(Namur POV)
It was early morning when I wrapped the scarf around her neck and smiled with the warmth of a father.
"Thank you, Uncle Namur."
Kala smiled back, though sadness still clung to her face. Her small hands tightened around the scarf. The same one I had pulled from her father's corpse.
I should have pretended to be friends with someone who did not have children. It would have saved me this inconvenience. I crouched in front of her, bringing myself down to her height, and let the kindest smile I knew settle onto my face.
"He would be proud of you." Kala nodded.
For a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something else. Instead, she turned and started walking toward the temple of Enki. She was learning to write under a scribe there.
I kept smiling as she walked away, then raised my arm and waved.
She looked back once and waved too.
Four more years.
Just four more years.
If she was not chosen, I would leave her behind and let her survive on her own.
I walked back home, greeting everyone I passed with the same friendly smile. No one found it strange.
Here, I was a kind man.
And a kind man, unfortunately, had to take care of his dead friend's daughter.
When I reached the house, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The moment I was alone, I deactivated my rune.
Every emotion vanished from my face.
I looked around the house and felt the same irritation as always. There were too many things. Small clay figures. Extra blankets. Writing tablets. A basket with her sandals near the wall. A cup she always forgot to put back where it belonged.
So inefficient.
If it were up to me, I would only need a bed, a cooking area, and a place to wash.
But unfortunately, I did not live alone. I went to my room, lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. I had to pick her up in three hours. Until then, there was nothing to do. So that was what I did.
Nothing.
A little over an hour later, hurried knocks sounded at the door.
My hand moved on instinct. I traced my rune, and emotion returned to my face like a mask being pulled back into place.
When I opened the door, I found the second man whose friend I had pretended to be.
Azel.
The moment he saw me, he pushed past me and entered the house.
"Careful" I snapped, adding just enough offense to my voice. "What is wrong with you?"
He gathered spiritual energy at the tip of one finger and traced a few words in the air.
Is anyone here with you?
As the words faded, his eyes moved across the room.
"No one" I said, letting my expression turn serious.
Azel nodded. "There is a meeting."
Another one?
We had already won, but Kudur still wanted me hidden among them. It made sense, I supposed. Still, these meetings had become more useless every time. People came less often. Those who did rarely spoke, and almost none of them believed anything could still be done.
I sighed, pretending to hold back frustration.
"Azel, you know I stand with you and our king. But lately, these meetings have been…"
He grabbed my arm before I could finish.
"I know. I know." His grip tightened. "But listen to me. This time seems different."
"Different how?" I asked, keeping my voice natural.
Azel shook his head. "I don't know. It seems one of those who gave up has returned. Someone important."
I let disbelief show on my face at once. So they were finally making their move? When something had nowhere left to run, it usually tried to bite.
"When?" I asked.
My face was already showing anticipation. The right amount of hope.
"At sunset" Azel said. "Temple of Ereshkigal. Sixth gate."
The temple of the goddess of the underworld. How appropriate. Their faction was dying, after all.
But that also meant one of her chosen would be there. The only question was who.
Azel kept talking after that. Too much. His Edict kept him from speaking in front of anyone he did not trust. The gods had probably given it to him just to make him shut up once in a while.
Truly, for my next mission, I would choose my friends more carefully. He only stopped when I told him I had to go pick up Kala.
I never thought that girl would be useful for something.
The moment Azel left, I took out a clay tablet and wrote the message.
Important meeting. Sunset. Temple of Ereshkigal.
On my way to pick up Kala, I left the tablet inside the same jar as always.
When Kala saw me, she ran toward me with a smile. I smiled back, warm and gentle, then offered her my hand as we walked home. She started telling me everything she had done that day. Of course, none of it interested me. But I listened anyway.
A kind man remembered these things.
As sunset approached, I found Kala sitting with a blank tablet in front of her, practicing her writing.
"I have an important meeting" I told her, softening my voice. "It might take a while. Can you watch the house until I return?"
She nodded quickly, proud to be trusted. I took a piece of bread before leaving and made my way toward the temple of Ereshkigal without trouble.
I did not expect much from the meeting.
