"Percy, what are you doing here?" Lori asked, in a brisk tone, but her eyes contain a light towards Percy.
"Making sure that Krista wasn't going to do anything stupid, these days, she seems more prone to doing that," Percy said.
Oi, I'm right here, you know?
"Why do you care about her? She's only mortal, and thanks to that, she doesn't even know the situation with God. The right thing we should do is dispense her and take the power ourselves. Make you God, as it should be..." Lori said, pretty remorselessly.
"Where's your sense of empathy?" Percy demanded, "That is seriously cruel..."
Lori scoffed, "What does cruel mean to the greater good? Sacrifices have to be made..."
"But the greater good needn't be so bloody. What's the use of the greater good when it doesn't benefit everyone?" Percy scowled.
Lori raised her eyebrows, "When have you become like this? It isn't like you..."
"Well, you can say that someone changed my perspective..." Percy said with a look toward me. Lori threw a look of loathing toward me.
I was unfazed. As the heroine, if the rivals hated me, that was no big deal. They are all just jealous bitches, villainesses are.
"Percy..." Lori was talking softly, "You have been brainwashed. We are angels, our allegiance is to God, and now that he's sick, it's our mission to find a new one. No one can fit that position better than you, but that mortal has obtained the power to choose. Something she has no right of. In fact, who's to say that she will choose right? It will be chaos. We need to kill her, kill her and obtain the power."
Percy shook his head, and Lori's gaze darkened. "Well, it doesn't matter. It's a done deal, anyway."
Immediately, she swung her sword at me. I ducked. This was so NOT in the otome game. It has definitely changed. So, damn right I'm changing with it.
If... if I could remove the power in me, return back to a normal mortal, hopefully without the white lotus effect, then, I can live a normal life, something that I didn't have a chance at in my previous life. I won't repeat the same mistakes. I won't be like the dense heroines.
I will be better.
Every scenario, like right now, I have dreamt of. So, stupid as it is, there were a few theories that I would exploit, see whether my imagination got it right. That's how I was able to get here in the first place.
Now, I have to try this.
I ran past Lori and got to the gemstone... It was shining, shining bright but I made it go brighter. I was channeling, dispelling power to it... giving it back. It glowed brighter and brighter until...
"Ahh!" Everyone shouted, as the light surcharged through them...
When the light dissipitated, the gemstone was glowing brightly in the clenched hand of Krista Loverin who had fainted clutching the gemstone tight. Her breathing became labored.
"Ha!" Lori said, "She tried to give back the power herself. What was she thinking?!"
'Indeed, what was she thinking?' Percy thought.
(Are you all crazy?! Do you think I will choose you like that?!)
'Krista never wanted to choose, so she decided... what on earth was that girl thinking?!' Percy thought frustrated.
'In fact, why would she do this after what she told me at the very same place that we first met?' Percy thought.
God is dying, unbelievable. The factions are in chaos, and I'm one of the 'chosen ones.' Unbelievable. What's now missing was the right person to choose among the chosen. That's what really cause the fight to spiral out. The power hasn't been given out, and every female angel (technically God's descendants) have all been fighting and trying to find the power that will rule all.
It was completely nuts. He needed to get out, find some sanity. He went to his favorite place, the church. It was sad to see it in disrepair, but at least that he would be alone with his thoughts.
He was wrong.
At the altar stood a girl. She had blue hair and purple eyes. She wasn't much, dressed casually. She was looking around and was shock to see him.
"What are you doing here, praying back to God, perhaps?" The girl asked, in a serene state.
Percy looked up and down at the girl, deciding that she must be a church goer to go to this disrepair church, and at least not another hounding angel after him.
"Are you going to answer my question?" The girl asked patiently.
"No, actually, this is my favorite place. I like to think here..." Percy said.
"Hmm... too bad. It would be nice that there were more people loyal to God. Otherwise, the church wouldn't go to disrepair."
Percy smiled inwardly, 'And what if you knew that God was at the verge of death?'
"Does this church mean something to you?" Percy asked.
"Actually, I just acquainted myself with it, and yet I'm sad to see it go... I guess it's because I think that all churches or any religious places of God should be treated as such. He holds power over mere mortals like us, and we should be grateful for it," the girl said.
Percy had to smile this time. This girl was really a religious nut. He thought those fanatics don't exist anymore, not really in this modern age.
"It's not funny, you know? These days, we are nearing the end of the world and it's because we are not following God's grace..."
Percy sobered up, "The end of the world? Where have you heard that?"
"What? Doesn't everything have to end soon? Including our world? I hope by God's grace that it won't be soon, but I plan to spend every time that it is, and enjoy my life as it is. That's why I'm sad to see churches in disrepair. Because we forget where we come from, and we forget our mortality. That means that we are not really living the way we should, not enjoying the life the way it is and not appreciating everything up until the graceful point of death, and bringing down spite on others when they never deserved it."
Percy looked at the girl strangely.
"Am I rambling? It always happens when I get into a topic. Everyone finds it weird..."
"Nah, I don't," Percy said amicably, "In fact, it's fun."
"Really? Finally someone who doesn't think I'm a weirdo!"
"Aren't we all weirdos?" Percy asked.
"Thanks..." The girl said shyly, "That you understand what I'm talking about..."
"Course I do. Our lives shouldn't be defined by what others think, but what we do ourselves, and we thank God's grace for that," Percy said.
"Words that I will live by. That's why I like going to places like this. For God's grace, to live with wonderful memories and making new friends... like you."
Percy once again looked at the girl. Her faith was unshakable and deeply rooted. She was also a very interesting mortal, and different from the ones that he encountered. She was also slightly vulnerable, which made him want to protect her.
"What's your name?" Percy asked.
"Krista Loverin, and thanks for making me feel normal. A lot of people call me religious nut, you know?"
Percy laughed a little, "I promise I'll be there for you..." he suddenly blurted out.
Krista smiled, "You can do that, as long as it doesn't interfere with living the life you want..."
Living the life you want...
"Well, let's live the lives we want!" Percy declared.
Krista said, "Deal."
'Didn't you want to live the life. What were you thinking?' Percy thought.
Lori bent down and felt the pulse, "She's fading, and I didn't even have to do anything!"
'No, Krista, you can't...!' Percy thought.
"KRISTA!!!" Percy shouted running to her, as light suddenly engulfed the place again.
'You are going to live the life you want, I promise...' Percy thought, before being sucked in.