CHAPTER 113: CHAPTER: 113 CELESTIALS, DEMONS AND HUMANS.[5]

Robwin let out a slow breath, as if the story itself was heavy on his chest.

He said, "You might think people worshipped him because he was strong, or kind, or brave."

"Those things mattered, yes, but they were not the real reason."

"People worshipped him because of his ideals... the way he saw the world, the way he lived for others. That is what made him special."

Vivian watched Robwin closely.

There was a quiet sadness in his eyes, mixed with deep respect.

This "Master of All" was not just a name in a book to Robwin.

He was someone Robwin clearly admired from the heart.

"So how did he die?" Vivian asked.

"Someone with such power should not die so early. And it’s not like anyone could kill him."

Robwin looked away for a moment, as if choosing his words.

When he spoke, his voice was gentle but heavy.

"He took his own life." His smile was thin and full of pain.

Vivian felt a shock run through him.

"Why? Why would someone like him do that?"

Robwin did not let the question hang.

He explained slowly, "After he defeated the demon god of pride, the celestials and demons came to him."

"They told him that his very presence was breaking the balance of the world. They believed that if he stayed alive, the world itself would tilt too far to one side."

Vivian felt his chest tighten.

The idea sounded unfair, almost cruel.

Robwin continued, "He did not argue. He did not fight. He only smiled at them... a soft smile, like he knew this was the price he had to pay."

"And then he took his life. That is what the ancient texts say. The holy books say the same thing. Not even a single line is different between them."

Robwin’s story settled over the room like a soft weight.

The silence that followed wasn’t empty.

It was the kind of silence that comes when two people are trying to understand something much larger than themselves.

Robwin looked too sad to speak.

His eyes were lowered, his thoughts far away.

Vivian didn’t dare break that moment.

He could see how deeply this tale lived inside Robwin.

Vivian’s own mind was restless.

If this man was so powerful... if an entire religion had formed around him... then why had everything vanished?

No temples, no followers, no teachings in the present day.

The question echoed again and again in his mind, but he kept it locked behind his teeth.

Robwin’s sadness felt too raw to poke at.

Yet admiration pulled at him.

After hearing the story, he found himself feeling respect for this "Master of All."

Someone strong enough to change the world but gentle enough to give up everything for balance.

A strange mix of pride and sorrow flickered in Vivian’s chest.

A thought nudged him: what if the man had refused?

If he had kept living, wouldn’t humans have risen above celestials and demons alike?

Humans ruled the world now, yes, but that was because there were no demons or celestials left, at least none anyone could see.

If they ever returned, the world might shift again.

Curiosity stirred inside him like a spark catching fire.

What happened to the religion that worshipped this man?

What happened to the books and temples?

Why did everything fade as if someone erased it?

If he could just read the ancient texts himself, maybe he could pull together the missing pieces.

Maybe the truth was still hidden somewhere, waiting for someone stubborn enough to look.

The world suddenly felt wider, and much stranger, than it had a moment ago.

Vivian sat with his thoughts twisting inside him, then gathered his courage.

He drew in a sharp breath and said, "I’m sorry to ask this... I know it might make you sad."

He continued, "but, sir Robwin, can you tell me what happened to the religion that followed him?"

Robwin lifted his eyes, and the sadness there deepened, like an old wound being touched.

He didn’t avoid the question, though.

He exhaled slowly and said, "It was erased. Fifty years ago."

"Erased?" Vivian repeated, his brows pulling together.

Robwin nodded.

"Yes. When I was around your age, the religion still existed. My father was a believer."

He continued, "that’s why I know so much about it. He used to tell me stories, show me the old records."

"I didn’t believe any of it at first. I thought that man was just a myth, something people made up to feel inspired."

Robwin paused, as if remembering the younger version of himself.

"But when I compared the ancient records with the religious texts... they matched."

"Word for word. No other religion had that kind of match. That was the moment I started to respect him. He wasn’t a legend made from dreams, he was real."

Vivian listened quietly, feeling a strange mix of interest and unease.

Robwin went on, "But after a few years, things began to change. The number of believers slowly dropped."

"You see, that religion didn’t allow forceful conversion. They never pressured anyone to join."

"They never threatened or promised rewards. Everything was based on choice. Because of that, when fewer people wanted to listen, the numbers kept falling."

Vivian’s mind was buzzing with questions he could no longer hold back.

"The number of believers couldn’t be the only reason," he said quietly.

Robwin let out a small chuckle, dry, tired, and with no real humor in it.

He looked at Vivian as if deciding whether the boy was ready for the rest of the story.

"You’re right," he finally said.

