-Unedited-
In a trance, as if dreaming.
…
His body sank endlessly…Falling…It was like falling into the abyss…
Finally, when did he stop falling?
The boy opened his eyes.
The pale golden hair stained with blood scattered around his brown cheeks, and the golden pupils reflected the endless blue sky.
Ah, the bright sky…
…Huge stone statue…
Sprinkle of water trickled on his hot face, and it felt cooling.
The water sprayed from the fountain splashed into the water of the pond with white lotus flowers in full bloom.
He saw the warm and beautiful face of the Star Goddess Isdar stone statue, and the water that slipped from her hand fell into the fountain. She looked down at him, full of compassion.
…
His body was very heavy, as if it had lost all its strength.
He held the stone wall of the fountain pond with one hand and was barely able to stand up.
At this moment, his mind was very confused. It was as if there were countless fragments of memory flying in it, making him unclear where he was and what he was doing.
He saw a long sword that had been discarded under his feet. The sharp blade had broken apart, and even the hilt had cracked.
He leaned against the fountain basin, turned his head, and saw his appearance in reflection of the clear water.
It was the face of a young, sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenager.
He had a slightly brown complexion. A gold ring embedded with amber gemstones was worn on his forehead, and his light golden hair was scattered in front of his eyes.
He looked at his hand, the tiger’s mouth1 was cracked, and blood was still bleeding slowly.
Suddenly noisy footsteps came from outside, as if many people were rushing in here.
He turned around.
Not far away, those two huge golden arches were entwined with green olive leaves and intertwined to form an arch.
A tall black figure emerged from there.
The teenager’s pupils shrank sharply.
A sense of fear uncontrollably radiated from his body.
An extremely dangerous cry sounded sharply in his head, urging him to quickly escape from that person.
However, his body had been exhausted to the extreme. His hands and feet were already too heavy to move.
He could only stand barely leaning on the fountain basin, and watched the man walk up to him.
The breeze swept across the dark brown cheeks of the young man, and lifted up the black hair that seemed to be the darkest night in winter.
When the forehead moved slightly, the shadow of the hair on his forehead that fell into the man’s eyes also followed suit.
It was obviously the golden eyes with a flame color. Under the bright sunlight, it seemed that even a little glimmer could not get in.
The shadows dangling in the pupils dyed those eyes like an abyss.
He stared at the young man without a trace of warmth, like the most cruel winter, quenched with poison, with the cold and cold air like a king cobra, that kind of coldness could almost penetrate into his bones.
The man stood there, motionless, and just staring at him like that.
The teenager leaned against the fountain pool behind him, breathing slightly, and his vision was a little blurred.
He could only vaguely see that a dozen people came in behind that person, fanning around him.
“You’ve already lost.”
He tilted his head slightly, and saw a man in a light blue shirt faintly in his vague vision.
…That’s…Heimos’ confidant…
“So please stop struggling so desperately.”
The blue-clothed man said in a slightly mocking tone, “Prince Garlan, do you want to maintain your dignity as the royal family of Aaron Landis?”
At this time, under this situation, perhaps only this person could speak in this vicious tone as always…
The young man thought so in a trance.
Struggle?
He really didn’t have the strength to struggle anymore.
Just standing with his body in this way was his last insistence.
This time, he had lost again.
The brown hand reached out to him and grabbed his head.
He could clearly feel the slight tingling sensation when the rough fingers rubbed his cheek, as if to remind him that what was waiting for him was another death.
He had no power to resist.
In the next second, the teenager was pressed heavily on the fountain pond. His lower body was still standing, and his waist pressed against the fountain pond, but his upper body was pressed backwards, and most of his golden hair sank into the water of the fountain pond.
The mouth of a white-coloured bottle was pressed against his lips. A hand was pinching his chin, and his mouth forcibly squeezed open with a force that could almost crush his jaw.
The cold liquid poured into his force-opened mouth.
He raised his head, looked at the bright sky, and the compassionate gaze of the Goddess who looked down at him…
The drops of water falling from the stone statue of the Goddess splashed on his face, cooling it. It was as if the Goddess was shedding tears…
..
The cold liquid poured into his throat, but like an ignited flame, it violently burned his throat.
Wherever the liquid passed, there seemed to be a trail of hot burning flames.
