NOVPUBRasmus stared down at his useless legs when suddenly Serena offered her hand to him. He looked up and stared at her with his brows furrowed, wondering what she wanted from him. She then beckoned him, signaling him to give his hand to her, however, Rasmus hesitated.
"I can try to do something with your condition," Serena said with a serious expression. "My divine power is beyond that old lady. I might be able to heal your problem," she continued, calling Astrea an old lady.
"I'm not sure if you can, but give it a try," Rasmus said, putting his hand on Serena's hand.
Serena closed her eyes and used her divine power, strong enough that Rasmus could feel the intensity when the energy entered his body. He felt like his body had rehydrated from drinking cold water after running for dozens of miles on an extremely hot day. It felt nice, and all the fatigue in his body got lifted, but then he felt a tingling sensation in his legs, which could be a good sign.
Suddenly, Serena pulled her hand away from Rasmus's hand with a confused look on her face. Rasmus was also confused as to why she stopped using her divine powers on him, especially when she put that expression on her face.
"That's weird..." Serena tilted her head as she stared at Rasmus's legs. "There are no wounds or damages in your body. However, I can feel your spinal cord isn't like a human... slightly different..." she explained as she narrowed her eyes.
Rasmus was surprised that Serena was able to tell the difference and seemed to understand human anatomy. He then watched her sit beside him and gently pressed her hand against his back. She used a mild divine power to understand what was going on with his body. However, Rasmus told her about his current condition of undergoing an awakening as an Orthias.
Serena knew the big picture of the new world she was living in, and what kind of people were following Rasmus. She knew about the existence of an Orthias, the ancient race that could turn into a mythical creature, a dragon. She also had a vast knowledge of the current situation and what kind of dangers existed all over Neva.
"It's all thanks to the memories of this body. I understand most part because of her," Serena said as she got up from the bed and stood in front of Rasmus. "But that's not all. I have spent my whole life in hell, and I have spoken to any kind of people there," she continued as she gestured to Rasmus to stand up.
"You said that you have spoken to a lot of wise people in hell. That's quite the irony, to see wise people end up in hell," Rasmus responded as he pushed himself up, and his legs felt like jelly. The pins and needles in his legs were so overwhelming that he collapsed immediately. The pain was unbearable, but when Serena wanted to help him, he declined politely because he wanted to try to stand on his own.
"Yes, it's quite the irony because they didn't follow God's rules and words, even though they did nothing but spread kindness and help people to be better in life," Serena answered as she nodded.
"Well, it seems that their punishment and yours aren't that different at all," Rasmus said as he leaned against the bedside table to stand up. "None of them deserves to be punished for something so... trivial," he continued as he stood up, even though it was painful.
Serena raised her brows when she heard Rasmus's controversial words, and somehow it made her scoff and smirk.
"You don't obey God, you're condemned for eternal punishment and suffering," Serena said in a soft voice as she nodded in agreement.
"But that's how it works, always... from the beginning of time. After all, everything is his creation, and you would want to have your creation to follow your words, not to ignore you or to be forgotten by them. You said that you couldn't hate your offspring even though they were demons. You would feel hurt if they ignored and forgot about you, no?" Rasmus asked as his legs were shaking uncontrollably, and then he collapsed to the edge of the bed, resting his legs.
"Then why bother to give us free will in the first place?" Serena asked as she crossed her arms, leaning against the wall and staring down at Rasmus.
"I'm not God. I can't comprehend your suffering and pain, and you're asking me how to think like a God?" Rasmus asked back with a soft smile on his face.
"Fair point," Serena scoffed as she nodded. "But one last question. So you chose to believe it as it is?" She asked out of curiosity.
"No, just as I said earlier, I don't believe what I don't know anything about. It's as simple as that," Rasmus answered as he massaged his knees. "If anyone asked if I would regret it for not believing it, then I would say no. What's the difference between not wanting to learn about uncertainty and believing in something that can't be understood? Both are ignorant and blind. I don't want to be both, that's why I learn it, but I don't completely believe it," he continued as he looked at Serena.
Serena was speechless, and she had never heard anything like that before. She thought that Rasmus was trying to avoid the question, trying to find a safe excuse, but the way he said it, the way he listened and tried to understand, she believed that he wasn't trying to make an excuse, it was how he lived his life. He didn't belittle something just because they were wrong, he listened and tried to understand.
"I have lived for millennia in hell, seeing and talking with countless souls. None of them said anything like you did," Serena said, her voice barely above a whisper.
She looked away, trying to steady her breath, but there was a soft tremble in her chest.For the first time in countless lifetimes, she didn't feel like a fallen soul or a condemned rebel, she just felt like a human. She didn't remember how it felt to be a human, nor had a chance to show how she could be as a human, but at that moment, she felt like she had found a purpose in this second life, something to live by and be herself.
"How do you feel now?" Serena asked as she cleared her throat.
"I can feel my leg, my left leg seems to respond, but not my right leg..." Rasmus answered as he looked at his right leg. "You don't have to help me anymore, Saint Serena," he said and looked at Serena.
Hearing Rasmus calling her Saint Serena, it somehow made her feel seen once again. Not labeling her for the past life she had, but the new life she gained. She realized that he didn't bother much with her past but rather the person who stood in front of him in the present.
"If that's what you want, then so be it," Serena nodded with understanding.
Serena dispersed the divine barrier, signaling anyone who wanted to enter the room to enter. In a matter of seconds, Aris came back inside and stared directly into Serena's eyes. Rasmus slowly got up, and it surprised Aris that he was capable of standing up on his own.
Rasmus told Aris about what was going on and introduced Serena to her. He then decided to leave them alone so they could get to know each other because he believed that Aris could have a friend other than him.
Once Rasmus left the room, he saw Videl standing across from him, staring at him with a smug look on his face. Rasmus sighed as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Videl to open his mouth, but to his surprise, Videl tossed a cane at him. Rasmus caught it in the last moment, and saw the cane in his hand, a black gentleman's cane with a silver handle on it.
Rasmus tried the cane to support his leg, and the cane fit perfectly with his height and arm length. It didn't feel awkward, and it was fine to hold as well, which was quite nice to have for his current condition. He tried to walk with it, and somehow it reminded him of his past life, using a cane to walk around during his old age. When he glanced at Videl, the smirk was enough to tell that Videl was also thinking the same thing as him.
"How does it feel to use a cane again, just like before?" Videl asked as he chuckled mischievously.
"Why are you being nice to me? What's the occasion?" Rasmus asked as he stood in front of Videl.
"Am I not allowed to be nice after you gave me what I want? You kept your word, giving me wars and allowing me to devour hundreds of thousands of souls and demons to regain my power. I think I'm allowed to give you something nice in return," Videl answered as he crossed his arms. "Anyway, Javi is here to send you a message," he looked at Javi, who was hiding in the shadow in the corner.
Javi approached Rasmus with a letter in his hand and then offered it to Rasmus.
Rasmus took the letter and read it thoroughly as he leaned his weight on the cane. He furrowed his brows when he noticed the letter was from Lenin, and it was about Astrea's condition.
"We are leaving now," Rasmus said as he burned the letter.
Videl and Javi nodded with understanding.
