“I’ll come back to visit you soon.” Aria said while waving one hand before her body went from a slight glimmer to turn into a full blown and mesmerizing beam of light that lit up the entire area again.

Arham had to protect his eyes not to be blinded, and after the light had faded away, she was gone, as expected. He stood on there on the open for a few moments, letting the cold of the night, the wind and the darkness that surrounded him return him to the very ordinary of his normal life compared to what he had experienced in the past few hours.

He noted that Master Giedon and Kal probably went back to the castle before he disappeared with Aria, and so he started walking towards it, feeling extremely happy again for the first time in a long long while. He strode confidently, even though he recognized that he was walking alone in the darkness, failing to remember when the last time was when he was truly alone outside a room, without guards looking over him.

He didn’t care. With him being on Aria’s side, he felt powerful, invincible, unstoppable. Who would even dare to challenge him now? And with the prospect of ascending from this life of ignorance and plainness, he didn’t even care what would happen to his once precious empire. There was only one thing he truly cared for right now, and that was his son, Kal. So he strode towards the castle, robes fluttering in the wind which somewhere on the back of his mind reminded him that he was naked when he was still in the heavens, but guessed that if a goddess like Aria can transport him anywhere instantly, adding a few robes to his body while doing so shouldn’t be that hard.

As he was nearing the old and formerly-abandoned castle, he noted that there were too few guards stationed around the walls on which the torches burned, and he hadn’t met any patrols so far. Security was not of uttermost importance nowadays, but he still got worried a bit. He approached the two guards that were posted at the entrance and was about to speak to them, since he knew most of the guards by name, before he saw their totally unknown faces.

“Who are you?” He managed to say before they lowered their spears. He looked down at their sharp edges, wondering why the guards would do that. And then he heard footsteps from behind. He turned around to see a few more guards or soldiers that he didn’t recognize approaching, spears lowered too.

“Emperor Arham.” One of them said. “You need to come with us.”

“What is this!” Arham demanded. “What are you doing?”

“It would be wise not to resist, emperor.”

Arham considered screaming for a moment, but he thought that if those people could have ambushed him at the front entrance, he didn’t think he could get any help from inside.

“Fine.” he said. “Take me to whomever is instigating this betrayal.”

The group of armed men surrounding Arham entered the main hall of the castle, revealing a sight of dozens of Arham’s own trusted men on their knees, bound on their wrists and ankles by another group of heavily armed and bannerless soldiers who Arham didn’t recognize.

“Ah!” A familiar voice came from their midst. “The emperor has finally returned from his hiding place!”

Arham turned his head, looking at the direction from where the voice came, and sure enough it was him: Kalamar. He was one of his best, and yet most arrogant generals. Arham had sent him on a mission to pacify one of the outermost provinces to teach him humility but before he could return, Aria had appeared and Arham hadn’t heard from him since.

“You fool!” Arham cursed. “What do you think you’re doing!”

“What am I doing?” Kalamar laughed, walking slowly towards Arham. “You really have the nerve to question my actions, don’t you?”

Arham frowned, trying to understand what he meant, why he was doing this. “It doesn’t make sense. What do you want?”

“What do I want?” Kalamar’s expression grew serious. “What do you think I want? I want to oust you as our leader, you pathetic fool! Don’t you see what you have done?”

Arham was truly confused. Why would Kalamar want to become emperor now? Why would he even care about Arham. It didn’t make sense, unless…

“... unless,” he said, realization dawning on him. “ of course. You don’t know what is actually happening. You have been away too long.” Arham started laughing before powerful blow to his face stopped him.

“I know well enough what is happening.” Kalamar said, clearly angered. “You’ve destroyed everything you have build! I killed every rebell you sent me to kill on that forsaken place just for me to return to a Tarthaghast crumbled and laying in ashes!”

