Silence descended after Lucifer fell.
His crimson eyes still haunted the air, and the shadow of those dark whispers seemed to linger somewhere nearby. Many gods bowed their heads—some murmured, some glanced around—but none dared shatter the oppressive atmosphere.
High above, Elyndo remained motionless. The light emanating from Him no longer carried warmth, but severity, coldness, forcing all to bow down.
Then His voice rang out, like a hammer striking down upon every soul:
"The first trial... is complete."
That resonance made many gods shudder. Those who had just escaped the forge of hell hadn't yet recovered. The rest clenched their fists, eyes tense with fear that their names would be called.
Elyndo's gaze swept across the ranks.
"Now comes the next. Whoever dares step forward, present yourself before me."
The invitation echoed. But no footsteps followed.
A few shifted slightly, then immediately retreated, not daring. The shadow of the previous trial still haunted their minds, rendering the entire group silent.
That moment stretched on, heavy as eons.
Finally, Elyndo nodded slightly.
"Then I shall choose."
He raised His hand. White streams of light gathered, spiraling in midair before shooting straight down.
Frigg.
Leviathan.
Along with several other gods who had never faced any trial.
All were immediately bound by the light, marked like prey with no escape.
"Wait...! Why me?" One god in the group cried out, voice lost in desperation.
But Elyndo did not answer.
The light tightened further. The ground beneath them emanated thick white mist, so dense that even the gods standing outside had to step back, raising hands to shield their eyes.
"Go." Elyndo's voice rang out—not loud, but enough to make all space tremble.
White mist surged, swallowing everything. Screams, roars, then all sound vanished.
...
When they opened their eyes, the chosen group stood in another world.
A vast valley stretched endlessly. Cracked earth and stone, thick gray clouds overhead. The wind carried the scent of ash and a bone-chilling cold.
And from everywhere... weeping echoed.
Not one voice, but hundreds, thousands blending together. The sobbing of mothers who'd lost children. The roars of warriors fallen in battle. The venomous curses of the betrayed. All crashed directly into their minds, making their hearts constrict.
"Monsters... what?" one god stammered, retreating, looking around.
But the shadowy figures emerging from the mist weren't like beasts. These were human shapes—gaunt, trembling, writhing in despair. Some clutched their heads weeping, some crawled on the ground, some pointed and cursed with hoarse voices.
Several gods immediately drew weapons, shouting:
"Get away! Don't come closer!"
The sound of metal tore through air, slashing down. But the shadowy forms only dispersed briefly, then regathered thicker, their weeping multiplying.
"No... the more we strike, the more they multiply!" one god screamed, face pale.
"Shut up! Keep slashing, they have to disappear!" another bellowed, swinging wildly. But each strike only made the screaming pierce louder, tearing through the mist, crashing down upon them.
The weeping transformed into mad howls, as if the entire valley seethed with resentment. Even the most aggressive ones trembled, retreating.
Amid that chaos, Frigg stood still.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, focused on a small soul kneeling prostrate on the ground.
A mother with tangled hair, gaunt frame, two hands still trembling as they clutched a bundle of tattered cloth to her chest.
Her hair matted into clumps, sticky with ash-dust and dried blood, hanging down to nearly cover her face. Each strand twisted, dry and brittle like barren roots torn from earth.
Her skin was deathly pale, spotted with bruises, stretched tight over a skeletal frame as if a strong wind could tear it apart.
Her entire body was small, hunched as if from cold, both arms trembling as they gripped a tattered cloth bundle, so worn that threads came loose, hanging down. Stains spread across the cloth like dried bloodstains.
She didn't roar like other souls, only sobbed brokenly, each breath stuttering like a dull blade scraping against a chest:
"Child... my child... return it to me... Please... it's so small... it never had time to call me... mother..."
That sound was weak, fragmented, but drove straight into the hearts of all gods standing nearby. Some turned away, not daring to look. Others trembled slightly, hands gripping weapons, but lacking courage to strike down.
"Child... return it to me... where is my child... it's so small... it never called me mother..."
Several gods shuddered, whispering:
"This isn't a monster... but..."
Before they could finish, Frigg had already stepped forward.
She knelt down, her hand gently placed on the soul's shoulder, warm enough that even the mist receded slightly. Frigg's eyes welled with tears, her voice trembling but soft as a lullaby:
"You have not lost it. You held it in your arms until the very last moment... I can feel the love you gave your child, stronger than any chains."
The soul looked up, clouded eyes streaming tears, voice hoarse in protest:
"No... you lie... I let it die... I heard it cry... it trembled in my arms... then fell silent... I couldn't protect it... I failed... I am a terrible mother..."
Frigg shook her head, tears falling onto those skeletal hands.
"No. You did not fail. You fought to shield it, you held it in your arms, even as your own life faded. What more could a mother do?"
The soul trembled, broken sobs bursting forth:
"But... but it never called me mother... not even once..."
Frigg smiled—painfully, but gently.
"Can you not hear? I hear its voice in your heart. It calls you with every teardrop, with every last heartbeat. It knew you were its mother, whether you heard it or not."
"Really... is it true...?" The soul's eyes blinked rapidly, trembling as if not daring to believe.
"Yes," Frigg affirmed, her voice embracing each fragment of that broken soul.
"Rest now. Do not bind yourself in this pain any longer. I will remember your name, remember your child, on behalf of all who have forgotten. You will not be alone anymore."
The soul froze. Those clouded eyes brightened briefly. From twisted lips, a trembling smile appeared. Her hands loosened the cloth bundle, letting it dissolve into small fragments of light floating upward, merging with her fading form.
In that moment, the entire valley fell silent. Only the cold wind blew through, like a lullaby for one final rest.
Not far away, another soul roared violently, its howl like thunder through the thick mist.
A warrior, body shattered, iron armor broken into rusted shards soaked in blood. A gaping hole gaped in his chest, from which thick black liquid oozed, dripping to the ground in droplets that hissed and smoked like acid eating away at earth.
His hands clawed at the ground, leaving long scorched trails. Iron chains—invisible—wrapped around his limbs; each struggle rang out with cold clanking sounds, like demonic laughter.
He roared, voice hoarse, mixed with blood and hatred:
"They betrayed me! My comrades... brothers I risked my life to protect... They abandoned me! They ran... left me to die alone in blood and mud!"
He laughed shrilly through clenched teeth, sound warped, mad:
"I saw them turn their backs! I saw them leave me! I called out... but not one looked back! Ha... HAHAHA! I will drag them all down here! They will know what hell is!"
His eyes burned red like smoldering coals, face twisted, tears and black blood mixing, streaming down his cheeks in sticky trails.
Iron chains tightened further, yanking him violently to the ground. But he still thrashed, roaring in pain and rage:
"Don't think you can stop me! This whole world will kneel at my feet! If I must scream, then all will scream with me! If I fall into the abyss, then everyone who abandoned me will die together!"
Several gods retreated further, grimacing at that howl.
Leviathan stepped forward. He didn't move slowly like Frigg, didn't bend to console. He stood straight, his large shadow falling over the screaming soul. His voice rang out—hoarse but firm—cutting through the weeping:
"You are dead. You no longer belong to the battlefield."
The warrior looked up, eyes blazing red, roaring like a beast:
"No! I'm not dead! I still hear my brothers shouting! I will tear them apart, I will—"
"Enough." Leviathan gripped the invisible chain coiling around the soul's body.
Metal screeched, clashing harshly.
"You were betrayed, but this hatred is only shackles imprisoning you in darkness. I will break it... and you will dissolve."
"No! Don't—DON'T!!"
A bone-chilling scream echoed throughout the valley.
Leviathan clenched harder.
A piercing crack rang out—the chain shattered. The soul's entire body exploded into black smoke, vanishing into nothingness.
Silence.
But unlike the soul Frigg freed, this warrior's face showed no smile. His eyes glared with hatred until the moment of disappearance.
A god standing outside whispered, voice trembling:
"He did free it... but so cold. Like it was just erased from existence..."
Frigg glanced over. Her eyes met Leviathan's across the mist. One side compassion, the other cold decisiveness.
Both freed souls. But the aftermath left behind was completely different.
The weeping hadn't fully faded when other shadowy forms began stirring. From within the thick mist, countless distorted shapes rose again. Some roared, some shrieked, some only stared blankly with hollow eye sockets. Those sounds overlapped, crashing into ears like an unending tide.
No one was permitted rest. The trial continued—merciless and unrelenting.
A towering god, shoulders broad as boulders, stepped forward. The armor on his body gleamed with cold blue light, his hand gripping a heavy warhammer, its head carved with ancient runes. His eyes flashed with arrogance, voice booming like thunder:
"Let me see what these souls have to fear! They are merely remnants of the weak!"
The surrounding gods remained silent, none stopping him. Some retreated further, others watched with doubtful eyes.
The towering god didn't hesitate. He raised his hammer high, divine power surging around its head like lightning, then slammed straight down at a trembling shadow before him.
The sound of metal striking rang throughout the valley, shaking the very mist. But the hammer only passed through the ethereal smoke. The soul dispersed briefly, as if blown by wind, then slowly reformed. Not just reformed, but denser, thicker, as if that strike hadn't destroyed anything, only awakened something dormant.
