He had known the Earth Mother since then, and she had been a formidable adversary to the old Sun God. One thing Aurelion could say with certainty about his former lord was that he showed no mercy to his enemies. Giaria’s survival, therefore, was a mystery that intrigued him deeply.

His suspicion was that Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, might be behind Giaria’s continued existence. Athena, despite her façade of impartiality and justice, was as enigmatic and potentially as dangerous as the old Sun God.

"That is indeed the case," Giaria said, her gentle smile barely masking her underlying seriousness. "I was quite surprised when I received your letter."

Aurelion’s expression remained composed as he responded. "As you are aware, this situation involves a void of immense significance." Giaria's demeanor grew more somber. "Why should I aid you in this endeavor, knowing it could endanger my life?"

Her unspoken question was clear: no assistance would come without a price.

Giaria hadn’t expected to be asked for help, but she hadn’t outright refused when she first saw Aurelion’s letters. The letters had hinted at the situation but had not provided full details. Her visit was out of respect for another god rather than commitment.

Aurelion was ready for this negotiation. "An alliance," he proposed, his tone steady and confident. "In the days to come, Giaria, maintaining your neutrality will become increasingly untenable. You will have to choose a side."

Giaria considered this, nodding in acknowledgment. "But why should I ally with you rather than Verena or Castiel?" Despite her awareness of the complex divine relationships, she wanted to hear Aurelion’s reasoning.

"Castiel has likely allied with Athena," Aurelion explained. "Athena holds the authority of the moon, the orb of Luna, the authority you will need if you want to break confines of godhood, and your former angel is already at war with her."

"You will need to confront her eventually, Giaria," Aurelion continued, his tone implying a depth of knowledge about divine politics. "Facing her alone would be futile, And i can help you with that."

He continued, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke of Leodero. "As for verena, you know her history with Athena. Their conflict is well-known, and during her last battle against old sun god, her fate became intricately tied to athena. Your options are limited."

Giaria remained silent for a moment, weighing his words carefully. Finally, she nodded in agreement. "I understand. After we resolve the immediate issues, we shall discuss our alliance further."

The decision was made. As the divine forces aligned, the impending clash of titans seemed inevitable, and the shadow of the void loomed ever larger.

Aurelion was not surprised by Giaria’s agreement. Despite her connection with Athena, practicalities demanded actions, even amid divine alliances.

He had concerns about Giaria possibly revealing his plans to Athena during the conflict, but he had prepared a countermeasure for such a scenario.

"You must be the renowned Aleric," Giaria remarked, her gaze settling on the brown-haired man beside Aurelion. Aleric was doing his best to remain inconspicuous in the presence of two gods. "Your floating continent is truly a marvel," she complimented him.

"Thank you, my lady," Aleric responded, his spirits lifting slightly, a rare bright spot in his otherwise grim day.

"You seem to be in good spirits now," Giaria observed with a playful note in her voice, causing Aleric’s heart to flutter with apprehension.

"Look at what you’ve done to him," Giaria chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she turned to Aurelion, who merely rolled his eyes in response.

"Don’t be so worried, Aleric," Giaria reassured him, her voice soothing. "Aurelion isn’t here to end your life. If that were his intention, you wouldn’t still be standing." Her calming words finally eased Aleric’s tension.

"Shall we proceed?" Giaria turned her gaze back to Aurelion. "This endeavor promises to be not only perilous but potentially fraught with unforeseen challenges."

With her words, they began their journey towards the Seeker of Origin.

The trio walked down a long corridor, their footsteps echoing ominously in the otherwise quiet passage. Sunlight streamed through the long windows that lined both sides of the corridor, illuminating the cracks and debris strewn about.

"I’m curious about the artificial life you’ve created. Can you tell me more about its soul?" Giaria’s voice echoed gently through the corridor.

"Is there a difference between a natural soul and the artificial one you’ve crafted?" she asked, her interest piqued. She was aware that, like her own path, the Paragon Pathway had the capacity to create life, including souls.

"There is a distinction, my lady," Aurelion answered, walking ahead of them. Aleric replied as they strolled beside Giaria.

"The soul is the incorporeal essence of a living being; it encompasses emotions, character, consciousness, perception, and thought," Aleric explained. "Though an alchemist can bestow a new soul upon a non-living entity, it remains but an imitation of the natural soul."

