"Hekatos, I named you after the great goddess Hekate. Live your life worthy of that name, okay?"
The lady sobbed, placing a tender kiss on her baby boy's forehead. Before she turned to leave, still nostalgic, she turned around, cupping the child's cheek and rubbing her head against his forehead. This will be the last time she will see her son. Oh, if life weren't so stingy and poor. If only life wasn't so stupid and cruel...
Putting a scarf around the child, she straightened her back, took a deep breath, and walked out. The sky was gray as if trying to shield the eyes from the terrible execution that was taking place across the country.
"I'm ready."
"Follow me, young woman, whose heart is possessed by the devil. I hope you will be cleansed of all this guilt…"
The magistrate was dressed in a black and white suit, but his bulging wig and red nose made him look like a clown from the animal circus. Two large, muscular men approached and squeezed her shoulders.
"Oh, you must be terrified that it would take two heroes to escort this frail young lady."
"Shut up!" The name of the judge was shouted. "Be proud of the devil's ally. Look, at this moment, is there a demon to save you?"
"Oh yes, my friend. They're standing right above your head."
Scared, the magistrate crouched and hid behind the old minister.
"Put it on the gallows!"
The young girl, still holding her head high, looked back behind the wooden door, a glittering tear falling down her cheek.
"Great Goddess Hekate, take me into Your arms..."
__
It was late afternoon, Hekatos was very hungry and his mother still hadn't come home. He understood that his mother had to work for the richest men in Salem. There are houses so big that he can't go all the way with small feet. But he had seen the rich boys and girls of that house, who looked so beautiful in the meticulous detailing that his mother had made for them. However, he never had a chance to wear it. Only the ragged scarf was worn to the point of wear and tear.
But he doesn't blame his mother. On the contrary, now he misses his mother so much. He doesn't know where his mother has gone.
Come to think of it, the little boy, who was only three years old, surreptitiously pushed open the rudimentary wooden door of his house, it was not until it was certain that there were no villagers outside that he dared to stick one short leg out of the door.
Mother often told him very carefully, never to go out when there are still villagers walking around. Hekatos didn't understand why he had to do that. He can only go swinging when the night is dark, but he is never afraid because he always has the moon to be his friend! Wherever it goes, the moon follows. It talks to the moon! The gentle light of the moon embraces its body, making the dark night no longer lonely.
Hekatos followed the direction the moon pointed and saw a familiar figure again, mother!
It ran happily, but it was so dark that it fell down at any time. Hekatos sobbed and cried, he didn't want to call his mother, because his mother always told him to be strong. But it hurts so much...
"M… mother… pain… huhu…"
He only dared to call out softly, because he was afraid he would wake up the whole village. Hekatos pointed his small, dusty hand towards his mother, coaxing him to hold her.
But, a few minutes passed, and his mother still did not respond. Hekatos was still lying on the cold, lonely ground.
He decided not to cry anymore because crying too much will make the moon laugh. So the three-year-old stood up, his legs uncovered by his bleeding clothes, but he didn't care either. He continued walking toward his mother. More and more, the gentle mother's figure became more and more obvious, and her dry, small lips also curved up happily.
"Mommy…"
Mother is dead, hanging on a shelf, one hand still stuck on the rope, the other hand hanging helplessly. The mother's face was pale, her eyelashes were lowered sadly. Hekatos wondered, did she remember him before he died? He reached out to hug his mother's leg, so familiar but only a cold remained.
Hekatos could feel his heart breaking, was birth a mistake? The moon hugged it in his lap, patting it.
"Mommy…"
__
He knows he doesn't have much time left.
It had been fasting for over a week and just curled up in a corner, not even bothering to lift its heavy lashes.
Hekatos could hear the angry screams of the villagers outside the door. Oh, he doesn't understand why they have to be so cruel. Do they also want to hang Hekatos like his poor mother?
Isn't this how it all ends?
The surrounding air is heating up. He hated the heat as if it was the only way to peel off this skin that could soothe its burning body. Hot, too hot. Pain, so painful...
