Chapter 76: Karta

Kyrie makes it just on time, circulating his light magic into the sword, repulsing the souls away once again!

[If it is not in plain sight, then it must be hidden somewhere close!]

Everyone catches a glimpse of the magic circle on the pit - one that is made with ancient runes.

[Bingo!]

Erebus recognizes the magic circle, so instead of putting back his guard for the rest of the fight, he releases his animated shadows from his control.

Seeing Erebus putting down his shadows, Phanes relaxes as well. She has a hunch that Erebus has caught onto something from the complicated magic circle that appeared on the bottom of the pit. Although she understands the runes inscribed, she has no idea what the magic circle is for. 

Then, Kyrie jumps back from the pit, grabbing onto the walls as he walks out. His legs start to feel like jelly. He senses his body tilting backward, but his back finds something to lean on. He turns his head and looks at Ian, standing behind him.

"Thanks…"

After some seconds of silence, Ian responds, "Hmm…"

Both of them turn back to look at Erebus, walking towards the pit. Looking down, his eyes turn silver, peering through the souls to take a closer look at the magic circle.

[This magic circle should be from the god realm…]

The suspension slowly builds heavier weight on Kyrie's chest. He hates not knowing things, and waiting is like asking him to starve while looking at food just an arm's length away. 

Kyrie knows how bad things look right now since Maya seems like a despicable person that trapped millions of souls into a pit. However, after getting to know her and her tender heart, Kyrie knows that Maya would never do anything that could harm anyone. He is not the only one who shares that sentiment because everyone has experienced what Maya has done for them.

For so long, Maya has been all by herself that she does not know how to interact with people other than trying hard to make them like her. Just like how she would drag both Kyrie and Ian around to places that she enjoys, hoping that they also share the same joy as her. Sharing what she loves, Maya hopes that the people she likes can continue to stay because they like the things she does for them.

Now that she is getting accused of something that hurts her consciousness and heart, she doesn't know how to deal with it calmly. Emotions overtake her because of fear, and people misunderstand her because she does not know how to speak up.

Maya finally bursts into tears after seeing the magic circle and runs through the opening that Phanes made with the spear of light. Kyrie exchanges a look with Ian, and Ian runs after Maya. 

After Ian leaves, Kyrie lets go of his tightened fists. His hands shake, but not noticeable enough if no one is carefully observing. He tightens back his fists while deepening his breath. 

Phanes runs after them, but Kyrie blocks her way once again. 

"Move away!" Phanes warns Kyrie.

"Phanes…" Erebus calls her with a deep authoritative voice that shakes her to the core. 

She stops herself from attacking. In confusion, she looks back at Erebus. Erebus walks away from the pit with a deep frown.

Erebus becomes incredibly suspicious of what Kyrie knows. He concludes that the pit is similar to the one that 'the First' has created to punish evil souls. However, the curious thing is that not even the common gods know about this very creation, so why is Kyrie so sure that Maya did not do it?

'Just who is this mortal? Is he even a mortal?'

Erebus's suspensions are starting to bring him further and further away from what is the truth - the truth that Kyrie came from another world - a variable to fate. He overestimates Kyrie of his true knowledge. 

---

<God realm, past>

"Goddess Karta…" A servant bows and follows Karta walking through the halls of her temple. 

The servant peeks at the back of the goddess and wonders why goddess Karta would have come out of her seclusion. From the time the servant started to serve Karta, she has just come out once or twice, and the servant has already worked for three thousand years for the famed goddess who oversees the dealings of Fate.

"Where is Phanes?"

"Goddess Phanes has gone to the mortal world for her trial."

"How about Erebus?"

"God Erebus also. Do you need me to summon them?"

"No. I am going to go on a trip to where they both are… I feel like that kid Phanes is making more work for me again! Tell the king that I will not be able to attend the morning session to discuss the latest changes from Fate."

"But goddess…"

"You heard me, go! I have some weird movements of Fate that I have never seen before…"

"Do I tell the king regarding…"

"No! Don't tell him… I don't know why there are so many weird rewiring from Fate, so I am going down personally. Then, I am going to inform his majesty myself."

"Yes, goddess."

The servant walks away to do the duty that has been assigned to her. 

Karta lets out a sigh as she walks towards her lotus garden. She feels better after seeing the calming sight of beautiful white lotus blooms, calm waters, and the silence within the garden. She has been in seclusion for so long doing her work for the mechanisms of Fate. She sighs again thinking of her fate; she has been selected to do the menial work for a lifeless mechanism that all gods fear. This time, the movements and changes of fate have granted her a bit of freedom that she yearned.

'I wonder how that guff ball is doing!' Karta thinks of Phanes.