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Ren groaned as he finally came back home after another long day of exhausting school work, feeling tired and exhausted as usual. He felt something was missing from his life, just an empty void in his mind. He was reading a book about the Phantom Beasts--the dangerous and inhumane creatures from the otherworld known as Phantom Samsara, a collection of various monsters from otherworld and their dark history. He read until his eyes start to hurt from staring at the screen of the laptop so he put it down and took a short nap. After few hours of sleep in his room of his residence--he woke up feeling refreshed and ready to continue reading his book. "Hmm... there were classes of Phantom Beasts and their appearances... I should make an artwork about this in my portfolio..."

"You can take a break for a moment, Ren."

Nanda said as she appeared out of nowhere as she wrap her arms around his shoulders from behind, while he continue to ignore her--he didn't want her to disturb him while he's reading his book. She started moving around and shaking herself to get his attention, before he grabbed her hands and pulled her back in front of him as she chuckled mischievously with a smug grin. "That's better," she said, she enjoyed how easy it was for her to tease him--when it should have been harder considering he isn't exactly the playful type.

Ren gasped a little as he realized that Nanda wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and even giving a gentle squeeze that makes his heart beating faster than normal. He felt warmth came over his whole body from head to toes. Nanda smiled, as she nuzzled his neck. 'Why is she doing this?' he thought, Ren pushed her hands away from him. "Kaizo, please! I need your help over here, you can see ghosts right?" he asked, seeing Kaizo walk out from his room across their room while wearing his white shirt with sleeves rolled up and also wears black shorts.

"Yeah, why?"

Kaizo asked, before he froze to see Nanda the God of Wealth for the first time standing in front of his residence with Ren--and she's doing it while smirking menacingly and she is starting to looks terrifying as she walks closer. Kaizo stared at Nanda as she grins at him, she raised her hand to ruffle his messy hair. He immediately grabbed her wrist, glaring at her. "Don't touch me, lady," Kaizo muttered, his voice low enough for her not to hear.

Nanda sighed while waving her hand at Kaizo to tell him to go away, before she turn around and disappeared into thin air, as if she never existed. "Uh..."

Ren blinked several times in confusion at Kaizo who didn't turn to look at him, he wondered what he just said that made Nanda to disappear instantly as if she's never here in the first place. He feels like he's going crazy because of the sudden change within him, he can sense that something is wrong with him--perhaps because of his suppressed memory. She's a God of Wealth but also known for her familiarity of Mechanics and Civilization--she also has the power to manipulate people's minds, making them happy and joyful--like how she makes his classmates trust him and believe in him despite everything he went through with his traumatic past.

He never got a chance to ask about... something... or another...

He sleeps the whole night through, and wakes as rested as if he's slept for days.

As expected, Nanda is gone in the morning, but he helps himself to a hearty bowl of the stew that he make--he know that Nanda is an immortal... but he can't help himself.

It's been two weeks since he met Nanda, but he wanted to learn more despite not believing entirely of mythological things and even gods--like Devas and something. Ever since he let Izumo and Hakuren stays in his home with Kaizo, he wanted to learn more about reincarnation from Nanda because when she told him that "All of us live hundreds of lives--sometimes even thousands"--it bothers him. They went to eat together every day and chat about the lives they lived over and over--and even had many memories that were familiar to her. "Nanda? Hey, gods used human names because if you addressed them with their real names--it's a disrespect for them."

Hakuren explained as she sat with them during dinner, while Kaizo has a long history about their existence and their culture but kept it simple. "To be honest, I found it hard to believe in gods because they don't exist in this world... that's what the legend says--but ever since the Phantom Eruption happens... people already believed in them," Izumo explained, he wondered why Ren was asking about the reason for that topic.

Ren looked at his sketch again, reminding him when Nanda said that his sketch looks like from his last life and the Deva World itself. Kaizo observed his rival for a moment, somewhat finding Ren's behavior has been very strange for him to realize and he wonders why is he questioning about the gods and things. "Say, Ren... why are you so interested in the deities?" he asked, making his three friends looked at him with a disbelief expression when they heard what he just said.

