" "We found the traces of Renasir Ari." He yells back with excitement, "I think that she wille back home today." Amami walks out of the house. Thanks to Cina''s spoiling, she has turned into a plump woman again. Every night, he would hug her to sleep. She has no idea why he wouldn''t do anything more. Despite being married, he wouldn''t do anything more than hugging or touching her. Maybe he''s holding himself back because Renasir Ari hasn''t returned. Maybe he thinks that she isn''t in love with him yet. She has given up on ever losing her virginity. For some reasons, she doesn''t mind living this kind of life. "Is it time for her arrival?" She stands next to her husband and holds her hand. "The clouds do speak of" "Mother, " Cina exims when he sees a familiar woman walking in their direction. Ari looks at him. The boy hasn''t changed. His memories haven''t returned. It seems that he''s living as an invisible God with the woman beside him. She nces at the goddess of rain before she turns her dark gaze toward the house. "You are finally home." When Cina takes a step toward Ari, Amami grabs his wrist and pulls him back toward her. "What are you doing?" Cina looks at her with confusion in his green eyes. "Amami, that''s Renasir Ari." "No." Amami drags him within the threshold of the gate. Her face is ghastly pale. She keeps her gaze fixed on the woman in a white dress. "She''s not Renasir Ari anymore." Cina doesn''t understand why Amami is reacting that way. He doesn''t think of it much either. He looks at Ari. "Mother, this is my wife. I was in a little hurry when I married her. But I was always waiting for you. I won''t consummate our marriage without your blessing." The woman is all things foul. Amami purses her lips. How could they let her out? No just how did she be what she''s today? Amami holds Cina''s arm tightly, not letting him move toward the woman. As long as they are inside the threshold, the woman can''t harm them. The house is old but it has protection from the foul creatures. "Blessings," Ari mumbles as if it''s a strange word. She steps toward them. "I can''t bless you anymore, Cina." Cina notices then. The woman is not Renasir Ari. There''s not that warm look in her eyes anymore. Her eyes are dark and lifeless. Her lips are a dark shade of purple. Her nails are inky ck; however, her skin is stark white. Though she looks like Renasir Ari, her aura haspletely changed. "Who are you?" He asks her gravely. "I used to be Takayama Ari," She replies to him. "Then, I became Kresi Mirin. For a while, I was Ari Ashbourne. After that, I became Takayama Ari again. Right now, I am" She lets out a sigh. "I am many but I am one. I will stick with Ari to keep things simple." "What happened to you?" His voice is barely a whisper. He could imagine the things that could have happened to her. "Are you human?" "I had to survive." Ari stares at the house. "Where are Misaki and Misumi?" "Misumi is in Iravan," Cina tells her hesitantly. "Kresi took Misaki with her." Ari doesn''t show any reaction. She sps her hands behind her back. "Why would she do that?" "In thest ten years, we heard a few things," Cina studies her quietly. If he continues to keep her busy, Ai and others will arrive here in time. "The false rain God was the face of another God." "It was one of the faces of chaos," Ari glimpses at the rain goddess. "You married a rain goddess." Amami bites her inner cheek, wondering if she can protect Cina from Ari if Ari decides to hurt Cina. "Mother, I am sorry that I married her when you weren''t here" Cina falters. "I really like her." "It''s alright." Ari shrugs nonchntly. "Life must carry on. You shouldn''t hesitate when ites to love." Amami rxes her shoulders a little when she hears those words. But she still can''t trust this woman. "About Misaki" Cina puts his hand in his sleeve, pressing the key. "Mother, Noras is looking for her in the realms of Gods. It''s just that we don''t know which goddess Kresi is." "She''s Chaos." Ari closes her eyes and inhales. "It''s been ten years" "Now that we know who she is, we will find her in no time." Cina smiles at her. "Mother, why are you standing outside? You shoulde --" Amami covers his mouth. She widens her eyes as she warns him, "Don''t say that word. If shees inside, we might get hurt. She''s something evil too powerful for both of us. Because of the creature inside her, she can''te into the house." He removes her hand. "Amami, don''t call her evil." "She might have been good in the past but we can''t trust her blindly." Amami looks at Ari. "Why do I sense evil from you? It feels like you are carrying an eternity old evil inside you." "Evil is inside everyone." Ari takes a breath. "Evil inside me is stronger than the necessary evil in this world. So what? I won''t harm Cina or you." Chapter 201: Dont look for me anymore Chapter 201: Don''t look for me anymore She''s not evil. That''s what she wants to believe. However Ari nces at her hand. She has ruined that woman, hasn''t she? Though she wanted to help that woman, it might not be helpful. There Gods. Demons. Everything else. And then, there is her. Goddess of the forsaken ones. An abyss. She''s Ari Takayama. That''s what she wants to believe. Ari smiles at Cina. "Are you afraid of me, Cina?" "No, Mother." He shakes his head and returns her smile. "Why are you standing outside? This is your house." Not anymore. She doesn''t tell him that. Takayama Ari scrutinizes his face. This god is the reason why Adira had to go to Qeshaya again. Was that the beginning? Whom does she want right now? Gods are nothing to ves to their own desires. It''s a cage. Why would she ever hate Chaos? That goddess is bound by her own needs. But there are things that Mayhem should have never touched. Her daughter Misaki should have been with her sister and father. "I don''t feel good, Cina." Ari whispers, "Can you help me?" "What happened to you?" Cina takes a step toward Ari. At the same time, Amami holds Cina''s arm and pulls him back. "Don''t go to her!" Amami yells. "Can''t you sense it? It doesn''t matter what she used to be. She''s not the same person. I can hear the cries of the forsaken ones. She brought something evil with her. Don''t go, please." Cina knows what she means. Renasir Ari has something evil inside her. But he doesn''t believe that it makes her evil. Furthermore, he needs to keep her here until others arrive. Cina pats Amami''s hand on his arm reassuringly and smiles. "Gods can''t die, Amami." "But" Amami begins to say. He shakes his head at her and removes her hand. "Stay inside." "Mother." Cina walks toward Ari, crossing the threshold. He knows that he won''t die. Renasir Ari is not evil either. With a light smile on his lips, he gives his hand to her. "Come inside the house. The Dark God will be here soon." "Will he now?" The corner of her lips curls up into a sneer. "When I called him, he didn''te to me." Called the Dark God? Cina widens his eyes. "When was it, Mother?" "Too long." Ari cocks her head slightly, watching him with azy gaze. "You also passed over the remnants of my flesh and soul. I even felt it when Ai crossed the bridge with my daughter. That''s why I came back here." Cina''s fingers tighten around the key. Can they hear what she''s saying? They need toe here quickly. Renasir Ari isn''t the same. "We didn''t feel you" "I was already destroyed by that time." Ari sighs. "It hurt more than the time I erased by myself along with the corruption in the dark ehr." The forsaken ones kept tearing her flesh until nothing remained. They gnawed on her bones until thest of it was gone. They fed on her soul until she became them. And then, they became her because she had the greater will. "Mother, pleasee inside with me." He reaches for her hand hesitantly. There''s a repelling aura around her. A part of his mind tells him to stay away from her. But he forces himself to get closer to her. "You are still Renasir Ari." "It''s annoying to hear you call me that." Ari lowers her brows, frowning slightly. "Cina, you are not my son. The names of my children are Misaki Takayama, Misumi Takayama, and Ai Takayama." He has always wanted her love but she''s always been reluctant. Even in his earliest memories of her, she had been extremely awkward to the idea of him being her son. It''s not like he doesn''t understand it. His previous self had attacked her and wanted to hurt Ai. He had done a fair share of wrong deeds. "I want to apologize for the things that I did before I lost my memories," He says to her steadily. "I won''t call you Mother if you hate it, Renasir Ari. However, you are someone I deeply respect and care for. Please give me a chance to be someone valuable to you." Ari lets out augh, raising her chin. Her eyes shine. "When Adira lost his memories, he treated me like a slut. When you lost memories, you started treating me like a mother." "The Dark God remembers," Cina tells her quickly. He gives her the key. "We didn''t know that you were in the river. We looked for you in every other ce. Mo -- Renasir Ari, please forgive us for not being able to find you." Ari looks at the key in his hand. "So, he remembers now." [Mother.] Ai''s voicees out of the key. [Please forgive me for not being able to protect Misaki. If I had any clue that you were in the river, I would have gone inside there.] "I know," She murmurs. "You tried your best. You saved Misaki from those lowly beasts. You certainly did a better job than her father." [Ari] The voice is dark and husky. It hasn''t changed in the years. [I am almost there. We will find Misaki together.] "You couldn''t find her in ten years." Ari picks up the key from Cina''s palm. "Why did you look for me? Was my life more important than Misaki''s?" [Yes.] The Dark God''s clear voice rings out. [You are the most important to me.] "You didn''t think the same around ten years ago." Ari smiles coldly. "Why should I always forgive you, Adira? You forgot me. Then, you didn''t believe me when I said that I carried your children. You wanted to hurt Ai. When you found Misumi, you didn''t try to look deeper. Ai and I were gone. You didn''t care." [Ari, I can exin I know that I did wrong. I truly didn''t remember anything.] "You have never cared about me." Her voice is dolorous as it grows faint. "Even before you had lost your memories, you have always done what you wanted to do. Impregnating me when you knew that I was going to do the true-naming Adira, you wanted to find an excuse to not let me shape a true name for Ai." [Because true naming is dangerous, Ari!] The Dark God yells. [I was worried that something would happen to you and it did happen. I heard the truth from Rilyah. You came to this world that day. You got hurt aftering here. You should have never left Iravan whether I remembered or not.] "Ah." She snorts. "So, you did impregnate me because you didn''t want me to shape Ai''s true name." [Ari How could that be the only reason? You like children. You kept saying that you didn''t want to marry me] "But you never understood why." Ari takes a deep breath. "If you feel that Misaki is your child, look for her. At least, your priority was Misaki and Misumi before you regained your memories. Don''t look for me anymore. You and I can never be together." [Where are you going?] The Dark God asks her with a distressed voice. [Don''t go anywhere.] Ari''s fingers curl around the key. The ivory key shatters, turning into dust. "Are you going somewhere?" Cina asks her slowly. "Yes." Ari nces at the rain goddess. The plump woman is pale and sweaty. She lets out augh and questions Cina, "Do you love her?" "Yes," Cina answers her as he peers at the branches of a tree slowly descending toward Ari. He needs to keep Renasir Ari here. She''s not herself. That''s why she''s saying these things. It will be fine after she meets the dark god. "No, don''t!" Amami screams as she hurries toward Cina and Ari. All of sudden, she feels a punch in her gut. Stumbling on her feet, Amami grabs the gate. When she looks up, she finds Ari watching her with cold white eyes. "What are you?" Amami gasps. She screams when she feels something tearing her inside. Amami coughs up blood as she drops on her knees. Gods can''t die. She''s sure that she won''t die either. But this crushing pain What is happening to her? "Re-Renasir," Cina quavers. Ari''s hand is on his cheek. His whole body is paralyzed. He can''t move from the spot. The tree behind Ari has shattered into pieces. "Please forgive me." "You keep apologizing to me." Ari clicks her tongue. "Why should I ept apologies from someone who doesn''t remember a thing? Cina, what if I tell you that you have never been forgiving? I guess telling won''t do." Cina feels a searing pain in his head. Blood oozes out of his eyes and ears. Shadowy red ws envelop his body, piercing him. He raises his head to look at her. His eyesight is blurred by the blood. He croaks, "Renasir." "I wonder if you will still love this woman after you remember." She fists her hand and the red shadows return to her body. Cina falls on the concrete. "If you apologize to me after you remember, I might consider forgiving you." After hearing those words, Cina''s mind goes ck. Chapter 202: You arent a part of afterlife either Chapter 202: You aren''t a part of afterlife either "It''s unusually tiring." Ari looks at Cina and Amami lying on the concrete. She murmurs to herself, "He''s not himself but he believes that he is." Everything has been a mistake. "Adira wasn''t himself when he was Kyo." She looks up at the darkening sky. "When he lost his memories, was he himself? Maybe he wasn''t himself then either. But I don''t think that I have ever known him." He didn''t understand her either. And she''s tired of this long game. "I don''t want to be a part of this game, but I am still a part of it." Countless voices resonate with her voice as she continues, "Darkness and light reject us. So we also reject the darkness and light. We shall make our own ce." They must free their brethren. Ari closes her eyes and inhales the wind. "I understand. I won''t abandon you. You are already a part of me." There are dark creatures who belong to the darkness. There are also creatures who belong to the light. Humans can always choose what they want to be. So, the world is often thought to be divided in ck and white. Then, there are creatures who are abandoned by both light and darkness. They are called forsaken ones. Some of these creatures have been dwelling in the river of death. They aren''t recognized by anyone. If they escape the river of death, they are sent to the unbreakable prison. These creatures are Ari now. She''s them. They have chosen to follow her and she has embraced them. "Even if I am a goddess, I am only recognized by you now." Ari sighs as she walks away from Cina and Amami. "I wonder where Chaos is hiding." How long will it take for heaven to notice? Well, heaven is just a small part of the light. "Mother!" Ari turns her head to her left. A familiar boy is running toward her. It''s been a long time since she saw him. Ai has grown up. He''s no longer a boy. She has missed so much. He stops in front of her, panting for air. Ari scrutinizes him, trying to see the boy whom she left around ten years ago. His features are sharper and he''s a head taller than her. The colour of his eyes hasn''t changed -- and he hasn''t changed the way he looked at her. "Mother, are you going to leave me again?" He questions her with wide eyes. Ai notices that her eyes have changed. Even the air around her has changed. "I need you toe with me." Ari says to him in a low tone, "Ai, I am going to look for Misaki. That''s why I need your help." "I will follow you anywhere." Ai reaches for her hand. "Mother, what happened to you in the river? You smell different. Why do I sense evil inside you?" Ari steps back quickly, not letting Ai touch her. She looks at him calmly. "Ai, I am no longer" "Ari!" Aren''s shout interrupts her. She sees another maning in her direction. Ari closes her mouth as she knits her brows. Her gaze falls on the bundle that Aren is holding. "You are alive." Aren scrutinizes her face. "Why are your eyes white? Have you also changed your appearance like Kresi? Damn it! You look evil!" Ai exhales, shaking his head. Why can''t his brother be sensible? She ignores Aren''s words and stares at the little boy in Aren''s arms. "Where did you find that boy?" "Him." Aren nces down at the boy who is still under the sleep spell. "We found him in the fae realm. I don''t think that he has a family." "You went to the afterlife with this boy." Ari''s cold gaze makes him shiver. She adds, "You and Ai are from Iravan. You wouldn''t be a forsaken one. It''s not the case for this boy. The river of death also flows in the fae realm." Aren creases his forehead. What is she trying to say? What forsaken one? He looks at Ai for some clue. His younger brother is watching Ari with a grave look in his eyes. Did they do something wrong to the boy? "I will take him then." Ari takes a step toward Aren and takes the boy from his arms. Though the boy is around ten-year-old, she carries him with ease. When she puts her hand on the boy''s head, his body stirs. The boy opens his eyes and raises his head to look at her. The woman''s skin is chalky and white. Her lips are purple. Confused, he blinks his eyes. "Who are you?" "Because of these two idiots, you are not a part of the living world anymore." She strokes the boy''s head. "How old are you?" "I am ten." He lowers his eyes thoughtfully. "Am I dead?" "You aren''t a part of the afterlife either." She sighs. "Even though I am like this, I am still picking up kids." "Mother, is this boy going to be okay?" Ai questions her cautiously. Honestly, he wants to ask if she''s going to be okay. But it doesn''t seem like she would answer any of his questions. "I will protect him," She replies as she puts down the boy on the ground and looks into his green eyes. The boy swallows and curls his fingers, afraid of the woman in front of him. Though she sounds kind, he doesn''t believe her. He has met many people who acted kind first and then they would change suddenly. "It''s going to hurt a little." Her voice is lighter than a feather. Ari presses her thumb between his brows, binding the boy to her. The boy thrashes his arms and screams madly. It feels like countless needles are passing through him, sewing him to something darker. Just then, he hears a cool voice. He opens his eyes and finds himself standing under a clear blue sky. His feet are dipped in the water. He looks around in confusion. There are men and women standing around him. Some are in modern clothes. Some are in strange clothes. All of their eyes are closed. "These are your past lives." The boy raises his hands in front of his chest, startled to see the woman. It''s the same woman who was holding him a while ago. "As a forsaken one, you are even abandoned by your past." Another woman appears next to Ari. The woman is wearing a long blue dress. However, there''s blood on her clothes and face. The woman has her eyes closed like the other. "Mother." The boy goes to the woman. "You are here." When he touches her hand, she disintegrates like a dream. At the same time, all the figures except for Ari disintegrate. The boy shrieks in pain as he falls in the water. His body twists miserably. He feels his bones reshuffle. His skin changes as the water seeps into his skin. "You are no longer bound to this world or the people of this world. You are freed from the karma, debts, and promises of your past lives." Ari bends down on her one knee and ces her hand on his forehead. "You are a forsaken one. You are one of my people now. All the bindings of your past lives will be. I am giving you a new name. You are Scias." Chapter 203: Beginning was always silent Chapter 203: Beginning was always silent Ai stops his brother from touching the boy. "Don''t." "Can''t you see that she''s hurting him?" Aren pants. "What''s wrong with Renasir Ari?" Ari''s eyes are also closed. Her thumb is still on the boy''s head. The boy''s eyes are rolled back. His voice is hoarse from screaming. "Please trust her." Ai tells him quietly, "I heard about the forsaken ones. It''s a punishment in this world for the creatures who are abandoned by all the gods of the realms. Whether it''s darkness or light, they aren''t part of it anymore. The boy might have turned into a forsaken one after we brought him back from the afterlife." "Then, what about us?" Aren scowls at him. "We should be like him too." "Brother, we are a part of Iravan." Ai reminds him, "Our souls don''t follow thew of this world." Aren understands his words now. "Then, we are the reasons why this boy became" "Yes." Ai takes a deep breath. "As much as I know, Forsaken ones are sent to the unbreakable prison or they are eaten by sweepers." Sweepers? Aren knits his brows. He has never heard of them. "I have only heard about them from some creatures in this world," Ai tells his brother. "All I know is that they aren''t nice." Ari removes her hand from the boy''s forehead. She takes a step away from the child, cocking her head to observe him in silence. The boy opens his eyes. There''s a chalky texture to his skin and his green eyes are now silver. He holds Ari''s hand, no longer afraid or hesitant. "Are you okay?" Aren questions the boy with concern in his eyes. "I am fine." The boy smiles at Aren. "I feel lighter now." What does that mean? Aren looks at Ari. She shrugs and looks away. There''s no exnation from her. It seems that there will never be any exnation from her. "You aren''t in any pain?" Aren asks the boy doubtfully. "No." The boy grins at him. "I am as light as a feather." What does that suppose to mean? Ai studies the boy. He can''t quite say it. Something is different about the boy. Is it the air around the boy? What is his mother doing? The boy turns to the woman. "How should I address you? I don''t know your name, Lady." "A long time ago, some called me Abyss," Ari replies in a mncholic tone. "I had many mortal names. I can''t ever reveal my true name to you. You can call me anything you want." "Mother, you are Takayama Ari." Ai stares at her. "Why do you need to change your name again?" "I am no longer human." Ai takes Scias''s hand and sighs. "We should leave before that bothersome man arrives here. I already have a headache Oh --" She squeezes her eyes shut, wincing in pain. "I guess I need to take care of my promise before I go and look for Misaki." "Lady Ari." Scias looks up at her. "Who is Misaki?" "Of all the names, you are choosing my old name." She looks down at the boy with silver eyes. "Alright, I will keep that calling name. It''s better than being called something as boring as a goddess of forsaken ones." "You still have people who call you that." Scias looks down at his feet. "Everyone who could call me by my old name is dead." The boy is right. There are people who call her that. She doesn''t have a reason to abandon this name. It''s just a calling name anyway. Ari pats his head. "You won''t be alone." Scias is aware of that. There are others like him. The forsaken ones. He could feel their presence. "Let''s take you to a ce where you could belong," Ari says to the boy before she turns her head toward Aren. "Do you want toe with me?" "Yes," Aren answers her in a beat. It doesn''t seem like he can keep her until the dark god arrives. Besides, they are away from the house where Cina is. It means that Cina had failed to stop her. His brother, Ai, is going to follow Ari -- and he would follow his brother without a doubt. He adds quickly, "Where are we going?" "I don''t know yet." Ari scratches her chin. She hasn''t fully recovered yet. Then, she could have recovered fully if she had stayed with Nakashima Wakana for a longer time. But staying too long with that woman wasn''t good for that woman. Nakashima Wakana might be a forsaken one, but she could still stay in this world because she''s still a soul guardian. As for Scias and all the creatures inside her, it''s impossible to remain in the human world without attracting the beings who would pick a fight with her. She doesn''t have time. Misaki is somewhere. She needs to find her daughter. "I am sure that she won''t be there." Ari bits her thumb. Dark purple blood oozes out of the bite mark. She outstretches her arm and draws a vertical line in the air. Strangely, there''s a dark purple line in the air. A buzzing sound is heard before space splits up where the purple line was a moment ago. It widens until it is big enough for Aren, who is the tallest one among them, to pass through. The tear in the space is ck. There''s nothing except a haunting silence. "Beginning was always silent," Ari mutters. "I don''t why they said that it was loud." Is this a pocket dimension or a gate? Ai looks at his mother''s back. What is his mother now? Is she truly a goddess of forsaken ones? First, Kresi turned out to be a primordial goddess. Now, his mother is also one. What about Misaki and Misumi? Why are they halflings? Was it because his mother was a mortal when they were born? Then again, Misaki is a little different. Misaki''s mother is alive. "Is this going to be our new home?" Scias squeezes Ari''s hand. "Lady Ari." "No, we are visiting someone first." Ari walks toward the tear in space. "It won''t stay open for long. So, those who want to follow me shoulde quickly." Aren watches her walk into the dark space. Scias trods after her. His brother, Ai, doesn''t even nce at him before he marches toward the gate. Aren looks up at the sky and lets out a heavy sigh. "How far did you go, Dark God? I am afraid that I couldn''t stop Ari." Maybe the Dark God will be able to find them. When Aren sees the space closing, he runs toward it. As soon as he passes through it, space closes up. He finds himself in eternal whiteness. As far as he could see, there''s nothing but whiteness. The roof is white. The ground is also white. The space is cold and dry. However, there''s a throne. An empty crib is lying next to it. Ari is standing near the throne. Her cold gaze is fixed on the crib. Ai climbs the steps of the throne. He stops next to his mother. He nces at the crib. "Misaki was here." "If I had known her true name, I would have broken her," Ari exhales. But Chaos is a primordial goddess. Scias steps closer to Aren and nudges his hand. Aren looks down at him with knitted brows. "Who is Misaki?" Scias whispers to him. He has been hearing that name frequently. All he knows is that Misaki is someone important. He wants to know why Lady Ari is so angry. "She''s her daughter," Aren tells him with a low voice. "She was stolen away by another god right after she was born." Misaki is someone important to Lady Ari. Scias scrutinizes Lady Ari''s face. He senses her wrath and agony. For some reasons, he feels envious of Misaki. That girl still has a mother who cares a lot about her. At the same time, he pities her because the girl hasn''t been with a mother who cares so much about her. If he could choose, he would always choose to be with his mother who sacrificed herself to save him. In the end, he''s a forsaken one. Lady Ari made it clear that he''s deserted by all gods and entities except for her. All of a sudden, Ari raises her chin and looks at Scias. "Scias, what do you think of this ce?" "It''s cold and empty." Scias doesn''t like this ce much. "I can''t sense any exit." He can''t sense anything other than them in this ce. The emptiness is rather annoying. "It''s Oblivion." Ari smirks, "It''s Chaos'' home. We maye to this ce on our will but we can''t leave. All the creatures who disintegrated here cannot be recreated again. Are you afraid?" Can''t leave without Chaos'' permission? The corner of Aren''s lips twitches. Why did Ari bring them here if they can''t leave? Chapter 204: Haven Chapter 204: Haven "Ari, what are you nning?" Aren squints his eyes. By now, he''s convinced that this person is not the same Ari. Though she has the same face, Ari has changed. Anyway, he can''t figure out what is going inside her head. "I was looking for a ce." Ari looks up at the white sky. "It''s a little gloomy for my taste but" "But?" Aren probes. "Making a new space is a little difficult," She replies with azy voice. "I am going to steal this ce first." "This is going to be our new home?" Scias knits his brows slightly. Now, Aren is confused. He looks around. This is Kresi''s ce? Oblivion? Creepy name! Then again, Kresi is Chaos now. Ari is he has no idea what Ari is now. However, why are they talking about making this ce their home? Does it mean that they can never leave? "It''s too white." Ai mumbles, "I wish it had more colours." "It needs interior decorations." Ari steps down from the throne and walks past Scias and Aren. "It''s a white canvas. No, it''s a ck canvas. Anyway, I need to make a home for my people." The forsaken creatures are abandoned by everything in this world. She took them. It didn''t mean that she was going to keep them inside her forever. It''s true that arge part of them became her. But she could still create new creatures out of them and give them a name. They will have a new beginning in this ce, just like Scias. They don''t need to enter any karma system or fight for any eptance from any gods. They are her people now. Of course, being their goddess also means being responsible for them. They will grow and they will reach out to their world. At the moment, they are wild -- not anything better than demons. However, even hell has a certain degree of order. "Ai, I am going to teach you true-naming," She says to her eldest son. His name was the first name she shaped. "Watch me carefully." Ai gives her a silent nod. Whatever his mother tells him to do, he''s going to do it. Even if the world goes upside down, his mother is the absolute truth for him. Many people will doubt her like his brother. But he''s sure that his mother will never do anything without a good reason. She''s the woman who fought everyone in the iravan to save him. If she decides to never go back to Iravan, he will stay here. Ari, not knowing how much her eldest son looks up at her, mumbles softly with her knees bent on the ground, "All the primordial gods know the art of the true-naming. But they won''t disturb the shape of the things that already have a name. Even a tiny change in the shape of the true name can change the person entirely. Do you know what I am talking about?" "Yes." Ai nces at the vermillion circle glowing on the white marble floor beneath her. Years ago, he had seen something simr. He had lost his name once and became something simr to a forsaken creature. Without an identity, even a soul can''t enter the karma cycle. That day, Rilyah helped his mother create a circle for his true-shaping. He was sitting at the centre of the circle. He did change after that day. He became a part of Iravan. Now, he wants to be a part of his mother''s world. "It''s difficult to find or create the name of a living being." Ari stares at the ground and continues speaking slowly, "Gods and demons are more difficult. Their names have a dynamic structure. So, it''s hard to get a grip. In addition to that, there''s strong protection. However, finding the name of a location or an object isn''t difficult. If one looks long enough, they can find it." Ai stares hard at her hand on the centre of the circle. Is she looking for the name of this space? But the owner is someone else. Scias and Aren watch and listen to everything in awe, though they can barely understand what is going on. She sends her consciousness inside the oblivion. It has existed for a long time. In fact, this is the first ce that Chaos created after she took a conscious form. Since Ari''s a goddess of forsaken ones now, she needs a new world for them. But looking for a new location would take a long time. In addition to that, it takes a lot of power to build a new world. Atvi is hiding from her at the moment. Furthermore, she is a little weak to create a new world alone. That''s why she''s going to manipte the true-name of this world. It will belong to her and her people. In the ground, she finds remnants of creatures who were absorbed by the oblivion. This space developed a passive consciousness. It''s resisting her with all its might. Where can it go? She can''t leave this world until she receives its name. The corner of her lips creeps up when she grasps the consciousness and drags it to her space where she does the naming. It''s the same ce that Ai and Scias had been. Ari looks at the little white cloud in front of her. Chaos didn''t shape oblivion. If she had shaped it, it wouldn''t fulfil its purpose. The white cloud shivers under her hard gaze. "Are you fine being like this?" Ari sits down in front of her. The water is always ankle-deep and calm. The white cloud nods. It wants to escape this goddess'' clutches but there''s no way out of this ce. "s!" Ari shakes her head. "I am not fine with you being like this. Let''s see. Your owner stole my child. You must be wondering why I am not looking for her child. It''s simple. I can''t even touch my own child with these creatures inside me. I need a ce to leave them. No, I need a world for my people. And I am choosing you." The white cloud trembles. It seems to be reluctant to the idea. "Sweetheart, you have no choice." She ces her hand on the cloud. "Oblivion has no end and beginning. I like that. She did give a lot of thoughts. However, I don''t like white canvas. The world needs to be a healthy ce for my kids." She ns to bring both Misumi and Misaki here. Ari begins shaping the oblivion into something else. She wanted something that resonated with both earth and Iravan. There''s the problem of ehr flow. At the moment, the world is going to be dynamic. The world would be as alive as the people who are going to live here. "Haven." She names the world. "Your name is Haven from now on." This world will be a haven for everyone who can''t belong to any other world. Aren gapes at the vast spread of thends that appeared out of nowhere. Is witnessing the creation of a world? But it feels a little different. It looks like the terrains are being moulded into shapes. The sky is still white. "Is it what I think it is?" Aren looks at Ai. "She can create worlds?" "No, she''s just changing its name," Ai exins to him in a quiet voice. Can changing a name do this? Aren doesn''t know what to say. Regardless of what Ai tells him, it looks like Ari is creating a new world. Chapter 205: Release Chapter 205: Release After she''s done shaping Oblivion into the world that she needs, Ari draws different runes on the world. Rune of rain. Rune of air. Rune of trees. However, gods can''t be reced by runes. She has no interest in inviting gods. Sometimes, the world creates gods out of the supreme consciousness. Faces of other gods might appear here. Then again, they might note since this is the world for forsaken ones. It''s better if they don''te. She has changed the permissions. If anyone wants toe or leave this world, they need her permission. She