“Why… why is it suddenly this cold?”

  Ailin’s voice shook, her breath turning white in the air.

  “Today’s cursed,” I muttered. “One damned thing after another.”

  I strained my eyes against the dark, trying to see what hid between the trees, yet all I saw was black forest and shifting shadow.

  Then the woods began to change color—shades I had never seen before pulsed over the trunks and branches, twisting the world. Strange sounds followed, rolling through the mist: a low growl like some buried beast, a metallic scrape like blades dragged on stone, and voices—high, thin, like children crying.

  Those things.

  The same things people worship when they’re too weak to fight fate.

  I bowed my head and covered my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my thoughts away.

  “You should not exist,” I whispered. “Arrogant parasites… demanding faith? From me? I owe you nothing. Leave. Leave.”

  “That divine presence…” Ailin gasped suddenly, voice trembling with joy. “What an honor, to meet You here…”

  Damn it.

  I had forgotten to knock Ailin unconscious before this started.

  A tall, slender shape appeared through the fog—arms spread wide, drifting toward us, as if to welcome our souls.

  “It’s beautiful…” Ailin smiled stupidly and walked toward it.

  “Ailin! Get back here!”

  Fear clawed at my spine, yet I didn’t dare take my eyes off the figure—not for one heartbeat.

  “Oh, great one,” she breathed, “let me serve You with my whole heart…”

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  “What the hell are you doing?! Get back here!”

  Cold tore through my bones. Whether from the air or the creature itself, I didn’t know. The shifting colors, the layered screams, that grinding noise—everything around me spiraled tighter and tighter, pressing into my skull.

  Ailin reached the figure.

  She lowered her head in worship.

  It raised a massive hand—claws like spears—and closed them around her throat.

  Then it lifted her off the ground.

  My heart split open.

  “Fuck! Fuck!” I roared, yanking every glass bottle of war-spirits from my belt.

  I spun toward the girl pinned to the tree and gripped the curved blade.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I don’t know what else to do. I tried—I really tried. But for Ailin…”

  I stared into the girl’s eyes one last time—full of apology—and ripped the blade out of her body.

  I downed war-spirits until fire burst into my veins and lunged at the godlike thing.

  “Give Ailin back to me!” I howled. “Give her back!”

  But no matter how hard I ran, I never got closer.

  My strength bled away.

  Fear crushed rage, then crushed everything else.

  Finally, my legs failed.

  I collapsed to my knees, panting.

  Ailin hung in the creature’s grip, body twitching.

  The forest screamed around us—color, sound, pain, wind—everything spiraled into chaos.

  The noise stabbed into my ears; my whole body went numb.

  It felt like I was sinking into an endless black ocean.

  “Ailin…”

  “My Ailin…”

  “Come back to me…”

  I was tired.

  Tired of all of it.

  Life, love, death, fate.

  Sound faded.

  Vision thinned into darkness.

  Ailin was gone.

  The girl was gone.

  And soon—I would be gone too.

  And yes… whatever that thing was, it was powerful, terrifying, divine.

  Humans worship things like that.

  They pray to them for a place to belong after death.

  But I—

  I would never kneel.

  Never offer faith.

  Never surrender.

  A blinding light exploded through my head.

  I squeezed my eyes shut—but even darkness vanished.

  Then came the smell.

  Blood.

  Warm, fresh blood poured over my face like falling rain.

  I gave up.

  And slept.

  Deeply.

  I slept better than I ever had—better than childhood, better than memory itself.

  When I woke, I was lying on something soft.

  A bed.

  In a room I didn’t recognize.

  My head rested in Ailin’s lap.

  “You’re awake,” she whispered kindly. “Hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

  She smiled—the same calm, loving smile she always gave me.

  She lifted a thin biscuit to my mouth, and I took it gratefully.

  I wrapped my arms around her waist and held tight, terrified she might vanish.

  She stroked my hair like a mother holding a child.

  Let me sleep here forever.

  Maybe the next time I wake, I’ll be in a bright garden, living a peaceful, happy life…