The hand that was holding him loosened, and he fell heavily to the ground.
The teenager’s slender body curled up tightly on the ground, and he closed his eyes in pain.
His lips were so pale that there was no trace of blood. They were shaking, but they couldn’t make any sound, and it was as if struggling to breathe.
He firmly grasped his chest with both hands, and gouged his neck and collarbone, revealing trails of bloodstains.
His whole body trembled in pain.
At this moment, no one spoke and everyone was silent.
They silently watched the last moments of the young Prince who was about to die.
Even the man who had always been known for his poisonous tongue was silent, just watched with a complicated expression.
Their loyal master stood in front of them, looking down at the teenager trembling with pain under his feet. No one could see the look in Heimos’ eyes at the moment.
…
His consciousness was disappearing bit by bit…
His vision was blurring.
That’s good, in this way, I won’t feel the pain that seems to have countless flames licking and devouring the flesh and blood in my body…
…He had again died under this man’s hands…
…
pain.
It hurts…
But there’s no one to confide in.
No one was there anymore… no one was by his side anymore…
…
In the quiet courtyard, there was a sudden sound of rapid footsteps, like someone hurriedly coming from outside.
Then, when it approached, the footsteps stopped abruptly.
The sudden stop of footsteps restored the courtyard to a deathly silence.
The teenager opened his eyes slightly, and under his drooping eyelashes, he saw the familiar figure through the thin eyelashes.
The brown, slightly curly long hair was draped over his shoulders, and his burly tall body was wrapped in a long robe. His vague vision could no longer see the person’s face, but could only vaguely see the person’s eyes.
The man looked down at him with indifferent and insensitive eyes.
He was just standing there hostilely and looked down condescendingly at him who was dying.
…Ziemuer…
You’re right.
【You can’t beat Heimos. 】
I’ve lost again.
You’re right.
I can never beat him.
I’ve always been vexed and very unsatisfied. Why did you betray me? Why did you want to leave me?
…
You’ve just made the right choice.
His trance state finally dissipated completely, and darkness fell before his eyes.
The teenager lying on the ground closed his eyes and stopped breathing.
The wet blond hair pressed against his cheeks, and the blood oozing from the corners of his lips was still running down his pale cheeks.
He was dead.
The throne now belonged to Heimos.
Suddenly a strong wind blew in the sky, and the wind swept across the pool water, causing deep wrinkles. The white lotus swayed in the wind, as if it was about to fall into the water.
At this moment, there was a deathly silence between Heaven and Earth.
The wind also ruffled the slightly curly hair of Ziemuer who stood motionless.
Not knowing how long it took, Heimos turned around and started to move forward.
He passed Ziemuer, who was standing behind him, and then stopped again.
The priest who had been standing still finally moved.
He stepped forward, walked to the dead young Prince, leaned over, and knelt on one knee.
He reached out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the pale face that still showed a little innocence.
However, his fingers stopped a second before they were about to touch the other’s cheeks. They were stagnant in the air, as if an invisible barrier was blocking his hand.
After a long time, the fingertips hovering on the boy’s cheek trembled slightly, and finally fell.
The blood oozing from the corners of the boy’s eyes, nostrils, and lips stained Ziemuer’s fingertips.
Ziemuer knelt on the ground and bowed his head. There was still no expression on his face, and his eyes seemed to have lost all their luster, leaving only a hollow silence.
“Ziemuer, finally not hiding anymore huh?” The man in blue sneered.
“You’re loyal to His Royal Highness Heimos, but you’ve been secretly helping Prince Garlan. You really thought I didn’t know? If it were not for you, this weak Prince couldn’t last for so long. Tsk, it costs us to waste such a long time.”
For a long time, this Ziemuer surrendered to His Highness Heimos in name, but secretly helped Prince Garlan to escape the trap he set up with great effort, time and time again.
He really didn’t understand. It was obvious that this person was carrying the name of a traitor on Prince Garlan’s side, and was despised by everyone there, so what was the reason for doing this?
He even faintly detected that Ziemuer was secretly plotting things that would be unfavorable to His Highness Heimos. It was just that this person was too cautious, he couldn’t catch his concealed actions.
This time, he managed to transfer Ziemuer away from the Royal City with great difficulty, and was able to successfully arrange the killing against Prince Garlan.
