Niyus thought he had sunk into injustice, despair, and absurdity. Everything he faced seemed to push him to the edge. He was nothing but a broken being, ready to collapse. Then, against all odds, he was narrowly saved from certain death.
He saw her.
A girl, beautiful, radiant. She stood there in an ethereal glow. Her mere presence calmed him in an inexplicable way.
Niyus: Who are you? Am I… dead?
The young woman's voice echoed, calm, soft, almost unreal.
???: No, you are not dead yet, don't worry. And… as for who I am? Well...
The light faded.
Niyus fell backward, gently landing in a vast flowered meadow. The colors were vivid, the wind soft, almost sacred. She had disappeared... only to reappear floating in the air, ethereal, watching Niyus struggle to sit up.
???: I am… Mü Thanatos.
Niyus's eyes widened in shock.
Niyus (whispering): Mü Thanatos?
So… it's you?
His face twisted. He clenched his fists, eyes dark.
Niyus: Everything that's happening to me is your fault! You sent your angel to humiliate me, I'm sure it was you!
Mü Thanatos cut him off, relentless.
Mü Thanatos: All these accusations? Originally, I sent Mü Sunghiun to tell you to go home. Precisely so that beings like Zramë wouldn't find you… but it was already too late.
Niyus froze. His gaze grew sharper, almost worried.
Mü Thanatos: It seems reality itself turned against you. Being stabbed in the back by your own avatar… it's cruel.
Niyus's face darkened. He lowered his head.
Niyus: Pfff… I've always been unlucky anyway.
But Mü Thanatos shook her head slightly.
Mü Thanatos: Don't say that. Why dramatize your darkness when you've had just as many – if not more – moments of light?
Niyus (frowning): What?
Mü Thanatos: Your meeting with Rivhiamë. Your mythical awakening. Your friends, the dragon warriors. The tribe you protected. And more.
Niyus's eyes lit up. He suddenly recalled buried memories: smiles, glorious battles, sincere embraces. A tear slid down his cheek.
Mü Thanatos (softly): Do you see now? You haven't lived only pain. In truth, you have known much more light. And if I may… In your childhood, do you really have regrets?
A faint smile appeared on Niyus's lips. He wiped his tear.
Niyus: If I were asked to do it all over… I think I'd do exactly the same. I regret nothing.
Mü Thanatos watched silently, almost indifferent, but deep down she saw it: he finally accepted his existence. No longer as a curse, but as a story, a path – made of ups and downs.
Niyus turned toward the horizon, his heart at peace.
Niyus: Lord Mü Thanatos… thank you for your words. But tell me, why are you really here?
Mü Thanatos: Very good question. Normally, I would never intervene. I would even let death take its course. But this time… a God dared to attack my creation, in my own sibylline world. If it were a Primordial God, I wouldn't intervene. But a tertiary God? No. I refuse.
Niyus: So… what will you do? Will you fight him?
Mü Thanatos: Gods are not allowed to fight each other. I will simply ask him to leave.
A moment of silence settled. Niyus suddenly thought of Rivhiamë.
He turned toward Mü Thanatos, eyes full of hope:
Niyus: Lord Mü Thanatos, please, can we return to our world?
Mü Thanatos: Of course. Zramë is still there; I must speak with him.
They returned to Mü Thanatos's world. Niyus seemed to awaken from a strange reality, still lying on Mü Thanatos's lap, bathed in a beam of light. Intrigued, he wondered silently:
Was it a dream?
Mü Thanatos, sensing his thoughts:
Mü Thanatos: No, it was not a dream.
Surprised, Niyus wondered how she could read his thoughts, as he was a transcendent being. The light faded, and he saw Zramë and Mü Thanatos.
Zramë, recognizing the figure behind the light:
Zramë: Mü Thanatos?
Niyus, standing on the ground, looked around and saw Rivhiamë lying on the floor. He ran to her, voice trembling:
Niyus: Rivhiamë!!
Still lying down, Rivhiamë was covered in blood. Niyus hurriedly lifted her and examined her, worried, seeing no signs of life.
