Nujah-The Goddess Child

As soon as they stepped out of the chamber, Naraka gently carried Nujah through the long corridor without a word. His small body rested against hers, exhausted but still holding on. The door to the resting room opened without sound.

She laid him down carefully on the soft bed, covering him with a light cloth.

Then she turned and sat slowly on the wooden chair next to him.

Her voice came low, calm… but serious.

> "How far has it spread?"

"Serekhka darkness."

Nujah, still catching his breath, answered with a soft but oddly optimistic tone:

> "Mitra shattered it well… better than I expected.

She didn't destroy it entirely, but she tore most of it apart.

Even after all this time, it's still small…

Not strong enough to control me yet."

Naraka leaned forward, her tone deepened:

> "Estimated time?"

Nujah looked at the ceiling, calculating in silence before speaking:

> "Unnecessary rage issues: one month.

Power surges: one and a half.

Voices... screaming in my head? Two months."

"And if we get close to the third... it'll force me by any means to use its power—just so it can feed off what's inside me."

Naraka stood up quietly and moved to sit beside him on the bed. She gently reached out, took his hand in hers, and looked him straight in the eyes—concerned, but steady.

> "What do you want, Nujah?"

Nujah turned his head away slightly, voice low.

> "What I want doesn't matter."

He opened his right hand, revealing seven broken shards in his palm.

> "The safety of everyone... is worth more than one person."

Naraka stared at the shards for a long moment, then back to his face.

> "You don't want to leave Mitra alone again... do you?"

Nujah tried to speak, but no sound came out.

He looked away, saying nothing.

But his silence answered everything.

Naraka's voice softened, but grew firmer in weight:

> "Then listen to me carefully."

"Mathematically, two is always greater than one."

"But that doesn't mean two is always more important than one."

And if your heart can carry them all—

who says you must choose at all?

She leaned in, locking her gaze with his.

> "I never wanted this either.

But after you were gone, I realized how foolish I had been."

Her tone rose—not out of anger, but pain:

> "I knew what Mitra had done.

And still… I accepted it.

I accepted it just because I believed—

she'd bring you back.

Because I believed—

you'd bring her back."

She stopped herself, breathing deeply, calming her voice again.

> "Sadly... Serekhka full awakening requires a body.

And when Mitra's body locks, so does her mind and power.

She needs a living vessel.

But I'll give everything—every part of myself—for one month...

To build a cage strong enough to suppress both her body and her power—before it begins."

She squeezed his hand tighter, voice now both a promise and a plea:

> "I only ask one thing from you.

Believe in me.

Resist it as much as you can—just like your brothers and the rest of my children would.

That way, not only will everyone else be safe…

Mitra will be safe.

And she'll be by your side… happy."

Nujah's lips trembled. He turned his face to the side, silent tears sliding down his cheeks.

After a long pause, he whispered:

> "Do I even deserve that...?"

Suddenly—a loud slap echoed in the room.

Naraka had struck his face—not out of anger, but pure, fiery love.

She grabbed his face with both hands, forced him to look at her, her voice shaking as she shouted:

> "Nujah… my son."

"Do you have any idea how many living beings in Shiora still breathe… because of you?"

"Do you have any idea how much of this universe … is alive, because you refused to give up?"

Her hands trembled. Her voice cracked, but she continued:

> "Let yourself live too.

Smile like they do.

Stay with us.

Taste life.

Stay with me."

They both cried and hugged tightly.