It's recorded?

(Play 'Your Eyes'- Barney Sku & Taqiya Zaman version)

------

"You two…" Zar chuckled, shaking his head. "…really are something else."

The sisters, still flustered from their teasing session, barely managed a response. Their cheeks burned with embarrassment as they exchanged glances, both knowing that Zar had witnessed far more than they wished.

But just as they thought he was done teasing them, Zar reached into his robes and revealed two shimmering crystals, their translucent forms pulsing with an ethereal glow.

"Here," he said, handing one to each of them. "This is yours."

Eterna and Nyxara exchanged confused looks, then turned back to him.

"What is this?" Eterna finally asked, tilting the crystal in her palm, watching as it refracted the surrounding light in mesmerizing patterns.

Zar smirked. "Try channeling a bit of your divine power into it."

The sisters did as instructed. The moment their divine energy flowed into the crystal—

Their souls nearly left their bodies.

The space around them shimmered, and suddenly, a perfect projection played before their eyes—a vivid recording of their recent conversation. Their teasing, their awkwardness, the moment they realized Zar had been watching—all of it played out in flawless detail.

Their faces turned pale.

Then red.

Then an even deeper shade of red.

They stood frozen, completely statue-like, as the reality of what had just happened sank in.

Zar sighed, rubbing his temple. "Relax. No one else is ever going to see this. These crystals are for you to keep as a… memory of today's incident." His golden eyes glowed with amusement. "Think of it as a keepsake."

The two goddesses turned to him slowly, their expressions unreadable.

"You…" Nyxara began, her voice a mix of disbelief and mild horror.

"You actually recorded it…?" Eterna finished, her fingers twitching.

Zar simply gave them a knowing smirk.

A long, very tense silence filled the air.

Then, without waiting for more reactions, he waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, enough sulking. Time to move. Eterna, take Nyxara back to my palace, as I said. Explain everything to her on the way to the Eternium Sanctum." His voice turned casual. "Make sure she understands."

With that, he teleported away, vanishing into a ripple of golden energy.

As Zar vanished from sight, Eterna and Nyxara, now left to themselves, exchanged glances before Eterna gestured toward the space, summoning a radiant pathway of divine energy beneath their feet.

The celestial bridge shimmered with hues of gold and silver, weaving through the vast cosmic expanse as it stretched toward Eternium Sanctum, an ancient and enigmatic place that few had ever seen up close. As they stepped onto the path, the air around them carried a charged stillness—an anticipation that neither of them could ignore.

Nyxara, her long dark-blue hair cascading behind her, walked with a calm yet inquisitive expression. Her deep amethyst eyes held a flicker of curiosity as she glanced toward Eterna.

"You know," she began, her voice smooth but contemplative, "our master is truly a remarkable one." She let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "To think he would gift us a crystal just to keep today's memories... I never expected such sentimentality from him."

Eterna, walking beside her, nodded but remained silent for a few moments. Unlike Nyxara, whose aura held an air of mystery, Eterna radiated an almost celestial grace—her silver-white robes flowing effortlessly as if woven from the very fabric of light itself.

Nyxara took another step forward, her gaze now focused on the endless expanse ahead. Then, with a curious tilt of her head, she turned back to Eterna.

"Well then, tell me. What exactly is Eternium Sanctum?" she asked, her tone carrying a mixture of genuine intrigue and mild skepticism.

Eterna glanced at her, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her golden eyes.

"When you chose to leave the divine realms, Nyxara," Eterna began, her voice carrying the weight of millennia, "you left behind more than just your title. You left behind a time of relative peace. But a millennium after your departure, a disturbance rippled through the Nexus Verse—something none of us could ignore."

Nyxara narrowed her eyes slightly. "A disturbance?"

Eterna nodded. "The Wall of Dominion, which had remained dormant since its creation, suddenly… activated. It was as if something deep within it had awoken. A timer appeared upon its surface—an inscription none of us had ever seen before."

Nyxara's brows furrowed. "A timer?"

"Yes," Eterna confirmed, her gaze now distant, as if recalling that very moment. "It read: 'Awakening of Eternium Sanctum.'"

