I Will Avoid The Death Flag [It's Published]
40. Death God

I feel cringe with this chapter. 49% recommended to skip chapter, 51% recommended to continue reading 🙏

***

"Good morning, Your Majesty. You come again today," said the librarian, bowing his body according to manners.

Calmaria smiled gently. Although his face was still pale and did not seem to have the light, at least Calmaria was willing to return to her usual activities when a month had passed.

"Good morning. Please no one bothers me first, yes," Calmaria replied.

The librarian just agreed. He thought that this was normal for people who were still suffering. That calming down alone in a quiet library is the perfect option.

"Of course, Her Majesty the Queen. The library is yours."

Calmaria smiled back before continuing her steps. He brought the footsteps wrapped in high shoes to enter the magnificent library building. Thousands of books were laid out inside the terraced shelves, creating a maze of rooms.

Calmaria continued her steps towards the end of the library hallway, then came to a halt on a wall. He slowly painted the ivory wall, then opened the secret door in it.

Is correct. Secret door. No one knows what room is hidden behind that door except for him, or maybe Roth knows it.

Slowly, Calmaria entered the door and closed it to minimize the sound produced. The secret room is like an abandoned cave. Dark, dusty, and stuffy.

Calmaria took out a lighter from her dress pocket and lit a candle. Calmaria needed to pass through a short passageway to arrive inside a quiet room.

The atmosphere released by the room was cold, making the body secretly shiver. The chipped wall paint makes the dark atmosphere even more creepy, fancy dusty chandeliers, wooden tables and chairs, then two-foot-high bookshelves filled only by dozens of books.

Calmaria placed the candle on the table, then grabbed one of the books tucked away on the bookshelf. Behind the yellowing old sheets of paper, some had even been torn here and there, but were still able to be captured meaning by vision.

However, the entire book was filled with letters that not everyone could recognize. It is the ancient language of Asheri.

"Generating death is taboo" Calmaria murmured, reading the first paragraph in Asheri's ancient language that she had memorized out of her head after reading it hundreds of times. "However, that doesn't mean it's impossible."

His eyes rolled to the bottom of the page.

How to connect with the God of Death.

Calmaria's vision blurred and after she realized it, tears were pouring down her cheeks.

"Patience, Millia. I'll be back to hug you. Underground must be very cold, right?"

Calmaria's body trembled uncontrollably along with an overflowing cry.

...***...

"Mom, where are we going?" cioten asked with a little enthusiasm.

How not? After a month of mourning, Calmaria finally returned to meet the fourteen-year-old.

It certainly makes Cioten feel happy not playing. Calmaria was finally able to recover from her grief and finally decided to re-interact as before. Like when there was Millia by their side, as Calmaria promised to fill the empty position of the twins as a good mother.

"Library," Calmaria replied, her fingers stroking Cioten's black hair affectionately.

"Eh? Why?" Cioten's tone sounded disappointed. "I don't like books, Mother."

"It's okay, Cioten. Just hang out with me there, okay? Maybe we'll have a little chat too."

Hearing Calmaria's last sentence made the twinkle in Cioten's eyes even brighter.

It seems a long time for the teenager to share his time with his mother. And then Calmaria lost Millia. As if her soul had been taken away with her daughter, Calmaria was like a soulless doll. Calmaria looks dead and withered.

Cioten now feels grateful that Calmaria can return to being the Calmaria that Cioten knows again. Being her mother is charming and continues to spread laughter and love.

Secretly Cioten erased the unpleasant feeling in his heart when Calmaria only wanted to meet Cioten, without Viten. Where when she meets and has a light conversation with Calmaria, there must be Viten by her side. So, it feels really strange just to spend time alone like this.

"Good morning, Her Majesty the Queen and Her Royal Highness the Prince," said the librarian. "It's rare to see you come with the Prince here, Your Majesty."

Calmaria commented on the gentle smile on her lips. "Good morning. I just want to spend time with my son. We haven't seen each other in a long time."

"That sounds very pleasant, Your Majesty. I'll make sure no one enters the library."

"Thank you."

