Shamash, the sun god, the god of justice, the god of judgment.
He symbolizes the law, he discerns the loyal and traitor with his impartial and selfless eyes, and he holds the Heavenly Wheel in one hand and the sword of Shamash in the other.
All wicked people, and those who break their oath, will be executed by his sword.
On the day he became a priest of Shamash, he knelt under the tall statue and took the scepter given to him by his guide.
He took the scepter and swore an oath under the sun god.
I will firmly enforce the law.
I will obey the order of justice.
I will judge everything fairly.
I will guard the teachings of Shamash, with my life and my soul—
The priests of Shamash, the priests of the sun, are impartial and powerful.
Shemuel is like that.
He is an upright and severe person. Few people can see the emotions of ordinary people from his face. He is rational, calm, and has never been swayed by personal feelings.
…
"Ximul, I'm done!"
The white parchment was raised in front of his eyes, and the boy who held it tilted his head, revealing half of his face from behind the parchment, and there was still a bit of childishness on that face.
Under the golden forehead that flows like sunlight, the boy's eyes are curved like the curvature of a crescent moon.
The boy looked at him with expectant eyes.
He glanced lightly and said, "No."
The bright-eyed boy wilted suddenly, like a little squirrel pulling its ears.
"However, it's an improvement from last time," he added.
The boy's eyes suddenly lit up again, and his golden eyes were like the sun in the sky.
He stood there, smiling brightly at him. The sun was bathing on the child, as if it was caged with a faint halo.
He smiled at him, and he looked at him with trust in his eyes.
This young prince, who seemed to have the brilliance of the sun.
He single-handedly raised big children.
He looked at the little child, growing up little by little in front of his eyes.
Just like the seedling he held in the palm of his hand, he pulled out the green branches and leaves little by little.
…
"Are you really going to accompany that prince to death?"
That day, the man who came to him said so.
That person was a companion who studied with him when he was young, but later, he chose to be a priest of Shamash, and that person, chose to be a priest of the god of the night.
The priest of the god of the night had become another prince's confidant a long time ago.
This man came here to persuade him to join Prince Heimos together.
He was silent.
"Think about it, how can that weak prince He De be able to sit on the throne?"
"A long time ago, when King Camos asked you to choose, didn't you also choose to teach His Highness Heimos?"
"So, it's not a betrayal, it's just implementing your own choice." The man said, "Prince Garland can't possibly win His Highness Heimos."
He was silent for a long time before answering.
"… you're right."
Garland can't beat Heimos.
Everybody knows.
He also knew.
"He can't beat Heimos," he said.
It was the path of the throne of cruelty, full of blood and thorns.
That kid can't do it.
But Huymos was on that road.
Therefore, the throne must ultimately belong to Heimos.
"Really? So you are also optimistic about His Highness Heimos, aren't you?"
The man smiled at him.
"Only His Highness is qualified and most suitable to sit on that throne."
"… "
He closed his eyes and didn't answer.
Yes.
Prince Heimos is very powerful and incomparably powerful. Today, even King Camos can no longer suppress this terrifying man like a beast.
A long time ago, he also believed that only those who are good and powerful enough are qualified to sit on the throne.
But now, he finally understands that it is not the case.
It takes more than just power to sit on the throne.
Heimos is strong, but his heart is too narrow, so narrow that it is only himself.
Although Garlan is weak, he has a broad mind. He can put a lot of people in his heart, and his gentle heart also makes him willing to protect everyone he can watch.
Heimos's eyes were narrow enough to see only himself.
He wants the throne for himself.
He will not suppress himself, but will only obey his own desires, and he will achieve all his desires as he pleases.
For to him nothing but himself, not even the whole of Aaron Landis.
… He vaguely saw the shadows beneath Prince Heimos' feet, and the darkness entwined around him.
It seemed like an invisible omen.
When Heimos ascended the throne, his mighty might not lead Aaron Landis to a mighty abyss, but a terrifying abyss.
And the big child he cared for is about to become the first sacrifice—
… … Do not.
Can't.
He opened his eyes and looked at his childhood friend.
He said, "Okay."
…
"You can't beat Heimos."
That's what he said to Garland that day.
He saw the wide-open eyes of the child, looking at him in disbelief.
He seemed to be able to see something shattering in those golden eyes in an instant.
There seemed to be something shattered in the bottom of the boy's eyes, he stood there looking at him, helplessness written all over his face.
At that time, he wanted to reach out and touch the child's head as before.
But no.
[You can't win Heimos.]
You will die at his hands.
So, it's up to me.
Even if I betray my faith.
I want you to live and live on the throne.
…
You are the priest of Shamash, and fairness and justice are your beliefs.
When you tell a lie, you will turn your back on the path of Shamash.
When you are in a lie, your faith will be destroyed by it.
Your soul will fall into hell and be on fire forever.
…
"Ximuer, you violated your oath of allegiance to His Highness Heimos. As a priest of Shamash, you have told a lie, you have betrayed your faith, what qualifications do you have to say that you serve Shamash? man of-"
He couldn't hear what the man behind him was saying.
His mind was blank at this moment.
