Weary and utterly drained, I should have collapsed already, but I forced myself to keep moving. The need to see the casualties for myself was stronger than my pain. Emma was alive, but she wouldn’t wake up. Her stillness was haunting, even as the steady rise and fall of her chest proved she was breathing.

  Many of the original adult elves had survived, though their injuries ranged from minor to severe. Yet among the younger green elves—the children I had fought so hard to protect—the losses were devastating. As I moved through the survivors, the weight of grief pressed down on me. Each lifeless form seemed heavier than the last, but one loss cut deeper than any other: Argus.

  The memory of Argus’s laughter, his determination, and his boundless admiration for me flashed through my mind. He’d been teased mercilessly as a boy, nicknamed “Fangs” because of his prominent orc and beastman heritage. Yet, despite the taunts, he’d never let himself fall into bitterness. He was always determined to prove himself, to rise above what others thought of him.

  I knelt beside his lifeless body, unable to hold back the tears as they streamed down my face. I had personally tutored him for years, and though I was only his teacher, I knew he looked up to me as a father figure. Now, that bright light had been extinguished.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder—my mother’s. On the other side, my father placed his hand on me as well. No words were spoken; none were needed. They understood my pain. Their silent support steadied me enough to move away from Argus’s body and toward Emma.

  She lay motionless on a mat, her face serene as if she were merely sleeping. I crouched beside her and used [Soul Analyze] to search for anything unusual. Her status showed no critical issues, yet she remained unresponsive. I tried [Life-Force Heal], but still, nothing happened.

  “What’s wrong, my love?” I whispered, stroking her cheek. “Why won’t you wake up?”

  “She can’t hear you,” said an unfamiliar voice.

  I spun around, summoning Titan’s Heart in one hand and gripping Argus’s axe in the other. Two women stood before me, their presence radiating power. One had golden hair and wore an elaborate red dress, while the other had brown hair, her grey gown complemented by a leather blindfold.

  “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice sharp. “And what do you want?”

  The golden-haired woman stepped forward, her voice gentle. “I am Eva, the Goddess of Love. This is Tria, the Goddess of Fate. We’ve come to help Emma.”

  I hesitated, the tension in my body easing only slightly. “Help her? How? What’s wrong with her?”

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  “She’s caught in a dangerous limbo,” Tria explained, her voice soft but firm. “Her trait, [Red String of Fate], has been damaged. It wasn’t meant to be used the way she used it during the battle.”

  “She broke it by attacking with it?” I asked, my brow furrowing.

  Eva nodded, her expression somber. “Yes. The [Red String of Fate] wasn’t created to handle such strain. The bond it maintains between Emma and you—between her body and soul—was fractured. She’s alive, but her soul is struggling to stay connected to her physical form.”

  “Can it be fixed?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.

  “Yes,” Tria said, stepping closer. “But it will take time and care. If you allow us to take her to our realms, we can stabilize her and repair the damage. While she’s there, she’ll be safe.”

  I stared at them, torn between hope and suspicion. “Why should I trust you? How do I know you won’t harm her?”

  Eva placed a hand over her heart. “Because we have no desire to hurt her, Juren. We care for Emma deeply. She’s a remarkable soul.”

  Tria added, “And frankly, she’s important to the fate of this world. We’re doing this as much for her as we are for you.”

  Their sincerity seemed genuine, but my faith in the gods was threadbare at best. Still, what choice did I have? Emma was slipping away, and they were my only hope. “Fine,” I said at last. “Take her. But if anything happens to her, I swear I’ll find a way to your realms and make you regret it.”

  Tria and Eva exchanged faint smiles. “We’d expect nothing less,” Tria said.

  Before they could take her, I leaned over Emma, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “I’ll wait for you, my love,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her lips. “No matter how long it takes.”

  Eva and Tria both wiped at their eyes, moved by the display. Without another word, they raised their hands, and Emma’s body was surrounded by a soft, golden light. Then, in a flash, she was gone, along with the goddesses.

  In the days that followed, despair hung over the village like a shroud. The homes we had worked so hard to build were in ruins, and the survivors were left to grapple with their grief. Yet, amidst the devastation, I resolved to find a way forward.

  While searching through my collection of books—gifts from Grillo—I stumbled upon a dark leather-bound tome titled Mythos of the Tablet of Creation: Words of One Labeled Heretic. What I read within its pages shook me to my core.

  The Tablet of Creation wasn’t an artifact, as I had thought, but a man—a mortal who had been tricked by Illuma, the Goddess of Light, into becoming her eternal vessel. Branded with the Words of Creation, his body had become a living prison, his soul subjected to unimaginable torment. But he had escaped, and according to the book, he now roamed Yor.

  If I could find this man, perhaps he held the answers I sought. Answers on how to defy the gods, how to truly break their hold over this world. It was a faint hope, but it was all I had.

  Elsewhere, in a rose-colored chamber, Emma lay in a bed of silk, her face peaceful as if in a deep slumber. At either side of her bed stood Eva and Tria.

  “She’s going to be furious when she wakes up,” Eva murmured, folding her arms.

  “She’ll understand,” Tria replied confidently. “Once she sees that we’ve saved her—and him—she’ll forgive us.”

  Eva sighed. “You’re sure about this?”

  Tria smiled faintly. “Trust me, Eva. Fate always has a plan.”

  Eva rolled her eyes but smiled. “Fine. But when this is all over, you owe me a girls’ night.”

  “Deal,” Tria said with a grin.

  Together, they turned their attention back to Emma, their resolve unwavering.

  There's magic in this world after all right? Concerned I hobbled over to Emma. Using Soul hack I found nothing visibly wrong in her status. I used Life-force heal but still, nothing happened.

  At least it would be a start right?