NOVEL NEXT Chapter 219: Not listening to his commands?
"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 become 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 out later 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 naming last 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 becomes 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 place 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." Adira lays 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 are complicated 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, the law of balance 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 black shaper's circle gleams purple under Little Ai's body. Adira looks into the boy's soul that appears as a blank canvas to him. He fills it with his dark ehr, moulding Belan's essence and the Starfire together. He shapes it into a new name that is similar 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 will come back. Little Ai is no longer invisible. The boy has black 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 palace 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 places 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 glances 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 his commands?
***
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." Adira lays Little Ai on her bed and covers the boy with the blanket. "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?" Ari laughs. "They are in my womb. How could they become 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."