Theus closed his eyes, his will surging like rippling water.
Following his memories, he connected to a frequency that had remained unopened for a very long time.
"."
"Ahem."
"Is anyone there?"
"Is anyone else still here?"
After waiting a few seconds without receiving any reply, Theus sighed.
All of his companions had vanished. It was only natural that no one answered him.
But just as he was about to disconnect, a message came through.
Lina: "F-Father?!"
Little Gwen: "..."
Jules: "..."
Little Gwen: "Uh, can I not call you that?"
Big Gwen: "How did you get in here too?"
Big Gwen: "By the way, who was that speaking just now? Was it really that so-called father?"
For a moment, Theus nearly lost his composure. He had only wanted to see whether any of his other companions still existed. Those people were all his incarnations; logically, he should have been able to sense them through this connection.
But why were all the ones connecting familiar faces?
Theus cleared his throat. "Ahem, it's me, Theus."
Lina: "!!!"
Lina: "Really? Is it really you? Is this the conclusion of the ritual just now?"
Theus was somewhat helpless. "It really is me. During the ritual, I remembered more... You were all created by me. I was the one who gave you your name, Lina."
Lina: "It really... it really... Oh heavens, I knew I wasn't wrong! After a thousand years, I've finally found Father!"
Little Gwen: "..."
Little Gwen: "How do you prove it?"
Theus: "That's easy."
Little Gwen was currently in the Empire, right beside Lina, watching with great interest as Lina laughed and cried in the ritual grounds.
Suddenly, her expression froze.
An incredulous look appeared on her face. She glanced around, then stepped forward and kicked Lina in the butt.