--His past--

Ren is only thirteen when he realizes that he will never survive and living a normal life--nor will never be rich.

Newly orphaned and newly homeless, Ren settles his exhausted body into a secluded spot on the docks, dipping his scraped and swollen feet into the water. The salt of it stings, but the cold soothes. More importantly, at this point he is too tired to lift them back out.

The sunset unfurls in front of him with an exquisite, fiery tapestry in scarlets and magentas. Now the only thing his tired mind can think is that, if he could cut that sunset out of the sky and sell it, wring any profit from it at all, he'd do so in a heartbeat. The smell of street food wafts down to him even here, the shouts of vendors mingling with the cry of seagulls. Ren tries to tune it out, the smells and the shouts both.

Eventually he drifts off and exhausted, the sun long set behind the cityscape. His dreams are of being back home with his mother, warm and safe. A small shelter of a roof above their heads. Maybe they will get to eat more than once every few days, however--his parents died because of that accident--leaving him orphaned and homeless--hence the 'homeless' part. Even after two years since his family's death, the pain hasn't gone away yet--not completely.

Surabaya is peaceful like this, not the bustle of wealth and commerce that has always been locked to him since childhood. This is what peace means to him: peace and quiet and solitude. He is free of the worries that he carried for years, and he wonders if that's how it was supposed to be. He lets the weight of everything he carries fall from his shoulders and sink to the bottom of the sea. The Chinese-Indonesian has a light orange hair with fringes over his olive-blue eyes, fair complexion and he only wears nothing but white dirty shirt and black short pants.

As night sets in, it's hard to distinguish between the black surface of the water, still as a mirror all around him, and the blackening sky above. Sandwiched between them, drifting under the dark silhouettes of clouds, the bright wedge of moon, he pretends that he is floating in an endless void, unfathomably distant from his worldly troubles, untouchable and serene.

"Can you hear me?"

Ren heard an unfamiliar voice, but it was similar to his own. Ren blinked and tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't move. He felt numb and weak. “Riyanda Tjahyana," the voice repeated, and Ren finally managed to open his eyes--as he rubbed his eyes, he look around as the voice made him confused. There were many shadows around him and made him paranoid--and he couldn't see clearly, there was also a strange scent around him. "Who is it?" Ren asked, blinking his eyes rapidly--trying to clear them of tears and dirt; he tried to swam back until he saw a strange shape in the cloud.

Serpentine, glowing with its own internal light, it paints amber spirals into the dark backdrop of the sky. Rapidly grows, larger and larger in his eyes, until its winding form blots out all the heavens from view. As it approaches him, its light finally strikes down into the murky depths and he can see. Then, the realization of what he has dived into hits him. Terror like cold iron clutches his chest. By the time he thinks to flee, it was too late.

The dragon lands in the water with impossible delicacy, hardly kicking up a ripple, a wave.

His dragon head is the size of his small body, and when it bends down to peer at him--a warm waft of breath flows over him like a sauna. If he weren't so terrified, he might describe the gaze as inquisitive. Because he is, he finds himself uncharacteristically silent. The dragon speak to him, not with his giant maw, but directly into his head--as if seeking not to interrupt the quiet moment. He can feel its words reverberate within his skull: 'Your name is... Riyanda Tjahyana?'

He is too young to understand the full meaning of these words, but they resonate deep within him nonetheless--that this creature knows who he is. "Y-Yes..." Ren replied hesitantly, the dragon easing one canoe-sized foreleg into the water beside him. The leg, like the rest of his body, is covered in scales; lit from within, they have the same amber glow as riches, as the enormous, luminous reptilian eyes staring down at the thirteen-years old orphan and homeless boy. The dragon's tongue flicks across his earlobe, and Ren flinches reflexively. But as he does, he notices something: a little weight on the tip of his tongue, like a piece of burning coal. Before he can examine it more closely, it's already gone--melted down.

