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. Niela 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 places 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 plants 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 accepting 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 to come 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 become 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 related 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 would come and demand to become my spirit."

"Yes." The keeper widens his eyes. "Do you accept me as your spirit?"

"Yes." Misaki gives a side-long glance to her sister. "Do you accept 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 is complete. 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 outcome. 

"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 years later, 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 palace. "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 places 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 welcome 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