Validus was deeply disturbed by the dark thoughts emanating from the men before him. Around him, bullets whistled, ricocheting off his invulnerable flesh, not even scratching his majesty.
"You don't scare me!" shouted the first man.
He rushed at Validus, brandishing his axe, and struck with all his might at the giant's chest. The weapon shattered into a myriad of shards against Validus's bronze torso, leaving its wielder stunned.
"What... what the hell is this?"
On the other side, the second man, gripped by fear, stammered:
"How is this possible? Who is this man?"
Validus grabbed the first man by the throat, lifted him effortlessly, and declared in a deep, implacably solemn voice:
"What a vile creature... Humans sometimes resemble demons. I will inflict upon you the punishment you deserve."
The second man, on the defensive, shouted:
"Let go of my friend, you monster!"
With an imperious gesture, Mortuus made the second man levitate two meters above the ground. Terrified, he no longer understood anything.
"What's... what's happening to me?"
Validus gave him a cold stare.
"You'd better be quiet and patiently wait your turn."
Suspended in the air, the first man felt anxiety overwhelm him.
"What are you going to do to me?" he pleaded, his voice strangled.
Validus made a long, sharp spike appear in his right hand, released his grip, and before the man touched the ground, pierced him with a swift thrust. Ten more spikes appeared instantly, pinning the victim to the ground. The atmosphere filled with a supernatural chill.
The second man, witnessing the scene, was seized with terror as he saw his companion spit blood, impaled in an instant. The man screamed in pain, trying to utter:
"Son of a..."
Before he could finish, another spike pierced his throat, silencing his cries forever. Unable to speak, the tortured man clenched his fists to endure the unbearable. Validus, relentless, continued driving spike after spike, splattering the earth with blood, transforming the man into a spiked creature before the horrified eyes of Mortuus and the second man.
Validus drove a final spike into the victim's left shoulder, then declared solemnly:
"There... One hundred and nine spikes, the exact number of your victims since you fell into crime."
The man, lying in mud and blood, wished for only one thing: death, to escape the suffering.
Validus gave a cold smile.
"Don't hope for deliverance. Death will not come. I have granted you immortality, so you will suffer forever. No one will see you, no one will come to your aid. Birds, insects, and beasts will devour your flesh, but you will never know rest."
The second man, panicked, began to scream:
"I beg you, spare me! Mercy, listen to me!"
Mortuus released her telekinetic hold. The man crashed heavily to the ground. Panicked, he tried to flee, but Validus materialized behind him and pierced his tendon, making him collapse in the mud.
"You wanted to escape? Did you ever think of the fear of your victims, their pleas? You spared no one, but rest assured: you will not die either. You too are now immortal."
Validus materialized a spike and disemboweled the man, who screamed in pain. His entrails spilled out, but he kept crawling, desperately trying to escape. Validus gave him a light kick, then drove a spike into his arm.
Unable to rise, the man crawled toward Mortuus, tears in his eyes, begging:
"Please, young lady, help me... Tell him to stop, I beg you..."
Mortuus, her gaze filled with sadness, did not respond. She summoned a torrential rain, so powerful that the entire region sought shelter, except for the two tortured men, Mortuus, and her brother.
The wind howled, nearly ripping off rooftops. The man, meeting Mortuus's golden gaze, realized he had offended the gods... or the devil himself.
"How did I get here? Is there no redemption for me?"
His eyes lost all hope. To his left, his companion lay pierced, bathing in a pool of blood.
Suddenly, he saw Validus's red eyes shining in the storm, approaching with relentless steps. Panicked, he clung to Mortuus's legs.
"Please, help me, young woman!"
Validus drove a spike into his left leg. The man screamed, the pain intensifying with each new spike. The rain, so dense, muffled his cries.
"Help! Please, someone help me! They're going to kill me!"
But no one could hear him. Validus drove a spike into his skull as lightning split the sky. Exhausted, the man whispered:
"No one will come... I'm really going to die..."
