Aia was near her home when she looked up at the sky and saw a crow flying over her. It was circling as if marking where she was.
It was a clear sign other gods or goddesses still existed. The other deities nearby must have felt her presence as soon as she attacked the machine. They sense her now that she uses her powers again. And some of her kind will not ignore her.
For a long time, they could not figure out her location. No one knew about her plan. When she hid among the humans while not using her powers, it tones down her presence. She blended in. She became invisible to everyone who knew her. But that does not mean the immortals could forget about her as humans did.
Unless they all die, of course.
The crow descends, and now it stands on the ground.
It blocks her path. It was no surprise for Aia that the crow was as tall as her, for it was a shapeshifter. Its feathers were shiny and black. In a slow transition, the crow changed its form. It first showed the face of a man, then a human body. And soon, some of its feathers change into jet-black hair. Its wings remained on its back as the creature stared at Aia.
She also sensed another presence.
“Hello, Klaus,” she said without looking at the god who appeared behind her.
“So... Have you found it?”
“Found what?” she asked before facing Klaus.
“The answer.”
“Oh. That.”
Aia looked behind her and stared at the god. She was unsure if she would like to meet him again.
Without his face, Klaus is as black as nighttime, with no light in sight. His hair is so long it reaches his feet, hidden by his black robe. His eyes were also as black as hers. But it seemed empty like the eyes of the dead. His face, however, will always give off an honest expression. His pale skin is always cold. He wore black gloves that no one knew what for. Not that it matters to them if the weather is cold or warm.
If Klaus stood in a crowded place without uttering anything, people would stop as they sensed his presence. He is a god that people will not ignore even if he wishes them to.
Klaus was the last god Aia met before she disguised herself as a human. With her consent, Klaus tried killing her several times. They tried to figure out their limit as immortals. She wanted to know if their kind would die if the god of death killed them. But it turned out Klaus could only harvest human souls. And kill living things that are not human but also not immortal. They both end up disappointed.
It only does not prove that even the god of death cannot kill their kind. It also set the limitation Klaus could not accept. It reminded him that he and the goddess of life only mattered because of the humans.
“Let us not waste our infinite time. Answer my question,” Klaus demanded. “You know I'm not a very patient god.”
“I know,” she said calmly. “But even if someone asked, it does not mean someone was ready to accept the truth.”
“Was it not your promise that you will only answer if the one asking is ready for the naked truth?”
He was right. That was what Aia promised herself. She wanted to regret sharing that thought with Klaus. Now, Klaus was using it against her.
It was a known fact that Aia could not lie. But she can also remain silent if she wants to. She can also avoid finding out the truth. Those were the realizations she had learned the hard way. To know that she can stop and recommence being the goddess of truth is terrifying and liberating.
Aia has torn down her ruined dress and throws it in the air. The god of death looks up at the sky and avoids his gaze on her naked body.
“I was not asking for that you… you…”
He could not utter any insult. And Aia knew why. Klaus did not find Aia to offend her in any way. He was there for a reason.
“I am no longer the Aia that you knew, even if we still wear the same clothes we created as part of ourselves.”
The god of death looked at her and saw she was no longer naked. Aia looks the way she used to before she appeared as a human.
Her white tent dress always seems too bright. And given her complexion and white hair, Aia looked plain but attractive.
“The weapons wielded by our kind could hurt us. But our refusal to use our powers will not diminish our strength. What then would cause a deity to die?” asked Klaus.
“Nothing will make us perish,” she said sadly.
“Not even the lack of prayers?”
“You know we existed even before humans. We do not rely on them. They also no longer rely on us.”
Those are the truths he only needed to hear. Klaus no longer needs to know that vanity made the gods and goddesses mingle with the humans. And that some deities only needed humans to uplift themselves.
“So, you knew about the Departure of Deities.”
Aia shakes her head.
