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 this land since then. He should have guessed it already.

Qeshaya has been corrupted.

It's the similar 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 playing 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 becomes turbulent. The trees start to wither, turning black as the leaves fall down. Raya can't move. She becomes 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 become 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 glares at Chaos. 

"We can't kill a primordial god." Niela 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 place 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." Noras comments, "Misaki is one of the face of chaos. What if she comes for Misaki after she regains her strength?"

"If Chaos isn't here, her essence would go to Misaki." Adira tells him, "Misaki will also become a goddess. Since she's a part of Iravan and she's also born here this time, she will become 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 balance 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 too late 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 become 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 places 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 become misty. Tears of happiness roll out of his eyes. He embraces her tightly. "You are really back to us."