„Uuuhhh...." My head hurts! I try to move, but something heavy is on me. It's dark. I concentrate and redirect the flow of mana within me.
I wait until the mana in my body circulates in the correct pattern again. It's quite a difficult process to sort this out again after everything got messed up.
Then I force myself to move, lifting the heavy stones which are burying me. Haaa! This hurts! I concentrate some of my mana to the ring, which Angrod gave me. "Heal!"
After a short burst of power I am free. The City is in ruins! Far away, I can see the smoke of a big fire. That must be where Angrod's fortress fell from the sky.
The dome is completely gone!
"Hello! Anyone?" I turn around, but nobody is here. A few bodies are here and there, but after I check on them I find out that they are long gone. I have to find Angrod. "Track: Angrod!" At my command one of the spells in my ring activates.
It's convenient to being able to cast at least basic magic. A small bubble of light appears in front of me as I feel a portion of my mana disappear. Then it shoots off into a direction to my left and I follow it.
The bubble leads me in straight line over the wreckage of the wasted city. It looks like a tornado leveled everything.
After five minutes I arrive at the crumbled wall of a building. Seria is leaning with her back towards it and I see Angrod on the ground besides her.
A few more steps take me to Angrod's side. He is lying on his belly. I turn him around and see that something stabbed into his throat. No... I feel his pulse but there is nothing. I feel tears on my cheeks while I try to give him first aid.
But the healing of my ring doesn't work! Why! What's this devilry! I hit at his chest in an attempt to start his heart again, but it doesn't work.
NONONO.
"I am sorry...." Seria looks at me with a ghastly wound on her chest. "Seems like this could have gone smoother Sandra."
"What could have gone smoother!" I scream at Seria and hit the wall beside her head, pulverizing it.
"He is dead! I lost him again!" I shake the stupid bitch, but then I feel her mana through her skin as her guard is completely down.
"That … can't be! Sofie?" I am shaking what's this!
"Hi, mom! Have you and dad made up?" She smiles at me and I slap her. "Explain this!"
"While you two lived as Johann and Sandra, I took a little vacation from being a god and reincarnated to live a mortal live again out of curiosity. I liked it very much, so I kept track of you two from then on, hoping to get you back together, but it never worked out." -Seria
"Hoow.... what's this stupid game of yours!" I howl while I shake her but somehow I feel that she is telling the truth. I would always recognize my children's mana.
"Kill me mom. If you do, you can get father back." Seria grabs my hands, begging for something unimaginable.
"A.... Are you crazy? I just learned who you are and you beg me to kill you!? And how should that get Angrod back. HE IS DEAD!" My hands form fists while my vision gets blurry. Who knows if he will keep his memories after death.
"He is still here. I bound his soul to his body. This is planned far longer than you can imagine. I collected the souls of gods for an eternity. Everyone in this world is like you two, you would have found out if you ever had bothered to check.
I stole the world which you two destroyed and rebuild it. This is inside the void zone, the time flows differently here. A year in here is a mere second to the rest of the universe.
It took me quite some time to get a working ecosystem running. I should have listened better when you taught me biology back then. I guess just taking random parts of other worlds is a really stupid approach on this.
But you two are the only ones who kept all their memories. When I saved the others from the Council, I split their souls and sealed their memories and divinity inside my own soul.
I had feared that they would try to escape this world otherwise. Once I die, everyone will get their powers back. My soul will be torn to pieces though. I think. Maybe dad could have saved me but he is indisposed at the moment.
I tried to get myself killed by Tjenemit, but the bastard is too stupid to finish the job. So you have to do it. The faster I die, the sooner you can start to fight back!"
Seria clings to me with tears in her eyes.
"I was always too afraid of this part of my plan. But it has to be done. Please!"
"I... I can't.." I hug my daughter.
"Do it now! I have put so much effort into this world. I don't want to see it destroyed. A world just for the gods. I am already on the ground anyway. Even if I survive, Tjenemit will come back and finish the job after he is done with this world!"
I grab her head with shaking hands. "I hate you for this!" And with a sudden jerk I snap her neck. She offers no resistance.
While I hug the lifeless body of my daughter, it disperses into countless shimmering marbles of different colours while a pillar of light rises to the sky. They disperse like a giant storm of energy, passing through solid matter like it isn't there.
Somehow I feel …... empty.
But a fiery red marble stays in front of me. It feels like some lost part of me and I grab it without thinking. I feel something entering my body and suddenly a glowing ghostly smiling image of Seria is in front of me.
HI! This is something like an automatic message to everyone on this world!
I am your one and only goddess Seria!
A long time ago I saved everyone on this world. Even though you don't remember it right now. A long time ago, everyone of you was a god. But because of certain circumstances you will soon remember. The rulers of the multiverse had something against you for one reason or the other. You will remember it more or less pretty soon anyway.
When I saved you from them, I asked everyone of you to help me once in exchange. I would be fine with it if you did whatever you wanted to do afterwards. But I hope you will be fine with keeping an eye on this world, I made it for all of you.
So grab the marble in front of you and take everything back which once belonged to you. I am sorry about your memories, they will be a little blurry or feel not like your own after such a long time.
But if you look out for your king and queen it should be fine. They still remember everything of their past life as gods. They should be able to guide you.
As for my wish. You will understand once you remember. It is easy! May you be peasant or noble, soldier or king.
Please crush the Council!
And if it isn't too much I would be happy if you would be able to live in peace together afterwards. On this world for living gods! Create a new order of living gods! Be better than the Council!
I guess that's everything I wanted to ask of you. I sacrificed much for this little speech, so I will have to say goodbye to everyone now.
That's goodbye from your one and only goddess!
Seria strikes a strange pose and throws an erotic kiss at me while the projection fades away. Stupid daughter! What did I do wrong with her education....
Someone grabs my shoulder and I turn around to look into Angrod's face. "I had a weird dream..... can you tell me why we are gods again."
I throw myself at him. The tears won't stop. "I thought I had lost you again. But we will be together forever from now on!"
"Hahaha.... I guess... together... forever....."