In the city of Labyrinth, Orario.
The expanded night with the moon hung in the sky, illuminating the dark alley where a figure was present.
It was a young man, ten years of age. He sat on the ground with his back against the cold wall, legs bent and his arms wrapped around a wooden cane between them. His left hand was wrapped in bandages that spread noticeably along his arm, and the same went for his right hand, except the bandages started from his wrist.
He wore a short black cloak that covered his upper body with the hoody covering his head. Underneath he wore a simple long-sleeved black shirt, and below were black pants and shoes.
But what stood out the most was that the young man had a blindfold covering his eyes.
This was Anos, someone who had travelled through time and ended up in a different world.
He didn't understand why or how it happened. It was just sudden.
One would assume if a situation like that happened to them, they would be exhilarated to explore the new world they had come to, but reality often was a cruel one, which applied to Anos.
His start was absolutely hellish. Hellish to the point where one would rather kill themselves than continue living in that situation. Being born cursed in this fantasy like world, almost every day was a survival for him, almost every situation was a life and death struggle.
Any other would have been driven to the point of utter insanity where death would be the only option to choose.
But Anos survived, pushing through desperation.
Then came the hateful situation two years ago when he became blind. This didn't happen based on a natural phenomenon, but by a deliberate act of someone from the Dark faction when Anos fell into their hands. Luckily enough he was able to escape.
Just thinking about that year he was forced to endure made him grit his teeth and hands clench tightly.
Anos would never forget those laughs, those mocking words, their ugly faces. People would tend to try and forget such things out of fear, but Anos made sure to engrave them deeply into his mind. He hoped to never forget until the day he'd face them in the flesh.
What they did to him, every ounce of torture they inflicted on him, he would make sure to return tenfold. He would make hell itself look like a children's playground after he was done with them, even the demon himself would get to learn a thing or two from him.
That deep hatred would never be extinguished as long as he lived beneath the same sky as his enemies.
But going blind didn't truly affect how he normally operated, instead it became even better to the point he thought it was a blessing.
After going blind, his other remaining senses adapted to the darkness, getting enhanced to an unimaginable level where he now functioned beyond what an ordinary person could possibly achieve on their own.
While blind he could see better than most.
"At least it won't be acting up today." He raised his right hand, rubbing his fingers over something on the back of his neck, the one that would sometimes give him sleepless nights.
If he felt it giving off any sort of feeling, signaling that 'it' would start, he wouldn't have entered the city considering what would happen. But luckily enough, he would at least be able to take a rest in a safe place. He didn't even remember the last time he got a chance to peacefully rest, all that mental toll he was enduring placed a burden on him physically.
"The city of Labyrinth, Orario." Anos muttered to himself. The city he was currently in was a place where most people came to become adventurers.
He had heard about this city being a place where Gods reside. Gods who descend from the heavens just to form their own familia, and spread their blessings among their recruited members so the familia could develop.
It was more of a competition between the Gods on whose familia could become the strongest.
Anos didn't put too much interest in being an adventurer.
But his curiosity was more evident toward the Gods. Seeing Gods in the flesh wasn't a common thing for him, and getting to know that they existed at first surprised him.
Orario was probably the place Anos has more knowledge about than any other in this world.
"I'm hungry and tired, the guard did say that the Traven, the hostess of fertility, was a place for those needs, but I don't have anything valuable." Anos was currently on an empty stomach and feeling drowsy. Even though he got to know about the Traven, he didn't have any money to afford a meal or a place to stay, and begging for one wasn't part of his personality.
"I guess I'll just rest here." Anos didn't mind sleeping on the floor, and as for food, he could still go for a day or two without eating.
But before he proceeded to do so, he was alerted to some people's arrival.
He could see, even though he was blind, three people approaching from a far distance, beyond the limit of what people can see.
His radar sense already detected the placement and proximity of his surroundings in a 360 degree sweep, mapping everything around him, ranging from external objects to living beings and rendering them in a 3D mental image.
He picked up their stature, which showed they were trained, and what they were armed with.
He could hear their steps and heartbeats perfectly even though if a person was next to him he wouldn't be able to hear that. But that wasn't enough for Anos to show any care, as he sensed no threat at all.
"Ahaha, did you see that blond girl? Isn't she a beauty?"
"You idiot, that's the sword princess from the Loki familia."
"Kekeke. Still, she is a beauty that I would love to have a night with."
All this fell into Anos's ear. His expression remained unchanged, he just knew that they were getting closer.
"Hey, what do you say we try to kidnap her?"
"Are you insane? And even if we did succeed, do you think the Loki familia wouldn't hunt us down? And besides, that girl is a level five who could kill us in seconds."
"I agree, I heard that that goddess attaches great importance to her, it's almost she makes it look like they are in a love relationship."
The conversation kept going between the three as they were now in the alley's field of vision.
"Tch, you guys are scared? Well suit yourselves, I'll be the one enjoying that moment-"
"Huh? Who is that?"
The guy among the group, the one having his own fantasies, suddenly remarked as he looked at a figure in the distance, which seemed like a kid sitting on the ground.
"Hehehe, it looks like a homeless kid."
"Kekeke, it seems that a cub has yet to develop some survival instincts."
The other two laughed as they looked at the frail kid who looked shriveled, sitting on the ground with a cloak covering his head and upper body.
"Hey kid, don't you know that this place is our area? If you want to stay here it's better to cough up some fees."
The guy grinned as he approached, his steps becoming firm as he realized there was prey he would extort.
"Yeah yeah, the fees are also per hour, and it seems you've been here for quite some time."
"Kekeke, just put the money in the bag brat, or your blood will be painted across the area."
The laughter and mockery continued as they approached.
"Tch, are you deaf? Do you have a death wish, huh?"
The guy in front became irritated seeing no response from the kid, but once he was close enough to get a good look, he saw the kid's side profile with a blindfold over his eyes.
"The hell? This kid is blind?"
"It seems so."
"Kekeke, a blind cub, that's funny."
The three approached, one irritated and the others with huge smiles on their faces.
"Hey kid, didn't you hear me? I said drop the money."
"He's probably scared stupid."
"Kekeke, give up the money or you're dead."
The three stood in front of Anos, two at his sides while the other stood in front.
"This disrespectful brat." The one in front shouted, his anger exploding as he saw he had been ignored from the start until now by a little blind stray.
"Do you now think this would end well for you-" He reached out his hand intending to grab the cloak that covered the kid's head, but just as his hand was inches away from the fabric, a glint of light shone with the sound of iron clinging.