At this moment, he was a little proud.
He and Ziemuer grew up together. He had been secretly vying with him, but always more or less lost to Ziemuer.
Now, this time he had finally won.
He mocked, “Ziemuer, as a priest of Shamash, you did something that violates the doctrine and tramples on your oath. What qualifications do you have to serve Shamash—”
His words stopped abruptly in the middle of the conversation.
The blue man’s throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible big hand, and his voice suddenly stuck in his throat.
The sudden cry of tears caught his words, and he opened his mouth, showing incredible eyes.
The others were petrified at this moment, dumbfounded in place.
The Priest kneeling on the ground was crying.
The Shamash Priest, who was used to showing people his indifference and fortitude, as if he never knew what feelings were, at this moment, before the crowd, wept bitterly.
His neat robe was now stained with dirt. It was crumpled and scattered on the ground.
His original clean hands held the dead boy tightly, and his palms were full of blood and dirt.
The wet blond hair mixed with blood-stained tightly against his cheek.
The tears fell from his eyes and onto the pale face of the teenager.
It seemed that he had abandoned emotions for more than 20 years…or it might have been sealed in the depths of his heart for more than 20 years. At this moment, all of them broke loose.
They tore him to pieces.
Made him lose control.
He held the dead teenager in his arms tightly, as if he had lost everything, and cried sorrowfully as if he had completely collapsed.
The man in blue was taken aback and caught off guard.
Having known Ziemuer for so many years, he had never seen this person’s face change that much.
Unexpectedly, the first time he saw it, it was so out of control.
“Ziemuer, y- you are…”
He didn’t know what to say for a while, and for the first time in his life, that witty tongue was knotted.
“He is dead. Admit your mistake… well… as long as you admit your mistake, I’ll help you intercede, so that His Highness Heimos will not hold you accountable. As long as you help Your Highness well in the future, I’ll …”
He was stuttering a little when suddenly he heard a clang.
It was the sound of a sharp blade unsheathed.
He turned his head and saw that his young master had drawn a sharp sword from his waist.
The snow-white blade that was out of the sheath reflected the cold light in the sunlight.
The man in blue was taken aback, and then quickly stepped forward to stop him.
“Wait a minute, Your Highness,” He said anxiously, “Ziemuer’s talents and skills have always been on par to mine. It’s a pity to kill him. Please give me some time, I will persuade him to surrender you… …”
“It’s useless.”
The low voice interrupted the man in blue and pushed him away with one hand.
Heimos said, “You can’t persuade him.”
The cold golden-red eyes stared at Ziemuer’s back. Even under the bright sunlight, his eyes were sunk in the deep darkness.
The light didn’t enter and the shadow followed suit.
He said, “Since you’re loyal to him, accompany him to the Kingdom of the dead.”
The sharp sword dropped its head, and a cold light flashed in the air.
Heimos didn’t even turn around.
He just stood sideways and stabbed while holding the long sword.
The sharp blade penetrated the back of Ziemuer’s heart.
The drop of red blood rolled from the point of the sword that had penetrated his chest, dyed the corner of the pale eyes of the teenager in his arms.
Heimos drew out the sharp sword and inserted the blood-stained blade back into the sheath.
He strode forward without looking back.
The black cloak flew behind him like unfolding the night.
The man in blue followed his master away. But at the end, he couldn’t help but glance back.
The wind passed through the courtyard, ruffling the brown hair that the Priest draped on his shoulders.
Under the stone statue of the Goddess Isdar, the dead Priest knelt there, guarding the Prince who seemed to be asleep in his arms.
…
I just realised that I shouldn’t have classified a Heimos, Tarl, etc as a young man in the 4th life.
If I’m not wrong he is only 15-16? While Garlan is 12-13.
I’ve changed the next few chapters to them being teenagers cause it just seemed weird to call them that when they aren’t even young adults… But those that I’d posted, I’ll edit them when I’m free~
Thanks for waiting~
Jeanie
1Refers to the location between the index finger and the thumb, which is also the first and second metacarpal bones, where the two bones meet and are shaped like a valley. Because it is located between the two bones of the tiger’s mouth with the thumb of the hand, it is also called the tiger’s mouth.