doesn''t want forsaken ones wandering to other worlds. It will take a long time before those creatures learn discipline. Ari opens her eyes and stands up. Oblivion is endless. So, Haven is also endless. It''s fine. Haven is also alive. "It''s time for all of you toe out." She presses her hand on her chest, closing her eyes again. When she was in the river, they devoured her. But she has always been a goddess. She used the power of names and her own will to overpower them. There was a long struggle. When she promised them that she would give them a new free world, they gave in to her. "Release." Countless shadows emerge from her body. None of them areplete. Some have lost a part or all of their true names. The creatures are not soul or demons. Just dense foul energy with a consciousness that refuses to fade away. They are like her. The desire to survive cannot be wrong. Some of these creatures have desires for destruction. Some are just miserable. No matter what, none of them can go back to who they were. Just like her. When Ari starts singing, the creatures be still. Aren feels sleepy. It sounds like a luby. He sits down on the ground, trying his best to keep his eyes open. Scias and Ai aren''t sleepy. Instead, they watch everything with admiration in their eyes. The creatures dance around Ari, screaming as their bodies morph into a definite shape. Some of them merge together,plimenting each other as they take a new form. Their screams start to fade out as they follow the rhythm of her song. By the end of the song, there are forty-nine names. Each creature takes a name. In the beginning, there were countless shadows. Now, there are only forty-nine forsaken creatures in front of her. Including Scias, there are fifty forsaken ones in Haven. All of them have silver eyes and chalky skin. Dressed in simple ck robes, they are sitting on their knees, panting for breaths with their heads lowered. Among the fifty forsaken creatures, four stands out "Anik," Ari utters quietly. A man reacts to that name. He has dark hair and silver eyes. He raises his head and peers at her. "Goddess." "Take some people and go north." Ari wants them to live as normally as possible. Of course, the number will increase. These forsaken ones will give birth to more. There might be creatures whoe from another world. She''s missing a lot, but she''s in a hurry at the moment. She will fix this after shees back. "Sesi." A woman looks at her. She has pale orange hair. "Go West," Ari contemtes. Oblivion is big enough. How far west would this woman go? "Take whoever wants to follow you." Sesi gives her a nod. "Suluk." Ari looks for a reaction. A teenage boy with messy brown hair looks up at her. Ari smiles at the boy. "You shall take east. Pick anyone you like." He epts hermand with a slight nod. Before she could say the fourth name, another teenage boy stands up. He grins at Ari. "Goddess of the forsaken one." The boy has curly cobalt blue hair and a round chubby face. He seems to be around thirteen at most. "Do you recognize me?" While the forsaken creatures around him tremble when they hear that jubnt voice, three forsaken leaders show different expressions. Anik frowns but says nothing. Sesi shrugs nonchntly. Suluk peers at the boy with distrust. "Pestilence." Ari narrows her eyes on him. This boy is a horse of an apocalypse. Pestilence''s birth from the foul and rotting creatures in the river of death isn''t a surprise. This thing was already taking a form before she fell into the river. It''s just that the creature didn''t expect to get overpowered by a goddess. Unfortunately, she needs to bring this creature to her peaceful world. "I felt you using me earlier." Pestilence steps toward her. "Whom did you give one of my seeds to?" He''s been bothering her earlier, nearly driving her mad. So, she did send his seed to someone. It was none other than a human who is a blood bank for a vampire. Ari doesn''t feel any regret. She has manipted the seed. The seed won''t affect the human. It might affect the vampire who drinks from him. She''s sure that vampires can''t get sick. "Does it matter?" Ari chuckles. "You can''t affect anyone here without my permission." "To think that you would bring me to a prison" Pestilence heaves a sigh. "You turned me into one of your people even going as far as shaping me to your needs." She can''t turn evil into a good. But shaping did lock his powers. How could she allow this apocalyptic horse to cause problems in her new world? She wants to create a safe world for her children. Nevertheless, Pestilence is going to be the necessary evil in this world. "Go south. Take whoever wants you." "Hmm" Pestilence looks at the remaining forsaken ones. There are only four left. Even if they want to follow him, he''s not satisfied. He eyes Scias. The corner of his lips curls up into a cunning smile. He points at the boy. "I want him." Scias scowls at Pestilence. He''s never going to follow this weirdo. "Do you want to go with him?" Ari questions Scias calmly. "No," Scias refuses strongly. "I want to follow you, Lady Ari." "No, you will stay here." Ari turns her head toward Pestilence. "I will seal the South. You can do whatever you want in that ce." Maybe she will bring other apocalyptic horses and throw them in the south. "Don''t regret itter." Pestilence whistles as he heads off. The three forsaken creatures trail behind him. She has a feeling that she would regret itter. However, Pestilence isn''t the type who would listen to other forsaken creatures. Since she knows his true name, there''s no way that he can ever be out of her control. "Lady Ari, I want to follow you." Scias nudges her hand. "I want to meet Misaki." "How do you know about Misaki?" She furrows her brows. "Brother Aren told me." Scias gestures toward the red-headed man snoring on the floor. "Misaki is your daughter." "I can''t take you with me." She pinches the boy''s cheek. "I don''t know where she is. It will take some time to find her." Misaki could be in any world. To find her, she needs to track down Chaos. Scias doesn''t ask again. "Are you going to bring her here?" "I will." She bends down and kisses his forehead. "Until then, help the three leaders build this ce. They need all the help that they can get." "I will." Scias nods enthusiastically. Seeing that the boy is so obedient, Ari gives him another kiss on his forehead. She sends him off with Anik. After that, she seals the southernnds. "What should we do about him?" Ai nces at his brother, Aren. "Let him stay here." Ari opens a portal to another world. "Come with me." Ai follows her into another world, hoping to see Misaki again. Chapter 206: Fiery pit Chapter 206: Fiery pit When the Dark God arrives, he finds Cina and Amami unconscious in front of the house. It doesn''t take him long to understand what could have happened in this world. There''s a different scent in the air. It doesn''t belong to Ari. Rather, he doesn''t believe that it belongs to anyone whom he knows. But only Ari has been here. She has a good reason to say that she doesn''t want him anymore. Adira doesn''t leave immediately. He takes Cina and Amami inside the house. It would take a while for them to regain consciousness. Adira takes a deep breath, recalling Ari''s words. She''s disappointed in him. "Is she truly going to leave me this time?" He did fail her. Not once or twice. Chaos is the reason for everything. He thinks about everything that had happened. The origin was Kresi who turned out to be Chaos, a primordial god. If he had kept looking for Misaki instead of Ari, would she It''s his fault for not responding to her voice. "How could I forget about her?" He questions himself. "I promised her that I would never forget her name." Ari Takayama. However, he can''t imagine a future without her. "She''s right." Adira holds his head, feeling his heart tightening with sorrow and guilt. "If I had tried to look deeper that day" So what if Rilyah lied? Any sane person would have tried to look for the truth. He should have tried to find out what happened to Ari. Misaki was taken away because of his carelessness. It''s all Chaos'' fault. Adira grits his teeth. Why did that woman take away Misaki? Nevertheless, he''s still going after Ari. "I am sorry for choosing you over our child." Adira exhales, "I should have always chosen you over everything else." Even if he mes Chaos, the truth is clear. Ari left Iravan because she couldn''t trust him. In addition to that, there were different forces working in the background. He will deal with them one by one. Chaos or whoever is behind this will face his wrath. First, he needs to find Ari and Misaki. After much thoughts, Adira leaves Earth, trying to trace Ari. He could sense her through Cina''s key. Ai is still carrying one. *** "Why I am here?" Aren finds himself lying on the ground. There''s ayer grass beneath him. The sky is still white. But the air is cold. He sees men and women moving around him, working on civilization. None of them are talking or looking at him. He frowns, wondering if this is the same Oblivion where he came to. Where''s his brother and Ari? "Brother Aren." He looks at the boy standing next to him. Aren knits his brows. The boy is dressed in a simple ck robe. His golden locks arebed back into an odd style. "Li Jun, who did you hair?" "Scias." Scias glowers at Aren. "My name is Scias. Don''t forget that." "I like Li Jun more," Aren mutters under his breath. "Please don''t get it wrong." Scias looks at him scornfully. "Names are important." "Alright, alright." Aren waves his hand. "Where am I? Where are Ai and Ari?" "They left hours ago." Scias sps his hands behind his back, imitating Anik who is always doing it when he''smanding his people. "Brother Aren, are you going toze around? You should help us. We need magicians." "Huh?" Aren hasn''t digested the news that Ai and Ari left without him. He could make a guess where they could have gone. Either they are chasing Chaos or looking for Misaki. So, he doesn''t ask about them anymore. "You are saying that this is the same white space that belonged to Chaos." "Yes." Scias grins at him. "Do you like it, Brother Aren? We are decorating it for Misaki." Ari is going to bring Misaki here. What about Misumi then? Is Ari truly leaving Dark God? Even if she decides to, it''s her decision. "What about Misumi?" "Who is Misumi?" Scias tilts his head, very curious about the person named Misumi. "She''s Misaki''s sister." Aren scratches his chin. Misaki and Misumi should be ten-year-old now. "I guess they are around your age. If she brings them here, they can be your ymate." "I don''t have time to y with kids." Scias wrinkles his nose. "Come and help me create a fiery pit." Fiery? Aren squints his eyes. "Why are we making a fiery pit?" "We have decided to make a ce where we can surf on the fiery waves." Scias points at the pit in the north direction. "We need fire. None of us can create runes. Since you are a fire magician, give some fire there." "..." Is it right or not? He has never heard of people who want to surf on fiery waves. Scias tugs Aren''s arm. "Fine." Aren stands up. Fire can always be put out. "If you get burned, don''t cryter." "Fire can''t harm me." Scias tells him, "Well, I can''t die. There''s no death in this world yet." "Don''t underestimate Ari." Aren replies, "She knows all of your true names." "We trust her." Scias increases his pace, walking ahead of Aren. He thinks about the people who killed his mother and the rest of his family. The spring court was destroyed by someone. However, he doesn''t feel any sadness anymore nor does he feel any need to feel sadness or anger for his past. He''s abandoned by both past and everything else. Haven is the world where he belongs now. *** "She''s here," Ari says to Ai, "I can sense Chaos here." To find Chaos, one must trace chaos. With the degree of chaos in the world, Ari can guess whether it''s a face of Chaos or Chaos herself present in the world. The world has weak magic. In fact, magic is rare here and magical beasts are rarer. There are five kingdoms. Among them, Kask Empire is the most powerful one. The degree of Chaos is low but strong here. Chaos hasn''t started in this world. But it won''t take long for wars to start. The roots of Chaos in this world start from the civil wars. Ari could sense people''s emotions and the unrest under the surface. "Do you think that Misaki is also here?" Ai asks her. They have gone to many worlds and tried to track down the faces of Chaos. The faces of Chaos usually have no idea where original Chaos is. Now, they are here. It''s an ordinary world too ordinary than Earth or Iravan. Earth is remarkable because of all the dimensions that surround Earth. Those worlds are hidden from humans. It is a feat that most humans aren''t aware of those small worlds. "Must be here somewhere." Ari takes a deep breath. Misaki has to be here if Chaos is here. Chaos isn''t someone who would abandon Misaki. Why is that? Chaos wouldn''t have taken Misaki away to abandon her. But why would she take them? Ari sneers at the thought. Taking away Misaki would create an uproar in everyone''s lives. That must be one of her purposes. That goddess did she need to turn her child into a pawn? If she finds her once, she''s going to teach her what chaos means. There''s a game between them. Who told that woman to drag others into it? Her children should be out of it. And Adira she''s tired of him. She doesn''t want to be the only understanding one in the rtionship. Compromise? She''s done. Even if he took back Misumi to Iravan, he could find Misaki in ten years. She gets it. Finding Chaos is difficult. There are so many worlds. Chaos and Misaki could be anywhere. In any case, she doesn''t want her children to be with Adira. She''s going to bring Misumi and Misaki to Haven. She will ban any god from entering. She''s done with gods'' schemes. They can y games without her. She can''t care less if worlds get destroyed in her absence. Her children, Ai, Misaki, Misumi, and the forsaken ones are more important than any god or any world. Life and death are two sides of one coin anyway. Even if the worlds get destroyed, the worlds will also get created. Didn''t she create Haven? Well, it''s not exactly a world. A dimension with only her as a goddess. "Can you recognize Misaki?" Ari inquires Ai solemnly. It''s been years. The flow of time is different in each world. It''s not something simple as a sr system. But magic is rare here. It''s not as strong as Iravan. Misaki will stand out. "She has horns." Ai watches the people around him keenly. They are standing at the city''s square in the capital of Kask empire. The fountain has a sculpture of the current king. The people, dressed in colourful clothes, can''t see Ari and Ai since they are under a spell to keep themselves invisible to others. "Misumi doesn''t have any." Horns... Ari feels a lump forming in her throat. She clears her throat, trying to control her emotions. She couldn''t even hold her daughters properly. And Misaki she hasn''tid a nce on her child. She can''t wait to meet Misaki. Chapter 207: Tell me where my daughter is Chapter 207: Tell me where my daughter is Unexpectedly, finding Misaki is not as easy as she has been expecting it to be. They wander on the street, tracking down the fragments of chaos. But it seems like they are walking in a maze. Ari feels that Misaki is in the capital. But the child is hidden neatly. It could be anyone around her. She eyes the little girls walking on the streets. When she hears the peals ofughter of the teen girls, she looks in their direction, trying to find the face that might belong to Misaki. "She looks more like the Dark God." Ai tells her in a low tone, "She has a shadow of your face too." She and her daughter are in the same world. But she still can''t find her. Ari is frustrated. She inhales sharply, resisting the urge to destroy every nook and cranny of this world. "What about her scent?" "None." He frowns a little. "The scent might have changed. She''s no longer an infant." It''s been ten years. Misaki should be a ten-year-old girl now. Ari curls her fingers, looking around. She doesn''t even know how Misaki looks. They keep walking around the city, trying to detect any strong magic. By the time the night arrives, there''s no sign of Misaki. "Let''s separate," Ari suggests. "We will meet in the city centre at dawn." Ai doesn''t like the idea of being separated from her. "Mother, let''s look for her together." "It will take too long." She is desperate to see her daughter again. They are in the same world. Her daughter must be somewhere close. "If you find her, you can find me easily." Noticing the desperation in her eyes, Ai gives her a reluctant nod. "I will send a signal when I find her." The two separate on their ways. Ari heads toward the area where she senses Chaos. She keeps walking until she reaches a mansion at the end of the road. There are guards at the gate. But they can''t see her. Ari easily passes through the gate, and then she crosses the pathway to the door of the mansion. There''s thick pressure of raw power here. However, she hesitates. What would she find inside the mansion? Is her daughter alright? Would her daughter hate her for not being able to protect her? She''s afraid. Her daughter might hate her for what happened. There are many ways that could go wrong. Ari takes a deep breath. A lot can happen. However, if she doesn''t go in, she would never know. Ari opens the door and walks into the hall. The lights are on. She looks around. Walls are covered with golden wallpaper. There are beautiful sculptures ofmon beasts standing next to the pirs. At the centre of the hall, a woman with silver hair is stretched outnguidly. "Mayhem," Ari utters her name quietly. Chaos raises her head and looks at Ari. "You are the only one who calls me that." "It means the same thing." Ari walks toward her. Her hands tremble to choke this woman. But she can''t do it until she finds Misaki. She takes a seat opposite of Chaos. "Disorder. Pamonera. Ma. Differentnguages and cultures have different names for you. But you like to hear simple names." "Then, how should I address you?" Chaos puts down the book on the table that is lying between them. "Abyss." Ari doesn''t answer her question. "Why did you take my child away?" "She asked for it," Chaos replies calmly. "I know that you would me me for everything that happened to you." "I only me you for taking away my child." Ari looks at her scornfully. "You should have kept Misaki out of it." "I had no intention of mingling with your blood." Chaos sighs, shifting on the couch forfort. Ari''s gaze is heavy. She turns to her side, eyeing Ari with a smile. "Do you think that I yed you?" Ari is aware that Chaos is notpletely at fault. The game began a long time ago. It''s something that was meant to happen. Gods are merely different wills of the supreme ones. She isn''t anything different. Sometimes, chaos is needed. Sometimes, the order is needed. It has always been between the two of them. It became messy when others got involved. The goddess of energy is formless but she has a consciousness. Atvi is strong but she''s unstable. "She manipted Parisa''s visions." Chaos yawns. "Then, Parisa manipted Rilyah and others. Well, we can''t say that she''s at fault. She only did what she thought was right." Because of Rilyah''s words, Ari left Iravan. If she hadn''t left Iravan, a lot could have been prevented. Her daughters would have grown up in the right environment. "Rilyah wasn''t at fault either." Chaos taps her chin, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Was she? Well, she did lie to Adira. Anyway, Rilyah won''t survive Qeshaya." "What do you mean?" Ari knits her brows. "Why is she in Qeshaya?" "Iravan gods decided to punish her lies." Chaos informs her, "Until you go back to Iravan, she won''t be released from Qeshaya. It''s been too long. Do you think that Rilyah will live?" She hasn''t expected that Rilyah''s punishments would be that harsh. Ari purses her lips. The Gods of Iravan are immortal. They can''t die. "Is it not death if there''s barely anything left of her?" Chaos cocks her head. A cunning smile hangs on her red lips. "Do you think that you can bring her memories the same way you did with Cina?" Everything has a true name. As long as the true name is intact, the person can be brought back. If the true name changes in some way, the core of the soul also changes. Ari looks at quietly, wondering what Chaos means. "Qeshaya is a strange ce." Chaos sits up and stretches her arms. "It''s her favourite ce." "Atvi." Ari scowls at her. "Why are you letting her free?" "She helped you in the past." Chaos puckers her lips. "Now, she''s helping me. She said that she won''t be partial anymore." Ari snorts when she hears those words. "Atvi pretends to be the supreme one." "So what if she does?" Chaos cracks her knuckles. "Maybe she''s bored." "I don''t care anymore." Ari waves her hand, finding it all amusing. "Tell me where my daughter is." "Ah, her" Chaos hunches her shoulders, looking up at the ceiling. "I don''t know where she is." "Don''t know?" Ari jumps on her feet. Her silver eyes glimmer in rage. "You don''t know?" "Don''t me me," Chaos mutters. "She likes to y around a lot. That one is never still." "Mayhem!" When Ari yells, the window shatters. The marble sculptures crack. The chandelier dangles above their head. "Do you want me to destroy you?" Chaos is unperturbed by Ari''s rage, not moving an inch. She lets out a sigh. "Say, Abyss, if you destroy me, can you also exist?" She and Chaosplement each other. Even if she wipes out Chaos'' consciousness, Chaos can''t die. She wille back in the future. Maybe she won''t. But it is also true that Abyss might go away with Chaos. Ari inhales sharply. "Don''t challenge me. I might take both of us down." "I don''t care if I am gone." Chaos clicks her tongue. "Even if we are gone, things will still happen. Right now, we can still control chaos and order to some extent. Bnce is always sought. So, what if we are gone? Do you think that you are some big shot because you are the primordial abyss? Ha! You are a forsaken goddess now. Even Atvi won''t go to you anymore." "She can''t control what I already have." Ari grimaces at her. "Chaos, one of your faces took my child away. Then, you took her away from her father. Because of your face, I became who I am today. Still, I am willing to let go of everything if you handover my daughter to me peacefully." "Peacefully?" Chaos smirks at her, "Did Ai not tell you? Your daughter is one of my faces." Ari creases her forehead when she hears those words. "A face of chaos?" "Yes." Chaos chuckles when she sees Ari''s face turn paler. "Isn''t it better if she''s with me instead of you? If you take her back to Iravan, she will be causing chaos on Iravan. Both of us know how unstable that world is." What does she mean? Ari wrinkles her brows. Iravan is not unstable. Chapter 208: She chose me over you Chapter 208: She chose me over you Seeing that Ari has no idea why Iravan is unstable, Chaos lets out a lowugh. "It''s not unexpected," Chaos mumbles to herself. Abyss has realized it only recently. Furthermore, Abyss hasn''t visited Iravan. For a moment, Ari feels a wave of fear washing over her. Iravan. She has always cared about that world and the people of Iravan. It''s the world where she met Adira. Even if she doesn''t want to go back to Adira, she can''t see that world get destroyed. There''s no reason for Iravan to be ruined. Ari stares at Chaos calmly. It could be a trick. Chaos is here. There''s always some chaos before a world is ruined. Without disruption, things can''t move in the direction of destruction. "Where''s Misaki?" Ari questions her again. In the next moment, she will drag this goddess to Haven if she must. She might do something that she doesn''t want to do. "Do you think that you are good, Ari?" Chaos props her chin under her hand, tilting her head slightly with a disinterested look in her eyes. "Who says that Order can''t be evil?" "We aren''t evil or good." Ari replies to her, "We are just who we are. Only mortals have the right to choose between evil and good." "Interesting." Chaos rolls her eyes. "So, Cina isn''t evil. Noras isn''t evil. Adira, who wanted to kill Ai, isn''t evil either." Ari purses her lips. These unspoken questions she doesn''t know how to answer. If gods start judging each other, what will mortal do? Then again, she used to judge everyone simrly. Between what is the right thing to do and what has to be done, she has always chose what she thought was right. Even now, she will do the same. Chaos is also doing the same. "I know that you hate me," Ari says to her in a low tone. "But do we need to fight? You know that I am not the same anymore. I can''t take birth again. I have to go to the worlds and fix what you have brought. Can''t you make my life easier?" "I have been trying to make your life easier." Chaos raises her head to meet Ari''s eyes. "It is true that Ryou was my face. He did something that he shouldn''t have. I never asked him to do that. It was his own decision. You died,and then you were reborn as you always do. However, you can''t die again. You can''t return to Iravan again. Even if you go back, you can''t be a part of that world. Forsaken Goddess. It''s a little sad. I didn''t want you to be what you are today. But I couldn''t save you back then. If everything is a will of the supreme one, then what you are today is also a will of the supreme one." Maybe helping those forsaken ones was her fate. Ari decides not to argue with Chaos. There''s a tacit agreement between them. It''s also true that she can''t go back to Iravan and be a part of that world again because it can''t be same. Just like she can''t stay on Earth, she can''t stay on Iravan for long. "I went there because of your daughter." Chaos leans back and puts her one leg over the other. Her white robe is slightly loose on her slender body. "She called me over and over again. At first, she was mistaken that I was her mother. I let her believe that." Ari folds her fingers into fists. She won''t do anything. Not now. She needs to find out where her daughter is. "But she figured it out soon." Chaos furrows her brows soon. "It''s strange. I had seen Misumi from a distance. She was calm for an infant but she was still a child. But Misaki the child was sharp. She acted like a child but her intelligence didn''t belong to a child. I tried to look into her mind, but something blocked me. It took me years to understand what was wrong with her." Something is wrong with Misaki? Ari''s silver eyes be wide. Her heart palpitates in anticipation. Is it because she gave birth to her daughters on Earth? She was still mortal back then. Her daughters were born in a magically-deficient environment. "What happened to her?" "Since her channels were dried up, I had not expected her to use magic." Chaos smiles faintly. "But she still showed magic. How was that possible?" "I might have been a human back then." Ari narrows her eyes. "But she''s still a demi-god." "But she showed an affinity with time magic." Chaos ponders, "That''s not all. Her magic was tremendously strong. She started to affect the world she was in." "In what way?" Ari wonders if it is rted to her daughter''s current disappearance. Though she feels that her daughter is in this world, she can''t pinpoint where. "She made everything go still one day." Chaos chuckles. "Then, she disappeared the next day. We had to hop from one world to another because she kept causing chaos in different forms. Honestly, she was doing a better job than me at it." Ari remains silent. "I am not hiding her anymore." Chaos blinks her eyes slowly. "In fact, I had never intended to hide her. I kept her with me because she was strong. And notorious. You are free to find her and take her back with you." Herzy tone ticks Ari off. She dares to kidnap her daughter and then, she says that she''s free to take her back as if she''s donating her daughter back to her. "I wonder if you know" Chaos continues, "You are a forsaken goddess. You might turn her into a forsaken creature. Your child won''t be a part of any world then. Even if she goes to Iravan, she won''t be able to stay in that world for long -- what''s that look? Your daughter is still a mortal, even if she''s a halfling. I know that you took over Oblivion. A world for the forsaken creatures? Sure! But anyone who lives there for a long time will turn into one. In fact, staying too long with a forsaken creature would change a mortal." She wasn''t aware of that. At first, Ari had wanted to take Misaki and Misumi back to Haven. Now, she''s not sure. There''s no way that she would want her daughters to be forsaken creatures. "None of this excuses you for taking her away from her father and brother!" Ari shouts at her. "She should have been raised along with her sister on Iravan." Having heard her yell, Chaos stands up. "She chose me over you." "What are you talking about?" Ari looks at her with disbelief. "She was a child. What does she know?" "She''s smarter than children her age." Chaos turns around and looks at the top of the stairs. "Look, she''s back from her travel." Ari follows Chaos'' gaze. On the top of the stairs, she sees a young girl around ten. Donning long wavy dark hair that reaches her thighs, the girl has a heart-shaped pale face with a straight nose that resembles her father and lips that are inherited from her mother. Her eyes are dark and prating. She''s wearing a green thigh-length robe over ck stockings and long dark boots. "Misaki" Ari croaks, overwhelmed by emotions. She keeps calling the child''s name with tears in her eyes. Her shoulders shake weakly. "Misaki." The girl narrows her eyes slightly. She climbs down the stairs with a slight frown on her face. Ari takes quick steps toward her, meeting her halfway on the stairs. She reaches for Misaki''s face, wanting to embrace the child. However, her hands stop midair. Ari hesitates to touch her own daughter, afraid. "You are my mother," Misaki mutters. "I thought that you would never get out of that river." "H-How" Ari looks at Chaos. "Did you tell her?" "She wanted to know what happened to you. So I showed her." Chaos shrugs. "I told you, didn''t I? I didn''t hide anything from her." "Misaki." Ari''s breathing is quickened. She wants to hold her child but the fact that she''s a forsaken goddess stop her. What if she harms her child in some way? What if her child gets sick? A lot of questions run through her mind. "Pleasee with me." Ari resists the urge to touch her daughter. "Your elder brother is also here." Chapter 209: You as my mother Chapter 209: You as my mother "I don''t see you as my mother." Ari opens her mouth slightly, unable to digest the words uttered by her daughter. Strands of Misaki''s dark hair is fluttering with the breeze. Her eyes are clear and tranquil. Despite being only a ten-year-old girl, Misaki doesn''t have the look that belongs to a child. "What are you saying?" Ari''s voice breaks. Maybe she has heard it wrong. Maybe Misaki is confused. "Misaki, I am your mother." "Lady, didn''t you hear me?" Misaki stares at her steadily. "I don''t see you as my mother. I am one of the faces of Chaos. That''s all I am." After hearing those words, Ari inhales sharply. The ache in her heart intensifies. Ari looks at Chaos, hiding all the emotions. "You brainwashed her mind." "I only told the truth." Chaos cocks her head with a sly smile on her lips. "Is it not true that she''s one of my faces?" Even if it''s the truth, there''s no reason for Misaki to being like this. Ari nces at Misaki again. Her daughter looks a lot like Adira. When she rescued Adira from Qeshaya, he had a simr build like Misaki back then. This child is their daughter. Nothing can ever change that. "It''s true." Misaki raises her chin and meets Ari''s silver eyes. "I decided to stay with her. She didn''t force me." "I see." Ari scrutinizes her face. "I will deal with herter. Come with me first." "No." Misaki frowns at her. "Lady, are you dumb? Didn''t you die already? How could I ept forsaken creature as my mother? Won''t you infect me if you touch me?" For someone who has died twice, Ari finds herself shattering when she hears those words. She takes a step back away from Misaki, breathing in the air sharply. Tears sting her eyes. "Misaki" "Stop acting hurt." Misaki scowls at her. "I refuse to ept a forsaken creature as my mother. There''s a reason why the forsaken creatures are banished. You know it well. Then, why do you still want to y my mother?" "Because I wanted to see you" Ari croaks. "No matter what I am, you are still --" "Didn''t youe here alone?" Misaki interrupts her. "Oh, I remember. You came here with Ai. Did you say that he''s my elder brother? But he and I don''t share the same mother or father. My father didn''t ept him as his son. Then, how could he be my brother?" She''s just a child. Ari tries to calm herself. Misaki became like this because of Chaos. It was her fault for not being able to protect her back then. Misaki grew up without love and care. "A forsaken creature shouldn''t dwell in the world of living for long." Misaki cocks her head. "Don''t tell me you want to take me with you because you want me to be like you? What a heartless creature you are!" Ari can''t speak. Words simply won''t form on her lips. "A goddess of forsaken one." Misaki sighs. "Geez! I don''t ever want to tell people that you are my birth mother. It was better if I was an orphan." "Misa" Ari forces herself to speak, making some distance between her and her daughter. "Even if you hate me, you still have your father and your sister. Don''t you want to meet Misumi or your father?" Misaki blinks her eyes slowly. "Wasn''t I abandoned by Father?" "What?" Ari furrows her brows. "He had never abandoned you." "He took Misumi with him." Misaki sneers at her. "When he regained his memories, he started looking for you." "That''s not --" Ari realizes that she can''t refute those words. "He didn''t know about you back then. Chaos'' face Ryou stole you." "What happened after he knew about me?" Misaki clicks her tongue. "After he remembered, I didn''t matter anymore. Then again, why would he want a daughter who is the face of Chaos?" Ari, filled with a desperate feeling, reaches for her daughter''s shoulder. Misaki creases her forehead, raising her hand in fear. Seeing that, Ari retracts her hand. In reality, she can choose who can be a forsaken creature or not. But it''s also true that forsaken creatures affect other mortals, only if mortals are exposed to them for a long time. However, she has given new names to the forsaken creatures whom she brought to Haven. It remains to be seen how those creatures will change in the future. A selfish part of her wants Misaki to be a forsaken creature. She wants her daughters to grow up in Haven. Maybe it won''t matter as long as they are together. However, she would be taking away her daughters'' rights. Nevertheless, she