***The Crystal City***

***Lada***

“And you are sure that you know nothing of Seria’s whereabouts? You had the most contact with her, Lada.”

El Shaddai walks down a long corridor towards the Crystal Sphere at a brisk pace with me following demurely.

The leader of the Council clicks his tongue when I stay silent. “I think Tjenemit’s continuous absence speaks for itself. I thought that Tjenemit might be overreacting, but the current circumstances force me to reconsider my former opinion.”

“No. The last time I saw Seria, she suddenly had something urgent to do and ran off. I didn’t meet her since,” I reply truthfully, betting all my hopes on Seria’s plan.

He nods and we walk in silence until we arrive at the room with the Crystal Sphere.

The spinning sphere made out of crystal hovers its centre, creating a light-show as it reflects light of all colours to the walls.

Amaru is at the sphere, watching a myriad of scenes displayed in its fractured surface. He wears plain clothing and looks more like a university professor than one of the rulers of the known multiverse. He shudders and takes off his monocle, polishing it absent-mindedly. “Just watching this thing gives me shivers. Its creator must have been mad to use the pathways as an observation tool.”

At our entrance, he turns towards us. “Good, you are here! Have you heard? Tjenemit disappeared! I watched him through the sphere, but even it can’t see into the Void Zone.”

“I know. I have my own ways.” El Shaddai’s voice carries a dangerous tone.

I purse my lips and listen in silence to the following conversation.

“As I said, I can't find him with the Sphere of Sight. I’ve spent days trying.” Amaru throws his hands into the air.

It's rare to see him like that.

“And Seria?” El Shaddai asks. “Has she left the Void Zone since she followed Tjenemit into it?”

Amaru shakes his head. “I can't find her either. The last thing I know is that both of them went into the Void, but none of them came out again. Though, there was this... reaction.” Amaru turns around, pondering over the spinning sphere.

The Sphere of Sight is the basis of the Council's power. With it, we are able to track the awakening of each god and search for anyone we want to find. It is the ultimate spying device. We found it when we took over the Crystal City, the only piece of technology that was left behind, for whatever reason.

Unfortunately... or fortunately, Seria's Void Zone is a black spot on the map.

“What reaction?” El Shaddai inquires.

“You see, shortly after Tjenemit entered the Void, there was a burst of power. It was similar to what the Sphere measures when a new god awakens but much more powerful. Like hundreds of millions of gods awakened all at the same time. It had to be an error in the system,” Amaru explains.

El Shaddai shakes his head.

“Nooo... The Sphere worked without problems for an eternity. Why should it suddenly fail us now for no apparent reason? Tjenemit was right. Seria really had all those gods hidden away from us. She is responsible for the disappearances. Though, she had apparently collected much more followers than we ever imagined. We have to prepare ourselves.” El Shaddai scratches his cheek while he looks absent-mindedly into the sphere.

I follow his gaze. The Sphere seems to draw anyone who looks at it in, like a deep, dark pond.

Blinking, I force myself to look away, sick of the feeling I get while using it. It’s like I am only on the back-seat of a car, along for the ride while the one who is truly driving watches me. I am simply unable to use it like Amaru or El Shaddai because the damned thing just gives me the creeps.

“Shouldn't we wait until Tjenemit comes back and reports the situation to us?” Amaru asks with a hopeful voice.

“Bwahaha!” El Shaddai bursts into laughter. “Tjenemit won’t come back! He would have already. Something happened to him. He went alone into the Void and somehow caused the awakening of Seria's followers. They dealt with him, one way or the other.”

Amaru gets a little concerned. “But he is a Council member! Surely he wouldn't… fall that easily. And he had the dagger.”

“Could you win against a million gods? Even if they are weak and just awakened? You would never have a chance against millions of them! And you said the reaction was big enough for hundreds of millions of them!” El Shaddai snorts. “And the dagger? You forget that the one who created it is with them. Who says that he wasn’t awake all along?”

I look at the floor while I think about it. So I was right. Seria really had that mighty force up her sleeve. It’s likely that she never interrogated Ascathon or Myrm. She must have recruited them.

