The withered land caved inwards, forming a basin. There was no life for miles, only an eerie aura that chilled the bones, a presence that could shake the soul of any god or mortal.
Laea walked forward, reverence on his face. Ahead, a pile of huge rocks formed the mouth of a cave, and the suffocating aura surrounding the place grew heavier with each step he took.
With every fiber of his godly being, Laea resisted the pressure that made each step feel like a million tons. The ground shattered beneath him as rocks blasted into the air. Laea groaned, but he knew he had to hurry. Saliviako must have noticed by now, though he was beyond being stopped.
Each step toward the cave sent his body trembling, sand and dust swirling with the shattered earth. Laea fell, vomiting blood. He could feel nothing anymore, only the ringing in his ears, a sound that made him clutch his head and scream.
All that remained in his mind was the thought: He would die here.
Had it even been possible to underestimate the god he sought to awaken? Even in slumber, the god's presence was enough to kill him.
Shame and fury welled up in Laea as he remembered Elly, the love of his lonely life.
All she needed to heal from her soul pain was fifty mortal souls.
He remembered her sobs, the pain in her eyes as she gazed at him before dying.
He had pleaded with Saliviako, begged and screamed, "Help me, please! Stop her pain. Just fifty souls. If I could, I'd give you my soul, but please, grant me this one request. I will pledge my loyalty to you for the rest of my existence. I'll lay my life down for you. Forever and ever, I will live just for you!!"
But what had he received from the god who was supposed to love his people?
What had he gotten?
He watched Elly die in screams, unable to do anything because Saliviako said no.
What's so valuable about mortals anyway? Weak, fragile, bound to die—nothing.
Laea gritted his teeth and stood. He remembered her last words to him: "I love you, but leave me and find another peace."
But that was impossible. She was his only peace, and now she was gone.
If he were shattered, the world should feel his pain. The ruler should feel his pain.
Laea staggered forward, blood spilling from his mouth with every step. His bones cracked, blood oozing from his skin. Yet he kept walking. He couldn't stop. The world must feel his pain.
Finally, he reached the mouth of the cave, though his vision had faded. He could smell the blood, the rotting flesh, and knew that he had to be nothing but a mangled mess of bone and sinew. He shouldn't still be alive, but he would never give in—not until he reached his destination.
Using his remaining senses, he entered the cave, unable to see but sensing the godly presence before him.
Whatever it was, it was what he came for.
Moving on, his flesh continued to fall away as he walked, but he smiled. He was here, at the feet of this unfathomable existence.
Shaky hands pulled out the relic from his cloak, soaked with blood.
The relic pulsed with radiant heat, filling the cave with a shimmering light. As it wore down, it revealed its golden core—the key to awakening the god before him.
Laea held it, and sorrow filled him, but there was no room for hesitation.
He placed the relic on the god's chest, and the moment he touched it, he felt himself dissociating. Before he fully faded, he smiled. He felt it—eyes were on him.
"Let the world feel my pain," was the last thought in his mind before he was consumed by darkness.
A deafening roar shook the chaos world, sending waves of terror throughout the universe.
Gods and mortals alike trembled.
---
Min walked with his friends toward the chief's house, the warriors having just arrived. His grandpa had forced him to go sing for them. He remembered the old man with a chewing stick in his mouth, grinning with their money in hand while telling Min to do his job.
At this point, Min decided he'd just sing a lullaby for the old men.
But then, he froze.
He trembled.
And then, he cried.
Grabbing his head, he screamed. His friends surrounded him. "Min, Min!" they called, but he couldn't stop.
Tears streamed down his face, though he didn't know why. Deep in his soul, etched in a faint memory, he felt it: evil had been born.
---
Saliviako's eyes were filled with complexity and pain. "Is it worth it?" he murmured before turning to look at his people. The red-armored warriors knelt, their eyes fierce and sharp, burning with determination.
"Pledge your loyalty to my daughter," Saliviako murmured.
"All hail her highness!" Zas shouted.
The warriors struck their armored chests with two thunderous thuds. "Hail!" they roared, their voices booming through the space.
Saliviako felt his queen's embrace from behind, the tension in his body easing. Looking into her eyes, he saw her resoluteness. "What now, my king?" Sassifino whispered, her hand gently resting on his face.
Saliviako smiled, then turned to face his warriors. "Go into slumber in this realm. Whatever is coming, we cannot stop."
Sassifino shuddered, turning toward her husband. "What about her, Sal?"
"My king," Zas muttered shakily, "We'd rather die by your side."
Saliviako's gaze turned serious. "If you fight with me, you will die. But with her…" He trailed off, his eyes distant. "I'm not sure, but prophecy or not, she will do something I have never done. But for that to happen, she must grow. We need to give her time."
He turned to face Sassifino, his eyes filled with tears. "My queen, you've never seen me shed tears, have you?"
Sassifino embraced him, her voice a whisper in his ear: "I will follow you till the end."
"She can't be born to you in this realm," Saliviako said softly.
"I know," Sassifino replied, her voice heavy with pain.
"The better chance is for her to be born in the mortal world—away from this, away from them," Saliviako continued.
Sassifino closed her eyes, tears tracing her beautiful face. "Who do you have in mind?"
"A young woman," Saliviako replied, clenching his fist. "I believe her name is Raki."