can''t stay in this world for long. "Your father didn''t abandon you," Ari tells her slowly, steeling herself. Her heart has been stabbed with needles multiple times. She doesn''t want to show that she''s hurt. But words often leave scar worse than physical wounds. "Noras is looking for you. If he had known who Kresi was, he would have found you already." "Tch!" Misaki wrinkles her nose. "I don''t care anymore. I have decided to cut off my rtionship with all of you." "Misaki!" Ari implores her. The child is ten-year-old. "Meet your father and your sister. The love you a lot. Besides, Ai hasn''t turned into a forsaken creature. It''s same with Aren. You cane with me for a while -- No, if that''s not fine, we can go to Iravan directly and meet your sister." "Lady." Misaki takes a deep breath when she sees tears in Ari''s eyes. "I didn''t know that forsaken creatures could cry. You are making me feel bad. Tell me whether someone like you should meet Misumi." "Do you loathe me that much?" Ari whispers before she can stop herself. "Aren''t you supposed to be loathed?" Misaki gives her a cruel smile. "Forsaken creatures are born from the filth of the creatures who couldn''t cross the river of death. They are neverplete. You died that day, Lady. The person who you are now is not the woman who gave birth to me -- and you were Chaos'' enemy. Then, you are also my enemy." Ari falls on her knees. Tears roll out on her cheeks. She looks up at her child with disbelief. Enemy? She won''t ever see her child as an enemy. "If you hate Chaos, you also hate me," Misaki deres in an emotionless tone. "Anyway, even if you don''t hate me, I already hate you. I don''t know why you would pretend to be Misumi and my mother. Takayama Ari, the woman who gave birth to me, was a human. She died that day. You are pretending to be that woman." "That''s not true," Ari replies weakly. "Misaki, I am your mother. I became like this because I wanted to return to you, Misumi and everyone else." "Is that what you believe?" Misaki steps closer to her. "Why aren''t you with my Father then?" Why isn''t she with Adira? She hasn''t expected to be questioned like this. Ari doesn''t know how to answer. "Chaos showed me what happened." Misaki keeps an arm-length distance between her and Ari. "You aren''t married to my father. Also, you refused to be with him again. Tell me why did you do it. Ari Takayama loved my father a lot. Then again, you are a forsaken creature. I am not sure if creatures like you can even feel love." "Who taught you these things?" Ari questions her sternly. She turns her head toward Chaos. "How dare you poison my child''s mind!" "You are ming me again." Chaos rolls her eyes. "Say, Ari, do you truly feel love?" "Of course, I do," Ari screams at her. "That''s why I am here." "Is that so?" Chaos chuckles. "Misaki, you should give a chance to your birth mother. Otherwise, she will continue to me me for your decisions." "What decisions?" Ari scoffs at her. "Misaki is a kid. She doesn''t know what is right. You taught her to be how she is today." How could a child learn to talk like that? Kyo was never like this. She wasn''t like either when she was young. If a true god like Adira couldn''t be like this, then why would a face of a god act like this? "I don''t expect a forsaken creature to have the intelligence to understand me." Misaki climbs down the stairs, heading toward Chaos. She stops beside her and holds her hand. "Forsaken Goddess, my mother is Chaos. You are not my mother." Chapter 210: If I could turn back time Chapter 210: If I could turn back time The sky has turned dark. The weather is sultry and humid. He walks around the city until he is sure that Chaos and Misaki can''t be found by him. He decides to head back to the fountain. A carriage suddenly stops in front of him. Ai halts in his track, wondering if the carriage driver can see him. But the carriage driver''s eyes don''t focus on him. The man begins to inhale and exhale sharply. When his lord yells at him to continue driving, he doesn''t follow his lord''smand. All of a sudden, he jumps on the horse''s back and bites its neck. "What is" Ai is speechless. The horse neighs violently before it starts running ahead. The man slips off the horse, rolling on the ground. He coughs up the blood before he sits up and turns his head around, looking at everyone with wide-red eyes. "Is he sick?" Ai mumbles to himself. However, he makes no attempt to get closer to the man. A few people walk closer to the man who suddenly startsughing. Ai shrugs and walks away. There are screams behind him, but he doesn''t look back. If an apocalypse is starting in this world, he''s not going to be a part of it. He just wants to find his mother and sister. Just then, he sees the Dark God. More or less, he has been expecting the Dark God to arrive here. The key is still in his pocket. In reality, he has been hoping that the Dark God would be smart enough to follow. "Where is she?" The Dark God stares at him, unable to hide desperation and fear in his eyes. "She was with you." "She hasn''t left the world." Ai replies calmly, "She won''t leave without me. She is looking for Chaos and Misaki." Adira purses his lips, knitting his brows. He can''t sense Ari but there''s a turbulence in the air. The people in the city are acting strange. "They are being affected." The Dark God sighs. "Is she truly a forsaken one?" "She''s also a goddess." Ai gives him a nod. "Are they affected by her?" "Yes." Adira narrows his eyes. A goddess? Ari? How? What does he not know? Kresi turned out to be a goddess. Now, Ari is also one. "In which direction did she go?" "I know her scent." With a straight face, Ai walks past him. "Please follow me, Dark God." *** Ari covers her eyes with her hands when she hears Misaki''s words. Her shoulders shake. Her hands are clenched into fists, covering her two eyes. Her lips tremble as she parts her lips to take deep breaths. "You heard her." Chaos'' voice is low andnguid. "She doesn''t want to go with you." Misaki holds Chaos'' hand tighter as she looks down on her feet with an uneasy look in her eyes. When she hears no response from Ari, she raises her head to peer at her. Ari is still standing on the stair, trembling with fisted hands. "Shouldn''t you leave already?" Misaki asks with a loud voice. "You should return to the ce you came from." A small smile appears on Chaos'' red lips. She tilts her head, feeling satisfied after seeing Ari''s pain. After thest ten years, she has grown attached to this girl beside her. The girl is quite talented. It''s still a puzzle why Misaki has higher chaotic powers than any other face of hers. Misaki is still a mortal. One can only imagine what would happen if Misaki bes a god. It''s not impossible for a mortal to be a god. Ryou was also a god, but he was born as a god. "Brat." Chaos blinks her eyes when she hears Ari''s scornful voice. She crinkles her brows, lifting her chin to look at her. "Of all the qualities," Ari removes her hands from her face as she utters in a dark tone, "you had to pick up his unreasonable traits." "Unreasonable traits?" Misaki blinks her eyes in confusion. "Being stubborn and foolish." Ari steps down the stairs. There are no tears in her eyes. She looks anything but sad. "I forgot you are only ten. How could I let a kid get the best of me? So I was acting nice because we were meeting for the first time." Her aura ispletely different. She doesn''t look like the woman who was trembling with sadness in her eyes. The current Ari has a chilling smile on her lips. It sends a shiver down Misaki''s spine. Does thisdy have a personality disorder? "Abyss, didn''t you hear?" Chaos pulls Misaki behind her, hiding her from Ari''s gaze. "She doesn''t want to go with you." "So?" Ari gives her a smile that doesn''t meet her eyes. "Ah should I honour her wishes? A ten-year-old girl''s wishes? Alright! I will honour her wishes after I grill her brain out of her skull." Misaki peeks at Ari. "You want to grill my brain out?" "And smack your butt until it''s red." Ari cracks her knuckles. "My dear daughter, do you know that I also raised your father? I was quite lenient to him. After raising him, I realized that I should not have been lenient to that man. See, men grow into thick headed idiots if you pamper them too much. Since you are so much like your father, I am going to pamper you in the opposite way." "Chaos!" Misaki looks up at Chaos'' face. "Has she gone insane?" "I don''t know," Chaos mutters, unsure of why Ari is acting this way. Then again, Ari has always been a little crazy. "Abyss, I am not going to let you harm Misaki." "Kresi." Ari stops at the bottom of the stairs. "That was your name once. I am going to do my best in order to erase you today. After youe back, we will start over, okay?" Erase? Chaos pales. She can''t possibly be "You don''t know my true name. Besides, you will also die if you try to erase me." "You are scared already." Ariughs. "I don''t have to know your true name, Chaos." The ground shakes beneath them. Before Chaos could get a grip of the situation, Ari reappears behind her. She grabs Misaki by her neck and shoves her into the tear in space, sending her straight to Iravan. The portal to Iravan closes, muffling Misaki''s scream. In the next instant, sixteen blue iridescent circles appear around Chaos, locking her in the spot. Standing outside the invisible cubicle that is holding Chaos inside, Ari stares at Chaos back quietly. "What azy trick!" Chaos chuckles. "You surprised me." "Why are you acting high and mighty?" Ari walks around Chaos, studying her as a predator. "I am trying to decide what to do with you." "Whatever." Chaos shrugs, tilting her head to her right, locking her eyes with Ari''s. "This is your style. You will never kill me well, not unless you also want to die with me." "I don''t mind dying again." Ari crosses her arms. "Did you forget that I am a forsaken creature? Even if I erase your name and force you into a dormant state, what can you do? I won''t die like you. At most, I will be stuck in my world. My powers might get sealed. It''s not a bad deal considering how much I hate you right now." "List of my haters is long." Chaos keeps trying to break the imprisoning circles around her. The walls move closer to her as she continues to struggle. What did Abyss do to her? "You and I are just pawns in the grand chess that is called the universe." Ari sps her hands behind her back. "Giving stupid ideas to my daughters, manipting her in a way that she doesn''t think of me and Adira as her parents, using her to hurt me andplete your selfish desires I didn''t think that you would stoop this low." "What do you know about me?" Chaos smirks at her, seemingly not afraid of what ising for her. If she''s gone, Abyss will also suffer. And Misaki? She will carry on her legacy. Abyss doesn''t know about Misaki''s abilities. "I don''t regret anything. In fact, I would do the same thing again if I could turn back time." "When you were Kresi and I was Ari, I had respect for you." Ari looks at her with sorrow in her eyes. "How did you turn into this person?" Chapter 211: Cant marry you Chapter 211: Can''t marry you Misaki falls on the hard ground. Before she could react, the tear in the space closes in front of her. She exhales, widening her eyes as she turns her head to her left. She finds herself sitting in front of a giant metallic gate. "Where" She lets out a gasp when a giant ck spirit beast drops in front of her out of nowhere. The creature has countless eyes and too many arms. When he bends down his neck and sniffs her, Misaki''s heart elerates crazily. She has never seen anything like that creature. Sensing her fear, Mogrok steps back. He cocks his head, studying the girl in front of her. "Young Miss, why are you here?" "Do you know me?" Misaki''s eyes be round when Mogrok nods. She doesn''t remember ever seeing this creature in her life before. There''s no way that she would have forgotten this creature if she had ever met him. "You smell different." Mogrok blinks his eyes. The girl also looks a little different from Young Miss. His thousand eyes focus on the two horns in Misaki''s head. He has never seen horns on Misumi''s head. This person who looks a lot like Misumi must be Mogrok roars, "Second Young Miss is back!" "Why are you telling?" Tears fill Misaki''s eyes as she covers her ears. Did her mother send her to this world because she was mad at her? This creature''s mouth is so big. He is going to eat her. Mogrok''s roar reverberates through the castle, alerting everyone in the vicinity. At the same time, Adira appears in front of Mogrok, carrying a girl with long ck hair, rosy lips, and calm dark eyes. Despite her pale skin, she has chubby round cheeks with a rosy tint. Her hair is tied into two round buns. The girl is wearing a white silk robe with purple embroidered flowers that contrasts Adira''s in ck robe. He nces at Mogrok. "Why are you screaming?" "Lord, Second Young Miss is back!" Mogrok points at the ground. "She appeared out of nowhere." Adira and Misumi look at the spot at which Mogrok is pointing. There''s no one. Their eyes turn back to Mogrok at the same time, silently watching him. Why is there no reaction? Mogrok nces at the spot and finds it empty. He yelps, shocked. "She was here!" Just then, a young boy with messy ck hair and big brown eyes arrive there. The boy looks at the spot, searching for the person he''s been looking for. When he doesn''t see the person, he asks Mogrok, sighing. "Was she here?" "She was." Mogrok peers at the spot again. "Where did she disappear to? I can''t smell her anywhere? Did she leave this world?" "No," The boy answers before Adira could say anything. "She''s hiding somewhere. If we wait, she will reappear." After hearing that, Misumi narrows her dark eyes on the boy. "How do you know that, Lucius?" Lucius mumbles softly, "It''s a guess." Adira puts down Misaki on the ground. "Go with Lucius." "Are you going to look for my younger sister?" Misumi asks her father. It''s not a secret that she has a younger twin. She has always known about it. Her mother is somewhere far away and only half of her father is present here. Her only ymate is Lucius who is a halfling like her. When she was four-year-old, he was found in front of the dark castle. Back then, Mogrok suggested that it would be a good idea if Misumi had a ymate who was the same age as her. Since then, he''s been living at the castle. Nobody knows who his parents are. Since it''s not usual that halflings are abandoned by their human parents, everyone has epted him the castle. Just like her, Lucius looks human. Nobody can tell that she and Lucius are halflings. "Yes." Adira smiles at her. "Stay with Lucius. Don''t go out of the castle." "I won''t." Misumi holds her father''s finger and promises him, "Bring her back home soon." "I will." Adira bends down his waist and nts a kiss on Misumi''s head. She giggles before she kisses Adira''s cheek. Mogrok keeps sighing. How could he, the only spirit beast with a thousand eyes, lose track of Misaki? He should have kept all of his eyes on her without blinking. None of them notices the shadowy look in Lucius'' eyes. After kissing Adira''s other cheek, Misumi goes to Lucius'' side. She tugs his arm, waking him up from his thoughts. "What are you thinking about, Lucius?" "Nothing." Lucius beams at her. "Sumi, let''s go inside. It''s too hot here." "You are sensitive to heat." Misumi holds his arm, walking along with him. "My sister is going toe back home finally." "How are you sure?" Lucius questions her, knowing full well that Misaki can''t leave the world. She has to return to the castle. "Twin''s intuition." Misumi chuckles when Lucius makes a face at her. "Are you excited? I can''t wait to meet my younger sister." "I wonder if she looks like you." Lucius lets out a sigh. "If Mogrok mistook her for me, she and I probably look alike." Misumi tabs her chin, thinking. "I haven''t heard anything about her. All I remember is that she used to talk a lot when we shared our mother''s womb." That sounds like her. Lucius smiles. "But you don''t remember what she said to you." "I was young back then." Misumi puckers her lips. "Lucius, do you remember everything from the moment you were born?" He shakes his head. "If I did, I would remember my parents." "I remember my mother faintly." Misumi leans on him slightly as she walks toward the room where they y together. "Father is also looking for her." Lucius pats her back. "She will be back." "I want us to live together." Misumi looks at him. "You too, Lucius. I want to marry you when I grow up." That came out of nowhere... Lucius blinks his eyes, surprised by those words. Just how it was rted to living together? Sometimes, he can''t understand a young child''s mind. Is that traveller also like Misumi now? A smile forms on his lips. "Let''s get married after we turn twenty." Misumi blushes. "Why aren''t you said anything?" "Sumi, you are more like my sister," Lucius replies with a soothing voice. Even if she''s young, he doesn''t want to give her any hope. "I can''t marry you." "Why?" She lets of his arm, halting in her track. Misumi creases her forehead when he remains silent. Though she''s aware that Lucius will rather remain silent than answer her questions, she still questions him again, "Is something wrong with me?" "No." Lucius wrinkles his brows, feeling a certain coldness on his back. To be honest, he can''t imagine why kids grow up so fast in this world. Thirteen is the legal age. How is Misaki going to adjust to this world? But that''s not the big problem. That traveller was here. He did sense her. Then, she went away. Probably in the past. That''s where she can hide. He can''t follow her to the past as he used to do it in her past life. Who knew that she would not go to through hellfire? That was the deal between them. The hell broke down after their deal. Is it fate? He exhales, exasperated. When he tricked Kang Si An into taking birth in a world that was far from the world where Kyuri was supposed to be born, he felt happy. He thought that he could make her fall for him in this life. Who knew that the woman would be reborn as a time-traveller? Thankfully, he took birth before the higher-ups could do anything. He''s already in Iravan. Since he''s a higher entity, he kept his memories intact with him. But she wasn''t born in this world. Somehow, the woman was reborn on earth. The fae realm wasn''t far off. He was scared that she would meet Li Jun. However, something worse happened. Misaki was stolen by a god. It seems that she''s found her way back to this world. But why did she leave? This world is different from earth. If that woman doesn''t know how to open the gates, she won''t be able to leave this world. As much as he knows, the woman can''t go to a different world using her abilities. But he doesn''t have a vessel like Kang Si An. He can''t go in the past or the future anymore. "Lucius!" Misumi frowns at him. "Who are you thinking about?" "About nothing" There''s something funny about children. They often forget easily what they are upset about. It seems that Misumi won''t ask him about marriage for now. Lucius looks at Misumi and shakes his head. "Are you hungry?" "Yes," Misumi grumbles. "Let''s go to the kitchen." He ces his hand on her back. At least, the traveller is in the world where he is. Chapter 212: I am not Qeshaya Chapter 212: I am not Qeshaya "How did you turn into this person?" Chaos smiles coldly at Ari when she hears that question. "Wasn''t I always like this?" "I believe you are reasonable." Ari tells her with a straight voice, "You wouldn''t be rash after realizing who you are." "You are wrong about me." Chaos chuckles, cocking her head slightly. "Abyss, I have always been like this. I am Chaos." It must be because of the things that happened to Kresi. Ari''s heart is soft toward this woman. Despite knowing their history, she wants to give another chance to this woman. But Chaos doesn''t want to change. "I will let you go." Ari takes a step away from Chaos. "Even though you took away my child and raised her to be what she''s today, I can see that you didn''t harm her in other ways. This is thest chance that I can offer you. Just because you are Chaos, you don''t have to act like this." Having heard that, Chaos guffaws, huping as she covers her mouth. "You are the same, Abyss. I thought that being a forsaken creature would change you." "It has changed me." Ari replies calmly, "But I don''t want to be controlled by the evil inside me. Because I understand you, I still want to give you a chance. Why can''t you take a path that doesn''t hurt you or me? We don''t have to fight, Chaos. If Noras and Adira can be friends, why can''t you and I be at peace?" Idiot. Chaos snorts at her. This woman is such an idiot. "Some things are impossible." "Chaos." Ari sighs. "Kresi." "Unlike you, I have abandoned my old names." Chaos shakes her head. "Being a shaper of name, you know the importance of the names. Why do you still cling to your old names?" "A child said that I should keep the name because there are still people in the world who know me by that name." Ari takes a deep breath, wondering what to do with Chaos. She has a lot of questions. She can''t let Chaos roam freely. Chaos might seek Misaki again. Maybe taking her to Haven is best for both of them. While Ari is thinking, she doesn''t notice Chaos'' fingers. The spell begins to weaken. The corner of Chaos'' lips rises as her eyes gleam. "So, you want to say that I should pretend to be Kresi because there are people who still know me as Kresi." "Is it bad?" Ari stares hard at her. "Kresi still has people who care about her. Mirai, Pebby, Ai, and Aren. Have you forgotten about them?" "Unlike you, I don''t pretend to be an angel." Chaos looks at her scornfully. "Those mortals will die. Even your children will die. You, Adira, and I will outlive all of them. Then, there will be a time when there would be no mortal who would call you Ari. Gods should behave like gods. Mingling with mortals won''t do you any good, especially after what you have be." Ari inhales the cold air. There''s no lie in those words. She and Adira will outlive the mortals including their daughters. "I can always turn them into forsaken creatures." "Then, they won''t be your children." Chaos shakes her head andughs. "The forsaken are abandoned by the past or the future, gods, darkness and light, and whatnot. Sure. They belong to you now. But you don''t belong to any ce other than Haven which is nothing but Oblivion. In the end, you brought them into the prison that you created. You made them believe that it''s a world. How strange! Oblivion will be Abyss. Everything will be a mirage. Over time, they will get bored. Then, they will realize what''s wrong. Nothing would change. The world is nothing but a bittersweet illusion." Ari curls her fingers into fists. "I can control thews of Haven." "Yeah." The spell is broken. Chaos takes a step toward Ari. She''s amazed to see that Abyss doesn''t show any surprise in her eyes. Instead, Abyss is watching her solemnly. Chaos questions her then, "Are you letting me go?" "I am giving you a chance," Ari answers her. "You are a fool." Chaos rolls her eyes. "Some people are bound to live their lives in unhappiness. Misaki and I are the same. Even if you don''t believe me, it won''t change. I am going to find Misaki after she bes an adult. I will train her to be a goddess, a face of mine. I am sure that you won''t have any problems after she makes her decisions as an adult." "People who don''t change are usually the ones who don''t want to change." Ari closes her eyes, tilting her head. She cracks her fingers and then, she stretches her arms. "You always say that you can''t find happiness. Even when you were Kresi, you kept ming others. Chaos, do you know that life is pretty long? Even if we are gods, who say that we have no right to have happiness? Why do the forsaken creatures have no right to exist? I will keep asking questions and I will continue to help the ones who need my help. As for you, I don''t think that you don''t deserve happiness. I believe you just don''t want to be happy." What the hell is she saying? Chaos blinks her eyes, surprised. "Don''t sayplicated words to me." "Right. I have been wasting my breaths." The air around Ari starts to vibrate with energy. There''s a smile on Ari''s face and a look of sorrow in her eyes. Sensing that Ari is going to do something to her, Chaos tries to dematerialize in order to leave the world. "What?" Chaos looks down on her feet. There dripping dark purple liquid beneath her feet. Dripping dark arms rise from the purple puddle, grabbing her feet. No matter what she does, she can''t free herself. Her mana is useless on the begrimed hands. "Did you" The words are never finished. The ground melts beneath her feet. Chaos takes long breaths. Her eyes widen in panic. She nces at Ari. "What are you doing to me?" "Killing you." Ari meets her gaze. There''s no pity in her eyes. "I have given you a chance, but you didn''t appreciate it. I know that you are stubborn. You will seek Misaki again. I can''t let that happen. You are powerful enough to escape Adira or other gods, and I can''t stay in any world for a long time." "But you will also" Chaos croaks as she feels her legs melting into the purple liquid. She falls on the floor, crawling away as the teeth on the hands sink into her skin. Her energy begins to get drained. She clenches her teeth to stop herself from screaming. Chaos looks up at Ari whose skin is also turning purple. "When ites to my family, I can''tpromise anymore." Ari bends down on her knees in front of Chaos. "You have been corrupted, Chaos. The long years of pain have turned you blind. You can''t see the path. I have tried to help you many times, but you don''t even want to see it anymore. I thought that it was okay before. Someone would help you change. But you kept rejecting everyone. Now, you want my daughter to be like you. I will never let that happen. That''s why I am killing your consciousness now." Half of the Chaos'' body is covered with the purple liquid, bing one with it. Her eyes be wet with pain. She has never felt this tremendous pain before. It''s searing pain, breaking down her from the core. Even her powers are useless. She''s under this womanmand. Everyone remembers Ari as a true-name shaper, but they have forgotten that she can also break the true names. She''s probably the only god-killer present in the world. "How did you find out my true name?" "Kresi." Ari ces her hand on Chaos'' head. "Mayaeira gave you the name Kresira but you changed it to Kresi. In thenguage older than this universe, the meaning of [Kre] is different." "Ha!" Chaos snickers, ignoring the pain. "I must have done it unconsciously. Aren''t I an idiot?" "I am not Qeshaya. I am erasing your name and sending you back to the universe. But you will be reborn again." Ari tells her, "Not as Kresi or the person you are now. You won''t forget your life like Cina or Adira. When youe back into existence, I will be here." "My faces will die with me." With her gone, all the faces of Chaos will be gone except for those who are born mortals. They won''t be faces of chaos anymore. Chaos trails off, "Are you happy after killing so many consciousnesses who were born from me?" "I am sorry." A tear rolls out of Ari''s eye. Thest of Chaos transforms into a purple vapour that disappears into the air in the next instant. "I have to do it for my daughter." Chapter 213: Love you from the last of my existence Chapter 213: Love you from thest of my existence Ari stands up, sighing. She turns her head toward the door. Adira and Ai are already here, watching her in silence. "When did youe here?" Ari asks Adira solemnly. "Why did you kill her?" Adira steps toward her with a calm expression. He has only seen Chaos'' being killed by Ari. It was toote to stop. Ari is a goddess, just like Kresi. When Ari and Kresi were mortals, they could hide their god essence somehow. Both of them must have been strong. Her real name is Abyss. She has just killed a god. A god can''t be killed, but its consciousness can be sent back to where it came from. In the future, Chaos wille back, although it''s unlikely that she will ever be the same. Just like a mortal dies and reincarnates again in a new body, a god can ''die'' ande back in the same body. However, the god''s consciousness will be reset. It''s simr to what Ari has done to the forsaken creatures. It''s a form of death. He grabs her arm, lifting it. There are purple cracks on Ari''s hand, trailing up to her upper arms, disappearing into her sleeves. "What have you done?" There are going to be repercussions. Killing a god is a sin graver than any other sin in the world. She''s already a forsaken one. Though he knows that she can''t die, he is afraid. What if she gets wiped out as Chaos did? "Go back to Iravan." She smacks his chest in an attempt to push him away. Her voice is weak and frail as if she would disappear anytime. Ari closes her eyes, losing her footing. How long can she hold herself? "Misaki is in Iravan. Take care of our daughters, please." "Ari." Adira gasps when he notices the cracks appearing on her cheeks. He wraps his arms around her, making her body lean on him. "What happened to her?" Ai questions him with a shaky voice. His eyes widen when he sees purple gleams in the cracks on Ari''s face. Her skin is turning grey, losing colours. "Ari, Ari," Adira calls her name, shaking her body. "Don''t you dare leave me again, Ari. Please forgive me for forgetting you." "Mother, you can''t die." Ai bursts into tears. "Don''t disappear again. What will I do without you?" Ari''s eyes flutter. She opens her eyes slightly. There''s a searing pain through her veins. Erasing Chaos'' name has taken too much of her. She''s already weak after naming all the forsaken creatures and changing Oblivion into Haven. Now, there''s a rebound. One by one, all the faces of Chaos are disappearing from the universe. "It''s meant to happen," She mumbles with a pained voice as she struggles to straighten her back. She can face whatever happens to her. But her daughter must be in pain. "Find Misaki, Adira." "I won''t go anywhere without you," Adira tells her. "Don''t worry about Misaki. A part of me is in that world. He will find Misaki as long as she''s in Iravan." "Seriously" She lets out an exasperated sigh. Chaos isn''tpletely bad. Sometimes, Chaos is needed. Killing a god will create a new imbnce before things resume to the way it was. There''s imbnce outside. Her presence is affecting the mind of people. The mortals are going mad, hurting each other. She needs to leave this world as soon as possible. "You are still clingy. Didn''t I say that you and I can''t be together?" "Ari." Adira senses her crumbling in his arms. Chaos'' reset is also affecting her. "Why did you do it? Why do you keep hurting yourself?" "I am d that" She smiles at him. "Misaki looks like you." "You could have waited for me." Adira cups her face. Ai''s soft sobs echo in the hall. The mansion is slowly disintegrating away. Everything that was created by Chaos is dissipating back to nature. Even Ari is on the verge of dying. "I am a forsaken one." Ari inhales and exhales, feeling her true name disappearing. She corrects herself, "My body won''t die." "Tell me what to do," Adira yells at her. "You can''t leave again, Ari." "I died ten years ago." Ari says to him in a mncholic tone, "I died the day I fell into the river of death. I am sorry for being mad at you earlier. Even if you came to the river of death that day after hearing my call, you wouldn''t be able to save me. I was already gone by then. A part of my consciousness held on tightly because I wanted toe back for you and my children. But I also held a grudge against you. I was mad when I found out that Misaki wasn''t found." "Be mad at me." Adira rubs her tears away with his trembling hand. "Don''t say words like this. I am fine if you are angry at me. Please hold on to yourself, Ari. You must keep your name. Don''t go away not like this." If the true name is gone, the person ispletely gone. "Abyss won''t die." Ari blinks her eyes slowly. It hurts her to move her lips. "Just like, Chaos can''t die. I am a forsaken one. This body can''t die either." "Ari, my Ari" Adira looks into her eyes. "What about my Ari? I want you." "Unfortunately, Ari must die." Her voice trembles as she says the next words, "I made her pay for her sins. I must pay for mine. I am sorry, Adira. I keep hurting you like this. But I had to do this. Too much has happened. She and I must go for the bnce toe back. When I wake up again, I will be Abyss only. I am leaving Ai, Misaki, and Misumi to you. Please give them the love of both mother and father. You must make Misaki believe that she deserves happiness even if she was a face of chaos once." Adira shakes his head at her. "Ari, you can''t do this to me again." "Mother, Mother, can''t you shape your own true name?" Ai holds her hand. "I am sure that we can do something. We can save your existence. Tell us if there''s a way." "My name was destroyed ten years ago. What you see now is a ghost of that name," Ari reveals it to him. "Ai, take care of your sisters and father after I am gone. Don''t forget to find your happiness." "You have to be here." Adira embraces her tightly. "Ari, I won''t let you go. No matter what, I won''t let you go." Ari listens to his heartbeat. It''s beating loudly. She recalls everything that happened from the moment she met him. She had to leave him many times. Once, she did it to save him. Later, she left him to save someone else. A regret itches her heart. Maybe she should have trusted him a little. Maybe all of this could have been prevented. Who knows what would have happened? One can only speak about the decisions that one had taken in the past. Her body can''t remain in any world other than Haven. "I heard that Rilyah is in Qeshaya. Free her. She''s been punished enough," She whispers. "I will be gone soon. Bury me in Haven." Bury her? Adira''s body quivers. "Ari, I won''t bury you." When she hears his broken voice, she lifts her head to look up at Adira. His cheeks are stained with tears. His dark eyes are filled with such sorrow that her heart throbs in pain. Why did she have to hurt him again? "Don''t take my body to Iravan. It will hurt other people." Ari gathers thest of her strength to give him ess to Haven. "After you bury me, you must leave with Ai and Aren. Promise me that you won''t stay there. You have to raise our children, Adira. You can''t stay in that world." "Ari, don''t ask me to be away from you not anymore," Adria croaks. "Erase my name too. Kill me and take me with you. I don''t want to live in this world without you." "I am sorry, Adira." Ari rests her head on his chest, closing her eyes. Her voice trails off. "No matter what, I love you from thest of my existence." Her hands be limp. Adira releases a loud heart