From within that form, dozens of voices rang out simultaneously. Not one voice, but an entire mad chorus, overlapping like surging waves:
"I love you! I love you more than my own life!"
"I hate you! I want to tear you apart piece by piece!"
"Why did you leave me? Why won't you come back?"
"Don't go! Please don't go! I'll do anything!"
"I will kill you! I will kill them all! You don't deserve happiness while I suffer!"
Each statement contradicted the others horrifically. Some whispered gentle as night wind, some roared mad as beasts, some sobbed choking tears, some laughed shrilly like cutting blades. All merged into a suffocating mass of sound, without rhythm, without logic, only pure chaos.
The towering god staggered, hammer dropping to the ground with a heavy thud. He clutched his head, eyes bulging, mouth open but unable to speak. Sweat poured down his face, that once-massive frame suddenly seeming small.
"Be quiet... All of you be quiet! What... what are you doing to me?!"
But the voices didn't stop. They grew louder, closer, drilling straight into his head like worms boring into his brain. Fragmented memories flooded his mind like a broken dam. He saw himself embracing someone, eyes full of love, lips whispering promises. Then instantly that image shattered, replaced by the scene of himself stabbing a knife into that person's back, blood spraying, agonized screams echoing.
He saw himself laughing, laughing triumphantly in victory. Then the image blurred, and he was crying, kneeling collapsed in ash, screaming in despair. He saw himself as savior, reaching out to help a child. Then the image inverted, and he was the murderer, strangling that same child, watching its eyes dim.
No boundary remained between real and false. No boundary between his own memories and those of others. Everything mixed into chaos, tearing his mind apart piece by piece.
"This... this isn't me! I didn't do these things! I didn't... I didn't..."
His voice weakened. His large frame trembled violently. The light in his eyes faded, replaced by emptiness.
"I... who am I? Who am I?"
That final question echoed out, then was swallowed.
"Ah... AAAAAHHH!"
The scream tore through space, but lasted only a brief moment. The large form gradually dissolved like snow in sunlight. The armor fell to the ground with clanging sounds, then also faded, disappearing. The heavy hammer rolled briefly, then dissolved into thin smoke.
Only the cold wind remained, piercing.
Silence pressed down upon all remaining divine beings.
The gods retreated further, none daring to advance. Some swallowed hard, some gripped weapons until nails dug into flesh. All eyes fell upon the soul of fractured memories, now much larger after devouring a god.
It was no longer a vague shadow. It had become an entire black vortex, tall as an ancient tree, spinning slowly. Inside the vortex, countless faces flickered, each with different expressions. Some laughing, some crying, some screaming, some paralyzed. All were distorted, not one face complete.
No one dared move.
But Frigg did not retreat.
She stepped forward, each step slow, steady. Gentle light around her body pulsed with each breath. Her eyes looked straight into the vortex, unwavering, unafraid. On her arms, wounds from before still bled, but she paid no mind.
A few gods whispered:
"She's mad... That god was just devoured..."
"She'll die... No one can face that thing..."
But Frigg didn't stop.
She approached the vortex closely, near enough that the surrounding mist swept through her hair. Cold wind from within blew out, making her hair flutter, but her feet remained steady.
The soul of fractured memories sensed her. The vortex spun faster, faces within turning toward Frigg. Voices rang out again, but different this time. Not mad screaming, but trembling, weak:
"You... you will also vanish like him... I will devour you... I will turn you into a fragment within me... Then you too will forget yourself... You will become me... and I will become you... and we will be no one at all..."
That voice sounded more sorrowful than fierce. More desperate than threatening.
Frigg didn't answer immediately. She just stood there, listening. Letting each voice ring out, letting each word touch her.
Then from within the vortex, other voices emerged, overlapping, anguished:
"I once loved someone... I loved them more than my own life... I was willing to die for them..."
"No! I hate that person! They betrayed me! Stabbed me in the back! I want to kill them a thousand times!"
"But I still love... Even hating, I still love... Why do I still love when I hate so much?"
"I don't know anymore... I don't know what I feel... I only know pain... Pain without end... Pain every second..."
"Who am I? If I both love and hate, then who am I? If I want to save and also want to kill, then what am I?"
"Who will tell me... Who am I...?"
That final question rang out, small, weak as a lost child's cry.
Frigg closed her eyes briefly, then opened them. Tears streamed down her face, but her voice remained steady, warm:
"You are everything you have ever experienced."
The vortex shook violently.
Frigg continued, voice gentler, as if lullabying someone:
"You are both love and hatred. You are both joy and pain. You are both good and evil. All of it is you, and there is nothing wrong with that."
"No!" The vortex screamed, faces within twisting violently. "They contradict! They tear me apart! How can I be both? How can I both love and hate? Want to save and want to kill? I cannot be both! I will shatter!"
"You can," Frigg said, voice resolute. "Because you are a soul. You are allowed to contradict. You are allowed to love and hate simultaneously. You are allowed to remember and forget. You are allowed to forgive and resent. All of it is you. And you don't need to choose one side."
She reached out slowly, gently, as if afraid to break something fragile.
"Let me embrace all those broken pieces. I will not judge you. I will not force you to choose. I only want... you to find peace. You have suffered too long."
Her voice caught, tears flowing more.
"I know you are weary. I know you don't want to fight anymore. I know you only want to rest. So let me help you."
The vortex hesitated. Faces within slowly shifted, turning toward Frigg. Some still twisted, still crying. But some... began to soften. Empty eyes began to glimmer with small light.
Then from within the vortex, a small hand, skeletal and thin, reached out. Five fingers trembling, uncertain. Then another hand. Then more. Then dozens, hundreds of hands, all reaching toward Frigg, like children begging to be held.
Frigg showed no fear. She stepped in, right into the vortex, letting those hands touch her. They clutched her sleeves, pulling. They gripped her hands, squeezing. They clung to her shoulders, her hair, her arms.
Some gentle. But others clawed, sharp nails scratching through skin, leaving long wounds. Blood flowed down, dripping to the ground. But Frigg didn't retreat. She stood still, arms spread wide, embracing all.
"I remember you," she whispered, voice trembling. "I remember everything you once were. I remember both the good and the bad. I remember when you loved and when you hated. I remember all."
She held tighter, though in pain, though blood flowed more.
"You don't need to be perfect. You don't need to be only good or only evil. You only need to be yourself. And I will remember you as such."
Light from her body spread, gentle as morning mist. It didn't burn, didn't erase, only embraced, enveloped. Light seeped into every crevice of the vortex, touching each face, each hand.
Each face within the vortex began to change. Distorted features gradually softened. Empty eyes began to moisten. Then one by one, each face smiled. Not happy smiles, but relieved ones, as if a final burden was released.
Hands gripping Frigg gradually loosened. They no longer clawed, only caressed, gentle as wordless thanks.
And finally, the entire vortex dissolved into countless small lights, each one floating up high, hovering in midair, then slowly disappearing into the mist.
The weeping ceased. Only gentle wind remained, carrying warmth.
Frigg stood in the valley center, blood still flowing from wounds on her arms, shoulders, face. Her long robe torn in many places, stained red. But she still stood straight, still smiled.
The witnessing gods stood frozen. Silence stretched, heavy. Then someone whispered, voice trembling:
"She... she saved a soul that god couldn't even touch... With only words... and compassion..."
Another silently knelt, bowing.
"I... I couldn't do that... If it were me, I would have fled..."
A few others also knelt, unbidden, but all felt the need to bow before something greater than power.
But the weeping hadn't fully ended. The trial wasn't over.
Not far away, Leviathan stood before something completely different.
Not a soul with clear human or beast form. But a massive lump of flesh, half a person's height, wide as a large boulder. Its surface wrinkled, wet, streaked with black viscous fluid. Its flesh had no fixed color—sometimes deep red like clotted blood, sometimes deathly pale like corpses, sometimes gray murky like pus.
It constantly convulsed, deforming. From within, large lumps rose, swelling as if about to burst, then deflating, leaving deep hollows. Then rising elsewhere, repeating endlessly.
From within the flesh mass, strange sounds emerged. Chewing, swallowing, digesting. Something being torn apart, dissolving, melting. Those sounds wet, sticky, making listeners shudder.
And the smell. Rot emanated from it, so thick it was nearly tangible. Decaying organs, congealed blood, dripping pus, excrement, sweat, the smell of death slowly decomposing in heat. All mixed into a horrific stench, making the air feel viscous.
Several nearby gods covered their noses, turning away, eyes watering. Some couldn't help but bend over and vomit. Others retreated further, not daring to look.
The flesh mass had no eyes to see, no nose to smell, no ears to hear. But it knew Leviathan was there. It sensed his presence like prey sensing predator.
It convulsed more violently. From within, lumps rose larger, more numerous. The skin surface stretched until nearly bursting. From small cracks, black fluid oozed drop by drop, falling to ground, smoking furiously, corroding earth and stone, leaving scorched black trails.
Then from a large crack at the center, like a toothless mouth, it vomited a stream of black fluid, viscous, sticky. The fluid flowed to the ground, spreading, smoking violently. The earth touching it immediately bubbled, melted, becoming black quagmire.
A god standing distant shouted, voice choked:
"Don't touch it! That thing will corrode everything! It will burn through your very body!"