"Huh?" The man widened his eyes as he saw his arm severed from the forearm as blood spurted out, but more than that the kid who was on the ground was nowhere to be seen.
"Just what....?" He shakily muttered, intending to clutch his severed arm, but halted as he felt a chill down his neck. His eyes suddenly were drawn in front of him as he saw the same kid who had been on the ground, upside down in the air, face to face.
Looking at that calm face, slightly processing what was happening, fear dwelled on him as he now understood that the role of hunter and prey had been reversed.
But it was too late. The light glinted across the blade that reflected the moonlight, as it cut through the air slicing off the man's head cleanly with blood flying around.
"Huh?" The other two stared blankly at their friend who one second ago had been alive and kicking, and now was dead with both his head and body collapsed on the ground with a thud.
"W-what just, happened?" One of them spoke, but the trembling in his voice exposed the fear he was feeling now. This was also the thought of the other one at his side.
They both simultaneously looked back at the kid who they thought was just a common weakling. He was standing behind them, a distance away, with no expression, slowly sheathing his blade back into the scabbard. The wooden cane that had been thought to lead the blind, was a weapon in his hands.
His blindfold wrapped around his eyes added to their horror that a blind kid was responsible for the situation.
To understand the horror of this situation. Their friend was a level 1, while they were also level 1, but the difference in their stats made him the strongest among the group. For him to die just like that in a matter of a second, where they could barely process what happened, in the hands of a kid, a blind one at that, was shocking and chilling.
"You damned brat." One now shouted, gritting his teeth as he got rid of the fear in his heart. His hand went to the hilt of his sword intending to draw it, but before he could do so a deadly arc came from beneath glinting with killing intent, targeting his arm that was initiating the process. It was suddenly severed from the shoulder as blood spurted out.
His eyes widened in shock, trailing over his right arm that was in the air, completely cut. His process still running was stopped as an audible spurting sound echoed through the alley.
"Guhhh." The person's eyes bulged out as he felt his throat pierced all the way through the back of his neck, blood spurted from the wound, and a mouthful of blood was coughed out. He looked down at the kid who had his sword impaled through his throat. Only a cold and fearful feeling washed over him as darkness consumed his vision.
Anos retracted his sword as he looked at his enemy slump to the ground, lifeless.
Droplets of blood fell from the tip of the sword to the ground, audible due to the silence that enveloped the alley.
But he could still hear it. The pulse, the rapid beat of the heart, the ragged breathing, the trembling of the body signaling the fear that completely devoured the mind and body.
He looked back at the source of that signal, the last one standing among the dead friends. He couldn't see the face, but he could tell that it was disoriented, as if responding to the collapse of the sky.
Despair.
"Weakness is not an option, but a choice." Anos spoke; his immature youthful voice betrayed his actions, completely incompatible. His words weren't to the man in front of him, but a reminder to himself, to the past he survived, because he was the one who understood it and lived it.
He took a step toward the man who took a step back in return.
"W-wait, I can give you anything you want. I'll even be your dog." The man panicked. His voice grew louder and louder seeing the kid not stopping in his tracks.
He knew that this wasn't a normal person he could go up against. He was literally a demon in sheep's clothing. He just witnessed the fall of his friends, with his own eyes in a matter of seconds. He knew he couldn't win or escape. The speed shown by this kid was not processable.
"Please stop." The man shouted as he fell backward in panic. He started kicking with his feet and hands to crawl back as the monster in front of him approached.
"D-damn it, I know a secret. A treasure set in the dungeon, if you were to kill me, you'll never get your hands on it." The man screamed his last resort, if anything, anyone would have their curiosity piqued at the hearing of a treasure, and it seemed he guessed correctly as the kid stopped in his tracks, making him breathe in relief, seeing his words were persuasive.
"Y-you interested?" He asked, but there was no response which made his heart ease a bit. After all, if he wasn't interested why did he stop?
"I can even show you proof of my words." He stood up, forcefully pushing through the numbness of his legs.
"A key that belongs to it." He said, approaching Anos until there was only one step of space between the two.
"And that is your... Death. Ahahah idiot, die." The man laughed as he got ahold of the cloak, and the other pulled out a dagger aiming it to pierce the neck.
"Can't believe you fell for that, a cub is always a cub even with fangs, you're-" He grinned seeing his knife inches away from the neck. Then a fleshy piercing sound rang out.
"Cough, just what-" The man who had been laughing, having thought the last laugh belonged to him an instant ago, had his eyes widen in shock. The smile that stretched from ear to ear was gone.
"I-I definitely had you, h-how?" Blood dripped from his mouth as his eyes trailed below to look at the knife that pierced him from the back into his heart, through the front, completely impaling him.
He couldn't understand. He had been able to get ahold of the kid, his knife was just a thins paper away from piercing his neck. So how? How did the kid manage to get to his back in such an unavoidable situation? How did he escape his grip, as if what he had grabbed was nothing more than a phantom?
"You don't understand, everything and everyone is under my radar. I just wanted to see how far your delusions would go, and it was quite a pathetic attempt." Anos's calm tone reached the man's ear, which made him flinch.
Anos knew the man was lying, all from the sound of his heart and pulse. But even anyone would know that what he said was a lie; only someone who isn't knowledgeable would fall for it.
"D-damn." The man's last words were uttered before his eyes dulled. His body went limp and fell to the ground with a thud.
'I should've used the other slashing motion.' Anos looked at the area that got covered in blood, making a mess as the scent of metal spread out. If he had used the other slashing motion, the mess of blood would've been less.
But he didn't dwell on such matters. He swiped the sword through the air, making the blood fly off the blade before sheathing it back into the scabbard, forming it into a wooden crane once again.
He approached the three lifeless bodies one at a time, taking out their money.
'Seven hundred valis, this should be more than enough.' Anos thought as he placed the collected money in the small bag wrapped around his waist.
The smell of food radiating from the tavern made him eager to have a meal. He hadn't been able to before since he didn't have any money, but now that he had some, he could finally have his fill.
---
Arriving in front of the tavern, Anos could tell that this was the place from the people he could hear inside and from the scent of food.
Pushing the doors open as he entered, everyone turned their eyes toward him. Even the chatter seemed to quiet down. Feeling those stares, Anos didn't feel pressured at all, his face remaining stoic.
"Welcome, dear customer?" Pushing the doors open, he was greeted by a silver-haired waitress.
Anos slightly frowned as he turned his head to the side in the direction of the waitress, but due to the difference in height, he had to look up. His frown wasn't because of her presence but because how confused she sounded with her last words.