"I am aware."

It answers gently, then it lifts itself from the water. "You have lived a difficult life thus far... You should know that I am willing to help you--you're my chosen one, aren't you?" The dragon asks him calmly, and Ren nods at its question. The dragon's scales are cool to the touch against his skin; Ren cannot hide a shudder at the sensation. "Very well, then... I finally found my reincarnation, get on my back."

Ren hesitantly nodded as he grasps one of his talons, climbing to the dragon's back--the dragon doesn't even seem to notice. It is just like carrying an oversized sack of potatoes as Ren clambers on his back, shivering at the strange sensation--but he manages to climb up on the dragon's back. As he was settled on his back, and feels a deep rumble of approval beneath him.

That's the only warning he gets, before the dragon rears up out of the water, and lifts into the sky--the dragon brought Ren to the back of the terrace at the harbor's base where there was no other traffic; it was almost deserted. The dragon's head is huge compared to Ren's height of only 130 centimeters--and when it lowers its head into the water again to take in a breath, he nearly falls off its back but manage to grab on to its neck. He clutches on tight with all his strength as they ascend. When the dragon rises above the skyline of downtown Surabaya, he can see that there was a small crowd of people gathered to watch them from below.

The dragon landed on the cliff overlooking the harbor; it turns its head towards Ren, prompting him to step down and he did--Ren landed on the grassy ground as he nearly tripped himself, before he sensed the glowing amber color behind him and he turn around--seeing the dragon has reverted into his human form. Ren was met with the God of Pledge, Kuran.

Kuran was tall and handsome young fellow in his mid-twenties despite his true age living for more than thousand years, he has a dark brown hair with slight amber highlights with a longer fringe on the right side of his face and the left side of his face even almost covering his ruby-amber colored eyes--and porcelain complexion; he was identical to Ren; the difference is that Kuran was older and wears a Chinese attire that is elegant and form-fitting--a black collared dress shirt, a purple and light violet waist coat with black trousers underneath; and black boots with black belts holding up his pants--that is paired with golden rings on both hands. His golden ring is a sign of contract and power.

"Who are you?" Ren questioned him, making him hummed. "Ah, you're still unable to remember your past life, are you?" Kuran asked, seeing the boy was confused, making the deity laughed a bit. "Child, you're not yet ready for me to tell you my true name as all others do," he added, before summoning a vial with bright star inside the glass. "This vial contains the power and blessings... it took me thousands of years to achieve such blessing and powers for you... you're a special one, dear child," he called Ren. "You're my reincarnation."

Ren raised an eyebrow, the boy really wanted to asked him who he really is despite him being the God of Pledge--but it made him surprised that there's a 'true name' for the gods like him. Ren sniffed as his eyes were red from tears he shed from his parents' death--he had a hard time accepting the reality of it, he doesn't know how to react to the fact that he was orphaned and homeless; it's just too much for him that he had to suffer even more--he did nothing wrong in his lifetime.

Kuran nodded, his expression softening. "I'm sorry for your loss, child," Kuran apologized, making Ren look at him, confused. "Your parents passed away in an unfortunate accident. One day you were walking along the pier when a boat capsized nearby, sending tons of debris and garbage into the water." Kuran explained, before he stand up and lend him a hand, pulling him up from the ground. Ren looked at his hand hesitantly--but he took it, letting Kuran pull him up. "When you were rescued, you were unconscious and suffering from severe dehydration. Thankfully you recovered quickly enough to survive, but I couldn't help you anymore after that. Those Phantom Beasts are responsible for your parents' death."

Ren felt his throat tighten, as he saw Kuran's expression suddenly darkened. "They were killed by them--by the Phantom Beasts..." Kuran growled deeply, his anger obvious--he has been warring against them since he was the strongest deity amongst the other deities--thus making him wrathful whenever someone break his contract or betraying his trust. "Come now, we need to go somewhere else," Kuran told him, making Ren follow him.