wrenching cry as thest of her true name withers away. Chapter 214: Repercussion of killing a primordial god Chapter 214: Repercussion of killing a primordial god Ari is dead. Her true name is gone from the universe. Adira feels an emptiness in his chest. No matter how long he holds her, he can''t feel anything. Her existence is gone. Even if Abyss wakes up, it will never be the same. She left him forever. His cries pervade the air. The world is pandemonium. Darkness fills every corner of the world. Adira''s sorrow and pain are adding to the chaos, making people weigh down with an emptiness that doesn''t belong to them. "Lord, can''t you give her a true name to her?" Ai grabs Adira''s arms. He doesn''t care what happens to the world but his mother has to be saved. Mortals die again and again. However, that kind of death is nothing. As long as the true name is intact, the person cane back. There are times when the true name gets erased. Ai has lost his true name once. But he was given another true name by Ari. He''s sure that Ari can be saved. "Gods'' true names can''t be recreated. Even if Ari''s name is gone, Abyss hasn''t disappeared," Adira utters, looking down at Ari''s face. "This is a repercussion of killing a primordial god." "Then, is there no way to save her?" Ai looks at him with teary eyes. "Give my name to her if it''s possible." "It doesn''t work like that," Adira murmurs. The light in his eyes bes dim. "I have to fulfil herst wishes." Ari would never want a world to get destroyed because of her. A forsaken goddess'' body can''t remain in the world of mortals for long. Adira carries her in his arms as he opens the portal to the world that she made for the forsaken ones. He knows that she had given him only a one time ess. He won''t be able to return to Haven if he leaves. He steps into Haven with Ai trailing behind him. The world has no longer an empty space. Though the sky is still white, thend has changed. There are buildings in the midst of trees withrge foliages. The world is a strange copy of all the worlds where Ari has been. It seems that she had taken something from each world: the mountains at the end of the lower realms, theke from the dark realm, the cityscapes from T City where she was born. She had tried to create a copy and then, she filled them with what belonged to the forsaken ones. The forsaken creatures gather around him. Arenes forward when he sees the lifeless body of Ari in Adira''s arms. "What happened to her?" Adira doesn''t answer him. He can''t say the words. A part of him is still expecting to wake up as Ari. Nobody else but Ari. It''s a punishment for hurting her so many times. A boy runs to him and grabs Ari''s hand. Scias blinks his eyes when he feels the chill in Ari''s skin. "She''s sleeping." "Sleeping?" Aren looks at Ai for answers. But his younger brother has his head lowered. Ai is crying silently while biting his lower lip. "Ai, is she unconscious?" The forsaken creatures don''t do anything. They bend down on their knees with a grave expression on their faces. They close their eyes and put their head on the ground. Scias copies their actions. After a few moments, he raises his head and says to Adira, "Did Lady Ari meet Misaki?" The child still doesn''t understand. "She did," Adira tells him. Unlike before, he''s not jealous of Scias'' attachment to Ari. She had always been kind to kids. It''s the same reason why she was good to me at the beginning. Ari''s heart was capable of pure love. She had always loved people with everything that she had. But he loves her the most. In the east of the Haven, there''s arge forest. Adirays her down in the meadow with violet flowers. The forsaken ones sing a song together. A silent song that can''t be heard by Adira, Aren, or Ai. Adira watches her body melting into the ground. He clenches his fists. Haven will nourish her body and keep her safe. Even if Ari is gone And then, he realizes that she''s really gone. The ground is filled with flowers again. He stares hard at it for a long moment. Abyss wille back with Chaos. Ari will nevere back. The memories, feelings, their past only he has them. What makes a person? Ari''s soul was broken once. It was recreated by Mirinae. Her true name was still whole. Ari fell into the river of death. She was broken again. But she still did her everything in order toe back. The moments that he spent with her couldn''t be reced by anything else in the world. What does he regret most in the world? He should have supported her decision back then. Instead of trying to force her to sumb to his will for her sake, he should have supported her decision back then. He shouldn''t have forgotten her name. A tear glides down on his cheek. It doesn''t matter how long he stares at that ce. Ari won''te back. He stays there for a long time. Herst words keep ringing in his head. Even if he doesn''t want to leave, he knows that there''s no other way. Misaki, Misumi, and Ai he has to leave this ce for their sake. "Even if she won''t be you anymore, I will still wait for you." Even if a god is reset, the true essence can never be changed. There should be something that belongs to Ari inside Abyss. Maybe there won''t be. He still wants to believe that Abyss will wake up as Ari again. If the supreme one wills it, anything is possible. The supreme one is above any death and life. He hopes that the supreme one would be merciful to him and Ari. Chapter 215: Mother is beautiful Chapter 215: Mother is beautiful Misaki manages to escape the thousand-eyed beast. However, she has no idea where she is. "Am I in the past or the future?" She frowns deeply. It seems that she used her time-travelling ability in panic. The air is pulsating with thick energy. Misaki could sense the turbulent dark ehr. Chaos had told her about Iravan. So, she''s not surprised to sense the strong magic. But her veins can''t absorb the magic in the air. She''s actually a wahr. Since she hasn''t found a spirit, her channels can''t absorb magic. But she has other abilities. Travelling in time is one of them. Chaos had trained her to use it efficiently. However, she hasn''t expected toe to this strange ce. The castle is there, but it''s empty. She could sense that there''s no one in the vicinity. The afternoon sun is zing in the sky. Why does it feel odd though? Misaki looks around. There''s no sign of any creature. Thends are barren and dry, uneven and rough. She wonders what era it is. Did she go too far back in time? Messing with time has repercussions. And she did mess with it asionally. In the past, she might have caused a war or two, spread chaos, brought bad luck to the countries where she had been living with Chaos. It had been fun until she saw what her actions did to those people. But she wasn''t able to fix anything. The more she messed with time, the crazier it went. That''s when Chaos told her that she couldn''t be a hero. There is no way for a face of Chaos to be a saviour. She takes a deep breath. Was she too hurtful toward her mother? She wanted her mother to go away from her. Her mother became a forsaken creature because of her. Maybe something worse could happen to her mother if she stayed close to her mother. It was better to be hated than be a cause for her family''s doom. "Mother is beautiful," She mumbles to herself as she makes her way into the empty castle. Chaos had told her a lot about her mother. She was exactly like how Chaos described her. Though Chaos didn''t like her mother, she didn''t exactly hate her either. There was always some respect in Chaos'' tone when she told her about Ari Takayama, the Abyss'' Avatar. "She''s so cool!" Misaki squeals when she recalls how her mother called her a brat. "She''s cooler than anyone I know." Her mother is impressive cooler than her father. "I should have let her hug me." Misaki finds herself walking in the corridor. She stops in front of a picture of her father. She stares hard at it for a moment. "Did Chaos paint this picture?" Chaos had told her about what happened before the war. His father had loved Chaos dearly once. But his heart only belongs to her mother now. Chaos wasn''t upset about it. In thest ten years, Chaos has been good to her. She had imparted all the knowledge to her. Whether it''s about healing techniques or rune magic, Chaos had taught her everything. The problem is that she doesn''t have a magic source. She needs to make a contract with a spirit or a beast to have ess to magic. So far, she hasn''t been able to find the spirit who is meant for her. Maybe she will find it here. It turns dark all of a sudden. Misaki narrows her eyes, puckering her lips. Is someone here? She hears a loud scream. Furrowing her brows, Misaki runs in the direction of the scream. She keeps herself hidden. From the hiding spot, she sees her father. He''s trying to kill a girl with golden eyes. "..." What''s going on? She knows that she can''t make her presence known to him. He seems to be fully concentrated on the girl. "Kyo" Why is this girl calling her father with a wrong name? Misaki frowns, but she keeps watching the scene that is unfolding before her. The runes attack her father''s arm. Still, her father can kill the girl. But he pulls his hand back. In the next instant, her father''s appearance changes. He turns into a boy who looks to be around eighteen or neen. His arm ispletely cursed. Misaki is appalled. In the next few minutes, she figures out what is happening. Her mother transmigrated into Chaos'' mortal body once. This girl is her mother. She hides before they can notice her. Then, she peeks at them. Her mother is checking her father''s arm. The love between them makes her smile. Chaos is right. Her father and mother are meant to be with each other. Growing more curious about her parents, Misaki continues to follow them. It''s difficult to keep hidden from the thousand-eyed spirit beast. But Chaos had taught her a few tricks. She uses the talisman with concentrated ehr to cast a spell that keeps her undetected by her mother and the spirit beast. They reach Cnaeris waste. Misaki widens her eyes when she sees her mother trying to create a hole in the ice. "Mother is a little crazy," Misaki gasps. After her mother and everyone else go to the underground realm, she takes a step toward the hole. Just then, she feels immense pain in her head. "Ugh!" Misaki grabs her head. It feels like her head is splitting apart. Blood trickles down on her lips. Misaki hears the distant cries. When she looks around, she finds herself alone. Who is screaming? But the painful howls don''t stop. Misaki drops on the ground, writhing on the cold ice. Her screams join the howls as she disintegrates with the wind. Something is being pulled away from her soul. An invisible w is gnawing on her chest, tearing away the flesh. But there''s no wound except for the blood that is leaking out of her nose. The agony is unbearable. She cries out in pain, hoping someone would help her. Misaki finds herself in front of the Dark Castle again. A tall figure shadows her. When she looks up, she sees her father. "Don''t resist." Her father ces his hand on her eyes. "It will be over soon." What is happening to her? Misaki sobs. A cool sensation spreads in her veins as the pain dissipates away. She falls asleep in no time. Chapter 216: That wasnt love Chapter 216: That wasn''t love Earth] Cina wakes up with a throbbing pain in his head. The memoriese rushing to his head like a tsunami. He inhales and exhales, staring at the ceiling in a daze. Because of Kresi, he had to go to Qeshaya. He changed into a child and then, he, Adira, and Kresi were rescued by Noras. He was in Noras'' pce. That''s where he met Ari again. "Why" Everything feels like a joke to him. He widens his eyes as the embarrassing memories rey in his head. "Why did I call her Mother?" No, he was literally begging her to be his mother. "What was wrong with me?" Cina gasps. "I kept calling her Mother." Not only that, but he had also tried to make Adira ept him as a child. That''s not the end of his shameful deeds. He even lost to that nameless boy. "He made me cry." Cina sits up, holding his head in horror. His skin pales. "I lost to a kid." Then, Rilyah bullied him. That little --! He had seen her in the crib. How could he treat her as his elder twin? "Everything was wrong with me." Cina closes his eyes, covering his face. "I let another kid fool me." Mother? Father? Was he that desperate? He was there when Iravan was created. How could he do that? It was better if he had never recalled his memories. At the same time, the door opens and Amami steps into the room. She opens her mouth wide when she sees Cina sitting on the bed. It''s been a few days since that day. She found herself and Cina inside the house. There was no doubt that the forsaken creature did something to them. Cina has been in a deep slumber since then. She had no idea what happened to him. "Cina" Amami runs to him and wraps her arms around him, squeezing him in her embrace. Her voice breaks as her emotions run rampant in her heart. "You finally woke up!" "Wha--" Cina can''t breathe. The fat woman is squeezing him to death. He doesn''t even have the strength to push her away. Renasir''s attack has weakened him. Besides, he''s been ving himself under others''mands: making gates, keys, and whatnot. He squeezes his hand between them in an attempt to push her away. "Woman, do you want to die?" She loosens her arms around him and looks down at his face, scrutinizing curiously with her dark eyes. "Do you have amnesia?" "Don''t even say that word," Cina utters bitterly as he ces his hand on her chest, wanting to push her away. Then, he feels her soft round melon under hisrge hand. His face burns red. Cina swallows, recalling who she is. This woman is his wife. What has he done? He can''t show his face to anyone. Not only did he marry a goddess from another world, but he also had to choose a woman who is thrice his size. And he begged her to be plump for him. He had kissed her, touched her, and slept with her every night. That''s not all. He didn''t consummate his marriage because he wanted his ''mother''s blessings''. Just what was wrong with him? Did he lose his memories or hit his head in Qeshaya? Cina looks up at Amami who is blinking her eyes rapidly, blushing hard. Her body ispletely still. He can hear the sound of her crazy heartbeats. As if his hand has a mind of its own, he squeezes her mound again. "Husband," She croaks his name out. "Your body is still weak." There''s something still wrong with him. Cina retracts his hand, feeling dread enveloping his body. The feeling of touching her softness is still burning his hand like a powerful imprint. His heart is also going crazy. He stares at Amami''s face. The woman''s face is round and her cheeks are chubby and white like dumplings. There''s a tinge of rosiness on her face, starting from the bridge of her nose, spreading out evenly on her both cheeks, reaching to the tips of her ears. Her eyshes flutter as she peers at him shyly like a new bride. "If you still want to, I-I d-don''t mind" She fidgets with her fingers. "It''s already been ten years since we got married. You and I know each other well. Also, we already have your mother''s blessing. I am ready to serve you as your wife." That wakes him up from his daze. "That woman isn''t my mother." Cina climbs off the bed, hurrying away from her, wanting to keep as much as distance from her. "You are not my wife." "Husband, are you okay?" Amami furrows her brows. "You must have lost your memories" "No, I regained my lost memories." Cina swallows. Why did he find her attractive back then? He doesn''t have any interest in women -- or men. He doesn''t believe in marriage. How could he trap himself with a goddess from the earth. "Listen, you and I didn''t consummate our marriage. From now on, you are freed. You can go anywhere and be with anyone." "Are you leaving me?" Streams of tears roll down on Amami''s cheeks, making Cina''s heart ache. He doesn''t want to admit that he might have liked this woman once. Everything that happened since the moment he entered Qeshaya feels like a nightmare to him. This woman is also a part of that nightmare. "Yes, I am leaving you. Since our marriage wasn''t consummated, you don''t have to serve me. You can uh" "I won''t separate from you." Amami sniffles. "I love you, Husband." Cina''s heart elerates. Love him? He realizes that his heart shouldn''t be reacting like this. This madness has to stop. "Goddess Amami, we married without any conditions. So, you can leave me anytime. I am leaving for Iravan now. You are free to remarry." And he summons a gate quickly and leaves the house before the woman can say anything. There''s no way that he would spend his forever with her. Love? He only loves his children who are born from his essence. He returns to Iravan. Feeling ashamed, he doesn''t go anywhere. Whether Ari was forsaken or not, he couldn''t care less. Rilyah could rot in Qeshaya forever. As for others, he doesn''t want to see them. He needs to gather his thoughts. Cina sits down on the cool ground, surrounded by trees and nts of every kind, and spirits who are born under hisw. He lets thends of Iravan absorb his essence giving life to thends. In the process, he''s also gathering his strength, letting the ehr flow through him. It''s insane. The Renasir is a forsaken goddess. Kresi is also a goddess. "What is this nonsense?" Cina runs his fingers through his hair, looking up at the sky. After thinking a lot, he has mixed feelings toward everyone including Adira. The pain of losing Bn, his first child who was born from his essence, is back. But he also understands that her child has done wrong. "Still, I would rather see her facing her punishment alive." Cina lies down on the ground and closes his eyes. "I can''t hate that child anymore." Ai was like a younger brother to him. His brotherly feelings toward Ai were genuine. It''s the same for everyone else including Rilyah and Ari''s daughter. "But I can''t love them anymore either," He mumbles to himself. Nothing can change the fact that Ai had killed Bn. Kresi caused it. As for Rilyah, the child is already facing her harsh punishment in Qeshaya. It''s true that Bn had done wrong. She didn''t protect the children. But no parent would want to see their child dead. Just like Mirinae, he would rather send Bn to Qeshaya. He wasn''t even able to see her onest time after he woke up. "I am sorry." Cina takes deep breaths, trying hard not to break into sobs. "Bn, I should have taught you better. If I had been a good parent, you would have honoured the words that you gave to those children." The price of breaking those words was huge. Those children can still reincarnate, but Bn would never take birth again. Her death was final. All of a sudden, Amami''s face appears in his head. Memories of days that he spent with her itch his heart. He pushes away the feeling, shaking his head as he sits up. "No." Cina inhales the cold familiar air of Iravan. "That wasn''t love. I have never loved anyone other than my children." But he feels a little guilty. It was he who forced her to marry him. However, the rain goddess would be fine without him. She''s been fine without him before he appeared in her life. So, she should be fine after he left her. Chapter 217: You want to kill my daughter? Chapter 217: You want to kill my daughter? "It''s still the same," Aren mumbles to himself when he returns to Iravan. The dusky skies of the Dark Realm are painted with soft auburn sunlights. The familiar air makes him feel safe. After so many years, he has returned to this world. He nces at his younger brother''s back. Ai hasn''t said anything since Ari was buried. The Dark God is the same. Is Ari truly gone? Adira hasn''t exined anything. And he can''t ask him either. As for Ai, his younger brother is still grieving. It makes him worry. His rtionship with Ari wasn''t the same as Ai''s rtionship with Ai. Ari was like a mother to Ai. He knows the pain of losing a mother. Just like him, Ai has closed his heart to everyone. As he''s his brother, he''s going to do everything in order to open his heart. Back then, he didn''t have anyone. But Ai has him. *** Ai stops in front of the gate of the dark castle, hesitating to go inside. He senses his brother stopping behind him. His brother ces his hand on his back. "Why are you standing there?" The Dark God''s deep voice enters his ears, jolting him. "Follow me." "I" Ai looks at the Dark God. "Mother isn''t there." "Your sisters are still there." Adira gives him a meaningful look. He nces at Aren, giving him a nod. "Ai is also my son." Aren smiles faintly and says to him politely, "Lord, you are too kind." "I am not," Adira replies with a heavy voice. Just then, his other half appears in front of him. Adira eyes his other half. "How is Misumi?" "She''s fine." The ''other'' Adira tells him, "Misaki is here too. She''s no longer the face of a goddess. Thus, her body is in a shocked state. She''s been put to sleep." "I understand." His second daughter is back at the castle. Adira inhales deeply, and then, hemands his other half. "Come back to me." The ''other'' Adira nods his head obediently. His body transforms into a ball of ck burning ehr. It floats right toward Adira''s chest, delving deep into his body. All the memories of ten years in Iravan emerge in Adira''s head. From that moment on, Adira and his other half are the same again. He goes straight to Misaki''s room. To his surprise, Lucius and Misumi are sitting on the bed with Misaki lying asleep in the centre. Misumi is holding MIsaki''s hand, whispering something to her. Lucius is staring at her with deep concern in his eyes. Adira doesn''t think of Lucius'' concern as something else. He walks toward Misaki''s bed. "Why are both of you here?" "Father, I want to stay here." Misumi looks up at him. "Misaki is sick. I want to take her pain away." "She''s not in pain." Adira strokes her head gently. His eldest daughter is a lot like Ari. She cares deeply for other people. He''s afraid that he might have sheltered her too much. How would Ari raise them if she had been here? He interrupts Misaki when he opens her mouth to protest. "Don''t you want to meet your elder brother?" "Elder brother Ai?" Misumi looks at the boy standing near the door. She blinks her eyes slowly. "Are you really Elder Brother Ai?" Ai nods his head nervously. He peers at Misaki on the bed. He can''t help but look for simrities to their mother. There is a shadow of his mother''s features on both of them. It gives him a twinge of envy in his chest. He doesn''t look like Ari. "Elder Brother is also back." Misumi runs to him and wraps her arms around his legs. "Elder Brother, do you remember that we used to talk a lot?" He doesn''t remember much actually. Ai looks down at her and smiles. "Misumi remembers?" "Not much." Misumi grins at him. Then, she peeks outside and sees Aren. Her eyes search for more. "Mother isn''t here." Silence falls in the room. Adira doesn''t dare to look at Misumi. She''s been waiting for Ari toe back. Sensing the heaviness in the room, Aren steps forward and picks up Misumi in his arms. "Do you recognize me, Misumi?" "No." Misumi frowns at him. "Who are you, Mister Red?" "You already have a name for me." Aren signals Ai to follow him discreetly. "I will introduce myself to you then. I am afraid that it will take a while." "Mister Red, you look like my elder brother," Misumi remarks. "Your observation skills are good." Aren winks at her. "Misumi, I am Ai''s brother." "Then, you are also my brother." Misumi creases her forehead. "Let''s not make itplicated." Arenughs awkwardly as he takes her away from Misaki''s room with Ai walking beside him. He can''t imagine Ari as his mother. "Your mother is my friend. You can call me Uncle." *** After Aren, Ai, and Misumi are gone, Adira turns his head toward Lucius. "Why are you still here?" His other half has always treated this boy in a nonchnt manner. But Adira knows that the child can''t be an ordinary child. There''s a seal on this boy. In addition to that, the entity inside the boy''s body is different. It''s not a part of Iravan as if this boy came to this world just like Ari did for the first time. The boy bends down on his one knee and lowers his head. His voice is solemn,ced with respect. "Lord, I am a timekeeper." "What is your purpose?" Adira questions him. "I am here because of your daughter." Adira''s gaze turns cold. "Say it clearly." "Misaki is a time-traveller." Lucius raises his head and meets Adira''s cold gaze, unaffected by the pressure in the air. "She was also a time-traveller in her past life. She wasn''t supposed to be born as your daughter, but some things went wrong in purgatory." "I don''t care what she was before she was born as my daughter." Adira grimaces at Lucius. "She''s my daughter now. I don''t want an entity like you anywhere near her." There are some entities who are autonomous. Forsaken ones are simr, but they are negative creatures. As long as there are time-travellers, there will be time-keepers. Gods can''t control them. However, Adira, who is a primordial god, can send this boy back to where it came from. "I am not here to hurt her." Lucius sits on his knees, straightening his back. "I am here to protect her from other keepers." "Protect her?" Adira frowns at him suspiciously. "She turned back time several times in her past life." Lucius licks his lips before he continues, "As a god, you understand how changing history can impact lives. I tried to stop her but she absorbed the time crystal that changed her soul. Then, an ident happened. Her body was frozen for a thousand years." "She was supposed to die a lot earlier than the day she died but I decided to give her a chance. If she had gone through hell, she would have lost her abilities and born again as a normal child in this world." "But the hell was destroyed in another battle. And she didn''t want to wait. She was born in this world." Lucius gazes at Misaki. The girl doesn''t look anything like Kyuri. "She''s too dangerous now. Not only that she has the abilities of her past lives, but she is also a wahr right now. If she meets her contracted spirit, she will be able to control her powers. The original n was to find her and kill her immediately. But the other keepers couldn''t get a hold of her. She was under the protection of Chaos. Now, she''s here." Adira res at him. "You want to kill my daughter?" "No." Lucius shakes his head. "I left the keepers'' realm because I want to protect her and stop her from using time. If she doesn''t create more anomalies in time, the keepers will eventually leave her alone." "I won''t let them touch my daughter," Adira growls, clenching his fists. How could those creatures think of harming his daughter? "Other than you, is there any other keeper on Iravan?" "I am not sure." Lucius begs in a low tone, "Lord, please let me stay beside her." Adira stares at the keeper for a long moment. Lucius can''t guess what''s going inside the Dark God''s head. He can''t return to the keepers'' realm after abandoning his duties. He chose n Kyuri over everything else. "Go to your room," Adira exhales. The feelings in Lucius'' eyes are clear to him. He doesn''t want to think about this much. "Misaki needs rest. She''s no longer the face of Chaos." Lucius already knows that Misaki isn''t the face of Chaos anymore. Knowing that the Dark Lord''s temper isn''t good, he leaves the room. Healing Misaki is something that even he can''t do right now. The Dark God will be able to heal Misakipletely. Chapter 218: Father, help me Chapter 218: Father, help me Misaki opens her eyes, blinking slowly as her eyes get adjusted to the lighting from the window. She looks at the ceiling. Unfamiliar. Painted with constetions. After a moment, she realizes that the constetion didn''t belong to the skies of Iravan. It was from Earth''s sky. She and Misumi were born under this constetion. "Are you feeling better?" She turns her head toward her father. He is sitting on the chair beside her bed. Though his appearance is neat, the fatigue is clear in his eyes. "What happened to me, Father?" Misaki asks with a weak voice. "The face of the Chaos that was inside you died." Adira tells her with a straightforward voice, "Chaos is also dead." How is that possible? Misaki widens her eyes. "Gods can''t die." "I guess." Adira leans forward and takes her hand. "Your mother erased her avatar''s name. She has gone back to a dormant form. It will take a long time for her to return." "Mother did that?" It happened because of her. Her lips tremble as tears fill her eyes. Chaos is gone. "Yes." Adira takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Your mother had to face the repercussion of killing a god. She had also lost her true name. At the moment, her body is sleeping in the world she created." He doesn''t continue further. It''s been two weeks since Ari died. Misumi doesn''t know yet. He found out that Cina returned to the world. Noras is still gone. Not many people from this world know. Misaki''s body has taken a huge blow after the face disappeared from her body. "I am sorry." Misaki bursts into tears. "Father, it''s my fault." Adira knits his brows. Ari said that Misaki had some misunderstandings. "Why do you think that it''s your fault?" "Father." Misaki sniffles, looking at him. "I brought bad luck to people who love me because I was the face of Chaos. After I was born, Mother became a forsaken one. When she met me again, she died. I was the cause." What had Chaos taught his daughter? Bad luck? His daughter can never be bad luck to anyone. Adira pulls her in his embrace. "Idiot. It wasn''t your fault." "But, Father," Misaki quivers, crying louder, unable to say anything more. She knows that it''s her fault. Her mother died because of her. "It was my fault for forgetting her," Adira says to him, trying to soothe her. "If I had not made mistakes back then, she wouldn''t have left Iravan. Your mother wanted you to know that you are loved by me and her. We didn''t abandon you. We would never do that. Noras was looking for you and I went to look for your mother. I wish that I could" She hears him take deep breaths. It sounds like he''s trying not to cry. Misaki stays still, thinking. Mother and Chaos both of them are gone. If she turns back time "Father, help me." She looks up at her father. "I want to turn back time and save Mother. Tell me where I should go in time." He raises his brows, creasing his forehead. "ying with time is" "Father, can you live without Mother?" Misaki wipes her cheeks and then, she looks at him with determination in her eyes. "I don''t want to be in this present. I want to change the past. Even if you tell me not to do it, I will go back and change it. But if you help me, I will be able to do it safely." "It''s not safe." Adira shakes his head. "You might get hurt." "I have gone back in time many times." Misaki pats her chest. "Father, do you know that immortals don''t forget when the past is changed somewhat? I have tried it with Chaos. She didn''t forget about the things that I changed especially if it involved her. So, if I change the past, you wouldn''t forget how it originally was. You can fix everything. I only have to change one small thing." The idea is tempting. He does want to change the past. He wants to prevent Ari from bing a forsaken one. His major regret is forgetting her name. If he takes responsibility for turning back the time, it should be fine. "Then" Adira stares at his daughter''s face, hoping that Ari would understand his decision. "Go back to the time after I went into Qeshaya." "Before the war?" Misaki furrows her brows. "That''s too far back." "No, if you change that, your mother might not appear in this world." And Misaki won''t appear either. That will cause a paradox. It must be avoided at any cost. It had to be after Ari got pregnant with his daughters. "I went to Qeshaya for the second time when Kresi and Cina fought. Go to that time and stop me. If you tell me everything, I will remember." Misaki gives him a nod. "Tell me the date and time." *** She appears in front of the clearing of the forest. Even from afar, she senses Qeshaya''s strength. Misaki doesn''t take any step in the forest. She knows that Kresi, the mortal avatar of Chaos, is in there. Even if they go to Qeshaya, the gods will open Qeshaya and release them. Her goal is to not let Father go into Qeshaya. She sees her father materializing in front of the forest. He''s dressed in a dark robe, looking exactly the same except that there''s no tiredness or sadness in his eyes. Misaki yells, "Father!" From this moment on, the past will change. Her father turns his head toward her. He wrinkles his brows in confusion. Misaki realizes that she can''t waste time. She runs toward him, screaming, "Father, you can''t go to Qeshaya." "Who are you?" Adira questions the girl running toward him. There''s something about her that seems familiar to her. "I am your daughter." Misaki grabs his hand desperately. "Father, if you go to save them, you will get into Qeshaya. Then, you will forget everything. Wait for God Noras. You can free them using the universal key. Think about Mother who is carrying me and Misumi. You can''t hurt yourself." She only needs to keep him away from Qeshaya until Cina and Kresi are gone. Is she really his daughter? Adira touches her forehead, sensing the blocked ehr in her body. She''s a wahr, but there''s some magic in her. This child is his. "Don''t go, please." Misaki begs him, "If you go, Mother will get hurt. She will be a forsaken creature and then, she will die. She will never be the same again. Father, I am here because you and I don''t want to be in a future where we have to live without Mother." When he hears those words, Adira''s face turns solemn. Ari turning into a forsaken creature? "You only have to avoid going to this disaster." Misaki continues with a desperate tone, "Then, you will know what went wrong in the future. Then, everything will be fine." "I won''t go," Adira tells her. He would trust this child. "You look a lot like Ari." Just then, Qeshaya absorbs Cina and Kresi. Adira winces in pain as the entire timeline is destroyed. The memories of another timeline charge through his mind.Misaki holds onto him as he drops on his knees. Adira gasps, "Ari." "Please find Mother." Misaki looks straight at his face. Her figure is fading away. Since the timeline is destroyed, the ''Misaki'' who was raised by Chaos no longer exists. "I am going to synchronize with Misaki who is in Mother''s womb. I hope that you protect Mother this time." Before he could reply, Misaki is gone. He looks at his hands. He is truly back. Even gods don''t get the chances to turn back time. It happened because of his daughter. Adira returns to the castle right away. He finds Ari in her room, trying to work her way on the chains that he left on Ai. She bes still and looks at him. "Did you save Kresi?" She asks him with deep concern in her eyes. "You are really here." Adira walks toward her. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her up in a hug. "Ari, I am sorry. I am really sorry." Even though she''s a goddess, at the moment she''s only a mortal. So, she will not remember the other timeline. "Why didn''t you save her?" Ari pushes him away. She blinks her eyes in surprise when she sees tears in his eyes. "Why are you crying?" "Forgive me for not supporting your decisions." Adira grips her shoulders, lowering his head. "Forgive me for forgetting your name. Forgive me for not being able to protect you and our daughters." Ari is speechless. What is going on? "Adira, you" "From now on, Ai is our son." Adira removes the chains on Ai''s body. "I will give him a true name." Ari gapes at him. Son? Little Ai asks curiously, "Am I really your son now?" "Yes, you are. You should call me Father from this moment on." Adira picks up Little Ai in his arms, patting his small body like he used to pat Misumi. "Ari, I will listen to anything you say. Don''t ever leave me and our three children." "What are you talking about?" Ari crosses her arms. Three children? Is she carrying twins? Though she doesn''t know what is going on, she guesses that something must have changed Adira''s mind. Anyway, it''s working in her favour. If Adira is taking responsibility for Ai, it should be alright. "I will never ever leave you." Chapter 219: Not listening to his commands? Chapter 219: Not listening to hismands? "Come here, Ari Takayama." He hugs her with his free arm, pulling her close. "Let''s get married tomorrow." "Why...this sudden change?" Ari rests her head on his shoulder, furrowing her brows suspiciously. "I can''t wait until you are immortal," He replies. "I will do as you say from now on. There''s no rush to be an immortal. You are a Renasir." She should stay as a Renasir as long as she can. What happened to him? Ari looks into his eyes. There''s a desperation in his dark eyes. He seems to be afraid of something. She can find outter what happened "Alright, let''s get married after naming our Ai." "Then, I will shape his name today." He doesn''t want Ari to go through any danger. Something did go wrong during the true namingst time. "You shouldn''t do difficult magic during pregnancy. We can get married tomorrow." "What about Noras?" Ari creases her forehead. "He will be fine." Adira shrugs. "Promise me that you won''t leave the castle." "Why should I promise something like this?" She wrinkles her nose. "Are you imprisoning me inside the castle?" "No, you are carrying our daughters. It might be dangerous outside for you." He corrects his tone, making it softer. "Ari, trust me, please. I will give a name to Ai today. Until I return, you shouldn''t talk to anyone. If you hear any voice, don''t respond to it. Wait for me and Ai in your room." "Why are you being like this?" Ari pulls away from him. "What are you hiding, Adira?" "Trust me." She will remember everything when she bes immortal. But he doesn''t want to get stressed right now. He needs to remove every reason that made her leave Iravan. "I will never do anything to harm you and our children including Ai." She purses her lips, scrutinising his face. He seems to be honest with her. "I will wait for you here then." "Don''t leave Iravan," He pleads. "I won''t," Ari promises him. *** Adira doesn''t leave with Little Ai right away. He makes all the spirit beasts leave the castle and then, he casts a barrier around the castle. A barrier that will not allow any living or dead creature to enter or leave the castle. The barrier also keeps the gods and spirits away. Even the primordial gods like Noras can''t enter the castle. He nearly uses half of his strength to strengthen the barrier before he takes Little Ai to the same ce where Qeshaya appeared. Noras is standing there with a calm expression. Just like Adira, the other gods of Iravan also remember everything. Adira makes Little Ai fall asleep with a spell. "Who turned back time?" Noras questions him. "My daughter did," Adira answers him with a sigh. "Where have you been?" "I was chasing Atvi." Noras runs his fingers through his hair. "If time is turned back, then Renasir is?" "She''s not a forsaken creature yet." Adirays down Little Ai on the ground. "I am going to name Little Ai." It''s not a request. Noras has no problem with that. Things areplicated right now. Even if mortals don''t remember, the gods know the truth. "I need to get the key and tell others to leave Iravan for a while." Adira gives him a nod. Kresi and Cina have to be rescued. Kresi''s mortal body might have been absorbed by Qeshaya since he didn''t interfere this time. Then, Chaos will appear inside Qeshaya. It''s best if Chaos is never rescued. She can stay inside Qeshaya for a long time. However, it''s not possible. If something happens to Kresi, it won''t affect Ari. But if Chaos is harmed, thew of bnce will affect Ari. After Noras is gone, Adira calls the shaper''s circle. Unlike Ari, he doesn''t need any ingredients for naming. Only mortals require it. The ck shaper''s circle gleams purple under Little Ai''s body. Adira looks into the boy''s soul that appears as a nk canvas to him. He fills it with his dark ehr, moulding Bn''s essence and the Starfire together. He shapes it into a new name that is simr to the name that Ari gave to Little Ai. When he''s done, Adira is nearly drained. True-name shaping has this effect. His strength wille back. Little Ai is no longer invisible. The boy has ck hair and pale skin like Adira. It must be the effect of the new true-name. "Now, you look more like us." Adira takes the boy in his arms. This time, he will treat Ai as his son. "Let''s take you back home." *** In the realm of Mirinae and Sion, things aren''t anything but good. Rilyah isn''t waking up. Both of them remember the other timeline. Even Raya and Riha remember. Mirinae hasn''t expected that her third daughter would fall into a slumber. "Why is this happening?" Mirinae checks Rilyah''s pulse. It''s barely there. "The time was turned back. She had not been to Qeshaya yet." "Is her body in a shock?" Sion opens Rilyah''s eye. He pales when he realizes that there''s no colour in her eye. "It''s like what happened after the war. She has no strength." Noras arrives at their pce to inform them. When he learns of the situation from Riha and Raya, he goes to Rilyah''s room. "Noras, Rilyah isn''t waking up." Mirinae cries, "Is it because she had gone to Qeshaya?" "No, Adira is normal." Noras bends down on his one knee and ces his finger on Rilyah''s wrist. "Her essence has been stolen." "How is that possible?" Sion scoffs. Stealing a god''s essence? It''s been never heard of. "Who can steal her essence?" "Where did you find her?" Noras questions him. The third moon has also disappeared from the sky. Though Rilyah is a goddess, she''s only a goddess in a name. "When the time changed, her sisters found her lying on the ground." Mirinae says to him, "She was found in the kingdom of three moons. Since then, she hasn''t spoken a word." "She will recover her essence with time." Noras nces at Rilyah''s pale face. "At the moment, take her somewhere far away. Cina has to be released." Having no choice, Mirinae and Sion leave Iravan with their daughters. Noras finds the universal key. He summons Qeshaya again. But Qeshaya doesn''t reappear. "What''s going on?" Noras conjures the circle that summons Qeshaya again and again, but there''s no response. "This is not good," He mumbles softly as his eyes darken. Why is Qeshaya not listening to hismands? *** At the castle, Ari is pacing around in her room. Why did Adira act like that? He didn''t trick her, did he? He''s been so against Little Ai. His sudden change in attitude is making her worry. It''s been a few hours since he left. The door opens then. Adira enters her room with Little Ai in his arms. She gapes at Little Ai who is in a deep sleep. "Why did his hair colour change?" She points at Little Ai. "What did you do?" "It''s must be the effect of the new name." Adirays Little Ai on her bed and covers the boy with the nket. "Let him sleep here for a while. Absorbing a god''s ehr is no small feat." "God''s ehr?" She frowns at him. "What did you do?" "In short, he will have an affinity with dark ehr too." Adira pauses for a moment. "Runic magic is different from god''s abilities. He will be little more than a halfling and less than a god." Ari releases her breath. "As long as he has a name, it''s fine." "He should be our wedding witness." Adira takes her hands and smiles at her. He doesn''t want any grand wedding anymore. Maybe they can have it once their daughters are born. He needs to keep her safe. "As for our second witness, how about our daughters?" "Our daughter?" Ariughs. "They are in my womb. How could they be our witnesses?" "They are also souls." He pecks her forehead, stroking her back gently. Misaki''s awareness would be higher than Misumi''s. As long as the souls have awareness, they can act as witnesses. "I will prepare for a wedding dress." Her heart is lighter. Adira seems to have changed a little. He''s truly serious about taking Little Ai as their son. She doesn''t mind it. Hopefully, Gabriel, who is Little Ai''s father, and Aren. who is Little Ai''s brother, won''t mind either. However, something has been bothering her. "Adira, you haven''t told me what happened to Kresi and Cina." Chapter 220: Will I be the same though? Chapter 220: Will I be the same though? "They went into Qeshaya," Adira tells her with a grave voice. He scrutinizes her face before he adds, "Kresi isn''t a human." "Not a human?" Ari widens her eyes. "What is she then?" "She''s a goddess." Adira sighs. "Kresi is her mortal form. Perhaps, she wasn''t aware of her true self either." "A goddess?" Ari blinks her eyes, surprised. She can''t imagine Kresi as a goddess. "What kind of goddess is she?" "A primordial goddess." Adira wonders whether he should tell the truth to Ari or not. Could knowing the truth trigger her change? But she''s in a mortal form. Secrets are always heavy. Some are often used against them. Ari might get tricked by Atvi if he keeps everything as a secret. Something else might happen. It''s not easy to trick time. "You are also a goddess, Ari." "What the --" Ari closes her mouth when she sees his solemn eyes. He''s not joking. "Me, a goddess? Adira, that''s impossible." "No, you are one." He takes her to the bed and makes her sit down. "Listen to me carefully. I want to tell you everything." Ari sps her hands together in anticipation. How could she be a goddess? If she was one, she would be immortal already. "Kresi is Chaos." Adira reveals to her, "You are Abyss." "Abyss?" She purses her lips. That sounds a little ''uncool''. "You are order and she is chaos." Adira takes a deep breath. "She took a mortal form in this world. She was Amara. After she had done her part, you came here. Back then, it was you who gave the true name to Ai." Adira tells her everything that he knows. "Our daughter was raised by Chaos. To remove the face of Chaos in Misaki, you decided to erase her true name. However, one can''t go away after killing a god. That''s why you also lost your true name that day. Misaki helped me turn back the time." It sounds like a science fiction movie. Ari doesn''t want to believe Adira. Then again, she''s in a magical world. She also died once. So many things are possible. Would she leave Iravan for Ai? She would do that. She did meet Rilyah once. If what he is saying is the truth, then Chaos raised her daughter. However, she''s not angry at him after hearing everything. People make mistakes. He lost his memories then. How could she me him for things? It seems that he mes himself enough. "So, Atvi helped Chaos back then?" "She did." Adira creases her forehead. "Right now, she''s hiding somewhere. I don''t know where. She mighte for you when she gets the chance. Atvi thinks that she''s the supreme one." "I have heard of a human having a god''splex." Ari chuckles lightly. "This is the first time when I heard that even a god can have a supreme godplex." Adira makes a face. "You are also a goddess." "I am a mortal right now." Ari shrugs. "Anyway, is there a way to turn me into a goddess?" "If I turn you into an immortal, you should be a goddess." Adira smiles at her. "Are you in a hurry to be a goddess?" Ari shakes her head. "I don''t mind staying as a mortal, but you told me that there are some bad people after our daughters. I want them to be born as immortal, even if they can''t be goddesses. Since Misaki had turned back time once, she might be in danger. We can''t follow her back in time." He understands what she''s trying to say. If Misaki travels in time again, they won''t be able to follow her and protect her. Misaki has turned back time once. Something like this may happen again. They can''t trust the keeper who said that he would try to protect her. "Since you are also a primordial goddess, it should be possible." Adira sits beside her. "Let''s get married. Then, I will work hard to turn you into one if you want." "Are you going to" She gives him a side-long look. "It''s good for our kids too." He cups her face and pecks her lips. "Furthermore, it won''t take long since you have a goddess'' essence in you. Until you are immortal, I won''t leave the castle." "Seriously!" She lets out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, but don''t be rough, okay?" "I won''t." He licks her lips slowly, feeling warm when she responds to him. She opens her mouth to let him invade her. He releases a groan, pushing her down on the bed, pressing her below him as his tongue delves into her mouth, entwining with her tongue slowly. All of a sudden, he feels someone climbing on his back. Adira bes still. It''s Little Ai punching his back with his small hands. "Don''t eat my mother!" Little Ai pulls Adira''s hair. "Father, let her go." Ari''s eyes fill with mirth. When Adira res at her, She lets out a loudugh. He lets out a heavy sigh as he pulls Little Ai down from his back. "Who said that I am eating your mother?" "Why are your mouth on her mouth?" Little Ai glowers at him. "Her face is so red because she can''t breathe. If you hurt mother, I am going to hurt you." "I like your spirit." Adira rubs Little Ai''s head. "But I am not hurting your mother. I was making her body stronger." "Really?" Little Ai looks at him doubtfully. "Then, can I also make her body stronger by kissing her mouth?" "No!" Adira grimaces at the boy. "You can''t ever do that." "Why?" Little Ai puts his finger on his chin. "Am I not strong enough?" "Only adults can do it." Ari chimes in, pulling Little Ai on herp. "Little Ai, Mother and Father are going to get married today. Do you want to be a witness?" "Mother, what does marriage mean?" Little Ai blinks his eyes. "It means that Father and Mother will be together forever." Ari grins at him. "Then, Little Ai could be together with us as long as he wants to." "Really?" Little Ai coils his arms around Ari''s neck. "Then, I want to see you get married soon." "We will do it today." Ari looks at Adira who seems relieved. "Let''s include Mogrok. He was there when we married for the first time." "I will make the arrangements." Adira picks up Little Ai. "Do you want to help?" "Yes, yes, I want to help, Father," Little Ai yells, excited. "Alright." Adira nces at Ari. "Stay here. I will send Mogrok after a while." *** Ari looks at her reflection. The blue and white dress fits her nicely. It''s a little loose around her belly, hiding the swell. She fixes her hair, trying them into a bun. "So, I went back to my original body," She mumbles to herself. "What does it mean to be a goddess?" She wonders if marrying in this form changes anything. The rtions end after a mortal dies. If she bes immortal, it should continue forever. "Will I be the same though?" She narrows her eyes at her reflection. "If my existence is connected to Kresi, doesn''t it mean that Kresi''s existence is also connected to mine?" Adira''s words have been confusing. And what does it mean to be a forsaken goddess? That sounded like a scary thing. It is one of the reasons why she suggested that they should focus on turning her into an immortal. There''s a knock on the door. "Master?" "Ah, Mogrok." Ari opens the door for him. Mogrok is wearing a single red ribbon around his neck. Little Ai is dressed in a ck robe with his ck hairbed back. Ari can''t understand his fashion sense but she doesn''t question it. "Is everything ready already?" "Master, it''s ready. God Noras is here too." Mogrok''s eyes well up. "You look beautiful, Master." "Mother is pretty." Little Ai hugs her legs. "I am really happy." "Do I?" She chuckles as she pats his head. "You are going to see our wedding" Mogrok sniffles, recalling the past. "This time, you know that you are getting married for real." "That''s true." Ari sighs. "I don''t hate getting married to Adira in the ways that I did in the past. But I love that we are having a proper wedding where both of us consent to marry each other." "Master, I heard that you are going to have daughters." Mogrok gives his arm for her to hold as they walk toward the throne room where the wedding is going to be held. The Dark Lord wants to keep a small wedding that only consists of Mogrok, Little Ai, the bride, and the groom. God Noras is an uninvited guest. "Have you thought of the names?" "I think they have already decided their names." Ari smiles faintly. "Misaki and Misumi" *** "Qeshaya isn''t responding?" Adira frowns at him. "Why?" "I don''t know." Noras shakes his head. "Maybe it''s because you are here or something has changed when the time was turned back. I need you to try summoning Qeshaya." "I won''t," Adira furrows his brows. It''s strange that Qeshaya won''t appear under Noras''mands. Chaos is inside. If Kresi ispletely absorbed by Qeshaya, then it will be Chaos inside Qeshaya. Qeshaya is powerful enough to keep a primordial god imprisoned. He was inside Chaos for ten thousand years. "I want to turn Ari into an immortal once." If the transformation from her mortal form to goddess form happen smoothly, Abyss and Ari won''t be different, just like Kresi and Chaos weren''t different. "I understand," Noras tells him. "When we release Cina from Qeshaya, he would remember everything because of the time-turn. It would be same for Chaos. But we should prepare for Chaos'' release." Adira nods. Chaos can''t go unpunished for her deeds. Chapter 221: His essence Chapter 221: His essence "Do you take him as your husband?" Noras asks Ari in a smooth tone. "You can still rethink it." Adira res at Noras. "Nobody asked you to be a witness." "I do." Ari grins at Adira. "I don''t have to rethink this anymore." "That''s a pity." Noras turns to Adira. "Do you take her as your wife? I am sure that you wouldn''t say no." "Yes." Adira leans toward Ari with a smile, resting his forehead on hers. "My Ari is my wife." "Mother, Father," Little Ai chimes in, "I am also here." "How could we forget you?" Ari takes Little Ai in her arms. "Little Ai seems taller than before." "I want to be taller than Father." Little Ai kisses Ari''s cheek. "Sending my strength to you." Ari blushes when she realizes why Little Ai is kissing her cheek. She scowls at Adira. "You shouldn''t do strange things in front of kids." "Only adults can do that." Adira pulls Ai away from Ari. "Mogrok, take care of him. I will be busy for some time. "No, I want to stay with Mother," Ai screams. "Don''t mind me," Noras grumbles, feeling that he''s being ignored by everyone. He decides to disappear. It''s not like he''s that free. He has to investigate the Qeshaya matter. "More people are adding." Mogrok wraps his one arm around Little Ai who is protesting. "I am turning into a babysitter." He won''t mind having his all arms carrying Master''s and Dark God''s children. Mogrok takes Little Ai away, wanting to teach the boy a thing or two about how to grow up. *** The gods of Iravane back after three days. Mirinae and Sion go straight to Noras with Rilyah. Theyy her down on the bed in the guest room provided by Ea. "She hasn''t woken up." Mirinae implores Noras, "Please help her. She was naive back then. I am sure that she is punished enough for her mistake. Noras, I can''t continue to see her like this." Noras is also puzzled. This shouldn''t be happening for sure. He checks Rilyah''s eyes. They have lost their colours. The god essence is still missing. "Have you tried sending her your essence?" "I did." Sion replies quickly, "Both of us tried it. But her body can''t keep it. It''s like something is broken inside her." After some deep thoughts, Noras says, "Maybe she can''t return to the way she is until her true essence is given back to her." "But why?" Mirinae cries. "She''s a goddess." "If all of her essences were taken out forcibly, it''s possible that her godhood was damaged in the process." Noras ces his hand over Rilyah''s forehead. "Unless it''s returned to her and her vitals are fixed again, she will remain like this." Mirinae holds her daughter close to her chest, sobbing softly. Sion ces his hand over her shoulder. "Noras, is my daughter like this because she was still in Qeshaya when the time was turned back?" "That" Noras hesitates. "Qeshaya is also acting strangely." "How?" Mirinae questions him. "Qeshaya didn''t appear on Iravan again." Noras pauses for a moment. "Adira wants to turn Ari into an immortal before he tries to summon Qeshaya. As you know, Chaos is also inside Qeshaya." "It''s Chaos." Mirinae''s face contorts in anger. "She must have done something to Qeshaya. That''s why my child is like this." Noras exhales. There''s no confirmation. After Kresi died, she would have turned into Chaos or Kresi''s soul. It depends on how things y out this time, although it''s highly likely that Kresi would be Chaos because something simr happenedst time. "I will try to find out what''s going on." "We will also do it." Mirinae wipes her tears. "I will find out who did this to my daughter. If it''s Chaos or Kresi, I will make sure that she regrets it." *** Aren arrives at the dark castle. The dark castle is quieter than usual. After Mogrok identifies him, he''s allowed to enter the dark castle. Mogrok takes him straight to Little Ai''s room. "Dark Lord and Master are busy." Mogrok giggles, "They won''te out until Master is immortal." Aren purses his lips. He didn''t need that information. However, Mogrok continues to talk, "Master is carrying. I heard that she''s going to have daughters. That''s why the Dark Lord did the naming by himself." "Ai''s true-naming?" Aren furrows his brows. Weren''t gods supposed to keep out of this matter? "Yes." Mogrok opens the door to Ai''s room. To Aren''s surprise, Gabriel is already here. Gabriel is sitting beside Little Ai who is wrestling with a small furry yellow spirit beast. "His father arrived a few days ago." Mogrok tells him, "I have exined to him that Ai is adopted by the Dark God and Master." Adopted? Aren creases his forehead. What about his permission? He wouldn''t have opposed it but Ai also belongs to his mother''s bloodline. "Arenyr." Gabriel waves at him. "You are here." "Are you here alone?" Aren walks to him. "Where''s Raye?" He had already heard about Kresi from God Noras. Kresi is no more. "He went to see Pebby." Gabriel sighs. "Pebby is also carrying." Aren understands, but Pebby and Mirai are humans. Ari would have demi-gods. It doesn''t matter to him. He wishes well for Ari, but he feels a pang of sadness for Kresi. Aren hugs Little Ai who squirms in his embrace. "Elder Brother, let me go!" Little Ai yells at him. "You are squeezing me." "Let me hug you." Aren hugs Little Ai tighter. "Don''t you and I look alike?" "We don''t." Little Ai frowns at him. "You are red. I am ck." "I can also turn my hair ck." Aren chuckles when Little Ai makes a face at him. The boy''s eyes are also dark. But Aren sees the shadow of his mother and Gabriel on Ai''s face. "We do look alike." "We are brothers." Little Ai lets out a sigh. "We have to look alike." Arenughs when he hears that. He''s thankful to Ari and the Dark God. Because of them, he''s able to hold and see his brother like this. *** Two months have passed. Sitting opposite Ari, Adira watches her gouge down the food. They have sessfully managed to turn her into an immortal through interesting ways. However, she hasn''t turned into Abyss yet. The God essence inside her is still asleep. In any case, he''s not keen about seeing her as Abyss. It''s better if Ari remains like this. But Ari''s wishes couldn''t bepleted. Even after she has turned immortal, Misaki and Misumi haven''t turned immortal yet. Their daughters are growing strongly in Ari''s belly. Both Misaki and Misumi are near-immortal. But their hearts are still human. It''s a weakness. He did assure her that Misaki and Misumi can attain immortality after they are born. He will find some ways. Ari is calm after hearing that. "Can I have more?" Ari looks at him with watery eyes. "This is delicious." After Ari turned immortal, they have lessened the bed activities. One of the reasons is that Misaki and Misumi are grown in her belly. They might be born one of these days. Ari is healthy. Their daughters are healthy. Adira is relieved to see that. "I will bring more." Adira nces at the empty te. The rare fruits from Ni''s garden are Ari''s favourite. His wife is craving for something new every day. It makes him happy when she squeals in happiness after seeing her favourite food. The days are happy. He doesn''t need anything more. Even the thing about Qeshaya is forgotten. Nothing is more important than his wife and their children. "He''s here." Adira creases his forehead when he senses Noras in the Dark Realm again. How many times has he told Noras that he shouldn''te to his realm? They are still looking for the essence stealer. Honestly, Adira doesn''t want to care about anything else other than Ari at the moment. These days are crucial for Ari. The previous time, Ari had suffered a lot during the pregnancy. "Don''t be like that." Ari ps his arm. "Meet him. He''s also worried about something." Ari doesn''t know about the essence stealer and Qeshaya yet. He wouldn''t tell her now. Knowing her, she would try to find out what went wrong with Qeshaya. Noras might ask her to try summoning Qeshaya since she''s still the Renasir. "I will send Little Ai to see you." Adira climbs off the bed. "Don''t walk around." "I won''t" Ari beams at him. "Come back soon." "I will." Adira heads toward the throne room. He sees Noras standing next to the throne with a grim look on his face. These days, Noras is never here with any good news. Adira asks Noras, "What happened?" "Cina is found." Noras answers him, "His essence is also stolen." Chapter 222: Please let your seed impregnate my eggs Chapter 222: Please let your seed impregnate my eggs "Where did you find him?" Adira asks him calmly. "The same ce where Qeshaya was summoned." Noras exhales, "His body isn''t young either. It seems that only his essence is gone." "What about Kresi?" Adira corrects himself, "Chaos." "She hasn''t appeared yet," Noras replies, creasing his brows. "Is she behind this?" "It''s too early to say that." Adira folds his fingers, recalling everything that Chaos has done. Whether she was Amara or Kresi, Chaos had always caused a problem. Could she have done something to Qeshaya too? Even if her mortal form couldn''t remember, Chaos would subconsciously remember everything that happened before the time was turned back. She might have known that she would be in danger. He has no intention of letting her go for her misdeeds this time. "She might appearter." Adira tells him solemnly, "Now, we know that Qeshaya is behind this." "Qeshaya is not a person." Noras crosses his arms. "It''s a prison that we built to keep things that are too powerful to control." "Seeing how it''s been feeding on the gods for a long time," Adira ponders. "Maybe you are right. But Qeshaya should respond to yourmand." "That''s why I am telling you to try it." Noras scowls at him. "You haven''t left the castle since the time was turned back. Did you forget that you have a responsibility toward the people of Iravan?" "Ari is my priority." Adira stares at him darkly. "Everything elsees second." Noras sighs. Is he the only God of Iravan? Why is he always taking care of other people''s mess? Mirinae and Sion are looking for blood. If Chaos is really behind this, it would be ''chaotic''. She would definitely get what she wanted. "I am leaving." Noras disappears right away. Adira walks to the window and looks out at the Dark Realm. "Is it Chaos?" Adira wonders. This method is too sneaky for someone like Kresi. As much as he knows Kresi or Amara, she doesn''t like using these methods. Besides, what would a primordial god do with essences of other gods? *** Exactly after a week, Noras finds himself facing a new problem at his pce. "Where is he?" Amami, who has lost her chubbiness because she travelled all the way to Iravan, questions Noras with a dark look in her eyes. "Where is that man who ate my tofu for ten years and decided to abandon me?" "Tofu?" Noras is not familiar with words like ''tofu''. He eyes her, confused. "Tofu." Amami''s eyes well up. She hups. "Tofu Everywhere slept with me for ten years..." "Dear, did you sleep with her?" Ea pretends to be shocked. "Don''t tell me that she''s your concubine?" "Ea, don''t joke." Noras res at Ea. "I don''t sleep with anyone else other than you." "Geez!" Ea clicks her tongue. "Why are you so boring? You should take some concubines. Then, I can also pick some lovely men to warm" She closes her mouth when Noras grimaces at her. "What I mean is" She clears her throat. "If it''s not you who are her tofu, who did it then? Why is an earth goddess here?" "That''s what I want to ask her." Noras looks at Amami questionably. "I am looking for Cina." Amami sniffles, covering her face. Her thin figure trembles, swaying to her right. It looks like she would fall on the ground anytime. The journey has taken a lot from her. "I was halfway to Iravan when I found myself back on Earth. I realized that someone turned back the time. I started for Iravan again." "But why are you looking for Cina?" Ea walks closer to Amami. The young goddess is quite beautiful but Cina isn''t the type who looks at women. As much as she knows, Cina has always loved his creations more than people. "He married me." Amami''s voice breaks. "Then, he left me after he remembered everything. He said that I can divorce him if I want." "Cina married you?" Ea frowns. Then, she realizes that Cina''s personality was different when he didn''t remember. It''s not a surprise if he chose to divorce Amami. However, marriages between gods aren''t simple. Divorces need mutual consent, just like marriages need mutual consent. Then, the time-turn can''t dissolve marriage either. "Then, are you here to divorce him?" Ea asks her. "You could have done it in your world." "No!" Amami raises her voice. "I am here to tell him that I will never ever divorce him. I love him. He also loves me. He should stop being an idiot and consummate our marriage already." "..." Noras'' head throbs with pain. Why does none of the gods of Iravan act like one? Now, he has to deal with an earth goddess who wants to consummate the marriage with a God who has lost his essence. "I don''t think that he can consummate it." Ea breaks down the information to Amami slowly, "Cina has lost his essence." "What do you mean?" Amami creases her forehead. "How could a god lose his essence?" "That''s what we are trying to find out." Noras beckons her to follow him. He takes her to the room where Cina is kept. Amami widens her eyes when she sees Cina. Only his body is lying on the bed. The colour of his eyes, hair, and skin are washed out. It''s like someone has stolen his soul, leaving only an empty body behind. "We are trying to find out what happened." Amami hears Noras say. "But there''s no guarantee that he will ever be who he was. You should divorce him and leave Iravan." But Amami isn''t listening. "Husband." Amami breaks into sobs. "Why did youe here? You should have stayed with me. This happened to you because I wasn''t there to protect you. I love you so much. I will protect you now. