“I’m not sure how much you know about gods and their realms,” the woman spoke slowly, her voice like a whisper carried by ancient winds. “But seeing how weak you still are, let me start from the very beginning.”

  She paused, then continued, “Each mortal has something they’re proficient at, right? For example, you’re not half bad with a blade. But gods are different. Their very essence is defined by what they represent, or in simpler terms, what they are good at.”

  Scry floated nearby, ears perked, absorbing every word like a dry sponge.

  Liliya sat motionless, eyes wide and unblinking. This was beyond legendary; knowledge of the godly realm was the dream of every mana user on Sacra.

  Kai frowned. “How do you know all this?” he asked without hesitation.

  “Forgive me,” the woman chuckled, a sliver of madness flashing in her eyes. “Years of isolation and insanity have made me forget my manners.”

  “I am Viridya. I was once a high goddess of life and transformation.” Her voice trembled as she sighed, deep sorrow etched across her face.

  “What!” Liliya jumped to her feet. “How is that possible?” Her thoughts raced. Meeting a god had always been her dream, and here stood one, broken but still alive.

  Scry zipped to the water tank, scanning her. “I smell nothing divine. Your mana is potent, but aside from your blood and the fact that you’re alive in this state, I see nothing.”

  “If you were a goddess, how did you end up like this?” Kai asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

  Viridya narrowed her eyes. “Will you let me tell my story? Keep interrupting, and I won’t say a damn thing.”

  The group fell silent, listening to the mad goddess.

  “As I was saying,” she resumed, “each god represents something, a fundamental law of the universe, an origin element, or a cosmic truth.

  The first gods were born from the very core of these laws. What makes a god is what we call divinity. It’s what they are.”

  She drifted into thought, then continued, “My divinity was a transformation of life itself. I embodied the ever-changing evolution of the universe. I was a high goddess under the pantheon of the Primordial God of Life, Erion. But my divine spark was shattered. That’s why I no longer appear godly to you. The only divine thing left is this half-destroyed body.”

  Green tears rolled down her cheeks as she recalled her past.

  “My head hurts,” Kai muttered. “I’m sorry for your suffering, but this still explains nothing.”

  He was determined to understand how she ended up as fuel for Florian’s madness.

  Scry and Liliya remained silent, afraid to provoke the goddess further.

  “Indeed,” Viridya said. “Let me continue. In the beginning, there were twelve Primordial Gods, six elemental and six that represented the very laws of existence. Of the twelve, six elemental gods still live. Of the others, only three remain: the gods of Life, Death, and Reincarnation.”

  “The other six sought control of the Infinite Nest and waged war against the three. But they underestimated their strength and lost. Unable to defeat them directly, they turned their wrath on their followers and lesser gods.”

  Her voice darkened. “My home was the moon. I lived there with my brother, Seleneth, who was a God of Moonlight. We lived in peace and did not join the godly wars. But one day, Luminarius, the God of Light, who felt betrayed that a high god of light element was not on their side, sent his children, the Eldari, to attack the moon.”

  “The Eldari slaughtered the race my brother and I created and protected. High gods of Light occupied my brother, while Luminarius himself shattered my divinity..." The woman sighed and continued. "I fell from the godly realm and crashed into Sacra. Without my protection, my children were wiped out. I don’t know if my brother survived or saved any of them.”

  Kai trembled. This was the mother of the Thalunids, the goddess of Vaelthar the Dawnbreaker.

  He bowed deeply. “I give my respects to the goddess of the Thalunids.”

  Viridya froze, her face a mask of shock. “How do you know the names of my children? Explain!”

  Kai sighed and recounted the tale of how he discovered Vaelthar’s legacy, the memories he inherited, and the oath he swore to find the lost Thalunids.

  Liliya listened, her heart aching. She finally understood the full story behind Kai’s master and his hatred for the Eldari.

  Scry said nothing, still processing the flood of revelations.

  Viridya shivered. “Such pain and anger you carry. You truly are a worthy successor to Vaelthar. He was one of the greatest warriors of the Lunar armies. I don’t know if this is fate or something greater guiding you, but I’m glad to see a piece of my legacy still alive.”

  She looked at Kai with the gaze of a mother seeing her child after ages.

  “So, what happened after you fell to Sacra?” Scry asked.