They walked until they reached the ocean, where Kuran pulled him onto the pavilion of the floating restaurant he owned, the Floating Restaurant of the Gods, which was located on the middle of Lake Batur. It was a huge floating restaurant, able to accommodate over a hundred people and having several floors with four decks above the water, and seven floors below the water. Ren was surprised, he didn't expect this is one of the restaurants Kuran owns.

"This is the Floating Restaurant of the Gods," Kuran introduced, causing Ren to stare at the restaurant in awe. "It's my pride and joy, this place is where I dine in whenever I want to enjoy my meal without being disturbed by anyone else." Kuran added with a proud tone, making Ren to nod in understanding. "You can stay here for a while, until you're ready to return home--or perhaps you'll like to stay with me. If you wish to inherit it--since you're my reincarnation, you shall have it." Kuran told him, making Ren blink. "You mean... I'm going to live here?"

He asked him, making Kuran nod. "Yes, until you decide whether you want to stay or not--your grandparents are alive and healthy, they're wealthy--but they will provide you some care. I will live within you, since you are my reincarnated self, and I will guide you to achieve your goals." Kuran informed him, making Ren gulp. "Now then, what would you like to do, child?" he asked the young boy.

Ren was thinking about his future. He wanted to achieve his dream of becoming an engineer--or maybe an architect, he doesn't know. But he wants to be useful for someone else--not just for himself. However, it changed when he saw the artistic walls and paintings inside the restaurant.

Ren could feel his eyes widening in awe, he could feel his heart beating faster--as he glanced around the place until he found a familiar painting. He stared at it, his heart pounding in his chest--he could feel that he knew this painting... He remembered his past life, he was in this very same restaurant when he was younger.

Ren nodded at Kuran, he still unfamiliar with this man who saved him; but he felt as if he want to trust him. Ren was eating delightfully and happily with ease, finally able to taste great foods. As they ate, Kuran told him many things about his past lives--about the world of humans, and about the world of gods. He explained that he is an immortal being with eternal life, he is one of the five most powerful and influential gods in the entire human world--he has an air of nostalgia and his voice is like a storytelling that made Ren want to sleep--it was soothing and calming as if a parent telling a story to their kid. And Ren found that fascinating as Kuran spoke about him and how he is one of the few deities whose power rivals even the God of Death--Liu Bei. He also told him about his past lives, which he finds himself intrigued about it and he found out that he was reincarnated many times until he was reborn into this world.

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--End of Ren's past--

They were surprised at what Ren revealed to them, seeing his expression didn't change--he really hates being born in poverty, feeling like it's pointless to live as an abandoned and orphaned kid. His social skills suck and he's too lazy to talk to people so he avoided human contact. But now, seeing his past clearly, Izumo and Hakuren have never seen him like that before--never did they know that he actually has a tragic past and Kaizo--his own rival... subsequently rival, he shouldn't have underestimated him. Now they understand why Ren is very hard working when it comes to academics.

Ren knew that if he doesn't become rich, if he doesn't become famous--he will always be trapped inside a cycle of misery."I'm beginning to suspect if Nanda is Kuran's wife, I don't know if he's alive within me because she always mistook me as him," Ren grunted, glaring at the sketches of his arts. "They even have the same appearances, the different is that one of them has much more mature look..." Kaizo trailed off, looking at one of the sketches--remembering that the sketch looks the same as a friend of his. Ren ran his fingers through his dyed blonde hair, frowning as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Next day...

They went to the temple in Surabaya that has cherry blossom tree in the garden, which attracting Kaizo's attention due to his fascination with cherry blossom trees along Izumo and Hakuren. "I heard there was a God of Rebirth who said to reside over cherry blossom trees, is that true?" Izumo asked, Ren nodded while standing beside him and Hakuren narrowed her eyes at the tree. "Yeah, she's quite..." he paused when he saw the God of Rebirth; sitting on the tree branch.

