A faint fragrance lingered in the air.
On the bed woven from petals and leaves, a mischievous hand reached out, brushing aside the golden hair draped over the face. Fingertips slid down the smooth, jade-like back, tracing its contours.
A muffled gasp escaped as the delicate figure beneath the quilt shifted slightly. Samael's gaze lingered on the rose-tinted skin, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he leaned forward and kissed Themis's crystal-clear earlobe.
"Mmm… stop it!"
Realizing she couldn't feign sleep to escape his teasing, the Goddess of Justice caught his restless hand and shot a reproachful glare at the troublemaker who had tormented her all night.
Her wandering eyes then fell on the deep bite mark etched into Samael's hand. She brushed her fingers gently across it, her expression tinged with helplessness.
"Does it still hurt?"
"It's nothing. If anything, it's proof of our 'love.'"
Recalling certain moments of passion, Samael shook his head with a teasing grin. Themis's cheeks flared red in an instant. She bit her lip lightly, the elegant goddess's gentle composure now touched with a hint of reproach and shy indignation.
"Next time… don't suddenly turn back into a Beast in the middle of it…"
Faced with the judge's post-incident rebuke, the ancient serpent quickly reined in his mischief and nodded obediently. That reckless blasphemy had indeed brought the thrill of breaking taboos, but it was not something to repeat.
After a brief moment of tenderness, Samael rose first. He carefully massaged Themis's sore body with floral balm, then prepared a lavish breakfast.
Noticing the slip of paper on the tray, a curious case titled "Solomon's Judgment," the Goddess of Justice felt her spirits brighten, even making the meal taste sweeter.
Samael sat beside her and briefly outlined the itinerary and outcome of their visit to the Earth Mother's Temple.
"You've already obtained what you wanted. What do you plan to do next?"
Themis set down her small bowl, carefully storing the peculiar "appetizer" that recorded the intriguing case. She furrowed her brows and asked softly.
The ancient serpent summoned a magic array, drew out a golden apple, tossed it to her, and smiled faintly.
"Just to be safe, have this first before I meet with the prophet."
Themis shook her head gently and handed the apple back.
"No need. Titans are born of the authority of rules—they already possess a certain degree of immortality. They're not so easy to kill."
"Stay here and absorb the life force of the golden apple. I'll protect you."
Curling her fingers, she summoned the sword hanging on the wall. As the scales on either side shifted, starlight cascaded down, cloaking the nearby treehouse in concealment. Seeing Themis so resolute, Samael abandoned his attempt at persuasion and kept the apple for himself.
Originally, the three golden apples had been intended for distribution: one for the Mother of Serpents, one for Tina, and one for Themis—perfectly divided. But both Tina and Themis possessed innate immortality, leaving only Echidna, whose divinity was incomplete, as the one who truly needed it.
With that settled, the ancient serpent chose to consume one apple himself, further refining his immortality. After all, compared to the golden apple—the embodiment of the Earth's bountiful power—the Herb of Immortality was a far lesser treasure.
As for the last one, he would hold onto it. Who knew when it might prove useful?
Decision made, Samael devoured the golden apple in a few swift bites. As surging vitality roared within him, he closed his eyes and activated his divine core, patiently absorbing its essence.
...
A day and a half later, within the Waterside Treehouse.
The primordial serpent coiled with its head meeting its tail, forming a perfect ring. A lifeless gray hue spread from its tail, until the entire body turned into something fossil-like, its eyes losing all light.
"Chhht!"
As its vitality diminished to the brink of extinction, a faint tearing sound came from above. Up close, a pitch-black fissure split open across the ashen scales, widening gradually.
Hum…
Seated in the pavilion with sword in hand, the Goddess of Justice sensed the tremor of Ether in the air. She turned her gaze toward the point where the torrent of life force erupted.
Outside the Waterside Treehouse, branches and leaves spread wildly, countless emerald vines hanging down in twisting coils. Hundreds of buds, once tightly closed, now fully bloomed under the nourishment they had received.
What a close call! The Goddess of Justice breathed a sigh of relief.
It actually took this long? It seemed that her own lineage, once rooted in an ordinary serpent, still fell short compared to true divine beings.
After murmuring a few words, Samael casually took the clothes from the rack and dressed himself. Then, the ancient serpent picked up the lifeless shed skin lying on the floor, flicked it with a crooked finger, and chuckled softly.
Each time he molted, he underwent a transformation of staggering scale—both body and divinity evolving toward greater perfection.
Moments later, the door opened, and Themis stepped inside. Seeing Samael safe and unharmed, she finally let go of the tension in her chest.
"Leaving already?"
"Yes. I'll be taking them out. The safety of the Cilician Marshes will be in your hands."
The ancient serpent nodded in response. Watching the Goddess of Justice accept without a moment's hesitation, he felt a faint pang of guilt. His eyes lowered to the shed skin in his palm, and a smile curved at his lips.
"Before I leave, I'll give you a small gift."
Samael set the shed skin on the ground. Raising his hand, he curled his fingers until his own nails pierced the flesh of his palm. A drop of crimson-gold blood fell onto the skin.
At once, the gray scales regained their sheen, and the hollow cavity filled rapidly with flesh, bones, meridians, and organs.
Moments later, Samael regarded the black serpent, now a foot long. Though indistinguishable from a living creature, it remained still and unresponsive. After a moment's thought, he traced a chain of wedge-shaped runes in the air.
With a flick of his finger, a golden radiance wrapped in the runes sank into the serpent's skull.
Its eyes lit with intelligence, and at once the little creature began moving—shaking its head, wagging its tail, twisting in figure-eights and performing increasingly complex motions.
"Hmm, that should do it."
Samael nodded in satisfaction, guiding the creation, now imbued with a fragment of his own spirit, to swim to Themis's feet. It slithered up her arm with ease.
"While I'm away, consider this your pet. It will serve as the link between us."
"If anything happens, notify me immediately."
Themis gently stroked the serpent's small head, gave a light nod, and silently watched Samael prepare to leave.
Just as the ancient serpent reached the door, the Goddess of Justice bit her lips, unable to suppress her question.
"Can we truly establish a just order?"
"I don't know what true justice is either," Samael replied with a calm smile, "but I can promise you this—the future won't be worse than the present."
His gaze was steady, his resolve firm.
To break the law of the jungle, to restrain the gods, to build order for this world and allow law to exist and be enforced—this would be his offering to Themis.
Justice must remain flawless, without stain.
And so, it would be the serpent, symbol of vengeance and retribution, that brought the painful birth of change into this world.
Samael thought this quietly, waved his hand, and walked farther and farther away.