“People speak of gods coming down to punish them,” he continued. “ but the more I look, the more I see that you’ve simply gone crazy. It’s the only explanation. Cities burning or destroyed by rebellion and chaos, most of the noblemen missing which you’ve probably gathered just to decapitate, hundreds of thousands of people dead or fleeing on the countryside. Why?”

“You truly are a fool.” said Arham.

“Of course I am, crazy old man!” said Kalamar. “You’ve probably just become jealous or something like that, and now want to destroy everything just so no one can match your achievements. Well that’s enough. Now that I’ve finally found you, I will end this!”

“And you need my head to parade around I guess.”

“Of course.” Kalamar said. Arham laughed out loudly again, which made Kalamar uneasy.

“Thank you for proving me you truly are crazy.” the general said. “Take him to the others.” He commanded his soldiers, which reminded Arham of his son.

“Where is Kal!” he shouted, coming out of his trance.

“He is alright, for now.” Kalamar said.

“Father! Father!” a childish voice came from somewhere in the back of the room. The soldiers didn’t need to push and shove him since Arham gladly followed them to where the they led him. He finally saw his son, hands held tight around and master Giedon’s robes as they were held captive on the corner of the room along with a few important officers, surrounded by soldiers with spears held down pointed at them. Arham was quickly made to join them.

“Are you hurt?” he asked Kal as he held his seven year old son on his arms. The boy only shook his head as a response and then proceeded to tightly hug Arham.

“I tried to explain it to them, Arham!” said master Giedon. “But they really are as thick as soldiers can be.”

“Well, master Giedon, “ said Arham. “ I think if I were in their place, I wouldn’t have believed you either, to be honest. But don’t worry, she will come.”

“Are you sure?” he asked skeptically.

“I am sure.” a confident expression grew in Arham’s face.

“Who will come?” asked Kalamar as while he arrived to where they were held captive. “I’ve got the entire area surrounded and I’m pretty confident you don’t have an army, emperor.”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Arham said, grinning.

Kalamar shook his head. “Old fool. Anyway, bring me the master.”

Arham frowned. “What are you doing?”.

“What do you think?” said Kalamar. “Since I’ve got everyone here who is remotely loyal to you, and of course, you heir, I don’t need them alive anymore.”

Arham froze. No! he thought. “NO!” he screamed. But it only made Kalamar laugh.

“You can’t do this!”

“And who’s to stop me?”

Arham clenched his fists, rage and desperation building inside of him. Then Kalamars guards came to get Giedon whose face had completely paled. He wasn’t ready for this.

“Aria, where are you?” Arham muttered under his breath, but no sign of her was to be seen.

The guards seized Master Giedon by his wrists, and dragged him forward. He tried to resists, but he received the but of a spear on his guts as a response. The guards swiftly brought him to Kalamar and held him with arms outstretched.

“Finally, the day has come.” said Kalamar while he took a spear from one of his guards, regarding it for a moment.”

“Don’t do this Kalamar!” Arham begged. “Come to your senses, how could have I done all the destruction to Tarthaghast, or anyone else for that matter? You weren’t there, you haven’t seen her do the things she did. Don’t do this!”

Kalamar ignored him. “This is the day Kalamaria will be born!”

“Don’t do this!” Arham screamed. “Your lust for power is blinding you! Try to look at it again and you’ll see that everyone is speaking the truth! Even your soldiers believe it, Kalamar! Don’t do something you are going to regret”

But Kalamar still ignored him as he lowered the spear against master Giedon’s chest while the master closed his eyes and started muttering something to himself.

“Please, Kalamar I beg you.” Arham said with desperation. “If you-”

“I’m sorry, Arham” Master Giedon interrupted him. “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault.”

Arham suddenly shoved forward, trying to do something, but was quickly surrounded and held back. “Let me go!” he screamed, still holding Kal on his hands as the boy started crying.

“Please Father, make them stop.” said Kal, but Arham was powerless to do anything.

Then the general swiftly thrust the spear with great power and precision, piercing master Giedon right through his heart, killing him instantly. Arham watched as the limp body fell to the ground, and with it his oldest and most dear friend was gone, just like that.