  “The tribe of Soul Forgers found me and brought me south. They built this hidden laboratory and a new nation atop it. Using my blood, they created stronger monsters and evolved themselves. My blood still carried fragments of my broken divinity and was very useful to them.

  “At first, I was unconscious, unaware of anything. After millions of years, I awoke in madness. They had healed me just enough to keep me producing blood, but did not expect that I was still somewhere in there."

  She smirked, "In my madness, I took control of one of their strongest creations and destroyed their nation.”

  “Some survivors returned over the centuries, hoping to rebuild, but they always failed, either by my hand or another’s. The last to come was the bastard you killed. He knew nothing. He stumbled upon an old legacy and found me. The rest… You already know.”

  She radiated an aura of rage; she truly hated the bastards who used her blood to desecrate life.

  Kai listened intently. At last, he knew the full story.

  ***

  Scry floated, deep in thought, before finally asking, “Why would the Primordial gods fight each other? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “I’m not certain,” Viridya replied, her voice distant. “But there were always tensions between the two groups, even before Sacra was created. I was born after that, so I don’t know the full truth. Some gods believed it was unfair that we were all trapped here, cut off from the original universe… even though the Enemy still lurks there.”

  Scry’s ears twitched. “What Enemy?” he asked, needing to know more. He could feel something stirring inside him, knowledge long locked away.

  “Before Sacra,” Viridya began, “when the first god, Progenius, was born from the universe itself, the other Primordial gods emerged after from the spark ignited by his birth. But none of them knew that something else lived in the void. That being… is what we call the Enemy. That’s all I know. It’s the reason the Infinite Nest was created, to separate us from it.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Scry floated silently, forcing himself to remember.

  “Scry, it’s okay,” Kai said gently, petting the spirit. “It’ll come to you. Don’t force it.”

  “He was alive back then,” Kai explained to Viridya, “but his memories are sealed.”

  Liliya stared at them both. His spirit is as old as the universe… What even is this?

  Kai turned to her. “This stays between us, okay?”

  She nodded solemnly. She understood the weight of what she’d just heard.

  Viridya looked at Scry with a strange softness. “Old spirit… you’re even older than I am. That war was bloody and merciless. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing that you don’t remember. Some things are forgotten for a reason.”

  “Right…” Scry murmured, drifting back into his thoughts.

  “Can I ask you something?” Liliya said politely.

  “Ask away, little mage,” Viridya nodded.

  “Are gods only born from laws and elements? Or can humans ascend to godhood?” Her voice trembled slightly. This felt like a forbidden question, one kept hidden by the strongest beings in the world.

  “There are many gods who were once mortals,” Viridya said thoughtfully. “They’re weaker than the high gods or the Primordials, but they exist."

  "The secrets of ascension are guarded by the Seraphs and Archons. Even I don’t know the full process. But if it’s anything like the born gods, the first step would be the creation of a divine spark.”

  Liliya paled, her heart racing. This is it. A path. A trace of something greater.

  Kai listened closely. If I could reach godhood… maybe I could return home.

  “One last question,” Kai said. “Is it possible to travel through the Infinite Nest? To other worlds?”

  “It is,” Viridya answered. “But only the strong survive that journey. There are godly artifacts that can be used to travel, but one would need to be at least a high god to wield them, or a Primordial to travel with their own body.”

  Kai nodded, frowning. It’s like telling me it’s impossible.

  I’m not even close to Seraph level, let alone a god. Insane...

  He cursed silently at how far he still had to go.

  ***

  As their thoughts settled, a sudden realization struck Kai.

  “Is there a way to help you? Set you free?”

  Viridya burst into maniacal laughter, the sound echoing through the ruined chamber like a haunting melody. “Finally, you ask! I’ve waited for this moment for countless years.”

  Her laughter thinned, fading into a trembling whisper. “I want you to kill me. End this life… please.”

  Kai paled. Liliya sat frozen, unable to speak.

  Scry sighed and settled onto a broken slab of stone. “I figured you’d ask that. There’s no other way, is there? Not with your divinity gone.”

  “You are wise, old spirit,” Viridya said softly. “Indeed, living this long without my spark is a cruel fate. If not for those damned Soul Forgers, I would’ve already returned to the Source.”

