The small crystal was the only source of light in this darkness, yet it was strange to find it here.
Janus was quite intrigued, wondering just what this crystal was. It was nothing like he had ever seen before. It didn't have any aura of its own, yet it was somehow creating a strange energy in the Abyss.
He grabbed the small crystal and kept it safely, before continuing his search in the Abyss.
****
Gabriel was alone in the Realm of Gods. He didn't even notice as he subconsciously walked back to the same palace which he had destroyed.
His eyes looked in a certain direction, wondering what happened to the pond. Was it finally destroyed under the rubble or not?
He reached out his hand, calling out the Undead Soldiers from his shadow.
One after another, Karyk's Undead Soldiers came out of Gabriel's Shadows, finding themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.
On Gabriel's instructions, the Undead got back to work and started removing the rubble of the Palace.
Hundreds of Undeads got to work. Only one Undead was kept back by Gabriel.
He was Raphael, the only undead that was contracted by Gabriel himself. The only Undead that Gabriel felt close to.
For Gabriel, all the other Undeads belonged to Karyk. No matter what, that's who they were always going to be loyal to. However, Raphael was different.
"Where are we?" Raphael asked Gabriel. He didn't know why, but he felt that something was really different about Gabriel at the moment.
"We are in the Realm of Gods... This shall be our new home... A home that belongs to only us..." Gabriel answered, looking at the mostly intact realm.
Even though many battles took place, this place was still in good condition.
Gabriel knew that this place was still not completely his. There were many formats spread all around the Realm, which he neither understood nor could control. They could be useful, or dangerous. However, he didn't care.
He decided to break to destroy all those formations. While the Undead Soldiers worked on removing the rubble, Gabriel sent his Shadow Warriors to search every corner of this world, including inside all the palaces.
They were to search for all traps, and Treasures that were left behind, so Gabriel could gain a complete understanding of this place.
He knew that in order to truly make this place his own, he had to ensure there were no hidden remnants of power that could challenge his control.
As his Shadow Warriors diligently scoured every inch, the rubble was finally cleared, only to reveal that the pond was still completely intact. Not only the pond, but its surroundings were safe too.
Even the grass and all the plants in the surroundings were also completely safe. Gabriel still didn't understand what this pond and these strange fishes were.
He stepped closer to the pond and sat right next to it. "Just what are you creatures? Why do I feel such familiarity?"
Unfortunately for him, the fishes couldn't answer his questions.
The surroundings were cleared and with time, the search of the entire Realm continued to see if anyone was still left behind.
"This place... So many wars happened for its control, and they abandoned it so easily to save their lives..."
After some time, the search was finally completed. Many precious treasures and books were discovered that were left behind, including the entire library which mentioned all the important events that happened in the Realm of Gods since the beginning of time.
Gabriel observed the desolate place. It was like a completely abandoned city. A city where he was the only living person. Even Ezekiel was missing, and nowhere to be found.
After a brief period of time, he realized that there was a possibility that Ezekiel might not return. They only worked together for a common goal after all.
"There are no permanent friends..." He muttered, but at the moment, a thought flashed in his mind.
If there was one person in the entire world who could actually understand him, it was Karyk. They had shared the same fate and memories. Although they were different people now, at the core they were different.
He decided to contact Karyk and tell him everything that happened. In the entire world, that was the only person he could consider a family after all... The only person who could understand his pain and the rage in his heart.
Both of them had lost everything, thanks to Caen. Both of them had lost a sister. He had also lost Cylix and Novius, who were like family members to him, whose guidance helped him a lot.
Another person he lost was a girl who stood beside him for most of his journey, even though it was for her personal reasons. It was the Holy Priestess of Summoning.
Previously, Gabriel hadn't felt it, but with her loss, he realized that she also held a place in his heart without him realizing. Her presence... It was something that he missed, especially when he was never going to see her again.
Gabriel closed his eyes and tried to contact Karyk. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Let alone contact, he couldn't even feel Karyk's presence, which made him wonder if it was because of their distance.
For him, a lot of time had passed. He didn't believe Karyk was still inside the Ancestral Temple.
"I am going down," he commented, looking in the distance. However, he didn't want to leave this place abandoned.
There was another group which helped him after all... A group which had also lost their home thanks to Caen's father.
It was the group which he believed could serve him... They could be the people who understood this place... The people he needed to keep it running.
It was the group which was forced to run from the Realm of Gods when Chaos attacked this place, destroying everything. It was the same place where he got the knowledge to create puppets.
After making up his mind, he opened a portal.