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you to wake up." "..." Why? He wants this Earthian goddess to go back. Noras looks at Ea. Maybe his wife would help. But he finds Ea crying silently. "Such true love." Ea shakes Noras'' arm. "Why don''t you love me that much?" "You already know that I do." Noras takes a deep breath. "Can''t you focus on the prob--" "We don''t have a kid." Eains to him, "Isn''t it easy for us to separate if we don''t have kids? Is that your n?" Just how did this Noras scowls at her. "Who said I don''t want kids? Even Adira is having kids before me. I didn''t say anything because you didn''t say that you want kids." "Do I have to say these things?" Ea puffs up her cheeks. "You should understand it already. Do you want me to say, ''Husband, please let your seed impregnate my eggs''?" Noras shakes his head, half-embarrassed by her words. A male God can control when to impregnate the female. But she didn''t have to say it like that. "If you had said that you wanted kids at any time when we were on the bed, I would have done it right away." "I want kids." Ea leans closer to him. "Let''s go to bed." "Both of you get out!" Amami yells at them. "Cina is sick and you are talking about sex here." "We didn''t say the word ''sex''," Ea mutters as she drags Noras out of Cina''s room. "Say, Noras, when should we do the good deed?" "Let me resolve the current problem first." Noras nts a kiss on her forehead when she makes a face. "I will give the reins of Iravan to Adira before we have more members in our little family. I don''t want problems to take me away from you." Ea rolls her eyes. "Do you think that I can''t take care of myself? I am also a goddess. Besides, Noras, you won''t be able to sleep if you give the control to Adira. You will be telling him how not to destroy Iravan." "I won''t do that. I promise that I will be with you." He holds Ea''s hands. "I also need rest. Adira has changed a lot since then. He''s turning more responsible. His children are also the people of Iravan. I am sure that he will make a good ruler of the gods." "I don''t think that there would be anyone better than you are." Ea pauses for a moment. "But I don''t dislike the idea. You should spend more time with me and our future kids. I will make preparations for bed tonight." Preparations? What is his wife nning? Noras knits his brows. "Ea, I told you that --" Ea chuckles as she puts her finger on his lips. "I will make you forget about your control tonight. Let''s see if you can truly remember to hold back." What is she going to do? Noras swallows. If his wife is determined, there''s no way that he can stop her. While he is always responsible, Ea has always been the opposite of him. She''s the goddess of wind, and she represents freedom. It''s strange that she married someone like him. "Look forward to it." Ea winks at him before she walks away, swaying her hips. Noras smiles. If she wants a child that much, they should have it then. Problems always appear in Iravan. It will take time before the Qeshaya matter is resolved. A ck paper spirit appears on his window. Even without looking, he could tell that Adira sent it. It speaks with Adira''s voice: "Come to the Dark Realm." "Is there any problem?" Noras asks the paper spirit. Adira''s voice isced with fear. "Ari isn''t waking up." Chapter 223: Something broke? Chapter 223: Something broke? Two days after Noras'' visit, Ari goes intobour. "I think something broke," Ari says to Adira calmly. "Broke?" Adira stares at her. "Broke what?" "Water." Ari puts down the slice of cake on the table. "Our babies are going toe out." Then, everything goes into a frenzy. Adira. The healers arrive. Adira decides to stay in the room. When Ari''s face contorts in pain, he takes her hand and absorbs her pain out of her body. Their daughters are born without any problem. But something is different this time. Misaki is born first. Ari holds Misaki and Misumi in her arms. Her eyes be misty when she sees their faces. They look so much like their father. "Adira, our daughters are so well-behaved." Not like newborns at all. Watching this scene, Adira feels a surge of happiness. Everything is going well this time. Ari didn''t suffer. She''s an immortal. His both daughters are also healthy, though they are born earlier than they were bornst time. After fifteen days, Ai is allowed to visit his sisters and mother. His eyes sparkle when he sees the twins. "Mother, she has horns." Little Ai touches Misaki''s head. The girl''s face twists before she bursts into tears. Her piercing cries echo through the castle, waking up everyone. "She''s crying." Little Ai also tears up as he retracts his hand. "She hates me." "She doesn''t like it if you touch her horns." Ari tries to pacify Misaki. "Go to Misumi. She will like you." Little Ai walks to Misumi''s crib. The baby stares at him. He pokes her cheek. "Misumi, I am your elder brother." "Uwa~" Misumi blinks her eyes as if she''s acknowledging the fact. "You are so small." Little Ai pokes her other cheek. "Why are you small?" "..." Misumi''s lips tremble. She turns her head away. "You are cute." Little Ai leans closer and kisses her head. "My sister, I will y with you every day." Misumi looks at him with shiny eyes. On the other hand, Misaki is watching her mother''s lips move with deep lines on her forehead. "Can you understand me already?" Ari grins at her. "I want to hear you talk so much." "I am talking." Misaki opens her mouth and says the words but only baby jargones out. "Mother, sing for me." "You seem like you can''t wait to learn to speak." Ari chuckles. "Don''t be mad at Little Ai. He won''t touch your horns again." Misaki yawns. She blinks her eyes slowly, listening to her mother''s sweet voice. Soon, she falls asleep in Ari''sp. Ariys her down in the crib beside Misumi. The sisters like to sleep next to each other. She pats Misumi''s head while Little Ai sleeps with his head on Ari''sp. In no time, Misumi and Ai also fall asleep. "Now, I am also sleepy." Ariys down Little Ai beside her. The crib is on the right side of the bed. She lies down on the bed, holding Little Ai''s hand. Her gaze is fixed on her daughters. With a warm and content smile on her face, she falls into slumber. When Adira returns, he finds her on the bed. Misaki and Misumi are awake, ying in the crib, whining for food. Little Ai is also awake, rubbing his eyes. Adira sits down beside Ari, wondering whether he should wake her up or not. She must be tired after taking care of three kids. He sighs and gets up. He can take care of Misaki and Misumi. He picks up Misaki first. "Calm down." He tells her, "Your mother is asleep." Misumi doesn''t cry. Misaki is always crying. A little has changed about them. "Waaaaaaaa~" Misaki cries louder. "I want food." "I will give you food." Adira sighs. It seems that Misaki''s mind is immature. She doesn''t remember the other timeline. The reason must be that Misaki wasn''t born when the time was turned back. "I want mother''s food." Misaki cries out loudly. "Mother! Mother! Mother!" "..." Why is his elder daughter so whiny? Misumi never gave trouble like that. "Uwaaaa." Sound of Misumi''s soft cry enters his ear. Adira feels helpless when Little Ai also starts crying. "Now, why are you crying?" He asks Little Ai. "Because, Father, they are crying." Little Ai wails, "I am sad because my sisters are sad." "..." Raising one child is difficult. Raising three is definitely a feat. None of his children listens to him. Having no option left, Adira goes to Ari''s side and tries to wake her up. He utters half-jokingly, "Ari, wake up. They will start a rebellion if they don''t get food." Ari doesn''t wake up. He creases his forehead. Is she too tired? He notices that her body is turning cold. Adira puts Misaki in the crib and then he turns toward Little Ai. "Ai, find Mogrok. Tell him to prepare food for Misaki and Misumi." "Yes, Father." Little Ai epts the mission and runs out of the door to find Mogrok. "Ari?" Adira turns Ari on her back. He touches her forehead. Her skin is as cold as ice. He checks her breathing. It''s slow. Her heartbeat is also slow. He searches for her soul. It''s still inside her body, but it''s lying inactive. There''s no sign of life in her body and soul, although she''s alive. Adira pales. What is wrong with Ari? Did something go wrong during the pregnancy? Why is her body acting like this? She''s an immortal. Mogrok arrives. He looks at the Dark God, puzzled by the scene in front of him. The twins are crying in the crib. Little Ai is confused beside him. "What happened to Master?" "Mogrok, take Misaki and Misumi outside," Adiramands him quickly. "Take care of the children." Mogrok realizes that he won''t get any answer. He picks up Misaki, Misumi, and Little Ai, and then, he flounces out of the room. No matter what Adira dows, Ari doesn''t wake up. He realizes that something is very wrong. The time-turn might have been a failure. "Why?" Adira can''t understand. How could Ari get hurt inside the castle? "Nora''s would know." He sends a message to the God of light. After the message is delivered, the God of lightes to the Dark Realm right away. Noras listens to Ari''s pulse. He searches for any abnormalities in Ari''s body. "Is her essence stolen?" Adira asks him anxiously. There''s fear in his eyes. He doesn''t want to lose Ari again. "No," Noras replies, knitting his brows. "She still has her essence. It''s her true name." "True name?" Adira sweats profusely. Ari''s name was erased because she killed a primordial Goddess. Is it being erased? How could she get punished for the crime that she didn''tmit this time? "It''s changing by itself." Noras opens Ari''s eye. "The goddess essence is devouring Ari. It seems that Ari will disappear as Abyss takes over. Her body is also changing. She will be a forsaken creature." Adira realizes what is going on. Ari fell in the river of death around this time. For ten years, she stayed in the river. The forsaken creatures are abandoned by time, worlds, and gods. How could Ari be an exception? From the moment she fell into the river to the moment she came out of the river as a forsaken goddess was a transition period. Then, Ari''s name was erased along with Chaos'' name. When Ari wakes up, she will be Abyss. "Ari is truly gone." Adira drops on his knees, feeling mortified. Everything has been a failure. Nothing has changed. "My Ari is gone." "We don''t know what will happen until she wakes up." Noras looks at him. "There''s a little fight inside her. She might not be Ari anymore, but we can''t be sure if Abyss won''t be Ari either. She might remember her life as Ari." They will only know it after she wakes up. Adira grabs Ari''s hand, tugging her gently. Tears stream down on his face. Why is this always happening to his Ari? "Adira, we have to take her away from Iravan." Noras tells him with a grave voice, "As her body begins to change, it will affect the people of Iravan. We need to keep her away from the mortals who can be easily affected." "Where should I take her?" Adira looks up at him. "Haven is not built this time. Let me keep her in this world." "Then, create a ce that is far from the mortals." Noras pauses for a moment. "We should look for Chaos." "Why?" Adira scowls at him. "Ari is suffering because of her." "I want to know if she is dead or not." Noras crosses his arms. "Chaos and Order are connected. If Chaos'' true name is still intact, we can be sure that the changes in Ari is because she was a forsaken creature once." Chapter 224: Wont bother your happiness anymore Chapter 224: Won''t bother your happiness anymore Finding Qeshaya is proven to be difficult. Adira stares at the ground where Qeshaya had appeared that day.Nothing has grown on thisnd since then. He should have guessed it already. Qeshaya has been corrupted. It''s the simr corruption that appeared in the dark ehr. Qeshaya has been fed god''s essence for countless years. First, it devoured Adira''s god essence and the dark creatures'' essence for ten-thousand-years. Then, it had absorbed Cina''s essence again. Rilyah was also imprisoned in Qeshaya for a long time. Everything must have changed Qeshaya in a way that it is greedy for more. But it''s still in a weak state. If it was as powerful as the corruption in the dark ehr, it would have attacked everyone already. "What do we do?" Noras frowns hard. "Only you and Renasir Ari have the ability to fix the runes on Qeshaya." "We need to destroy it and rebuild it if it''s necessary." Adira looks at him. "I understand." Noras gives him a nod. *** "Riha, where are you?" Raya shouts. "I will find you." Hiding behind the tree, Riha peeks at Raya who is walking in the opposite direction. After a long time, she and Raya are ying hide and seek again. "Riha!" Raya''s voice trails off as she walks further away from Riha. "I know that you are hiding here. Where could you go?" Riha chuckles softly. It seems that she will win the game today. All of a sudden, she feels goosebumps in her body. The air around her bes turbulent. The trees start to wither, turning ck as the leaves fall down. Raya can''t move. She bes pale when she sees the ground turning concrete. The walls build around her by itself. Qeshaya is arriving. Riha screams, "Mother!" It''s too quiet. Only the sound of wind is heard. A pair of arms wrap around Riha and pulls her away from Qeshaya. Dark trails of ehr emerge from Adira and tangle around Qeshaya. Loud screams are heard. The other gods trap Qeshaya that appears to be as a malformed beast built out of concrete and twisted runes. Noras gives Riha to Mirinae. "Thanks a lot, Mirinae." "I want to see it destroyed." Mirinae wraps her arms around Riha, patting her daughter''s back gently as she grimaces at Qeshaya. "I want Rilyah''s essence back." Qeshaya''s pained screams echo through the forest. "We will extract it." Noras turns toward Qeshaya who is being broken Sion, the god of war. The runes on Qeshaya is torn apart. Qeshaya could have be a big problem in the future, especially if it had developed it''s intelligence. Right now, it''s only a beast that wants to devour essences. Adira is cautiously taking out the essences, letting it go back to nature. Cina and Rilyah would be able to take it back eventually, though it will take time. After they are done, they see a little girl who is wearing a white robe in the middle of the ground. It''s Chaos without a doubt. Her essence has been eaten by Qeshaya too. Though Adira has released the essences in the air of Iravan, Chaos'' body would take time before it can regrow. "What should we do with her?" Mahuna res at Chaos. "We can''t kill a primordial god." Ni sighs. "She will regain her memories and her powers soon. What should we do then?" "Qeshaya is destroyed." Eshyal mutters, "Where can we keep this primordial goddess?" Adira picks up Chaos. "I will take care of her." "How?" Eshyal looks at him suspiciously. "Is there a ce where she can be imprisoned for her crimes?" "I will send her back to Oblivion." Adira creases his forehead. Chaos shouldn''t be harmed. "Perhaps, somewhere further away." "Fine." Mirinae disappears with her daughters. One by one, other gods leave except for Noras. "She will regain her powers soon." Norasments, "Misaki is one of the face of chaos. What if shees for Misaki after she regains her strength?" "If Chaos isn''t here, her essence would go to Misaki." Adira tells him, "Misaki will also be a goddess. Since she''s a part of Iravan and she''s also born here this time, she will be a goddess of Iravan too." "A goddess of Chaos for Iravan only?" Noras wrinkles his nose. "What about the mess that she will create?" "Iravan always have problems anyway." Adira rolls his eyes. "Controlled chaos isn''t bad." "Tch! At least, I can keep an eye on that goddess." Noras releases his breath. It seems that he can''t catch a break. Perhaps, he needs to find a way to bnce his job with his personal life. But Ea wants a child. He does need some time off. "Take the position of the god-king." "Nope." Adira hands Chaos to Noras. "Take her somewhere far away from Iravan. I need to check on Ari." Then, he dematerializes before Noras can utter one more word. "Damn him!" Noras scowls darkly. "Does he realize that he''s partly responsible for Iravan?" It doesn''t seem like Adira does. Noras looks down at Chaos who is barely a four-year-old girl. "I hope that you don''t remember for a long time." Perhaps, Chaos should remember only after everything is fine for Adira''s family. *** When Ari opens her eyes, she finds herself in the same space where she gave a true name to Ai once. She remembers everything: past, the other life, the life before her daughter turned back time, the day she turned into a forsaken creature or Adira''s memory loss. She wonders why she''s here. That''s not all. She remembers her past lifetimes and the time that she was barely anything but the abyss. She remembers herself as Abyss. A little girl who has pale pink hair and big blue eyes appear in front of her. Dressed in a white robe, the girl smiles at Ari warmly. "Abyss." "Atvi." Ari stands up, looking at the girl scornfully. "Why did you create such a big mess? Aren''t you tired of using me?" "I was merely following the will of the supreme one." Atvi winks at Ari, although she takes a step back. Ari is certainly furious at her. "Believe me." "What is the will of the supreme one?" Ari crosses her arms. "Why do you know it only?" "I move where the will is stronger." Atvi lets out a sigh. "Don''t look at me doubtfully. I promised that I will bring happiness to you when everything is finished. Don''t you see that happiness now?" "What happiness?" Ari clenches her fists. "I am a forsaken goddess. I can''t stay with my family anymore." "The forsaken creatures are also your family." Atvi blinks her eyes. "They have been suffering for so long. No god could take them except for you, Abyss. You are the only one who can give them a chance at salvation." "Aren''t they evil?" Ari grits her teeth. "Were you evil when you fell into the river of death?" Atvi knits her brows. "No matter how evil someone is, it''s never toote to turn back from the path of evil. We must give a chance to creatures who want to be better. If we also abandon them, the evil will rise exponentially." "You want me to save the forsaken ones again." Ari sits down on the ground, feeling exhausted. "I am tired of saving people. I can''t even save my daughter who is the face of chaos." "Don''t worry about that." Atvi grins at her. "Adira has found a way. Chaos'' essence is released in Iravan''s sky. It will go to Misaki. Your daughter will be a full goddess who will be able to control her abilities. Besides, her contracted partners will help them." "Contracted partners?" Ari narrows her eyes on Atvi. "She''s a wahr." Atvi takes a seat in front of her. "Why are you so worried now? The worst is over. Even if you are a forsaken goddess, you are also Abyss. Now, you have realized who you are. You will be able to control the effect that you have on mortals as a forsaken creature." "Can I live with Adira and my children on Iravan?" Ari questions her slowly. "Not for long." Atvi takes Ari''s hand. Ari''s veins gleam with golden warm light. "This is the energy that I give you for creating a new world for the forsaken ones. You don''t have to use Oblivion. I will take care of Chaos." "How?" Ari frowns at her. "I wanted her to find a new meaning in life." Atvi closes her eyes and sighs. "But she doesn''t want to be helped. You and I have given her enough chances, but she doesn''t want to change. I can''t let her roam free. Noras will drop her somewhere far away. I will take her to Oblivion and lock that world." "You can go to Oblivion without her permission?" Ari asks her doubtfully. How powerful is this primordial goddess? It''s ironic. Atvi is the manifestation of power itself. Atvi smiles at her and says nothing. "I will take care of the forsaken ones." Ari decides not to fight with Atvi. After all, all of them are gods. All she wants is peace. "They will be my people from now on. I hope that you stay away from Iravan and my people." "I won''t bother your happiness anymore." Atvi ces her hand on Ari''s head. "You have done a good job, Child." "Child?" Ari squints her eyes. Just then, Atvi breaks into countless glowing particles. Rays of light envelop Ari. She closes her eyes. "What is going on?" "Ari?" She hears Adira''s voice. "Wake up, Ari. I am here." Her eyes snap open. Ari finds herself back in the dark castle, lying on the bed. Adira is sitting next to her, holding her hand. "You are awake," Adira utters the words, surprised, as the light fades away. She has the same appearance that she had when she was on earth. "I am back." Ari gasps. "Adira, I didn''t disappear this time." "Yes, you didn''t." Adira''s eyes be misty. Tears of happiness roll out of his eyes. He embraces her tightly. "You are really back to us." Chapter 225: Run, Horse! Chapter 225: Run, Horse! [Two days after Ari woke up.] Ari has a headache. Misaki is crying. Misumi is watching her with calm eyes. Mogrok is rolling on the ground, sobbing. Little Ai is wailing along with Misaki. The worst part is that the Dark God is alsomenting in the corner. "Stop crying, all of you." Ari shakes them. "I am really back. I won''t disappear or lose consciousness. Abyss is me. I am Abyss. Why are you still afraid?" "I find it hard to believe." Adira ces his head on her shoulder. He had seen her dying too many times. "You keep disappearing on me." "You are still a kid!" Ari pushes him away, annoyed by his constant crying. "We have three kids. Isn''t it time that you grow up a bit? I can''t raise four children." "You keep promising me that you won''t leave me." Adira looks at her usingly. "But you have left me so many times." "I didn''t have any choice." Ari defends herself. "Anyway, I may have to leave you again." Adira scowls at her. "Again?" Misaki ceases her cries. She holds Misumi''s hand in anticipation. Little Ai raises his head to peer at Ari. "I am a forsaken goddess," Ari tells them slowly. It''s true that she can control her effect on the mortals, but she still can''t stay on Iravan for a long period of time. "I have to do my job." "What is that job again?" Adira grimaces at her. "Is it more important than our children and me?" "It is." Ari gives him a dark look. "While I am away, you must take care of the kids. I will return after I am done creating the world for the forsaken creatures and transfer them there." "Take me with you!" Misaki whines. "I want to go with you, Mother." "Me too." Misumi raises her head. Little Ai''s arm also shoots up in the air. Seeing that, Mogrok raises his thousand arms toward the ceiling. When Ari sees Adira slowly raising his hand, she shoots him a dark look. "Don''t you dare." "Don''t leave me behind," He begs her pitifully. Ari shrugs and disappears from the room, leaving them all behind. If she takes them along with her, will she ever be able to finish her work? They can''t stay near the forsaken creatures. The Dark Castle falls into a gloom. The next day, Misaki and Misumi argue. "Mother would have taken me with her if you two hadn''t raised your arms." Misaki points at Misumi and Ai. "But I also want to go." Misumi bbers, "Why should only you go with her, Elder Sister?" "Because I am older." Misaki mumbles, "I am your eldest sister." Little Ai can''t understand what is happening between the twins. He senses that they are fighting. To pacify them, he hugs them both tightly. "Argh!" Misaki makes a face. "Why is he always hugging us?" "Elder Brother loves us so much." Misumi kisses Ai''s cheek. After a while, Misaki gives in and nts a kiss on her cute elder brother. "Let''s n for next time." Misaki suggests, "We will grab Mother''s leg." "Would it work?" Misumi asks doubtfully. "You go for the right leg." Misaki continues, "I will go for the left leg." "But we can''t even walk yet." Misumi nces at the floor longingly. The distance between the crib and the floor is too much. Misaki puckers her lips. That''s a problem indeed. Their mother returns after a week. "What is that?" Adira frowns when he sees a child in her arms. The child has vivid green eyes. "Don''t tell me that you have adopted one more child." "His name is Scias." She puts Scias on the bed where Misaki and Misumi are. "He will be a forsaken creature after he turns ten. Until then, we will raise him here." Misaki glowers at the boy who is only a year older than them. The boy peers at her quietly, slowly blinking his eyes. They stare at each other for a long time. Misaki is clearly seeing him as apetition while he is observing her in silence. Her elder brother is at school. If he was here, he would have beaten up Scias. "Why do you go around and pick more kids?" Adirains to Ari. "Are we not enough?" "Adira, I couldn''t let him live a horrible life in that ce." Ari exins to him, "The Dark Castle is so big. Why can''t he live here?" Adira has no problem with that. But he is afraid that too many people are taking away his wife''s attention. What about him? She never has time for him. Feeling grumpy, he puffs up his cheeks and turns toward the wall in protest. Meanwhile, Misaki has the same question. Why does her mother need more kids when she, her sister, and her elder brother are already there? "I don''t like him," Misaki grumbles to Misumi. "His eyes are so pretty." Misumi smiles at Scias. "Are you going to be our elder brother?" Scias peeks at Misumi, and then, he turns his gaze toward a sullen Misaki. Then, he looks at the person who brought him here. This woman has released his mother from the fae realm and brought him to this ce after promising him that his life won''t be difficult anymore. He doesn''t know why but he wants to stare at Misaki. He wants to be her friend but she looks angry at him. He crawls to Misaki and grabs her hand. "I want to be yours." "..." Both Adira and Ari whirl around and look at Misaki and Scias. What did they just hear? "Okay." Misaki beams at him. She''s going to raise this boy as her personal ve. "I ept you." A bright red circle manifests beneath Misaki and Scias. Ribbons of red ehr emerge from Misaki''s body and entangle around Scias'' arm, warming his veins as the contract isplete. "Did she just?" Ari opens her mouth wide, unable toplete the word. "Complete a contract with a halfling?" Adira finishes her words. Scias is half-human and half-fae. Misaki is on the verge of bing a goddess as her body is absorbing all the essence of Chaos in Iravan. Misaki would be an immortal soon. Since Misaki is a Wahr, they already knew that she would form a contract with a spirit. But they didn''t expect it to be another halfling. Adira frowns at Ari. "What did you bring here?" "I didn''t know." Ari exhales. "What can we do? He must be her chosen partner. Can''t you feel her magic?" "He''s a half-human." Adira is against this union. "On top of it, he''s going to be a forsaken creature." The toddlers look at Adira, confused. Ari drags Adira out of the room. "It''s already done. Stop scaring them." "Ari." Adira takes a breath. "What would happen after he bes a forsake creature? Would the bond break?" "Atvi did say something about Misaki having partners," Ari recalls Atvi''s words. This must be what that goddess meant back then. "Maybe the bond won''t end even after he bes a forsaken creature." Past might be abandoned, but there are a few things that surpass everything. She did see something simr on earth. Nakashima Wakana was still living on earth with her truemate. Wakana told her that the true bond waspleted when she was a forsaken creature. It''s not a true bond. But the bond between wahr and her spirit is quite strong. The other case is Andareanesi and his wife, Gianna. "How long are you going to stay with us?" Adira asks her. "Two weeks." Ari wraps her arms around his waist. "I guess we are having a long-distance marriage." "I don''t like it." He cups her face. "I wish there was a way." "When our kids grow up,e to live with me on Haven," She suggests with a smile. "That will take so long." Adira sighs. "A little wait before a peaceful eternity together." Ari rests her head on her chest. "I don''t dislike these days. Even if I am spending only days with you and our kids, I am d that I still have the chance to be with you both." Adira puts his chin on her head. "Alright, I won''tin anymore. What if you decide to stay in Haven without us?" "I won''t do that." Ari raises her head to look at him. "Adira, do you know that I can beat you up now? I am also a primordial goddess. Don''t say nonsense anymore." Adira lets out a chuckle. "Your stamina must have improved. Shall we test on the bed?" "You are always thinking of that." Ari blushes. "Let''s put the children to sleep first." "Uwaaa!" A piercing screames out of the kids'' yroom. Ari and Adira rush inside. They see Misaki sitting on Scias'' back. Poor Scias is crying miserably. "Go!" Misaki ps Scias'' butt. "Run, Horse!" "Sister, he''s not a horse." Misumi murmurs, "You are making him cry." "No, he''s my horse." Misaki continues to p Scias'' butt. "Horse, horse, horse." Scias cries loudly, looking at Ari pleadingly. "What did you eat when you gave birth to her?" Adira questions Ari. "You already know the answer." Ari massages her forehead. It''s impossible to find peace when they have four kids. But it''s lively and chaotic but she loves them anyway. "Let''s put them to sleep first." It shouldn''t be difficult for gods to raise four kids, right? Surely, it won''t be more difficult than saving the world. Ari is looking forward to this new adventure. Chapter 226: Bad Spirit! Chapter 226: Bad Spirit! Cina takes a deep breath, feeling frustrated. Four years after the time-turn, he is awake. His body isn''t done absorbing his essence. He''s still weak. It seems that a lot happened while he was asleep. After hearing everything from Noras, he was not shocked when he heard about Misaki, Ari, and Adira. Rilyah had gone through the same thing. Just like him, she had woken up too. At the moment, the girl is staying with her parents. The third-moon goddess is traumatized by her experiences since she remembers the time that she had to spend inside Qeshaya as a punishment for lying to the dark god. It may take a long time before the third-moon recovers from it. Noras has three children -- a daughter and a boy. Eshyal and Mahuna are married. Ni is dating some minor god. Aren Starfire is a wandering monk, travelling to other worlds. However, what shocked him the most was finding the rain goddess beside him. "Husband." Amami ces the bowl of fruits in front of him. "How are you feeling now?" Cina looks at the woman, not knowing what to say. He wouldn''t even imagine that someone would travel all the way for him to Iravan. Only Adira had done that insane task for Ari. He''s too weak to chase her away. And she''s too stubborn to go away. "Better." He looks away, staring at the distant tree. Amami has lost weight a lot. She has been taking care of him for years. For him, she even abandoned her earth life and her status. "I am relieved." Amami takes a seat next to him. These days, Cina doesn''t push her away. Slowly, her husband is getting used to her presence. She knows that he loves her for sure. But he''s hesitating because he''s confused. She looks at the fruits in the bowls. Strangely, the trees of Iravan grow all of her favourite fruits from earth. A smile appears on her lips. Her husband is sly. Amami leans on Cina''s shoulder. "Husband, should I gain weight again?" "Do whatever you want." He gives her the same reply as ever. "Then, is it fine if I kiss you?" She raises her head and nts a kiss on his cheek before he could answer her. Cina turns his head away. From the tip of his nose to the bottom of the neck, his skin is red. He doesn''t answer her. She has to be the bold one. Amami grins as she moves closer. Today, she''s going to go a little further than yesterday. Amami brushes her lips against his neck, sending electric tingles in his body. "What are you doing?" Flushed, Cina pushes her away. "Don''t kiss me." "Sorry, my lips acted on its own." Amami puckers her lips. Cina knows that she''s lying. He exhales, feeling tired. He can''t chase this woman away. Besides, Earth is so far. "I am too weak for a husband''s duties. Control yourself." Amami''s eyes shine brightly. Did he just say that he''s her husband? Isn''t he epting her as his wife again? This is his way of telling her that he loves her, isn''t it? "Don''t worry, my dear husband. I will make your body strong again." Cina swallows when he hears that. Her excitement is a little scary. He can''t help but recall the day he met her for the first time. Where did that girl go? Anyway, he''s stuck with her. She can do whatever she wants. *** Many years after that day, the timekeeper arrives at the gate of the Dark Castle. "That damn traveller!" He lets out a curse in a low tone. "She had to turn back time again." The mess was simply too big. But there was little the keepers could do. Misaki is the daughter of two primordial gods. She is also a goddess of Iravan, a face of chaos. On top of it, she''s immortal. It''s impossible to harm here. The keepers have given up. Furthermore, Misaki hasn''t used her time-travelling ability yet. Her parents must have warned her about this. "It''s fine as long as she behaves." He sighs. What can he do if she doesn''t behave? But he''s not here as a keeper this time. He''s here for her. This time, he didn''t appear as a child. He has taken the appearance of a young man with dark eyes and white hair. He''s a high entity -- not a halfling this time. It''s useless to pretend anything else anyway. A spirit beast guides him into the castle. He waits in the sitting room. After a few minutes, the Dark God enters with his wife. "You are the timekeeper." Ari takes a seat opposite him, watching Keeper with sharp interest. "You are not a halfling." "I decided toe here as I truly am." Keeper smiles at her. Goddess Abyss is a forsaken goddess. He has no idea how she''s able to stay here. She must be quite powerful if she can control her forsaken side. "Can I meet Misaki?" "I know about your connection with her." Ari sighs. "But she''s not that person anymore. Misaki is only our daughter. She isn''t Kwon Kyuri." "I still want to be with her." Keeper says to her, "If she doesn''t want me, I will go away." "Tch!" Adira clicks his tongue. "Misaki already has a partner." "What did you say?" Keeper''s eyes be round and big. "Partner? How?" "She formed a contract with a fae when she was barely a month old." Ari answers his question calmly, "I have looked into Scias. He was rted to Kwon Kyuri too." "Her past life''s husband." Adira narrows his eyes. He''s not happy about this at all. It seems that his seventeen-year-old mischievous daughter came to this world with a husband already. Misaki used to bully Scias a lot, but now, she is so attached to that boy. It makes him envious. "That!" The keeper holds back the curse. "Since you know about our connection, let me stay here." "I don''t have any problem." Ari beams at him. "You must get Misaki''s permission." "..." Why does he have a feeling that it won''t be easy getting that traveller''s permission? *** The keeper finds Misaki in the garden. Scias, Kang Si An''s reincarnation is also beside her. On her right, there''s Misumi. Misaki isn''t surprised to see him. Instead, she greets him happily. "Oh, you are finally here." The keeper blinks his eyes in surprise. Misaki looks a lot different from her previous reincarnation. She has sharp features like Adira and a softness in her eyes that she inherited from Ari. Misumi looks nearly identical to Misaki. The horns on Misaki''s head is a major difference between the twins'' appearances. Scias also looks different. The boy has silver eyes. He is a forsaken creature, but there''s no forsaken aura from him. The keeper realizes that Misaki is controlling Scias'' aura through the contract while Scias is lending her a part of his forsaken abilities. There''s also fae magic inside Misaki that must have been abandoned by Scias before he became a forsaken creature. The Keeper wants to kill Scias but he knows that he can''t do it. "How do you know me?" The Keeper smiles at Misaki. He still has a chance, right? "I heard about you from my aunt." Misaki grins. "Aunt Deia told me that you woulde and demand to be my spirit." "Yes." The keeper widens his eyes. "Do you ept me as your spirit?" "Yes." Misaki gives a side-long nce to her sister. "Do you ept me as your master?" "Yes, I do." The Keeper bends down on his knees, ready to form a contract with her. A god can create more than one contract. As long as he can be with her, he''s fine. "Great then." Misaki giggles as she gives her hand to the keeper. "Let''s fulfil the contract. From now on, I am your master and you are my spirit." The Keeper takes her hand, feeling her magic seeping into his channels. The contract isplete. Misaki stands up and says, "Serve my sister." "What did you say?" The keeper gapes at her. He peers at Misumi who is smiling at him. "This is not how it should be." "You see, my sister is not an immortal. She needs a protector." Misaki pats Keeper''s shoulder. "She''s a halfling-Sehr. Her magic is quite unstable. You must always be with her, okay? I am going on a walk with Scias. My sister will take care of you." "This is cheating!" The Keeper protests. "You must listen to a master''s wish." Misaki clicks her tongue as she takes Scias'' hand. "Bad spirit!" The keeper watches Misaki walk away with Scias. How could she this damn traveller! "Lucius." Misumi grabs his arm, jolting him. "It''s been a long time." He looks down at her, surprised. "How do you" "I remembered everything when I used magic for the first time." Misumi holds his hand. "I