He was about to respond but stopped. His frown deepened as his right hand instinctively reached out to the back of his neck.
'What?! Why is it acting up now?! And what's this feeling it's giving? It's completely different from how it usually acts.' He thought, not understanding why, of all times, it would react now. But the feeling was completely different. Instead of a burning sensation, it was a piercing one, as if countless sharp swords were impaling his body. And not just that...
'What is this feeling?' Anos felt his throat burning, as if something wanted to escape from his mouth, a roar of a beast. A raging and violent feeling boiled from within.
"Kill."
An echo of a voice sounded deep within his mind. It was distorted and metallic, like a demonic growl reverberating through iron.
"Syr? What's wrong with you? Did something happen? Do you feel a headache?"
A voice filled with questions rang out, snapping Anos back to reality as the piercing sensation suddenly vanished, as if it were just an illusion.
Another waitress with brown hair approached Syr, trying to check if she was alright.
'Huh? Why does she have that kind of reaction now?' Anos became confused as he sensed the waitress had changed expression her confused one. It was now a mix of shock, disbelief, and slight fear. Her hand was placed on her forehead and above her eye, and her foot had stepped back slightly, as if backing away.
"N-nothing to worry about, Lunoire. I'm alright." Syr smiled at Lunoire, regaining her composure, though that smile carried a hint of nervousness.
"Are you sure you're alright, nyaa? It seemed like you saw a ghost, nyaa." Another waitress approached, having witnessed how Syr acted. One second she was smiling, and the next, her face changed violently, taking a step back as if she'd seen a ghost.
She looked at the kid who seemed to cause that reaction, but he looked quite normal. Well, above average in appearance. Only his front face was visible, a blindfold wrapped around his eyes, which made her conclude that he was blind, making her feel bad. Though to her, the kid seemed normal. She didn't know what Syr was hallucinating about to cause such a reaction.
"Yes, I'm fine, Anya." Syr nodded toward Anya, her eyes darting back to the kid who stood next to them. Her body trembled slightly from what she had just witnessed, something no one else could see.
"Are you here to dine, kid, nyaa?" Anya asked as she stood in front of Anos, bending forward to match his height.
"Yes, I want to eat." Anos replied, feeling quite annoyed by how the cat woman was speaking. It wasn't pleasing to his ears at all. It felt like a fork scraping against a plate.
"Well, follow me." Anya cheerfully said as she reached out her arm, grabbing Anos' right hand, unlike his left which carried the crane.
"Um, what are you doing?" Anos asked with a frown, surprised by the sudden action the cat girl took. Even though he had read her intentions easily, he didn't move to avoid her, wanting to see what she was trying to do.
"Hm? Aren't you blind, nyaa? Why don't you let me help show you your seat, nyaa." Anya reasoned. She couldn't just leave the kid alone, and he gave off a feeling of loneliness that touched her heart.
"It's fine. I've already gotten used to it, so it isn't a problem for me to function normally." He explained. He felt her pity but didn't need it.
"No can do, nyaa." Anya ignored the kid's words as she dragged him to his place. She could tell he was new here, so showing some hospitality wouldn't hurt.
Anos shook his head and let it go for now. He didn't want to make a scene by refusing when everyone's eyes were already on him.
Anya guided Anos to a chair right in front of the counter. He sat down, placing the crane he held on his thighs.
"Haha! It seems we got a new face over here." A thunderous laugh shook the tavern as a giant of a woman stepped out of the kitchen.
Anos turned his head towards the person who approached with a huge smile.
"I'm Mia Grand, the owner of this place. What's your name, kid?" Mia asked as she looked at the peculiar boy in front of her. She had seen how Syr, Freya, to be exact, reacted when she looked at him. It was a reaction she had never seen before, especially from a goddess, and she was curious what kind of kid could cause it.
"The name's Anos." He introduced.
"Age?"
"Ten."
Mia nodded, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes as she looked at the blindfold covering his eyes. How could she not see that he was blind? It must have been hard for him, but this kid seemed capable of taking care of himself.
"Well, what can I get you, kid?" Mia asked.
"How much does five hundred valis get me?"
"That would be five meals."
"Then five meals it is." Anos said, reaching into his small bag and grabbing five hundred valis.
"You sure are hungry, it seems. May, you heard that, right?" Mia grinned as she took the valis from Anos and shouted toward the back.
"Yes, Mama Mia." May said through the kitchen window as she began preparing the food.
"Well, kid, the food will be done in no time." Mia said as she went back into the kitchen.
Anos only nodded in response, his thoughts now drifting elsewhere, mainly to the voice he'd heard earlier. He couldn't ignore it. For a brief moment, it felt as if part of his spirit had been plunged into an abyss. He knew it wasn't an illusion, that voice was real. Something was there, and it had to do with 'it'.
'Does it also have something to do with that woman called Syr?' Anos analyzed the only possible link to the strange sensation he felt. Only when he was close to her did 'it' react in a way different from what he knew. And The way she looked at him, from a faint frown to sudden shock and slight fear, confirmed his other thoughts. He was sure she saw something in him others couldn't. Yet, strangely, he didn't sense anything unusual from her. She was human, like him, but possessed something unique he couldn't figure out.
Anos made a mental note about that woman.
"Neh neh, Anos-kun, nyaa."
The voice broke through his thoughts. Anya, the cat woman, leaned on the counter with her elbows, her face at the same level as his.
"What is it?" Anos asked, indifferent to how she addressed him.
"Are you in a familia, nya?"
"No."
"Do you plan on joining one, nya?"
"No."
"Do you plan on becoming an adventurer, nya?"
"No."
Anya pouted slightly at his bland, short replies. She'd only been trying to start a conversation so the kid wouldn't feel lonely, but it seemed he wasn't the type who liked talking much. Still, she'd learned a few things about him, even though she had expected those exact answers. It only confirmed he was new to the city, since she'd never seen him before.
"Where are you from, nyaa?" she asked curiously, studying the boy's calm, expressionless face. Most kids his age would react in all sorts of ways, but Anos didn't, his composure and maturity set him apart. Even though she'd barely heard him speak, something in his tone showed he was ahead of his peers. And beneath that composure, she could sense it, an air of loneliness, a lone traveler. It made her feel a little pity for him.
"The North, I think." Anos replied, trying to recall where he'd come from.
"You think, nya?" Anya furrowed her brows at the answer.
"Growing up, I didn't get to know much about the places I'd been to. But I'm pretty sure it was the North." Anos explained.
