As the whale drifted deeper into the chaos of the Underworld, old memories rose like echoes from the deep.
It remembered the cluster of realms where the Celestials dwelled. How much it despised passing through that region. The air there was thick with murderous intent, suffocating and relentless. Even now, it could recall the hostility radiating from those lands like a burning fog. When it had first sensed the two Celestials outside their realmâRein and Morinâit had braced itself for battle once again, expecting nothing but conflict.
But that expectation had slowly unraveled.
Their presence, their conversation, the journey they shared. It all chipped away at the barriers it had built. Their pneuma, yes, it was delicious, bright and refreshing like cold starlight. But more than that, it was familiar in a strange and distant way.
Just like once before, the only other time it had allowed a Celestial to enter its body.
That one, too, it had expected to fight. That one, too, had surprised it. They spoke of Celestials, of power, of freedom. They journeyed together. And when the time came, that Celestial refused healing. He welcomed death, and willingly allowed the whale to consume him entirely. The only Celestial the whale had ever âdefeated.â
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This time, things had nearly ended in reverse. The serpent⦠that mad, divine beastâif even divinity could be called âmadââhad pushed the whale to the brink. And yet it had kept its panic hidden from the siblings. There was no use in making them fear what they couldnât fight. Better to let them believe in strength, even if it meant lying by omission.
But above all, the whale recalled its inner conflict during the journey. How many times it debated whether to tell them the truth. The real nature of the Celestials. Their origin, their legacy, the things buried beneath the stories told in their realms. In the end, it chose silence. Better to let them roam free without that weight pressing on their shoulders. Let them form their own truths.
Now, as it floated farther away, it couldnât help but chuckle. The sound rumbled through its vast body like distant thunder. Rein and Morin. Not one but two Celestials⦠arriving on Earth. The world would never be the same.
The Pillars, the Demons, the Divine, the Enlightened, and all the other beings who strutted across the Overworldâthey had no idea what was coming.
âI wonder,â the whale whispered to itself, âhow much the world will change⦠when I return there again.â
For the first time in its long life, the Million Whale had something to look forward to.