didn''t reveal it to my parents and my siblings. I missed you a lot. But Aunt Deia said that you would reappear again." "How did you recognize me?" Lucius scrutinizes her face. "I could always see your true form." Misaki gives him a toothy smile. "Since Misaki gave you to me, you are mine now." "I-I" Lucius doesn''t know what to say. He hasn''t expected this kind of oue. "I will move your heart slowly." She squeezes his hand. "My sister is stubborn. She only likes Scias. Nothing can move her heart except for him. As for you, I know that you will fall in love with me." "How?" Lucius frowns at her. "You seem overconfident." "Maybe I can also see your heart." She pulls him along with her. "Your true form is so bright. It makes my heart race." This girl is only thirteen. Lucius shakes his head. "I won''t fall for someone else." "You sound overconfident," She says the same words that he told her a while ago. "But your heart is wavering already." He looks at Scias and Misaki. Perhaps, it''s the will of the supreme one. They are meant to be. Lucius exhales, "Because she told me to, I will protect you." "We will see." Misumi chuckles. There''s a certain belief in her tone that palpitates his heart. Would she be able to make him waver? Perhaps, who knows the future anymore? *** Ten yearster, Adira''s and Ari''s daughters are married and living happily with their men. Adira gives the reins of the Dark Realm to Ai who has grown capable as a near-immortal after being trained by Ari in the art of runes and shaping of true-names. Adira goes to Haven to live with his wife and helps her control Pestilence who keeps creating problems in her world. Gods are used to seeing troubles appearing in the world and mortals are never tired of creating more difficulties. "Now, it''s only us," Lying next to each other on the bed, Adira says to her while ignoring the forsaken creatures outside her pce. "You and me only." "Even after so many years, you still dream of thinking that it''s only us?" Ari runs her fingers on his chest. "Is it not?" He looks at her, puzzled. "I am a free god now." "Uh..." Ari snuggles closer to him as she creases her forehead. "Not much free..." "What do you mean?" He blinks his eyes, afraid. "There are three of us." She ces his hand on her belly. "I have been carrying for a while." Adira can''t feel any heartbeat or sign of life from her belly. It must be because she''s a forsaken creature. There''s a limit. "How long?" "Two weeks, maybe." Ari is also surprised by this pregnancy. It''s like a miracle. A forsaken creature has nearly zero chance of getting pregnant. It has taken so long for her to get pregnant again. But they have been doing it for days since Adira came to Haven. "The boy is growing slowly." The child will be a forsaken creature. "A boy?" Adira''s eyes sparkle. "Is he going to look like you?" "I thought that you would be upset that it''s no longer only us anymore," Ari frowns at him. Adira kisses her lips, sucking it softly. He raises his head and looks into her eyes, "I won''t ever say no to gifts that you bring to life." "Sheesh!" She smacks his chest, embarrassed for both of them. She murmurs softly, "Do you know that I love you more than anything, Adira?" He pulls her closer to him, closing his eyes with a content smile. "Ari, my Ari, I am alive as long as I am beside you." Their daughters are having children. How are they going to react if they hear that she is also having a child? But Adira looks so happy... Ari smiles. Maybe it will be alright as long as they are together. ***Author''s Note*** Hi everyone, Ari has grown from Kresi Mirin to Abyss. It was a wonderful experience for me to write this novel while interacting with all of you. Your support was encouraging. I believe that the story decides when it wants to end instead of the writer. The characters have reached the end of their journeys and found the happiness that they deserved. Chaos has also found her end. Some people/characters can''t be saved even if we try really hard (Author''s dilemma). The next volume contains some short love-stories about different gods of Iravan. Ari''s family will appear as side-characters. You are wee to try out my other novels. You can find the list of my novels on my author''s page or in the auxiliary chapter (Author''s note) of this novel. I want to thank everyone who has supported me so far. Thanks for reading till the end. I am lucky to have interesting readers like you all <3 Chapter 227: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (1) Chapter 227: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (1) Everyone in Iravan knows that the god of sun is in love with the god of fire. Of course, the god of fire herself is an exception to that. If someone asks the sun god why he hasn''t proposed the goddess fire, he would say, "What if she rejects me?" If someone tells him to put an end to his one-sided love, he would say, "Sun is the fire itself. How do I forget her?" And if someone corrects him that the sun is not made of fire but sma and a bunch of gases, he would say, "My heart burns only for her." Eshyal gazes at the fire goddess from the sky. At night, he would peek at her realm, hoping to catch her glimpse. It''s been going on for countless years. Even Noras is troubled by this creepy one-sided form of love, but he doesn''t want to get involved in the personal lives of gods. Handling Adira''s issues have already been enough for him. Now, he wants to concentrate on his pregnant wife. Eshyal, the god of the sun, is fine with loving a certain goddess from afar. *** "I think that I am going to have a girl." Sitting on the grass in the garden, Ea, the goddess of wind, rubs her t baby with shiny eyes. It''s only been days since she got knocked up. It''s too early to tell the gender, even for a god. "I want her to be dumb like Noras." Why do you want her to be dumb?" Ni, the goddess of water, questions her."I guess I understand. If Rilyah wasn''t over smart, she wouldn''t have tried outsmarting Adira." "It''s not the same without Mirinae." Mahuna, the goddess of fire, grumbles, "I wish Rilyah would wake up soon." Mirinae isn''t here today. She''s taking care of Rilyah. Her daughter''s health is improving. Colours are back in Rilyah''s eyes. Her essence is slowly moving into her body. But it will take a while before she can even move her fingers. In any case, Mirinae hasn''t med Adira or anyone else from his family. After all, Rilyah brought it upon herself. But Mirinae is also a mother. It''s painful to see her daughter in that state. "Cina''s health is also improving." Ni puts her hands on the ground and leans back slightly, stretching her back. Sighing, she says, "Mahuna, you and I are still single." "I want to date someone." Mahuna raises her hands in frustration. "But nobody can deal with my fire." "Nobody?" Ni raises her brow, aware of the sun in the sky. "Adira and Noras are married." Mahuna wrinkles her nose, looking at Ea with an annoyed look. "Why are you smug?" "Do you know the speciality of the primordial gods?" Ea smirks at her. "They have an extremely high libido. I am sure that Ari can understand my woes." Mahuna scowls at Ea. The goddess of the wind never skips an opportunity to talk about her husband''s libido. "Oh well" Ni lets out a heavy sigh. "I might remain single for an eternity." "There are single gods." Ea smiles at Ni. "Though Cina got a wife recently, Eshyal is still there." "Eshyal is already interested in someone else." Ni rolls her eyes. "Besides, I don''t think that I can deal with him. His personality is too clingy for me." "He is interested in someone." Ea nces at Mahuna who is scratching her chin. "Maybe he''s good enough to deal with someone''s fire." "Heat plus heat will be equal to more heat." Ni ponders, "It might be only smoke and nothing else." "What are you two talking about?" Mahuna knits her brows. "Heat plus heat? Are we studying fire now? I am an expert. Ask me." Ni and Ea share a look. The sun is hiding behind the clouds. It''s probably a good time to say the obvious to a certain goddess. Ea suggests to Mahuna, "There''s a god who might be a good match for your fire." "There is?" Mahuna creases her forehead. Ea adds, "And he''s a god of Iravan." "Who?" Mahuna raises her brow. "Is it some minor god?" "No, No." Ni points at the sky. "What do you see?" Mahuna looks in the direction where Ni is pointing at. "God of clouds? Nope! He vaporized the moment I touched his hand once. It was a horrible date." Ea chuckles and says, "Behind the clouds." "Sky?" The lines on Mahuna''s forehead be deeper. "We don''t have a god of the sky." "Ooof!" Ni holds her head. "What do you have in your head?" "Just say the name." Mahuna clicks her tongue. "Why do you talk in circles?" "I was pretty direct." Ea sighs. The god of the sun is hiding behind the clouds. "I was talking about Eshyal. I heard that he''s hotter than you are." "What?" Mahuna widens her eyes. "Eshyal? That man? He can''t be hotter than me." "Ari that the temperature of the sun is quite high." Ea scratches her chin. "She said that the sun is made of sma or something. I heard that She asked Eshyal if how he was handling the sma power." "sma?" Mahuna feels offended. "Did she say that he''s hotter than I am? How is that possible? Sun is made of fire." "No, she said that sma is hotter than the fire." Ni blinks her eyes. "Or did she say that fire is hotter than sma?" "It was sma." Ea interjects, "I don''t know what sma is. Noras overheard it when he visited Adira for something. Ari was teaching her daughters and her son. Noras was also surprised when she questioned him about the speed of light." "No, I am hotter than Eshyal." Mahuna stands up, enraged. "I will find Ari and ask her myself." "She''s not in our world at the moment." Ni tells her, "Try it when shees back." "Then, I will confront Eshyal about this." Mahuna res at the sun. She''s the only one who can look at the sun directly. Goddess of the fire has always wondered why she feels like something is watching her back. She knows that it''s him. Though she''s been feeling this for a long time, she doesn''t know how to ask the sun to stop keeping a watch on her. Does he want to pick a fight with her? Now, she is sure that he does. Chapter 228: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (2) Chapter 228: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (2) "Who came?" Eshyal frowns at his servant. "Lord, it''s the goddess of fire." The servant tenses his shoulders. Beads of sweat roll down on his forehead, stinging his eyes. Goddess of fire has arrived and she doesn''t seem happy. "Mahuna is here." Eshyal gasps when the servant nods. He can''t believe that she came to his abode on her own. "Take care of the guest." Eshyal touches his lips, thinking about what would Mahuna likes. "Send her the best wine and desserts. Not too sweet. She doesn''t like desserts that are too sweet." "Um" The servant raises his hand. "Lord, Goddess Mahuna wants to --" "I need to take bath!" Eshyal announces loudly before he dashes into the bathroom. "...to challenge your lordship," The servant trails off. *** In the waiting hall, Mahuna taps her foot on the floor impatiently. It''s been five hours since she came here, but the sun god hasn''t made his appearance. He''s already thinking highly of himself, isn''t he? She grits her teeth. There''s no doubt that she''s the hotter one whether it''s about looks or temperature. After what feels like forever, Eshyal makes an entrance. From top to bottom, he''s wearing invaluable jewels over his orange garb. His long white ming hair isbed back, adorned with pearls. There''s even some makeup on his face, especially his lips that are hot pink. Mahuna gawks at the man. What is happening? Is it someone''s wedding? They weren''t even invited to the Dark God''s wedding. This peacock is showing off, isn''t he? She must have impressed by his appearance. The Sun God grins at her innocently, unaware of what is waiting for him. When he speaks, he tries his best to hide his zeal. "Goddess, what did I do to have this honour?" The goddess of fire, who had to wait for five hours to get this damn god''s presence, shudders when she hears his disgustingly sweet voice. She wanted to talk, but she''s sure that he wouldn''t listen to words. Mahuna loses thest bit of her ''calm'' and fists her hand, aiming for the Sun God''s white teeth. Taken aback by her sudden ferocity, the Sun God forgets to move. Her fistnds on his cheek as white fire from her body spread in all corners of the hall. The servants scream while running away. Mahuna can''t care less about who is screaming. She hates the damn orange garb the most. So, she ces her palm on his chest, burning thest of his garb into crisp. Eshyal finds himselfpletely naked. Feeling her hot hand on his naked chest, his cheeks burn. Is she making a move at him after punching him? He doesn''t mind the punch. She must have been angry about making the first move. He mistakes the rage in her eyes for passion. Thinking that she has noticed his ardent feelings, Eshyal coils his arms around her waist. As he burns her clothes away for the obvious reasons, he crashes his lips against her. It is Mahuna''s turn to be shocked. She finds herself being kissed fiercely by the Sun God. Her mind turns nk. What is happening here? Why is he kissing her? Weren''t they fighting about the ce who is hotter? When she opens her mouth to tell him why she came, he plunges his tongue inside her mouth as he pushes her against the wall. Heat meets heat. His fiery tongue sweeps her mouth roughly, making her breathless. When their lips part, she heaves her chest up and high, wanting more. Before she can find her voice, his tongue assaults her mouth again. She finds herself falling into a sweet intoxication,pletely taken over by volcanic desire. Mahuna wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Is this his challenge? Maybe he wants to dominate her using sex. The battleground is stamina then. She can still prove that she''s the hotter one. Her tongue fights him yfully, mocking him as he seeks hers. She pulls back when he probes. Thinking that she doesn''t want to kiss him anymore, Eshyal retracts his tongue. But she grabs his hair and locks her lips with his, luring him again with a teasing look in her eyes. Eshyal sucks her lips with half-opened drunken eyes. He has no idea what''s going inside her head. His brain has stopped thinking. All that matters is this moment with her. His lips graze against her neck, trailing the curve of her smooth neck. She sighs softly, wanting him to touch her more. "Don''t hold back," She murmurs. He epts hermand. Eshyal squeezes her firm breast while he takes her pink erect nipple in his mouth. A gasp escapes her lips. Twisting her mound into different shapes mercilessly, he sucks the erect nipple, biting and flicking it, causing a delicious pain. Mahuna moans in ecstasy. She hasn''t expected this god to be so good. Suddenly, she feels his fingers between her thighs, rubbing against her clit. Mahuna looks down at him. Unexpectedly, their gazes meet. Her nipple is still being aggressively teased by his tongue. His one hand is on her left breast while his other hand is rubbing her clit. She swallows when she notices the molten passion in his eyes. Did she ept the wrong challenge? Can she win? Eshyal takes her nipple between his teeth and pulls it as he pierces her hole with his two fingers. "You" She inhales sharply. He kisses her nipple and says, "You told me not to hold back, my dear." "But but" Mahuna grips his shoulders, not being able to find the strength to push him away. Her protests die in her throat. Wet lustful sounds and ragged breaths fill the air as his fingers explore her walls maddeningly. Blushing hard under his heated gaze, Mahuna closes her eyes. She might lose this time. "Mahuna," He calls her name lusciously, thrusting three fingers inside her leaking hole. "My love, look at me, please." What did he say? Mahuna opens her eyes, finding him staring at her. Love? Chapter 229: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (3) Chapter 229: Who is hotter: sun or fire? (3) When she looks at him, Mahuna swallows her saliva. His eyes are burning with such intense passion. She realises that she has no chance. He is certainly hotter than she is. "I love you." He whispers, brushing his lips against her lips softly. "I love you. I love you. I love you so much" However, his soft words don''t match his actions. Mahuna opens her mouth to reply, but her voice betrays her. She moans as he prates her with his fingers, gasping for air. Mahuna raises her head to ask him to stop this assault of pleasure. With thest string of rationality in her head, Mahuna realizes that she''s been wrong about everything. This guy, who wouldn''t talk to her while looking straight in her eyes in the past, is actually in love with her. And his fingers are moving inside her as if he won''t release her until he finds out everything about her body. It''s toote. She inhales sharply. Her skin glistens with sweat. The fire in her body is reaching its peak, tantalizing every vein. She trembles violently as she reaches the zenith, letting out a loud cry of ecstasy. Only to regret in the next instant. Mahuna''s body bes limp as if she doesn''t have any strength left after reaching the climax. She looks at him with a begging look for mercy. If he torments her again, she might cease to exist. "Mahuna," Eshyal murmurs her name as he bends down his head and bites her corbone, grabbing her plump buttocks and raising her. He nibbles on her lips and mumbles, "I want you." Her back rubs against the wall. Forgetting the fact that she''s a goddess, Mahuna coils her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. Mahuna curls her toes when the tip of his hardness presses against her hole. She quivers weakly. "Please be gentle." His passion is scaring her. Eshyal smiles warmly at her face. "I will." *** Next day, Mahuna is lying on Eshyal''s bed. "Gentle." She grumbles, pulling the nket closer to her neck. "Does he not know the meaning of gentle? It seems that the god of the sun doesn''t know what ''gentle'' is. She''s exhausted. That day, he didn''t stop for hours. How many times did they do it? Even though both of them are gods, how could he still have some energy left when she can''t even get out of the bed? Everywhere hurts, especially her back and. Herher regions feel sore. When she hears the sound of his footsteps, She covers her face with the nket. Actually, she woke up when he was giving her a bath. But she pretended to be asleep. Then, heid her down on the bed and left. She wonders how she should treat him. He confessed his love to her. He even told her that he wants her. What should she do? This is not what she had in mind. She came here to challenge him. And he won. Mahuna blushes hard. When did he fall in love with her? Did he keep looking at her because he was in love with ehr? He wasn''t looking down at her, but His past actions start to make sense to her. "I should have controlled myself." His voice sounds guilty. "It''s hard to control She suddenly came and I wasn''t ready. Will she ept my apology? It was my first time. Was I horrible?" First time? Has he never been with a woman before? Noras and Ea got married when they were young. Adira had married a human before he married Ari. What about this god? Honestly, she doesn''t know much about him. He was already awkward around her. Well, it was also her first time. The deed. In the past, she did have lovers. But they couldn''t even endure her touch when things started to heat up. "Should I talk to Noras?" Eshyal covers his mouth with worry. "What if she never wakes up because I prated her too much?" Wait! What did he say? "I should have done it only one time." Is he looking down at her again? "She''s so exhausted after one day." "..." That''s true, but it''s his fault. "She might reject me because I am horrible." "You!" Mahuna sits up abruptly, startling Eshyal. "Why do you keep saying funny things?" Eshyal takes a step back. "I-I-I I" "What?" She snaps at him. Her hair glows in fury. "I asked you to be gentle." "I-I t-tried my best!" Eshyal''s lips tremble, eyes turning misty. He looks down in the same, fumbling with his fingers. "Mahuna, I am sorry." Her temper goes down a little after hearing his sincere apology. "What were you going to ask Noras?" "I was only going to ask her if he knew any treatment for" He nces at her shyly. "For exhaustion and soreness of certain areas of a female body." Is that what guys talk about when they discuss sex? And Noras is such a dimwit. Doesn''t she know how he is in bed? Ea usually talks about it. "Did you forget that I am a goddess?" "B-But" Eshyal peeks at her again. "I am sorry." "Is that what you are supposed to say to me?" She res at him. "My hips hurt. I can''t move my body without feeling any ache. My vagina has been ravaged by someone who doesn''t know the meaning of gentle. And it was also my first time." "F-First time?" He widens his eyes. "Mahuna, I am really sorry." "Can''t you speak without stammering?" She scowls at him. "You were speaking clearly yesterday. How many times did you say that you love me? Then, you kept telling me that you would spend eternity with me. After that, you were shameless enough to say that you lost control and gave all of your seeds to me." That''s what irks her the most. Gods and goddesses shouldn''t have a problem controlling it. They can get pregnant when both parties in the rtionship want to. But they need to control certain aspects of their bodies a bit. Eshyal certainly wasn''t in control. And she also sort of let go of herself in the middle. "I also lost control yesterday." She runs her fingers through her hair. Ea will be excited. "Marry me or I will train our child to kill you in the future." "You will marry me?" Eshyal hasn''t expected to receive a marriage proposal from her. "Did you want to spend the rest of your eternity watching me like a creep?" She knits her brows. "I came yesterday because I wanted to find out which one was hotter among us." He blinks his eyes. Did he misunderstand her? "Since you won, I will grant your wish." She waves her hand, staring hard at the wall to her right. She can''t look at his face. "You love me. You want me. And I am pregnant already. It''s only natural that I want to give birth to a legitimate child. A child of two gods is also a god. So, we will get married next --" Eshyal jumps in the bed and takes her in his arms. "We will get married tomorrow." "Tomorrow is too soon," she yelps. "I have waited too long." He pushes her down on the bed, staring into her eyes, "I can''t wait anymore. Besides, I should be next to you during this period." Noticing the evil glint in his eyes, Mahuna realizes something. She might have been tricked into saying all that. The sun god is definitely not what he seems. s! It''s toote. The goddess of the fire gives into the fervent kiss. __READ THE AUTHOR NOTE__ Chapter 230: He broke it? Chapter 230: He broke it? Haven The world of the forbidden ones. Every day, the colour of the sky bes a beautiful shade of clear blue. Every night, it bes the darkest night with artificial stars. There is only onemp in the sky. During the days, it brightens up the world. During the nights, it will dim enough to give an illusion of the moon. The two primordial gods are more than enough for this world to function properly. There are four regions. There is a certain hierarchy. The dukes rule the four regions, under the goddess of Abyss. Though it''s hard for the forbidden creatures to give birth, they are slowly growing. The world is no longer lonely. In the midst of four regions, there is arge white pce. The ce is big enough for the entire poption of Haven to live there. However, only the gods and their children reside there. At first, only Abyss used to stay there whenever she visited Haven. Then, She started living there with the God of darkness Her daughters were staying in different worlds with their husbands. Time to time, they would visit her. But Abyss had never let them stay for long. Even her adopted son was kicked out each time when he would beg to stay in Haven with her. Many years passed. Abyss'' daughters gave birth. Misaki had a son. Though Scias was a forbidden creature, the child was not one. They named him Cyran. It seemed that children between a forbidden creature and an immortal God are immortal children -- not forbidden creatures Misumi had twin daughters. Both were born with the blood of the gods. Lucius was exhrated. He vowed to be a better husband and even better father. They are named Luna and Miya. Finally, Abyss gave birth to her son -- Dai. At first, everyone was delighted. Dai was the first child born in Haven. He was born after a difficult birth. However, the child was a forbidden creature. That didn''t stop anyone from celebrating. Dai was a son of two primordial gods. Even the gods from Iravan came to celebrate his birth. Ai was excited to have another brother. Misaki and Misumi, though they had grown mature, were screaming with joy. Adira nearly cried. He hadn''t expected to have a child after such a long time. He had another son. As for Ari, she was a little worried because Dai was different. Her worries only grew day by day''s her doubts grew stronger. Dai''s growth was a reason to worry. *** A little boy of around two picks the round ball sculpted from arge piece of sapphire and thrashes on the floor. The ball of sapphire hits the floor and breaks into zillionth pieces. The boy next to him yells at him, "Why did you break that? It was mine." The little boy looks at his nephew sullenly, but he doesn''t retaliate. He turns his back to him and stares hard at the floor. Cyran red at the boy. Why is his uncle like this? Though he and his uncle have the same age, he has to take care of his uncle who doesn''t seem to grow at all. His uncle is unpredictable. He would always take his things. And then, he would always destroy them. Cyran looks at the pieces of the sapphire ball. His mother brought a shiny stone for him. His father sculpted it into a ball. Now, his uncle broke it. Why is his uncle stronger than him when he is so small? His lips quiver as he tries hard not to try. He is already eleven this year. He shouldn''t cry. Ai heads toward the yroom. Today is hisst day in this world (for now). His mother has given him an ultimatum to leave this world by the end of the day. He has to take Cyran with him to Iravan. Misaki and Scias are travelling again while she''s pregnant with their second child. That girl can''t stay still at one ce for long. Misumi is calmer. She lives in Sria with Lucius and her twin daughters. The timekeeper has been reinstated as the vice-president of the keeper''s institution after Misaki had vowed not to make any trouble. Can anyone me him for sneaking into Haven? He is the only one in Iravan. His biological father and his elder brother, Aren, are dead. They weren''t immortal. Though he gets visited by his sisters and the dark god once in a while, it gets lonely. He would rather stay in Haven and be a forbidden creature instead of living as a face of the dark god in Iravan. But his mother won''t allow him. She won''t say why, but she wouldn''t give him permission to stay here. Ai exhales. Life is lonely. Truly lonely. His sisters are nagging him to get married. But he''s too busy managing the dark realm. When he''s not managing the dark realm, it''s natural that he woulde to Haven. He enters the yroom. His nephew Cyran is sitting in the corner, facing the wall. His shoulders are trembling weakly. Ai hears the faint sound of sobbing. Ai guesses what could have happened. It''s usually Dai. His dark eyes search for the culprit. Dai is crawling toward the slide that their mother made for him. Dai''s body is a major cause of his mother''s worry. It''s been ten years. But Dai still looks like a toddler. The problem is that there are other forbidden children who were born after Dai. Though their growth is slow, they are still growing faster than Dai. Their mother, Abyss, tried to look into Dai''s true name. Strangely, she wasn''t able to see or feel it. She can''t give him a new name. Dai hasn''t spoken a word since his birth. He doesn''t cry or smile. Even his father is losing sleep in worry. The gods of Iravan don''t have any clues either. Mother is trying to contact other primordial gods. Ai walks to Cyran. He ces his hand on his shoulder. "Cyran, what''s wrong?" "Uwaaaaaah!" Cyran bursts into tears. "Uncle Ai, he broke my ball. Father made it for me." Is he talking about the ball that Misaki and Scias gave him on his fifth birthday? It was not an ordinary ball. "He broke it?" Ai mumbles, turning his head to take a look at Dai. The toddler is nowhere to be seen. "..." Chapter 231: This attention-seeking god Chapter 231: This attention-seeking god Adira has been looking for his goddess. She is nowhere to be seen. He wonders where she could have gone. His wife doesn''t like to leave this world anymore. Haven is a home for all the forbidden creatures. Although he has been living here for more than a decade, he hasn''t changed into a forbidden god. Somehow, the world isn''t affecting him. It might be because he is the eldest primordial god or the supreme one is preventing him from bing one. Abyss is a primordial goddess too. After she turned into a forbidden goddess, even time-turn couldn''t save her. But it must have been the will of the supreme being. Forbidden creatures are mysterious beings. The strangest part is that there are different kinds of forbidden creatures. Dai is also different. He doesn''t care whether he bes a forbidden creature or not. His wife is interested in bringing the apocalyptic horses to this world. Pestilence often howls at night for his siblings: Conquest, Famine, and Death. But Death is the youngest primordial god. Adira doesn''t want another primordial god here asAtvi and Chaos had caused enough problems in his life. He finds Ari in the garden. She is reading letters while sipping tea. He takes a seat opposite her. "What are you reading?" He asks her. How did she get a letter here? "Ea invited me to her youngest son''s birthday party." Ari tells him in a low tone, "He is about Dai''s age." Noras and Ea have two children: Davina and Ss. Davina is a few months younger than Misaki and Misumi. She is already married to Cina''s son, Inachus. Davina is a goddess of love, and Inachus is a god of the river. Their second child is about Cyran''s age. The boy''s name is Ss. There are other things mentioned in Ea''s letter. Mahuna and Eshyal are preparing for their ninth honeymoon. Since the weather is too hot because of those two, the rain goddess and the water goddess have started a petition that Eshyal and Mahuna should have sex only during winter. But those two can''t care less about the petition. Those two are always humping like beasts. Rilyah''s sisters have also married. Raya and Riha married Deia''s twin sons. Rilyah is marrying Minak, the only son of Mahuna and Eshyal. Ari stares at thest few lines. She hasn''t expected Rilyah to give up on Aipletely. Though Ai doesn''t remember the time before the time-turn, Rilyah still stayed away from him. It seems that Qeshaya was traumatic for her. After she woke up, she asked for forgiveness from Adira and her. Ari let it go. But Adira wasn''t forgiving. Ai also learned about what happened. Rilyah stayed out of their sight, mostly keeping herself hidden behind the clouds sent by the rain goddess. At other times, she would stay in her room. She must have realised that a few things can''t be restored to the way they were. Parisa''s words aren''ting true, Ari contemtes in silence. Ai won''t get married to Rilyah. Then, who will he marry? Why is Ai still single? He should get married already. Should she find a woman for her? "I am worried about Ai," Ari says. "Rilyah is marrying Minak." "That''s good." Adira doesn''t want that liar girl as his daughter-inw. He is sure that Ai deserves a better woman. Even Ai was in danger because of Rilyah''s lie. "Ai will find someone who deserves him." "I wonder who she will be." Ari scratches her chin. "Should I look for a bride? I can''t think of anyone. The only single goddesses I know are Ni and Atvi." Adira''s face contorts in rage. "Atvi doesn''t even have a permanent form." "Ni is a little older than him." Ari sighs. "He used to call her aunt when he was young." "Ni wanted to marry me." Adira shakes his head. "I can''t imagine her as our daughter-inw." "I am so worried about Ai." Ari picks up the next letter. "What will I do when Dai grows up?" "He is only a child." Adira replies to her, "I am sure that he and Ai will find their brides on their own." "Our daughters found their husband too soon." Ariins, "I am already a grandmother." "You will also be a great-grandmother." Adirughs. "Lucius'' daughters are timekeepers. They are already chasing some time travellers." "You will be a great-grandfather too." Ari makes a face. "I won''t let Ai get married so soon." "You were worried about his singlehood." Adira smirks at her, "Should we have one more child?" "If it''s the will of the supreme being, we can have another." Ari sighs. The children of the gods usually have a purpose. Cyran is not the child of a god. He is immortal, but he hasn''t achieved godhood yet. Neither did Misaki and Misumi. But Dai is a forbidden god since birth. He must have an extraordinary destiny. Ss might have one too. Ari saw Amin only on the day of his naming ceremony. She could see that the child is a reincarnation of Aren. Aren had contributed a lot to Iravan; first as a chosen one, and after he gave up the holy fire, he had done anything he could with his ability. It''s no wonder that he''s reborn as Noras'' son. In fact, Noras might have chosen his soul as his son. However, Ss doesn''t remember his past life. He will probably never remember it. "Ari, I am curious." Adira can''t hold himself back from asking. "How did Ea send a letter from Iravan?" "There is a postal service between the worlds." Ari chuckles. "A god of messenger contacted me earlier. He wanted to ask if our world could be essible to the postmen. Since they wouldn''t be spending much time here, I permitted them. Even Pestilence wrote a letter to his siblings in the human world." "He did?" Adira creases his forehead. "I hope he doesn''t cause more problems." "He regrets knowing me." She smirks at him, "I think he''s lonely. Maybe I should bring Famine and Conquest here." Ari had met Conquest one. He seemed like an ordinary child, and his parents also denied her from taking the boy. Maybe Conquest would be fine in the human world since his mother is a forbidden creature. "I thought that Pestilence was getting along with Suluk." Adira recalls, "I saw Suluk chasing Pestilence with a sword in his hand." "They are going along well." Ari snickers. "Too well." Adira doesn''t understand the undertone of her words. "It''s best not to bring other worlds'' problems to our world." If