"It lacks the depth and complexity of a natural soul," Aleric continued, casting a glance at Giaria to gauge her reaction. "Your authority over life, however, could create a perfect soul, something that eludes the artificial."

"Can you not create it?" Giaria inquired, her brow furrowing in contemplation. "Given your role as an Archangel of innovation and Alchemist, shouldn’t you be capable of such feats?"

"I have indeed researched it," Aleric admitted. "As a Archangels, my authority over knowledge and civilization is as abstract as any divine power. My attempts to create a perfect soul repeatedly failed because I believed a natural soul was an inherent trait, not something to be engineered."

"Yet, by viewing the soul as a natural phenomenon emerging from a species' level of sentience, I made some progress."

"Did you succeed?" Giaria asked, her interest sharpening.

"I did," Aleric responded, his tone tinged with melancholy.

"And did you employ your angel as a vessel in this endeavor?" A deep voice inquired. Aurelion turned to look at Aleric, his gaze intense, while Giaria’s attention focused on him as well, adding pressure from both gods.

"Yes," Aleric said, feeling the weight of their scrutiny. "I shattered his soul, and created an artificial one using the fragments. Although the insights I gained were helpful, and vessel was also resilient. I could not complete the final step until I achieved status of god. I succeeded by using my angels remain in my plan, resulting in the artificial life I developed."

The corridor fell silent as they proceeded, the weight of divine expectations and the intricacies of creation pressing heavily upon them.

There was no tension or judgment over alerics actions, to batray his own angel and use ot as a experiment. This were the requirements, most basic once if one wanted to ascend to divine thrones. The ethics and morality were just stepping stones, and have no place among divine.

"Aleric, you are indeed audacious," Giaria remarked, her voice carrying a note of admiration. "Or perhaps it's true that those who pursue 'divine' often share a common trait. Despite the calamities that have befallen you, it is commendable that you discovered a way forward."

Aleric remained silent, having long since reconciled with the trials he faced.

Aurelion, unfazed by Giaria’s praise, shifted the focus of their discussion. "What was the name of the angel who founded this organization?"

"Santiago," Aleric replied. "He was present at the initial meeting of 'old will' and went on to establish this order."

"Did you encounter him when you first arrived?" Aurelion inquired.

"No, Your Excellency," Aleric said. "After the events that transpired, the seeker of origin was abandoned, and the survivors retreated to the continent's edge. I did not see him upon my arrival." Aurelion accepted this without further probing.

"There’s no one here to expect us," Giaria observed as they walked. "The security measures are entirely ineffective. At least whoever was in charge acted swiftly upon detecting 'it' and ordered an evacuation."

"Can you see everything here?" Aurelion asked, his tone serious.

"There’s one room in the center that remains obscured to me," Giaria admitted, her face solemn.

"That would be the main library of the Moses Ascetic Order," Aleric explained. "It holds the majority of their information and knowledge."

"The divine eyes of sage should be there," Aurelion said calmly. "Few things can obstruct our perception."

As they continued, Giaria’s demeanor grew heavier, and silence enveloped them.

They arrived at a grand hall supported by massive pillars. Each pillar bore the symbol of an eye within a triangle, with an open book beneath it. A large, brown door stood before them, its reality blurred. Sunlight streamed through the dome’s glass canopy, depicting various historical legends.

Aurelion turned to them, his gaze resolute. "I must emphasize that the void transcends our comprehension, as do its influence. Even if it's just a friction of it, along with divine eyes of sage, it's lethal even to us."

"It's certainly aware of our presence. Our next move will be fraught with danger, for knowledge of unknown can be a perilous weapon," Aurelion continued solemnly.

"Though the power here is limited compared to its true extent, the risks remain high."

"I will use my authority of 'Order' to attempt to seal it. Giaria, you will assist me and deal with the artificial life present. During this time, the void will not remain passive."

Giaria nodded, her focus unwaveringly on the brown door. 

"Aleric..." Aurelion said after a pause. "If you are able to assist, do so. This situation affects your future as well; if the divine eyes are allowed to integrate, your path to divinity will become significantly more difficult."

"Lastly, try to survive," Aurelion added lightly, his words casting a shadow over Aleric’s heart.