Sakura; the God of Rebirth was an elegant, cheerful, and sweet lady who's described as someone who "enjoys everything", she always had a sweet and tender smile on her lips--unlike Nanda's cold and business-like expert smile. She has light long pink hair beneath her ankles and tied low with golden headdress-while divided into two parts-the brown branch-like horns on her lower back with cherry blossom flowers kept her long hair at the end draped over. Her hair bangs fell on her eyes and her cheeks that curled a little, with a single braid behind her ear and some parts of her thick pink hair behind her ears pulled back with a golden kanzashi hairpins. On the right side of her head, there's a hair clip with cherry blossom ornament on it: the same color as her eyes. Her pupils are pink like her hair and eye color, she has a fair complexion. Wearing a white kimono with exposed shoulders with gold accents and pink sakura motifs on her long sleeves--she wears a black sleeveless bodysuit and has black-gold-red obi with a bow on the front around her waist--with black tights and tall three-legged high-platformed black heeled shoes.

"Hello ~♪" Sakura greeted them, making Ren stare at her in shocked. "Miss Sakura."

Kaizo narrowed his eyes, seeing such a divine being in front of him caused his entire body to froze in shock by her presence herself. "I'm Sakura, the God of Rebirth--which mean that I can grant rebirth on anyone I deemed worthy. Nice to meet you!" Sakura introduced herself with a sweet smile, since she rarely shows herself to mortals. "So, what brings you here to see us?"

Sakura asked them, making Ren realized that he was talking to a god who has immortal status. "We're here to find references for our assignments in visual arts class," Izumo answered casually, until his eyes widened to see Nanda was here too--holding a smoking pipe on her hand since she's the God of Wealth. "How cruel, you didn't even call me when Sakura appear," Nanda pouted at Ren, he clearly had no idea why did she appear here. 'What...? How come did you know that I'm here?' Ren thought, while Nanda glared at him again--this time he was scared by the glares she gave him. "Hakuren..."

Hakuren sighed when her friend Ren was already intimidated by the deities once more and Nanda actually love the sight of a man in distress before her eyes. "Calm down," the girl mumbled, patting his shoulder as he nodded. Kaizo was used to Ren's situation already and found it funny every time he fell under her glare, while Izumo chuckled by their interactions after few months of knowing them. "Aha! You dare to play me out! Now you shall be my bait!" Nanda declared it, Ren widened his eyes before glaring at her. "So, Sakura," Nanda spoke to Sakura with her arms folded, watching her giggling. "Why are you here?" she asked, Sakura giggled. "I wanted to see you, Nanda!" she answered cheerfully, Nanda blinked at her and asked in confusion. "You never visit me before," Nanda replied calmly.

"You never show up ever since Kuran died long time ago, he's your beloved husband in your past life right?" Sakura pouted, she know Kuran was Nanda's husband in her past life. Sakura even heard that he was reincarnated in the modern era, but she can tell that Ren is God of Pledge's reincarnation despite his identity as a high school student. Nanda stared at Ren from the distance who was looking around with his soon-to-be best friend Kiryu after leaving them, she knew it was him but she doesn't know how to approach him.

"How rude of me... I haven't visited you before because I wanted to keep my relationship with Kuran a secret--so I could continue living in my previous world," Nanda spoke, she has been isolating herself after Kuran's death in the present day-but ever since she met Ren... she felt like there's a fragment of Kuran's soul within him but Ren didn't realize it yet. "You look so much alike with him, which made me wonder that you might be his reincarnation. But, of course," Nanda added, as if she was talking to herself. "I'm sorry for keeping my distance from you."

Sakura sighed heavily, shaking her head disapprovingly. "I saw you were watching him quietly like a guardian--if this keeps going, I doubt he'll even want to return." Nanda hummed when she smiled, not caring about what her goddess friend meant. "Whatever," she replied calmly. "Who cares if it meant keeping him away from being harmed by anyone?"

