Never follow my path

Gauss stirred awake, his head pounding, the alcohol got to him. The bitter taste of last night's indulgence still on his tongue, and the cold, wooden floor beneath him made his back ache like never before.

"Damn, I really did it this time…" he muttered, groaning as he sat up. But instead of cursing his poor choices, he let out a soft breath, his voice laced with an eerie calm. "No, the wooden floor was quite comfortable. It soothes my weary bones, aligns my spine... Yes, it only makes me feel better."

As those words left his lips, his eyes flickered with a golden light, and just like that—the pain faded away, as if it had never been there to begin with.

"Oh! Gauss, you're finally up! My husband just left for the church," the woman of the house greeted him with a bright smile.

Gauss stretched his limbs and chuckled. "What a night. Thanks for letting me crash here. Though, you could've at least thrown a pillow at this old man."

The woman giggled but quickly grew serious. "The daily prayer starts soon… Speaking of which, yesterday, when you persuaded those guards so easily… How do you do it? Just how deeply do you love your goddess?"

Gauss paused, his golden gaze piercing. "Love? Love is an illusion. But if both sides share the same illusion, it becomes reality. However, when feelings are unbalanced… it is nothing more than adoration."

The woman hesitated before speaking again. "I've never met Goddess Lef, but I want to love my goddess the way you do. Could you tell me about Goddess Za?"

Gauss closed his eyes, his expression softening. "Her laughter humbles even the greatest musicians. Her touch can soothe even the most troubled soul. To love her… is to know peace, and perhaps, just a little mischief."

Hearing those words, the woman's eyes shone with newfound determination. "Then I want to follow Goddess Za too! I want to be like you, Gauss!"

Gauss' breath hitched. "What?! No… Don't do this to yourself. Don't follow my path!"

But it was already too late. The choice had been made, and choices came with consequences.

A believer could not simply switch faiths like one changed clothes. Her divine link shattered instantly, leaving her as an outcast. A forsaken.

From outside, the rhythmic chants of the priests echoed through the village as they moved from home to home for the daily prayer.

Without hesitation, Gauss took her by the hand, leading her away—away from prying eyes, away from the Righteous. His cabin in the woods would shelter her, at least for now.

The woman collapsed onto the wooden floor, silent tears streaming down her face. Everything she had worked for, her entire life, gone in an instant—all because she had dared to seek a different path.

Gauss watched her for a moment before settling down cross-legged beside her. His voice, when he finally spoke, was barely above a whisper.

"You will be safe here. Your husband can still visit you… This could have been much worse. If they had caught you… they would have locked you away. Or worse… experimented on you."

But she barely heard him. None of it mattered. Nothing could undo what had been done.

Gauss sighed, his gaze distant. "Listen well, my dear. The truth is, no amount of reassurance will ever fully ease the burden you carry. In the silence, you will ask yourself over and over—why, why you chose to make it all so much harder on yourself. You must learn to bear it, and with time, the weight becomes … manageable.

She wept until exhaustion claimed her. She fell asleep.

As Gauss leaned against the wall, staring at the flickering candlelight, thoughts drifted through his mind:

'I wonder how it feels to burn out young…Cause I just want to die before my heart fails,

From heartbreak or... eudaimonia' Gauss mused.

'I've lost the only neighbor I was fond of... and the boy is gone, why do I keep losing all that I hold dear? I need a change of pace, a different scenery.'

Gauss stood up, in a slow manner. He decided to go back to his old home in the righteous town.