" It all makes sense now. "
You say telepathically as you look down, deep in thought. Tom then puts his hand on your shoulder as he telepathically answers the question that you initially asked him.
" The deal that I made with The One was done in the hopes that I could one day relinquish Uphedis's grasp on reality. Like I said before, The One wanted information and I refused, so instead I promised him that I'd do my best to preserve his creation with the power that he grants me. It's been a long time since then… Every time The None consumes a universe, The One makes another. I'm only able to fight off Valghuli for so long before they eventually end up killing the Gods of a universe. It's been a stalemate that's lasted 100 billion years, and right now both sides are desperate. That's why you're so important, Donny. You're the piece on the board that's able to turn the tide. The Absolute power that Our Father gave you is what both sides are after to finish this conflict. "
You take a deep breath as you feel the fate of the entire Omniverse weigh heavily on your shoulders. You think about your power as you continue to converse with Tom telepathically.
" You're right about my Absolute power. Every time I've used it, it's been in a situation when my heart was involved. It first awakened when I was grieving Ariel and I hunted down powerful mortals and Gods to familiarize myself with my abilities in order to protect the people that I love. Then when I lost Rosie, it awakened again and in a blind rage I used it to undo an entire multiverse in an attempt to get back at The One for taking my daughter from me. And most recently, again it awakened in Somniohm by thinking about seeing Ariel again in Voldoor… "
Tom looks at you skeptically as he inquires about what you just said.
" What are you talking about, Donny? Ariel was killed by Anito, remember? "
" No. "
You say to him with a look of conviction in your eyes.
" That's actually the thing that I wanted to talk to you about. When I used the book to create Rosium and defeat the Valghul, I was able to see everyone all at once. I saw Izael crying as Athanohm crumbled and Veronica tending her garden in Havnahm too. I know what I saw. You have to believe me, Tom… It was her. I saw Ariel in Voldoor. "
You say to Tom as your eyes begin to tear up. Tom sees your emotional state and wraps his arm around your shoulders as he hugs you to the side. He tilts his head down to look at you compassionately as he responds.
" However impossible it may seem, I believe you Donny. The book is too powerful to be faulty in any sort of way. We can make looking for Ariel a secret tertiary objective between the both of us once we reach Voldoor. Most importantly though, we need to focus on talking to the Czar and investigating the club that Sowzo showed you before he died. "
You nod your head as you wipe the tears out of your eyes. You then pull out The Holy Omniverse Transcript from your garments as you ask Tom a question.
" If we could use the book right now then I'd show you, but unfortunately I can't. I tried opening it when you gave it to me, but the lock wouldn't budge. We're in a pretty bad situation right now because without the book, those Valghuli that I encountered in my dream will have the upper hand. It took using the book to defeat a regular Valghul when we fought it together, and I don't even want to imagine what it would be like fighting a Valghuli Exemplar without it. I do remember in the castle you said that you had an idea on how to get it open. What did you have in mind? "
Tom takes the book from your hands and looks at it curiously as he gently rubs the leather-like cover.
" The Holy Omniverse Transcript is the physical embodiment of Omniversal understanding. The One gave it to you which means that he wanted you to use it, but yet I find it strange how after you did, the book sealed itself shut. Speculating on why it was sealed or how we could open it on our own may prove to be a fruitful endeavor over a long period of time, but we don't have time like that. Ideally, it would be best for us to give the book to one of the Gods of this universe. Perhaps they could break the seal and open their father's book faster than we'd be able to figure it out. "
You look at Tom confusedly as you question him.
" How are we gonna do that? All of the Gods have been refusing to take a physical form on Aria because they've been getting killed. I don't even know how we'd go about contacting them, especially because the portals aren't working and there are Valghuli Exemplars roaming around. "
Tom looks down and you can see the cogs turning in his head as puts the book in his cloak as he responds.