"The fall in numbers played a part... but it wasn’t the real reason the religion was erased."

He hesitated for a moment, then added,

"The real cause was the religion of the Celestial God of Love."

A sharp flash of something, anger, maybe even hatred, passed through Robwin’s eyes.

Vivian caught it instantly, and that was enough to make him sit a little straighter, choosing not to interrupt.

The air between them felt heavy.

"You’ve heard of them," Robwin said.

"It’s the fastest growing religion on the continent. Their influence in our empire is small, but it’s still there."

"They have power. Connections. A loud voice in the outside world."

"Yes," Vivian said. "I’ve heard of them. But... if they call themselves believers of love, why would they erase the religion of that man?"

His voice slipped into impatience without meaning to, this contradiction bothered him like a stone stuck in his shoe.

Robwin sighed, long and tired, as if this part of the past still exhausted him.

"In their sacred text, it’s written that the Celestial God of Love was the one who defeated the Demon God of Pride."

"That story is the center of their faith. And because of that, they refuse to accept the idea that a human did what their god supposedly did."

"To them, it was impossible. Unacceptable."

He looked away, his jaw tight.

"When two truths clash, the stronger side tries to erase the weaker one. And back then... they were the stronger side."

Vivian felt something cold crawl through him.

For the first time, he understood that history wasn’t always changed by time, sometimes it was changed by hands that wanted it rewritten.

The puzzle pieces were starting to shift, but they were far from settled.

Vivian didn’t need Robwin to spell out the rest.

The pieces fit together far too neatly.

In the ancient records, the celestial god alive during that era had been the God of Mercy.

Mercy and Pride, those two were opposite forces, but mercy could never defeat pride.

It simply wasn’t how the old texts described their roles.

So the idea that "love" defeated "pride" felt wrong from the very beginning.

It wasn’t the truth. It was rewriting.

Vivian felt his jaw tighten.

He could almost taste the bitterness rising in his throat.

They changed history just to make their god look greater... and they erased the man who had actually done the impossible.

As the weight of that sank in, Vivian’s hands curled into fists.

He gritted his teeth, anger mixing with a strange sense of betrayal.

The man who gave up his life for the world, who accepted death without a fight to keep balance intact, was pushed aside like a mistake.

Dusted away. Unwelcome. Unworthy in their eyes.

And the worst sting... the part that made heat rise behind Vivian’s eyes... was that humans had done it.

His own kind.

They erased the legacy of the very person who had saved them.

They chose a lie over a truth because the truth made them feel small.

To prove their god superior, they threw away a human who had been greater than any celestial.

Vivian felt something twist inside him, not just anger, but a quiet, deep hurt he couldn’t describe.

He belonged to the same race that had betrayed that man’s memory.

It felt shameful, like standing in a shadow he had not created but still had to face.

And for a moment, the world felt a little colder, a little more unfair... and a lot more complicated than he had ever imagined.

Robwin watched the anger rising in Vivian’s face, that tightness around the eyes, the slight tremble in the jaw.

It was an expression he knew too well.

He had worn it himself once, years ago, when he first learned the truth.

He let out a soft sigh.

"I used to be like you," he said.

"Burning with anger. Feeling betrayed. But every time that hatred grew... I remembered what he said before he died."

Vivian didn’t want calm words.

His voice cracked with emotion.

"How can I not be angry? He sacrificed himself for humans, but humans were the ones who betrayed him."

Robwin’s voice softened as he let the words settle in the air.

Vivian leaned in without even noticing, as if the story itself was pulling him closer.

Robwin continued, "When he agreed to give up his life, his closest follower could not accept it."

"That follower even raised an army and wished to fight both celestials and demons."

"He was ready to burn the world if it meant saving his master."

He let out a slow breath. "But that man... he did not get angry."

He looked at his follower with gentle eyes and said, ’If you believe me, you will see me in every person. I live in you, and you live in me. I was here before, I am here now, and I will be here after.’"

Robwin’s smile warmed, not forced, but like an old memory glowing in his chest.

"He then picked up a small pebble from the ground. He held it with such care, as if it was something precious."

’This pebble is me,’ he said. ’And I am this pebble. This whole world is me, and I am this whole world.’

Robwin paused, letting the silence deepen the meaning.

Vivian felt the world around them grow quiet, almost respectful.

Robwin’s eyes lowered a little, as if even speaking those words brought back the weight of an old memory.

"He said, ’Whenever you remember me or try to find me, you can just call me.’ Then he touched the pebble again, almost like he was touching the whole world through it."

His voice grew quiet.

’My name... is...’