I opened my eyes to see a crying Seika on her knees over Man’s brutalized body. Krysha was administering potions of healing to his mouth, but the liquid simply filled his mouth and spilled from the sides of his cheeks. Seika was half-chanting a spell of restoration through sobs.

Trying to focus on the party view to see Man’s HP, I realized he wasn’t in our part anymore. His name was just not there. I tried to raise my head to get a better view but was not able to muster enough strength in my neck muscles to do so.

Luckily Kard, who was standing next to me with an empty healing potion in his hand, gave me a lift as he looked at me with glistening eyes. I tried to open my mouth and ask him, but he just squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Seika was now screaming instead of chanting spells, the warm light of her restoration spell having already dissipated without effect. If there was ever a sound worse than those I heard during the day my parents died, it was the screams my sister let out every time she brought her fists down on Man’s body.

“WHY!” she wailed, “WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!”

I couldn’t help myself but cry as I saw her in such desperation. Krysha tried to hold back Seika’s hands from further bruising Man’s cold body, her own tears almost crystallizing in the cold as they left her eyes. He was going to be my brother. He loved me like a brother, and when he saw Seika would not be able to protect us until we used the hourglass, he gave his life for us.

“He was smiling, Krysha,” my sister wailed, as Krysha took hold of her face and forced her to look at her. “He was smiling at me as he pushed us out. He knew he was going to die, but he was smiling.”

Krysha touched her forehead against Seika’s, her hat falling off as she whispered, “I know”.

A good man died because of The Divine stretching Its reach into Arirlun’s territory. My sister lost her love because of It. A child will grow up with only stories about its father because of It. It was all The Divine’s fault.

“Adel, you should lay down,” I heard Kard say, without realizing I was now standing on my feet, looking at the colorful maelstrom of magic in front of me.

I took a step closer, thinking of Man’s smiling face. Thinking about how he was always there for us. How he protected us and embarked on a quest he had no reason to care about, other than protecting Seika. A quest I was so obsessed with, I took no notice of all the harm it would bring to the people I loved. It was not just The Divine’s fault.

“Take me instead,” I whispered, and took another step forward, the magical whips grazing my already torn clothes.

“Adel, what are you doing?” Kard said, and grabbed my left sleeve.

I violently pulled my hand away from Kard and took a deep breath.

“TAKE ME INSTEAD YOU DIVINE MONSTER!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, and threw myself forward.

Instead of getting hit by the painful magical lashes, I felt my breath escape me as I was pulled back with great force. Kard had now locked his arms around me so tight it actually hurt.

“The hells you think you’re doing?” he hissed in my ear. “No one is listening to your prayers.”

Just as I considered the fact that my sacrifice would indeed have been in vain, golden strips of mana started separating themselves from the deadly corridor we had just traveled through and formed an ever-growing orb of light. Once all of the mana was removed from the path, the orb was a bit larger than my head.

As if acknowledging my request, the orb hovered in front of my eyes for a few seconds. Before anyone of us was able to utter a word, the orb flew in a straight line directly to Man, disappearing into the center of his chest. As if being awake from a deep sleep, Man threw himself up, inhaling deeply and looking terribly confused.

“Man!” my sister cried out and threw herself at him.

Krysha dropped her hands down to her side and simply stood there looking at the couple embracing, her mouth open while Kard glanced at me with a frown that quickly turned to a smile. I wasn’t able to put my thoughts in order and simply opened my arms and hugged him.

“You are so stupid,” Kard said to me, and hugged me even harder than I did him.

“Relax people,” Man said in a confused manner, his head peeking through Seika’s hair. “We made it.”

“You died, Manal Im,” Krysha said, looking at him.

“Well obviously I didn’t,” he replied, raising one eyebrow and gesturing down at himself.

“Look at the path we just came from!” Krysha continued. “There’s nothing there anymore. The power of The Divine isn’t there anymore. You died, and Adel offered himself in your stead. The Divine brought you back.”

“What…” Man was now at a loss for words. “Was I truly?”

“You…” Seika started talking, holding his face in front of her. “I did everything I could. You… You were cold, my love.”

Tears started flowing once more from her eyes. Man’s realization showed only for an instant on his face. His smile cracked and I saw him pressing his eyes and mouth to hold back his sadness. Only for a moment. And then he was smiling once more, and kissed my sister.

He pulled Krysha by her wrist and brought her in for a hug, apologizing to both of them. Once their embrace ended, he moved toward me and Kard and hugged us as well.

“You have to be more careful—” Kard started.

“I know,” Man interrupted him, though his eyes were focused on mine. “I’m not invincible. I will be more careful. I am not living just for myself anymore.”

I nodded, yet this was not enough for him to turn away from me.

“Thank you,” he said, taking my hands and moving his body so that nobody would be able to see his face. “You are the reason I am still alive.”

“I am the reason you were here in the first place,” I said, the words of confession rushing out of my mouth. “If it wasn’t for me and my stupid obsession with finding—”

“No,” he interrupted me. “This is not your burden and do not ever think your will is strong enough to rob me of my decisions. I came because I wanted to. There was nothing you could have said to convince me if I did not want to come or to prevent me if I wanted to. I came and you saved me. You understand?”

“Yes,” I said timidly, the familiar but long-forgotten feeling of being scolded now returning.

“You saved me,” he repeated, and I saw a tear run from his left eye. “But at what cost, Adel?”

Before I was able to even think of an answer, he pulled me in for an embrace. I wasn’t sure what had actually happened. I had offered myself to The Divine but I was still here and so was Man.

Do I owe something to The Divine now?

This was all very confusing, and by the looks of everyone around me, they were all as confused as I was. Once Man let me go, I approached to Seika and Krysha. It seemed like Seika was holding her breath as I was approaching. Once I was standing in front of her, I noticed she was actually casting a spell. One I did not recognize. A moment later, she finished her spell and touched my forehead with her right hand for some seconds and exhaled with a faint smile in her face.

“You are clean,” she said, visibly relieved. “The Divine has no grasp on you.”

My face probably showed I was filled with questions, but even before I could open my mouth and ask them, Seika began explaining.

“What you did,” she said, “is called a tama. A promise of a future offering to The Divine in exchange for something you need now. It’s a very old ritual requiring no mana and few people ever use it anymore. Did you know of the tama, Adel?”

“No,” I replied, even more confused than before. “I just wanted to save Man.”

“In any case,” my sister continued, “your request was heard and granted by The Divine. Normally, The Divine would have put a mana marker on you to signify the exchange and the fact you owe It an offering. Yet, I cannot find anything of the sort.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing?” Kard asked.

“A mark from The Divine would be impossible to miss,” she said, nodding. “I am certain Adel is not marked. But I don’t know why.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m fine, Man is fine. Let’s go.”

“Maybe The Divine Essence still lurking in the world is only able to react, but not act?” asked Krysha.

“That may very well be the case,” Seika confirmed. “Mana from The Divine was clashing with magic from the God of the Forge. But the divine mana is not there anymore.”

“So the tama drew on The Divine’s mana to grant Adel’s wish—” Krysha started saying.

“But The Divine is not here to mark him,” my sister finished.

“So we’re lucky?” I said, with a smile.

“You’re a fool,” my sister snapped at me, and Man moved to defend me, prompting her to snap at him as well. “You’re a fool as well. I would much rather have my child grow up with a father and an uncle than two dead heroes.”

Having said that, she turned around and started walking in the direction of the monastery once more. We didn’t say anything, but simply followed her in silence, though Man and I exchanged looks. Looks that promised never to upset her again.