Edited by: ASaltedFish
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Die?! Ellery, Aster, and the rest of them were shocked.
Ellery and Aster thought the worst that could happen was that they were trapped in the same body, not death!
"Well, Ellery, I could stabilize your body so it can house both of your souls, but eventually, the two souls will merge, wiping one of you out of existence." The Beast God held out one hand to demonstrate the act of two souls merging. Then he held out his other hand in another demonstration, "Or, you can risk it and try to separate your souls so you both can have your own bodies. Of course, I will be creating Aster's body myself, just like I did with your ancestors." Everyone could see the two souls separate into two separate bodies, but there were no features to the tiny bodies made of divine power.
"Since it is a difficult decision, I will let you all discuss it amongst yourselves, but time is ticking. We don't have too much time to wait for you all to figure it out."
The Beast God wanted to be in a world with only Adel with him, so he wanted to kick these unnecessary people out as soon as possible.
As for why he was helping, it was a mistake made by the Gods, so it needed to be fixed by the Gods. If he could help Ellery and Aster, those Gods would owe him a favor – something he couldn't pass on.
The Beast God moved Ellery, Edros, Akimitsu, Orin, and Darya's bodies out of the room with his divine powers and shut the door.
Then he spoke in their minds. "Knock on the door when you all decide what you want to do. I want to have alone time with Adel."
They knew that the Beast God was smitten with his wife, but they didn't think it was this intense! Then again, they had been together for thousands of years without getting tired of each other, so maybe it wasn't that surprising…
In the garden near the Beast God's room, several stone benches were scattered around to allow viewing of the garden and the beautiful stream running through it.
Thankfully, the benches were near each other, so they all could sit in pairs while being able to talk with one another. Unfortunately, Edros sat alone, but he chose the bench that was closest to Akimitsu and Ellery.
They all sat in silence to digest all the information the Beast God gave them.
"What should we do…" Ellery mumbled, unsure of what the best choice was.
Ellery and Aster wanted their own bodies, but if it didn't work out, they would be leaving everyone they loved behind. Was that a risk they were willing to take? But if they didn't try to separate themselves, one of them would disappear, leaving either Edros or Akimitsu heartbroken.
Orin saw Ellery's conflicted face but didn't know what the best answer was. "Ellery, Aster, we can't decide for the two of you, but regardless of which path you take, just know Darya and I will support you. Do what you think is best for the two of you…"
Darya agreed. "Orin is right. Once you make your decision, we will be right behind you."
Ellery nodded while trying to hold back his tears. "Thank you, Orin, Darya…"
Akimitsu grabbed Ellery's hand. "You two are not alone. We will be here with you and Aster no matter what."
Edros stood up and patted Ellery on the shoulder. He didn't say anything, but it was comforting to Ellery and Aster, who were scared at both of the options.
"Thank you… Let me discuss this with Aster, and then I will get back to you all."
After that, Ellery closed his eyes so he could concentrate on his conversation with Aster.
'Aster, what do you think we should do? I am not sure what to do because I am scared of the outcomes if things don't work out.'
[Ellery, I understand what you mean… To be honest, even though I was shocked, I was not surprised by what the Beast God said. Everything comes with a price. Nothing will be free, not in this universe or the world I lived in. As for what I think we should do, I think we should try to separate our bodies.]
'I… How are you so resolute about this? Aren't you afraid of dying or disappearing forever?'
[To be honest, when it comes to situations where I am under pressure, I can get through it. It's the minor inconveniences that throw me off.]
'That is something I've noticed about you…'
[Yes, anyway, as for being afraid of dying, I've already died once. I didn't believe in reincarnation or some afterlife paradise. I thought I would just disappear. It was something I came to terms with as I was dying in my past life. I understand why it would be scary for you now, though.
[You have finally reunited with your brother, whom you thought had died, and you found the love of your life. It's normal to be scared to lose them or think about them losing you.]
'Are you not afraid to lose me or Edros?'
[I am a little afraid of that, but I am willing to take the risk to make sure I will be able to walk with the two of you. My determination to see the both of you with my own eyes outweighs the feelings I have about us failing to separate.]
Ellery thought that Aster was a lot braver than he was. Even though he put on a brave form, deep down, Ellery was afraid to lose the people he loved most again. He was unsure of himself and wanted to take the safe route, but even that safe route had a brick wall he could not overcome.
[Ellery, I told you a little bit about my past life. When I turned 18, I left my uncle's house and never looked back. It was a tough decision because I was homeless for a while. I gave up many things so I could pack my small car with my belongings and look for a place to live. I never regretted leaving, though.
[I gave up the roof over my head, my comfortable bed, and my crystal collection that was the only thing that gave me comfort in that abusive home. But I couldn't hesitate. That's how I feel now. I can't hesitate, and I have to keep going forward. I want us to try to separate our souls. Even if there is a 50% chance of both of us dying, there's also a 50% chance of both of us surviving.
[I believe we will survive because we are strong. I especially think you are strong. You know who you are, what you want, and what you deserve in your life. Not only that, I have survived that abusive family and made a living for myself. I was able to put a roof over my head and have a comfortable bed to lay on before I died. That's why I have faith in both of us. Even if you don't believe in yourself, I believe in you. And I hope you will believe I will survive, too.]
'Aster… This is the first time I've heard you talk this much.' Ellery chuckled but then sighed. 'I understand. Thank you for believing in me, Aster. That gives me a lot of comfort. I believe in you, too. I believe we will survive no matter what.'
Aster was a little embarrassed, but he rambled because he wanted to get his point across. [That's good you understand what I was trying to say. Believe in us. That's what we should do.]
'You are right. Thank you for talking this out with me.'
[No problem. You talk me through all sorts of things. I want to be there for you too, because you are my best friend.]
'Oh, Aster, I love you so much! You are just the cutest!' Ellery lovingly teased. It made him feel much better to let Aster know how cute he was and how much he loved him.
[I… I love you too… Okay, you should go tell everyone our decision.] After that, Aster retreated, embarrassed about the intense affection from Ellery.
Ellery almost laughed out loud, but he decided to spare Aster from his embarrassment. When he opened his eyes, he saw everyone look toward him, waiting to hear what he and Aster talked about.
He looked at his hand that was being held by Akimitsu, and then he looked over at Edros who was worried but didn't know what to say. He was an awkward but kind man.
As for his brother, though he was worried, he did his best to put up a strong front so Ellery would not be influenced by him. Darya acted as his emotional support, ready to comfort them when needed.
"Thank you for waiting for everyone." He smiled while gripping Akimitsu's hand a little tighter. "Aster and I decided that we would ask the Beast God to separate our souls and create a new body for Aster. Even if there's a 50% chance of it failing, I believe in us. I believe we will survive. That's why we hope you will believe in us too…"
Believe in us…
Yes, that's what they had to do. Believe that Aster and Ellery would make it and they would all be able to go home together.