Chapter 97
Elverika, who noticed Andra’s lack of energy from earlier, quietly grabbed her coat and got up. She was trying to be considerate of Andra by giving her a little more rest for her departure tomorrow.
Andra looked at her with a slightly puzzled face as Elverika got up from her seat out of nowhere.
“You look tired. I’ll be on my way.”
“Huh? No, you don’t have to go that fast…”
“It’s okay. I met you today, and I told you what I wanted to tell you. I have to prepare for class tomorrow too. It’s a pity that I can’t see you off when you leave.”
Elverika replied, threading her arm through her coat. Andra felt a little sorry for Elverika. She escorted Elverika to the door, and the two parted after a light embrace.
Andra opened the door only after Elverika was out of sight in the hallway and she looked back. Then, as her friend disappeared from sight, Andra closed the door and headed towards the bedroom.
“Dustin I…”
But Dustin, whom she thought might be there, was not in the bedroom. Only the empty bedroom greeted Andra. Andra crossed her arms as she was bewildered. He didn’t leave when she told him to go, so where did he go this time?
Red blood dripped onto the back of her hand. Anat, who was examining the scrolls, got startled. She hurriedly covered her nose with a handkerchief. Blood flowed non-stop from her nose.
Fortunately, it was late at night, so she was alone in the room. Anat grabbed her nose and went out onto her balcony. She seemed to be tired from sitting for so long.
‘The human body has… a lot of inconveniences.’
As she went out onto the balcony, a cool breeze blew in. That alone seemed to ease her mind. She gave herself to the wind for a moment and closed her eyes.
Anat ignored Nera’s warnings and eventually chose Dean, and so she was punished by her mother. She was stripped of all her divine powers and was given a human body.
But Anat didn’t care at all. Rather, she was satisfied that she could be closer to the human beings she loved. Moreover, being a god and ending up as a human, was something she had been prepared for from the moment she chose Dean.
But there was a different problem.
It was Dean.
When Anat turned into a human, Dean became uneasy. Even though she was alive right in front of him, he thought that Anat might suddenly disappear.
Whenever that happened, Anat comforted him and said that wouldn’t happen, but she couldn’t easily calm down the anxiety that had burrowed deep in his heart. To add to that, Anat also started feeling anxious.
She feared that Nera’s prophecy might turn out to be true.
In addition, the primordial god’s anger was not directed only at Anat. The primordial god also punished Dean, who Anat loved, and the humans. She seemed to think that those who corrupted her daughter also had to take some responsibility. However, since she, the primordial god and the creator of humans, could not intervene directly, the primordial god punished them through her other children.
As the primordial god commanded, the eight gods, excluding Anat, gave trials to humans through their authority.
Anat thought that if she used her wisdom enough, she would be able to overcome it. But she may be the god of wisdom and ideals, and even she had her weaknesses. An area she has rarely reached. Love. As a god who fell in love with humans, she was weak to love. It was because of love that she, a god, became human in the first place.
For that reason, humans who have blossomed into a perfect civilization with Anat’s wisdom have the disadvantage of love under Basham’s trial, the god of mischief and love. Any perfect human being never makes a fool of themselves, once they fall in love they are turned into a fool who repeats foolish actions and choices.
That alone did not stop Anat, who contained the wisdom of the world.
Thus, there was one more thing that Anat couldn’t prevent. It was Dean’s feelings for Anat. Nera, the god of greed and conflict, was keenly aware of that.
Nera noticed Dean’s insecurities and put him through a trial. Dean’s feelings for Anat turned into greed. As a result, he became obsessed with Anat while Anat had no choice but to watch Dean trembling pitifully.
She somehow tried to help Dean escape Nera’s prophecy…
Anat sighed quietly. Her head still hurts when she thinks of what had just happened.
Still, Dean lost his reason and went wild when it came to anything to do with Anat. In particular, whenever Anat was out of his sight, he often clung to her like a feral dog, asking her not to abandon him. Anat promises that she won’t abandon him, that it’s not like that, but Dean was uneasy about that.
Because of this, Anat was getting tired little by little even though she didn’t try to show it.
“You look very tired.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind. Since there was no sign of presence, Anat looked back with a surprised face. Nera was standing against the balcony door, watching her.
Anat looked at Nera, sweeping her surprised chest. Appearing in ornate gold ornaments, she was again wearing the beast’s facial bones.