He was silent for a long moment, trying to control the rage building inside of him that threatened to consume him. It was evident as it reflected on the whole room, stirring the whole crowd of people and making them visibly uneasy.

Then Kalamar turned towards Arham, looking him straight in the eyes. Arham swore he saw coldness inside of them, something that suddenly made him afraid. At that moment, he knew it has been futile all along to try and talk him out of this, he wanted this desperately, he must have for a long time, and he was enjoying this immensely

“Now, bring me the heir.” he said with a flat, emotionless tone.

“No! Not my son you cold-hearted bastard!” Arham suddenly gripped Kal rightly. “He is only seven years old!”

But Kalamar still ignored him, and the guards quickly surrounded Arham to take Kal from him.

“NO!” He screamed as he tried to fight of the guards with every ounce of strength he had. “Aria please, I need you help!” he shouted as loudly as he could.

Then he felt a powerful blow on his neck, knocking out his entire composure out of his body and letting Kal fall into the ground, rolling, while he it hard with his head.

“Demented old fool.” Arham heard Kalamar say as the guards dragged his crying son from the floor towards the his betrayer.

Arham raised his head and stretched his arm up with the last bit of strength he had towards Kalamar who proceeded unsheathed his short blade out and pointed it at the fear-stricken boy. He tried to plead to him for one last time, but his voice failed him, tears were his body’s only response to the events unfolding before his eyes.

He lost hope at that moment. Not even trying to emanate every possible emotion he could muster was enough to make Aria appear. After all the things he had experienced, this was happening. He lost all faith on her at that moment, she was no god to him anymore, or else she wouldn't let this happen. So he looked directly at Kalamar, and mustered all the concentration he had and tried to do what Aria told him he could to at him. He tried to reflect the despair that he felt, the pain and helplessness that filled him completely at the sight of being powerless to stop the death of his son.

And he thought it worked, because he saw Kalamar’s eyes flinch and unfocus, making him blink in rapidly. The general turned his eyes towards Arham, and looked at him for a long moment.

“You know what?” He said. “Maybe I’ll show a little mercy. Perhaps I should kill you before I kill your son.”

“No!” Arham said weakly. “Don-, don’t.” he coughed. “Please! Do whatever you want to me but please spare my son!”

Kalamar took the spear with which he had killed master Giedon and walked towards the prone-laying emperor, shoving his foot underneath his body and pushing him over on his back, resting the point of the spear on top of his chest.

“You know I won’t do that, Arham.” he said with a bitter and cold tone.

Kalamar raised his spear and held it like that for a moment. Arham closed his eyes as his last thoughts of his son and his complete failure to protect him consumed him.

“Father!” Arham heard his son scream the most intense scream he had ever heard from him, and with it came the most sickening feeling he had ever felt. He opened his eyes immediately, and looked around. He saw that almost everyone had felt the wave of intense feelings that he had, they all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

“What the heck was that!” Kalamar demanded, but everyone was just looked at each other, startled.

Kalamar grunted heavily. “I have no time for this!” he held his spear up again and prepared to shove it into Arham’s chest.

Before Arham could even react, a bright flash of light filled the room for a split of a second before a powerful blow of wind knocked everyone around. Arham heard spears and armor rattle, people screaming and general panic as everyone including him were thrown violently around like rag dolls by the powerful gusts of wind. But even through the pain of being hit and shoved against the hard stone-floor, he smiled, for she was finally here.

He immediately raised his head up and looked around the room full of people that had lost their balance, trying to get their bearings and looking around with complete confusion and fear. In the midst of them stood a lone figure, looking very underwhelming, but Arham recognized her form instantly.

“Goddess!” he shouted with he slowly returning voice.

He saw Aria survey the room slowly, shifting her gaze towards Arham, stopping at him and nodding slightly before she moved on, as if looking for something. Her gaze shifted on and on around the room until it met Kal.