Calmaria then led Cioten's steps to enter the library deeper. Passing through the hundreds of bookshelves that make up the labyrinth. Then, open the secret door. Passing through the same scene as Calmaria did yesterday, the two arrived at a room that looked normal, but still spread a suspicious feeling in the chest.

Cioten stared at Calmaria's back with a strange look in his eyes.

"Mom, where is this?" ask Cioten.

Calmaria placed the candle on the table, making a circle of runes on the floor finally getting a turn to display.

On the floor, a perfect circle is painted with the ancient Asheri language as its alphabet. Not only that, the rune circle was written in a dense and fishy blood ink.

Cioten's bead as red as blood trembled faintly as he glanced at the runes painted on the floor. The light of the incandescent candle was only able to overshadow a little of the painted runes, but was able to make Cioten's body goosebumps violently.

"Cioten, dear. You want to play with Mom for a minute?"

Cioten felt something strange when Calmaria grabbed a plain-coated book inside the bookshelf. Then, when the yellowed sheet was opened, Cioten could see a suspicious circle of runes written in the ancient language.

Cioten took a step back. It's just instinct, but as the Prince gets his hands on rigorous training and study, Cioten can sense a dangerous situation is about to be addressed to him.

Calmaria finally turned around with a gentle smile on her face and a book between the fingers.

"Cioten Darling. You miss Millia too, don't you? The three of you are always together and losing Millia takes you very hard, doesn't it?"

"Mom, I miss Millia. But, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Mother tried to snatch Millia back from the God of Death," Calmaria replied. The gentle smile on his face felt strange, even Cioten was trembling in fear.

Cioten took a step back slowly. "No, Mother. Whatever you're gonna do now, I can't get Millia back! Awake, Mother! Millia is dead!"

"Whisper! Millia was just taken from my side, Cioten! I just want to take back what you have!"

"Mom is crazy!"

Cioten attempted to run, but Calmaria easily dragged Cioten after throwing the book she was holding in any direction.

"Mother, bringing Millia back into the world is taboo!"

Calmaria pushed Cioten's body into the middle of the circle of runes she had made.

"You should know that for yourself!" continued Cioten.

Calmaria did not reply, but her fingers took a dagger in her dress pocket. The sharp dagger shimmered, imagining the reflection of Cioten in it.

"Mother." Cioten's vocals sound vibrating in unison with both teary eyes.

"This is for Millia. Didn't you ever say that you would do anything for Millia?"

"Living the dead is against the laws of nature, even against the laws of Gods! I can't do—!" Cioten cut his sentence with a loud groan as the dagger Calmaria held pierced the skin surface of his arm.

Calmaria traced the surface of Cioten's skin with her dagger, making the wound widen and blood flow. The dripping blood finally stained the rune circle, flooding it with Cioten blood. Making the horrifying panorama inside the secret chamber into a tragedy.

With hunting breath and fear in the chest, Calmaria opened her lips, "The one to darkness descends to the bottom of the earth, who has blessed us with His mystery, which overcame the lantern of light and its rays, and has not yet been able to do so, which enveloped us with the night. Oh, the Great God of Death. I offer the great blood of your descendants and accept my sacred offering. Give me the power to change destiny as you can."

Accompanied by the sizzle of pain that Cioten released, his body that had been lying limp in the middle of the rune circle, Calmaria uttered her sentence to flatter and praise the God of Death. Then, repeat it like a mantra.

Then suddenly, a thin black-colored smoke that blinded the gaze slowly came out from the blood-soaked rune circle. The secret room was now shrouded in a dark mist.

"Who is trying to change my destiny? Hihihi!"

The sound that resounded within the room made a tremor on the ground. Tinnitus then attacks the ear for a split second.

"Oh! My Queen Asher! Oh, hihihi!" The voice laughed with satisfaction, making the feeling of goosebumps in the skin more. Sounds that sound crazy. "hihim! You did a good thing! Nice work! Ah, presentation! How long have I not had it?! And that is my descendant! Oh, hihihi!"

Both Calmaria and Cioten goosebumps by listening to the sound.