-Unedited-
In a trance, as if dreaming.
…
His body sank endlessly…Falling…It was like falling into the abyss…
Finally, when did he stop falling?
The boy opened his eyes.
The pale golden hair stained with blood scattered around his brown cheeks, and the golden pupils reflected the endless blue sky.
Ah, the bright sky…
…Huge stone statue…
Sprinkle of water trickled on his hot face, and it felt cooling.
The water sprayed from the fountain splashed into the water of the pond with white lotus flowers in full bloom.
He saw the warm and beautiful face of the Star Goddess Isdar stone statue, and the water that slipped from her hand fell into the fountain. She looked down at him, full of compassion.
…
His body was very heavy, as if it had lost all its strength.
He held the stone wall of the fountain pond with one hand and was barely able to stand up.
At this moment, his mind was very confused. It was as if there were countless fragments of memory flying in it, making him unclear where he was and what he was doing.
He saw a long sword that had been discarded under his feet. The sharp blade had broken apart, and even the hilt had cracked.
He leaned against the fountain basin, turned his head, and saw his appearance in reflection of the clear water.
It was the face of a young, sixteen or seventeen-year-old teenager.
He had a slightly brown complexion. A gold ring embedded with amber gemstones was worn on his forehead, and his light golden hair was scattered in front of his eyes.
He looked at his hand, the tiger’s mouth1 was cracked, and blood was still bleeding slowly.
Suddenly noisy footsteps came from outside, as if many people were rushing in here.
He turned around.
Not far away, those two huge golden arches were entwined with green olive leaves and intertwined to form an arch.
A tall black figure emerged from there.
The teenager’s pupils shrank sharply.
A sense of fear uncontrollably radiated from his body.
An extremely dangerous cry sounded sharply in his head, urging him to quickly escape from that person.
However, his body had been exhausted to the extreme. His hands and feet were already too heavy to move.
He could only stand barely leaning on the fountain basin, and watched the man walk up to him.
The breeze swept across the dark brown cheeks of the young man, and lifted up the black hair that seemed to be the darkest night in winter.
When the forehead moved slightly, the shadow of the hair on his forehead that fell into the man’s eyes also followed suit.
It was obviously the golden eyes with a flame color. Under the bright sunlight, it seemed that even a little glimmer could not get in.
The shadows dangling in the pupils dyed those eyes like an abyss.
He stared at the young man without a trace of warmth, like the most cruel winter, quenched with poison, with the cold and cold air like a king cobra, that kind of coldness could almost penetrate into his bones.
The man stood there, motionless, and just staring at him like that.
The teenager leaned against the fountain pool behind him, breathing slightly, and his vision was a little blurred.
He could only vaguely see that a dozen people came in behind that person, fanning around him.
“You’ve already lost.”
He tilted his head slightly, and saw a man in a light blue shirt faintly in his vague vision.
…That’s…Heimos’ confidant…
“So please stop struggling so desperately.”
The blue-clothed man said in a slightly mocking tone, “Prince Garlan, do you want to maintain your dignity as the royal family of Aaron Landis?”
At this time, under this situation, perhaps only this person could speak in this vicious tone as always…
The young man thought so in a trance.
Struggle?
He really didn’t have the strength to struggle anymore.
Just standing with his body in this way was his last insistence.
This time, he had lost again.
The brown hand reached out to him and grabbed his head.
He could clearly feel the slight tingling sensation when the rough fingers rubbed his cheek, as if to remind him that what was waiting for him was another death.
He had no power to resist.
In the next second, the teenager was pressed heavily on the fountain pond. His lower body was still standing, and his waist pressed against the fountain pond, but his upper body was pressed backwards, and most of his golden hair sank into the water of the fountain pond.
The mouth of a white-coloured bottle was pressed against his lips. A hand was pinching his chin, and his mouth forcibly squeezed open with a force that could almost crush his jaw.
The cold liquid poured into his force-opened mouth.
He raised his head, looked at the bright sky, and the compassionate gaze of the Goddess who looked down at him…
The drops of water falling from the stone statue of the Goddess splashed on his face, cooling it. It was as if the Goddess was shedding tears…
..
The cold liquid poured into his throat, but like an ignited flame, it violently burned his throat.
Wherever the liquid passed, there seemed to be a trail of hot burning flames.
