Retvik sighed as he sat on the small, metal bench, staring off into the void. There was nothing out there, apart from the occasional glimmer, and a glowing spot in the distance. He wasn’t focused on anything, he was just blindly looking outwards, trying to clear his thoughts and work out what was going on.
From what Retvik could tell, he was now some sort of deity. The beings he had met had explained that he was a “plasma and fire based decay deity” who had survived the death of his universe. But as far as Retvik was concerned, the death of his universe had been, what, a few days ago? A week maybe?
He didn’t know. And apparently no one really knew. According to the “local universe possible time” this had all happened on a Wednesday, but the dates he had been given didn’t add up and he still didn’t know how long ago Wednesday was.
Meanwhile, Retvik had been run through all sorts of testing and questioning. Who was he, what happened? What were his abilities? Was he in contact with any corrupted beings? Had he ever worked with true Voidborns? How did he react alongside other deities? The testing was even worse. In the course of what Retvik assumed was about 5 hours, he had been scanned, X-rayed, electrocuted, frozen, poked and prodded. Why? Retvik had no idea still.
Thankfully, it had all ended quite well. When all the painful stuff was over, the strange beings showed Retvik to some new, personal quarters, as well as a living area, kitchen, dining area and an observation deck.
That was where Retvik was now.
Behind him, a door creaked open. Something entered, but Retvik didn’t see who it was. By his side, Seimeni, the ghost-like death god, had appeared.
“Hey.”
“Hello.”
Seimeni looked Retvik up and down. She was actually a pretty small being. About three quarters of Retvik’s height. But she was capable of shape-shifting. He had seen her doing so between some of the questioning sessions. She was a very pretty being. Soft and delicate yet sharp as well.
“How are ya feeling?”
Retvik grunted. “I have a lot on my mind.”
“You want to talk about it?”
This response caught Retvik off guard. No one so far had seemed interested in Retvik himself, they cared more about what he was.
“I would like to, yes.”
Seimeni nodded. “Sure. I’ll listen.”
Retvik hesitated, not sure where to start. “I suppose… I am worried about my family and friends. They… well, based on what you said, they are either dead or trapped inside a bubble. They are most likely gone, and I am struggling to wrap my head around that.”
“Were they gods too?” Seimeni asked. “We might be able to track them down if they were. The Kini-Phoviversian explosion did a lot of strange things and there’s been a TON of new deities littered around. Okay, most of them are kinda dead, but…”
“My family and friends were all mortal. I was mortal. Now I am not. I should be happy about this, but… I am not.”
Seimeni frowned, putting a phantom hand on Retvik’s knee. “I am sorry about your friends and family. I’m sure they will live on in your memory. Maybe they’re still alive though?”
“According to, well, everyone, my universe literally exploded…”
“Actually…” Seimeni interrupted. “The borders of your universe were blown up, which caused the universe to merge with the Periuniversal Void. It’s possible that pockets remain, and that’s outside of what the other gods managed to save. My mum knew Kinisis and always said that she always keeps some sort of backup. And there’s that whole little pocket universe the Time Drake told us about that we have to leave alone.”
Retvik blinked. “What Time Drake and what pocket universe?”
“Oh, that Kairos guy. Good-looking, especially for a Time Drake. Turns out his sisters managed to save a small pocket of the universe or something.”
“Really?” Retvik’s eyes lit up briefly. “Can… can I go there? And see if…”
“Nope. No can do.”
That brief hope quickly faded. Retvik grunted, shaking away Seimeni’s hand and crossing his arms in annoyance. “Of course not. I cannot have nice things.”
“Hey now…” Seimeni placed her hand on Retvik’s knee again. “It’s okay to be upset. A horrible thing happened. You should take the time to mourn.”
“That is the issue, I do not know if they are… gone or not… I do not even know if Arkay is alive, and he is… a death god like you.”
“Arkay? You mean… Arkadin?” Seimeni asked.
“Yes, Arkadin.”
“Well… from what we’ve been told, with what happened, he is definitely dead. Universe-wide fission explosions are not a good way to go, but at least it’s quick.”
Retvik didn’t respond. He should have assumed as much. But the news still hurt a little. Retvik’s eyes drifted up, staring back at the endless void outside.
“Hey…” Seimeni pressed her hand down a little, stroking Retvik’s leg. “It’s okay. You can be sad.”
“He saved my life, more times than I can count.”
“Yeah. From what I knew of him, Arkadin was a nice guy. But these things happen.” With a little sigh, Seimeni got up and gently placed her hand on Retvik’s cheek. “You need some time alone, clearly. But let me know when your ready and we’ll treat you to some nice relaxation, alright?”
“What sort of relaxation?” Retvik asked.
“A spa, a massage and a nice meal. You could do with one, considering what you’ve been through recently.”
“I… I appreciate that…” Retvik muttered. “Thank you…”