Unlike many others, Ascathon and Myrm were powerful enough to compete with major gods right after their awakening while most freshly awakened gods start out as minor deities. Just how powerful did their souls become after their imprisonment?

“What do you think, Lada? Still of the opinion that it would have been better to talk?” El Shaddai smirks at me.

“As you said, Tjenemit went there and started it. Now, there are who knows how many gods free from the leash and we have no way of controlling them. We can't enter the Void and apparently, they can't leave it. Otherwise, they would be already knocking on our door. So you tell me if talking about the situation with Seria could have created a worse scenario.” I smile at El Shaddai, harbouring a small feeling of superiority. “We haven’t even tried my solution, so how can you say that it would have turned out worse than this situation?”

He doesn't answer, glowering instead. Then he leaves the room, likely to gather an army.

Amaru has finished polishing his monocle and puts it back on. “This surely forebodes hard times. I see war on the horizon.”

I raise an eyebrow. Obviously, he had the same thought as me. “What do you think would happen if all of these presumptions are true? Because that’s still what all of this is...”

He shrugs his shoulders while he watches the Sphere. “We control the whole multiverse. The number of gods we have under our direct command isn't small and amounts to the population of several worlds. But we have the control only because everyone is embedded in the system. What if they suddenly realize that there are sides to choose?”

After a second of silence, he continues. “If we manage to crush those rebels fast, we may be able to stay in control. But every day of fighting without defeating them will give our followers more time to realize that they could just turn around and stab the other direction. It solely depends on what this new power will represent.”

He turns to me and looks straight into my eyes. “Either way, it surely will be a troublesome time.”

Slowly, he fades away and vanishes.

I sigh while I look into the sphere and contemplate the future and my role in it.

***Midhold, The Eternal Palace***

***Angrod***

Holding court is such a tedious thing to do.

I watch the gathered people, mostly family members and close allies like the Mordens or Cygnus families. At the same time, I try my best to look intimidating while having Aengus ride on my knee.

Finding out that Margerie is Alexandria was quite the surprise. Apparently, the librarian got into trouble with the Council after I paid her that fateful last visit. She investigated the suspicions which my past self mentioned to her. Unfortunately, she got found out.

Thankfully, Seria got to her first and recruited her.

Margerie’s brother, Stephen, is someone I don’t remember from a former life. He introduced himself as Viertheim, the Knowledgleable. The same goes for Sven Hjavars, whose former identity I am also unfamiliar with.

Frowning, I suddenly realize that my former selves weren’t prone to forming male friendships. Maybe I should talk to a shrink to find out what’s behind that.

Sandra Andros and Iris Tulhelm turned out to be other old acquaintances of mine. They were Felicia and Danielle, former succubi in Ascathon’s employ and Ashley’s daughters.

At least with Sandra I can believe that. The bunny girl is already developing a baby-bump, without a doubt Sven’s fault who – willingly or not – got to be her boyfriend.

I am just waiting for their families to silently announce their marriage.

Other than that, there is a multitude of representatives who are unhappy with the new order of things attending this meeting. After sorting out the chaos brought by the returning memories and godhood, we are finally back on track again.

From the beginning, it was clear that the old order of things had to be completely overthrown. Gods can take care of themselves, so why should the former serfs and workers continue to crawl under the noble’s feet?

For the lack of a better solution, my family suggested a guild system. What else could we do with a population of beings that powerful?

Every guild has to order its internal affairs and hierarchy. Currently, we have guilds for war, nature, arts, and technology. They all have to answer to me as their king. If a guild needs or wants something, it has to trade with the others through the provision of a service. By working for a guild their members can gain points which they can spend on various luxury items, usually provided by other guilds.

The system is far from perfect, but it will get adjusted as needed in the future.

For the time being, we are going with it until society is back on its feet. Of course, most noble houses are now first in line for the leadership of the various guilds, but that cannot be helped. Powerful people will always strive for powerful positions. It’s an inherent character trait for anyone who ascends to godhood.

The new currency system is equally problematic if everyone can just wander off and collect some valuable minerals like gold or diamonds. On the other hand, many things like cars or planes completely lost their value, since most gods know ways to move from place to place quickly on their own.