The sound is not necessarily the same as the sound produced by humans. In the vowels that were vibrating with an excited sense of enthusiasm, there was pressure in each sentence, sending goosebumps on the surface of the skin. Not only that, the tone score produced by the sound makes the shoulders feel heavy and the stomach feels nauseous. As if Calmaria made a mistake in her footsteps, lives could be taken at any time.

"Thank you very much for your offering, hihihi! Now, tell my father what your request is."

Despite her fear, Calmaria forced her voice to echo in the room.

"S-I want my daughter back, the great God of Death! Please don't take Millia away from me!"

"hihim! A very insolent request. But I'll give it to you."

The Death God's reply made Calmaria's frightened look disappear and was replaced with a hopeful look that radiated in her black eyes. "Is that true, God?"

"hihim! The gods will not lie! I'll get it."

Calmaria lowered her body. "Thank you, thank you!"

"hihim! I like you! I'll grant your request, Queen Asher. As long as you give me more offerings! To awaken a dead soul requires more offerings!"

Calmaria straightened her body. "Yes?"

"Don't be innocent, Queen Asher. Give the boy blood again! Give me everything up to the last drop, hihihi!"

The black Calmaria bead shook. Cioten who seemed to have lost the essence of life in his body. His face was as pale as an undead, blood-soaked clothes, wounds so severe, blood pooling around his body as if about to drown Cioten in his own blood. Cioten looked dying.

"But my son will die if I give you more offerings."

The atmosphere became strangely strange.

"AH! YOU ARE THE SAME AS ANY OTHER HUMAN!"

Calmaria. The voice seemed to have lost its patience and made the ceiling of the room shake. Dropping dust particles and gravel.

"Give me an offering or Millia you love will never come back!" threaten the God of Death with a terrible tone of voice. The sound made Calmaria tremble violently and was not even able to straighten her body.

Calmaria was beset with doubt. His son looked at it for the last time. Bite the lower lip hard. His mind debated many things, his heart was indecisive, his head was filled with obvious pettiness.

Calmaria could have killed Cioten by now to comply with the request of the God of Death. However, the intention to kill it faded when the film tape on his head was played. Scenes featuring warm interactions between mother and child. As to how they enjoy the same moments, cherish and love every show in it. Then, how could Calmaria obey the god's presumptuous request? Millia had indeed returned to her side when the God of Death told her the truth, but did Calmaria really have to pay for her loss with Cioten's death?

"What are you thinking! Hurry along! Your son's soul is in my hands! Don't you want your son back?!"

"Dewa—"

"Quick! Do that!"

Calmaria bit her lips, slowly strengthening her heart. He can't back off. Yes, Calmaria could not retreat after she desperately studied the ancient language of Asheri to understand the contents of the book in the secret room. Calmaria had spent thousands of precious seconds just to understand the rune circle that was supposed to bring Millia back into her embrace. Then, it had hardened its heart to qualify the taboo, which was to present the majestic blood that came from the descendants of the Death God himself.

Viten will be King in the future, of course Calmaria can not position Viten as a tumbal to harm him. That's what makes Calmaria Cioten instead.

Everything Calmaria had planned so perfectly. Calmaria could not retreat anymore, she would not be able to retreat. However, sacrificing Cioten's life to attract souls who have been in the afterlife? Is the decision right? Worryingly.

"Mother ...."

Hearing the weak voice made Calmaria scream. He stared at the son he loved, lying helplessly on top of the rune circle. Seeing him made Calmaria's little heart ache.

"Mother, kill me," added Cioten in a trembling voice. "It's okay, Mother. If ... If this is for Millia, it's okay. I'd do anything for Millia, that's what I promised her."

"ah! Ahhhh!" Calmaria screamed loudly, making her voice echo in the room. Envying the son he loved, no matter whether the blood that pooled will come to cover his body. "No, no, Cioten! Don't go, I don't want to. Where could I want to!"

Tears began to trickle down Calmaria's cheeks, then fell to the floor, mixed with red blood on the floor.

Cioten painstakingly wiped Calmaria's tears with his bloody fingers. "Mom can't back down. Just go ahead, Mother. I'm it's okay. I'm doing fine. Bring Millia back."

"Aahhh! Hurry up, ******! Continue on! Let me recover my strength! You useless bastard!"