The hand that was holding him loosened, and he fell heavily to the ground.
The teenager’s slender body curled up tightly on the ground, and he closed his eyes in pain.
His lips were so pale that there was no trace of blood. They were shaking, but they couldn’t make any sound, and it was as if struggling to breathe.
He firmly grasped his chest with both hands, and gouged his neck and collarbone, revealing trails of bloodstains.
His whole body trembled in pain.
At this moment, no one spoke and everyone was silent.
They silently watched the last moments of the young Prince who was about to die.
Even the man who had always been known for his poisonous tongue was silent, just watched with a complicated expression.
Their loyal master stood in front of them, looking down at the teenager trembling with pain under his feet. No one could see the look in Heimos’ eyes at the moment.
…
His consciousness was disappearing bit by bit…
His vision was blurring.
That’s good, in this way, I won’t feel the pain that seems to have countless flames licking and devouring the flesh and blood in my body…
…He had again died under this man’s hands…
…
pain.
It hurts…
But there’s no one to confide in.
No one was there anymore… no one was by his side anymore…
…
In the quiet courtyard, there was a sudden sound of rapid footsteps, like someone hurriedly coming from outside.
Then, when it approached, the footsteps stopped abruptly.
The sudden stop of footsteps restored the courtyard to a deathly silence.
The teenager opened his eyes slightly, and under his drooping eyelashes, he saw the familiar figure through the thin eyelashes.
The brown, slightly curly long hair was draped over his shoulders, and his burly tall body was wrapped in a long robe. His vague vision could no longer see the person’s face, but could only vaguely see the person’s eyes.
The man looked down at him with indifferent and insensitive eyes.
He was just standing there hostilely and looked down condescendingly at him who was dying.
…Ziemuer…
You’re right.
【You can’t beat Heimos. 】
I’ve lost again.
You’re right.
I can never beat him.
I’ve always been vexed and very unsatisfied. Why did you betray me? Why did you want to leave me?
…
You’ve just made the right choice.
His trance state finally dissipated completely, and darkness fell before his eyes.
The teenager lying on the ground closed his eyes and stopped breathing.
The wet blond hair pressed against his cheeks, and the blood oozing from the corners of his lips was still running down his pale cheeks.
He was dead.
The throne now belonged to Heimos.
Suddenly a strong wind blew in the sky, and the wind swept across the pool water, causing deep wrinkles. The white lotus swayed in the wind, as if it was about to fall into the water.
At this moment, there was a deathly silence between Heaven and Earth.
The wind also ruffled the slightly curly hair of Ziemuer who stood motionless.
Not knowing how long it took, Heimos turned around and started to move forward.
He passed Ziemuer, who was standing behind him, and then stopped again.
The priest who had been standing still finally moved.
He stepped forward, walked to the dead young Prince, leaned over, and knelt on one knee.
He reached out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the pale face that still showed a little innocence.
However, his fingers stopped a second before they were about to touch the other’s cheeks. They were stagnant in the air, as if an invisible barrier was blocking his hand.
After a long time, the fingertips hovering on the boy’s cheek trembled slightly, and finally fell.
The blood oozing from the corners of the boy’s eyes, nostrils, and lips stained Ziemuer’s fingertips.
Ziemuer knelt on the ground and bowed his head. There was still no expression on his face, and his eyes seemed to have lost all their luster, leaving only a hollow silence.
“Ziemuer, finally not hiding anymore huh?” The man in blue sneered.
“You’re loyal to His Royal Highness Heimos, but you’ve been secretly helping Prince Garlan. You really thought I didn’t know? If it were not for you, this weak Prince couldn’t last for so long. Tsk, it costs us to waste such a long time.”
For a long time, this Ziemuer surrendered to His Highness Heimos in name, but secretly helped Prince Garlan to escape the trap he set up with great effort, time and time again.
He really didn’t understand. It was obvious that this person was carrying the name of a traitor on Prince Garlan’s side, and was despised by everyone there, so what was the reason for doing this?
He even faintly detected that Ziemuer was secretly plotting things that would be unfavorable to His Highness Heimos. It was just that this person was too cautious, he couldn’t catch his concealed actions.
This time, he managed to transfer Ziemuer away from the Royal City with great difficulty, and was able to successfully arrange the killing against Prince Garlan.
