I left the throne room after my sudden dismissal. The revelation of who he was swirled through my brain like a maelstrom. My dad was that Merlin. The one from the legend. In hindsight, it made perfect sense. That was what M stood for. Of course, there were probably thousands of other notable M names throughout history I could have been related to. When it came to magic, it was even possible the M could have meant I belonged to The House of Mouse. It was a growing empire that was slowly taking over the Earth, after all. I think they even own the name Merlin.
Marcelle and Ulli guided me down the vast halls of the palace that I was just starting to take in for the first time. Glowing runes lined the walls like fancy art that moved. That’s what I would have taken them for had I not known about the magic making them grow and shrink as though they had a heartbeat.
The carpet that lined the hall was similarly interesting, changing colors as I walked on it as though it wanted me to go somewhere. Marcelle stopped in front of a large set of double doors. “This is where we eat. You can eat here as well, though you can request food be brought to you anywhere you are. Simply tell anybody you see that you’re hungry and food will be brought for you on the spot. When it comes to any special needs you have. Just ask me and we will take care of you.”
The way she said the word needs was very specific, leaving no room for doubt about exactly what she meant. Ulli still hadn’t said a word since I met her. Under normal circumstances, I might have tried talking to her to see if I could get her to open up but the only thing I had on my mind at the moment was Kalli. I needed to find her.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling bad for making Marcelle’s job harder. “I have to find a way to get out of here.”
Folding mana over myself, I decided to go to the one place I knew I could. I used the gate spell to send myself home. The trip through the void was quicker than normal. The world between worlds looked different too. The myriad paths of light I was accustomed to wasn’t visible. It felt like I was cut off from the cosmos. My suspicions were confirmed when I landed in the lobby outside of the throne room. I was still on Origin.
Moments later, Marcelle came skidding around the corner dragging Ulli behind her. “Please don’t do that, My Lord. It is my job to know your whereabouts at all times. If you intend to teleport back here, at least give me a heads-up.”
“Why is this considered my home point?” I asked, ignoring her request. “I need to go home and check on things. I need to find Kalli.”
To Marcelle’s credit, at least she looked sorry when she replied. “I’m sorry, My Lord. Nobody gets off this planet. Didn’t The Creator tell you that?”
Seeing red again, I turned and stormed back into the throne room. Conversations all around me died as I stomped up to my father. “Dad! Am I…uh…am I…grounded?”
He smirked at my childish outburst and replied. “You’re free to go anywhere in the world that you want, son. However, I do ask that you show your old man at least a little respect. I am protecting you from yourself.”
“What are you talking about?” I growled the question, not ready to give the father I’d just met any respect.
He sighed, waving off his attendants and climbing to his feet again. “Perhaps I need to put you down for another nap. I saved you from doing something stupid and getting yourself killed. Look, son, I’m sorry your girlfriend died and I know how much she meant to you. It filled my heart with joy watching the two of you together. Not many of my children find true love like that. You’re more like me than you know. I am saving you from doing something reckless when you can’t find her. I want you to stay here with me for a while so you can grieve properly. During this time, we can focus on your training so you won’t be as vulnerable when you go back out there.”
“Training?” I asked. That was the last thing on my mind. All I could think about was getting Kalli back.
When I opened my mouth to speak, dad knelt in front of me. “Meet me halfway, please. Give it a few months to clear your head. I promise you’ll feel better with time.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” I said, grasping at straws. “If I agree, you need to help me too. I need to figure out where Kalli’s soul went as well as what happened on Gaia. I need to make sure my friends are okay.”
“I assure you, the ones that weren’t dead before you left are still alive,” my dad said. “As for Kalliphae’s soul, there are several paths it can take after death. When a person finds themselves in a state of completion when they die, they ascend beyond the mortal plane. There are many rumors as to what lies in the great beyond, but as we’ve both been there, I won’t bother sugarcoating things. That place is typically called heaven. While there is a place for those who weren’t exactly the best of people, I wouldn’t call that ascending. That falls under the purview of reincarnation. A soul that has been reincarnated is virtually impossible to track. Basic reincarnation involves a spent soul seeking new life to attach itself to and grow into a new being. While these souls occasionally get flashes of previous lives, it’s unlikely that they carry anything solid from one life to the next. That leaves the complicated situations. Occasionally, souls find ways to bypass basic reincarnation. This usually happens when someone with great power is very bored. I happen to know the guy who decided it would be a great idea to turn random people into dungeons. While it’s amusing to watch for the first thousand years or so, the souls that populate the dungeons eventually descend into madness.”