  Her mana surged violently within the water, a storm of grief and rage.

  “I can’t do it! I won’t!” Kai shouted, rising to his feet. “You’re the mother of my master’s race. It’s not right.”

  Liliya shook her head, her expression grim. “The Eldari killed them… and now you want another to finish the job? I refuse.”

  Viridya’s voice cracked with fury. “Listen to me. I’ve had enough of this suffering, this pain, this weakness. I can’t wait another thousand years for another lunatic to use my body to corrupt life again.”

  Kai clenched his fists. “Isn’t there another way? Can’t we save you somehow? Bring you with us?”

  Viridya shook her head slowly. “There isn’t. A god without their spark is nothing. My soul can’t even return to the cycle of reincarnation. True gods are born from the universe itself. When I die, I’ll become one with it… and cease to exist.”

  “That’s… very final,” Scry murmured. He knew that fate well; it awaited spirits, too.

  “This is why I want you to use that skill of yours,” Viridya said, her voice steady now. “The one you used to consume that bastard’s soul. Absorb what’s left of me. Take me with you as part of your power. That way, I can help you when you face the Eldari… and eventually, Luminarius.”

  She had seen Kai’s Soul Slaughter technique and had long since decided this was how she would leave the world.

  “Excuse me, but are you fucking insane?” Kai snapped, his temper finally boiling over.

  “You want me to kill you and eat your soul? Even if I were okay with that, I have no idea what it would do to me. You’re a God, Viridya!”

  His voice echoed through the ruins, raw and furious. He had reached his limit.

  “It won’t harm you,” Viridya said calmly. “My soul is pure Origin mana, the raw essence of the universe. It will help you grow stronger. And your body already holds the power of dragons. These two forces will complement each other.”

  Scry nodded solemnly. “She’s right. I sense no malice in her. And it’s true, absorbing her soul could help you form your third magic circle.”

  “You can make magic circles from souls?” Liliya gasped.

  Kai sighed. “Yeah… but both times it happened beyond my control. The first circle formed when I already had another soul inside me. The second was created instinctively after I fought and devoured a divine beast.”

  Two shimmering circles appeared behind him, glowing with unique energy.

  Liliya and Viridya stared in awe. The circles were unlike anything they had seen, magnificent and mysterious.

  Liliya reached out, touching them gently. She closed her eyes, sensing the power within. Then she leaned closer, sniffing the mana and even trying to taste it.

  Kai quickly pulled the circles back. “Stop licking things constantly,” he barked.

  She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

  ***

  “Now I’m even more certain of my decision,” Viridya said with quiet conviction. “You possess the Uroboros technique.”

  Scry’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

  “I’ve seen it before,” she replied. “The God of Reincarnation uses something similar. Kai, this way you’ll bring new life to my soul. I’ll become part of you, yes, but also something new. I’ll live on within you, supporting you as a successor to my kind.”

  Kai exhaled slowly. “I didn’t think the technique was that profound. The old spirit never said anything like that. We thought the souls used to create the circles were devoured. Does that mean the serpent and the wolf are still alive in some way?”

  “I can’t say for certain,” Viridya admitted. “They were much weaker than I. But it’s possible. Either way, they are now part of you. You are them, and they are you. Just as I will be, if you allow it.”

  Kai rubbed his temples. “Liliya, Scry, opinions?”

  “I think you should do it,” Liliya said, eyes gleaming. “It’s the soul of a fallen god!”

  “I agree,” Scry added, more cautiously. “But I worry about your mind. Each soul affects you differently. You’re barely able to control the destructive will of the second circle, and the hunting instinct of the first.”

  “I’ll assist you with the absorption,” Viridya said gently. “This is my wish. My will won’t resist you.”

  Kai hesitated, then nodded. “Fine… I can’t let you rot here forever. And we can’t risk another Florian being born. I also can’t bring myself to destroy you completely, you’re the goddess of my master and the Thalunids.”

  His eyes narrowed. “But if I sense even a sliver of malice, I’ll devour your soul fully. No Uroboros, no nothing. My soul serpent is hungry.”

  Viridya laughed, a wild, joyful sound. “I do quite like you, boy. Let’s do this. Let’s grow stronger together and defy fate and the gods.”

  Kai sighed and nodded, bracing himself for what was to come.

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