The corrupted eye of the goddess narrowed, and for the first time, Saikolomeh could discern an emotion in that chaos: an immense melancholy, almost human. The void around them barely trembled with her breathing, yet each wave seemed capable of shattering stars.
— You dare… call me mother? she murmured, her voice resonating like a thousand icy winds in infinite space.
Each syllable seemed to weigh centuries and galaxies, and yet she was not angry… just sad.
Saikolomeh stepped forward, feet floating in this nothingness where gravity no longer existed. He felt the flow of his essence, the fusion with Saiko, coursing like a golden torrent around him, protecting and amplifying his aura.
— Yes… I call you mother, he said in a calm but resolute voice. I… I understand now. You were forced to exist… but I will not let this burden crush you.
The giant goddess tilted her head slightly, as if evaluating his words. Saikolomeh felt that she was no longer an insurmountable wall, but a lost soul, trapped in a fate she had never chosen.
— I… did not want to exist like this… she murmured, each word resonating like a millennial lament. — But you… you are different. You bear my trace… and yet you do not lose yourself.
Saikolomeh clenched his fists, feeling the corrupted power trying to overwhelm him.
— Then listen to me, mother… You are not alone. I am here. And if I must stand between you and this world so that you can exist, I will.
A heavy silence followed. Then, as if a cosmic lock had just been turned, the corrupted light of the goddess flickered. The black in her eye softened slightly, revealing a purer, less fractured red glow.
— You… dare… understand me? she whispered, incredulous.
Saikolomeh nodded, his gaze determined.
— I have understood you… and I will let no one decide for you anymore. Not even the gods, not even fate… no one.
Following this strange phenomenon, the giant goddess began to gently fragment. Her heart, long imprisoned, seemed finally free. Mü Thanatos — or rather this fragment of her — had never desired anything but recognition, and now, that wish was fulfilled.
She closed her eyes, and her body shattered into thousands of sparkling fragments, like stars reborn in the void. Each shard slowly rewove the universe she had destroyed, a symphony of light and matter. In this breath of disappearance, her gaze remained fixed on Saikolomeh, a fragile smile on her lips. A single tear of blood ran down her cheek.
— I thank you… my son… she murmured, her voice echoing in eternity.
Then, nothing. She had completely vanished. The universe, once torn by her anger and power, rebuilt itself, every planet and star returning to its place.
Saikolomeh sighed, immediately sensing the presence of his mother's fragment in the distance. He gave a slight smile:
— Mother… I'm coming.
He turned toward Maurice and Niyus⁵. With a wave of his hand, Maurice disappeared, returning to the sanctuary of his consciousness.
Then, Saikolomeh stood before Niyus⁵ and said with a tone both serious and conspiratorial:
— You will have much to tell mother, you…
Niyus⁵ nodded silently, understanding the magnitude of what had just happened.
Above them, the mana prison, once imposing, gradually dissipated, its luminous contours dissolving into the now calm void.
— I must go… murmured Saikolomeh.
— Go where? asked Niyus⁵, confusion visible on his face.
And suddenly, Saikolomeh's body vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving no trace behind. When the mana prison was completely erased, the primordial gods approached, seeing that Niyus⁵ was alone in the restored void.
— Where… where is Sakolomi? stammered Shylty, concern in her voice.
— I don't know, answered Niyus⁵. He only said he had to go.
Apollo calmly observed around him. The universe, meant to contain the goddess, was now whole and harmonious. Everything indicated that the goddess had finally disappeared and her release was complete.
— The exile of Mü Thanatos… is finally over, declared Apollo, his voice resonating with gravity and admiration.
Ñout, crossing his arms and looking at the reconstructed sky, exhaled a breath filled with hope:
— I can't wait to see her again at last…
Elsewhere, in a deep damp cave, silence reigned. Only Saikolomeh's heavy footsteps echoed, muffled by puddles of water covering the ground.
Each step seemed to weigh on his heart.
— Mother… are you there?
His voice faded into the darkness. The echo answered, cold and hollow, as if the mountain itself held its breath. He kept moving forward. The ground became more slippery, the air denser, saturated with an ancient aura.
The light from the outside world finally disappeared completely.
Then, in the distance, a faint purple glow appeared. It pulsed gently, like a heart. Saikolomeh smiled.
— Mother…
He quickened his pace.
At the center of this glow, a vast cavity opened, illuminated by spectral violet light. There, on a rock shaped by time, sat a figure draped in a white veil.
Her long hair floated softly in the stagnant air.
When she turned her head, two scarlet eyes opened — deep, shining, unfathomable.
Saikolomeh stopped. Mü Thanatos was there. In flesh and blood.
She rose slowly, hovering above the ground before landing with absolute grace. Her bare feet touched the puddles, causing slight ripples. She kept her head bowed, as if hesitating to meet his gaze.
— Mother… at last, I—
He didn't have time to finish his sentence.
Mü Thanatos's eyes glowed with a supernatural red, and in an instant, an invisible wave swept through the cave.
Saikolomeh's body tore apart.
Two beings separated abruptly: Saiko, thrown to the ground, and Sakolomi, standing but staggering under an existential shock.
— Mother?! What are you doing?! shouted Saiko, eyes wide.
Sakolomi screamed. His body was covered with dark flames, moving black and reddish inscriptions burning his very essence. His pain was not physical: it was his being consumed.
Mü Thanatos, impassive, watched him. Her eyes softened for a moment, surprised, almost sorry. Then the light in her pupils went out, and the torment ended.
Sakolomi collapsed to his knees, gasping, covered with black marks.
— Mother… what did you do to him? asked Saiko, voice trembling.
The goddess answered in a gentle, almost melancholic voice:
— My eyes cannot bear lies… They simply forced him to recognize himself.
Saiko remained silent. He didn't understand.
He slowly approached Sakolomi, who was still trembling, tears in his eyes.
— Are you okay…? he asked, worried.
Mü Thanatos watched them, silent. In her gaze shone a strange gleam: that of recognition… and fear.
Something in Sakolomi — something she had just awakened despite herself — seemed dangerous, unstable.
She slowly approached him, her steps echoing on the wet stone.
— Sakolomi… that is your name, isn't it?
He looked up, hesitant, then nodded.
A faint smile passed over Mü Thanatos's lips.
— You were looking for me, weren't you?
— Yes… he replied emotionally. I am so happy to finally see you. All this time… I've been searching for you.
But Mü Thanatos did not answer. Her smile froze, and her gaze grew distant.
The black marks on Sakolomi's body pulsed with dark light, as if something, through him, was awakening.
— What is… this mark? he asked, looking at his cracked skin.
Mü Thanatos averted her eyes, her voice soft but betrayed by a slight tremble:
— It's nothing… Don't worry about it…
But she was lying.
She knew.
And the more she looked at him, the more she felt a terrible truth approaching.