One week later…

After Gemma came back from his expedition, he decided to rest in his chambers. It was large and cozy, and he had servants to take care of it. Since he was the leader of both the hunters and the pathfinders, his status was among the highest in Bright Castle.

But right now, he wasn't even thinking about what he had hunted or his next trips. His mind was elsewhere, lingering on something truly stunning he had discovered, something that had left the experienced hunter dwelling on it for days.

Taking out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, he looked at the runes he had written himself, his gaze hopeful. His expression remained blank, yet a spark of yearning shone in his eyes.

He knew he might never leave the Forgotten Shore… but so what? He had Kido here, the woman he loved. He often imagined returning to the waking world with her, marrying her, and raising children of their own. But this damned hell kept taking everything from him.

Yet hope was a tricky thing. If that spark were extinguished instead of growing into bright, warm flames, then all that awaited him was… despair. A despair even worse than what he already carried.

So he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He told himself not to nurture grand expectations, so that disappointment wouldn't crush him later.

"The Lady that Created Everything,

The Lady who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows,

The Degenerate Nature of All Living Things."

After speaking the words, he clasped his hands together and began to pray feverishly. He had seen the fragments of those words, even though most had been destroyed by the passage of time. They spoke of other gods born from the void, much like the nightmare creatures. They spoke of doom war, of the age of heroes, of countless wonders that showcased the might of the Creator. While everything else was born either from void or flame, the True Creator existed outside such laws. 'She' endured all sins and saved the world.

"Please… help me. I'll do everything you ask of me… just help me," Gemma whispered, closing his eyes. He felt the last of his hope slipping away, despair spreading through his heart like vile poison, until:

"H-huh?! AGHHHH!"

At the same time, Luna froze while she was helping her 'sisters.' She frowned, sensing a call, someone was trying to connect with her for some reason. The voice resonated deep within her soul. With an apologetic smile, she excused herself and slipped into the toilet for privacy.

She closed her eyes… and when she opened them, she was in a completely different place. Her soul sea.

A vast expanse of dark waters stretched endlessly around her. Above, two golden cores burned with the radiance of the sun. Her soul sea was strange, similar to Sunny's, yet different. It wasn't made only from the essence of shadows, but from all the authorities of the Hanged Man's pathway: darkness, shadow, degeneration, mutation, and corruption.

At first, she didn't know what to do. After some thought, she let out a sigh and chose to accept the call.

Soon, a silhouette rose from the dark sea. Its form shaped entirely from the same darkness that surrounded her. It was tall, muscular, and unmistakably male. But what caught her attention wasn't his appearance, if you could even call it that, It was the feeling he gave her.

Sinner… That was what he felt like. A man overflowing with sin, guilt, anxiety, despair, shame, and regret.

A man looked around, a little stunned, and then noticed Luna. Of course, he couldn't see her real appearance, only her Uniqueness: a Five-Headed Dense Shadow.

Gemma gulped in fear as his gaze locked on the figure, pain pierced his skull, sharp as a nail being hammered into it, and he quickly averted his eyes.

"Failure… Disappointment… Sinner… Deserving of damnation…"

The words echoed in his mind, nearly driving him mad. But then the shadow waved its hand, and everything vanished in an instant.

When he looked up again, he saw stairs of liquid blackness forming, reminiscent of the dark sea, not the one he stood on now, but the one on the Forgotten Shore. The sight made him tremble.

The Five-Headed Shadow reached toward the golden soul cores. The stairs collapsed, replaced by a platform that twisted into a dark throne. The shadow sat upon it, gazing down at him.

Not knowing what to say, Gemma showed no bravado before the divine figure. He recognized the shadow, it was the same as the one he had seen in the ruined city.

It was the True Creator. His prayers had been answered.

But how? Weren't the gods dead? He had hoped, yes, but still… he had been skeptical. Now, faced with the overwhelming majesty of a god, he could only feel awe and fear.

At last, he sighed, only to realize he couldn't. He, too, was a shadow in this place. That raised a terrifying question: was the True Creator a Shadow God? But that couldn't be. The two were supposed to be entirely different.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside and bowed, kneeling before the god in reverence.

"Thank you… thank you for answering me!"

Luna glanced at him, stunned. What the heck was happening? She had no idea, but kept playing along. After all, that's probably what Amon would do and that guy always seemed to escape trouble.

"What is your name?" she asked, her voice echoing through the abyss, sinister and vile.

Gemma trembled under her gaze and muttered, eyes downcast:

"G-Gemma… It's Gemma…"

All five heads nodded in unison. When they spoke, their voices blended together:

"And what do you seek, mortal? Why have you awakened me from my slumber?"

Slumber? Gemma froze. That meant not all the gods were dead? Still, instead of dwelling on it, he confessed his fears, his hopes, the truth of his situation, about Kido, the bright castle, the Forgotten Shore. He told her everything.

Her answer came as a voice deep and booming, rolling across the vast sea.

"Hmm… Forgotten Shore. I remember. The mortal realm that slew the Nephilim, who cursed them with eternal darkness. The blood of the Nephilim is what you describe as the dark sea."

Gemma nodded eagerly, enlightened by her words.