" Praying to them might be an option… For now, while we're under the radar, we should focus on talking to the Czar in the hopes that he'll have The High Temple worship Izael and Faerah. This universe is a relatively new one and Aria is the only planet in it with life. If the entirety of Aria prays to the Gods, then that means the entire universe would be praying to them, which also means that the Gods would be as powerful as they could possibly be. I've thought about it, and I believe that The One made this universe that way intentionally. Normally Valghuli can easily kill the Gods of a universe because of how diverse and scattered the life forms across the universe are. However, since everyone in this specific universe is concentrated on Aria, that makes our job a whole hell of a lot easier. "
You think back to when The One first presented himself to you and you recall what he told you when you first laid eyes on Aria.
" You're right. The One did say that he chose this world in this universe specifically for me. The Gods have also said many times that they want to keep me on the path that The One has laid out for me. I think everything that's happened so far has happened for a reason, including the book being sealed and each of the Gods dying the way that they have- "
" Are both of you doing alright? "
Gareth's voice interjects from behind before you and Tom both turn around and look at him.
" I've been watching you for some time now and based on your mannerisms, my assumption is that you've been communicating telepathically… am I correct? "
You and Tom both look at each other briefly before Tom answers Gareth in a persuasive tone.
" Yeah, there were some personal things that we wanted to discuss just between the two of us. I'm sure you understand why we wouldn't talk about certain topics out loud. "
Gareth peers at Tom with a smirk before responding.
" Of course… my apologies. I didn't mean to butt in on your conversation. I just found your telepathic ability to be remarkable, that's all. "
Tom then turns to you and pats your back as he gives you a hug. He speaks to you out loud this time.
" Welp, Donny, I'm off to bed. I don't necessarily need sleep, but a good long nap does sound quite enjoyable. I'll see you in the morning? "
Tom lets you go and looks at you with a glint in his eye as he smiles. You immediately pick up on Tom's behavior as him not trusting Gareth's presence, so you respond to him going along with it.
" Yeah… see you in the morning. "
Tom then swiftly walks off down the hall and lets himself into the guest room, shutting the door behind him quietly.
Gareth then slowly approaches and stands next to you as you resume looking out of the window in silence. After a brief moment, he speaks up to make conversation with you.
" Who was it that you lost? "
You look at Gareth skeptically out of the corner of your eye as you answer him.
" What? "
Gareth continues to stare out the window as he elaborates.
" As you were talking to Tom, I noticed through the reflection of your face in the window that you took on the symptoms of grieving. Increased adrenaline and blood pressure, higher muscle tension, slightly more fluid in your eyes… Back when my body was still biological, I too suffered from a grieving heart. I know what it feels like. I know how to spot it in others. "
You look down at the ground and take a deep breath as you hesitantly answer him.
" My wife… She was killed by my brother a long time ago… "
Gareth looks up at the stars outside of the window as he continues to speak to you.
" Ah, so it was a lover… It's unfortunate how Death often stands between certain people and the ones whom their hearts yearn for. I lost my Grace when we were both young and had first moved to Voldoor… "
" Was she a lover to you as well? "
You ask Gareth as he continues to admire the stars.
" She was my younger sister. We were poor and had nothing besides the clothes on our backs when we arrived. If she were to see me today, I don't even think she'd recognize me… "
You turn and look at Gareth as you ask him a question.
" What happened… if you don't mind me asking? "
Gareth then turns and meets your gaze with a cold hearted glare as he answers.
" She went behind my back and sold her body to a Sinnerprise Executive to feed us and put a roof over our heads. I didn't find out the real source of where her income was coming from until she stopped coming home and I found her defiled corpse stripped naked outside of the club that she was working at. "
You immediately break eye contact with him, diverting your gaze back to the window as you try to put that image out of your mind. Gareth keeps his cold hearted stare as he turns back towards the window as well and continues talking.
" The first thing I did after signing my contract with NaxTech was hunting down the animal that did that to her. He bled like a stuck pig. "
Gareth then turns around and begins walking back towards the main room, giving you a closing statement as he leaves.
" We should arrive in Voldoor tomorrow evening. We're ahead of schedule, but the Czar won't be available until your scheduled time. Feel free to enjoy the city in the meantime while the Czar returns. "