But Leviathan didn't retreat. He stepped forward, each step slow, steady. His eyes looked straight at the flesh mass, cold as ice, not a hint of emotion showing.
His voice rang out, deep, without a tremor:
"You are nothing anymore."
The flesh mass groaned louder, as if protesting. It convulsed violently, vomiting more black fluid from within, more of it, flowing toward Leviathan like a black tide.
Leviathan didn't move. He just stood there, looking down at the approaching black fluid. Then he continued, voice unwavering:
"You are only a soulless lump of flesh. No thought, no memory, no dreams. Only base instincts: eat, grow, devour. You writhe in meaningless pain, not knowing why you hurt, not knowing why you live."
The flesh mass swelled, as if angry. From within, the groaning became screaming, warped, wordless.
Leviathan frowned, voice colder:
"You want to live. But you no longer know what living is. You only know pain. And the more you live, the more you hurt. So what is the point of living?"
He raised his hand, slowly, decisively. Divine power surged around his hand, not warm gentle light like Frigg's, but freezing air sharp as blades. The surrounding air froze, white mist rising from his hand.
"I will end that pain. Not because you beg. But because you are no longer worth existing."
He clenched his fist.
The flesh mass suddenly shrank, as if gripped by invisible force from all sides. The groaning became a shrill cry, then gradually faded. The black fluid stopped flowing, freezing midstream, becoming black shards. The lumps stopped rising, the skin surface hardening like stone.
The surrounding air turned bone-chilling cold. The gods' breath formed white mist. Some shivered, clutching their robes.
Then with a small crack, crisp and clean, the flesh mass split. From one small crack, spreading into hundreds of crisscrossing fractures like a web. Cold light emanated from the crevices.
And finally, the entire flesh mass shattered into small pieces, falling to the ground, smoking white, then vanishing completely. Not a trace remained. Only the scorched black earth from the earlier fluid.
Heavy silence.
Leviathan lowered his hand, turning away. His face showed no emotion. No joy in victory, no relief in completion. Only coldness, emptiness.
He walked on, saying nothing more.
The distant gods watched, then looked at each other. None dared speak immediately. Then someone whispered cautiously:
"So quick... So clean... Nothing left..."
Another nodded, but voice hesitant:
"But... too cruel. Not like how Frigg did it. No light. No comfort. No smile."
"It died. But... more like being erased than being freed."
"Only the ending. Cold. As if it never existed."
Another god shook his head, voice dropping:
"If it were Frigg... she might have done differently. Might have spoken more gently, might have... embraced it, even as repulsive as it was."
"Yes, she might have... But he is not her."
Leviathan heard everything. Though far away, though their voices were whispers, he heard every word, every syllable. His steps paused one beat, barely noticeable. His shoulders tensed, his hand clenched, nails digging into palm.
But he didn't turn back. Didn't answer. Didn't explain. He only continued walking, disappearing into the thick mist.
But inside, something began gnawing. Something dark, heavy, like a serpent coiled in his gut, slowly tightening.
Why?
Why was only Frigg praised?
Why didn't anyone see he was also saving them? He was also freeing them from pain?
Why did everyone kneel before her, but retreat when seeing him?
Why...?
That question had no answer. It only circled in his mind, repeating endlessly.
And from somewhere in deep darkness, a familiar voice whispered, soft as night wind:
"Do you see? No matter what you do, they only see her. No matter how strong you are, they only praise her. You are merely the shadow, while she is the light."
Leviathan clenched his fist tighter. Blood seeped from his palm where nails dug in.
But he didn't answer. Not yet. Not now.
The trial continued. And the next souls were waiting, hidden in the murky white mist, crying, moaning, calling for help.
Both Frigg and Leviathan knew. They still had much to do. Still many souls to free.
But the distance between them, between their two approaches, was growing wider. And in the darkness, something was silently stirring, waiting for the moment to ignite.
From within the mist, new sounds emerged. This time not mad roaring, not pained moaning.
But the crying of children.
Many voices. Overlapping. Sobbing, whimpering, choking. That crying echoed throughout the valley, heartbreakingly pitiful.
The surrounding gods raised their heads, searching for the sound. A few exchanged worried glances.
"Children...? Why are there children here...?"
From within the white mist, small shadows began appearing. One by one, at first vague, then gradually clearer. They crawled on the ground, unable to walk, only crawl. Movements slow, clumsy, like newborns who didn't yet know how to stand.
But when they crawled out from the mist, all divine beings shuddered.
They were not normal human children.
Each was horrifically deformed. One had three arms—two from shoulders, one growing from mid-back. One had four legs, but the rear two bent backwards, dragging crawling on ground. One had two heads joined on one neck, two mouths crying together, two pairs of eyes looking in different directions.
One had no arms, only two legs from shoulders, forced to crawl using legs. One had no legs, only torso, forced to drag itself with skeletal arms. One had eyes growing on its belly, mouth on forehead.
Their skin deathly pale, wan as corpses. Some had open wounds, blood flowing. Some had bones protruding through skin. All skeletal thin, bellies sunken, ribs showing clearly.
They crawled toward the gods, crawling and crying, raising hands up, as if begging to be held, lifted, sheltered.
"Mother... Mother... Where is mother...?"
"So cold... I'm so cold... Hold me, mother..."
"Don't leave me... Don't leave me alone..."
Their voices tender, weak, painfully sorrowful.
A young god, face still youthful, looked down at the approaching children. He hesitated, stepping back. But one three-armed child crawled faster, grabbing his ankle, hugging tight, crying:
"Mother... Has mother come back...? I'm so scared... I'm scared, mother..."
The young god trembled, looking down at the deformed child gripping his leg. The child's eyes looked up, clear, tear-filled. Though deformed, though horrifying, those eyes were still just the eyes of a frightened child, needing shelter.
The young god swallowed, trying to stay calm. He bent down slightly, voice trembling:
"I... I will help you... Don't be afraid..."
He reached down, intending to lift the child.
But the moment his hand touched the child's flesh, a freezing sensation spread. Not ordinary cold, but cold penetrating to the bone, as if all warmth in his body was being drained.
The child looked up. Those clear eyes suddenly darkened. Its mouth opened wide, sharp teeth flashing, then bit straight into his wrist.
"AAAHH!"
The young god screamed, jerking his hand back. But the child held tight, teeth sinking deep into flesh, not letting go. Blood sprayed, staining the child's face. It drank greedily, swallowing gulp after gulp, eyes glowing madly.
"Let go! Let me go!"
The young god thrashed, but uselessly. The other children heard the scream, simultaneously crawling faster, swarming over. They climbed onto him, grabbing legs, arms, shoulders, neck. Small mouths opened wide, revealing sharp teeth, biting everywhere.
"Save me! Someone save me!"
But no one dared approach. The other gods retreated, watching the horrific scene unfold. The young god thrashed, screamed, but the more he struggled, the tighter the children held, the deeper they bit.
Blood flowed profusely to the ground. His form gradually collapsed, weakening. Screams diminished to moans, then silence.
The deformed children continued tearing, devouring. Chewing sounds rang out in terrible silence. In moments, nothing remained but a spreading black bloodstain on the ground.
The children turned back, mouths stained with blood, but still crying. Still raising hands, begging.
"Mother... I'm so hungry... Feed me... Don't leave me, mother..."
No one dared move. No one dared approach.
But Frigg did not retreat.
She stepped forward, each step slow, steady. Light around her body pulsed gently. The gods turned to look at her, some shouting:
"Don't! They'll kill you! They already killed someone!"
But Frigg didn't stop. She continued forward until standing right before the deformed children. They looked up at her, mouths bloodied, but eyes still full of tears.
"Mother... Will you leave us...?"
Frigg knelt down. She showed no fear, no hesitation. She only knelt, spreading her arms wide, voice gentle:
"I won't leave you."
The children hesitated. One slowly crawled closer, raising a hand to touch hers, testing, as if afraid she would strike. But Frigg didn't strike. She only gently grasped that small hand, caressing it.
"You're very hungry, aren't you?"
The child nodded, tears streaming. The others also nodded, crying louder.
"I'm hungry... So hungry... No one feeds me... I have to eat... I don't want to eat people... But I'm so hungry..."
Frigg embraced the nearest child, pulling it to her chest. The child trembled, as if disbelieving. It slightly opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth, but hesitated, not biting. Frigg stroked its head, voice soft as wind:
"I know you hurt. I know you're afraid. I know you were abandoned. But you don't need to eat flesh anymore. Let me give you something else. Something warmer. Something that won't hurt you anymore."
Light from her body spread, gently enveloping the child in her arms. Not blinding light, but only warm, gentle as morning sunlight. The child trembled, mouth slowly closing. Sharp teeth vanished, leaving only a small smile.
The other children saw this, simultaneously crawling over, embracing Frigg, clinging to her clothes, shoulders, hair. Some still clawed, sharp nails scratching through her skin. Blood flowed, dripping to the ground. But Frigg didn't push them away. She only held tighter, embracing all, even the most deformed.
"I hold you. I won't leave you. No matter how you look, you are still just children. And children need to be loved."
Her voice caught, tears streaming down, falling onto the children's heads.
"I'm sorry. Sorry you had to suffer like this. Sorry no one held you. But I'm here now. I will hold you. I will remember you."
