The twilight of the madness and the dawn of the happiness

Narrator POV:

"Who would have thought that sword would break so easily. It seems that visiting Hephaestus these days is urgent." Almost an hour and a half before the time agreed with Hestia.

Mikhael walked back to the church through one of the thousands of side streets that made up Orario. In his mind was still present his new and clear need.

A new weapon, preferably one that could grow with him. He knew that Hephaestus was capable of creating such weapons, so visiting her was on his current agenda of those days.

At least, he had earned enough funds to subsist for a few days. Courtesy of the Jack birds he eliminated, whose items they dropped upon death were worth 1,000,000 Valis each, as the main currency of this world was called.

Mikhael laughed lightly as he remembered Rose's incredulous face when she saw the several golden eggs. It was rare to get just one of them because it depended on luck, something he never lacked.

It was at that moment that it happened, something unexpected. A dazzling light appeared in his blue eyes as time seemed to stop from his point of view and he had a vision.

And as the vision of a VERY near future ended, Mikhael grabbed his forehead with irony in his expression. He had to admit that he underestimated the feelings of a certain goddess of beauty for him.

(But, who am I to refuse a gift that delivers itself to my door?) Since his mother did not raise a coward, Mikhael walked forward without hesitation, with some anticipation in his eyes.

As previously, he had barely passed a small alley next to the little-traveled side street when a delicate hand reached out and grabbed him, pushing him into the alley.

Which he allowed when he felt a soft body pressing against him. Leaving him between the wall of the small alley and the voluptuous figure of the goddess of beauty called Freya.

"Hi there~sweetie." Freya whispered softly into Mikhael's ear, shamelessly pressing her big breasts against his firm chest as her arms wrapped around him. "You know who I am, don't you? Your heart tells it you so loudly."

It was certainly unexpected for his brain to know that Freya was waiting to ambush him through that vision. But no amount of preparation helped his heart. "Don't worry, I'm not as scary as Hestia told you."

Freya seemed to notice the emotional changes that meeting her brought him if her half-closed eyes shining with satisfaction said anything. "I saw your battle in the dungeon and I couldn't resist coming to give you a special~reward."

She put special emphasis on her seductive lips as well as her temptingly suggestive voice. "Don't you want it? A reward exclusively for you...my beloved~Odr."

Mikhael should perhaps be worried about several things but his brain threw logic to hell when he followed his desires. Unaware that a bucket of water so cold that it brought him back to reality awaited him, just as his own madness would begin.

***

¿How long ago had this madness started?

It was almost impossible to tell, the concept of time was extremely confusing to the gods before they came down from heaven. For them, who lived eternally, there was no way to differentiate what seemed like yesterday and what was millennia ago.

Think about it, not having to worry about tomorrow at all, not having to think about whether there would be something to eat tomorrow or whether you had to do something with your life to take advantage of the limited time of that very experience.

The gods were beings who could actually spend hundreds of years just lying on the ground doing nothing, staring at the sky aimlessly, there would be no consequences for that. That was why changing was so difficult for them.

Even she found it difficult to know, was it millennia, millions of years, or an eternity ago when she started walking through creation, even when her feet hurt?

There was one thing she knew for sure; the reason for it all.

The dawn of the madness happened the very moment her existence began, when she opened her eyes and what greeted her was a world that would love her unconditionally.

At first, it was wonderful, imagine it, everyone loving you instantly without any kind of cause, process, or price, just because, following any whim of yours.

Although most would think that it was simply ideal and perfect or there would also be those who felt a deep envy similar to poison just like that foolish Ishtar.

But they had no idea how horrible and disgusting it was when she looked into the eyes of those who wanted to win her favor. There she did not see her reflection at all, she saw...nothing, just that.

She clearly realized something at that moment...

In those eyes lost in the spell of charm, she only saw a distorted reflection of nothingness, in those eyes that belonged to the people who said the ultimate loving words.

She was never there, and "I" was never looked at or loved.

There was only a disgusting attraction caused by that overwhelming power of her charm that even without being actively used caused the people around her to fall for it.

Was there something amid that whirlpool of lust and worship?

