"Whoa!" Ari grins, patting his arm. "Aren, we only brushed past briefly. You can already sense that I am someone you know. Take a guess. Who could I be? I will give you a hint. This is my reincarnation."

Aren blinks his eyes, surprised by her words. She's one of those people who have died and she can still remember who she was. How did she die then? What is familiar about her? He can't sense much magic inside her. Ehr is not flowing in her veins.

If she's someone whom he killed, she won't be smiling at him. He didn't have friends. Who could she be? "I am sorry. I can't take a guess."

"You are boring." Ari huffs at him. She crosses her arms and raises her chin proudly. "I am Kresi Mirin. The Renasir you kidnapped, remember? You fed me a drug that day. Then, you left at the last moment. I hated you to guts, but I am glad that you didn't take that dark path. You have grown up well, Aren."

He pales when he hears those words. Kresi Mirin. The Harbinger. The Renasir. She died. Her soul was also gone. She was his first love. "How could it be?"

"It turned out like that." Ari chuckles when she sees his expression. "Don't worry. I don't hold grudges. I have already forgiven you. Actually, I came here to --"

Aren pulls her in his arms. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he closes his eyes. He croaks out the words. "Thank goodness! You are still alive."

"Um…" Being hugged by a handsome man is nice, but she already belongs to someone else. She pushes him away and smiles at him. "I am here to talk about something to you."

She wouldn't come to see him otherwise. Aren gives her a small smile. "Let's talk in my room."

Naughty wonders what he should do. After much contemplation, he decides to turn himself invisible to Aren and follows them to Aren's room in the inn. Most rooms in the inn are empty. Aren gestures her to sit on the chair while he heads toward the table to pour her a drink. "It's been a long time since you died."

"Yes." She looks around the room. "What do you do these days?"

"I travel mostly." She hears him say. "When I am not travelling, I work in some places. I gave up the holy fire to King Noras. Now, I am an ordinary man."

"No magic?" Ari widens her eyes. "Like me?"

Aren gives her a glass of wine. When she takes the glass, he wonders how she can trust him again. He nearly turned her into her slave. He smiles to himself. She has truly forgiven him. "I can still wield the Ehr."

"Ah." Ari sits on the bed and puts her one leg over the other, leaning back a little. "I can't do it. My new body is currently incapable of wielding ehr."

"You miss it?" He studies her. She looks young. Though her body has become more beautiful, her attitude is the same. The light in her eyes is dazzling to him. "Kresi, I might be able to do something about it."

"Ari." She raises her finger at him. "My name is Ari. I replaced the original Kresi's soul in that body. That's how I became both the renasir and harbinger. I am here to talk about her, Aren. Do you know that you have a half brother?"

***

It depends on the debtor. So, a mere debtor will decide someone's fate.

Adira stares at Noras. "Why can't we do anything about it? We are the gods."

"Wasn't it the law that all the gods decided together?" Noras frowns at him. "When we wrote the laws that would govern this world, we made it clear that debts between mortals must be paid. Even if it takes multiple lifetimes, it would be paid back before their souls can move on to other worlds."

With a solemn voice, he adds, "Our world is different, Adira. The magic is strongest here. It is one of the reasons why we come to be. We are not like other gods. We can't stay aloof to mortals. We watch over this world and the magic along with the mortals."

The last secret is not uttered by Noras. He shares a look with Ea, suspicious of Adira's behaviour. So many gods have been killed by the Dark God.

"Help me find her soul," Adira says to him with a quiet voice. "I want to find Kresi Mirin. Even if she's at the end of this universe, I want to bring her back in this world."

"Why?" Noras narrows his eyes. "If her sins are transferred already, let the other person deal with it. Why are you getting involved in a mess created by a mortal?"

"A mess created by a mortal?" Adira lets out a low laugh. "You blame me for handing my true core to Amara. Have you forgotten why she did it? She watched her loved one die. It was our wrong judgment, Noras, that led her to do that. She started hating the gods because she was wronged by them. And yes, I loved her. I gave my heart to her because I trusted her. I hated her for what she did. That hate would have driven me mad if Ari wasn't beside me. She taught me how to love again."

He takes a breath. "I was prisoned. You were sleeping. The mortals suffered the most in this world without gods. Haven't everyone gone through enough things? We are gods. We can't let an innocent person suffer because of someone else's deeds. If it is something that we can still fix, why should we not get involved in this mess?"

Both gods watch each other -- one is calm while the other is emotionally agitated. Ea claps her hands. "No fighting, boys. You have done enough in the war."

"We are not going to fight." Noras grimaces at his wife. "Why are you sticking so close to him?"

Ea snorts at him. "I like him. What can you do? I should have married him instead of you."

"You like everyone." Noras turns his eyes to Adira. "I will help you this time, Adira. In return, don't come to my place ever again."

Adira rolls his eyes. These two have been together for nearly an eternity now, but the god of light still gets jealous even if she stands a little closer to another man. Why would he be interested in someone like Ea? His Ari is waiting for him at home. He wonders what she is doing. A small smile appears on his lips, creeping Noras out.

"What is that smile?" Noras points at his face. "Are you in love again, Adira?"

"I don't see how my love life is any of my business," Adira replies with a calm voice. If the soul is out of the reincarnation cycle, it goes to a place where darkness can't reach. Only Noras can go there because he's a part of the light. If Adira didn't need this god, he would have never come here. Looking at Noras' face ruins his mood.

Ea presses her hands together and squeals in happiness. "I am happy for you, Adira. Who is she? Is it Mahuna?"

"You will know at the wedding," Adira smirks at her. He should hold a wedding soon. How about next week? That's too far. Maybe he should do it tomorrow.

"Then again, Mahuna would have said something to me if she was marrying you." Ea crosses her arms and squints her eyes. "Why are you being mysterious, Adira? We are friends, aren't we? Tell me about her."

She grabs his arm and urges him to speak. Adira slaps her hand off him. "Don't touch me as you please. Only she is allowed to touch me."

Noras feels chills down his spine when he notices the look in the Dark God's eyes. Not again. Last time, this idiot gave away his heart to a mortal. "Adira, you are not marrying a human, are you?"

The Dark God doesn't answer him. Instead, he disappears into a wisp of darkness, leaving behind nothing.

Noras looks at his wife with a straight face. "That foolish god is in love with another human. He gave away his heart last time. Who knows what he will do this time? We can't have another disaster happen."

"You are worried." Ea chuckles. "I thought that you would be happy if he finds someone again."

"Not a mortal." Noras glares at her. "There are spirits and goddesses. Why must he always choose a human to be with him? Humans scare me the most."

Ea shakes her head. Who would believe that the god of light is scared of humans? But then, the last war was started because of a human. "Not all of them are same, Noras. A human also saved all of us."

"We can never know when their hearts change." Noras takes a deep breath. "We can't hand him over to just anyone. Find out who she is."