Light spread stronger, enveloping all the children. They no longer clawed. They only burst into tears, sobbing, crying as if releasing all accumulated pain.
"Mother... Mother... I love you..."
"Don't leave me... Don't leave me again..."
Frigg held tighter, her blood staining the children, but she didn't let go. She sang a lullaby, voice trembling:
"Sleep now... Sleep, my children... Mother is here... Mother won't go anywhere..."
One by one, the deformed children began to fade. The deformities on their bodies disappeared, leaving normal shapes of children. They smiled, closed their eyes, then became light, floating up high, vanishing into the mist.
Only Frigg remained kneeling in the valley center, blood covering her body, but she still smiled.
The witnessing gods stood motionless, none speaking. One person knelt down, silently. Then another. Then more. Until nearly all bowed their heads.
No one spoke. But everyone understood.
This was true compassion.
Frigg slowly stood, blood still flowing from fresh wounds. She looked around, seeing the kneeling gods, seeing their eyes full of respect, emotion. She smiled faintly but said nothing. She only wiped her tears, then turned to look toward the mist.
The trial wasn't over. Weeping still echoed distantly, somewhere in the valley.
One god stood up, voice trembling:
"She... she did what no one thought possible... Those children, no one dared touch them, but she..."
"She embraced them. Though injured, though they tore at her, she still embraced them."
A few exchanged glances, then nodded together. Without words, all sensed it: Frigg was proving herself worthy of the Temple of Kindness.
But not far away, another sound rang out. Completely different.
A hiss. Long, sharp and cold, like metal scraping metal.
The gods who were about to continue praising Frigg jolted, turning toward the sound. Their faces paled instantly. Everyone fell silent, no one mentioning Frigg anymore.
"Something... something's coming..."
"That sound... I've heard it... But it can't be..."
The hiss rang out again, louder, closer. Making earth and stone tremble. Making the air feel thick. Some gods hurriedly retreated, gripping weapons.
From the opposite side where Frigg stood, the thick mist began swirling. Something was emerging from within. Something massive. Something dangerous.
A colossal shadow gradually appeared through the white mist. At first only vague, but with each passing second, it became clearer, closer.
Frigg also turned to look, eyes grave. She wasn't afraid, but she knew. The next soul wouldn't be as easy as those she'd faced.
And when it stepped fully out from the white mist, all divine beings stood frozen, none daring to breathe.
A giant serpent. No, not one. Three. Three heads sprouting from one body long as a mountain.
Each head large as a house, black-green scales gleaming, eyes red as burning coals. Three mouths opened wide, revealing curved fangs long as swords, dripping murky green venom that fell to the ground, hissing and smoking, corroding earth and stone.
The serpent's body undulated, each vertebra protruding clearly beneath peeling skin. Scales fell loose, leaving patches of exposed flesh, black blood flowing. Its entire body covered in wounds—some deep to bone, some rotting with pus—but it still lived, still moved, still hissed in pain.
The three heads turned in different directions, each crying out different sounds. The center head wailed long, like mourning. The left head shrieked madly, like savage laughter. The right head moaned, like weak pleading.
"Kill... kill me..."
"No! I don't want to die! I want to live!"
"Pain... so much pain... please end this..."
Three voices overlapping, contradicting horrifically. The three heads turned to look at each other, mouths opening as if to bite, but stopping, only hissing in frustration.
A towering god, holding a long spear, voice trembling:
"That... that's the Three-Headed Hydra... Divine beast that once guarded the gates of the Deep Abyss... How is it here...?"
Another god shook his head, voice choked:
"No longer a divine beast... Only a soul... And it's suffering..."
All divine attention immediately shifted. No one looked toward Frigg anymore. No one mentioned what she'd just done. All eyes poured toward the colossal monster slowly crawling closer.
The Three-Headed Hydra dragged its heavy body, leaving a long trail of black blood on the ground. Three heads looked toward the gods, three pairs of red eyes flashing with mad light.
Then without warning, the center head lunged straight at the nearest god. Mouth gaping, fangs gleaming.
"AAAHH!"
That god only managed one scream before being swallowed whole into the hydra's mouth. Bones cracking echoed, blood spraying everywhere. The center head raised up, swallowing heavily, then opened its mouth, roaring long:
"Delicious... So delicious... I want more... I want more!"
But immediately, the left head turned and bit into the center head's neck, roaring:
"You killed someone! You're a murderer! I hate you!"
The center head thrashed, biting back:
"Shut up! I'm hungry! I need to eat!"
The right head wept miserably:
"Don't... don't kill anymore... I don't want to kill... I don't want..."
The three heads tore and bit at each other, black blood spraying from new wounds. The hydra's entire body writhed, slamming into the ground, creating deep cracks.
The gods panicked, scattering. Some stumbled, swept away by the serpent's body, flung far. Some tried swinging weapons at the serpent's body, but only left small scratches, achieving nothing.
The Three-Headed Hydra turned to pursue, three heads opening mouths, hissing together.
But one figure stepped out, standing between the hydra and the fleeing gods.
Leviathan.
He stood straight in the valley center, far from Frigg, on the other side. Not afraid at all. His eyes looked straight at the three approaching heads, cold as ice.
The three heads stopped, looking at him. Then hissed simultaneously:
"Move aside! Let me eat!"
"You want to die too? Then die!"
"Please... please don't hit me... I'm already in pain... I don't want more pain..."
Leviathan didn't answer. He only slowly raised his hand, divine power surging around it, freezing cold, sharp as blades.
His voice rang out deep, decisive:
"Three heads. Three wills. Three souls in one body. You can never be united. Then there's only one way."
The center head roared:
"What are you going to do? You dare strike me?"
The left head laughed shrilly:
"Kill it! Tear it apart!"
The right head cried:
"No... don't fight anymore... I'm tired..."
Leviathan clenched his fist.
"I will sever."
Divine power shot forth like an invisible blade, slashing straight at the center head's neck. Black blood sprayed like a fountain, the serpent head shrieking horribly, but too late. The neck severed, head falling to the ground with a heavy thud, rolling, then silent.
The hydra's body writhed, slamming hard into the ground. The two remaining heads screamed:
"No! You killed it! You killed part of me!"
"Good! Kill them all! Kill everything!"
Leviathan didn't hesitate. He swung again, the invisible blade slashing down once more. The left head severed, blood spurting. Only the right head remained, the one crying.
It looked at Leviathan, tears streaming from red eyes, voice trembling:
"Thank... you... I... I can finally rest..."
Leviathan raised his hand one last time. But this time, his voice slightly softer:
"You won't hurt anymore."
The blade slashed down. The final head fell, gentler than the previous two. The entire hydra body gradually vanished, becoming black smoke, floating up, then disappearing.
Silence.
Leviathan lowered his hand, turning away. His face showed no emotion.
The distant gods watched, none speaking immediately. Then someone whispered, voice trembling:
"He... he killed it... So fast... No negotiation, no comfort... Just killed..."
Another nodded:
"But... perhaps that was the only way. Three heads couldn't live together. They would suffer forever..."
"Yes... But still seems... cruel. If it were Frigg, she might have done differently. Might have spoken with them, helped them understand each other..."
"But he's not Frigg. He only knows how to sever. Only knows how to end."
Leviathan heard. His steps paused one brief beat. His hand clenched, nails digging into flesh. But he didn't turn back, didn't answer.
He only continued walking, disappearing into the mist.
But inside, the serpent of envy coiled tighter.
Why?
Why did they always compare him to Frigg?
Why didn't they see he was also saving?
He had ended the pain. But no one thanked. No one knelt. Only doubtful, fearful eyes.
Why...?
Leviathan stepped out from the mist, body still stained with the hydra's black blood. He didn't look back at the three serpent corpses dissolving behind him. He only walked straight, eyes forward, cold, empty.
But inside, the serpent of envy coiled tighter with each turn.
He heard. Heard all their whispers. Heard how they compared him to Frigg. Heard how they praised her while dismissing him.
Why?
He had freed the hydra. He had ended the suffering of three conflicting souls. He had done what needed doing.
But no one thanked. No one knelt. Only fearful, doubting eyes.
His steps halted.
Ahead, the mist suddenly parted, revealing a wide empty space. No more weeping, no more moaning. Only silence. Suffocating silence.
Leviathan frowned. He sensed something wrong. The surrounding air too quiet. Too abnormal.
Then from within the mist ahead, a figure slowly stepped out.
Tall as him. Shoulders broad as his. Walking like him.
Leviathan stood still, eyes narrowing.
The figure stepped fully out from the white mist. And when dim light fell upon it, Leviathan saw the face clearly.
Himself.
Another Leviathan stood before him. Identical in every feature, every line on the face, every hair strand, every scar. Even the eyes identical. Cold, empty, full of resentment.
But one difference.
The shadow was smiling. A twisted smile, full of mockery.
Leviathan didn't move. He only stood there, staring at his copy. His voice low:
"Who are you?"
The shadow laughed louder, voice identical to Leviathan's but with something warped:
"Who am I? I am you. I am what you dare not admit. I am what you hide inside."
Leviathan clenched his fist:
"I have nothing to hide."