There was no friendship, no sincerity, no truth, no kinship, no dislike, no enmity, no hatred, and of course, there was no... true love.

No, there was nothing, whether it was in the victims of the charm or herself who lived surrounded by them thanks to her power.

Thanks to the seemingly almost omnipotent power, charm.

That brought certain problems, such as: Who am I? Who do these people love? Why was I born with such a curse? Is there any meaning to the existence of a goddess of love who would never feel something like true love?

Will I... ever know what the warmth of a sincere embrace of a lover is?

While seeming to be dragged into an endless pit filled with nothing but confusion and misery, she met people who could resist a bit her charm, people like the bastard Odin.

Among them, some despised her for a supposed promiscuity, what could she say to those? That she never asked to be treated as a cold and lonely absolute existence? That she had never accepted that false and horrible love?

There were also those like virgin goddesses, those who could resist her charm to a certain extent, that is, if she did not actively use it, in that case even they would fall for it. There she found friends who let her feel what friendship was.

While it was a truly refreshing time, that too ended when she was "recruited" by the bastard Odin into his pitiful faction. That was where her time as a canary began, locked in a magnificent and nauseating cage.

Among all the gods, some especially ambitious ones formed factions that they led. Most saw it as games to pass the time, others as something very serious.

These leaders recruited the goddesses of beauty through various means and locked them in palaces where they would be kept locked up and their every wish would be fulfilled to the letter.

As payment, the leaders used the charm of these goddesses to brainwash/charm their unfaithful followers or enemies, thus quickly gaining more power.

As if that wasn't enough, these leaders quickly feared the power of the goddesses of beauty, so they placed wards around these same ones.

The virgin goddesses who could resist the power of the charm. Even now, she had one of those guards around her, be it Hestia or Astraea or sometimes Artemis.

That was a hard time, even colder and lonelier than before. While her safety or dignity was never threatened in any way, her movements were completely watched and restricted by that bastard.

If there was something called "I" there, it was lost among that facade she built to protect herself, that of a dignified and majestic queen. Was that even a facade anymore? Who was I? That cold queen worshiped by everyone or just… something more, something...real?

She was just a prisoner disguised as a princess in a castle that was really just a huge endless prison. However, she accepted that, even though there were countless grievances in her heart, she finally accepted her "duty."

An evil god whose atrocities were abominable? A martial god whose prowess was unmatched? A good god whose honor would never be tarnished? They were all the same in the end.

None of them would disobey her, all of them would kneel, thirsty for her "love" or rather... the love of charm. One word or one look with her charm and they were just puppets.

Ironically, although she was surrounded by puppets and seemed to be the queen who controlled them, she was just another one of them.

Isn't that just what "playing house" is all about?

She began to feel that love was the emptiest thing in the world. Maybe no one understands her. Maybe no one understands these feelings. That was the eternal emptiness of the goddess of beauty.

Amid the desperate emptiness that filled her chest as her fame as the most beautiful woman in all of heaven spread through the ignorant mouths of the gods.

Amid that almost eternal day-to-day, one day she broke down, she couldn't take it anymore. She simply ran away from there as best she could, crossing mountains, seas, valleys, and stars, with a very different appearance, one of the many appearances she used to escape from there sometimes.

Why had she run away this time? Did she want a break? Was it because she was about to decide something that she might regret, when she wanted to see if the gods would love her if she got "dirty"?

What was it that stopped her? What was it that called her like that? She didn't know, even now she didn't know, perhaps in the future she would learn that it was because "he" had already appeared there at that same time but he couldn't be with her.

So, she followed that call that came from somewhere inside the shell that made up "Freya". She ran away from her pursuers through the infinity of the kingdom of heaven.

Finally, she reached that place that would be engraved in her memories by two different fated encounters. What she finally reached was a vast sea of ​​beautiful red flowers.

That day...there she found no one but herself, "I."

There where there was no boundary between heaven and earth, in the middle of the sea of ​​red flowers, for some reason, her knees weakened and she sat down. She did not cry... but the tears fell freely.

There she met herself again, she who was so emaciated, as well as her feelings that were a horrible dry desert contrasting that beautiful sea of ​​flowers full of vitality where for some reason, something guided her there.

