"Where did you find him?" Adira asks him calmly.

"The same place where Qeshaya was summoned." Noras exhales, "His body isn't young either. It seems that only his essence is gone."

"What about Kresi?" Adira corrects himself, "Chaos."

"She hasn't appeared yet," Noras replies, creasing his brows. "Is she behind this?"

"It's too early to say that." Adira folds his fingers, recalling everything that Chaos has done. Whether she was Amara or Kresi, Chaos had always caused a problem. Could she have done something to Qeshaya too? Even if her mortal form couldn't remember, Chaos would subconsciously remember everything that happened before the time was turned back. She might have known that she would be in danger.

He has no intention of letting her go for her misdeeds this time.

"She might appear later." Adira tells him solemnly, "Now, we know that Qeshaya is behind this."

"Qeshaya is not a person." Noras crosses his arms. "It's a prison that we built to keep things that are too powerful to control."

"Seeing how it's been feeding on the gods for a long time…," Adira ponders. "Maybe you are right. But Qeshaya should respond to your command."

"That's why I am telling you to try it." Noras scowls at him. "You haven't left the castle since the time was turned back. Did you forget that you have a responsibility toward the people of Iravan?"

"Ari is my priority." Adira stares at him darkly. "Everything else comes second."

Noras sighs. Is he the only God of Iravan? Why is he always taking care of other people's mess? Mirinae and Sion are looking for blood. If Chaos is really behind this, it would be 'chaotic'. She would definitely get what she wanted.

"I am leaving." Noras disappears right away.

Adira walks to the window and looks out at the Dark Realm.

"Is it Chaos?" Adira wonders. This method is too sneaky for someone like Kresi. As much as he knows Kresi or Amara, she doesn't like using these methods. Besides, what would a primordial god do with essences of other gods?

***

Exactly after a week, Noras finds himself facing a new problem at his palace.

"Where is he?" Amami, who has lost her chubbiness because she travelled all the way to Iravan, questions Noras with a dark look in her eyes. "Where is that man who ate my tofu for ten years and decided to abandon me?"

"Tofu?" Noras is not familiar with words like 'tofu'. He eyes her, confused.

"Tofu." Amami's eyes well up. She hiccups. "Tofu… Everywhere… slept with me for ten years..."

"Dear, did you sleep with her?" Ea pretends to be shocked. "Don't tell me that she's your concubine?"

"Ea, don't joke." Noras glares at Ea. "I don't sleep with anyone else other than you."

"Geez!" Ea clicks her tongue. "Why are you so boring? You should take some concubines. Then, I can also pick some lovely men to warm…"

She closes her mouth when Noras grimaces at her.

"What I mean is…" She clears her throat. "If it's not you who are her tofu, who did it then? Why is an earth goddess here?"

"That's what I want to ask her." Noras looks at Amami questionably.

"I am looking for Cina." Amami sniffles, covering her face. Her thin figure trembles, swaying to her right. It looks like she would fall on the ground anytime. The journey has taken a lot from her. "I was halfway to Iravan when I found myself back on Earth. I realized that someone turned back the time. I started for Iravan again."

"But why are you looking for Cina?" Ea walks closer to Amami. The young goddess is quite beautiful but Cina isn't the type who looks at women. As much as she knows, Cina has always loved his creations more than people.

"He married me." Amami's voice breaks. "Then, he left me after he remembered everything. He said that I can divorce him if I want."

"Cina married you?" Ea frowns. Then, she realizes that Cina's personality was different when he didn't remember. It's not a surprise if he chose to divorce Amami. However, marriages between gods aren't simple. Divorces need mutual consent, just like marriages need mutual consent. Then, the time-turn can't dissolve marriage either.

"Then, are you here to divorce him?" Ea asks her. "You could have done it in your world."

"No!" Amami raises her voice. "I am here to tell him that I will never ever divorce him. I love him. He also loves me. He should stop being an idiot and consummate our marriage already."