"I see, nya. Well, how was your life growing up, nyaa?" Anya continued, trying to keep the conversation alive since he clearly wasn't talkative unless asked directly.
Silence followed. Anos sat without answering.
What should he even say? That it was peaceful? That every day was bright and happy? There was nothing good to recall. Nothing worth remembering. Only hatred for some people, and no hope for a better future. His curse, his blindness. What could he expect other than more hell waiting ahead?
He was tired of it all, but he has no option but to continue persisting.
"Hmm, I'm sorry, nyaa," Anya said softly, noticing his silence and lost look. She regretted asking such a personal question.
"Fine." Anos muttered under his breath, barely audible.
"Hmm? Did you say something, Anos-kun, nya?"
"My life, it was fine." He forced out, his hands clenching tightly under the counter. Anya seeing this, bit her lip at his reaction.
"What's this? Anya, are you bothering the kid?" Mia came through the kitchen door carrying a large plate.
"Not at all, nya." Anya quickly said, shaking her head. She glanced at the boy again, remembering his tone, the quiet anger behind his words when he spoke. She felt guilty. She shouldn't have asked something so sensitive making him remember something that seemed unpleasant. Whatever the boy had gone through, it must've been heavy. She'd seen plenty of people with harsh lives, but this one, he was just a kid, a blind one too. How young had he been when all that started? She could only imagine.
"Well, here you go, kid. Dig in." Mia said with a smile, placing a large tray in front of him, five full plates stacked together.
"Thank you." Anos said, making Mia nod with a grin. The smell alone almost made him almost salivate.
He reached out, pulling down the hood of his cloak, revealing his hair as he began eating. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a warm meal like this.
People nearby glanced at him, surprised not only by his appetite but by his appearance.
His hair was medium-length, silvery white with pale red mixed in. Slightly messy in the front, layered and uneven bangs fell loosely over the black blindfold that covered his eyes, giving him a wild yet elegant look. At the back, his hair flowed smoothly down to the nape of his neck, light waves of silver and red tapering into soft, pointed ends.
"Neh, neh, Anos-kun, are they real?" Anya asked, reaching out and running her fingers through his hair. It felt smooth, smoother than her own. The mix of silver-white and red looked beautiful together, perfectly suiting him and enhancing his appearance even more.
"Yes." Anos replied calmly as he continued eating, unfazed by what she was doing.
"Hey, Anya, stop bothering the kid and let him eat." Mia said, noticing how Anya wouldn't leave him alone. Still, she too was surprised. His hair shimmered faintly under the light, the color blend unlike anything she'd seen.
"Oh, sorry, nya. But it's my first time seeing hair like that, nya," Anya said, reluctantly pulling her hand back with a small frown.
---
'Done.' After a few minutes, Anos set the spoon down in the last empty bowl, breathing out in satisfaction.
"Wow, kid. It's only been five minutes and you finished everything." Mia said, clearly impressed. The small, thin boy had devoured five full plates without pause. She almost thought his stomach was a black hole.
Even Anya was surprised, for her, two plates would've been more than enough.
"Ah, I was slightly hungry." Anos said, scratching his cheek in mild embarrassment. He couldn't help it. One bite of that food led to another, and another. It was too good to stop.
"Slightly hungry, huh? I wouldn't want to see what happens if you were actually starving," Mia laughed, watching him show a rare expression. Something more than his usual calm face.
"I'll be taking my leave now. Your hospitality was much appreciated." Anos said, standing up and taking hold of the wooden crane.
"Wait, kid. You don't seem to have a place to stay. Why not take an inn for the night?" Mia suggested before he could walk away. He didn't seem to belong to any familia, and newcomers often had nowhere to go.
"Thank you, but I have my own plans/" Anos replied.
"Well, if you insist." Mia didn't want to force him. The kid could make his own choices.
"Bye, Anos-kun, nya." Anya said with a wave, which Anos simply returned with a small gesture.
He turned and began walking toward the entrance, but stopped halfway in the tavern as a tall figure stumbled right in front of him.
"Damn it, hic~ when the hell is Loki gonna come, hic~?" The figure shouted, clearly drunk. He had gray hair, orange eyes, wolf ears, and a gray tail. A blue tattoo marked the left side of his face, and his muscular build made him stand out even in his current state.
"Calm down, Bete. Loki will be here any minute." Said a man seated at a nearby table, with blond hair and blue eyes.
"Damn it, Finn! If I have to wait any longer, huh?" Bete shouted, stopping when he noticed a small figure standing beside him. He had to look down because of the height difference.
"What the hell is a kid doing here?" Bete said in annoyance, staring at the boy with the blindfold and the strange silver-and-red hair.
"Hey kid, if you're blind, why don't you move to the side?" Bete muttered lazily, stretching his right hand toward Anos's head.
To Anos, everything was already mapped out in his radar sense. He knew there was no real hostility behind the motion. He could've easily sidestepped and continued walking, peacefully. But the third dimensional mental image of that hand, the way it moved, it was the same as that day.
The day he lost his sight. The last thing he saw was a hand reaching toward his eyes, before darkness consumed everything. Those memories surged back, vivid and sharp, followed by flashes of torture.
Anos's face hardened into absolute coldness. His grip around the wooden crane tightened until his knuckles turned pale.
That hand. He must cut.
Finn frowned as he noticed Bete picking a pointless fight with a kid who couldn't have been more than ten. When he saw Bete reaching out, he was about to call out and stop him, but before he could...
His eyes widened. A sharp throb pulsed through his thumb, his eyes turned toward the boy. The calm, detached look on the kid's face had vanished, replaced by something, cold and deadly.
"Bete, stop!" Finn shouted, startling everyone at the table, a girl with long blond hair, an elf woman with jade-green hair, and a middle-aged man with brown hair and a beard. They all turned toward Bete, confused by Finn's sudden tone of alarm.
And then, before anyone could react , it happened.
A blade flashed. The glint of steel flickered through the air faster than the eye could follow.
"I'm just showing the way for the kid, hic~ no need to shout, huh?" Bete began, irritated, but his words died as his eyes widened. His outstretched arm was no longer whole, his hand was severed from the forearm, suspended in midair.
But what froze everyone even more, there was no blood.
This, Bete stared in disbelief. His drunken haze evaporated instantly. He moved on reflex, his instincts kicking in, launching a fierce kick at the boy.
Anos, his blade half-drawn from the scabbard, was already in a blocking stance as if he'd seen it coming. The kick collided, sending him sliding back several steps across the floor.
Gasps filled the tavern.