Kudur was the true king, whether they accepted it now or later.
And they would accept it. One way or another.
It did not take me long to arrive.
The temple was low and simple, built from dark stone near a narrow canal, away from the main streets. The walls were bare, the entrance empty, and no prayers sounded inside. Most people passed it quickly, their eyes lowered, as if even looking at it for too long might invite something from below.
Inside, the air was cold.
A small courtyard led into a narrow hall lined with seven doors. They represented the descent of the soul into the underworld.
When a person died, they had to pass through each one, losing a piece of themselves along the way, until they reached the seventh and stood before the goddess of the dead herself. The temple worked in the same way. To reach any of the seven rooms, you first had to pass through the previous doors and fulfill their requirements.
At the first gate, weapons were left behind.
At the second, hands had to be washed with cold water and ash.
At the third, seven names of the dead had to be read from the clay tablets placed along the wall.
At the fourth, an offering had to be given. Bread, beer, or oil for those who could no longer eat or drink.
At the fifth, jewelry and ornaments were removed. Rings, bracelets, pins, anything that marked status or vanity.
The sixth gate was different.
There were seven seats arranged in a half circle. One or two chosen of Ereshkigal always remained there, representing the judges of the underworld. They asked questions. Simple ones, most of the time.
If they approved, they allowed you to pass through the seventh gate. And there, the statue of the goddess waited.
I completed each step required to reach the sixth gate.
I left my daggers behind, washed my hands with cold water and ash, and read the names of the dead from the tablets. The bread went next, placed as an offering. Then I set aside every accessory I carried.
Only after that did I enter the sixth gate.
I felt a trace of expectation as I stepped inside. Two people stood in the middle of the room. They turned to look at me at the same time.
I recognized them immediately.
Ashren and Azel.
Then I looked around the room. The seven seats were empty. That was strange. How had they convinced Ereshkigal's chosen not to be here?
I nodded to them. They nodded back, so I walked closer and waited with them, keeping the right expression on my face. Calm, loyal, slightly curious.
Nothing more.
A few moments later, someone arrived that I had not expected.
Hadan.
If he was involved, this was a problem. Maybe their last plan against the true king. He stepped through the entrance, looked at us, and said only one word.
"Do it."
Amber barriers appeared around me and Azel at the same time.
I did not panic. Instead, I asked the question any normal man would ask.
"What is going on?" I said, letting surprise enter my voice.
"Stop pretending" Hadan said.
His expression was hard. "We know you are a traitor, Namur."
How? There was no way they could know.
"How dare you?" I shouted, letting desperation tear through my voice.
Never break character.
Never.
Hadan did not even flinch. "Do not waste our time, Namur. Just tell us what you know."
"What I know?" I snapped, pressing one hand against the amber barrier. "After everything I have done, how dare you call me a traitor?" My voice cracked in the right place.
Perfect.
I kept insisting, and nothing changed.
Azel did not say a word. By then, he had probably stopped trusting anyone in the room.
"I am getting tired of this, Namur" Hadan said.
"I have nothing else to tell you. I am not a traitor. Bring any divine artifact you want. Then you will know if I am lying."
Ashren hesitated. "Are you certain he is a traitor, sir?"
There it was.
Hadan sighed, but he did not look surprised. "Just follow the orders."
Ashren's mouth opened slightly, then closed again.
"If you want to prove your innocence" Hadan said, "turn around and stay still."
I did it without hesitation.
Azel did the same.
I heard footsteps approaching from behind.
I could turn around. I could grab whoever came close and use him as a hostage.
But no.
That would ruin everything. If I stayed calm, if I endured this, I could still prove my innocence.
A moment later, something struck the back of my neck.
Hard.
My body failed before my thoughts did. Through the fading edge of my sight, I saw Azel collapse at the same time.
When I regained consciousness, I kept my eyes closed for a moment and focused on my situation. I was tied to a chair. My wrists were bound to the armrests, my ankles to its legs.
There was no easy way out. So I lifted my head slowly and opened my eyes.
A man with black hair and golden eyes was watching me.
He smiled.
"Do you remember me?"