“Truly? You, the goddess who always has the answers—” Klaus stopped speaking when he saw her expression. Aia is not happy to hear about that side of her. “Very well. It was an order from our maker.”
“The god of all the gods gave us another order?”
“Was that surprising? He rarely gives us orders. But when he does, we all know it must not fall on deaf ears.”
“I never heard of it. Would someone claim I violated the order?”
“No one knew where you were until now. So whatever you did earlier could be pardoned. Our kind even asked me if you truly died because you hid well, my dear.”
“But you knew the truth.”
“Only that we failed with our experiment and that you disappeared. How am I supposed to know where you were hiding?”
Klaus was astounded by a sudden realization.
“You expected me to tell them you are not in my kingdom,” he declared.
Aia felt satisfied while smiling at Klaus. It was a smile of triumph.
“Is it not better to uncover the truth yourself?”
“That is absurd! You are the only one we trust to tell us the truth! Why would you want us to search for it by ourselves? What nonsense would make you believe—” Klaus paused again. “Was this more than just curiosity? Did a human hurt you this much? Tell me, and I will burn his soul in my realm.”
“No,” Aia answered to pacify Klaus.
“No? You do not want to hurt the one who hurt you?”
“It was not a human who made me feel like this.”
“Feel like what exactly?”
“To feel like I am nothing.”
Klaus was shocked to his core. Before he could ask again, Aia explained.
“No one is to blame for how I felt, Klaus. I was dissatisfied. I understood how I treated the humans and how they reacted. But they did make me realize we all have the power to choose.”
“Then let us go to the otherworld. We must leave the human world and start anew in another realm.”
“We are asked to abandon the humans while they were in a state of war? Is that the order?”
“Did you not say so yourself? Everyone has a choice. Now, we must decide.”
The shapeshifter flapped his wings to get the attention of the goddess. Aia looks at the other being. He was usually a silent observer. Now, he refused to stay quiet. If only he could speak. But words were not something he could utter.
Yet the deities could understand them well.
“Hroc wanted me to stay.”
“That is because he has other concerns.”
“How are you, Hroc?” she asked while walking towards the silent creature.
Hroc looked down. He was hoping for Aia to pat his head.
She did. And that surprises Hroc. He could not say it, but his actions were enough for Aia to understand him. The eyes of Hroc were the color of red wine. And the expression he had made her worry.
“Did Klaus do anything to you?”
“That was insulting,” she heard Klaus respond behind them. “He was the one who asked me to hunt you down.”
“And how did Hroc ask for it?”
“By following me around. Hroc refuses to follow my orders unless I find you. You know I have a soft spot for the eyes that pleads.”
“And yet you still fetch the souls of those not yet ready to die.”
“That was different. I give high value when it comes to my job.”
She had never heard Klaus appreciate his abilities and responsibilities before. Something had changed him. And Aia knew who made that change.
“Will you go with me now?”
“Why would I do that?” she asked Klaus.
“Because... you no longer have a purpose here. You have proven that we cannot die. The Departure of Deities states that immortals should no longer stay with the mortals. We were also forbidden to show ourselves to them and let them know about us. We were hiding for so long. But now we have the chance to start again in the otherworld.”
Aia ignored his words and focused on his other concern.
“Tell my sister I will go to her soon.”
“How disappointing, and here I thought of having a small family reunion.”
“Are we now a family, Klaus?”
“Oh... you have hurt me. I have always seen you as my younger plaything.”
“I do not see you as anything other than a god of death,” she said in her usual flat tone as she stroked the feathers of the shapeshifter. “A god so eager to bring me to the otherworld to please my sister while the humans die.”
It was the truth.
She did promise herself she would stay silent as often as she could. And she will avoid knowing the truth while pretending to be human. But Klaus insisted that she leaves. He was eager to take her away, and she sensed he was hiding something. So she dares risk his anger.
“Was there anything else you wish to tell me, Klaus, or should I find them out myself?” she asked without looking at him.
And just like before, the truth that Aia says offends another.
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