The Beginning Of A Five Year Agony-Chapter 41: When it is time to choose, please choose wisely.

Her eyes were shadowed down, hinting at sleepless nights. "Yeah... With everything that’s happened, I don’t think I can." Her lips trembled almost imperceptibly, and Samuel could tell she was fighting back her tears, He recognized that look... the desperate struggle and attempts to maintain composure when your world felt like it was crumbling. He had worn that expression himself too many times...

"Veora," Samuel exclaimed...his voice softer now, infused with a deep empathy he rarely showed towards anyone. He walked slowly towards her. "It’s okay to cry." The simple words, spoken with genuine understanding, seemed to pierce through her carefully constructed emotional defenses...

She completely broke down. A choked sob escaped her lips, and then she lunged forward...hugging Samuel tightly, her body shaking with the force of her grief. He was surprised by the suddenness, but his arms instinctively came up to hold her, patting her back gently...

"It must have been so tough, right?" Samuel murmured, his own voice was a little rough.

He continued to pat her back, a steady and comforting rhythm. "It’s okay, you can cry as much as you want. No one here’s going to judge you... everyone’s got their own share of sorrow here... so it’s really okay." He spoke the words with a sincerity that resonated not just for her, but for himself too.

Deep down, Samuel was telling her the exact words he wished someone would tell him, a confession of shared pain he rarely allowed himself to voice. He felt a profound connection to her in that very moment, two souls carrying heavy burdens, finding a brief, silent comfort in each other’s presence.

From the corner of his eye, Samuel saw Yvaine, still hidden, watching them. She too was crying, her body frame shaking silently. The shared grief hung in the atmosphere, a heavy and tangible thing that bound them all together...

After a long while, the well of Veora’s tears finally subsided...She took a shuddering breath, her grip loosening, and she finally let go of Samuel, stepping back with a sniffle. Her eyes were crimson-red...

Just as the quietness settled again, a group of maidens appeared from thin air, their presence was calm and subtle. Their voices, synchronized and melodious, cut through the stillness and emotions...

"Samuel the goddess request your audience..."

In front of Samuel, a shimmering portal appeared out of nowhere. It pulsed with a soft and inviting light of colors swirling gently. Samuel looked back at Veora, who stood nearby, her expression calm and understanding.

"Tell Lira that I will be back," Samuel said to Veora. He did not wait for a reply. He simply stepped into the portal, the air around him rippling as the space itself seemed to twist and reform to accommodate his passage. The maidens who had guided him previously followed, stepping in right after him...

In under one minute, the sensation of travel ended. Samuel and the maidens appeared in front of a grand chamber.

It was massive, extending far into the distance, and filled with all kinds of colorful materials. Intricate patterns are woven into the colorful walls, creating an immersive display of colors...

Looking straight ahead, Samuel saw a huge dining table. It was long and elegant, stretching across the middle of the chamber. Seated at the head of the table, perfectly centered, was Solmira, the Goddess of Color...

"Welcome, Son of Anarchy," she uttered, her voice was carried clearly across the expansive room. Her tone was warm and welcoming, yet it held an undeniable undercurrent of power, Even Samuel could not resist...

Samuel began to walk across the vast chamber, his footsteps echoing softly on the polished stone floor, making his way toward the dining table. The sheer size of the room and the vibrant display of colors were impressive, but Samuel remained focused on Solmira...

"Take a seat here," Solmira uttered, gesturing to a chair placed closest to her at the head of the table. "I’d be glad if you would join me."

Samuel walked directly to the indicated chair and sat down. The chair was comfortable, its material was soft beneath Samuel’s legs. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"You look better now," Solmira observed, her gaze sharp yet filled with kindness. "Didn’t you find it comforting... to be able to sleep again?" She smiled, the gentle, knowing curves of her lips.

"What did you do?" Samuel questioned, his voice was flat not a hint of accusation, but a simple demand for information. He still felt the strange, profound sense of rest and comfort that had been distant to him for so long...

