Truth-1

"Child..."

I trembled. The voice echoed like a melody sung by the world itself, and it was both beautiful and scary. There was something ethereal about it, like if it wasn't intended for mortal ears, but it sounded male. My surroundings changed before I could properly comprehend what I had heard.

An unsettling silence took the place of the temple's warm air. Children's laughter, the clamor of the temple crowd, and the distant sounds of singing priests all vanished. The world itself seemed to have vanished. A choked gasp was all that came out of my mouth as I opened it to call out.

"An—anybody?" Even to myself, I could hardly hear the murmur I managed to make.

"Unwind, child," the soothing, authoritative voice said once more.

"What… what is happening?" The speaker cut me off before I could inquire.

"I understand you have questions," it continued, but let me explain. I am the God of Creation, as you mortals refer to me. Although I doubt any mortal really understands the significance of such titles, some people refer to me by other names. He hesitated, as if considering what he was going to say.

"My child, you are a poor soul who has suffered because of an accident that was brought on by one of my fellow gods. He tried to judge a sinner, a mortal who deserved to be punished by God. These penalties are potent and holy, intended to go right to the core of the offender. But... His tone softened to one of almost remorse.

"You were in your mother Alicia's womb when he was serving the sentence. You were struck by the heavenly curse that was intended for someone else. You were born blind for that reason. This did not occur because it was your destiny or our will.

I froze, thinking quickly. Fury? Perplexed? Solace? It was a flood of feelings I was unable to identify. I've always thought that my blindness was odd in some way. I was immune to healing magic, even from the strongest priests. It was illogical. Now that I knew the truth, I was unsure of how to react.

The voice went on, "I see you are silent," Maybe you're upset, and I can't blame you for that. But let me elaborate briefly.

I remained silent as questions raced through my head. Yes, even mortals can have mishaps, but I had always thought the gods were unfailing. What might have gone wrong for such a powerful being? The gods heard my distress and spoke once more.

"I can appreciate your skepticism. You question how we, the divine, are able to.... It doesn't matter. The majority of gods, with the exception of the six pillars, were mortal at one point. They endured hardships, lived, and became divine. Despite their immense might, they nonetheless have grave faults. Laws bigger than ourselves bind even us six, who represent creation, annihilation, and everything in between.

Regarding your present condition, I have halted time. Because the outer world is frozen at this precise time, we can have this talk without any disruptions. No, you are no longer in the temple, to answer another question that has already begun to form in your thoughts. You're in my territory.

My concerns were verified by his statements. Now that I was out of the temple, the abrupt change in temperature upon my arrival made sense. It was both amazing and horrifying to consider that time itself had stopped and that I had been transported to the realm of the deity.

When he said, "You are surprisingly calm," he seemed almost amused. "By now, most mortals would be shaking. You are already assessing the issue, though. Amazing. Now pay close attention because I have to explain your purpose for being here.

I waited, our mutual stillness thick with expectation.

"Our negligence has caused you to suffer unfairly. The Council of Six has determined that you should be compensated for the difficulties you have faced. Your soul was scarred when the curse hit you. Your appearance—your white hair and pale skin—was a manifestation of this harm. Ever pondered why you appear so different?

Of course I had. People had always noticed my odd characteristics, but I never really understood why.

"You are… beautiful," he said, almost grudgingly. "This is a consequence of your innocence. Instead of deforming you, the curse brought out your best qualities. Divine punishment typically distorts the guilty, turning them into horrible beings with wretched lives. However, you... He paused, as if he was trying to find the proper words.

When he finally spoke, "The curse concentrated in your eyes," "You lost your sight, but the rest of you were unharmed. But—" He hesitated once more, and there was something in his voice that I couldn't quite place. Was it remorse? Disgrace?

I heard him hesitate, so I said nothing. He was obviously burdened with duty and possibly with guilt. The gods, who were meant to represent justice and order, had erred. How were they going to make that work?

After a time, he continued in a strong tone, "You must realize that we are not omnipotent as mortals think." The world is delicately balanced, and even the slightest mistake might cause anarchy. I invited you here for that reason. to set things right. to give you what has been refused to you."

I felt optimism for the first time as his words lingered in the air.

"What… do you mean?" I asked hesitantly.

"I mean, child," the god replied, his voice steady and resolute, "I will give you the chance to reclaim what was taken from you. But first, you must make a choice..."