"How have you been, Master?" Seraphiel said as he walked past the bowing boys.
Atisen and Felmod immediately raised their heads to see the man who had just passed them. At the sight of Seraphiel, Felmod was in shock—the leader of the Celestial Order was right here with them.
Atisen, seeing how surprised Felmod was, asked, "Hey, who is this guy?"
"Have some respect, Atisen. That is no ordinary guy—that is High Lord Seraphiel."
"I still don't know him."
Seraphiel and Master Zuga exchanged a hug.
"It's been years since the last time I saw you, child."
"I've been quite busy, Master."
"I know. You now stand at the forefront of protecting this realm," Master Zuga said, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Wait, what do you mean he stands at the head of protecting this realm?" Atisen asked as he approached them. "Master, who is this guy?"
"Atisen, I told you to be respectful. That is no guy," Felmod said as he followed Atisen closely behind.
"And am I supposed to know who he is?"
Felmod lowered his head. "High Lord, please forgive my friend here."
"It's alright, little one," Seraphiel said as he tapped Felmod's head before turning to Atisen. "Well, little one, I'm the leader of the Celestial Order."
"Leader of the Celestial Order?" Atisen looked at Seraphiel. "You don't seem that strong to me."
"Atisen," Felmod said as he pulled him away.
"Wait, stop it. I need to know if this guy is the real deal."
Master Zuga finally spoke. "Atisen, go somewhere with your friend."
Atisen finally stopped struggling as he walked away, his hands in his pockets.
Seraphiel looked at the boy with a face of surprise. "You have quite interesting students."
"They are something else," he said, turning to the door. "Let's go in."
When Seraphiel entered the building, memories started flooding in. He had spent his childhood here, training to master his divine essence. He looked at the pillars that lined the passage.
"This place holds so many memories."
"Both good and bad," Master Zuga said.
At the end of the passage was a door that led to Master Zuga's office.
They reached the door, and Master Zuga opened it. The inside of the room was large, the walls covered with curtains. There were no chairs in the room—only a small mat lay on the floor.
"Take a seat, Seraphiel," Master Zuga said as he gestured to the mat on the floor.
Seraphiel immediately sat down. Moments later, a faint knock on the door.
"Come in."
A boy dressed in a blue robe entered. "Master, here is the tea you wanted."
"Oh, Alison, thanks. Come and greet our visitor here."
Alison put the cup of tea down and knelt before Seraphiel. "It's an honor to have you here, High Lord."
"It's all good, boy."
Alison then picked up the cup of tea and handed it to Master Zuga.
The boy got up and left the room.
"Is he also your student?"
"Yes, Alison—just like his brother Atisen and the friend Felmod are my students."
"Are they the only ones you have now?" Seraphiel asked, curiosity laced in his voice.
"Yes. I chose them to be my students because I saw potential in them," he answered smoothly as he picked up the cup of tea. "Just like I saw the potential in you."
Seraphiel chuckled softly.
Zuga was the owner of this training facility where young gods were taught how to master their divine essence. Not all parents brought their children here because the training was brutal. Only those mentally strong managed to hold on until the end—Seraphiel was one of those who did.
Master Zuga put the cup down. "Now, what is the reason that you came here?"
Seraphiel cleared his throat. "Well, Master, I need your advice."
"Advice?" Master Zuga repeated.
"Yes."
Then Seraphiel fell silent as he failed to let out the words in his mouth.
"Seraphiel, speak up."
"The thing is, the realm is in trouble," Seraphiel continued.
"Trouble, you say? What kind?"
"Realm annihilation," he said sotto voce.
To Seraphiel's surprise, Master Zuga's expression was not one of someone who was terrified or surprised.
"Did you hear me?"
"Yes. Is it the Demon Realm?"
"No, that is the worst part." He cleared his throat once more. "The danger is coming from one of us."
"You said one?"
"That's what I was told."
"By who?" Master Zuga asked, his tone low despite the news.
"The Norns, Master. Not even they know who the god is."
"I think we had this coming," Master Zuga murmured more to himself. "Reality is now judging us for our sins."
"Master, what do you mean by that? I need your help on how I'm going to find this god and stop him before he brings havoc to our realm."
"Never mind," Master Zuga waved. "So you're saying the Norns gave you a warning that our realm is about to be destroyed by one of our own?"
"Yes."
"And you have no idea who this individual is?"
Seraphiel nodded in response.
Master Zuga sipped from his cup once more.
"This is very bad. How many have you told about this?"
"At the moment, only you," he answered.
"Not even the Celestial Supreme?" Master Zuga asked again.
"No."
"Good. Noting that it could be anyone, you made a wise decision in not telling anyone." He paused, looking at Seraphiel. "Did the Norns give you any clues on how to identify the god?"
"Yes, they did," he answered, as he revealed the thread tied to his arm. "If the god is near me, it will glow."
Master Zuga looked at the thread—it was not glowing.
"I suggest you first target the high-ranking gods—Rank IV, V, and VI."
"Rank Six? Do you think the Celestial Supreme or his son, Zain, could be the threat?"
"Of course I do, considering that the Norns said the god you're looking for is a threat to the entire realm. Those two are the only ones who wield the power to do that."
Seraphiel sighed, his mind deep in thoughts.
"That is a valid point. Only the high-ranking gods are capable of such a feat."
Master Zuga's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "If you do find out that it is either the Celestial Supreme or Prince Zain, what will you do?"
"I'll protect this realm no matter what. That was the reason I trained so hard to become the leader of the Celestial Order."