The morning light shone through the closed curtains, bringing a faint brightness inside the quiet room. The sun rose for quite some time already, but the thick forest blocked most of its rays, delaying the morning call and forwarding the evening curtains, thus shortening the length of the days Friture was used to.

His figure slowly stood from the couch, rubbing his swollen eyes then stretching his arms to fully recover from the remnants of sleepiness inside his body. He took shelter here only a few days ago, that was why it couldn’t be helped if he still felt a sense of disorder with this new routine. The recent events brought their share of perturbations, novelties, tactless lessons, but also a dear hope.

Today, he would convince Trellia to lend him her strength in order to achieve the project: New World.

Yet, he wasn’t totally certain how he should introduce this idea to the goddess. She was already aware that his project needed divine energy to function, however her reaction when she learnt of it showed just how much she despised such technology. As a mortal, as a scientific who found a new path for a brighter world, he felt it was his new duty to promote this project and make it happen for real. That was right, he had to do it himself, because nobody else would or could do it in his stead.

However, that meant he had to confront a goddess head on with her ancestral wisdom forged on unimaginable experiences. Would his innovative proposition could get past the hard-as-stone judgement of someone who lived ten times longer than him? But he had to propose it! Otherwise, nothing would change, and wars would still bring many losses to everyone.

He got up, checking his clothes if any strange folds were made during his sleep. Looking around, he deemed the place to be a bit too dark to truly awake, so he went and opened the window. Something felt strange when he looked upon the already familiar scenery of the surrounding forest. It was like the place was cheering for him, feeding him with positive energy to relieve him from his exhaustion, from his stress and his anxiety. The light of the outside world has always been something he didn’t really care about, or at least he only looked at it as an energy that he could one day profit in one way or another.

No. He currently was profiting from it now. This same light, this light he knew very well, this light he was born with and always witnessed at the beginning of each day, and which he gave no more attention but that of a cold man who assessed the advantage it could give and the burdens it would place on the kingdom in exchange. That was at this instant, looking at the sky hidden behind the canopy, that he understood something so simple it was unperceivable by himself.

“I have changed… Haven’t I?”

Discovering the remedy against the fear of death, labelled as a heretic by his home kingdom, falling to his death at the cliff then rescued by a goddess, meeting eyes in eyes with a demon. How could that not change his method of analysing things? He quickly pondered on what was his life now… And judged he hadn’t really change. Really. To tell the truth, he didn’t change. Something was just added to his personality, to the equation he always used to determine if a new thing was beneficial or detrimental. That was right, he hadn’t change at all. He just perceived the world with data he was unaware of before, with information he couldn’t use before. He wasn’t a new Friture, just one more prepared.

Now that this incredible sensation filled his spirit, Friture could completely focus his mind on the most important task he was entrusted to. To tell a goddess how to manipulate her own divine energy.

He left his sleeping room to join the place where they were usually eating together. She wasn’t there, which meant she already got up and left to gather the forest’s belongings to make breakfast. Good, it meant he had more time to prepare for his argument.

Why did he fear to face Trellia? Because he was plenty aware of the gods’ role in subjugating demons. From yesterday’s meeting with the demon, he understood the significance of divine energy to gods: it was to repel demons. Or, actually, to unknot the threads and turn back the world as it was before the anomaly. While it didn’t actually restore the land before the collateral damage of the fight, this process still was necessary, as it prevented demons from rampaging around and creating more mess.

And now, he was about to directly ask a goddess to use this energy not to fight the demons, but to help the mortals overcoming a natural occurrence.

She wasn’t there, but it wouldn’t take long before she comes back with ‘snacks’. Some berries, as per the usual. He didn’t eat many meat recently, he hope it wouldn’t bother his body. No, he had to stay focused on his main objective. Those distractions only served as time killer, but that was all they were, distractions.

Time hurtfully passed, giving him all he needed to rehash the scene in his head again and again. But before he could feel ready, a pair of footsteps could already be heard from here. This single moment was sufficient to send his thoughts in disarray, freezing his brain’s processing. His back went cold, an alarming reminder of how imbecile he was for wishing to ask a god to help him for such a selfish request. However…

“Oh, you’re already up! How do you do?”

… Her carefree attitude helped dissipating some of his stress. Friture helplessly smile while looking at what was supposed to be a formidable goddess.

“Yes, I was woken up by the light outside.”

“Oh, sorry about that. You want me to consolidate the window next time?”

That was right, she was just too carefree, accommodating, and above all she was someone you could easily get along. If it was Trellia, then maybe he could get something out of it. Maybe she would understand. Maybe she wouldn’t turn him down.

“Trellia!”

“Mh! What is it?”

It was pretty rare to hear him shouting her name, which stunned her from the unexpected but ravishing surprise.

It was now or never.

“I… I have a request. I need you to help me complete the project: New World I am working on.”