Most of the onlookers hadn't even seen what happened. The few who did, the stronger adventurers, were left shaken.
That Bete, a renowned member of the Loki Familia, a Level 5 adventurer, had lost his hand to a young fledging.
Even Finn and the others were frozen in disbelief. Their eyes shifted to the young boy's cold face, his eyes hidden behind the blindfold, questioning if he was truly blind at all.
Finn grit his teeth. His intuition had screamed at him earlier, but he was a second too late.
Beside him, Ais Wallenstein's golden eyes gleamed with more than just surprise. The slash she'd just witnessed, it was simple, basic, yet impossibly perfect. A clean, single motion at a level of mastery she'd never seen before. The slash itself seemed to blend with nature itself.
"Y-you!!!" Bete shouted, clutching his right arm above the stump. Strangely enough, there was no blood, no pain, yet his hand was gone.
"You brat!!! I'll kill you!!" He gritted as he looked at the kid in front with anger, his face twisting into ferocity as his eyes became bloodshot, clearly consumed by rage. The pressure of a level five, first class adventurer filled the Traven, making almost everyone break into a cold sweat, and Anos, who had enhanced senses for changes in the atmosphere, felt a deep sense of danger weigh heavily on his body.
His stance changed, taking a position to draw the knife, his hands fully exerting their pressure around the wooden crane, knuckles bursting into pale white. His body was slightly shaking from the pressure he was feeling as sweat formed on his face, but the internal view betrayed the external view of his image. His heart and mind were at peace with no ripples whatsoever. His radar senses were now pushed to their utmost limit in extreme focus, locked on the threat in front of him.
'Such stance.' Ais, who was still seated, looked at the kid taking a stance, her eyes slightly widened in surprise as she felt something not many could sense from the particular knife drawing stance he took.
Her eyes looked at the wooden cane, which looked like an ordinary cane but was a weapon in disguise. The kid didn't imitate any sort pressure from his stance, it looked plain and non-threatening. But if one were to look closely where Ais's eyes were locked on, they would be able to feel and see the slight distortion in the air right around the wooden cane that the kid was preparing to draw. But since it was Ais, one of the best in terms of sword proficiency and understanding, she could see at a glance that inside that sheathed sword lay a slight sword intent, waiting to be unsheathed with extreme lethality.
That blind boy, with his unusual hair that looked quite mesmerizing to her eyes, pure and harmless, is a lethal force hidden in plain sight.
Anos knew that he needed one successful strike to land in order to assure his survival, because if he missed it, he wouldn't be able to follow up on the next incoming attacks as his body wasn't on that level to resist and react. Who he was facing now was a strong person who probably had the blessings of a God, granting strength beyond what a normal person could achieve in a lifetime. A real enemy who could end his life if he didn't succeed in this one partial opening at this moment.
He wasn't arrogant. He knew that the reason he was able to sever that person's arm was solely because the opponent was caught off guard. His drunken state, his unfocused surroundings, and his own harmless appearance all led to this moment of confrontation.
Bete, who was radiating immense pressure, moved, appearing almost instantly in front of Anos, who was already moving long before Bete decided to move so he could catch up.
Normally, people with sharp instincts sense attacks at the last second, allowing them to avoid it if their speed and agility are high enough. Anos, on the other hand, senses attacks before they are unleashed. He can tell movements just from the sound of one's breathing, a perfect prediction for a one-chance counter against those who are immensely stronger, with no chance to retaliate.
And this current situation that he's in, showcases just that.
He had already formed an accurate prediction of where the person in front of him would strike.
Feeling the intense threat of death approaching, like a mountain pressing on him, even though his body was covered in cold sweat, his mind and heart were not affected as his movements did not falter and he moved with no hesitation.
His upper body was already twisted to the left, the veins coiling around his arms like dragons beneath his clothes, as his right hand, on the hilt of his crane, was about to unsheathe, aiming to cut the other arm that was aiming to pierce his neck.
He couldn't track the movements of his opponent, he could only move based on his own predictions his senses caught, striking the place it would end up in.
Finn, who wanted to stop Bette after seeing him pounce at the kid with undisguised and unsuppressed killing intent, froze in place as his thumb throbbed again.
'No way! Again?' Finn didn't understand why his intuition spiraled for the second time. The situation was clearly in Bete's favor at this moment, so why? But that answer became clear as his eyes seemed to catch onto something. The kid wasn't standing with no room to counter or react. He was moving, moving long before Bette attacked. He didn't understand why the kid was moving, it was as if he was moving blindly without understanding what was going on.
But the next second, he saw something that shook him. He saw the position the kid was in when Bette had his attack in motion, which he could see and trace. The kid was currently in a perfect position for a perfect counterattack, there was no hesitation or flaw in his movements, something he never thought was possible, currently in motion before his eyes.
For some reason, he didn't take the initiative to stop the fight. He wanted to see what would happen. He wanted to see how it would play out. In these kinds of situations, Finn would always be the one to deescalate and stop fights, but now his blood seemed to boil with excitement.
Call it the curiosity to witness the unimaginable happen. The excitement to witness the impossibility being nothing more than a mere illusion.
But before the collision could happen, a figure appeared right between the two, halting both Anos and Bette's movements.
"Huh, Ais? What are you doing?" Bete growled, forced to stop his attack as he saw Ais stand in front of him. His bloodshot eyes regained slight clarity.
"Stop." Ais simply said, with an expressionless face.
"Stop? This brat cut my arm off and you're telling me to stop?" Bette growled through gritted teeth, his killing intent boiling in his eyes. He was a first class adventurer, and to have been dealt a huge blow by a kid was humiliating. He couldn't just let this go.
"Riveria will heal you." Ais said, not moving an inch from her place, as she took a quick look behind her at the kid, who seemed relaxed but was still in his stance, his guard up at all times.
"I already told you to stop, Bete, but you didn't want to." Finn approached, his eyes carrying slight disappointment as he had been looking forward to the surprise, but Ais stopped it.
"And besides, isn't it your own fault that you tried to touch the kid at the start?" Finn continued, looking at Bete, who gritted his teeth in silence. Since he was speaking, as the captain of the Loki Familia, his words couldn't be retorted. Bette understood that very well, remaining silent, but inside he was screaming and cursing.
"This situation will eventually hurt the reputation of our Familia, and I don't think Loki would appreciate it one bit." Finn explained, his eyes narrowing as he released his own pressure, forcing Bete who struggling over what to do, back down as his killing intent vanished from his eyes.
Anos, seeing that, abandoned his stance and straightened up.