"Be at ease, child," she uttered, her voice soft and reassuring. "Your powers do not work in my domain. This is why you were able to sleep and feel hungry." She explained it plainly. The absence of his aggressive abilities had allowed his body and mind to finally rest...

"But sadly, I would have wanted you to stay for a while, but... news came in." Solmira’s expression shifted, becoming more serious.

"Judson, the God of Storm, is currently looking for you," she revealed. "He governs the Blue-Crest Kingdom... which you destroyed." Her words were direct, stating the facts without judgment...

Samuel narrowed his eyes. The God of Storm. That made sense. Judson would undoubtedly be furious about the annihilation of his believers...

"But rest assured, he can’t come here," Solmira continued, her voice firm, radiating absolute confidence. "It’s my domain. You and your friends are safe here." Her gaze swept over the maidens who had settled quietly nearby, confirming their security within her realm...

"But, I’m afraid I might not be able to hide you from them much longer," she added, a note of regret entering the tone she spoke. "Which is why you must journey to the Daughters of Mercy... sooner than I had expected."

"Where exactly are they?" Samuel asked, his voice steady. He had accepted this new path, even if the destination was the unknown...

"The Daughters of Mercy?" Solmira paused, then continued, "They are in the Outer Dark." She clarified further, "The demon realm, of course."

"The demon realm?" Samuel uttered, his voice flat with disbelief. The words hung in the air, unexpected and barren. It was a place Malaki, often spoken of in hushed tones, never as a destination one simply journeyed to.... The realm of the Black Knight...

"My dear," Solmira responded, her voice holding a knowing quality, "nothing of power comes easy. But it’s just that it will be a little bit different because you have me... I would give you a clear path to follow. Rest assured, you are in safe hands." She seemed to anticipate his apprehension, offering reassurance about the journey ahead...

"So, when do you think I should leave... for the journey?" Samuel asked. He was ready. The thought of him confronting another realm, even a demonic one, seemed less daunting than his internaltagitation...

"Anytime," she said, taking a slow sip from her drink... "But I would advise you to leave as soon as possible." Her eyes remained on him as she lowered her cup.

Samuel stayed quiet for a while, processing her words, the urgency, and the revelation about the demon realm. He had more questions...

"I heard about the sacrifices... and your gods wanting to take over my world," Samuel stated, his voice calm, but with an underlying tension. He watched her expression carefully for any different reaction...

She smiled. It was a small, knowing smile.

"Child, to be honest," she uttered, her voice soft but direct, "I might be a goddess, but I am quite in the dark when it comes to information."

He still didn’t trust her...

Samuel knew she was hiding something. He could sense it, a subtle shift in her demeanor, a guardedness in her eyes. It was something even she could not, or would not, tell him directly...

"Are we done now?" Samuel asked, his voice edged with a touch of anger at her response to the last question..."I want to prepare." He clarified his intent. "I would like to leave for the Daughters of Mercy as soon as possible."

She looked him directly in his eyes, her gaze piercing. "Your eyes are dark green," she observed, her voice quiet, almost contemplative. "I love it. It reminds me of him."

Samuel quickly puts the pieces together...

"Arithmos," He uttered...

She smiled. "You know," she said, her voice now softer, "You look a lot like him."

Samuel stared at her for a while, letting her words sink in. The comparison to "Arithmos," his current source of power was significant...

"What was he to you...?" Samuel asked, his voice seeking a deeper understanding of the connection between them. He sensed there was a history, a painful one.

She took a slow and deep breath, a visible sign of emotion... "A fool," she exclaimed, her voice tinged with a profound sadness that surprised him. "A really big fool I once cared for." The pain in her eyes was readable, a deep old wound...

"Samuel," she called his name, speaking it fully for the first time, not as "Son of Anarchy," but as himself. Her gaze was intense. "When it is time to choose, please choose wisely."

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