"Nothing?" The shadow tilted its head, smile widening. "Then why do you clench your fist so hard? Why do you stand here, instead of stepping forward? What are you afraid of, Leviathan?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Not afraid?" The shadow stepped closer. "But your heart races. Your hands tremble. You're afraid... afraid to see yourself."
Leviathan didn't answer. He only stood still, but his body tensed further.
The shadow continued forward, each step slow, gait identical to Leviathan's. It stopped right before him, only a few paces away. Eyes looked straight into Leviathan's eyes, like a reflecting mirror.
"I know what you're thinking," the shadow whispered, voice soft as night wind. "You're thinking about her, aren't you? About Frigg. About how everyone kneels before her. About how they praise her. About how they love her."
Leviathan clenched harder, blood seeping from his palm.
"You're jealous of her," the shadow continued, voice like blades cutting into his mind. "You're jealous because she has everything you don't. You're jealous because no matter what you do, they only see her. You're jealous because you also free, also save them, but no one remembers you."
"Be quiet."
"Why should I?" The shadow smirked. "This is truth. You envy. You want to be praised like her. You want everyone to kneel before you like they kneel before her. You want them to look at you with respect, emotion, not fear, doubt."
"BE QUIET!"
Leviathan roared, swinging his arm out, divine power surging like a storm. But the shadow didn't waver. It only stood there, smiling, letting the divine power sweep through without effect.
"You can't erase me," the shadow said calmly. "Because I am you. You can't erase yourself."
Leviathan panted, chest heaving. He looked at the shadow, eyes reddening:
"I'm not envious. I just... I just do what needs doing."
"Yes, you do what needs doing," the shadow nodded, but still smiled mockingly. "You free them. You end their pain. You sever, break, crush. You do all that. But why doesn't anyone thank you? Why doesn't anyone praise you?"
Leviathan didn't answer. He only stood there, breathing heavily.
The shadow stepped even closer, right up to his face, voice whispering like venom:
"Because you're not Frigg. You don't have compassion. You only have power. And power... doesn't make anyone love you. Power only makes them fear. Power only makes them avoid you."
"But you want to be loved, don't you?" The shadow tilted its head, eyes gleaming. "You want them to look at you like they look at Frigg. You want them to smile at you, instead of trembling. You want to be embraced, caressed, told 'you did well'."
"But you'll never have that," the shadow sneered, voice full of poison. "Because you are Leviathan. You are a monster. You are a killer. You are the shadow while she is light. And light always conquers shadow. Always more beloved than shadow."
Leviathan trembled, entire body. Not from fear, but from rage, from pain, from despair. He roared:
"I'm not a monster! I'm also saving them! I'm also freeing them!"
"Yes, you're saving them," the shadow nodded, voice terrifyingly gentle. "But no one wants to be saved by you. They want to be saved by Frigg. Because she embraces them. She mourns them. She cries for them. And you? You only kill them. Even if it's freedom, you're still just a killer."
"NO!"
Leviathan lunged forward, hand clenched, ready to crush the shadow. But the moment his hand touched it, the shadow dissolved into smoke, then reformed behind him.
"You can't touch me," the shadow's voice rang from behind. "Because I'm not here. I'm inside you. I am what you dare not see."
Leviathan spun around, but the shadow had vanished. Only laughter echoed through space:
"You envy, Leviathan. You envy Frigg. You want to become her. Or... you want her to disappear. So no one gets praised. So only you remain."
"NO! I DON'T WANT—"
"Yes," the shadow's voice cut in, now coming from all directions. "You do. Deep down, you want her gone. You want her to fail. You want everyone to see she's not perfect. So they'll turn to look at you. So they'll see you're also worthy."
"That is envy, Leviathan. That is Envy."
"NO!!!"
Leviathan swung his arms up, divine power exploding throughout the valley. Freezing light tore through the mist, smashing into earth and stone, creating deep cracks. The sound boomed like thunder.
But the laughter didn't stop. Still echoed. Still clung to him.
"You can't destroy me. Because I am you. I will forever be here, inside you, reminding you of what you'll never have."
Then finally, the laughter faded, vanishing into nothingness.
Silence returned.
Leviathan knelt in the valley center, panting, entire body drenched in sweat and blood. His hands clawed deep into earth, nails scraping stone, leaving long trails.
He didn't roar anymore. He only knelt there, silent, but tears streamed down. Not tears of pain, but tears of rage, despair.
Because he knew.
The shadow spoke truth.
He envied. He was jealous. He wanted to be like Frigg.
And that... made him hate himself.
The distant gods watched, none daring approach. They witnessed everything. Witnessed Leviathan roaring, thrashing, kneeling. Witnessed him fighting himself.
But no one praised. No one knelt. They only stood silent, watching with bewildered, frightened eyes.
Someone whispered:
"He... what is he fighting...?"
Another shook their head:
"I don't know... But he looks... so anguished..."
"Perhaps... perhaps he's also enduring his own trial..."
But no one stepped forward to comfort. No one reached out to help.
They only stood distant, and waited.
And in deep darkness, a familiar voice chuckled softly, satisfied:
"Well done, Leviathan. You're beginning to understand. You're beginning to see truth. And when you accept it... you will belong to me."
Leviathan slowly stood. Movements sluggish, heavy, as if his entire body had just gained an invisible burden.
He wiped tears with the back of his hand, movements rough, as if wanting to erase that weak evidence. But the wetness remained, on cheeks, on chin. He couldn't erase it.
He turned to look toward the distant gods. They looked at him, but no one approached. No one asked. They only stood there, silent, with eyes... pitying.
Pity.
Leviathan hated that gaze more than fearful eyes.
He turned away, not looking at them anymore. He walked on, each step heavy, vanishing into the mist. No one stopped. No one called. They only let him go, as if relieved he was leaving.
And inside Leviathan, the serpent of envy was no longer small. It had grown. It had tightened. It had begun devouring his heart from within.
But he could do nothing else. He could only keep walking. Only continue.
Because the trial wasn't over.
And he still had to prove himself. Though no one believed. Though no one praised. He still had to prove he was worthy.
Not far away, Frigg also sensed it. She turned to look toward where Leviathan had vanished, eyes worried. She couldn't see clearly what had happened, but she sensed the pain. Deep pain, from a soul struggling in darkness.
She sighed softly, then turned back forward. The mist remained thick.
A roar rang out from within the mist, shaking the very ground. The gods who were about to approach Frigg jolted, turning toward the sound.
From within the thick white mist, a colossal shadow gradually appeared. At first only vague form, but with each step it took, the shape became clearer.
A lion. No, not an ordinary lion. It was massive as a small mountain, shoulders high as three people stacked. Thick mane hung down to the ground, but every strand withered, blood-matted, tangled as if never groomed for millennia.
Its body skeletal thin. Ribs protruding clearly, skin stretched tight over bones, wrinkled like crumpled paper. Four legs massive but trembling, each step difficult, as if about to collapse any moment.
Its body covered in gaping wounds. Some deep to bone, some festering with pus, some burned black. Dried blood stained the yellowed fur, turning it into a horrific brown-red mass.
But most terrifying were the eyes.
Eyes once majestic, once gleaming with pride, now only empty, clouded as if veiled. It looked toward the gods but seemed to see nothing. It only roared, roared long, roared in pain, as if begging for something it couldn't voice.
"That... that's the Wild Lion King..." a god whispered, voice trembling. "Divine beast that once ruled the endless grasslands... How did it become like this...?"
The colossal lion stopped, standing in the valley center. It didn't look directly at anyone, only turned its head back and forth, as if searching for something. Mouth opened, revealing broken teeth, withered tongue. It roared again, this time sounding like weeping:
"Hungry... so hungry... Someone... feed me... I don't want to be hungry anymore..."
A young god, holding a sword, swallowed hard. He glanced at his companions, then turned to the lion. His eyes flashed with determination. He stepped forward, voice trembling but trying to stay firm:
"I... I will free you. You've suffered enough."
The lion didn't react. It only stood there, roaring miserably.
The young god gripped his sword, taking a few more steps. He inhaled deeply, preparing to raise the sword, aiming at the lion's neck, planning to give it one quick strike to end the pain.
"I will give you rest—"
But the moment he raised his sword, the lion suddenly whipped its head around. Those clouded eyes suddenly blazed, red as blood. Mouth gaped wide, roaring—no longer pleading, but mad howling.
"NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT!"
It lunged with horrifying speed, nothing like a weakened beast. Massive claws like blades swung down.
"AAAHH—"
The young god only managed one cry before the lion's claws struck his chest. Bones shattering echoed. His body flew back, smashing into a boulder behind, blood spraying. Before he could even collapse, the lion had lunged, mouth gaping to bite straight into his neck, tearing it open.
Blood flowed in torrents. Bones cracking, flesh tearing, chewing sounds rang out in terrible silence.
The other gods screamed, fleeing in all directions. None dared approach. They only ran, as far as possible.
The lion raised its head, mouth stained with blood, but eyes still empty. It roared, but this time not in rage, but in pain, in despair:
"Hungry... still hungry... Why... why am I still hungry...? I ate... but still hungry... I don't understand... I don't understand anymore..."
It paced back and forth, like a wounded beast seeking shelter. But there was nowhere. Only pain. Only hunger that never ceased.
Frigg stood distant, watching that scene. She didn't run. She only stood there, tears streaming down. Her hand trembled slightly, not from fear, but from sorrow.