Then, although she did not feel "sad", because those who forgot what "happiness" was could not recognize what "sadness" was, she covered her face, crying just like a little girl who was wronged for so, so long...

I couldn't find it. I can't find it. And I don't know what I'm looking for. But I must be looking for something. Looking for something to free me from the "yoke of the goddess." Looking for someone.

For a thousand, two thousand, maybe three thousand nights, that rain of tears caused by that emptiness, by that yoke, flowed into the sea of ​​flowers, seeming to turn into gold that drowned her.

In the midst of that, just as fate dictated, the first fated encounter took place. One that changed her life as did the second one later with that mysterious god she forgot.

A goddess from her same "people," a goddess with immense beauty who was actually an innocent goddess of goodness, came to reprimand her for a supposedly lustful life.

The only goddess who could be her possible rival in beauty, Idun.

Covered in sweat from having searched for her all over the heavens, the goddess babbled passionately about that supposed youth she was in charge of as the goddess of youth.

She said that she should be more relaxed, something about how both suffering and sweetness should be faced together, that no matter how long it takes, the soul should remain young as well as motivate her to be "young" as well as herself.

Hearing those words, Freya sincerely wanted to kill her. Did she have any kind of idea what she had been through during this eternity? What sweetness is this ignorant goddess talking about?

When her hands uselessly reached for his neck in a fit of irrational rage quite uncommon for her, she heard the words that would change her life completely.

"So Freya, go find your partner (Odr), okay?"

Partner?

She stopped moving as if a divine thunder fell upon her. The goddess, who didn't even notice her violent actions turned around with a stupid smile on her face as she spoke.

"The partner (Odr) who can satisfy you must be somewhere. Go and enjoy a green spring day with that being. I believe that will be able to free you from that yoke of yours."

How could such a being exist? She laughed at the goddess's words. But ironically, she decided to believe them, after all, there was no evidence that they were lies, was there?

That was where her travels began as well as her obsession with collecting. Fleeing from the palace every now and then, she traveled through the vastness of the sky, meeting many gods.

All the while, she used an innate ability she was born with, seeing the souls and essences of most beings, she searched for that Odr that Idun mentioned without any rest.

Amid that journey, she fought to become known as the goddess of war, she met goddesses like Hestia and she even met Idun again, whom she almost killed again because of her mouth...

"It's been so long Freya! Have you found your partner (Odr) yet?!"

Leaving her aside, as well as the growing feeling of disappointment after having wandered through almost the entire heaven without finding her supposed Odr, who would love her sincerely.

One day, she suddenly felt it again. That call. That guide.

That was a feeling that seemed to transcend both space-time and fate itself.

Creating chaos by suddenly fleeing from her palace, she ran through the infinity of the heavens, by chance or not, she arrived again at that field of red flowers, there was "him", a god.

A man who could be called "beautiful" thanks to his somewhat androgynous appearance. He had long dark blue hair as well as blue eyes that gave the impression of knowing everything.

"This scenery is really wonderful but... Did I break into your personal relaxation spot or something? You look at me with such violence and disappointment that it feels like I killed your family."

Noticing her questioning gaze, the god who looked like "nothing" as well as the one she could sense "nothing" from turned around to look at her with raised eyebrows and a smile.

"Come on, don't look at me like that, it almost hurts me spiritually, how about this? It seems like I ruined your day so, how about I give you a free prophecy of fate just for you right now?"

Fate? He clearly looked like a scammer, like the many other gods of fate who said there was no such thing as her Odr in heaven, but following her intuition, she agreed.

"You see, it's true that in heaven there is no such thing as you Odr... Wait! Wait! Wait! Put your hands down now and let me finish here!...ufff, well, there is no such thing in heaven but no one stipulates that it cannot be in the lower world, right?"

That was...true. A light seemed to illuminate her path. How could she not have thought of it before? In that much-rumored lower world there should be some child who would turnout to be her Odr, surely.

"Don't worry, with the cosmos itself as my witness, I, Mercurius assure you that your path will not be hopeless in the end, your "Odr" really exists there in the looms of fate itself, Freya."