A heavy silence followed. The only sound was the gentle hum of the celestial bridge beneath their feet. Nyxara's expression remained unreadable, but a flicker of recognition passed through her eyes.

"So the Wall of Dominion… is the boundary of this Sanctum?" Nyxara mused, her voice laced with realization.

"Exactly," Eterna said, looking at her with a knowing glance. "And you must understand what that means. The Wall of Dominion has only ever been associated with one being—our Master. It marked the edges of what he deemed his domain, but for it to react in such a manner…" She exhaled, shaking her head. "It could only mean one thing. He was revealing himself to us for the first time."

Nyxara remained silent, her fingers idly tracing the crystal that Zar had gifted her earlier. Her mind raced through the implications, through the history she had chosen to leave behind.

"And then?" she finally asked.

Eterna's expression darkened slightly. "And then… we waited. Another millennium passed before the Sanctum itself allowed entry."

Nyxara's gaze flickered toward her companion, noticing the shift in her tone.

"You say that as if stepping inside wasn't the end of it," Nyxara remarked, crossing her arms.

Eterna smirked. "That's because it wasn't. What we found inside…" She trailed off, letting the air between them thicken with unspoken weight.

Nyxara raised an eyebrow. "Don't keep me in suspense, Eterna. What did you see?"

Eterna turned to her, her golden eyes glowing faintly as she whispered—

{What are you thinking? Am I gonna give my readers spoiler? Nah... (°^°)! }

------

Back in the sanctum, Zar casually conversed with his system.

"So, what can I buy from the shop function?" he asked, stretching his arms as he walked through the ethereal halls of his domain.

His system responded in a business-like tone.

["That depends on your power level, dear customer. Our inventory is updated based on your growth. The stronger you are, the greater the selection."]

Zar sighed. "You're really acting like a merchant now?"

["Well, you did unlock the Shop Function, didn't you?"] the system chimed smugly.

A golden text box hovered before him, displaying a system message:

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new function: "Shop"! You can now access various items, tools, and relics for purchase!]

Zar exhaled through his nose. "Yeah, yeah. I'll check it later."

With a flick of his wrist, he disabled the divine protection around his sanctum—a barrier that had functioned similarly to a 'Do Not Disturb' mode.

Then, with casual ease, he entered the Great Hall.

Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension.

The gods, both greater and lesser, stood in rigid silence—all on edge due to Zar's earlier command from before .

As Zar strode toward his throne, his voice echoed through the hall.

"Calm yourselves," he said, his tone majestic yet reassuring. "The previous warning was nothing more than a result of the verse's evolution at that time."

{AUTH: Obviously He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of them.}

A collective gasp rippled through the divine assembly.

The verse was evolving?

Even the main gods were visibly shaken by this revelation.

One among them, Ignis, stepped forward, his fiery aura flaring with uncertainty.

"Master…" he hesitated before firming his resolve. "Is this truly the case?"

Zar smirked. "You don't have to take my word for it. Once this meeting is over, you'll be able to witness it for yourselves."

Murmurs spread through the ranks of gods, curiosity and disbelief mixing in equal measure.

Then—

Vaelora stepped forward.

Her usually composed face was strained with something deeper, something unspoken.

She dropped to one knee, bowing low.

"Master," she began, her voice measured yet laced with emotion, "please… allow me to assist Eterna in bringing Nyxara back."

Zar tilted his head, his gaze sharp yet intrigued.

"Oh?" he mused. "And why is that, Vaelora?"

She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Because I know the burden she carries," she said softly. "Her return will not be welcomed easily. The divine realms have not forgotten her past… nor forgiven it."

A murmur of agreement spread among the gods.

Zar regarded her with amusement. "And if I refuse?"

Vaelora hesitated, then bowed even deeper. "Then I will accept any punishment you see fit. But just allow me to assist her."

A hushed silence fell over the hall.

Zar exhaled, then smirked. "Not required."

Vaelora's breath hitched. "Master…?"

Zar's gaze shifted toward the main gates.

"Because they've already arrived."

The grand doors swung open.

And there—Eterna and Nyxara stepped into the hall.