more people gather here, it''s less attention for him. He even has topete with his children and grandchildren to get Ari''s attention, especially when all of them are here. "Oh, don''t even think about it, Adira." Ari res at him when she sees him pouting. "Don''t turn back into a toddler. I want to raise Dai only. Don''tpete with your son." He cocks his head dejectedly. "You don''t hug me. You don''t love me." "This attention-seeking god," Ari grumbles, shaking her head. "After going through so much, you still think that I don''t love you." "But you are busy." Adira''s lips tremble. "You still leave the world for days, and when youe back, you return with someone." Ari''s new hobby is to go to different worlds and collect forbidden creatures. "I have to bring them here." Ari says, "This is a home for anyone who has been abandoned by their worlds." Not just forbidden creatures, Ari also saves people who need a new home. She usually dumps them in Iravan or another world before she returns to Haven. "I guess it''s going to be lively here." Adira leans back and heaves a sigh. "Next time, take me with you." "Who will look after Dai then?" Ari notices Dai crawling toward him on the grass. She grins at him as she stands up, "Dai, did you miss your Mother?" Dai doesn''t smile. His eyes widen slightly. Though he doesn''t have many expressions, Ari can guess that he is happy to see her. "Come to your mother." She sits down on her knees and spreads her arms. "Mother wants a hug." Adira smiles when he sees this scene. Dai hurries toward his mother with shining eyes. All of a sudden, Ari''s face hardens. The smile on Adira''s face vanishes. They lunge toward Dai. A summoning circle appears beneath Dai at the same time. Before the gods could reach him, Dai is swallowed by the summoning circle. "What just happened?" Ari touches the ground to feel the magic. "Who took our son away?" "We will find him." Adira inhales the withering magic. "I have the magic''s imprint now. We will find that person." Ari takes a deep breath. Her daughter, Misaki, was kidnapped by Chaos once. Atvi was also involved in that case. If something happens to Dai and it''s one of Atvi''s ns, she''s going to destroy her this time. But Atvi has been missing for a long time. She nces at Adira,"Adira, tell everyone to look for Dai." "I will." Adira promises her, "We will find Dai." But Ari isn''t satisfied with that response. Adira was unable to find Misaki. If a primordial god is involved in this, it would be highly difficult to find Dai. Chapter 232: They kidnapped a baby! Chapter 232: They kidnapped a baby! The girl yawns as she walks toward therge package lying in a garden. She can''t see the owner of therge package anywhere, but she has received a notification that she has to pick it up from here. She checks the details on her tablet again and confirms the dimension of therge package. The sender name is in a strangenguage that she can''t read. She puts down her bag and unzips it. Then, she taps on the package a few times. It morphs itself as if it''s being sucked into the vacuum. In the next instant, the package is transferred to her bag. "I hope it''s not too heavy." She carries the bag on her back and checks the details of the receiver on her tablet. "Oblivion?" Suki blinks her eyes. Is it normal for her to go to Oblivion? Isn''t it closed off? That''s what she heard from others. "I guess I can always return the package if the oblivion is closed off." But it''s double-work. "I hate this very," Sheins for the umpteenth time. It''s been forever since she started working as a ve of the god of the messenger. She can''t even recall who her parents were, but she can''t ever forget the fact that she sold her off to some demon for riches. Then, that demon lost a card game against the god of the messenger. After that, she became a ve of the god of the messenger. Until the end of the time, she must remain as his ve. And she''s not the only one. The messenger god is ratherzy. He loves ying around. So, his other hobby is collecting ves who can work on his behalf. He also likes collecting stray souls or spirits. It''s easy to dupe them. "Next stop is" Suki squints her eyes. XC90?" Now, the messenger system has special code words for all the words. Suki continues to walk toward the gate. There should be one nearby. The one that brought her here has already disappeared. "Is that a postwoman?" Someone has seen her. Then, she should ignore them and continue walking. Customer service doesn''te under very, does it? Anyway, she has no reason to act nicely toward strangers. If there is no package to pick up, then she won''t even talk to them. "I think so." The woman''s voice is sad. "She is ignoring us though." Suki rolls her eyes. "Oii, you!" The other woman yells after her. "Why are you ignoring us? Don''t you know who we are?" She turns around and looks at them. There are three women, sitting in the garden. All of them look alike. The second one has a haughty look. Suki gives them a little bow. "Sorry, but I am busy. If you don''t want to use our service, kindly do not disturb us." "Who said that we don''t want to use your service?" One of the women smirks at her. "Actually, I want to send a letter." "Me too." The other woman says, "Can you wait for us to finish the letter?" "Raya, don''t bother her." The sad woman tells the chirpy one, "Let her leave." "But I want to write a letter to Mother." Raya frowns at the sad woman. "Rilyah, shouldn''t you write a letter to your fiance?" "Should I?" Rilyah shrugs, looking away. "Let him be." "You are boring." The other one clicks her tongue. "What if he loses his interest in you? We were surprised that you wanted to marry him, but we thought that you loved him." "A few days ago, I heard a rumour." Raya utters, "He was seen with another woman." "In another world." "He might have a mistress." "Rilyah, you must do something." "Why are you marrying him?" Suki massages her forehead. What the fuck! This drama Why can''t people act normally? She doesn''t even want to know the story behind these talks. If they start, there will not be any end. When she notices that the women aren''t paying attention to her, she sneaks away from them. These people have the freedom to choose, but she doesn''t have it. She can never forget that she is different from them: she can''t have the luxury to rx and talk about cheating men over tea. She is a ve. Even death can''t give her freedom from this fate. Was she unlucky? If her parents had sold her to another demon, she might have a different fate now. Bing a demon isn''t too bad. She wishes for an escape from her miserable life. Suki finds the gate in a wet cave. Within a few seconds, she reaches her destination. The smell of special herbs and something foul enters her nose. She stops in front of the suspicious-looking door. This is a dormitory. The next building is the sorcerer academy. This is not the first time when some morons tried something that they didn''t know about. If she is correct, these idiots want to get rid of whatever chaos they have produced from this world. They will give her some stupid address and tell her to take their mistakes away. These idiots are always a headache. Why is she so unlucky? Regardless, she can''t leave since she''s been summoned by them. She tries to open the door. Suki struggles to turn the knob. From the inside, she hears the sound of muffled screaming. An ominous feeling arises in her chest. ''Help.'' The quivering voice belongs to a young girl. ''Please Save me'' Suki takes a deep breath. Usually, she ignores and goes away. But there is a child inside. It''s not like she''s soft toward children, but there are special rules that she must follow. If an underaged person asks for help, she must help. It''s aplimentary service provided by the messenger system. "Why doesn''t he just help people by himself?" Suki grumbles about her boss. God of Messenger is the most hateful person in the universe. He is even worse than the lord of the underworld. She''s sure that nobody is aszy but sinister as the messenger god. He should rot in hell. Damn! He should rot somewhere worse than hell. Suki uses her emergency key to unlock the door. The hot air filled with the smell of blood and pee ms against her face. She covers her nose and steps inside therge room with a blood circle on the ground. There are strange symbols. So, she was right. These idiots were trying to summon something. Now, it has gone bad. They want her to physically send back the creature. In the corner, she sees two figures holding each other and crying with snotty noses. Both girls are underaged, blonde, and blue-eyed. They were probably sisters. Suki notices the blood dripping from the wrist of one girl AND a finger on the floor -- it seems that something has bitten it off. The taller girl bursts into tears and cries loudly, "Please help us, Elder Sister. That thing is That thing is" "It will kill us!" The other girl exims. "We can''t move." "We tried sending it back, but our circle keeps rejecting it." "We have no idea what that thing is." "It is draining out energy." Suki follows their frightened gaze. On the other corner of the room, she sees two glowing yellow eyes under the table. "So, that''s the thing?" Suki frowns. "Which world did you summon it from?" "It is Marcie''s fault." The younger one says to her, "I told her that symbol was wrong." "It got smudged when I moved." The other one replies, "It''s not my fault. Now, it''spletely ruined. I can''t tell which world it is from." "Our magic ispletely drained. We thought that it would be a huge demon." "It''s something worse than a demon." "I am not sure --" The girls keep talking without a stop. The thing under the table is hissing in anger. Clearly, nobody will be happy if they are dragged out from their home without any prior notice. Suki cautiously approaches the demon under the table. "Hello." The growls turn louder. "I can take you back home." Suki turns on the shlight. "I promise that I won''t harm you." There''s some shifting sound. Then, she shifts the light of the shlight. Suki widens her eyes when she sees a baby. She has been expecting a rabid dog, but it''s a chubby baby with marshmallow white cheeks. He res at her like an angry kitten. "Oh my god!" Suki gasps. "They kidnapped a baby!" Chapter 233: Does your parents love you? Chapter 233: Does your parents love you? The girls tremble in fear. The demons are too frightening. Both the man and the woman are tall. They stand out even if they are wearing in robes. The man is extremely beautiful. His long, ck, and straight hair is darker than the night, but his eyes are anything but calm. And the woman is even worse. She has furious storms in her eyes, although herrge silver eyes are striking and powerful. The girls, who have already met a demon in the shape of a toddler around a few hours ago, pee their pants. They utter in unison, "Please don''t kill us." "Where is my son?" The woman hollers. "If he is harmed in any way --" "We didn''t do anything." The girls burst into tears. They can tell that the man and woman are parents of the demonic toddler. One of the girls begins, "We were trying new symbols" "It was her fault. She didn''t know what it meant." "But you said that we should experiment." "Now, we have a big problem because of you." Abyss inhales sharply. "Tell me where my son is!" "He was angry." The younger girl cries, "He wanted to kill us." "Then, I had no choice. I called the postal service," The other girl says. "She took him along with her." "The inter-dimensional postal service?" Abyss frowns. She knows them. They are quite good. Why did they note to her? What do they n to do with her son? How dare they keep her son away from her? She turns toward Adira. "I want my son back within thirty minutes. Otherwise, I will destroy that postal service, this world, and anyone who has harmed Dai." Adira is relieved that she is giving thirty minutes to him. He doesn''t want her to destroy worlds or kill two little girls. Even he knows that the little girls were only trying things that they shouldn''t have. They have learned their lessons. There is a high chance that they will even stop practising magic. It''s not that he''s not worried about Dai, but their son is the child of two primordial gods. Can anyone harm him? He can''t dare to say that to his wife. "I will find him." "And you two." Abyss res at the girls. "If you ever dabble with something you don''t know without any adult''s supervision, I wille back and punish you." "W-W-We won''t!" The girls promise. "We will never do this again." Satisfied by their answer, Abyss returns to Haven since she can''t stay in this world for too long. *** Suki snorts at the toddler. "What?" The toddler, who is seated opposite her, is squinting his eyes on her. The bowl of milk is in front of him on the table. He hasn''t taken a sip. He looks like a little angry kitten. If she hasn''t seen what he did with the girls, she would have considered him harmless. "There''s no way that I will feed you that. You have hands. I know that you aren''t an idiotic toddler. Just drink it." She resumes eating the meat, sensing the toddler''s gaze on it. However, she doesn''t budge. He is a kid. He will drink milk. She won''t share her meat. Meat is way costlier than milk. After she is done, there are only bones left on her te. Dai res at her. "You know, I am poor." She tells him, "and you look like a toddler. As much as I know, all toddlers drink milk." "..." Dai picks up the bowl and finishes the milk in one sip. "Good boy." Suki cleans her hands with the napkins and tosses them on the te. Then, she picks up her tablet and checks any news about a missing toddler. "Hmm" There are more than trillions of missing children from different universes. "It''s somewhat more difficult than I expected it to be," She mumbles to herself. Suki doesn''t notice the chaos behind her. People begin to show agitation on their faces. Children run around like mad animals. "You can''t even speak." She stares at the toddler. "If I knew your name, I could find your parents." Dai puffs his cheeks. It''s clear that he is angry because she didn''t share the meat with him. "I can take you to the lost and found department" She creases her forehead. "There''s a high chance that you will end up like me." Suki doesn''t like that idea. If this kid bes a postwoman like her, his childhood is over. Although she is an angry and frustrated person, she doesn''t want others to suffer like her. "Does your parents love you?" She asks the toddler. After a long minute, he nods his head. "Then, I shouldn''t take you there." She leans back in her seat and taps her fingers. The toddler is definitely a powerful entity. He must be the son of some bigshot. Maybe that bigshot can help her with her case. Then, she should keep him with her and look for his parents while doing her job. Since she travels from one world to another, she is sure that she will find out something. Suki stands up and packs her bags. She leaves some cash for the food. Then, she grabs the toddler and embarks on her next stop. On the way, she rambles to the toddler whom she is carrying under her arm. "Stay with me. I will give you meat for dinner and milk for breakfast until we find your parents. For lunch, you can eat fruits or cereals. Milk rice isn''t bad either." Dai makes a gagging sound in horror. "I don''t have enough money to buy meat for both of us," She tells him. "I am feeding you meat at dinner time. What else do you need? You are still a freeloader." Dai doesn''t speak, but waves of anger radiate from him. Suki ignores him. If he causes a big scene, she will drop him at some orphanage. They arrive in the next world. Oblivion. Chapter 234: Cant I marry her while she is still sleeping? Chapter 234: Can''t I marry her while she is still sleeping? "Why" Suki looks at the address again. "Damn it!" The address has only coordinates. Suki didn''t check the coordinates. Whoes to Oblivion? "Argh!" It''s such a bad idea toe here. There are rumours about Chaos, the primordial goddess, who nearly killed Abyss and then, caused havoc in some world called Iravan. Suki nces at the sender address. There''s no name, but the address is from Iravan. She usually doesn''t pay attention to the world where she goes to pick up the package. But now, she regrets it. "Damn!" She has a bad feeling about this huge package. "This isn''t good." Dai, who is standing on the ground, looks up at her and raises his brow. "This is a conspiracy." She tells him, "I am sure that something bad is inside the package. I should have checked the address. How do I find Chaos and get her signature on the receipt? She will kill us if she sees us." The toddler blinks his eyes in confusion. "Chaos is bad." She says, "We are in trouble." He nods his head then. Dai steps toward the package and punches it hard. The box falls apart. "What have you done?" Suki cries. When the toddler points at the boy who is watching them in confusion, she lets out another cry, "Who are hell are you?" "My name is Ss," Dressed in a blue shirt and navy trousers, the boy with golden locks tell her. He looks around twelve at most. "What?" Suki gasps when she realises that the boy is actually a god. "How did you end up inside the box?" "I was sleeping in the garden after my sses were over." Ss frowns. "When I woke up, I was inside the box. No matter what I did, I couldn''t get out." Suki wants to scream. "Where are we?" Ss, the son of Noras and Ea, stands up. He pats the dust off his clothes as he looks around. As far as he can see, there is only whiteness stretched out. "The canvas is so big. I can draw as much as I want here." This is truly bad. Suki is sure that somewhat tricked the postal service for a bigger reason. She grabs Ss'' wrist and picks up Dai, and then tries to leave. But the exit of the oblivion is closed. "Darn!" "Oh!" Ss exims when he sees a throne. "There is someone sitting on the throne." Howe Suki hasn''t seen it? But when she looks in the direction in which he is pointing, she notices a white throne that can easily lose in the white background. On the throne, there is a little girl in a white gown. The ends of her long white tresses are touching the flood. Ss jerks her hand off and runs towards the girl. "No, don''t go." Suki shouts, "Don''t wake up the sleeping god." But the kid doesn''t stop. Dai also waddles behind the boy. Suki, having no choice but to follow them, goes after them. She watches Ss climbing the stairs quickly. He sits beside the girl and looks at her with awe. "She is so cute." He pinches her cheek. "Her skin is so soft and white." Suki wipes the sweat on her forehead. Perhaps, this is fine. Chaos is asleep. As much as she knows, gods can''t wake up easily. "I love her!" Ss announces. "I want to marry her." "..." Suki knows that the new generation kids are growing up quickly, but this is too fast. "You just met the girl." And the girl on the throne is not just any girl. She is CHAOS. "I will marry her when we grow up." He hugs the girl protectively. "Nobody can change my mind." "..." Suki wonders what should she say. Is it her problem? Nope. "But the girl hasn''t agreed." That does cause the worried lines to appear on Ss'' forehead. The girl is sleeping. She hasn''t said yes. He pinches her cheek a few times to wake her up, but nothing happenes. She keeps her eyes closed, sleeping as a doll. "How do I wake her up?" Ss asks Suki. "There is no way to wake her up." Suki replies, "It''s best not to wake her up." "Can''t I marry her while she is still sleeping?" Ss questions. "No, that''s illegal." Suki scratches her chin. "In some strange worlds, it is legal, but I don''t think that she will be happy about being married like that. She might kill you for this." Ss blinks his eyes as if he can''t digest her words. Kids are truly hard to handle. Suki wants to leave. She wonders if Ss can help her leave. He should have enough magic to get out of this. Honestly, this has never happened to her before. She used to believe that she can go anywhere with her post woman badge, but she is certainly wrong now. But Ss seems adamant about Chaos. So, shees up with a n. "There is a story that I heard from somewhere." She tells him casually, "There was some princess who received a curse. Because of that curse, she fell asleep. Nothing in the world could wake her up. Her parents cried and begged the good fairy to save their princess. Then, the good fairy put a spell on the princess: only true love would break the sleeping curse." "True love?" Ss widens his starry eyes. "Yes." Guilt haunts her heart for a moment. But it disappears pretty soon. "If your love is true, your true love kiss will wake her up. But if it is not true, she won''t wake up. Then, you should look for ways to get out of this ce." It sounds fair to Ss. He thanks her, "I will wake her up." "Yeah, go ahead." She resists the urge tough. Kids are cute. Naive boys are cuter. Then, she senses an intense stare from someone. Suki looks down at the toddler who is giving her a judgmental look. "What? Do you also want a kiss?" He doesn''t shake or nod his head. "I have no love for you." She rolls her eyes. "Who knows? You might be an old man in a toddler form." "..." Meanwhile, Ss pecks the girl''s rosy lips. He waits for a second for her to wake up. When he senses no movement, he kisses her lips again -- longer this time. No true love? Feeling depressed, he leans in for the third and final kiss. A small hand smacks his face hard. The girl opens her beautiful golden eyes, "Bastard, what the hell are you doing?" Chapter 235: If my love is true Chapter 235: If my love is true The God of Messenger has a guest today. At first, it was only one primordial god looking for his son. Now, there are two more. All three of them are on the verge of bashing his head open. "I have no idea why she did that." He falls on his knees when the pressure shoots up. "But I didn''t ask her to kidnap your children." At first, Abyss didn''t think much of it. Now, she hears that Ss, Noras'' son, has been kidnapped by a postwoman. She is sure that there is a big conspiracy. After all, sons of three primordial gods are kidnapped by the same person. "I will tell you where she is." The God of Messenger looks for his locator in a hurry. "I will call her back now!" Noras, Adira, and Abyss stand quietly together, waiting. The God of Messenger turns pale. "Erm This is strange." The primordial gods stare harder. "We can''t get a signal from her tag." He falters, "It happens sometimes when they go too far from us. She must be on her way back." "What''s thest known location?" Noras questions the God of Messenger. "It''s" The God of Messenger turns whiter. "Oblivion But why?" Abyss disappears in the next instant, followed by Adira. Then, Noras is gone. The God of Messenger finds himself alone in his chamber. He finally gets the chance to pick up his robe. On his bed, his mistress raises her head out of the nket. "Are they gone?" "Get out!" He yells at the woman. He has to run away now. The three primordial gods wille back to kill him after they are done with Suki. This is what happens when he takes useless ves. He should have let her rot in hell. His new business! *** Before Ss can exin, Chaos ps his face again. "How dare you take advantage of me again?" "Again?" Ss steps backwards. His cheeks are stinging. She has pped him three times on each cheek. "I kissed you twice, but you pped me six times." "I should p you until your brain understands how I don''t like you back." She jumps off the throne. Chaos realises that something isn''t right. Why is Aren so tall? She squints her eyes on him. "Wait, why do you look different?" The boy has golden locks, round face, and big pink eyes. "I look like how I have always looked." "No." She steps toward him. "Bend down a little." Ss obeys the little girl who is half his height. She grabs his face with her small hands and pulls his face closer. Looking deep into his eyes, she glimpses into his soul. "OH." How many years has it been? Aren died and reincarnated. Moreover, he''s not even human. He has She sniffs him, not noticing that the boy is blushing under her sweet torture. Chaos wrinkles her nose. "Ea and Noras." Of all the people, they are the parents of Aren''s reincarnation. "They are my parents," Ss says and smiles at her warmly. "They will love you after we get married." "What?" She releases his face. "We will get what?" "You are my true love," Ss tells her honestly. "I woke you up with my true love kiss. We are meant to be together." Aren died and reincarnated into a bigger idiot. Chaos scowls at him darkly. "You are not even an adult and you are thinking about marriage." "We can marry when we grow up." Ss beams. "I want to get to know you before our wedding. We can draw together here." "Draw?" She stares at him as if he has grown two heads. "What happened to you? Even if you were an idiot, you never spoke like this. Did Ea raise you into a goofball?" Ss knits his brows together. "Do you know my mother?" "We know each other well." She gives him a hard nod. Chaos looks down at her own body. She is small. A child. This is because she''s been sleeping for a long time. Her body is damaged too. It will take some time before she can go back to her adult form. "This is a problem." "Then, it''s great," Ss continues, "Mother will love you too. She will agree to our marriage immediately." Chaos has been listening to his crap for a while. What can she say to this idiot? In his past life, he was strange. Even now, he is strange. "By the way, what made you think that your kisses could wake me up?" Chaos asks Ss. "She told me." Ss points at a fidgeting girl. "She said that you are cursed. If my love is true, my kiss will wake you up." Chaos notices two more people in her oblivion. There''s a girl -- and a boy. She takes a hard look at the toddler. Ari''s son. Seriously, how long has it been? If she can find Atvi, she will y her. The girl bends down on her knees and sps her hands together. "I am sorry. I didn''t know that you would wake up for real." "So,you asked a naive boy to kiss me, the goddess of chaos, even though you weren''t sure that I would wake up." Chaos res at her. "WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH YOU?" Her reverberating voice freezes Suki''s soul. Suki covers her face and cries, "Please don''t kill me." Although her life is miserable, Suki wants to live. Chaos raises her hand to take care of Suki. But she stops the attack when the toddler steps in front of Suki protectively. Ss grabs her wrist. "Don''t hurt her." Annoying. She jerks his hand off her. When Ss opens his mouth to speak, she cuts him off, "I will not harm. You can rx." This or that life, souls don''t change. In the next instant, three primordial gods arrive in Oblivion. They see a strange view. A girl is crying on the floor. A toddler is standing in front of the girl with fisted hands. A boy is holding on to Little Chaos. Chapter 236: When he kissed you Chapter 236: When he kissed you "What is" Abyss grimaces at Chaos. "Happening here?" "You tell me," Chaos snaps at her. "Your son and Noras'' son are in my territory. Why are they here?" Abyss fists her hand. She wants to beat down Chaos. Even if Chaos looks like a child, she isn''t a child. "I want to know the same. Why are you kidnapping our sons again?" "Ha!" Chaos huffs at her. "I have no interest in your son. And why does he pretend to be a toddler? Do you want him to stay as a toddler for his whole life?" "Chaos, don''t cross your limits again," Abyss shouts back. "My son isn''t pretending. He is special." "As if!" Chaosughs. "Take a good look. He is pretending." Abyss nces at her son. Dai blinks his eyes bashfully. "Why don''t you ask him?" Chaos smirks at him. Noticing that something isn''t right about Dai''s expression, Abyss asks him gravely, "Dai, I believe you. Tell me if she is speaking the truth or not. If she is lying, I will put her back to a long sleep." Dai purses his lips. He nces at Chaos who gives him a deep look. Then, he meets his father''s eyes. His father raises his brow. "Sister Misaki told me that I would be loved forever if I stay as a toddler," Dai speaks clearly. His voice is husky and honeyed. "She said that Father would take Mother''s whole time if I grew up." "..." All the adults are speechless. Dai''s body morphs. In a few seconds, there is a young boy around Ss'' age standing at his spot. The boy looks like Kyo, Adira''s younger self. Less than five feet away, Suki''s face turns pale. The corner of Abyss'' lips twitches. She wants to kill someone. For years, she has been worried about Dai''s growth. It turns out that the culprit is Misaki. She will ban Misaki from entering Haven for the next hundred years. "Ho Ho Ho!" Chaos covers her mouth andughs darkly. "You are fooled by Misaki. I knew that the girl is more like me than you." "Shut up!" Abyss glowers at Chaos. "This changes nothing between us." "I don''t want it to change." Chaos rolls her eyes. "Now, can you all leave this ce? No, I didn''t kidnap your children -- this time. They were here before I woke up." Adira goes to the girl. "You are Suki?" "Yes." Suki sniffles. "I am sorry. I didn''t know that there was a boy inside that package. I received the order and picked up the box. When we came here, I realised where we were." Suki babbles about everything that has happened in details, including the part where she told the story to Ss and misled him into believing a myth that turned out to be true since Chaos woke up. Abyss nces at Chaos again. "Now, why did you wake up when he kissed you?" "Atvi must have done something to him." Chaos crosses her arms. "Can''t you guess who put him into the box and made the order? It''s Atvi. It''s always her. I am going to kill her." Abyss sighs. "Fine. Do whatever you want. But stay away from my family, especially my children." "I have no interest in them." Chaos turns her head to her right. She sees Ss looking down at his feet sadly. He must have realised that the story about true love is false. It''s good for him. She doesn''t want to see him either. "Come here." Noras signals Ss toe to his side. "Let''s go home. Your mother is worried." Ss takes another peek at Chaos who is ignoring him. Then, he drags his feet toward his father. He hasn''t given up. "Father, I want to marry her." "It''s impossible," Noras says, trying to keep his face straight. "You cannot marry her." "But I love her!" Ss insists. Noras doesn''t know how to react. Are these Aren''s feelings inside Ss? "Then, why don''t you ask her? If she says yes, I have no problem." Ss''s eyes gleam with hope. He turns around and runs toward her. "I don''t love you. Go back to your world." She shouts before he can reach her, "All of you must leave before I lose my temper. I don''t want to see any of you again." Ss''s heartbreak is evident on his face. He bends down his head and walks back to his father. Noras pats his son''s back, but he is actually relieved that Chaos said no. If she had said yes, he would be bound by his word. Ea would have been devastated. None of them wants Chaos as their daughter inw. He nods his head to Adira and Abyss. Then, he leaves Oblivion with his son. "I hope that you start behaving." Abyss grabs her son''s hand. "I don''t want to see you ever again either." "Leave already." Chaos grumbles, "Uninvited Guests." Adira picks up Suki in his arms. Knowing that it''s not a good idea to take her to Haven, he takes her to Iravan. Abyss returns to Haven with Dai. At Iravan, he arrives at the Dark Kingdom. Ai has been looking for Dai too. "Who is this?" He looks at the girl. She is human for sure. "And where is Dai?" "He is at home," Adira exhales. He puts down the young girl on the floor and asks her, "What is it that you want? I will do anything in my capability." Suki realises that she has hit a jackpot. If Dai''s father can speak to Chaos in such a manner, they are definitely powerful. "I want freedom. I want to be rich. I want to live in a safe ce." Her wishes are simple. It''s not surprising since she used to be a ve. Adira turns to his son, Ai. "Do whatever she asks for. She is an esteemed citizen of the dark kingdom from now on. She is nobody''s ve. I will have a talk with the god of messenger." Ai smiles at his father. "I will do as you say." Suki lets out a breath of relief. She can barely conceal her happiness. She doesn''t have to live as a ve anymore. *** When Adira returns to Haven, he finds his wife sitting on the couch and seething in rage while Dai is standing in front of her with his head lowered. Cyran snickers, but he doesn''t utter anything. "Dai, do you know how worried I was?" Abyss asks her son. "I thought that I did something wrong." "I did what Sister Misaki told me." Dai doesn''t understand what he did wrong. "If I grew up, I won''t be able to sit on yourp. You will also leave me here and go on tours." Abyss holds her head in frustration. She doesn''t approve of her daughter''s parenting styles. Misaki doesn''t spend much time with Cyran. She roams from world to world with her husband. Her other daughter is too protective of her children. She barely visits them in Haven. They don''t mind having Cyran here. Cyran is their grandchild. But he can''t stay here for long. They will send him to live with Ai for a while. It will do Cyran some good if he attends a school at Iravan. Ilucia is good. "It is not like that." Adira tells his son, "It will never be like that, but tell me something, Dai. If you grow up, won''t you make friends? Won''t you spend time with them? Will you stop loving us?" Dai shakes his head. "That will never happen." "Then, why would we treat you differently?" Adira asks him. "There are times when we will leave you alone because we think that you can take care of yourself. Misaki doesn''t leave Cyran with us for long. But she knows that we will take care of him because he is our family. Besides, she wants Cyran to spend a lot of time with us because she loves her son. She wants her son to get to know us since we are important to her." Cyran scratches his head. Is it like that? But he is sure that his mother likes travelling more than she loves him. "Growing up is a privilege." Adira exins to his son, "Change helps us learn the values of the rtionships and the gifts we have. If you want to live as a toddler, we are fine. But I think that you will miss a lot of things if you don''t ept change." "I don''t think so," Dai murmurs. "What about the new friend you made today?" Adira rubs his son''s head. "The girl saved you." "That''s because she knew that you would help her." Dai clicks his tongue. "She made me drink milk while she ate meat." "She took care of you when she didn''t have to." Adira looks at Ari and smiles at her. "People like her are too rare." Ari rolls her eyes. It looks like Dai also has aplex. But Adira is doing his job. She will be the strict parent today. By the way, when is Misakiing back? That girl has a lot to answer. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!