Chapter 415 - Good & Evil

"You asked me what I want, child. All I want is to release that man and myself from the hands of Rod, and you are the key that unlocked the catastrophe that would grant us that freedom."

Alinea's mind reeled. She didn't know what to think anymore. She had so many questions, but she didn't feel like she wanted to know the answer. If she asked, it would be as if she was questioning her very own existence. 

Was she nothing but a ċhėst piece of the gods in the end? 

Her hands balled into fists on her ŀȧp. She still looked defiantly at Czernobog, although her will to extinguish the Black God's life was no longer there. Her boldness was more on her unwillingness to be reduced to a mere pawn. 

But reality glared at her vividly. If not, why was she unable to touch him at all? She had stabbed him with her sword and yet, he remained unscathed. There was no other explanation other than the truth that this man was telling her. 

"Rod created Perun to be the ultimate good, while I was created as the ultimate evil. But what is good and what is evil? You call something that denotes immorality evil— but was that really it?" Czernobog spoke in a mocking tone as he leaned against the throne. "Killing for instance— if someone killed, it's evil, isn't it? But if someone was killed in the name of justice it's called a good thing. So what's good or evil?" 

Yes, what was it really? Even she, herself had been killed numerous times in the millennia after being tagged as a spawn of the Black God even if she hadn't done anything. The deity who bore the same face as her father laughed at her silence as he waved his hand again as if to dismiss her.

"If doesn't matter. I am not interested in the answer," he said as he stood up and looked up to the cave's ceiling. "The thousands of years that I've been locked up here were worth it. The catastrophe that I have set up worked and I won the bet with Rod."

Bet with… Rod? Alinea was horrified. 

"That's right," he said with a faraway look. "We all resided in the Celestial Plane at the beginning. We were free to do anything we wanted except for that stubborn fool."

"My father?" Alinea asked but he did not answer. 

"The most favored child of Rod was the most pitiful one, shackled by invisible chains. Even in pain… that hypocrite just endures it all…"

Huh? 

Alinea was confused. When the Black God spoke of her father, he didn't sound like someone who hated the King of Heaven. In fact it even sounded like…

She looked up and saw the pained expression on that ethereal face that was supposed to be the devil's. This only made the nagging feeling in her ċhėst intensified. 

How could it be?

"Who are you really?" she asked, and the man looked at him with a laugh. 

"That's an absurd question. I'm Czernobog," he said as he stood up. "Perun's untarnished self is no more. This game has ended. Leave," he continued as he waved his hand. 

But Alinea didn't want to go until the picture was complete. 

"Tell me… What is this game you're talking about?" she demanded. 

"It's something you don't have to know," he retorted but she wouldn't give up.

She stood up and pointed at herself with her palm against her heart. "I have the right to know! I have been your pawn for thousands of years. I have died over and over again for this so-called game! Tell me!" 

As soon as she yelled, purple light flashed in the room and several seals appeared as well as runes. 

"What's happening?" Alinea quickly stepped back to scoop Ivan up and propped him up as her eyes stared at her father's seal that ran amok. 

The cavern shook as debris fell from the earthen ceiling. The dark elementals which were standing there ran in all directions to avoid being crushed by the stalactites and the stalagmites.

The only one who didn't seem in panic was the Black God who remained standing in front of his throne was if he was expecting this chaos. He waved his hand and Ivan suddenly came into consciousness. 

"Take my grandchild and get out of here," he ordered Ivan who grabbed Alinea and pulled her back to the entrance. 

"No! I want my answer!" Alinea yelled as she glared at Czernobog. 

"Ali, if we don't leave, even us, demigods will be buried alive here," Ivan said as he punched and swiped at the rocks that were raining down on them. 

"NO!"

Alinea wanted to remain to get answers but Ivan was stronger than her around this time since her emotions were unstable. She tried to fight, but she was losing. 

"Child, leave while you can still see your father," Czernobog suddenly said making Ali stop. 

Her eyes flew back to Czernobog as she screamed. "What happened to my father?"

But the Black God's red eyes were already distant as if he was no longer seeing the chaos around him. However, before the inner lair got destroyed and caved in, he opened his lips to speak to her one last time. 

"The prize of winning against Rod is death and rebirth," the Black God said before a huge stalactite fell and she could no longer see him. "Your task is over now, child. Live freely…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She had her arm stretched as if wanting to get hold of the Black God. Her heart was in turmoil and her eyes were blinded by tears as Ivan desperately carried her out of the place. 

Why did it end up like this? 

But at the back of her mind, she knew the reason. Czernobog, in his own twisted way, cared for her father. In spite of her confusion earlier, she understood at least that. 

"But why?"

Why were they all sacrificed? Even Fanya who colluded with him was in the end only used as a pawn. 

"Damn! We'll be buried alive at this rate!" Ivan cursed as he summoned his elementals. 

The two vermillion birds appeared and led the way, burning all the debris that started falling. Ivan quickly hoisted her up on Aurel who started to fly. 

"Rashel! Bibi! Break out! We'll go by the roof!" he ordered and the firebirds burst as they rocketed straight up, boring a hole towards the surface.