"Riveria, it's healable, correct?" Finn turned his head to Riveria, who was on the side inspecting Bette's severed part in her hands. A look of astonishment couldn't be hidden on her face the more she looked at it, as there was no blood leakage at all. She only nodded to Finn's words, her thoughts taken away by something she had never quite seen before.
Both Finn and Ais also shared the same feeling. The hand and the arm showed no blood, no pain, and Bete clearly wasn't feeling any pain, which showed that there was nothing natural about the wound at all.
"There's no problem anymore, right Bete?" Finn asked.
Bette clicked his tongue in frustration, heading back to the table with an angry look. He grabbed his arm that felt strange, there was no pain and no blood, yet he could somehow still feel his hand's presence. Before sitting, he glanced one last time at the blindfolded boy behind Ais, clicking his tongue again.
"Phew. The situation's resolved. Thank you, Ais." Finn said.
Ais nodded.
"Um, kid are you okay?" Finn asked, stepping closer, just two steps away now, looking down at him.
"Nothing," Anos replied calmly, sensing no ill will from the man. There was a composed, gentle aura around Finn that made him lower his guard slightly.
"I'll be going now." Anos said, turning around, uninterested in further talk.
"Huh? Wait..." Finn began, startled by the sudden departure, but stopped himself. The kid clearly had no intent to stay, and Finn wasn't one to force others.
"What the hell is going on here!?" A thunderous voice erupted. The tavern trembled as Mom Mia approached, her expression dark. "I can't leave for one minute without coming back to find trouble already starting!"
"Ahh, just a small situation that we already cleared up." Finn said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, knowing the rules of the Tavern.
"Brats of the Loki Familia, your friends always cause unnecessary trouble, even though they know the rules." Mia scolded, glaring straight at Bette. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed his arm, severed cleanly below the elbow. Clearly, this wasn't just a small brawl.
"Mama Mia, nya, I saw everything, nya! You wouldn't believe it, nya!" Anya ran over, eyes sparkling with excitement.
As a level four, even she was shocked to see what Anos had done. His blindness hadn't hindered him at all. That single slash that severed Bete's arm, it was beautiful art. To her eyes, it looked like the slash moved with the air itself. Silently Peaceful, yet deadly.
"Huh? That kid?" Mom Mia had a look of astonishment as Anya relayed the situation that occurred. She turned her head to the front, seeing the back of Anos slowly walking toward the exit. From Anya's description, what she said wasn't something an ordinary kid, much less a blind one could hope to do.
Cutting the hand of a first-class adventurer. This feat alone would be applicable to those who are at the same level or even stronger. But the person who did that was a kid who's blind, and she did hear the conversation between him and Anya at the start.
He wasn't in any Familia, not an adventurer, but had the strength to take the hand of Bete, a first-class adventurer, a Level 5, with the blessings of a God. Even if Bete was caught off guard, something like that should still have not been possible.
It just showed that this kid was far beyond the norm.
'Was this the right approach?' Anos thought as he was slowly making his way to the exit. He was evaluating his own behavior, if anything, he could've just avoided the werewolf guy and left with no trouble. But it's a shame that he wasn't able to control himself.
Even though those disgusting memories he hated resurfaced again, he thought he was someone who would be able to keep his calm in any situation. He was impulsive with his decisions, decisions that could really put an end to him.
Facing such strong people, he could only rely on his luck and senses. Right now, he knew that he was lucky, lucky that this person was consumed by his own rage, attacking based on the confidence of his overwhelming strength. Anos was sure that he could've cut off that other hand of his.
But if that person was someone who could remain calm in these situations, Anos didn't know if he could've survived.
He hated himself for not being able to take multiple possibilities into consideration. How the effects of his own cause could possibly spiral.
As he walked toward the exit, he could feel everyone in the tavern had their eyes on him. Shock, disbelief, astonishment, and even fear, all kinds of emotions were directed toward him.
But he didn't care what others thought about him. Such things were meaningless to him.
He didn't care about fame, about being the strongest, about being respected or feared.
He was someone cursed, just trying to survive in a cursed world.
He suddenly frowned as he sensed someone near the entrance of the tavern, which to him was his exit, but his frown was because that presence he sensed belonged to someone extraordinary. Moving to the right, he pushed open the door just as the left side was pushed open by someone entering.
'Huh?' At that moment, Anos's body flinched as, out of nowhere, the feeling of a sudden piercing pain, like a thousand knives impaling him started again as 'it' pulsed at the back of his neck. But this time, the feeling was three times worse, making him clench his teeth at the pain that submerged his body completely.
'What's this?' On the other hand, the figure that passed by him frowned as she looked at the kid who walked past her. Her instincts seemed to act because of the kid for some unknown reason. But she didn't seem to care as she continued her way.
"Ugh, what's happening?" Anos muttered to himself as he walked down the street. The stabbing pain that wasn't diminishing at all, it seemed both his body and soul were being tortured.
"Damn it!" His right hand instinctively moved toward his abdomen, where the injury that had yet to heal started reacting again. The blow he blocked from the werewolf guy had reopened some internal wounds, adding over to the piercing pain.
"Kill." A demonic growl deep within his consciousness, the one he had heard before, echoed again.
"Let go."
"Kill all gods."
"Let go of everything."
'Shut up.' Anos screamed in his mind as he clutched his head, trying his hardest to ignore the voice that seemed to be trying to take control of him. His face scrunched together, covered in sweat, as he tried to suppress the raging impulse rising from within.
His steps grew slower until he found a small corner, where he slumped against the wall and sat on the ground.
He was breathing heavily, his heartbeat pounding inside, threatening to burst from his chest. The stabbing pain, coupled with the internal injuries he was feeling right now, amounted to what he felt back then, forcing him to recall his days of imprisonment in the dark faction.
His head rested against the cold wall. If he had eyes right now, they would look completely dead, the flame of life seemed to be vanishing.
'I just want to end it all already.' A thought that had never crossed his mind appeared. The pain raging inside him felt endless, and he seemed to abandon everything in that moment, not shedding an ounce of care.
'What's the point of continuing anymore?' His breath became shallow as multiple thoughts ran through his head. He was tired, very tired, both physically and mentally.
It seemed his very existence was just to suffer.
Live through temporary hell, then die well.
That's what he thought—but hell seemed to be permanent for him.
He raised his left hand, his right hand holding the hilt as he slightly unsheathed the blade that reflected his face. He couldn't see his reflection, but he imagined his appearance from the days when he could still see.