A nearby god shouted:
"Run! It will kill you!"
But Frigg didn't run. She stepped forward, each step slow, steady.
"Is she mad?!"
The lion sensed her. It turned its head, looking at Frigg. Those clouded eyes flashed red once more. It roared, then lunged, claws raised high.
But Frigg didn't dodge. She only stood still, arms spread wide, voice gentle as wind:
"I am not your enemy."
The claws stopped, only inches from her face. The lion stood frozen, massive body trembling violently. Hot breath washed over Frigg's face, carrying the stench of blood.
"You're hungry," Frigg said, voice gentle. "But not hungry for food. You hunger for something else. Something you lost long ago. And no matter how much you eat, you'll never be full. Because what you need... is not flesh."
The lion growled low, but didn't attack. It only stood there, looking at Frigg, as if waiting.
Frigg slowly stepped forward, placing her hand on the lion's thick mane. It flinched, as if to retreat, but then stood still. Frigg's hand stroked gently, slowly, like petting a wounded beast.
"You're tired," she whispered. "You've fought too long. You've been hungry too long. Now, stop fighting. Stop hungering. Let me... give you fullness."
Light from her hand spread, gentle as sunlight through leaves. Not blinding, not burning, only warm, gentle. Light seeped into each strand of thick fur, touching each wound, soothing each pain.
The lion trembled. Claws slowly retracted. Mouth slowly closed. The red in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by gentle light.
"You don't need to kill anymore," Frigg continued, voice like a lullaby. "You don't need to hunger anymore. Sleep now. Sleep peacefully. I'll be here with you. You won't be alone anymore."
The colossal lion gradually collapsed. Its massive body shook, then lay down on the ground, placing its head beside Frigg. Heavy breathing gradually softened. Eyes slowly closed.
Frigg knelt down, embracing the lion's head, stroking its long mane. She sang a lullaby, voice small:
"Sleep now... Sleep, my dear... Mother is here... No one will hurt you anymore..."
The lion breathed its last breath, long, relieved. Then its entire body gradually dissolved into light, piece by piece, floating up high, vanishing into the mist.
Only Frigg remained kneeling in the valley center, hands still in embracing position. She cried, cried silently, not screaming, only letting tears fall.
The witnessing gods stood motionless, none speaking. Then one person knelt. Then another. Then more. Until all bowed their heads.
Someone whispered, voice choking:
"She... she did what no one dared... She embraced a monster... and turned it into light..."
"This is true compassion..."
Leviathan stepped out from the mist, far from Frigg, on the other side of the valley. He didn't look toward her. He didn't want to look. Didn't want to see how they knelt before her. Didn't want to see how they praised her.
He only walked straight, eyes forward.
And before him, another soul awaited.
A tall figure, kneeling collapsed in the mist. On its back remained two colossal wings, once spread wide and magnificent, but now shattered. Wing bones snapped in segments, feathers fallen, only the bare frame remaining, black blood still seeping from the breaks.
A Guardian. Divine protector who once guarded heaven's gates, once stood between life and death. But no longer majestic. Only a collapsed soul, broken wings, face pressed to earth.
It moaned, voice hoarse:
"My wings... my wings... Why... why did they break my wings...? I only guarded... I only did my duty... why did they do this...?"
Leviathan stopped before it. He looked down, eyes cold.
"Stand up."
The Guardian raised its head, clouded eyes looking at Leviathan. Face covered in scratches, blood dried in patches. It shook its head, voice trembling:
"I can't... My wings are broken... I can't fly anymore... I can't guard anymore... I am nothing..."
"You don't need wings to stand."
"But... but I am a Guardian... Without wings, what am I...? I'm just useless... abandoned..."
Leviathan fell silent briefly. He looked at the shattered wings, at the black blood still seeping. Then he spoke, voice deep:
"You still live. That means you still have worth."
"No..." The Guardian shook its head violently. "I have nothing... I've lost everything... My wings... my duty... my pride... They took everything... What's left for me...?"
Leviathan didn't answer immediately. He only stood there, looking down at the kneeling soul. Then he slowly raised his hand, freezing divine power surrounding it.
"I will sever your pain."
"No..." The Guardian whispered. "Please don't... If you kill me... then I truly have nothing... Please let me... keep something..."
"Keep what?" Leviathan asked, voice cold. "Keep the pain? Keep the humiliation? Keep memories of your wings before they were broken? Those things only hurt you more."
"But... that's all I have left..."
Leviathan clenched his hand. Divine power shot forth like an invisible blade.
"Then I'll take even that away. So you won't hurt anymore."
The blade slashed down, piercing through the Guardian's body. The soul shrieked one final time, then dissolved into black smoke, vanishing.
Silence.
Leviathan lowered his hand, turning away.
But the distant gods began whispering:
"He... he killed again..."
"No comfort. No mercy. Only the end."
"If it were Frigg... she would have done differently. She would have told it that it still had worth, even without wings. She would have embraced it, helped it stand..."
"But he's not Frigg. He only knows how to sever."
Leviathan heard. Every word, every sentence, like knives stabbing his back. His steps paused. His shoulders trembled. His hand clenched until blood flowed.
If it were Frigg...
If it were Frigg...
Always Frigg.
Why did no one say "if it were Leviathan"? Why didn't anyone see he was also saving? Why did they always compare him to her?
Why...?
He turned his head back, looking toward where Frigg was. Distantly, he saw gentle light emanating from her. Saw the gods kneeling. Saw the smile on her lips.
And inside him, the serpent of envy coiled tighter than ever.
He turned away, walking faster, vanishing into the mist, as if fleeing from that light.
But he couldn't escape. Because that light had carved deep into his mind. And the more he saw, the more he hated.
Not hating Frigg.
But hating himself.
Because he couldn't become her.
From within the mist, a new sound emerged. Not roaring, not moaning. But a piercing cry, like metal scraping metal, like fire blazing.
The gods who had just stood after witnessing Frigg free the lion jolted again, looking toward the sound.
From within the white mist, a red glow appeared. At first only small as a candle flame, but with each passing second, it grew larger, brighter, hotter.
Then a bird flew out, entire body ablaze.
No, not "ablaze" in the ordinary sense. But truly burning. Every feather was flame, every wingbeat scattered sparks flying. Its body graceful, neck long, tail extending like a ribbon of blazing red, but all burning.
A Fire Bird. The soul of a divine bird that once soared through skies, once brought light to all things. But now that light had become hell.
It flew wobbling, each wingbeat difficult. Fire didn't just surround it, but burned it from within. Flesh charred, feathers falling as ash, bones protruding through blackened burns.
It cried out, voice pitiful:
"Hot... so hot... Stop it... please make it stop... I don't want to burn anymore... It hurts... Hurts endlessly..."
It flew toward the gods, as if begging for help. But everyone retreated, terrified. Because fire from it spread, scorching the very air. Ground beneath cracked, blackening. Nearby grass smoked, burning to ash.
"Help me... Please help me... I don't want to burn anymore..."
One god tried waving his hand to create water, but when water touched the flames, it evaporated instantly, achieving nothing. The fire blazed even fiercer.
"It's no use... I can't extinguish it... This fire... isn't normal fire..."
The Fire Bird flew high, then fell again, wings flapping wildly. It cried louder, more agonized:
"Someone... someone please kill me... Don't let me burn anymore... I can't take it... I CAN'T TAKE IT!!!"
It dove to the ground, slamming hard, trying to smother the flames. But futile. The fire only burned hotter. It only hurt itself more.
Frigg watched, tears streaming again. She stepped forward, each step steady.
The gods shouted:
"Don't! That fire will burn you!"
But Frigg didn't stop. She walked straight to the Fire Bird, standing right before it. Scorching heat burned her skin, her hair beginning to char. But she didn't retreat.
She raised her hands, slowly, gently.
The Fire Bird looked at her, red eyes full of despair:
"Don't... Don't come closer... You'll burn... I don't want to hurt you..."
"I know," Frigg said, voice gentle. "But I will still embrace you. Because you need to be held."
"No... Impossible... My flames will kill you..."
"Then let them kill me," Frigg smiled, tears streaming but smile remaining. "But before I die, I'll let you know what it feels like to be embraced one last time."
She reached out, embracing the Fire Bird.
Flames surged violently, scorching her arms. Her flesh burned, blood boiling, acrid smoke thick. But Frigg didn't let go. She only held tighter.
"I hold you," she whispered, voice trembling from pain. "I hold you, though you burn... though you're hot... I still hold you... Because you're not fire... You're only a soul in pain..."
Light from her body blazed, not blinding light, but cool light like moonlight. It didn't fight the fire, but merged with it, soothing it from within.
The Fire Bird trembled. It tried to pull away, but Frigg held tighter.
"Don't be afraid... Don't be afraid anymore... I'm here..."
The flames gradually diminished. Not extinguishing abruptly, but shifting from blazing red to pale yellow, then to blue-white, then dissolving into gentle light.
The Fire Bird cried. Not piercing cries anymore, but small sobs, like a child:
"Not hot anymore... For the first time... I don't feel hot anymore... Thank you... thank you..."
It dissolved into light, floating up high, vanishing into the sky.
Frigg stood in the valley center, arms charred black, blood flowing freely. But she still smiled.