The young boy had fallen somewhere in the midst of the soldiers that had held him in place but was the first one of the bunch to get up. His tear-filled face was that one of fear and relief at the same time, gazing directly at Aria.

“You.” she said, pointing at him. “It was you. Come here.”

Kal didn’t hesitate. He immediately ran towards her and jumped in her arms, surprising Aria who barely managed to react at the sudden affection the boy showed. She held him up, confused as Kal hugged her tightly.

“Thank you for saving my father!” he said to her.

“Saving your father? From whom?” she asked.

“From the bad people.” he said, still hugging her tightly.

“The bad people? Why were they trying to kill your father?”

“Because they are bad.” Kal said with his childish voice “Greed is in their hearts and all they want is to be above everyone else, and kill everyone. Thank you!”

Aria was left bewildered. She moved to lower Kal down on the ground and then crouched, looking him in the eyes.

“Which ones are they?” she asked. Kal immediately pointed the finger at Kalamar who had just regained his composure and looked straight at them with a perplexed look, just as everyone else in the room was.

“What kind of sorcery is this, you fucking witch?” he shouted. “Soldiers! Grab her immediately!”

Nobody dared to move. They all looked on with terror at her, all except Kalamar, whose expression had turned into pure rage. “Fine, I’ll do it myself!” He suddenly rose up and held his spear forward, charging.

“Witch?” said Aria, while raising a hand up at him. Kal immediately moved behind her, and held her tight around her waist. Aria turned her head behind at Kal who had shut his eyes closed from fear. She looked on for a moment and then she smiled, moving her other hand gently through his hair.

Without even looking, Aria never let Kalamar get anywhere near them. His spear rapidly stopped in mid air as his body seemed to have hit some kind of a invisible wall. But that was just an illusion because the blow of Aria’s push was so powerful that it seemed like he had stopped dead-on. But that wasn’t the end of it as Kalamar’s body started to rapidly move backwards, fly even, and rush at the opposite side of the room like a stone being thrown away. Everyone on the direction jumped out of the way as his screaming form hit the wall with a powerful blow.

“Insolent little bug.” she said as she turned towards Kalamar again, and then turned her hand around, making a ‘come here’ gesture. Kalamar’s pain-filled body was suddenly dragged along the floor as if pulled by an invisible rope, collecting the dust from it all along until it stopped right in front of Aria.

“Wh-, who are you?” he said, looking fearfully at her.

“I am your god!” she said with a distasteful tone. “You pathetic fool. Calling me a fucking witch was the gravest mistake you’ve ever made.” And then mortal screams erupted from Kalamar as he thrashed around from the pain that filled every fibre of his body, sucking him from the inside. Kal moved around her and watched with wide eyes as Kalamar’s body started shrinking.

Aria reached around Kal’s arms and held him up again as Kalamar’s body finally stopped shrinking at around three inches tall. His screams faded away entirely, and Aria moved Kal’s head on her shoulder whispering: “You’re safe now.”

And with that, she raised her right leg, and stepped forcefully at the confused little figure beneath her. Kalamar exploded all around her foot, spraying jets of blood in every direction, ending his life immediately.

For a brief few moments, complete silence filled the entire room. Nobody dared to even flinch before their trance was broken from Aria’s movement who started walking towards Arham. The entire room grew into a full blown mess of panic stricken soldiers trying to run away, tripping against each other and screaming incomprehensible words. Aria simply ignored them.

“Eve.” she said. “Beam everyone who isn’t closely associated with the emperor onto the ship. One inch tall. Trap them somewhere on my bedroom.”

Flashes of familiar bright light erupted all around Aria who strode along without care, holding an awe-filled Kal on her arms. She quickly reached Arham who still laid on the floor, watching around the room with a bright smile. Soon enough, the flashes of light stopped as most of those who had ambushed the castle had simply vanished into a place they couldn’t even imagine it exists, with their fates already sealed.

“Big, strong, muscular men.” she said at Arham. “I think I’ll have lots of fun with them.”

