บท 31: YOUR SOUL IS IN YOUR KEEPING.

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Venerable readers, this is a good read.

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The vast, ethereal infinite realm glowed with an otherworldly light, reflecting off the polished marble floors and casting intricate patterns on the walls adorned with celestial murals. Fred stood before the imposing figure of the General, whose presence seemed to command the very air around him. Beside him was Aria, her ethereal form shimmering with a subtle, enchanting glow.

"I see. You are sure you want to continue as you are?" the General asked, his deep voice reverberating through the infinite realm.

"I see no problems in doing so," Fred responded, his voice steady.

"I must warn you, there is no going back after this. So let me ask you one more time, do you want to continue living as a divine being, exploring worlds and doing as you please to some degree? I don't think I need to tell you there are consequences to every action you take," the General warned, but Fred still insisted.

"Fine. I will adjust "it" for you since it gained sentience with your awakening in hell. It has been plotting to take over your body, but I will bind the both of you so its efforts become futile," the General said.

"What the?" Fred asked, his eyes widening.

"Aria thought things would be more interesting like that since she thinks I favour humans a lot," the General said as Aria pouted.

"WHAT?!!" Fred exclaimed, considering summoning the Crucible.

"Don't even. You can't even shield your thoughts," Aria said in a monotone voice.

"Aww c'mon, that's just cheating! You're my senior, just let me get one good hit. What could go wrong? Let me hit," Fred teased.

"Haha, you do remind me of the god of stubbornness and righteous anger," Aria giggled.

"He wishes," Fred smiled, and Aria returned the gesture.

"I will give you a gift after this is over," Aria said, and Fred smiled warmly.

"Now that's settled, the main reason I called you here was to alert you of other constants," the General said.

"I don't know what that means, but I can tell I am not going to like this. Please don't," Fred pleaded, imagining the worst.

"Alex and Amy are the constants," the General smiled wickedly as the sky above darkened, the light in the infinite realm dimming ominously.

Taking a deep sigh and a sip from his cup, enjoying the soul-nourishing effects of the drink, Fred soon calmed down enough to continue the conversation.

"No matter what world you are in, they will be constants. You can kill them, of course, but they will come back unless you find another way to deal with them," the General continued.

"Were you behind my breakup?" Fred asked dropping his cup and looking at the General carefully.

"Now that's just insulting. Give credit to Greg for making your reincarnation possible. I didn't have a hand in this, and I only thought of cheering you up with this gift you so love. And what do you think I get in return?" the General asked.

"Thank you?" Fred asked, and the General burst into laughter.

"I have to give you a gift for that one too. This guy's a comedian, Aria. You will come to understand the boredom and joys of eternity and also how to deal with it," the General said between laughs.

"So all this and you bringing in Alex and Amy…" Fred began as his heart started beating faster.

"A little drama wouldn't hurt in exchange for divinity, wouldn't you agree?" the General asked, leaning forward.

"I am too calm to get pissed off, but that's a low blow. But please, don't tell me you also made them as strong as I am?" Fred pleaded, his eyes widening when he didn't get an immediate response.

"No. It's up to them to grow, but they have systems to help them," the General said.

"TELL ME THEIR SYSTEM WANTS TO KILL THEM LIKE MINE DOES!" Fred demanded, hope surging in his heart.

"No," Aria answered, and Fred could only sigh and take another sip from his cup.

"The multiple flavours I can't describe in this wine are worth it." Fred looked at his cup complimenting its flavours.

"It's delicious. Now I want to go back to hell," Fred said with a deadpan expression.

"Oh come off it now. You won't see us again after this. I'm warning you again, Fred! Your soul is in your keeping now. You had better be careful in your encounters. Heaven or Hell is what you make of your life now. You are your own god now; don't make others force you to worship them, or it will be your end," the General said, leaving a blessing in his soul.

"If there's one thing you should know as a young divine, it's that you should never underestimate anyone or anything. Hate and love can drive any life or non-life form to go the extra mile and accomplish things beyond what you could foresee. Even I was about to meet my end if it were not for… the General. Take care. Have many adventures and fun. Life as a divine being can be amazing. Don't focus on the negative, and you will find…" Aria continued but was interrupted by Fred, who got up, annoyed with what he had learned.

With a sigh escaping her lips, Aria gifted Fred her stash of wine.

"This is my only stash for now; don't do something stupid like looking for us or killing yourself. Smile, you big baby," Aria said, appearing before Fred and stretching his lips to form a smile.

"Well, I guess it's better than me finding out myself. So how do I access other worlds?" Fred asked.

"You already know. Goodbye," the General said and flicked the air, causing Fred to fly backwards. Fred observed light catching up to him until he hit something soft.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Fred heard a familiar feminine voice as he turned and found the newly appointed goddess of war sitting topless before him, with only the sheets covering her lower body and his.

"Did I sleep?" Fred asked.

"Yes. And I decided to accompany you to bed. You woke up just now as if you had a nightmare. The way you jolted almost made me summon a sword," Diana said calmly, her voice sweet and soothing as she touched Fred's temple.

"You are sure I slept?" Fred asked once more.

"Yes, any reason why?" Diana asked.

"I don't sleep. I haven't slept in a while, a long, long while," Fred said as flames hovered on his palm on command. After confirming he still had all his accumulated abilities and powers, he took a deep breath, releasing his flames to nothingness.

"Thanks for watching me," Fred said, staring into Diana's eyes.

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