The witnessing gods said nothing. They only knelt, bowing deeper than ever.
One person wept, voice choking:
"She... she embraced fire... to let it cool..."
The valley sank into silence after the Fire Bird vanished. The gods remained kneeling, none daring to stand. They looked at Frigg, at her blackened arms, at the still-flowing blood, but none dared approach.
Because they knew. The trial wasn't over.
And as if to prove this, a new sound emerged. But this time not roaring, not shrieking, not cries of pain.
But singing.
A small voice, feeble, like a child singing itself to sleep. The melody gentle, mournful, rising from a distant corner of the valley.
"Sleep now... sleep now... in the freezing night..."
"Mother has gone... won't return..."
"Only ash... and me alone..."
Frigg turned toward the sound. She wiped blood from her arms, then walked forward, each step slow. The gods also watched, none speaking.
The singing continued, but each line broken, as if the singer struggled to breathe:
"Sleep now... cough... cough... sleep, my dear..."
"The sky darkened... cough... no more light..."
"I'll sleep now... to forget... the hunger... the cold..."
Drawing closer, Frigg saw more clearly. Amid a pile of ash, a small figure sat. A child, so small even wind could blow it away. Body skeletal thin, skin tight over protruding ribs, belly sunken. Hair mostly fallen, only a few thin strands stuck to its head.
The child sat hugging its knees, rocking back and forth, swaying while singing. Mouth open, tongue cracked dry. Each time it sang, it coughed, coughing so hard its entire body shook, then coughed up ash. Small clouds of ash flew from its mouth, falling to the ground.
Around it, only ash. Ash covering everywhere, knee-deep. No trees, no grass, nothing surviving. Only gray-white ash, cold.
The child continued singing, voice growing weaker:
"Mother said... I must be strong... cough... cough..."
"But I... I can't be strong anymore..."
"I'm tired... I want to sleep... cough... but afraid to sleep..."
"Because if I sleep... I'm scared... scared I won't wake up..."
Frigg stopped right before the child. Tears streamed down her face again. She knelt, gentle as if afraid to startle it.
The child looked up at Frigg. Eyes wide but no longer bright. Only empty, weary. It looked at Frigg briefly, then lowered its head again, continuing to sing:
"Sleep now... sleep now... cough..."
Its voice faded, as if about to extinguish.
Frigg reached out, gently touching the child's cheek. Her hand warm, despite still hurting from burns. The child shuddered, as if it had been long since anyone touched it.
"You don't need to sing yourself to sleep anymore," Frigg whispered, voice soft as wind. "Let mother sing for you."
The child looked up, eyes briefly flickering with small light:
"Mother... Has mother returned...?"
"Yes," Frigg nodded, tears flowing more. "Mother's back. I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
She gently embraced the child, pulling it to her chest. The small body fit perfectly in her arms. She began singing, voice trembling:
"Sleep now, my dear... mother is here..."
"No more cold... no more hunger..."
"Mother will stay with you... until you sleep peacefully..."
The child trembled in her arms. It cried, not bitter tears, but gentle weeping, as if being released:
"Mother... I'm so tired... may I sleep...?"
"Yes," Frigg stroked its hair, voice choking. "Sleep now. Mother will sing. Mother will be here. You don't need to be afraid anymore."
She continued singing, voice gentle as soft waves:
"Close your eyes... let mother sing..."
"Let mother hold you... to keep you warm..."
"Sleep now, my dear... sleep in mother's arms..."
The child gradually relaxed, leaning into Frigg. Breathing lightened, becoming steadier. Eyes slowly closed, for the first time in so long, it could sleep peacefully.
Frigg sang to the final line:
"Sleep now... sleep now... mother will always be with you..."
The child's body gradually dissolved into light, grain by grain, floating up from her arms. Not dissolving quickly, but slowly, gently, as if sleeping soundly then drifting up to heaven.
Frigg held tighter, though the body was fading. She kept singing, though no one listened anymore. Until the child completely vanished, leaving only small light hovering amid the ash.
Then that light also floated up, disappearing into the sky.
Frigg knelt amid the ash, hands still in embracing position. She cried, cried aloud, unable to hold back.
The witnessing gods also wept. Not one, but all. Some cried silently, some sobbed. They couldn't hold back.
One person knelt, then another, then more. Until all knelt, heads bowed deep, none standing.
Someone whispered, voice choked:
"This... this is true compassion... She embraced a dying child... and sang it to sleep..."
"No one... no one could do what she does..."
The valley sank into silence. Only the gods' weeping remained, like a requiem.
But on the other side of the valley, where light didn't reach, Leviathan stood in darkness.
He heard Frigg's singing. Heard the gods weeping. Heard how they praised her.
And inside him, the serpent of envy had grown into a monster.
He clenched his fist, blood flowing freely to the ground. Teeth grinding together. Body trembling, not from fear, but from rage, despair, hatred.
Why?
How many souls had he freed? How much pain had he ended? But no one remembered. No one praised. They only remembered Frigg. Only praised Frigg. Only loved Frigg.
Why couldn't he be like her?
Why couldn't he be loved?
Why—
A colossal sound rang out, cutting off his thoughts. Not one person's weeping, but the weeping of thousands, tens of thousands simultaneously. That sound echoed throughout the valley, shaking space itself.
Leviathan raised his head.
Before him, the mist slowly parted. And from within, something massive slowly flowed out.
A river. But not water. But souls.
Thousands, tens of thousands of souls merged into a black torrent, wide as a great river, rushing toward him. Within that flow, countless faces rose and sank. Some crying, some laughing madly, some silent but full of resentment.
All reaching upward, as if wanting to grab anything they touched. Arms sprouting from the river, reaching high, then sinking, then more arms rising.
The river roared:
"Save me! Save me!"
"Kill me! Kill me!"
"Don't leave me! Don't go!"
"I resent! I hate! I want revenge!"
Thousands of voices overlapping, creating chaotic horror.
The distant gods saw this, panicking. A few tried running closer to help Leviathan, but the moment they stepped near the river, arms grabbed their legs, pulling down.
"AAAHH!"
One god was dragged straight into the river, swallowed whole. The scream stopped immediately.
The others retreated in horror, none daring approach anymore.
The river continued flowing toward Leviathan, like a colossal beast approaching prey.
But Leviathan didn't retreat. He only stood there, looking straight at the river, eyes cold.
Then he stepped forward.
Each step slow, steady. Walking into the river.
The gods screamed:
"He's insane!"
Arms from the river immediately grabbed him, clutching legs, arms, shoulders, neck. Hundreds of arms pulling, clinging, clawing. Faces rose, screaming in his face:
"Stay with me! Don't go!"
"Die! Die with me!"
"I hate you! I hate everyone!"
But Leviathan didn't stop. He only kept walking, divine power surging around his body, freezing cold as ice. Arms touching his power immediately froze, falling, shattering.
He walked to the river's center, deepest point, where weeping was loudest.
Then he stopped. Raised both hands.
His voice rang out, cold, decisive:
"You have suffered enough. I will end everything."
Divine power exploded.
Not gradually, but violently like a storm. Freezing air spread throughout the river, freezing everything. Faces mid-scream suddenly froze. Arms reaching up suddenly stiffened. The entire river, from beginning to end, from surface to depth, froze completely.
Sudden terrible silence.
Then Leviathan clenched his fists.
The entire river cracked. From one small fracture, spreading into thousands of crisscrossing cracks. Shattering sounds echoed throughout the valley like thunder.
And finally, everything shattered. Thousands of ice shards fell to the ground, breaking, becoming dust, then vanishing completely.
No more weeping. No more souls. Only silence.
Leviathan stood in the valley center, entire body soaked in blood and frozen water. He panted, chest heaving. He had done it. He had freed them all.
He turned back, looking toward the gods, waiting. Waiting for praise. Waiting for them to kneel. Waiting for them to say he did well.
But no one praised.
They only stood distant, looking at him with frightened, amazed eyes, but not respect.
Someone whispered:
"He... he erased everything... Nothing remains..."
"Powerful... but cruel..."
"No smile. No light. Only the ending."
arms charred black, blood flowing freely. But she still smiled.
The witnessing gods said nothing. They only knelt, bowing deeper than ever.
One person wept, voice choking:
"She... she embraced fire... to let it cool..."
The valley sank into silence after the Fire Bird vanished. The gods remained kneeling, none daring to stand. They looked at Frigg, at her blackened arms, at the still-flowing blood, but none dared approach.
Because they knew. The trial wasn't over.
And as if to prove this, a new sound emerged. But this time not roaring, not shrieking, not cries of pain.
But singing.
A small voice, feeble, like a child singing itself to sleep. The melody gentle, mournful, rising from a distant corner of the valley.
"Sleep now... sleep now... in the freezing night..."
"Mother has gone... won't return..."
"Only ash... and me alone..."
Frigg turned toward the sound. She wiped blood from her arms, then walked forward, each step slow. The gods also watched, none speaking.
The singing continued, but each line broken, as if the singer struggled to breathe:
"Sleep now... cough... cough... sleep, my dear..."
"The sky darkened... cough... no more light..."
"I'll sleep now... to forget... the hunger... the cold..."
