While Adrian drifted in the dark, a meeting was taking place in the sky of the new world.
Far above the clouds, above every mortal realm, floated a castle. Its white walls stood proud, as if warning all who dared gaze upon it that only the purest and most powerful beings were allowed within its halls. This was the castle of the gods.
At its heart lay a chamber with six thrones arranged in a circle. Two already stood empty: the thrones of fire and lightning. On the other four sat four figures, and they were arguing.
"I'm telling you, I sensed a strange presence descend upon our land," said a woman in a flowing white dress. Her hair was white, her eyes gold. She was Celestia, the goddess of destiny. "It must be her. She's finally shown herself."
"Enough, Celestia. You're being paranoid." A tall man with long brown hair tied in a ponytail spoke in an annoyed tone. "You've spent too much time up here. She's been gone for five hundred years. There's no sign of her returning. Her forces are mostly defeated, or they've fallen into slumber."
"That may be true for the rest of you." The third figure, a woman wrapped in thick blue robes and a red cape, fixed him with a harsh glare. "But in my lands, we still face the Dark Ones every day. My children pay with their blood while you and yours stay safe. So don't tell me they're all defeated, Sirius."
Sirius, god of the earth, only shrugged. "Don't be like that, Morana. No one here has forgotten your little children fighting in your lands. But there's nothing we can do. Or are you saying you'll finally grant our forces access?"
"Of course not!" snapped Morana, goddess of ice. Frost crept across the arms of her throne. "I'd never let you, you treacherous god of mud, or any of your brats into my lands. If I ever catch one crossing my borders without my consent, I'll torment them until they freeze."
"Cold and ruthless as always." Sirius smiled, clearly amused. "And that's exactly why we can't help you."
"Stop it, you two. Arguing gets us nowhere."
The voice came from a small boy in green robes: Aeolus, god of the wind. He turned to Celestia. "Do you have any other proof? A location, at least?"
Celestia hesitated. "No. I only felt it for a moment."
"Then there's nothing to be done." Aeolus rose from his throne. "I'm leaving. Morana and Sirius will just keep at each other's throats, and Guinevere and Ba'al already warped out of here without a word. This is a waste of time."
"Those imbeciles!" Celestia clenched her fist. White light flared around it.
Sirius's eyes widened. "Now, now, calm down. Let's agree to keep watch for anything suspicious. We still have her body sealed; she won't be returning anytime soon. If anyone finds conclusive proof that she survived, we'll reconvene then."
"Fine," Celestia hissed. "Then get out of my sight, all of you, before I destroy you myself!"
One by one, the gods returned to their lands.
Not one of them believed her.