It will take time for the economy to settle down.

But the people before me don’t belong to any of the currently established groups. They just entered the room and complained about various stuff. Like not being able to have a proper life, or being bored and having nothing to do.

“We think that we deserve better!” One of the men complains. “We are gods after all! Why should we serve others!”

“Yes!”

“Exactly!”

The others vehemently announce their agreement.

“Because even under gods, there have to be rules!” I explain, trying my best to be patient. “We are stuck on this world and have to live with each other for the time being. Give society some time to settle down and work things out. Once I know how to leave the Void Zone, I will gladly throw out anyone who is unhappy with our society.”

I glance at the soul-prison which I set up next to my throne, a crystal orb the size of a football.

A small green figure is hopping up and down inside it, looking like it is screaming bloody murder without making a sound. Its resemblance to Tjenemit is striking.

“If you guys are unable to cope with the situation and insist on causing trouble, I know a solution!” I explain casually while looking at the orb. “Several, in fact.” I change my attention to Lord Tulhelm who is patiently standing to attention behind his daughter, Iris. He is the perfect example of a loyal servant.

The people in front of me grow pale, their eyes going back and forth between the orb and the revenant whose appearance is surrounded by many rumours, good and bad alike.

I clap my hands together, making them flinch. “But I am a reasonable fellow! If you explain your problem to me in a civilised manner, we may find a civilised solution.”

Their leader, the one with grey hair and the features of a mouse steps forward. “I have been a scholar for my entire life. I worked in libraries and taught students. Even from my previous lives, I remember doing nothing else until I got problems with the Council. I was always a peaceful fellow and tried to stay away from worldly power struggles.”

He pauses to gather his thoughts. “I am not a fighter, so I can't join the Warriors guild. I am no technician, so I can't join the Builders either. For the other factions, my skills are also too mediocre. For one reason or the other, everyone here doesn't fulfil the requirements to join any of the existing guilds. Without being able to join a guild, we can't acquire anything we wish for, like luxury items which we can't create ourselves.”

I nod and think about it. “So what type of guild would you need to have a place in society?”

The old guy blinks. “Pardon me?”

“You tell me you are here because you don't fit into one of the current guilds. So we will create one for you. Hmm, like a service guild?” I ask. “I am sure that we will need many more guilds than the handful we have now, just as the existing ones will split up because they are too diversified.” I wave my hand. “Everyone with technical know-how is lumped together in the Builders Guild, but that’s just impractical. I am sure that there will be people who specialize in… building a house for example.”

“But who needs such a thing as a Service Guild now? We are gods. If we wish for something, we can get it by ourselves, at least most of the things...” The leader seems confused.

“Well, for example, I wish for some people who will get my state back in order.” I wave a hand, indicating the palace. “Most of the servants ran off because they remembered a heroic past life. Officials threw their work to the ground because they remembered that they were great arch-mages. If there was a guild which would offer to keep track of my books, I would certainly take their services.”

I am addressing a real problem. Rose may have stayed with the family, but the royal household got messed up after the Awakening, which is what people are calling the incident. Rose only stayed because she is more of a family member than a servant in our employ.

The old guy nods to himself. “If you could really set up such a guild for people like us, that would surely ease the problem.”

“Then it's done. I will tell my remaining officials to sign the necessary papers. And I am sure they will join that guild themselves at the same moment. I am sure that they just stayed in their positions because their situation was similar to yours.” I rub my temples while contemplating the chaos I had to endure until recently.

The representatives bow to me and are led outside by a guard. It will take several years for our society to settle down, which makes me glad that the Void Zone seems to stay a safe haven after having dealt with Tjenemit’s little invasion attempt.

Not to mention what we had to do to the kids. Some smart asses with big degrees ultimately decided that it would be best if the youngsters had their memories sealed until the age of twenty, at which point they could choose whether they wanted to know about their past. It was the only way to uphold at least a little degree of our old society.

Aengus starts complaining on my lap, surely wanting back to his mother.

“Oh, sorry. Mommy can't look after you at the moment. She is trying to find out how Seria created this... mess in our ecology.” I grab the crystal globe with Tjenemit inside and shake it a little in front of my son’s face.