Drawing closer, Frigg saw more clearly. Amid a pile of ash, a small figure sat. A child, so small even wind could blow it away. Body skeletal thin, skin tight over protruding ribs, belly sunken. Hair mostly fallen, only a few thin strands stuck to its head.
The child sat hugging its knees, rocking back and forth, swaying while singing. Mouth open, tongue cracked dry. Each time it sang, it coughed, coughing so hard its entire body shook, then coughed up ash. Small clouds of ash flew from its mouth, falling to the ground.
Around it, only ash. Ash covering everywhere, knee-deep. No trees, no grass, nothing surviving. Only gray-white ash, cold.
The child continued singing, voice growing weaker:
"Mother said... I must be strong... cough... cough..."
"But I... I can't be strong anymore..."
"I'm tired... I want to sleep... cough... but afraid to sleep..."
"Because if I sleep... I'm scared... scared I won't wake up..."
Frigg stopped right before the child. Tears streamed down her face again. She knelt, gentle as if afraid to startle it.
The child looked up at Frigg. Eyes wide but no longer bright. Only empty, weary. It looked at Frigg briefly, then lowered its head again, continuing to sing:
"Sleep now... sleep now... cough..."
Its voice faded, as if about to extinguish.
Frigg reached out, gently touching the child's cheek. Her hand warm, despite still hurting from burns. The child shuddered, as if it had been long since anyone touched it.
"You don't need to sing yourself to sleep anymore," Frigg whispered, voice soft as wind. "Let mother sing for you."
The child looked up, eyes briefly flickering with small light:
"Mother... Has mother returned...?"
"Yes," Frigg nodded, tears flowing more. "Mother's back. I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
She gently embraced the child, pulling it to her chest. The small body fit perfectly in her arms. She began singing, voice trembling:
"Sleep now, my dear... mother is here..."
"No more cold... no more hunger..."
"Mother will stay with you... until you sleep peacefully..."
The child trembled in her arms. It cried, not bitter tears, but gentle weeping, as if being released:
"Mother... I'm so tired... may I sleep...?"
"Yes," Frigg stroked its hair, voice choking. "Sleep now. Mother will sing. Mother will be here. You don't need to be afraid anymore."
She continued singing, voice gentle as soft waves:
"Close your eyes... let mother sing..."
"Let mother hold you... to keep you warm..."
"Sleep now, my dear... sleep in mother's arms..."
The child gradually relaxed, leaning into Frigg. Breathing lightened, becoming steadier. Eyes slowly closed, for the first time in so long, it could sleep peacefully.
Frigg sang to the final line:
"Sleep now... sleep now... mother will always be with you..."
The child's body gradually dissolved into light, grain by grain, floating up from her arms. Not dissolving quickly, but slowly, gently, as if sleeping soundly then drifting up to heaven.
Frigg held tighter, though the body was fading. She kept singing, though no one listened anymore. Until the child completely vanished, leaving only small light hovering amid the ash.
Then that light also floated up, disappearing into the sky.
Frigg knelt amid the ash, hands still in embracing position. She cried, cried aloud, unable to hold back.
The witnessing gods also wept. Not one, but all. Some cried silently, some sobbed. They couldn't hold back.
One person knelt, then another, then more. Until all knelt, heads bowed deep, none standing.
Someone whispered, voice choked:
"This... this is true compassion... She embraced a dying child... and sang it to sleep..."
"No one... no one could do what she does..."
The valley sank into silence. Only the gods' weeping remained, like a requiem.
But on the other side of the valley, where light didn't reach, Leviathan stood in darkness.
He heard Frigg's singing. Heard the gods weeping. Heard how they praised her.
And inside him, the serpent of envy had grown into a monster.
He clenched his fist, blood flowing freely to the ground. Teeth grinding together. Body trembling, not from fear, but from rage, despair, hatred.
Why?
How many souls had he freed? How much pain had he ended? But no one remembered. No one praised. They only remembered Frigg. Only praised Frigg. Only loved Frigg.
Why couldn't he be like her?
Why couldn't he be loved?
Why—
A colossal sound rang out, cutting off his thoughts. Not one person's weeping, but the weeping of thousands, tens of thousands simultaneously. That sound echoed throughout the valley, shaking space itself.
Leviathan raised his head.
Before him, the mist slowly parted. And from within, something massive slowly flowed out.
A river. But not water. But souls.
Thousands, tens of thousands of souls merged into a black torrent, wide as a great river, rushing toward him. Within that flow, countless faces rose and sank. Some crying, some laughing madly, some silent but full of resentment.
All reaching upward, as if wanting to grab anything they touched. Arms sprouting from the river, reaching high, then sinking, then more arms rising.
The river roared:
"Save me! Save me!"
"Kill me! Kill me!"
"Don't leave me! Don't go!"
"I resent! I hate! I want revenge!"
Thousands of voices overlapping, creating chaotic horror.
The distant gods saw this, panicking. A few tried running closer to help Leviathan, but the moment they stepped near the river, arms grabbed their legs, pulling down.
"AAAHH!"
One god was dragged straight into the river, swallowed whole. The scream stopped immediately.
The others retreated in horror, none daring approach anymore.
The river continued flowing toward Leviathan, like a colossal beast approaching prey.
But Leviathan didn't retreat. He only stood there, looking straight at the river, eyes cold.
Then he stepped forward.
Each step slow, steady. Walking into the river.
The gods screamed:
"He's insane!"
Arms from the river immediately grabbed him, clutching legs, arms, shoulders, neck. Hundreds of arms pulling, clinging, clawing. Faces rose, screaming in his face:
"Stay with me! Don't go!"
"Die! Die with me!"
"I hate you! I hate everyone!"
But Leviathan didn't stop. He only kept walking, divine power surging around his body, freezing cold as ice. Arms touching his power immediately froze, falling, shattering.
He walked to the river's center, deepest point, where weeping was loudest.
Then he stopped. Raised both hands.
His voice rang out, cold, decisive:
"You have suffered enough. I will end everything."
Divine power exploded.
Not gradually, but violently like a storm. Freezing air spread throughout the river, freezing everything. Faces mid-scream suddenly froze. Arms reaching up suddenly stiffened. The entire river, from beginning to end, from surface to depth, froze completely.
Sudden terrible silence.
Then Leviathan clenched his fists.
The entire river cracked. From one small fracture, spreading into thousands of crisscrossing cracks. Shattering sounds echoed throughout the valley like thunder.
And finally, everything shattered. Thousands of ice shards fell to the ground, breaking, becoming dust, then vanishing completely.
No more weeping. No more souls. Only silence.
Leviathan stood in the valley center, entire body soaked in blood and frozen water. He panted, chest heaving. He had done it. He had freed them all.
He turned back, looking toward the gods, waiting. Waiting for praise. Waiting for them to kneel. Waiting for them to say he did well.
But no one praised.
They only stood distant, looking at him with frightened, amazed eyes, but not respect.
Someone whispered:
"He... he erased everything... Nothing remains..."
"Powerful... but cruel..."
"No smile. No light. Only the ending."
Leviathan stood there, hearing every word. The final hope in his heart shattered.
No one praised him. Though he had done what no one dared. Though he faced the river of wailing and won. But no one remembered. They only remembered Frigg.
From the other side of the valley, Frigg emerged from the mist, entire body wounded, but light still emanating from her. The gods saw her, immediately kneeling, bowing.
"She has returned!"
"She freed them all with compassion!"
No one looked at Leviathan anymore. All eyes poured toward Frigg.
And from above, Elyndo appeared. Blinding light enveloped the entire valley. His voice boomed:
"The trial is complete."
He looked down at Frigg, then at Leviathan. Silence stretched.
Then Elyndo spoke:
"Frigg. You have proven true compassion. You embraced the deformed, the savage beast, the burning flame, the dying child. You gave them rest in arms of mercy. You are worthy of the Temple of Kindness."
The gods cheered, praising.
Then Elyndo turned to Leviathan. His voice colder:
"Leviathan. You freed many souls. You ended much pain. Your power is undeniable."
Leviathan looked up, eyes flashing with hope.
"But..."
That word like a hammer falling.
"...you lack compassion. You only know how to sever, not embrace. You only know endings, not comfort. You are powerful, but you are not kind."
"Therefore, you are not worthy of the Temple of Kindness."
Heavy silence.
Leviathan stood there, entire body trembling. Not from fear. But from pain. Pain to the very depths of his soul.
He had done everything. But still not enough.
He looked at Frigg. She was being praised, loved, honored.
And him?
He was only the failure. The dismissed. The unloved.
And in that moment, inside Leviathan, the serpent of envy finally devoured his heart whole.
From deep darkness, Satan's voice whispered, satisfied:
"Now you understand, Leviathan. You will never be like her. So then... let her disappear."
Leviathan didn't answer.
But his eyes looking at Frigg, for the first time, were no longer empty.
And inside him, only one feeling remained.
Envy.
No more doubt. No more denial. Only pure envy, burning like fire.
He turned away, walking into the mist, vanishing. No one stopped. No one sent him off. He only walked, alone, into darkness.
And from that darkness, Satan's voice rang out, gentle as a lullaby:
"Well done, my child. Now you are ready. Come to me. I will give you what Frigg will never have."
"Absolute power."
Leviathan didn't answer. But his steps didn't stop. He walked straight into darkness, not looking back.