"Yes, Great God-"

"It is a Goddess," she corrected sharply. "And you still haven't told me what you seek. Why have you prayed to me?"

Gemma hesitated, torn. Did he deserve salvation? How many people had he killed? How many lives had he ruined? Did he deserve forgiveness? Life? Joy? He didn't know. But before he could drown in guilt, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

His body trembled, knowing whose hand it was, not daring to look up.

Luna stared at him, sensing his emotions, and almost sighed. She pitied him. Yes, he had done terrible things. Yes, his soul was heavy with regret. She could easily destroy him here, corrupt him, twist him into a mindless beast. That would be fitting punishment.

But still… she couldn't. Luna wanted to save lives, not condemn them.

And so she made her choice. Instead of punishment, she granted him a second chance.

"Raise your head and look at me."

Gemma hesitated, but slowly lifted his gaze. The moment his eyes met the unfathomable, horrifying silhouette, waves of emotion crashed over him, drowning his senses.

He felt joy. Peace. Sorrow. Relief. And countless others he had no words for.

Then, his form split in two. Gemma found himself staring at a kneeling shadow yet now, he was no longer shadow but a being of warm, radiant light, standing beside the Goddess.

Stunned, he didn't understand what was happening. But his confusion was answered by that same familiar voice. Though still sinister, it now carried something soothing, forgiving and even warm.

"This is your guilt, your shame, your fear, your regret, your sin. An amalgamation of everything vile and hateful within you. Yet… that does not mean you cannot embrace life, and cast it aside."

Gemma tried to speak, but words failed him. Golden tears streamed from his glowing form as he sank to his knees before the Goddess.

"But I… I don't…"

The Goddess extended her hand. Her voice echoed in his mind, low and resounding:

"When the world pushes you to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray. Remember this, the strongest warrior's kindness and selflessness strike deeper than any blade. Tell me, Gemma… are you ready to become such a warrior?"

His fists clenched. Shame and regret pressed down on him, but he dared to lift his head.

"You must let the past rest gently in your heart," the Goddess continued. "If your mind clings to it, the precious opportunities of the moment will drift away like whispers in the wind. The day you release the sorrows of yesterday is the day your hands are free to hold the gifts of tomorrow."

Gemma trembled and looked up at the Five-Headed Shadow.

"Can I… really do that? Im just so... lost."

The Goddess remained silent for a moment, then grasped his hand, her gaze piercing.

"Stand, my sheep. Walk in the dark with my voice as your guide, for I am your shepherd. Your enemies' blades may pierce your flesh and taste your blood but your soul lies far beyond their reach. It will rest in my embrace."

She pulled Gemma to his feet, then turned toward the corrupted shadow that embodied his sins. Her divine form struck through it, piercing the darkness, and absorbed it whole.

"Gemma… your sins are forgiven."

Her eyes shifted to the radiant figure of light that he had become. With a casual wave of her hand, she commanded:

"Return to the land of dreams. Find my saintess and she will lead you out of this godforsaken place."

A pale, golden radiance flared from her soul core, blinding light flooding the dark expanse.

Gemma opened his eyes, once again in his chambers, breathing heavily and his expression stunned.

Yet he felt… refreshed. The guilt, shame, and fear that had weighed on him were gone. In their place was calmness, even peace.

After fully digesting what had happened, he dropped to his knees and clasped his hands in prayer.

"Praise the Lady!"

Meanwhile, Luna lingered in her soul sea, exhaling a soft sigh. She hadn't wanted to lie to him, but how could she destroy his hope? She simply couldn't. So, she had played along.

At least Amon had a plan. If it worked… countless people would be saved, not just a handful of bloodsisters or Nephis's followers.

All she could do now was make it work. To save as many lives as she could.

But as she shook her head, she froze.

A moment later, agony tore through her. Her body writhed in the dark, bones cracking and flesh bubbling like melting wax. Her vision blurred crimson. Teeth ground together as black veins spread like poison beneath her skin.

She bit back a scream, nails carving bloody crescents into her palms. All five of her heads roared in madness.

Too much. Too heavy. Too vile…

With sheer will, she seized control. Her twisted form shuddered and reformed, ragged and trembling. She collapsed onto the surface of her soul sea, gasping.

The sensation eventually faded. Her body knit itself back together as she forced her breathing into rhythm, leaning against a dark throne.

"Did I almost… lose control? Become a monster?" she muttered, eyes wide with a flicker of fear and resignation. If bearing the sins of one man hurt this much, what would happen if she took on ten? Hundreds? Thousands?

She swallowed hard and steadied herself. Then, she let her awareness return.

Her eyes opened to the toilet chamber once again.

Tying her hair back, she composed herself with effort, managed a faint smile, and opened the door, ready to return to work.

***

[A/N: For some reason, I really like this chapter. Honestly, the Hanged Man is the best-written pathway in LOTM. Anyway, Luna just gained her first follower, guys! And yeah, Nephis isn't really a hero, so I decided to make one who actually is. That's it for now, thanks for all your support. Even if most of you are gooning to the female version of Amon for some reason and acting weird asf. Well, whatever, enjoy the meal!]

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