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ITSUKI
Eir and I teleported to the roof of her castle. She staggered and almost fell, too weak to walk on her own, and teleporting had sapped away even more of her power.
“I told you we shouldn’t have left the Goddess’s temple,” I said, holding her around her waist.
“The Goddess was kind enough to send us into her alternate reality so I could preserve what divinity I have left, but we were thrown out, Itsuki. Something must have happened to her.” She looked up, noting the red sky. “This is what happened. Our home is gone.”
I helped her to the roof's edge, and what lay before us chilled me to my core. The city of gold and glass was no more. The sky was crimson, fires were everywhere, buildings were reduced to piles, and infected souls, gods, and animals were fighting. Eir squeezed my hand.
“I don’t feel her,” she said shakily. “I don’t feel Rehema.”
“Don’t think like that,” I said while pulling her back from the roof’s edge. “She might be in another city.”
I had been worried about leaving Rehema behind, but she'd refused to join us in the Goddess's alternate reality. Almost being killed by a god wielding chaos magic had opened her eyes to a cruelty she'd never known, and it had changed her.
I was worried about what the experience would do to her, but instead of falling in on herself, she appeared more determined than ever to help Natalie save our world. But I hoped, wherever my daughter was, she wasn’t hurt.
Eir and I had had a few years of peace in the Goddess's alternate reality, but she was still slipping away. I couldn’t lose Rehema too.
"So much pain," she whispered. "There are so many souls down there in pain, and I can't heal them."
I moved her hair back from her face. “Then those who need it will pray for healing. You’ll get your divinity back.”
Eir’s passion for helping others was what had drawn me to her in the first place. As a new soul, I hadn't fully understood the slight divide between gods and souls, so I’d approached her during my first ball held by an Imperium.
She’d been surprised at my bravery, and more importantly, she'd said yes.
Falling in love with her had been easy, but being with her was hard. She was a Supreme, a goddess worshipped on earth and had responsibilities that overshadowed our relationship.
It was difficult for her to find time for us, but she did, and one thing led to another, and Rehema was born. For a brief time, we were happy together, the three of us, until Eir started neglecting her duties as a goddess to be a mother.
The other gods intervened, forcing her to give up the little family we'd made, and I had to let her go. I’d fallen for her because of her love for life and peace, and I didn’t want to rob her of that.
"Are any of them praying to you?" I asked, as I helped her to sit down.
"No," she answered. "They're in pain but have no time to dwell on it. We're losing this fight."
I looked at the city. "If this is the end, Eir, at least I’ll be right here with you.”
“I love you,” she said, touching my cheek. “I have, from the moment we met. But you need to find our daughter. I can’t hold on for much longer, and you must ensure she's safe.”
A thud drew our attention, and I stood up. An infected Kinara, a creature with a bluish humanoid body and a bird's head, screeched at us. Eir staggered to her feet, but I moved to stand before her.
“No! Stay back!” I called out to her.
Then, suddenly, instead of attacking, the Kinara looked up, and so did we. The red hue cast over the world disappeared and a normal night sky appeared. A wave of power swept over us, and the Kinara fell to the ground.
When the creature stood up a few minutes later, its eyes weren't red anymore. They were pale yellow, just like they should be, and its wings sprouted from its side. It took to the sky, and Eir and I looked at each other in confusion.
"What just happened?" I asked.
“She did it,” she said, looking to the city with a grand smile. “Natalie did it!”
Below us, all the infected were standing up, and I could see that their eyes were no longer red. There was a moment of confusion, but when the truth settled in, a victorious shout rolled to the sky.
The war was over.
I held the love of my life and prayed to her.
