"Before the war, I met Oracle Parisa once." Ril'Yah peeks at the bed where Little Ai is sleeping. "She told me a few things."
"Really?" Ari closes the book and puts it on the floor. Oracle Parisa, Deia's previous reincarnation, seems interesting. "What did she say?"
"Oracle Parisa had seen a long future." Though it's been a long time, Ril'Yah hasn't forgotten the oracle's words. "She told me that he can be saved if I help you. If I save him, he and I will get married."
"So, you did it because you wanted to get married?" Ari scrunches her brows. The girl doesn't look older than eight. When she was this girl's age, she only cared about watching anime and reading manga.
"She said that he would make me really happy." Ril'Yah fumbles with the fabric of her skirt. "If I don't save him, I will never find love."
Parisa was smart, wasn't she? Ari can't help but feel that the oracle had manipulated this little girl. Maybe she's wrong. If Little Ai marries her, wouldn't Ril'Yah become her daughter-in-law? Ari closes her eyes and sighs. She shouldn't think much about it. These children can do whatever they want to do. She mumbles softly, "If I succeed tonight, we can return to Iravan. We don't have to use the seeker gate."
"Renasir, there's something that you should know about." Ril'Yah looks down at her hands. "Oracle Parisa also talked about your future."
Ari looks at her solemnly. "What is it?"
"The Dark God's memories won't return soon." Ril'Yah divulges, "After your daughters are born, he will send you away from the Dark Castle."
"That damned god!" Ari scowls. "I know that he's a stubborn asshole, but I didn't think that he would go this far."
"You will fight with him for your daughters, but you won't win even if you are the Renasir. But he will remember." Ril'Yah continues, "When he remembers everything, he will seek forgiveness. It might take a few decades."
"Decades." Ari presses her hand on her belly. "I am not staying away from my kids for decades."
"That's what she said." The third moon stands up. "I will let you decide because my future husband is attached to you."
After Ril'Yah is gone, Ari goes to the bed and sits beside Little Ai. She strokes his head gently. Take her daughters away? If Adira does that, she might come to hate that god. But would he really do something like that?
Adira is different after the memory loss. Is their love limited only to the memories? If he doesn't remember, he would continue to do things that would hurt her.
Whether Parisa is right or not, she can't take the risk. Besides, she doesn't want to go to the person who is so heartless.
***
The moonlight streams through the trees, enlightening the silver lines on the ground. Ari scrutinizes the circle again and rechecks the shapes of the runes with those in the book.
"Ril'Yah, am I doing it right?"
Ril'Yah takes a long glance at the circle. "It seems correct to me."
"The barrier needs to be activated." Ari licks her lips nervously. Little Ai has Belan's essence. So, his true name is also compatible with wood element. The naming must be done in the woods. That child has to be in the centre of the barrier for our safety. "Where's Cina?"
"He's working on the seeker gate." Ril'Yah answers her, "I have told him to not come here until the naming is done."
Cina is in a weak state. If he comes here, he might get into danger. She also has to keep herself and her daughters safe. The barrier would be strong enough to keep Little Ai inside if… if she fails. She has a feeling that she won't fail.
She has practised magic every day. Rune magic is different from the usual magic. It requires a lot of energy to call the runes older than this world. "Ril'Yah, bring Little Ai here."
After some time, Ril'Yah carries Little Ai on her back. She lays him down in the centre of the circle. The third moon stares at the spot where Little Ai is lying. She hasn't seen his face yet.
"I have gone this far for you. If you don't get a true name tonight, I am going to marry an even more handsome mortal. Did you hear me? Don't waste my efforts."
The Renasir shakes her head. What's wrong with the kids of this generation? Oh, wait! Ril'Yah is older than she is. Ari lets out an exasperated sigh. Little Ai already has a bride.
The third moon steps out of the circle. She checks the runes and the connecting lines again. Everything is in place. It should go well. Furthermore, the oracle has said that the Renasir will succeed. But efforts should be made if anyone wants success. The gods didn't even want to try. If the oracle was sure that telling God Noras would make a difference, the oracle wouldn't have come to Ril'Yah.
Ari looks up at the sky. This should work. Even if Adira isn't with her, her daughters are here with her.
She exhales and inhales several times to calm herself. Ari closes her eyes and summons the universal magic. Instead of connecting to the magic of the strange world, she has chosen the universal magic instead. The source is inside her.
It's the same with her daughters. They already have enough consciousness to feel the magic. That's what the book talked about. The universal magic is present everywhere whether it's Iravan or Earth.
The air around her becomes tense. The runes in the circle burn brightly. Little Ai opens his eyes and looks around. He sees his mother and Ril'Yah standing outside the circle. His skin is too hot. Little Ai runs toward them, only to hit a barrier and fall back on his butt.
He looks at the silver lines on his arms. From the cracks on his skin, silver light is coming out. Is he going to break? Little Ai widens his eyes, afraid of what is happening to him. Though there's no pain, he realizes that he can't hear or smell anymore. He opens his mouth to call his mother, but no voice would come out.
Ari drops on her knees, wincing in pain. The magic is burning her skin. Clenching her teeth, she clutches on her belly. Her trouser is soaked with blood. Is she… This can't be happening.
Ril'Yah gasps when she sees the blood. She runs to the Renasir and sends healing energy to Ari's body. "Renasir, stop. You are going to lose your daughters at this rate."
She shakes her head. The faucet of universal magic is open. Her body is the medium between the faucet and the circle. She utters through her clenched teeth, "Hang on!"
Her daughters must stay strong. They are going to finish this. Ari pushes away Ril'Yah and draws a rune in the air to create a second barrier around them. No one must come inside the circle before this is finished.
Suddenly, the forest disappears around her. Ril'Yah is also gone. The sky is no longer dark. At the horizon, she sees the sea and the sky meet. The water is only ankle-deep, but she can't feel the ground beneath her feet.
Ari realizes that she's wearing the same clothes that she wore the day she died on earth. Even her body is the same. Her forehead is bleeding. What is happening to her?
A white orb materializes before her. She moves closer to it. It smells like pine trees, wet soil, and the sweet scent of flowers.
"Little Ai?" Why did she think that this white orb is Little Ai? She knits her brows. It is him. She just knows it.
It must be done now.
Ari holds the soul in her hands, trying to feel Little Ai. What should his true name be? There's already a hint in the soul. Little Ai has already gone through a lot. He will go through a lot more. For some unknown reasons, she envisions a seedling grown on the concrete road after the storm. The leaves are green and soft as the cotton. The sky is clear after a long time and the rays of spring are nourishing the seedling.
It's growing into its own being.