The island of Goldthorne was once located only a few fathoms away from Silverstar. Unlike the people of Silverstar, who had fair skin, dark hair and blue eyes, the people of Goldthorne had tanned skin, brown eyes, and red hair. Silverstar citizens called their leader "The Head Elder" while Goldthorne citizens called theirs "High Priest" or "High Priestess"
Goldthorne was blessed by the gods. They built temples in their honour and they were born augurs. Before a criminal sentence, they would consult the gods first.
Although the gods loved their creations equally, one person stood out for them. A little girl from the village of Goldthorne. She was not devout... She would rather spend her days swimming in the ocean or foraging in the forest. However, she did not stand out because the gods hated her. It was the contrary... She was special.
She was the only one who was awakened. She knew that the gods preferred their creations enjoyed by the humans... that the unity of their creations with nature, which represent the gods, is the best way to be with the gods themselves. The thinking of her people made her awaken to that wisdom.
Miss smiled. The man sounded happy. He told the story as if it was a fond memory.
"But-"
Miss looked at the man, his happy eyes now showing sadness.
"As you would know, Goldthorne no longer exists. It had long been swallowed by the sea."
Miss nodded. "Why?"
"No matter how blessed they were, the Goldthornians were overly zealous. They believed there were gods, yes, but some believed one stood above all... and their belief of who that was, was different. Over time, conflict about who that god may be grew among the citizens and those who chose to stay out were considered enemies. As the conflict grew, violence started to kick in... and not long after that, the zealots killed who opposed them and those who did not side with them."
"Overnight, the people of Goldthorne had either died or took their own lives." the man looked down. "Yet the gods stayed silent through all that despair and bloodbath. The island had no life.... the only sound you could hear was the thunderstorm, pouring heavy rain, washing away the blood from the temple floors. The sea grew aggressive and strong waved crashed onto the island. By morning, the island of Goldthorne was no more."
"But what about the little girl?" Miss asked, wondering why the gods would let the one they loved the most die just like that. "Did she die as well?"
"Well, you're still alive, aren't you?"
Miss paused. What is he talking about?
The man stood and turned to her, his gold eyes piercing her soul... it was different from the eyes of anyone from Silverstar. He walked towards her, making her move back.
"Miss, you were chosen by us." the man told her, "You will aid us."
"What are you saying?" Miss said, confused. "I don't remember getting into any of this."
"You agreed the moment you awakened. In exchange, we agreed to give you what you want the most."
Miss paused. She was surprised when she realized that the first thing she wanted to have was Alexander... But if they really can bring Alexander back, that would be enough.
"Alexander... can you bring him back?" she asked. "You're gods, right? Can you bring him back?"
The man looked down. "I'm afraid that's one thing we cannot do."
"So what do you want me to have if I can't have anyone?!"
"It's not that we don't want to" the man looked away. "Alexander was meant to die... He was the trigger to awaken you. He was the sacrifice for the salvation of humanity."
"If you believe that humanity can be saved with just me, then you're horribly mistaken!"
The man rushed to Miss and grabbed her arms. "You are the bridge to peace. You will keep order on our behalf. You and your incarnate."
Miss swatted the man's arms away, feeling anger rise from her gut. "What kind of gods are you when you can't even bring peace to your creation?! If awakening me means people close to me will die, then I refuse to take part in any of this!"
She remembered Alexander on the ground, the dagger that killed him in her hands. Her dreams were warning her of what was to come. No justification can make up for what she had done. For the span of time that she was on the island, she had thought it was what the gods wanted... it was for her to repent. Turns out, it was the will of the gods... but not in the way she had thought.
She walked away, leaving the man on the beach. Her hands were trembling as if wanting to punch something. She never hated the gods before, but now, she hated them more than ever. Everyone was just an instrument... and she was, too. Even when people died because of her, it was only so the gods can use her. She bit her lip as she bitterly cursed her fate.
"Alexander" she muttered and her throat closed. She struggled to breathe and found herself clawing at the ground, trying to gasp for air. She fell to the ground, the sunlight striking her face as she closed her eyes.