The God of Death followed in a scream, sending tremors on the ground. The books on the shelf slowly fell down and their contents were stained by the pooling blood of Cioten.

"No! Death God! Please accept the show I gave you and give my daughter back!"

Calmaria's tears are getting worse. The embrace of the limp body in his grip grew tighter. As if he was losing for the second time.

"No, no, no. I don't want to kill my son." Calmaria sobbed violently, her body shaking violently, her common sense as if it had floated, replaced by an over-fear that loomed over her.

"****** ! Ahhhh! You dick! I'm fucking you and your son! Kukukku y'all!"

The voice of the Death God became faint with echoing shouts, a thick fog completely covered the secret place. Blinded eyes. However, the thick fog was now faded, as if every particle of fog had entered the pores of the skin and lodged within it.

"AHAHA! My curse is working, you'll regret refusing my request! You are! You will live with suffering and your blood will serve as my food when you die!" The God of Death laughed crazily. However, the crazy voice slowly disappeared and the horrifying atmosphere within the room disappeared all of a sudden.

Instead, a warm golden light enveloped the room.

"What are you guys doing?"

Now, a majestic voice that was inversely proportional to the mad voice of the Death God, intervened. Unlike the Death God who sent fear when he opened his voice, the voice this time sent a warm and comfortable feeling in his chest.

"I've sealed the bastard and you're trying to resurrect him? Not only that, you tried to kill your own son?"

Calmaria swallowed her saliva. Guilt dominated his chest fiercely.

"Calmaria."

Calmaria flinched and increasingly embraced Cioten's limp body tightly.

"The offering you tried to make has failed and the God of Death has returned. You should know for yourself that going against the law of gods is taboo. Too bad, Calmaria. There is no way to awaken the dead, instead, you and your son even get a curse from the God of Death."

"What should I do?" Calmaria muttered with a trembling voice.

"none. If you do something, it'll get ruined."

Calmaria's cry exploded.

"I'm sorry. Really sorry. Please let my son, just let my son live!"

"It's okay. I will heal his wounds, but the curse of the God of Death is beyond my reach. I can't cure that one."

Slowly, golden light flooded the weak body of Cioten. The light regenerated the cells that Calmaria's dagger had injured, making it return to normal.

Cioten's tired body was finally unable to stem the drowsiness that overshadowed his body, then he closed his eyes.

Calmaria increasingly grabbed Cioten's body as tightly as possible, as if she did not want to have a chance to lose her son again.

"Thank you," Calmaria replied weakly. "However, what should I do? My fault, it's my fault. My son is cursed and it's my fault."

"Stop blaming yourself. And if you have the courage to blame yourself, you should do it to protect your son."

Calmaria groaned, her heart felt tight. Its fault. If Calmaria hadn't been so obsessed with reviving Millia, this would never have happened.

Calmaria just thought that the blood offered would not endanger her son's life, but apparently she was wrong. The offering that the God of Death wanted was to kill his son. And where could Calmaria possibly exchange Cioten's life for Millia's? How could Calmaria have taken Cioten's life in exchange for Millia's?

"Calmaria," called out the majestic voice. "Make Viten a king and fate will lead you to your cause. Only until here have I helped you, do not come into contact with the Death God anymore. Remember my message, Calmaria, my dear."

The majestic voice turned faint, then disappeared followed by a golden light that felt majestic.

In the silence of the room, only a sobbing escaped Calmaria's lips.

***

"How did this happen?" Roth looked at Cioten's body with a look of despair. "I can't lose my son for the second time. Great Sun God, please save my son's life."

Roth clasped his son's hand with affection on his chest. However, rather than affection, worry is more controlling.

After Calmaria comes out of the library with her body and Cioten bleeding, Roth feels that her heart has stopped working. Without asking any further, Roth asked the Royal Physician to be summoned. However, strangely enough, both Calmaria and Cioten's bodies had no wounds anywhere even though their bodies were flooded with blood. Only, Calmaria was silent and said nothing to explain the situation.

Not only that, Calmaria seemed to lose her soul, even more when Millia died. Calmaria looked blankly at a point and the pain in Roth's chest grew. The wife he loved, as well as the son he loved, were in a bad state. How can Roth still feel good?