Niyus, softly, thinking aloud: Is she dead?
A tense dialogue unfolded between Zramë, Niyus⁵, and Mü Thanatos.
Mü Thanatos: Zramë, this is my creation. You have no right to come here and kill my creatures and sow chaos.
Zramë, calmly:
Zramë: You're not wrong, but in itself… Niyus has a quaternary God level, which is not suitable for a human.
Mü Thanatos: The world, the creation, belongs to the creatures. If a creature manages to use it to ascend as a deity, that is perfectly normal. If it weren't, it couldn't happen. Everything in the world of existence is for the creatures that live there. But unfortunately for quaternary gods, they seem insignificant before greater gods like you.
Niyus⁵, trying to speak:
Niyus⁵: Excuse me, normally I understand you perfectly. However, I am the one who summoned this God to destroy Niyus, so since I am part of your world, there is no problem.
Mü Thanatos frowned and gave Niyus⁵ a chilling look:
Mü Thanatos: You shouldn't even speak in this conversation. Inviting a deity to sow chaos in another deity's world as a creature deserves an extraordinary sentence.
Niyus⁵, trembling with fear, stepped back, voice shaking:
Niyus⁵: Fine… I… I will leave.
He opened a rift and disappeared.
Mü Thanatos, turning slightly, said into the wind as a mere observation:
Mü Thanatos: Running away is useless. Consider yourself lucky that I moved for a creator, not a creature.
Zramë, returning to the subject:
Zramë: Very well… if that's the case, I think I will withdraw. Not because I think you're right, but because I admit I was wrong to attack your human in your world. However, if it happens outside your world, in the realm of myths for example, I won't give him any mercy.
Zramë vanished.
Mü Thanatos sighed, seeming weary of all these divine laws and perceptions, murmuring in thoughtful silence.
Niyus, tears in his eyes, came back behind Mü Thanatos, holding Rivhiamë in his arms. His voice trembled, sadness evident:
Niyus: Please, Lord Mü…
Mü Thanatos did not turn, remaining still, listening to the silence.
Niyus, crying, voice shaking:
Niyus: It might be too much to ask… but my friend's wounds… the only one who means so much to me, even though she is a demon… I mean, her wounds seem too deep. Zramë's attacks reached levels even I am powerless to heal. Look at my right hand, I lost it; he completely erased it.
Mü Thanatos listened carefully to Niyus's lamentations, seeing him humiliate himself before her. Her voice, soft but firm, finally spoke:
Mü Thanatos: And your friends over there?
Niyus looked where she indicated, seeing Jin Muleo and Lingyin still lying in critical condition, still in a coma.
Niyus, head bowed, feeling helpless:
Niyus: I'm afraid if I ask you to fix all this… you'll think I'm asking too much…
A faint smile appeared on Mü Thanatos's lips as she watched Niyus kneeling, head bowed, holding Rivhiamë.
Suddenly, Niyus noticed his right hand had been regenerated, surprising him deeply. He looked up at Mü Thanatos, who gave him a beautiful smile.
Then, a movement in his arms caught his attention. He looked, and it was Rivhiamë, completely healed, sleeping peacefully.
Niyus, dazzled and amazed, stared at her, unable to believe what he saw. He looked up to thank Mü Thanatos, but she had disappeared. He searched around, but she was gone.
Her voice echoed in the wind, soft, like a promise:
Mü Thanatos: Your absolute submission and resignation deserve compensation.
Mü Thanatos's hair floated in the wind, her gentle voice brushing the air.
A voice behind him called:
Voice: Hey...
Niyus turned and saw Jin Muleo and Lingyin standing, perfectly healthy as if they had never been injured.
Jin Muleo: Why are you kneeling like that, Niyus?
Niyus, tears in his eyes, voice full of gratitude:
Niyus: Thank you so much, Lord Mü Thanatos!!!
Jin Muleo, surprised:
Jin Muleo: Did he hit his head?
Lingyin, observing the scene:
Lingyin: I think he's just hungry...