"..." Noras' head throbs with pain. Why does none of the gods of Iravan act like one? Now, he has to deal with an earth goddess who wants to consummate the marriage with a God who has lost his essence.

"I don't think that he can consummate it." Ea breaks down the information to Amami slowly, "Cina has lost his essence."

"What do you mean?" Amami creases her forehead. "How could a god lose his essence?"

"That's what we are trying to find out." Noras beckons her to follow him. He takes her to the room where Cina is kept.

Amami widens her eyes when she sees Cina. Only his body is lying on the bed. The colour of his eyes, hair, and skin are washed out. It's like someone has stolen his soul, leaving only an empty body behind.

"We are trying to find out what happened." Amami hears Noras say. "But there's no guarantee that he will ever become who he was. You should divorce him and leave Iravan."

But Amami isn't listening.

"Husband." Amami breaks into sobs. "Why did you come here? You should have stayed with me. This happened to you because I wasn't there to protect you. I love you so much. I will protect you now. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you to wake up."

"..." Why? He wants this Earthian goddess to go back. Noras looks at Ea. Maybe his wife would help.

But he finds Ea crying silently.

"Such true love." Ea shakes Noras' arm. "Why don't you love me that much?"

"You already know that I do." Noras takes a deep breath. "Can't you focus on the prob--"

"We don't have a kid." Ea complains to him, "Isn't it easy for us to separate if we don't have kids? Is that your plan?"

Just how did this… Noras scowls at her. "Who said I don't want kids? Even Adira is having kids before me. I didn't say anything because you didn't say that you want kids."

"Do I have to say these things?" Ea puffs up her cheeks. "You should understand it already. Do you want me to say, 'Husband, please let your seed impregnate my eggs'?"

Noras shakes his head, half-embarrassed by her words. A male God can control when to impregnate the female. But she didn't have to say it like that. "If you had said that you wanted kids at any time when we were on the bed, I would have done it right away."

"I want kids." Ea leans closer to him. "Let's go to bed."

"Both of you get out!" Amami yells at them. "Cina is sick and you are talking about sex here."

"We didn't say the word 'sex'," Ea mutters as she drags Noras out of Cina's room. "Say, Noras, when should we do the good deed?"

"Let me resolve the current problem first." Noras plants a kiss on her forehead when she makes a face. "I will give the reins of Iravan to Adira before we have more members in our little family. I don't want problems to take me away from you."

Ea rolls her eyes. "Do you think that I can't take care of myself? I am also a goddess. Besides, Noras, you won't be able to sleep if you give the control to Adira. You will be telling him how not to destroy Iravan."

"I won't do that. I promise that I will be with you." He holds Ea's hands. "I also need rest. Adira has changed a lot since then. He's turning more responsible. His children are also the people of Iravan. I am sure that he will make a good ruler of the gods."

"I don't think that there would be anyone better than you are." Ea pauses for a moment. "But I don't dislike the idea. You should spend more time with me and our future kids. I will make preparations for bed tonight."

Preparations? What is his wife planning? Noras knits his brows. "Ea, I told you that --"

Ea chuckles as she puts her finger on his lips. "I will make you forget about your control tonight. Let's see if you can truly remember to hold back."

What is she going to do? Noras swallows. If his wife is determined, there's no way that he can stop her. While he is always responsible, Ea has always been the opposite of him. She's the goddess of wind, and she represents freedom. It's strange that she married someone like him.

"Look forward to it." Ea winks at him before she walks away, swaying her hips. Noras smiles. If she wants a child that much, they should have it then. Problems always appear in Iravan. It will take time before the Qeshaya matter is resolved.

A black paper spirit appears on his window. Even without looking, he could tell that Adira sent it. It speaks with Adira's voice: "Come to the Dark Realm."

"Is there any problem?" Noras asks the paper spirit.

Adira's voice is laced with fear. "Ari isn't waking up."