The young man leaned against his arms quietly, as if he was asleep, but the blood seeping from the corners of his eyes and lips slowly slid across the pale face that was still somewhat childish.
Those eyelashes as light as cicada wings trembled slightly in the wind, like the traces of the last life that had passed away.
At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.
He didn't know what he was doing, he just vaguely felt that something in the deepest part of his body seemed to shatter at this moment.
What appeared in his mind at this moment was the look the child looked at him when he left.
Countless, terrifying things poured out from the depths of the body, stirring, as if tearing his entire being a little bit.
The body of the person in his arms is cooling down a little bit, along with his heart...
…
Even if you renounce your beliefs and give up everything.
I also want to protect you.
But even if you give up everything.
I still can't keep you.
He closed his eyes.
O great Shamash, all sins are on me.
The crime that the prince committed when he was young is up to me.
Please take his soul into the kingdom of God...
…
…
In that void, there seemed to be a pair of eyes watching, seeing everything that happened after that.
There was confusion in those eyes.
Is this what happened after he died in that lifetime
... Xie Muer didn't abandon him... He was actually guarding him... Did he
But why did he see this scene
Confused, he saw Heimos pull out the long sword on his waist.
The sharp blade was raised in Heimos' hands.
Do not.
Heimos, no!
He wanted to stop him, he wanted to stop him, he was screaming as hard as he could, wanting the man to stop.
But all of this is in the past, what happened in the past.
He could only watch, but nothing could stop him.
He could only watch the sharp sword in Heimos's hand, which had drunk so many people's blood, shone with a terrifying cold light in the sun.
STOP... STOP!
You have killed me, let him go!
No one could hear his voice, no one could hear him.
All he could see was Xi Muer kneeling there in a daze, holding his corpse in his arms.
He could only watch helplessly as Heimos's hand fell heavily.
The sharp blade pierced through Xie Muer's chest in an instant—
Heymos! ! !
…
The sun is setting in the west, and the horizon is red and bright, that is the burning cloud. The sun, which was about to set on the ground, slanted golden-red light onto the ground, shining in through the window.
The red sunset light fell on the face of the blond child lying quietly on the bed.
Suddenly, the child suddenly opened his eyes.
His hands stretched out into the air, as if trying to grab something that didn't exist, his fingertips tensed to the extreme.
His dilated pupils trembled violently, and he opened his mouth as if to gasp for breath, but his throat seemed to be blocked, unable to breathe or make a sound.
"Gallan?"
Someone came quickly, grabbed his hand, and shouted his name nervously.
Garland turned his head.
The next second, his pupils contracted violently.
The familiar face that caught his eye made his mind go blank.
He was unable to think.
Heymos!
There was only one name left in his mind.
It was almost an instinct of the body, he propped his elbows, sat up sideways, reached out to touch Heimos' waist, and pulled out the dagger tied to the other party's belt.
Pulling the dagger out of its sheath, he stared at Heimos and stabbed the dagger fiercely at Heimos—
A clanging sound.
The dagger stabbed on the metal bracelet, making a crisp metal crash sound.
Almost at the moment when Garlan raised his hand to stab the dagger, Heimos raised his hand and blocked the tip of the sword with the metal bracer on his wrist.
The next second, he grabbed Garlan's right wrist holding the dagger with his backhand.
With just a little force, the severe pain made Garlan let go.
The dagger fell and was caught by Heimos' other hand.
Heimos clasped Garlan's right wrist and pushed him back on the bed heavily.
Garlan's back hit the bed with a loud thud in the room.
And at the same moment when he was crushed on the bed by Heimos, the snow-white blade of the dagger taken back by Heimos was already on his throat.
Just a little bit of force can cut his throat.
Everything happens in an instant.
From when Garlan drew his sword and stabbed Heimos, until Heimos pressed it back on the bed and pressed the dagger against his throat.
This series of actions all happened in less than two seconds.
Everything was the instinctive reaction of Heimos' body. After two seconds, he reacted and looked at the scene in front of him.
"Gallan?... Did you have a nightmare just now?"
he asked suspiciously.
The child who was pressed by him on the bed stared at him with wide eyes, blank at first, as if he had not recovered from his dream, and his eyes were all distracted.
After the eyes were awake, he looked at him as if he had understood something. Suddenly, his eyes blinked, and a series of tears fell.
The sudden tears made Heimos in a hurry.
In a panic, he retracted the dagger that was on Garlan's neck, and let go of the other's hand.
"This is the combat reaction formed after physical training. I didn't want to do anything to you, but the body's reaction was too fast and I couldn't control it..."
Garland didn't answer.
He opened his eyes, those big golden eyes were soaked with fog, and tears fell from the corners of his eyes in a mess.
He bit his lower lip tightly and didn't make a sound, but the tears in the eyes of Heimos kept falling rustling and falling heavily.
Although he didn't speak, he didn't say anything, but that look in his eyes made people feel distressed for some reason.
"Don't be afraid, Garland."
Scared of nightmares
Or were you frightened by the dagger just stuck to your throat
Heimos thought.
"Don't be afraid, trust me, I won't hurt you."
He said softly, gently stroking Garlan's forehead with his hand.
"No matter what happens, I won't hurt you," he said.