Then, after a few hours had passed. Roth and Viten, who never left Cioten's side, finally saw that the teenager had opened his eyes, making the red bead hidden inside the petals show his vision.

"Cioten!" call Viten in a tone of gratitude. "Cioten, you're finally awake! You don't know—"

Viten rounded his eyes as Cioten's agonizing groan cut through his sentence, then his sister coughed violently, then red and black blood spewed from her throat.

Pupil Roth vibrates. "Doctor! Get the doctor here!"

***

"Mother."

Calmaria looked at her son with a look of regret. Slowly, his vision blurred and the glass that had been held down was shed by itself.

"I'm sorry, Mother" Calmaria said in a trembling voice.

Cioten tightly grasped Calmaria's fingers that felt cold. "It's okay, Mother. You don't have to feel guilty."

"No! How can you not feel guilty?" The Calmaria cry. "Mother sinner! I regret everything, Cioten."

It had been a week since Cioten declared that he was cursed by the God of Death. Only a few people of faith know this. Even Madam Kricia, the nanny of the twins, seemed to not know the same thing. During that one week, Cioten must adjust to the curse that eats away at his life. On the first day, Cioten vomited blood. On the third day, Ciotan had a high fever. On the fifth day, Cioten died. In the end, on the seventh day Cioten adjusted to the curse on his body.

Cioten floated a gentle smile on his lips, as if the calamity that was happening within his body was no big deal.

"It's okay, Mother. It's okay."

Cioten calmed Calmaria patiently.

To be honest, when Cioten saw the rune circle painted on the floor, Cioten could immediately tell where the circle was going to take him. Cioten himself knew that reviving the dead was taboo, but Cioten secretly supported Calmaria's plan.

When Calmaria dragged Cioten's body into the rune circle, Cioten could have escaped. He was of course stronger than Calmaria after receiving rigorous training. But Cioten did not do it. Especially when looking at the look of despair on Calmaria's face made Cioten unable to escape. Because, Cioten know what the cure of all the injuries suffered by Calmaria. When Millia's awakening goes according to plan, Calmaria can return to her original state. Then, the problem is solved. However, it is unexpected that the plan fails and instead Cioten gets a curse on his body.

"Mom, I have a request."

Cioten's sentence was able to make Calmaria raise her head.

"Tell Mom."

"The only way to solve this problem is to make Brother King, right? I heard it faintly, that calming majestic voice."

"Ah." Calmaria nodded slowly.

"For this one week, Brother has not focused on his lessons" Cioten continued.

"That's because Viten is worried about you" Calmaria explained. "You are cursed and how to cure it is unknown. Of course Viten is worried about you."

"That's the problem, Mother."

Calmaria frowned.

"If I was next to Big Brother, then Big Brother would not focus on his lessons to go down the path of becoming the Crown Prince. If the road is difficult to take, then becoming King is impossible. Therefore, Mother, please let me out of the palace."

Calmaria's bead trembled, she shook her head strongly. "No, Cioten, no. I don't want to lose you. Stay by Mom's side."

Cioten chuckled softly. "Mother didn't lose me, I just went out of the palace, nothing more."

"Where are you going, son?"

"Far from the Palace, far from Brother." Cioten looked at Calmaria's face with a stoic smile on his face. "The curse makes me sick, then, makes you worry if my body is getting weaker by the day. If I stay here, it will only affect Brother's chances of becoming King. Rather than thinking of the path to the King, Big Brother will definitely strive to cure my curse. So, Mother, please give me the pavilion outside the city, I'll stay there."

"No, Cioten. Why do you have to do this? Let us take care of you. Let me take care of you."

"No, Mother. Brother must be King and I will only hinder him." Cioten exhaled, his pale Calmaria cheeks gleamed. "Mom won't grant my wish?"

Calmaria's body trembled. "Mom will give it up."

***

Cioten came out of the palace without even telling Viten. This made Viten, his twin brother, feel confused.

And when Viten asked Calmaria, Calmaria answered him, "Be King."

"certainly? Of course I'll be King, Mother. But where is Cioten?" Viten asked by suppressing the enslaving curiosity from losing Calmaria's delicate side on her face.

