A sleek black car pulled smoothly into the parking lot. The engine cut off, and from the driver's seat emerged a woman of striking elegance—Maria Woods. Her composed demeanor hid the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind as she approached the modest house before her.
She adjusted her blazer, her sharp heels clicking on the concrete as she reached the door. After a brief pause, she rang the doorbell.
Moments later, the door creaked open to reveal a young boy, no older than eight, with wide, curious eyes.
Maria crouched slightly, placing her hands on her knees, and smiled warmly. "You must be Gale, right?"
The boy nodded hesitantly, stepping aside to open the door fully. Behind him, a man sat on a plush sofa, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp—Ganth.
For a moment, the two adults regarded each other in silence. Then Ganth spoke, his voice low and steady.
"Gale, go to your room."
Without a word, the boy obeyed, padding silently up the stairs. As his footsteps faded, Maria stepped inside, the door shutting behind her with an audible click.
Startled, she turned sharply toward the door before glancing back at Ganth with an unimpressed expression.
Ganth sighed, leaning forward slightly. "Maria Woods, I presume?"
Maria nodded, taking a seat in the chair beside him.
Ganth straightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So, what brings the esteemed Co-Chairwoman of the Heroes' Association to my doorstep? Surely not manpower—you've already got an SS+ Ranker on your team now."
Maria chuckled softly, her gaze sharp. "You're perceptive. No, I'm not here to request help. My reasons are... different."
Ganth raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Then why come to me, of all people?"
Maria leaned back, crossing her legs casually. "I could ask you the same question. You rarely entertain appointments, yet you agreed to see me in less than a month. Seems to me you're curious as well."
Ganth smirked. "You caught me. I suppose I wanted to congratulate your association on acquiring an SS+ Ranker, but we both know this isn't just a social call." His tone shifted, growing serious. "So, let's skip the games. What do you want to know?"
Maria's expression mirrored his, the teasing gone. "What is a God?"
Ganth blinked, caught off guard by the directness of her question. He leaned back, folding his arms. "A God? Well, that depends. To most, they're religious symbols, a way to unite people under shared beliefs."
Maria's glare was icy. "Don't give me that vague nonsense, Ganth. You know that's not what I'm asking."
He sighed, relenting. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know. But first, tell me why you're so interested in gods all of a sudden. Ancient tales don't usually concern someone like you."
Maria hesitated, her composure wavering for a brief moment. Then she spoke, her voice steady but laced with curiosity. "I recently experienced something... unusual. Dinosaurs made of bones came alive—animated in an instant. It was magic unlike anything I've ever seen."
Ganth's brow furrowed slightly. "Bone reanimation on that scale? That's not a trick anyone can pull off."
Maria pressed on. "That's not all. The association's new SS+ Ranker, Mr. Zoth, has been... different. He speaks constantly about a goddess he's devoted to and has somehow enhanced the magical abilities of many of our heroes. It's unprecedented."
Ganth's gaze hardened. "Go on."
Maria lowered her voice, glancing around as if checking for unseen ears. "This is confidential—Mr. Xavier himself demanded it not be spread. The Xavier family was recently attacked by assassins. But Zoth knew about it beforehand. No phone calls, no scouting, nothing. He just told me to head to the exact location of the attack because, according to him, his 'goddess' had told him."
Ganth's expression was unreadable as he processed her words.
Maria leaned forward. "I've never heard of a deity from any religion intervening so directly. That's why I'm here—to find out what's really going on."
Ganth sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, that's what dragged you down the rabbit hole."
Maria stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
He leaned forward, his voice low and grave. "Listen, Maria. I'll tell you what I know about gods, but take my advice—don't get too close to this 'goddess' business. It's a slippery slope, and it doesn't end well for anyone who digs too deep."
Maria leaned back in her chair, chuckling lightly. "You talk as if you're in deep over your head."
Ganth's expression didn't waver, his tone grave. "I am. Far too deep to ever escape."
Maria raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. "Yeah? Then how do you even know all this?"
Leaning forward, Ganth clasped his hands together. "Let's just say I've seen enough to know better. And I even know the exact identity of this 'goddess' your SS+ Ranker is so devoted to."
Maria's breath hitched, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Y-You're serious? S-She's... real?"
Ganth leaned back, arms crossed, his face unreadable. "She's very real. But don't expect me to say her name."
Maria's expression hardened, her usual confidence shaken. "How much?" she asked, fully prepared to pay for the information.
Ganth snorted. "You can't buy me, Ms. Woods. No amount of money is worth my life. If I told you, the world might not survive what follows."
Maria frowned, frustrated but persistent. "Then what's the point? If someone else knows this information and tells me, wouldn't the outcome be the same? Why not just end this charade and tell me?"
Ganth chuckled bitterly. "If only it were that simple. The unfortunate truth is this: anyone who's ever known the full truth about her identity is either already dead or slowly dying—painfully, at that."
Maria's eyes widened in shock, but before she could respond, Ganth unbuttoned his shirt.
"Aaah! You pervert! What are you doing?!" Maria shouted, turning away in embarrassment.
But when her gaze flicked back, her face turned pale. Ganth's torso was a tapestry of scars, deep wounds, and bruises, a testament to countless battles and unimaginable suffering.
"What... happened?" Maria whispered, horrified.
"This," Ganth said, gesturing to his battered body, "is the price I paid for learning the truth. I stumbled upon one of her subordinates and made the mistake of uttering her name."
Maria's heart raced. "Was it Mr. Zoth?"
Ganth shook his head. "No. It was a girl I didn't recognize. She seemed normal at first—just another devout follower working to better society. But the moment I mentioned her goddess by name, everything changed. She went from calm to... something else. She nearly killed me on the spot. I barely escaped with my life."
He began rebuttoning his shirt as Maria stood frozen, processing his words.
"Why haven't you gone to a healer?" she finally asked, her voice trembling.
Ganth raised an eyebrow. "You don't think I've tried? My son Gale is a prodigy in light magic and an advanced healer. He's been working on me for two days straight, and this is the result. Trust me, it was much worse before."
He leaned forward, locking eyes with Maria. "Take this as a warning. Don't go chasing gods. Once you dive into their world, there's no coming out unscathed."
Maria exhaled deeply, standing up from her chair. Her face was a mix of frustration and regret. Ten thousand dollars for this appointment, and all I got was disappointment, she thought bitterly.
As she turned to leave, Ganth's voice stopped her.
"Wait."
She turned back, her curiosity rekindled.
"To make this trip worthwhile, I'll give you one piece of information," Ganth said.
Maria's expression brightened, though she quickly masked her excitement. "What is it?"
Ganth's voice dropped to a near whisper, his tone laden with finality. "She holds the title of the Goddess of Death."
Maria's breath caught. "D-D-Death?" she stammered.
"That's right," Ganth said. "And it's all the more reason for you to drop this. Digging further will only bring ruin."
Maria stood there for a moment, stunned, before nodding and turning away. She left Ganth's house in silence, her thoughts a whirlwind of fear and curiosity.
As she got into her car and drove off, one thought lingered in her mind. The Goddess of Death... what have I gotten myself into?