She… Did not respond immediately. Actually, she took quite some time to digest the demand, her eyes betraying the vaporizing warmth she usually displayed. Friture thought he should continue with an explanation about the how and the why… However, he never believed that someone he trusted to be so heart-warming suddenly could turn deadly cold on the spot. The picture shocked him, petrified his bones and his hardly beating heart.

Then, the unamused goddess spoke, with a dangerous tone that did not invite any form of kindness.

“You want me… To work for you, is that it?”

Work for him? But he was banished from the kingdom and... Besides, that wasn’t the point at all. Friture quickly thought of an adequate answer, hoping to get enough time to explain to her all of the crucial details.

“N… No… I…”

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to oppose a goddess’s terrifying stare. He… He didn’t even understand what was wrong! Why was she so mad? Of course he knew the answer, but it was hard to blame himself when he was giving so much effort toward his own goal.

“Friture, you seem to forget something which is actually a matter of life and death for you.

You are the one who thought your life was no more useful, so you threw it away.

But I am the one who judged you were in the wrong, and spared you a meaningless death.

As your saviour, I have been expecting a word of thanks, but all I get is a request?

Aren’t you a bit rude toward the benevolent goddess that gave you a second chance?”

It only dawned on Friture now. When was it? Didn’t he say those simple words to her even once? Why… Why didn’t he? Was he looking for a good moment to tell her? No, the truth was dumber than that. It simply did not occur to him.

“I had hope in you, Friture. But you shattered them by yourself. How regrettable.”

Friture lowered his head, his ears dropping in a defeated manner. It wasn’t only a failure, this will become one of the worst mistake he could have done as a mortal. He would now be haunted by this miserable role he played in front of a respectable goddess, living from now on as an exiled and a person denied by the gods. But his misfortune didn’t end here…

“As punishment, I will take back the life that I have saved.”

“… So it all ends here and now, doesn’t it?”

Was he prepared for such an outcome? Of course not. Fear. Fear invaded his mind, occupying his thought and voiding all of his hope. The cold hand approached his face more and more, but he couldn’t move. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t even try to back away from this sight. It wasn’t because he accepted his fate, but because of the immense pressure exerted on his body. A mortal facing an angered goddess? Even the demon looked less frightening compared to the cold eyes of Trellia. At last, her index touched his forehead, and everything ended…

“Just kidding!”

Yes. It all ended. The pressure he felt suddenly disappeared, while the coldness in her character vanished as if it never happened. But something was still here. The terror was still gnawing at Friture’s soul.

“Now get out.”

… Then it all crumbled in the end. There was no hope left, he couldn’t get himself to continue this confrontation with Trellia. Friture slowly rose backed away, trembling from all this commotion. He barely stood on his feet, but he still stood up, and, with the fragile strength that was left in his body, he walked toward the forest in direction of… Who knew?…

But if he left this place… Where might he go? His kingdom wanted him dead, so maybe he should ask for an asylum in another? However he didn’t like the idea to betray his homeland, even if they tried to kill him out of nowhere. That was weird, but he couldn’t bear the idea to betray the people he has always been living with.

So what should he do? Hide somewhere for the rest of his life? It was equivalent to be dead. Such an empty life would kill his spirit before he would bite the dust. He was afraid to go out, because he had no other place to go. He didn’t like to leave the laboratory, because he had no one else to spend time with. He was born in a merry family… Then, at some point in his life, he was alone… And now, he would die alone, forgotten or hated by his compatriots.

…

Actually, he still had something left. Something he adored so much he spent almost his entire life with. Something so dear to him he cherished it with all his love and dedication. That something… was his love for science. Ever since he was a student, he was bewildered by the potential hidden in the mysteries of nature that only science could examine before giving a concrete answer. With science, everything became explainable, everything became possible. And that possibility that was born from his years of hard-work and research was…

The project: New World. The mean to use divine energy to prevent death.

Friture realised who he was against… That was why, despite the odds, he clenched his fists, then took a big breathe before making the grandest announce of his life.

“NO!”

The room went silent again, only making things heavier than they already were. But he couldn’t stop here.

“I’VE BET MY WHOLE LIFE, ALL THOSE YEARS, FOR MY RESEARCHES TO BEAR FRUITS!”

“No, it sounds rude if I don’t face her when I’m talking.”

Now more aware of how serious Trellia was with the pattern she expected from others to adopt with her, Friture turned around to face her. He was also fully aware that his face was now pitiful, shedding tears over tears, but he couldn’t hide it now.

“ALL THIS TIME, I’VE DESIGNED WEAPONS, BE IT SWORDS, PISTOLS, EVEN THE DEADLIEST ARTILLERY KNOWN IN HISTORY!

I’VE BEEN USED ALL THIS TIME TO CREATE TOOLS OF WAR!

AND ONE DAY, I FIND A WAY TO CHANGE EVERYTHING!

I DESIGNED SOMETHING WHICH WILL NOT SPREAD DEATH, BUT CAN STOP IT FROM EVER HAPPENING!”