"What's your next lesson? The economy? Go and meet your teacher. You must quickly become King. It's for Cioten."

Calmaria always said that what she emphasized on Viten was for Cioten's sake. Of course, this does not have a good impact. Viten, who was completely ignorant of the condition suffered by his brother, only found that Cioten went from the palace and Viten was instead given excessive pressure to become a King. So Viten continued to blame himself for what happened. That his mistake Cioten left the palace, that his mistake Viten did not do his best, that his mistake Viten continued to disappoint Calmaria.

Calmaria also said that if Viten wants to see his sister, Viten must do a meaningful achievement before finally being able to meet Cioten.

The Calmaria that Viten was familiar with had one hundred percent disappeared, turning into a colossal cold figure. The gentle Calmaria, who had sown her laughter, who loved Viten as much as her own son, who had cared for and raised Viten, who had loved Viten, had now disappeared.

Lies when Viten is not disappointed. Because of his disappointment, Viten was not even able to express it.

...***...

Three years later, Viten felt that his body was limp after hearing the same information.

Calmaria is cursed by the God of Death. However, both Roth and Viten only found out after a long time.

Calmaria who pressured Viten to become king, Calmaria who made Viten feel tormented by pressure, Calmaria who cursed Viten for not being becus in his study, Calmaria who turned into a figure that Viten did not recognize, Calmaria who was not known, he was now lying helpless on the bed. Waiting to pick up.

During these three years, Calmaria hid her curse from everyone. Same with Cioten who chose to hide.

However, of course this makes Viten more destroyed.

For whatever Calmaria, in the heart of Viten, Calmaria remained her warm and tender mother.

Calmaria is the perfect Mother figure for Viten. Although the pressure has hurt his mentality and changed the personality of Viten into a heartless and stubborn figure, Viten still loves Calmaria.

Viten can't hate her mother.

***

Eladio Cyrill loves his sister, Calmaria Belith Asher. How not? Calmaria had been taking care of Eladio when both of their parents had neglected both of them and focused solely on the family business.

Calmaria is the one who continues to be next to Eladio, reciting the fabled Eladio before bed, who hugs and kisses Eladio's hair, who helps Eladio in his lessons, that heats up the milk in the middle of the night to help Eladio fall asleep, and takes care of Eladio until he grows into a proper Duke.

Unfortunately, his personality was indeed too cold for a child his age. So people always misunderstand when he is someone cold-blooded. However, only Calmaria defended Eladio and told Eladio not to think about bad rumours about Eladio himself. It was just a rumor, Calmaria herself was the one who knew the most about her brother's warm and gentle behavior.

Calmaria was the only family Eladio had, so when he heard that his brother was cursed and could not leave the bed just to wait for his death, Eladio felt his life was blown to pieces.

And the curse-giver is the God of Death.

Therefore, Eladio killed many people. Killing the servants who made a small mistake to offer their souls to the God of Death in order to exchange his brother's curse for healing.

Eladio continued to kill even though his hands were shaking. The domineering feeling was no less powerful than the whack of fear. It was the fear of the Death God, the fear of the people he killed, the fear of losing his brother, the fear that chased after him.

For God's sake, Eladio even willingly exchanged the curse in Calmaria's body for his own life.

However, willing as much as anything, Eladio kills, it is never enough. The God of Death jerkily asked for more sacrifices and Eladio continued to do so. It even supported Clare who tortured the servants until they died. Hope the souls they collect will be able to exchange Calmaria's curse for healing.

Unfortunately, when Eladio found out that Calmaria had met her death on her own bed, Eladio felt his heart breaking to pieces with such deep regret. An infinity of regrets that it felt sickening and stifling, so Eladio almost wanted to kill the soul inside himself.

Losing Clare and Calmaria made Eladio feel crazy.

Eladio is alone again.

...***...

Honestly, this chapter is hard to write. Niatan update morning so gloomy because the writing is very difficult and when a little revision cringe hahah. Especially the scene in the secret room? Um, it's weird but it has to be this story. Hopefully you can enjoy the story and this chapter pssstt is longer than the previous chapters.

December 2022