Tjenemit gets slammed from side to side in his cell, like a mouse in a cage.

“Look! Isn’t it funny to watch the evil man? This is my new Tjenemit-globe!”

Aengus touches the crystal orb with both hands, studying it and pacified for the moment.

Suddenly, the orb gets snatched out of my hand, its disappearance baffling me.

“Don't corrupt him!” Celes snaps at me and slams the globe back into its position on the pedestal. “I had hoped that you would be a better father.”

“Hi, honey! We just had a little experiment that's all.” I smile at her.

“So, it wasn't mistreatment of a prisoner of war?” She looks down at me, crossing her arms. “Give me Aengus! He has to get to sleep, he is a child after all.”

She takes Aengus from my lap and walks off with him. He is waving at me over her shoulder, looking a little disappointed after the globe.

Maybe I can teach him a few things after all?

Looking out of the window, I notice the setting sun and declare the end of my audiences. After a few minutes, I am back in our private chambers and throw myself onto the bed.

It’s hard to tell in which direction we should steer this society. Some are saying that we should return the memories to everyone, but I am not so sure about that. A big problem with the Council was the absolute control they wanted to exert over everyone. It went so far that they even banned gods from reincarnating uncontrolled.

What I certainly would want for my society is the possibility for any god who gets tired of eternal life to make a clean cut and reincarnate without any strings attached. Seria already showed us how it is possible. Have someone reincarnate without access to their soul’s memories. Let them develop a new personality, and eventually return those memories once the existing personality is steady enough to not get influenced by the past.

A new cycle of life and reincarnation for the gods, for there is no true death.

Celes enters the dark room, clad in casual clothes. She lies down on the bed next to me. “Husband, I need you for an experiment!”

“The husband is tired. The wife has to make the experiment on her own,” I grumble, but something that tastes like chocolate gets shoved into my mouth.

“The husband is needed for this because this doesn't work with a female alone!” She kisses my cheek while she hugs me, using one leg to tease me.

“Did something happen? You are really aggressive today?” I ask her while she rolls herself on top of me.

“Oh. Nothing... just a little bit frisky,” she whispers into my ear.

I sigh. “You know, there are a lot of things on my mind. You could at least try to help with the new world order.”

She huffs while straddling me. “Like I am not! You are holding court in the evening for maybe two or three hours, while I have to deal with everyone’s bullshit for the rest of the day. You do realize that getting all those gods to pull together on one rope is worse than herding cats!?”

“Ah.” Maybe guilt-tripping her isn’t as easy as I hoped. “I guess then I have to thank you for your work.”

Celes rolls her eyes. “Have you at least found something out about Seria? Is her soul recoverable? After all, that’s the reason why I allow you to hide inside your lab for most of the day. It looks like we won't find out how to travel through the Void Zone without her. There must be a trick to it because otherwise, the gods would have already found out.”

“Errr, yes! Of course! I totally forgot that I pieced her back together.” I smile and grab her perfect ass, pushing her waist against my hips.

“You did!?” She sounds eager. “Well, what are you waiting for? I think I can clone her a body easily enough.”

I purse my lips. “Ah, about that. Her soul is in bad shape. I think we should allow her a normal reincarnation, to give her time to heal. Therefore, reincarnating her would only require a final step.”

Celes frowns. “What step?”

“I thought it would be perfect if you were naked and bent over the bed, presenting that perfect butt, while I-”

“You want us to reincarnate her like that!?” She gasps. “Do you even know what you are talking about? Having someone like her as our daughter after everything she did...”

I shrug. “Can you imagine someone like her being someone else’s daughter? Someone who might not have the ‘experience’ to deal with her? More importantly, should we allow someone of her caliber to have her loyalties anywhere else but with us?”

Celes stays silent as she considers that, then lets out a deep groan. “I thought we would have just an innocent hustle tonight, but you just had to go and ruin the mood.”

I try to sound innocent. “We could go with my earlier suggestion, which would mean that I do the work.” Then I place my hands behind the back of my head and smile. “Or, I could just lie here on my back while you get to work on top.”