"Naiya…"
Muccia entered the room and saw Naiya huddled in the corner, shivering.
"It's alright…" Muccia slowly approached her, placing her hand gently on the trembling shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell him to go away?!" Naiya covered her forehead and leaned against the corner.
"Because ... "Muccia didn't even know what to say to her.
Yeah, why didn't she let the man who reeked of death and blood to leave? Maybe because there's a trace of Naiya's scent in him. The same scent.
"He'll expose you. You know what will happen if 'they' find out."
Naiya closed her eyes tightly. "You're a Saint, Muccia! A Saint who fled from the Court of Gods! But now you've fallen from grace, they'll kill you if they find out. I don't understand why a Godly being would fall from the sky that could look down on mankind…"
Going from God to mortal sounds very foolish, indeed.
Muccia stroked Naiya's raven hair softly. "Because if I don't leave that golden cage, I won't be able to meet you…"
There was a scarlet scar on Muccia's tender arm. A bite scar, left by the young girl in front of her the first time they met.
Or she should call the scars left by a monster that only knew how to kill. The monster was standing on top of the hill of rotten corpses in the village, surrounded by fire and blood, frantically laughing.
It was her first encounter with Naiya.
She smiled at the girl who tried to rip off her wrist. Stroking the head of the girl, just like what she was doing now. Sinking the fear in her heart.
"But, I'm a monster…"
"But aren't you a good girl now?" Muccia held Naiya's trembling shoulders. "You saved those kids, you saved a life. There's a lot of things you can do if you don't use violence."
"But…" Leaning into Muccia arms, ' Naiya sensed something wrong.
"They're...coming", Naiya choked. She sat upright, holding the dagger with her hand. "The Court of Gods had come here! They've surrounded the village!"
The glow on the dagger's sharp edge bloomed with red, Naiya's eyes shifted to red.
But Muccia grasped her hand that was holding the dagger. "What did I say? No violence allowed…"
"But they're coming to kill you!" Naiya sensed a strong murderous aura and tried to explain to the foolish woman how serious the situation was.
But her gentle smile dissipated all the anger in Naiya's heart...
"It's okay… It's okay, Naiya." After patting the dust off her body, Muccia stood up and pushed Naiya's body into a corner. Holding her hand. "You're all grown up now. You don't need me anymore. So stay here and take care of the kids for me, will you?"
Muccia was going to accept her fate, the fate of a fallen God.
The Saint who escaped from the Court of Gods, the Fallen One...
Without the Court of Gods' restraint, the Saint's power was too Godly for the mortal world. They can wreak havoc upon the world.
There were several cases of Saints with twisted minds, desired to flee from the Court of Gods and come to the world.
All the cities were destroyed in bloodshed because no power on earth could restraint them. They were free to do whatever they wanted.
Hence, the high Saints, who once crowned with the title 'Fallen,' were feared and loathed by the humans of this world.
Just like the witches of the Middle Ages, only by giving the Fallen Ones capital punishment could ease the crowd's anger.
"Muccia, the first time I met you years ago, you were an idiot! After all these years, you're still an idiot! You could've escaped with your power! But why wouldn't you?!"
As a Saint, she was fully capable of crushing that monster that bit her arm. But she didn't. Instead, she raised the creature.
"Because that's the fate of a Saint..." Muccia waved her hand, and Naiya found herself frozen. She couldn't move and couldn't speak.
After carrying Naiya to the soft bed, Muccia covered her in a warm blanket.
"Sleep, it's just a dream. When you wake up, you'll forget me."
"!!!" Naiya struggled, but she was bound by an inexplicable power. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't move. All she can do was watching Muccia walk out of the door.
........
Crossing the hallway, Muccia met the children who ran together to their room for a nap.
Usually, she would tell them they won't get taller if they didn't take a nap, and so on.
"Is Miss Muccia going to tell us a bedtime story?" They were full of hope when they saw her approaching.
"That's for nighttime rest. But tonight, it will be Naiya, who will tell your bedtime story."
"Um…"
As Muccia walked them to their room, she closed the door. Stunned.
Gently caressing her hand over the edges of this building's hallway, Muccia finally reached the front door...
......
The dark clouds gathering in the sky were pitch black as if they were about to collapse.
Pushing the front door open, there was a scene in contrast with the small building.
A legion of knights stood on alert. Donned in silvery-white armor with the head of a roaring dragon tattooed on their shoulders, they were the Empire's Knight.
The commander stepped out from the line.
"Abandoning the identity as a Saint and descending to play a silly game with the mortals is the highest treason! Muccia Dodran, in the name of the Dragon God, you're under arrest!"
"Does it feel good to be a caged bird?"
Muccia shook her head.
The rain had started to fall from the sky.
Take care, Naiya.
Looking at the sky, not just the cloud-shrouded the sky, but also the dark shadows looming on top of the church.
Please…
Muccia didn't know to whom she was pleading.
A pair of scarlet eyes watched the scene from the start to the end.
The rain poured harder.