“Nera.”
“Yes, my sister. It is I, your younger sister.”
“Why did you come here?”
“Sister, I am always by your side.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Anat, knowing what Nera did to Dean, responded with a sharp tone. Then Nera pretended to grab her chest looking really sad.
“That’s too much, to treat a sister you haven’t seen in a long time like this.”
“Dean is having a hard time.”
“That is the human’s trial.”
“What do you want?”
Nera slowly approached her. What do I want? Nera stretched out her long arms and grabbed both of Anat’s shoulders. Then she asked, Do you really not know?
“My sister, our Anat. Are you asking because you’re truly clueless?”
“Nera, I…”
“You are the god of wisdom and ideals. You’re still asking me these stupid questions? I told you! It’s all because of that insignificant human being!”
Nera burst out in a fit of rage. I should have ripped that human to death in the first place! Nera cried out. Hearing those words, Anat’s heart seemed to drop.
“When you placed that human in your heart and stood at a crossroads, I should have told Mother to get rid of that human. Had she done that, Mother would not have lost a single child of hers!”
“Don’t do that!”
“Even if your heart hurts, in the end you would have come back bravely and taken care of the world like me and our siblings. Even if you made that human into a constellation, Mother would have readily understood. Ah, my sister!”
Nera hastily hugged Anat.
“Why on earth have you willingly blinded yourself despite all your wisdom! Even now, go to Mother and beg. Beg Mother! You were wrong! You will abandon humans!”
Anat pushed Nera away. Her Nera meekly withdrew from her.
“I can’t abandon Dean. That’s why I came here. I don’t regret it. I love Dean and all the humans here.”
“Anat, have you forgotten my prophecy? That person will eventually be destroyed. That is my prophecy and Mother’s will.”
Hearing Nera’s words, Anat’s complexion turned pale. She hurriedly clung to Nera. No destruction!
“Nera, please! Help me!”
“It’s already too late. Mother has already made up her mind.”
“No, it is not. Please, Nera!”
“You don’t know, but that human is already outside of Mother’s realm. That human man won’t be able to overcome my trial. Do you know why?”
Nera met Anat’s gaze, who knelt at her feet. My poor, pitiful sister. Our dear Anat. Golden eyes rested coldly on the bones of the beast’s head.
“Because of that stupid and foolish feeling of loving you… He can’t stand my trial. Anat, you can’t help it even if you try to stop it. The individual authority within us gods is such that no one can interfere.”
“In that case, let me meet Basham instead. I’ll ask Basham myself…”
Nera coldly threw Anat’s outstretched hand away. Nera snorted, got up, and hopped up onto the railing. Under the bright moonlight, the gold pieces sway and emit countless lights. Nera looked down at Anat.
“Do you think Basham will listen to your request?”
“Nera…”
“Have you forgotten who was the god who played that prank on you? It was Basham! Yet you’re going to ask Basham’s help with that?”
Nera’s cold words drove a dagger into Anat’s chest. Then Nera let out a small sigh and continued.
“And I can’t meet Basham either. He was crying sadly… because his foolish sister got caught in his own prank. Well, he has been punished. He was very mischievous…”
As Nera spoke her thoughts, she lowered her eyes. Suddenly Anat opened her mouth.
“…And you?”
Anat looked up at Nera, swallowing her tears.
“Nera, why have you not been punished?”
“…….”
“It was you who played a prank on me with Basham. But have you not been punished?”
Nera gave no answer.
“Nera, I can still help. If you haven’t been punished yet, the punishment will come…”
“You can’t help me. I know that.”
“Nera!”
Nera sat down on the railing and met Arnat’s gaze. My sister, our dear Anat. She was looking at Anat with really sad eyes now. Nera nodded grimly.
“Sister, I hope you won’t be hurt by that one person.”
“I will help Dean.”
“Yes, maybe you can help… But why can’t you think of yourself first before Dean?”
Nera jumped up to Anat. The long fingernails gently caressed Arnat’s face.
“This is my final warning for you. Don’t trust the human man. You will hate him and you will love him. It will all become a very terrible nightmare for you, who have become human.”
“What do you mean?”
“You will find out soon. The trial is not far off.”
Nera slowly moved away from Anat. Anat tried to grab Nera, but Nera slipped out of there and climbed the railing. On that spot, Nera jumped off the balcony and disappeared below.
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