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An opposite would be a good description, but not appropriate enough for his taste, the term two sides of a scale sounded much more proper and acceptable…
In his long existence, what else would one expect from a being born from one of the oldest deities, he had seen several contrasts to things, standing on opposing sides of the scales.
Chaos and Order…
War and Peace...
Despair and Hope...
Poverty and Riches…
Tears and Laughter...
Suspicion and Trust…
Cruelty and Mercy…
Hatred and Love…
As well as that to what he represented the opposite of…Life… He had seen the life of mortals, the way how most of them thrived to leave some kind of mark behind for future generations to remember them. He had found it amusing to see, but with time his views changed…One of them he did his best to forget for it would only upset his mother and siblings which was the least he wished for…the second one he also desired to forget for even if he was the God residing over Death, he still possessed a heart which’s scars he did not desire to rip open anew.
Though he was not sure about the third occurrence which brought a type of change to his views, leave alone a mortal who had served as a host for Lord Hades!
He still remembered how his mother tended to tell them “that because the humans were made by the gods they each posses a cosmo, but only those returning to the path of the Gods would be able to learn how to awaken it from dormancy.” She told them that “thus each human being was like a star, but their light was not dependant on the strength of their cosmo, but on their souls” whenever saying this he knew that his mother was glancing his way for he could see the souls of mortals… He had secretly always found that amusing till he had seen such a bright light, but she flickered away from his hands and he suddenly found himself trapped in suffocating darkness till that day in Elysium…
What was it about that human? How could a mortal possess such a bright, gentle light which he possessed no doubt would be even able to light the darkest pits of Tartaros?
He did not understand so he went to his sisters the Fates and asked for permission to watch through the young Saint’s life. His younger sisters only looked at him with gentle smiles and handed the thread over. It would have gone much faster if he would have simply visited the Archives in Limbo, but with the thread he could first hand see the happenings of the one’s life who haunted his mind and puzzled him. He watched over each memory, recogrinaising intelligence and a great strength, only held back by the desire to not cause harm, even if it should end in harm coming to him. His scarred heart clenched when he saw the step he took to gain the cloth of the one he had wished to be at his side, but could never be.
He now understood why the part of her soul still resting in the mortal world choose him, but he still did not understand his light. He had thanked the Fates and gave back the thread before departing to seek out his sister Eris from whom he knew had also encountered the Saint.
Eris had been just like most of the time with their sister Nemesis who politely gave them time to talk in private, though it had been short lived. His sister even if not being able to see it could feel the light of his soul, but she could not explain it, only that something warm and gentle had touched her soul. He had thanked his second youngest sister and departed again, there was no need to talk to the spectres who had fought the young man, neither with his twin, Hades and Pandora, he knew their options already without having asked.
The last person he had seeked out had been his mother who sat in her Garden of Night, tending to her blue and black roses, her star speckled veil draped around her white shoulders, silverly eyes, the same like his, looking at him with gentleness while she beckoned him over. He had only hesitated for a few seconds before sitting down in the lush grass at her bare feet, his head resting in her lap while she asked him in a gentle tone what he desired to speak with her about and he had told her. When he finished and looked up he saw her smile in a gentle way before she told him that the young man was the purest of sacrifices. He had been puzzled at her words, but she explained.
“That child is a sacrifice, not in the way how back then the mortals offered us gifts as a show of their respect, but with each breath he takes, every heartbeat he is sacrificing a part of himself. Most mortals foolishly think that being kind or showing sadness are a sign of weakness which is a foolish motion. He is not scarred to shed tears even for someone who had been his enemy, he embraces both those in the light and the ones walking in darkness, he is sacrificing each day with showing kindness without any conditions. The light of his soul is a proof for that, then it are the given mortal’s deed’s which determine the brightness of their souls…”
He had listened intently, but he still did not understand, but his mother only reassured him that he would find his answer, he had always trusted her words for she never lied to any of them, but he still harboured doubt in himself.
♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓
The curtains fluttered in the gentle night breeze as a dark figure appeared inside the spacious, but still modestly decorated bedroom. Silver eyes not in the slightest bothered by the darkness as they found the one they had been looking for. Long robes slid along the plush carpet as he neared to the bed, his eyes never straying from the figure resting under the thin coves, they only strayed for the fraction of a second when he thought that Her image on the cloth box smiled at him when he passed.
Finally reaching his bed he carefully reached a hand out, trying to touch that warm and gentle light, hoping that thus he would be able to understand how it could outshine any light he had seen in the souls of mortals.
How this light could even reach the souls of Gods…
He had been only inches away when gentle, warm hands touched his icy ones and placed it on a softly beating hearth, not scarred from his touch. Looking up he suddenly found himself gazing into warm, emerald eyes and at a small smile.
“I’m glad to see you” the Saint whispered and he would have rolled his eyes at the comment, but he heard only sincerity in the greenette’s voice.
“Only those suffering seem to accept my coming and even under them are many refusing to accept their fate.” he answered instead, stunned how the heart under his palm did not falter in its calm rhythm.
“One day everyone’s line ends.” He heard the Saint say, his hands still on his. He marvelled how truly fragile the young man looked, but his deeds certainly spoke a different language.
“So, this means that if I would tell you that your time has ended now you would come with me without protests?” he asked mockingly when those emerald eyes closed, but the smile never vanished from the pale-rose coloured lips nor did his heartbeat change as he spoke up with honest sincerity.
“I would without hesitation” the answer made him take a step back, his hand leaving the mortal’s heart, feeling suddenly cold all over. He did not understand this mortal! “There is nothing strange in my words, I am a mortal and all life has an end one day from which is no escaping so it is easier to accept and enjoy the wonders each day gives to you.” He spoke up again, only strengthening the God’s confusion as his light seemed to shine brighter, the rays seemingly beckoning him closer.
He did so with reluctance.
“You are a strange mortal Saint of Andromeda” he said as he brushed with a cold hand over a soft cheek, marvelling how the other did not even flinch given their past encounter and that he was after all Death himself.
“I am merely speaking the truth” Shun said as he felt the God slowly wrap his arms around him before icy lips pressed against his warm ones.