'If I do it, hell will disappear, and I'll be taking the curse down with me,' he thought. Even though his body was in pain, his face was like that of a dead man—uncaring of his surroundings or his situation.
"Took a gamble taking this route, and indeed there was something interesting. So, kid, have you given up completely?"
A voice rang out, making Anos stop his movements. The pain in his body seemed to disappear as 'it' stopped, leaving only the pain of his injuries.
He didn't move his head but could perceive an existence that carried the same type of extraordinariness as the one he passed when exiting the tavern—an existence that seemed to blend with the very air, the very laws of the world.
His radar sense perceived the existence as an old man, who was fiddling with a valis, a smile stretched across his face as he looked at himself.
"Why do you care, old man? It's not as if you would mourn for me," Anos replied, his voice the same as someone who had completely given up on living—empty and cold.
"Interesting senses. Even though you're blind, you can still tell my appearance." The old man chuckled with amusement, his eyes shining as he looked at the blindfolded kid in front of him, as though he had discovered a treasure.
"It's true, there's no need to care about the decisions you make. But is it really okay for you to do this? You've come this far, and you're willing to end it all?" The old man continued, his words carrying an understanding of the boy.
"Come this far? You have no idea how I came this far. Only those who haven't experienced true darkness can say such words with ease. And do you think I want to end it? It's a choice for most, but for me, it's the only option this world forcefully marked me with." Anos's voice became hoarse as he spoke.
The feeling of disgust with oneself was all that was left. He hated himself deeply, hated himself for being weak. He wanted to be extraordinary, he didn't want to be normal man. That's what he decided to accomplish, but he couldn't. He was far too weak. He tried but failed every time. It seemed he was someone who couldn't find a path to thrive in. It seemed that all possible paths were blocked, leaving only despair for him.
"Is that so?" The old man sighed, feeling sudden pity for the child in front of him, but he didn't give up there.
"Then let me ask you one last thing. What is life for you?" He asked with a smile that seemed to know this question of his would open up a path for this kid.
"Life?" Anos muttered to himself as he thought of his past experiences. The moments of ups and the seemingly never-ending downs.
"It's luck." Anos said, making the old man snicker silently. "Life is just the process of luck with no guarantees."
As someone who experienced both light and darkness, Anos came to the conclusion that his life was merely bad luck for him.
"That's how you see it, huh? It's understandable, but do you know that way of seeing life can only guarantee that the choice of ending it all can only be considered an option? Just like now." The old man clarified, labeling that the understanding the kid had, could only conclude limited number of paths.
"Do you want to know how I see the life of your kind?" He continued with a gentle smile that Anos noticed.
"How?" Anos asked, his mind now drawn to the words of the old man.
"You said life is based on luck, but I see it differently, life is a gamble." The old man chuckled as Anos listened. "Mortal life is a gamble no one can truly win. In the end, everyone dies. In the end, everyone ends up dying. In the end, everyone ends up losing. It is especially because there is an end, that people, during a gamble shine." He explained, his viewpoint on how mortal life was perceived after countless years of witnessing things in this place.
These words seemed to strike Anos's heart deeply as his mind spiraled. Those words made much more sense, they seemed to open the chained paths in front of him, as his viewpoint of life began to change, giving him a chance to see a brighter future.
"So what do you say, kid? Will you take this gamble or perish here?" the old man spoke, his eyes gleaming with intensity as he saw those words affect the kid.
"I understand it now." Anos said after a few minutes. Sheathing back the blade, his face becoming firm.
"Congratulations, then." The old man chuckled as he looked at the kid who had extinguished the will to continue living moments ago, now seeming like a different person, filled with energy and determination.
"Don't mind me asking, but you must be new to the city, right?" The old man changed the topic.
"Yes." Anos replied as he stood up.
"Then let me introduce myself." The old man said, smirking, knowing that the kid wasn't in any Familia. "My name is Dian Cecht, a God. So kid, are you willing to join my Familia?" He continued, getting straight to the point.
Anos didn't reply instantly but now understood why he perceived this old man as an extraordinary existence, it was because he was a God.
'So that means that person I passed by back then was also a God.' His mind went back to the tavern, to the person who gave off the same feeling as the old man.
'Joining a Familia, huh?' Anos pondered over the question, unsure of what he should say, but a flash of determination came over him.
"You don't want to? Then it's fine. May the odds be with you," Dian Cecht said, his voice carrying slight disappointment as the kid didn't seem too interested in joining a Familia.
He turned around to leave but stopped as Anos spoke.
"You said life is a gamble, right?" Anos said calmly, which made Dian Cecht turn back to face him with a smirk.
"Then I'll join your Familia. I'll take this as part of the gamble of life, and I'll be the one throwing the dice of my own fate from now on." Anos spoke firmly as he clenched his right hand into a fist.
Why should he hesitate? Why should he fear? From now on, he would walk his own road, unshaken even if it ended in the abyss. For a path chosen by the self held more meaning than a life without direction.
"Haha, interesting. If so, then follow me." Dian Cecht laughed, even surprised hearing such an answer, especially from a kid. But it also seemed that his words about his perspective on life changed this kid into a whole different person.
------
"Here we are." Dian Cecht said as he and Anos stood in front of a large, white stone building with the Familia emblem on it, consisting of a ball of light and a herb.
"Let me show you your place." Dian Cecht entered the building, with Anos following behind him. They kept pace, leading to a place behind the building, a courtyard where a small room could be seen.
Pushing the door to the room open, the interior was simple, with one bed, some shelves, and a table.
"To your liking?" Dian Cecht asked, to which Anos nodded after perceiving the room.
"Well, then let's grant you a Falna." He said, motioning Anos to the bed. "You just need to take off your upper clothing so I can drop a bit of blood on your back."
Anos did exactly as he was told, not questioning anything. He understood that he would be receiving the blessing of a God. He took off his coat and shirt, revealing bandages wrapped around his entire body, which he began to undo.
"You really did go through a lot." Dian Cecht said, seeing the bare back of the kid in front of him, riddled with scars, too many to count. He could tell that almost all of these scars were life-threatening, which made him wonder what this kid had truly gone through, and how was he able to survive on his own.
His eyes narrowed as he saw some scars that weren't fully healed yet, they were healing, but at an extremely slow rate for some reason. He could see something burning inside those scars, slowing down the healing rate.
"Just lay down on your stomach, and I'll do the rest." He said, which Anos complied with.
Biting down on his thumb, a drop of blood formed and fell onto Anos's back.
