It's Love

Professor Grisham continued telling them the story he knew about the town during the old civilization that was found here in Stygian Forest.

The town didn't honor the god and did not offer him sacrifices, which was why the god destroyed the gong because of his anger.

With that, they were left with no choice to make a great sacrifice in order to appease the god and make a new gong in his honor.

They have talked to the god and the god told them that in order for them to do that, the chieftain should make an unconditional sacrifice of sacrificing his daughter to be the gong that they are going to use, offering her life to the god as the great sacrifice as well.

"Damn!"

Aranea could not help but exclaim when she heard that part of the story.

"That is something a father could not take—giving their child just to gain something?"

Professor Grisham and the others couldn't agree more. All of them nodded, Elenea, sighing as she voiced out what she thought as well.

"Of course, as a parent, the chieftain didn't want to, no? He was in a dilemma."

"You're right," Professor Grisham replied, "But then, with the problem of the town they were facing such as draught, how could he save his people?"

"So, what did the daughter do? Does she know about this?" Leonel asked, Professor Grisham, nodding at the Water Familiar's question to give him an answer.

"Yes, indeed she knew about it."

"What?" Zann scoffed, "If she knew, then what was decided? Don't tell me the father forced her?"

Professor Grisham shook his head, "Actually, it was the daughter who forced her father to go along with the demands of the god."

"What?"

The twins reacted in unison. With all of them knowing that it was the daughter who agreed with the demands of the god, how could the father react to this?

"Of course, the father was heartbroken upon seeing how willing his daughter was of sacrificing her life for the people of their town. She was the only child he has. With his wife gone due to sickness, he is bound to lose his daughter, too?

"Yes, the father also blamed himself. If not for his pride, if not for deciding not to give anything to the god, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

Zann furrowed his brows and spoke, "But if the daughter decided upon this, why? I mean… what could have driven her to make such a decision of giving her life for the people whom she doesn't even know?"

Professor Grisham smiled, already having an answer to Zann's question.

"You see, the daughter of the chieftain had great empathy and love for the people in town. It is a cliché story you usually hear in legends and folktales, but it is true. People who unconditionally give themselves for the welfare of everyone still exist."

Aranea scoffed, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"I'm sorry, but such martyrdom. I couldn't even."

Zann nodded, agreeing with what Aranea had said.

The other two, Leonel and Elenea, even though they did not speak about their opinions, thought the same.

They thought that the daughter's decision was indeed selfless—one thing that is rare to see even in the reality they have now.

"So, there… you get the picture," Professor Grisham said, sighing. "In order to make the gong, they went to the deepest depths of the earth—inside a volcano. They melted pure gold with its lava's help, the daughter jumping in afterwards to be one with the forming gong."

"That's morbid!" Elenea scrunched her nose, "Didn't the father do something to stop her daughter? Isn't it unbearable for him to see that!?"

Aranea blinked her eyes a few times. Knowing her sister, it was rare of her to see her this surprised and animated.

"Well," Professor Grisham started, getting everyone's attention. "Apparently, the father could not stop the determination of his daughter. He cried, of course, but the sacrifice of his daughter helped the people of their town survive the draught."

"Outrageous!" Even Leonel couldn't help but react. "The gods must've been so crazy—thinking this way! They clearly control the humans' emotions—almost toying with them just to get what they want just because they are powerful?"

Zann's hands at the side balled into tight fists. He didn't always agree with Leonel, but with what he said, he had to admit that now, he does.

He even felt rage against that god—whoever that is.

"So, that's it? That's the whole story?" Aranea asked, Professor Grisham, nodding. "Rather than the story being sad, it's actually irksome. They could have done another way—the god should've had more mercy on their poor souls."

"Right!" Elenea almost shouted, surprising even the two familiars.

Her liveliness right now is obviously a contrast of her calm demeanor…

Professor Grisham could not help but chuckle. He shook his head as he shrugged, voicing out his opinions as well.

"Well, that's how it went in the old civilization and this was the story that we are told. However, there is one thing that got my curiosity more," he said and added, piquing the curiosity of the four.

The twins cocked their heads to the side and spoke in unison, "What is it?"

"You see," Professor Grisham started, "In the story, some claimed that there was one man who was willing to die for her so he could save her life. However, the woman was smart enough to deceive him, making him know too late that she had already offered her life for the people."

"Huh?" Zann raised a brow in consternation. "If he was willing to die for her, why couldn't the daughter let him?"

"It's simple," Professor Grisham said, a wide grin appearing on his face. "It's love."

"Eww…"

Leonel and Elenea laughed out loud when they heard and saw Aranea and Zann have the same reaction. Even Professor Grisham laughed out loud, continuing to tell them what he knows about the daughter and the man.

"They also claim that when the man knew she was already dead, he stayed behind, vowing to never leave the gong until he could join her."