Arham managed to reach forward, and plant a kiss on Aria’s right foot, making her laugh.

“Thank you.” he said. “I was never more glad to see you than right now.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank your son here.” she said while lowering Kal on the ground who proceeded to rush towards the Arham and then hugged him tightly again, making him gasp in pain from his bruised body.

“He managed to emit such a powerful emotional wave that even I could feel it, hundreds of miles away” she said, looking at Kal. “He seems to be a lot more powerful than you are, emperor.”

“Heh. I guess he does take after his father, doesn’t he?”

“No, that can’t be it.” Aria said with a serious expression. “The powers are not inheritable, parent’s don’t pass them on to their children. But instead, every time a person is born, no matter where, what gender, what status, their skin color or things like that, there’s a slight chance that he gains one of the abilities.”

“This is just a lucky coincidence.” she continued. “One hell of a coincidence at that, since your son is one of the most powerful people I’ve ever encountered with his kind of power.”

“Are you sure it’s not inheritable?” Arham said. “I mean, now that I’ve had time to think about it, I remember those pushes and pulls on my emotions from his mother. I always thought it was just natural that you felt those things from somebody that you love. But now I’m not so sure.”

“Hmmm.” Aria thought for a moment. “Where is his mother now?”

Arhams face grew slightly sorrowful. “She is dead. Seven years now. While giving birth to Kal.”

“I see.” she said, without the slightest care on her tone. “It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s just dumb luck. Now, Kal, come here.” she crouched down while Kal parted from his father’s embrace and slowly approached her.

“Earlier.” she said. “You said they were bad people. But you have seen what I have done, why did you expect me to help you? Don’t you think I’m a bad person too?”

“No.” he said immediately, and raised his arm up, planting his hand on her chest above her breasts. “I have felt it before, you are not a bad person, but you have something inside of you that is strange.”

“Really?” Aria said, raising an eyebrow and looking at his arm, and then back up at him. Before she could say anything further, Kal closed his eyes and then Aria felt a sharp, penetrating pain that went right through her chest, and spread out into her mind as if probing all around it. She grabbed his arm, but fought her every every urge that told her to swing it away. She held her breath, knowing full well what Kal was doing, giving him time. And then it was over.

Aria exhaled immediately, catching her breath. “So, what did you see.” she asked, panting.

“Emptiness.” the boy said as he opened his eyes out wide. “A big part of you was missing. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s like there’s a giant hole inside of you.”

“Huh?” Aria was confused. Then her eyes unfocused as her mind grew distant, deep in thought.

Arham stood still, letting her think while he contemplated something in the back of his mind. And then he remembered. “Right, I know what this is.”

Aria flickered back from her trance, and looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“Mae once did this to me too.” he said. “She looked right through me, deep inside, as if she was probing my every emotion. It was the strangest feeling I’ve ever felt.”

“What?” Aria’s expression grew into one of pure astonishment.

Arham didn’t expect it to have such an impact on her. “I mean, this thing Kal did, it was-”

“No! I mean, who’s Mae?” she interrupted him.

“Uhm, my wife.”

“Mae? That was her name?”

“Errrm, yes?” Arham was totally confused now.

Aria frowned.

“What?” he asked her. “I don’t understand. What’s so strange about it?”

Aria let out a laugh. “This can’t be. It has to be a giant coincidence, there’s no other way.”

“What do you mean?” Arham asked.

“Ok, take a look at this.” Aria moved her right hand infront of both and held her palm wide open. Suddenly, a shimmering blueish figure started to form on top of it, strangely familiar to the first time Arham had seen Aria back on the room beneath his palace. Then, when the figure finally fully formed, Arham’s eyes widened as his expression filled with pure shock.

“What… how?”

That was all that Aria needed. The giantess she had encountered at Talmin and the Arham’s wife that had supposedly died seven years ago were one and the same person. She sighed, standing up.

“What the fuck is going on here?” she cursed.