Sota and Medusa were walking through a dark alley.
It was so dark that nothing around them could be seen clearly.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead.
The two of them walked toward it.
As soon as they entered the light—
Sota's eyes filled with shock.
The bags in his hands slipped and fell to the ground.
Tham…
In a trembling voice, he asked Medusa—
"W-what… is this?"
Medusa slowly placed his things down and replied calmly—
"What do you think it is?"
In front of them—
small children were sleeping on the roadside in the cold.
Their bodies were dirty, as if they hadn't bathed for months.
Their cheeks were sunken,
and their thin arms looked like dry sticks.
Some children were carrying heavy boxes with their tiny hands,
loading them into a carriage.
Even the old people there were working,
ignoring the condition of their weak bodies.
Sota and Medusa slowly walked forward.
Their footsteps made no sound.
"W-what is this place…?
Why are these children sleeping here like this…?
They're too young to work…
and those old people… they can barely even stand…"
Sota thought to himself.
As he got closer,
a terrible smell hit his nose.
He quickly covered his nose with his hand.
"W-what… is this smell…?
How can they even live in this…?"
Medusa, standing beside him, looked at him and spoke in a low voice—
"You're not used to this smell, Sota…
That's why you're reacting like this.
But they are used to it."
He paused for a moment.
"Sleeping hungry…
working from a young age…
and continuing like this until their last breath…
This is their normal life."
Hearing this—
Sota slowly lowered his hand.
His eyes became moist.
In a soft, heavy voice, he asked—
"Then… why don't they leave this place…?
What's the point of living here…?"
Medusa replied calmly—
"They can't leave.
Do you really think their lives would change
just by going somewhere else?"
He stopped… and looked at Sota.
At that moment—
a voice came from behind them—
"Hello… kids… food is here!"
A clown walked past them.
He was carrying boxes of food.
He gently woke up the sleeping children
and called everyone to eat.
"Come on… stop working and eat!"
Everyone gathered around him.
One by one, he handed food to each of them.
The children who were starving—
had tears in their eyes as they started eating.
The clown noticed Sota and Medusa
and walked toward them with two small boxes.
"Why are you both standing like this?"
He extended his hand.
"Here… have some food."
Medusa slightly lowered his head and said—
"We've already eaten.
We actually brought food for the children."
The clown smiled, then looked at Sota—
"Oh… hello, kid.
We meet again.
Are you hungry?"
Sota shook his head slowly.
Then, in a quiet voice, he asked—
"A-are you the one who brings food for all of them…?"
The clown kept smiling.
"I don't bring food for anyone…
This food belongs to their fate.
I'm just a medium."
At that moment—
his stomach made a loud sound.
Grrr…
Sota looked at him and asked—
"You… haven't eaten yet?"
Medusa, who was watching everything, said—
"You should eat too."
The clown smiled softly.
"If I start thinking about my own hunger…
then who will think about theirs?"
"Let everyone eat first…
I'll eat later."
Just then,
a boy and a girl came from behind him.
They gently pulled his clothes and said—
"We're hungry… do you have food for us…?"
The clown quickly turned around
and handed them his own food.
"Of course… I brought this for you."
Sota looked at him in shock
and asked Medusa—
"H-he gave them his own food…
Then what will he eat?"
Medusa folded his arms and replied—
"If everyone only thinks about themselves…
do you think anyone here would survive?"
As he said this—
some old people were also giving their food
to the children who hadn't received any.
Medusa's voice grew slightly heavier—
"The reason for all this…
is no one else but the 'god'
they keep believing in."
Sota's eyes widened.
"W-what…?
What are you saying…?"
His mind filled with questions—
Is this true…?
Why is he saying this…?
How is this God's fault…?
The two of them stood there,
staring at each other.
Sota wanted to ask everything.
And Medusa…
was ready to answer it all.