選択
Ethan Graves strode confidently through the destruction he had created. The energy from the giant ball of electricity he had just unleashed still rippled in the air, creating an eerie atmosphere that enveloped the dimension. No life remained around him, and to Ethan, that was a testament to the power God had given him. Unbeknownst to Ethan, however, an entity had been observing his every move since the beginning.
That entity was Astraea, the Goddess of Life and Death. In an invisible form, she watched Ethan’s every move with rapt attention. Elsewhere, she was known as Shi-no-Megami. As an entity who ruled over the duality of life and death, Astraea never directly intervened in the course of the world—only observing and taking notes. But this time, Ethan Graves caught her attention more than anyone else.
Astraea realized that Ethan was no ordinary human, but rather a tool of God who had lost most of his free will. But behind his great power, Astraea saw a greater potential danger: the possibility of the balance between life and death collapsing.
Ethan, unknowingly, had gone beyond the limits of what was supposed to be within the realm of mortal life. Every time he destroyed a being or a civilization, he not only erased their existence in this world, but also in other dimensions. Their deaths were final, with no possibility of return, even under Astraea's own control. This was something that had never happened before, even to the Goddess of Life and Death.
"Why did you choose this path, Ethan Graves?" Astraea whispered from a dimension unreachable to humans or even beings like Ethan. Her voice was inaudible, but he knew the question remained, echoing in the balance of the universe.
Ethan, unaware of this observation, continued his mission with blind loyalty to God. He saw destruction as an obligation, a task he had to complete in order to fulfill a greater purpose. However, deep inside his heart, something was disturbed. In the silence after the battle, Ethan sometimes felt eyes watching him, but he always dismissed it as mere illusions.
Astraea observed this small inner conflict with concern. Ethan was an interesting paradox to her: a human filled with divine power, yet still harboring traces of human emotion and doubt. “Could I help him understand the consequences of his actions?” Astraea thought in silence.
However, direct intervention was something that was completely contrary to her nature. As the Goddess of Life and Death, her duty was not to take sides, but to maintain balance. But seeing what had happened—dimensions destroyed by Ethan’s electric balls, lives erased without a trace, and the void that was now expanding—Astraea began to consider acting.
Meanwhile, Ethan walked through the ruins of the dimensions he had destroyed. He felt relieved that his task was complete, but in the corner of his mind, he felt something strange. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, but it was not something he fully understood either.
“Why do I feel like someone is watching me?” Ethan muttered to himself.
Astraea, who remained hidden, heard the murmur. She only smiled slightly, knowing that her existence was not completely ignored, even if Ethan could not see her.
“You’re not alone, Ethan,” she whispered softly, though she knew he couldn’t hear.
Astraea then decided to test Ethan. She created small illusions around Ethan—shadows of the lives she had destroyed. The figures didn’t speak or attack, but simply stood there, silent and staring at Ethan with blank stares.
Ethan was shocked by this. He drew his weapon, ready to fight, but the figures posed no threat. Instead, they simply stared at him, as if asking for something they couldn’t put into words.
“What is this? Is this God’s doing?” he asked in frustration.
Astraea remained silent, letting Ethan ponder what was before her. She wondered how Ethan would react when faced with the true consequences of his actions.
Ethan, after a moment, began to feel something strange—a sense of guilt that he refused to acknowledge. He turned his face away from the figures, but they remained there, silent and unmoving.
In the hidden dimension, Astraea watched this reaction intently. She had no intention of punishing Ethan, but she wanted him to understand what he had done.
"Life and death are two sides of the same coin," Astraea thought. "And you, Ethan Graves, have separated the two with your power.