So this will be the end of it, dying in the fire cursed for being born.
"Hekate… take me in Your arms…"
The famous witch hunt in Salem began when many daughters of nobles suffered from strange diseases, often experiencing hallucinations. The doctors had said that these girls were possessed by the devil's sorcery. And, based only on the baseless expressions and the unknown testimonies of a woman, there are more than 200 people, including women and men, from young to old, convicted of practicing witchcraft, allies of the devil. They were all hanged.
__
"Wake up, little Hekatos."
Hekatos felt his body light as if it were slowly levitating like the fairies in his mother's fairy tales. Is it dying? Because his body had been burned or because hunger had tormented him for a week, he no longer felt the heat or his stomach growled.
"Little Hekatos, I take you back to eternal reality." A voice echoed in his mind, the voice of the gods, of all that is mysterious and great, of Hekate!
The giant half-god appeared in the dark, in his hand holding a burning torch that never went out to lead lost souls to eternity. Goddess – is the embodiment of the greatest, and it is because of that greatness that man has always denied him, giving his image to the influences of the devil.
Remember, the devil is not born naturally, but is created by human hands!
Hekatos' tiny soul floated in the pitch-black space, then touched the goddess's hand. It embraces His giant hand with respect and reverence, yet as tender and familiar as a child holding his mother's hand.
"Hekatos, you can't die yet. Then you will be a subject of eternal reality, but not yet."
Said the goddess, who looked at the crystal ball that was recreating the short life of the child in her arms, bitterly.
"Goddess… I want to see you again…"
"My mother is always by my side. Not only that, everyone is always by my side. Little Hekatos, it's sad that you can't return to eternal reality right away, but that's because you're on a mission to become a great hero. Remember my words, as soon as you wake up you will start a new life. A life ravaged by monsters and plagues. And you are the Savior."
"Wake up, Hekatos, take your destiny into your own hands."
__
Hekatos jumped to his feet, sweat beading on his forehead. Was it just a dream? Why is everything so real? Oh, the feeling when the fire enveloped his body when all the worms in the body were forced to come out. Hekatos died a slow and painful death in terror of mankind…
He looked back at the time today, June 25, 20XX, and even rummaged through and looked at his ID card again.
Hekatos Ellis, nothing has changed. He was simply Hekatos Ellis – an ordinary student living in this era of economic turmoil. You can compare with the Savior? Please…
Somehow, after leaving the place of the other goddess, Hekatos saw a vision of the future clearly appearing on June 26, 20XX. He even became very knowledgeable about the kind of plague that would ravage the world for no reason at all. It's like he's some kind of robot programmed to know everything. Or is this really just a virtual world game and you're the player who just received the quest? But, if everything is true, then why should he save humanity?
Carrying the throbbing pain from his bed to his desk, Hekatos turned on his computer and started surfing the internet to learn about the Salem incident in his memory.
Empty.
There is no news about Salem, even that land has no information on the world map.
"What the hell is it…"
Hekatos thought that he slept for too long, so he lost his mind. Did you do an out-of-body experience in a parallel universe? If it weren't for the vivid memory and the lingering pain, Hekatos certainly wouldn't have thought this was worth paying attention to.
"Salem… here it is!"
Finally, after a while of searching, Hekatos also found the name Salem in a forum on Reddit. Discussion forum about witches and witch hunters.
Records say, Salem is an old land of England, where a witch hunt took place that left more than 200 people dead, including both men and women. The first person to be hanged the convict of witchcraft was Bridget Bishop…
"Bridget Bishop…"
His head suddenly throbbed with excruciating pain, not like normal headaches but like burning brain cells. Hekatos collapsed on the floor, crying. You remember this name, Bridget Bishop, it was…
"Mommy…"
He clearly remembered the moment he saw his mother's body hanged in his previous life, pain and fear enveloped him. This is clearly true, this is not a dream. He had had such a painful life…
So, why does he have to save humanity?