Now that he was started, Friture did not stop his complains. He evacuated all the small nerve-wrecking balls that were stuck in his veins, this gigantic mass of stress he accumulated over years of disregarding, of isolation, of complexion over his own pathetic self he was so well aware of.

All this time, his intellect had been used only to nourish the military strength of his nation. It had been exploited to provide a greater mean to deal more damage to the opponent. It had been manipulated for the sole purpose of enlarging the pile of corpses. And now that he had the chance to put an end to this ridiculous massacre, it seemed like the whole world turned against him, as if everyone agreed that they would not permit it to stop.

There was no excuse which can validate the act of ignoring this possibility, except unnecessary pride and cowardice.

“NOW THAT I FOUND A WAY TO SAVE EVERYONE, I WANT TO SEIZE THIS CHANCE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

FOR ONCE IN MY LIFETIME, I CAN SAVE EVERYONE. EVERYONE, FROM THE DESPAIR OF WAR!

THAT’S WHY… THAT’S WHY…”

That was why he bowed to the goddess that listened to him. Because all he had left was this faint dream of changing the world, of changing everyone’s way of living, of saving them all once and for all.

“PLEASE HELP ME, TRELLIA!”

…

…

… “*Sigh*…

It sure seems interesting, when you put it like that… However, what’s impossible stays impossible.”

“Im… Impossible? Wh… What do you mean?”

“I says it’s impossible, because divine energy doesn’t prevent death. It can’t.”

What was she blurting suddenly? It was contradictory with Friture’s discovery. Even the experiment on Dragee proved its efficiency. Could it be… Could it be that she didn’t know of this utility?

“I’ve saw a lot of application for divine energy… But all of it is just offensive or defensive techniques. Maybe a bit of regeneration for gods who like to go full berserk, but nothing ever worked on mortals because they lack this little divine part that can held and tamper with divine energy.

So… Yeah. Your theory is interesting and all, but totally not possible.”

That was it! Friture didn’t know the precise circumstances that led Trellia to believe such a thing, however he knew she was wrong about it!

“I can prove it! Please lis-“

“So you’re telling me I’m lying, don’t you?”

Even when faced a second time with such a cold stare, Friture still couldn’t get used to it. He diverted his eyes, giving him a bit of fake bravery when he didn’t look at this ruthless power that could torn apart earth and heaven.

No, even diverting his gaze was hard enough. All he could do was close his eyes, and pray for nothing goes wrong.

“That’s… That’s not what I said. I can prove it, I just need to show you, please…”

The whirlwind of turbulent emotions carried on, then became calmer and calmer, until nothing of it remained in the room. At last, the silence was broken with a tired sigh of Trellia.

“Fiiiiiiine… You show me, then you go away.”

“Th… Thanks for your kindness…”

Then they both went further away, Friture explaining to Trellia how to manipulate the divine energy in order to apply it correctly on his body. She was reluctant at first, but rapidly complied because the method seemed rather innovative, thinking she may could get some inspiration from it for future references. Moreover, as a veteran in the field, she learned quite fast, and thus could envelop Friture the way he described it.

“Is that how it’s done?”

He stopped himself from answering that he wasn’t sure. It was only tested on Dragee so far, so only the knight-in-apprentice knew what the sensation felt like. However, Friture could still attest that he felt something different about himself. His body lightened in a very comfortable way, like he just slept a very good night and woke up with absolutely no trouble. All the sores where gone, replaced with a feeling of relaxation he never experienced before. Maybe that was how it should be…

“Yes… I think it is…”

… But there was only one way to be sure…

“Good… Now can y-Wait! Friture!”

He drew a knife concealed inside his sleeve, then, with a swift and decisive blow, pierced his stomach. The blade was sharp, and easily penetrated the flesh, cutting the arterials and drilling through the internal organ. Blood spurted everywhere, it was a morbid suicide…

… Or so it should have been.

A giant fog emerged suddenly from his body, hiding it from outer sight. Trellia, on her side, hurled at Friture, running to his side to deliver first aid to the injured fool. She hoped it wasn’t too late. And yet… And yet she was met with a furry ball.

“Ahh… I’m glad, it worked out…”

The strange animal talked with a cute face, sending Trellia in a hard-to-conjure confusion.

“Fri… Friture? Is that you? What happened?”

The strange thing possessed similar ears and the same looking tail as the scientist. Despite its peculiar appearance, it displayed a lot of similarities with the scientist. However, how could she explain what just happened? After all, there were no precedent. This was a premiere for her.

“S… So, Trellia? Do I… Do I still have to leave?”

Friture asked with a worried voice. He proved he was right. He proved it was possible. But he knew the choice fell on Trellia. When facing this scene, how would a goddess, who thought she has saw everything, would react? The correct answer was quite simple, actually.

She smiled, eagerly and passionately.

“Maybe I didn’t make a mistake, this time?”