He understood that only Validus and Mortuus could end his torment.
"If only I could go back... I would never do all that evil again. I'm not ready to live this nightmare. If I had a second chance, I would live differently, in peace..."
Mortuus leaned toward him, smiled gently, and whispered in his ear:
"It's over."
As if by magic, the man found himself at home, safe and sound, snuggled under his blanket, without a single wound. He burst into tears of joy, thanking the heavens.
The same happened for his companion, who awoke in his bed, shaken, aware that it was not just a dream.
Mortuus had turned their reality into a dream.
Validus, witnessing the scene, declared gravely:
"I expected this. You are too merciful. A god must inspire fear, terror, not act as a protective mother."
Mortuus, indifferent, replied under the pouring rain:
"Tell me, Validus, where is it written that a god must sow fear? Do you want to rule over subjects trembling every day in horror? Do you think they would aspire to live like that?"
"Maybe, but it would be meaningless. A god must not let himself be trampled by mere humans, it's absurd."
Mortuus closed her eyes, smiling.
"Why are you smiling?" Validus asked, surprised.
She reopened her eyes, serene.
"Let's finish what we started. We'll talk about this later, big brother."
"So be it, I accept."
Suddenly, Carnaticum and Saiko appeared out of nowhere.
"Mortuus, was it you who caused this torrential rain?" asked Carnaticum.
"Yes, of course. Wait, I'll stop it."
Saiko intervened:
"No need. Let's see if there are still good humans left, since the Son of God left this earth."
Validus, perplexed, asked:
"What are you talking about?"
Everyone turned to Saiko, intrigued. He sighed, then explained:
"We'll see if anyone agrees to take us in. For now, let's play the part of wanderers looking for shelter for the night."
Carnaticum, enthusiastic, clapped his hands:
"Excellent idea! What do you think?"
Mortuus nodded, Validus agreed.
They began knocking on doors, facing rejection after rejection.
Validus, exasperated, exclaimed:
"Humans are almost more unbearable than demons! Saiko, your idea makes me realize our mission is pointless with such stupid beings!"
Carnaticum added:
"I understand why humans seem so close to demons, truly."
Mortuus tempered:
"A few rare humans approach the goodness of angels. Not all are bad, right, Saiko?"
But Saiko, lost in thought, heard nothing. Mortuus frowned.
"Saiko, are you listening to me?"
Saiko jumped, confused.
"Huh? Uh... sorry, what did you say?"
The others burst out laughing, when a noise caught their attention.
Through the mist, they saw an old man banging on a pot to catch their eye. He beckoned them.
"Come here, my children!"
But the noise of the rain drowned out his voice. Guided by his gesture, they approached.
When they reached him, the old man offered:
"Good evening, I saw you soaked. Come shelter at my place until the storm passes!"
Validus replied gratefully:
"Thank you, sir. That's exactly what we were looking for. We've been turned away so many times and had lost hope."
"Hahaha! Come in, my children!"
The children of Mü Thanatos entered the old man's home. The interior was modest, the roof riddled with leaks, containers collecting rainwater. The walls, gnawed by termites, seemed fragile. The light flickered, threatened by the storm.
"Forgive the state of the house, but it's better than staying outside in this rain. You could have fallen ill. I'll fetch you a towel," announced the old man.
Carnaticum, hungry, muttered:
"Taking human form makes me hungry..."
Validus eyed him:
"You really think this man has anything to feed you? Looking at his house, there isn't even a rat!"
Saiko intervened:
"You never know, you should ask, Carnaticum."
"Yes, I'll try," agreed Carnaticum.
Validus rolled his eyes.
"Pff, he won't give you anything, you'll see."
The old man returned with a towel, which he handed to Mortuus, smiling:
"Ladies first, hahaha!"
Mortuus blushed and accepted the towel gratefully.
"Thank you, sir. Your kindness touches us."