At this moment, he was a little proud.
He and Ziemuer grew up together. He had been secretly vying with him, but always more or less lost to Ziemuer.
Now, this time he had finally won.
He mocked, “Ziemuer, as a priest of Shamash, you did something that violates the doctrine and tramples on your oath. What qualifications do you have to serve Shamash—”
His words stopped abruptly in the middle of the conversation.
The blue man’s throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible big hand, and his voice suddenly stuck in his throat.
The sudden cry of tears caught his words, and he opened his mouth, showing incredible eyes.
The others were petrified at this moment, dumbfounded in place.
The Priest kneeling on the ground was crying.
The Shamash Priest, who was used to showing people his indifference and fortitude, as if he never knew what feelings were, at this moment, before the crowd, wept bitterly.
His neat robe was now stained with dirt. It was crumpled and scattered on the ground.
His original clean hands held the dead boy tightly, and his palms were full of blood and dirt.
The wet blond hair mixed with blood-stained tightly against his cheek.
The tears fell from his eyes and onto the pale face of the teenager.
It seemed that he had abandoned emotions for more than 20 years…or it might have been sealed in the depths of his heart for more than 20 years. At this moment, all of them broke loose.
They tore him to pieces.
Made him lose control.
He held the dead teenager in his arms tightly, as if he had lost everything, and cried sorrowfully as if he had completely collapsed.
The man in blue was taken aback and caught off guard.
Having known Ziemuer for so many years, he had never seen this person’s face change that much.
Unexpectedly, the first time he saw it, it was so out of control.
“Ziemuer, y- you are…”
He didn’t know what to say for a while, and for the first time in his life, that witty tongue was knotted.
“He is dead. Admit your mistake… well… as long as you admit your mistake, I’ll help you intercede, so that His Highness Heimos will not hold you accountable. As long as you help Your Highness well in the future, I’ll …”
He was stuttering a little when suddenly he heard a clang.
It was the sound of a sharp blade unsheathed.
He turned his head and saw that his young master had drawn a sharp sword from his waist.
The snow-white blade that was out of the sheath reflected the cold light in the sunlight.
The man in blue was taken aback, and then quickly stepped forward to stop him.
“Wait a minute, Your Highness,” He said anxiously, “Ziemuer’s talents and skills have always been on par to mine. It’s a pity to kill him. Please give me some time, I will persuade him to surrender you… …”
“It’s useless.”
The low voice interrupted the man in blue and pushed him away with one hand.
Heimos said, “You can’t persuade him.”
The cold golden-red eyes stared at Ziemuer’s back. Even under the bright sunlight, his eyes were sunk in the deep darkness.
The light didn’t enter and the shadow followed suit.
He said, “Since you’re loyal to him, accompany him to the Kingdom of the dead.”
The sharp sword dropped its head, and a cold light flashed in the air.
Heimos didn’t even turn around.
He just stood sideways and stabbed while holding the long sword.
The sharp blade penetrated the back of Ziemuer’s heart.
The drop of red blood rolled from the point of the sword that had penetrated his chest, dyed the corner of the pale eyes of the teenager in his arms.
Heimos drew out the sharp sword and inserted the blood-stained blade back into the sheath.
He strode forward without looking back.
The black cloak flew behind him like unfolding the night.
The man in blue followed his master away. But at the end, he couldn’t help but glance back.
The wind passed through the courtyard, ruffling the brown hair that the Priest draped on his shoulders.
Under the stone statue of the Goddess Isdar, the dead Priest knelt there, guarding the Prince who seemed to be asleep in his arms.
…
I just realised that I shouldn’t have classified a Heimos, Tarl, etc as a young man in the 4th life.
If I’m not wrong he is only 15-16? While Garlan is 12-13.
I’ve changed the next few chapters to them being teenagers cause it just seemed weird to call them that when they aren’t even young adults… But those that I’d posted, I’ll edit them when I’m free~
Thanks for waiting~
Jeanie
1Refers to the location between the index finger and the thumb, which is also the first and second metacarpal bones, where the two bones meet and are shaped like a valley. Because it is located between the two bones of the tiger’s mouth with the thumb of the hand, it is also called the tiger’s mouth.