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I gaped at the man who went from being quiet and mysterious to a walking wiki. “I didn’t need to know all that. Just tell me where Kalli’s soul went so I can go to her.”
He sighed, shaking his head sadly. “I don’t think you understand, son. She’s gone. In the best case, she’s moved on. If she’s up there, the worst thing you can do is try to pry her out. Your best bet is to live your life and hope to join her when you die. If she reincarnated, the odds of finding her are almost infinitesimal. Don’t torture yourself by looking for her. You’re still young. Give yourself time to grieve and then move on.”
“I need to speak with her,” I continued, refusing to give up. “Take me to Elysiana so I can go check the afterlife. If she’s up there, I need to-“
He cut me off. “She isn’t up there.”
“So you do know where she is!” I barked, probably a little more cruelly than I intended. “Tell me where she is so I can go to her.”
Dad shook his head. “I’m sorry, son. I don’t know where she is. For all we know, she’s a baby right now and won’t even recognize you. How cruel would that be to go to every family in the cosmos and demand to see their infant? Besides, we can’t even be certain that she’s human.”
“She might be an animal baby?” I groaned as I asked the question, feeling like my head was going to explode.
He chuckled and shook his head again. “No, that’s unlikely. Do you remember when I mentioned a place other than heaven for those who haven’t exactly led a good life? Well, the sea of fire and brimstone isn’t the only destination for such folks. Some come back as animals, or worse, monsters.”
“Kalli’s a monster?” I asked, feeling like I was going to be sick.
He sat on the throne again. “Relax, Melvin. Kalliphae was a good kid. There is every indication that she’s come back as a human. Hopefully in a better life than the last one. I am sure she will always remember the love you showed her during your short time together. Your bond is proof of that.”
“That’s right!” I yelled, jumping to my feet. “We’re bound together! Surely, the bond will lead me to her, right?”
He shook his head again. Something told me my dad would have been an excellent god of bad news. “Sorry, kiddo. You made that bond expire upon death. If it persisted you might have died right along with her. Don’t worry. The important thing is that you’re alive.”
“I’ll never give up on Kalli!” I screamed, turning and running from the throne room.
It wasn’t lost on me that I was behaving like a child. The problem was, I didn’t know what to do without Kalli. She had been my world. I wanted to scream and cry all at once. The last thing I wanted was to be around other people. For that reason, I ignored Marcelle and Ulli as I sprinted past them.
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The palace was an incredible place. If not for my grief, I would have found exploring it a great deal of fun. Every turn I made led to interesting rooms. There were guards stationed everywhere but nothing was off-limits. Guards in bright red uniforms opened doors as I approached and bowed reverently to me as I passed. They didn’t speak or make eye contact while they did their duty.
Marcelle caught up after a while but kept her distance when I told her to go away. She sent Ulli off somewhere but refused to let me out of her sight. At that point, I just didn’t care anymore, so I pretended she didn’t exist.
After a bit of exploring, I discovered an outdoor garden through a set of glass doors. It was only then that I discovered Origin for the first time. The blue sky and solitary moon in the sky strongly reminded me of Earth. The second thing that stuck out was that I was nowhere near the ground. The outdoor garden hung from the side of a tall tower and I was so high up that I was looking down at the clouds. Colorful patterns stretched out on the ground in patches below the clouds in what I could only assume were blocks of houses and other buildings. Looking up, I realized the throne room in the palace was somewhat close to the top floor. Only about five or six levels existed above me.
Finding a nice patch of grass, I did my best to make myself comfortable. I needed to think. Dad wasn’t going to be any help at all. I first needed to find a way through the magic that was keeping me on Origin. From there I could go back to Dabia and retrace my steps. Surely there would be a clue there or something to help me figure out where Kalli had gone. Then I could find her and…and…well, that was a problem. If Kalli was a baby, what would I do then? Move in next door and be that creepy guy that waited for her to grow up? Would I have to let her go? Even if I couldn’t be her lover, I’d still want to make sure she was happy. Would she be awakened? Should I awaken her again?
I sighed, sitting up. There was no way I’d ever be able to sleep. I cringed at the thought of having to go ask dad to put me to sleep every night.
There was only one solution. I wouldn’t rest until I found her. Having a plan in place made things easier. I walked back to the tower where Marcelle stood waiting by the door. She started to back away when I approached, but I stopped her. “Wait. I think I’m ready for that tour now.”
She blinked in surprise. “Um, okay, where would you like to go first?”
“Show me everything,” I replied.