With a new little hope lighting her way, she said goodbye to the god, who was almost forgotten in her memory thanks to the fact that she never saw him again even once in all of that time.

Then she began another long and tiring journey where she came down from heaven, formed a Familia with children with brilliant souls who failed to be her Odr and searched for a long, long time.

In the middle of that, she lost a bet against the wretched Zeus, being tied to Orario to help with it is development as well as the task of eliminating those three stupid monsters.

It didn't matter, she still ran away from time to time to look for her Odr. Although she won't find him, she would convince herself that her Odr just wasn't born yet.

There was still a chance, she would find him, the one who could love and understand her sincerely, surely... Right?...

Hopeful as a naive maiden, she kept her "love" all to him, ironically, thanks to the charm that could even rewrite memories.

After a long wait... one that seemed endless, crushing her heart with each day, with each year, with each century, with an entire millennium... he was finally here, at her side, right now.

The companion who would walk by her side, who she had been searching for for longer than she could remember. The one who could love her sincerely, without being affected by that damn charm.

It was like... the end of a long nightmare, the twilight of the madness that seemed to have no end, a long, long night disappearing behind the first rays of dawn, the void in her heart being totally filled by his presence and his absolute freedom.

He was not perfect as some of the swindlers in the heaven said. He was lustful, he was not pure. He was proud, he was not humble.

He had so many flaws, so many defects in all of "him". And she absolutely loved every single one of those parts of "him".

Unexpectedly or not, her charm did not work on him at all, any passive attempt to charm him was "swallowed" by that "black spiral" that had a certain force of attraction.

She was immersed in happiness as a result, but without reacting at all because she had been like a numb machine that moved non-stop for so long, perhaps she was afraid somewhere deep in her heart.

Afraid that everything that happened on that very day was just a dream. That when she woke up there would never be someone called "Mikhael," that she couldn't feel those feelings for him, that she would never truly get to know him because he didn't exist.

So, after seeing him risk his life in the dungeon with such bravery that it almost made her bite her nails in anxiety, she went to see him, desperate for validation.

Please tell me that you really exist, that you're here with me, just…please, I don't want to go back to those empty days.

With such thoughts, she quickly ambushed him on a street after tricking his Familia with the help of Helun and Ottar.

"Hi there~sweetie"

Pressing his body against a wall, she sent whatever plan she had previously had in her clear mind to hell. Shamelessly inviting him to kiss her, to snatch her first kiss, the one she saved for him, so he would tell her that he was really there.

"I saw your battle in the dungeon and I couldn't resist coming to give you a special reward...Don't you want it? A reward exclusively for you...my beloved Odr."

Perhaps it was a little ugly of her to take advantage when he was susceptible to the blossoming of the emotions of the fated love, but she could apologize to him later, couldn't she?

That was quickly put aside temporarily when her head went blank at the feeling of his lips on hers with a scorching passion that burned like hell.

Ah. Perhaps, this was that sweetness Idun speaks of.

How could such a simple yet wonderful feeling really exist? She was finally aware of it. This is real. He is finally here with me.

"Huh?"

A confused, almost spoiled sound involuntarily left her lips as she felt him pull away from her, his face moving away. Amidst the haze of bliss, she saw his blue eyes that for some reason shortly shone with a somewhat dazzling blue light.

Those eyes held something like guilt... Or was it remorse? Why do you look like that? I don't like it. You should just look happy...

"Sorry...I'm really sorry, for not being born sooner, for not showing up sooner, for making you wait so long."

The young man suddenly hugged her tightly, whispering apologies over and over again as she instinctively sank into his embrace. Huh? Why did her cheeks feel wet?

"I really am a hopeless fool... but I can promise you this, from now on I will be by your side for the rest of eternity and even after time itself dies."

Ah. She knew why it was. It was because those who had now known happiness, cold now recognize sadness. They were warm tears unlike those that flowed in that sea of ​​red flowers. They were tears of sincere happiness from her very heart.

"Freya, sorry for leaving you alone, now I am truly here with you, forever regardless of anything or anyone at all."

Those words marked the dawn of Freya's happiness. A happiness that a certain young man with his personal madness actually made last for the rest of eternity and beyond time itself.