Ren listened to them talking, while standing behind Kaizo who had to keep him guarded from Nanda. Of course, Hakuren is already beyond annoyed as she had to keep Nanda away from annoying them, especially her longtime friend Izumo who also had to deal with him and the others. However, Ren became quite uncomfortable when he listened to what Nanda said about him, he couldn't remember what she said about Kuran and being his reincarnation when she keeps saying it. 'Kuran...' Ren thought, as if he could hear him because his soul will forever residing within him until Ren's death and reborn over and over again.

***

Ren was cleaning the storage room filled with ancient Chinese clothing, books and things for few weeks until finally all of them are organized--he's really glad that he decided to organize this library to accommodate more than five thousand books. "Urgh... so many dusts and shit..." Ren groaned in annoyance as he put away all the things he organized--clearing out the space he was in, he had to open the door and the window so there will be air circulation inside the place--he set up his stuff including books, his backpack, notes, pencils and pens before sitting down on the desk, searching for additional details. "Alright, just one more..." he muttered.

Ren found a heirloom that took form of burr puzzle with black, amber-gold and dark brown color shimmering on it--on the amber gem-studded edge had three holes: black, amber, and dark brown--the three-pointed compass and ruby-gem is in red that complemented the gold and platinum color. It has Chinese characters that means Pledge and that's what got his attention from the start, he found it so bizarre but curious enough to solve it. "Ren! Did you see my notebook?!" Kaizo shouted from the upstairs, making Ren sighed. "It's in the shelf on top of the wardrobe," he responded loudly for his rival-classmate to hear, then he frowned after he finished cleaning the storage room and headed out to the kitchen--using his hands to move the puzzle back and forth, back and forth, pressing random points on the surface until...

Ren froze when he felt his heart beating rapidly and faster than usual, can remember the experience about hearing the heart beat all in unison and then went into a steady rhythm. His pulse are much higher and faster than average, therefore resulting to his abnormal blood flow all throughout his body due to high blood pressure. He checked his heart rate monitor on his wrist, his arrhythmia is harmless since he can handle high blood pressure pretty well--he already lived with it; just that he was fucking annoyed and he needed a heart medication--and he needs to hurry.

He take out his small flask of his pill as he immediately consumed it with a glass of water in the kitchen--before the sudden increase in blood pressure would make him pass out on the floor, breathing in the air. "That was fucking close," Ren mumbled before he goes back to solve the puzzle again. He try to feel and manipulate the puzzle even further with the intent of cracking the code hidden within each hole of the puzzle to create a point where there's only one angle on the outer face--in order to attain the maximum number of matching points on both sides.

As he did that, he can feel the puzzle vibrating and it seems to be forming some sort of keycode or a message for him. He pressed several more times, and managed to form a small glowing crystal and when he touched it with his finger--a surge of memories overwhelmed his mind, forcing Ren to breathe heavily. And when he touch it one last time, a vision appears before his eyes. It was memories of Kuran who meets Nanda in the past, it reveals how his past life ended.

"My beautiful wife..."

Kuran whispered, caressing Nanda's cheeks gently. A single drop of tear falls into Nanda's soft cheek, Nanda smiled sadly at her and leaned against him. "I love you, do you love me too?" Nanda asked him and he only nodded, they watched the sun set in the lake on the terrace together--just the two of them. "If I reincarnated one day... if my reincarnated self doesn't have memories of you... don't force him, but please promise me you'll do your best to protect him--no matter what," Kuran told her firmly, seeing Nanda give him a soft smile.

"Very well."

Nanda whispered, before kissing him on the lips before embracing him one last time. Ren yelped when he went back to reality from the vision, he started to lose track of time until he is aware that his whole body has tensed up, becoming stiff because of him being completely focused on the memory. He was breathing heavily, the puzzle's glow was now gone and he couldn't see the keys left by it anymore. "Does Kuran... has the same condition like me...? Is this what Nanda meant that he wants me to treasure my life, even for a human like me?" Ren muttered to himself.