A blue glow illuminated his back as divine texts began taking shape. The Familia logo appeared as well, but just as the procedure was almost done and the blue divine texts were fully imprinted on Anos's back, a change occurred. Two new, similar texts suddenly formed at the bottom and top of the imprinted divine texts.
'Huh? What is this?' Dian Cecht narrowed his eyes as he saw two sentences glowing with a mix of black and dark red, forming at the top and bottom between two strange symbols.
'These sentence, they do not consist of divine texts. Every symbol is giving off a dark, ancient feeling.' He was stunned. He couldn't read or understand that foreign language, and it gave him, a God, an immortal existence, an ancient feeling. It was as if those words were older than the heavens themselves.
'And those symbols, huh?' There were also symbols at each beginning and end of the foreign letters, but his eyes widened as he caught sight of the exact same symbol marked on the back of the kid's neck.
'Let me see if I can figure out something.' His fingers landed on those texts. Closing his eyes as he tried analyzing their unknown origin. But the after just a few moments later, he opened his eyes in shock, pulling back his fingers from some kind of repulsion, making Dian Cecht's face change drastically.
'This, it was able to resist my divinity?' An unbelievable look flashed in his eyes as he couldn't believe what had just happened. He was just trying to resonate his sealed divinity with these texts but he was repulsed. Something in the Lower World was able to resist the divinity of a God, and this was done by some foreign words. It felt that his entire being was being rejected by an unknown force.
This could only mean that these words were related to an existence equal to that of a God or higher. But he couldn't understand. Why would these words appear on a mortal child? The symbol on the back of the kid's neck was the same as the one next to the texts. If anything, that unknown existence he couldn't identify had chosen this mortal to carry something.
"Is everything okay?" Anos asked, sensing the countless emotions shifting within the God.
"Yes, you should check your status sheet now. Do you want me to read it for you?" Dian Cecht replied, shaking away his thoughts for later. His eyes had already scanned the paper, nodding with satisfaction at the displayed skill and magic ability,
'Aura, hmm?' But other than the skill and magic, his eyes lay on the Attribute category for some moments as it introduced something that he had never seen before.
"It's fine. I can manage." Anos said as he sat up, taking the paper and tracing the strange letters with his fingers.
⟊̸̷̡͎͕͇̰̿͋͂̚⟆̴̷̸̘͎̞͕̍̾͒͝͠⨂̸̸̢̺͔̿̾̀̕⧮̵̶͙̰͓̽̈́́͊͂͜͠⩚̴̸̡̬̳͐̿̎́⟟̷̸̰͎̞̙̾͑̈́̚⚙̴̶̢̛͓̦̜̒͝͠⩩̷̸̘̗̝̽͐̈́̅⨴̶̷̠͍̗̹̯̋̍̎̀͝
======
Name: Anos
Race: Human
Level: 1
Age: 10
======
Strength: I 0
Endurance: I 0
Dexterity: I 0
Agility: I 0
Magic: I 0
======
Skill:
[Cross Impact]: A sword technique that merges specific foundational sword principles and perfected basic swordsmanship into one attack.
Magic:
[Full Counter]: Allows the user to reflect incoming attacks back at their enemies with more than double the power. It can reflect both physical and magical attacks, though overuse may cause physical harm.
Attribute:
[Aura]: Aura is the refinement of life energy within the body. A force born of will and survival instinct. Unlike mana, it cannot be replenished through rest alone, it deepens through understanding, pain, and battle.
======
⟊̸̷̡͎͕͇̰̿͋͂̚⟆̴̷̸̘͎̞͕̍̾͒͝͠⨂̸̸̢̺͔̿̾̀̕⧮̵̶͙̰͓̽̈́́͊͂͜͠⩚̴̸̡̬̳͐̿̎́⟟̷̸̰͎̞̙̾͑̈́̚⚙̴̶̢̛͓̦̜̒͝͠⩩̷̸̘̗̝̽͐̈́̅⨴̶̷̠͍̗̹̯̋̍̎̀͝
Anos nodded slightly, finishing his reading of the sheet that represented his profile, his physical attributes, his newly gained skill, magic and attribute.
'Huh?' His expression shifted slightly as his fingers ran across the last line of text. The change didn't escape Dian Cecht's eyes.
"Old man, what is this?" Anos asked, feeling over the strange letters, the ones he could somehow understand, and noticing that one of the symbols matched the brand on the back of his neck.
"Don't ask me, kid. I can't even read what they mean." Dian Cecht replied not minding the label, his tone serious now. "Though, that strange mark on your neck, do you know what it is?"
"I don't." Anos answered quickly. "But I know I was born with it."
"Then do you at least know what these texts translate to?"
"No." Anos replied calmly after a brief pause.
"I see. Well, make yourself comfortable and get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to the family." Dian Cecht said, turning toward the door.
"Family?" Anos echoed, confusion in his tone.
"What's there to be confused about, kid?" He chuckled. "You're part of my familia now. That makes you my child, and the others, your relatives." He laughed lightly as he left the room, leaving Anos sitting there, quietly processing his words.
"Family, huh?" he muttered, not rejecting the idea, but not accepting it either.
'Brand of the Anti-God.' His fingers traced the symbols he somehow understood. It didn't take him long to piece it together, the mark on his neck represents the Brand of the Anti-God. He couldn't yet grasp its full meaning, but he knew it symbolized rejection, something that stands against the Gods themselves.
That's why he lied to the old man, claiming he didn't know what it meant. Those words were taboo.
But Anos didn't know one crucial fact, mortals cannot lie to Gods.
-------
'Anos, huh? What a strange child.' Dian Cecht thought as he walked through the corridor.
That boy was unlike any mortal he had met. As a God, his divine perception allowed him to sense truth and falsehood instinctively. To feel the dissonance in a soul when it lies.
Mortals could not deceive a God, because divine awareness sees emotion and intent, not mere words.
But with Anos, there was nothing. No deceit, no truth. Only silence. His words carried no emotional resonance at all. For the first time, Dian Cecht could not tell if a mortal was lying.
Adding to the mystery was the mark on the boy's neck. Even his he couldn't identify or penetrate it, the text and symbol repelled divine energy itself, even though his divinity was sealed, he still was able to resonate it with something on pure focus.
Just recalling the situation of rejection is such a matter of impossibility, yet it happened before his very eyes.
'No matter.' He thought finally. 'Since the boy is now part of my familia, there's no need to dwell on it. I'll just keep an eye on his growth.'
He had taken a gamble, a gamble that this strange boy might become the hope of his familia.
And for now, that was enough.