Izumo was busy with gaming in his bedroom, while Hakuren was in charge of cleaning the house and Kaizo was tidying up his bedroom--so his friends were free now. Ren walk out from the kitchen, only to see Nanda appeared in front of him and he shrieked--almost dropping his heirloom. "That's not funny!" he snapped, he hate surprises so much that it almost gave him a shock attack.

"There's a gift for you that I left at the dining table."

Nanda smiled sweetly--too sweet at him as she laughed playfully. Ren folded his arms across his chest. "Okay, and I supposed you are staying again for dinner. Didn't you even tell me before?" Ren questioned, before rushing up the stairs. "No rush, take your time," Nanda called out, as she turn around and vanishes in a glimmer of golden light. He frowned, as he walk into the dining room and approaching the table, when a rose appeared right before his eyes.

He stared, unable to say anything--until he noticed Nanda walking around him. She hold it out for him, letting him take it and he held it close to his chest. It was a fresh white rose from the garden, Ren stared up at Nanda as she bent down in front of him. "Nanda... can I ask you a favor?" he asked Nanda hesitantly, unsure if he should say anything to her--of course he does, he just met her personally and didn't expect this kind of behavior from someone like her. Nanda raised an eyebrow, her eyes never leaving his. "What is it?" she asked.

"... don't call me Kuran again, it's annoying," he murmured before trying to glare at her--it didn't scare her in any way because they already know him too well. She smirked at him, her eyes glittering mischievously. "Ren... your real name is Kuran, like how I told you last time, this one will revert back to how your true name has been known among us as Kuran.Which in other words, they will continue calling you that name once more... because there's a high chance you will not be here after graduation." Nanda spoke with a calm, yet somewhat melancholic tone in her voice--feeling herself that Ren will disappear from this world, just like his past life.

Ren narrowed his eyes, before he scoffed. "Riyanda Tjahyana, is my name," he stated firmly, he hated to be referred as Kuran since he still remembers his real name-. He really hated the fact that he was named after a deity as Nanda called him that she has been meeting him repeatedly throughout their childhood and teenage years, and Ren didn't remember much of the details. However, he could not deny the fact that Nanda and the gods knew who he truly is, or was--and that was why they kept calling him Kuran every time he said that he prefers being called by his birth name instead. "So, stop bothering me and calling me by that name or I will scream... loud enough for you to wake up the entire city," Ren told her.

His sharp tone made her raise her eyebrows in surprise, Nanda blinked at him before she huffed. "Fine then, I'll go back to my temple instead of interfering you, then!" Nanda grumbled and she crossed her arms over her chest angrily, huffing and puffing at him--she looked adorable, making Ren snickered when she disappeared instantly. "Ren, I'm going to buy some groceries in Fresh Gallery Supermarket!" Hakuren shouted, putting on her sandals. "Need something?" she asked.

"Don't forget to buy some pork meats," he reminded, making her nodded before she walk out and grabbed her handbag filled with her wallet and phone. She kept her snow-white long hair with long bangs went loose to her cheeks and dark blue eyes, wearing a white sweater with black tank top underneath and black shorts with sandals--before she put on her blue sunglasses. She entered the supermarket casually as if nothing happened, searching for the freezer section before she grabbed the frozen meat in the freezer--as she kept her trolley and continued shopping.

Hakuren is impassive, taciturn and no-nonsense girl but she does care for her friends and somewhat can't help but look out for them despite her uncaring attitude--deep inside, she does care about her friends' safety even though she always comes of 'hates everything' whenever they did their absurdities like Kaizo and Ren would do. Every time Nanda bothering Ren all over, she was more of a strict and cold friend who make sure that Izumo, Kaizo and Ren aren't being bothered by the deities.

Hakuren got bumped by a man and he didn't even mutter an apology as he left, she hold herself back from cursing in Japanese but she choose to ignore the man by tipping her dark blue cap. "Stupid man," Hakuren grunted, before continuing her task. As she finished with the monthly grocery list, she grumbled as she finished paying everything and walk out from the supermarket. "Now... time to go back, it's fifteen minutes to our home..." she said.

When she was on her way to the mansion, she stopped when she saw something rustling from the bushes--making her tilted her head with a curious gaze. Hakuren is very fearless to every horror things in the city she live in for so long, even dared to fight against the supernatural--she has the same confidence, charisma and powers even though she's just a human being. She watched the large white Python-like serpent emerged from the bushes, while she merely standing there withoutflinching and wide eyes, seeing this thing was beyond her comprehension and wonder. "Huh, what are you doing here?"

Hakuren asked, kneeling to the giant snake as its white scaled glimmer under the moonlight--its dark blue eyes staring directly at her dark blue colored ones. For few seconds, she realized this isn't the ordinary one as she stared back. Then, she remembered that she once had met a serpent like this one when she was young--who protected her from being attacked by a robber. "Hey... it's you," she pointed out, the white Python make a hissing noise as she nodded to recognize her after so long, causing Hakuren to laugh quietly. "I don't know who you are but... I'll call you Mizu from now on."

The serpent slithered closer to her, coiling around her figure carefully without hurting her. Even though the female serpentis almost twice as tall as her, she managed to wrap her long body around her like a big snake. The weight of her body felt so heavy as well, and the only thing that makes her unsteady is her size and her fangs. "Do you think it can wait 'til next week? I can't have you stealing our food because it's already ours," Hakuren said with a laugh and a sincere smile, stroking Mizu's neck tenderly.

When she got home, Kaizo and Izumo were surprised except Ren who's used to Hakuren's interest with snakes. "Don't worry, she's harmless," Hakuren assured them. The others (except Ren) still a bit alarmed but slowly nodding in understanding; somehow they understood that this snake is harmless unless provoked--even if provoked. "Her name is Mizu, she's been my companion when I was young," she explained. "She'll stay with us because I promised her that I'll keep her until her dying day."

Ren take a closer look at the serpent, not gonna lie--this is a rare type of snake for him, while his rival Kaizo and friend Izumo can agree what kind of snake she is and its details, which intrigued him. "This isn't just an ordinary python, this is a serpent that lives a longer life than us, right?" Ren questioned to Izumo, he raised an eyebrow as he grinned. "Yup! Does anyone ever heard of Four Elemental Lineages? Well, it's a long ass tale throughout the ancient times," Izumo replied, he chuckled upon seeing their reactions.

"What about them?"

"They are equivalent to Devas in the Old World, they were mentioned in one of the events in the Old World but I forgot what was the Tragedy called. There was once four kingdoms who wields such a powerful elemental powers from the First Four Progenitors, previously there was First Three Progenitors but they were 'omitted' and became 'Lost One' for unknown reasons, such powerful leaders managed to forged themselves a dynasty--four of these people consists these four: fire, water, wind and earth have been ruled with peaceful chaos. Long story short, these kingdoms already been destroyed due to the attack of Phantom Beasts and the Asuras had no choice but to eradicate everything including the Phantom Beasts and the kingdom--the Devas also 'participated' according to the sources in Chelsea Wijaya's research journal, thus creating their 'peace' to come. And the four who manages to survive actually managed to have either children or descendants who continued to inherit their elemental lineage but some of them were merged with other attributes--obtaining a new elemental abilities."

Izumo explained, which made Hakuren raised her eyebrows with an expression like she's trying to retain the factual information or something similar with Kaizo--both of them are very interested in anything related to history and mythology, so this information that Izumo heard once is something worthy for them to know. "Chelsea Wijaya? Is she the famous author who wrote about the Phantom Samsara and bubble universes? Her research journals and books are bestsellers right now..." she wondered.

"Yep!"

This seems... interesting.

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