Little Pink Starfish

They rang the bell and chanted the same verse over and over for more than two full hours. Only when Nyne felt an overwhelming urge to throw off the act of being dazed from incense and bolt upright did the chanting finally stop.

“Please, break out of the egg.”

The priests held their scriptures with both hands and bowed low to the floor. They bowed once, twice, three times with deep sincerity. Break out of the egg? Nyne mouthed the words silently. From that expression, he could sense how the priests viewed him.

Did they wish for him to be reborn as a god like Amon—merciless and emotionless, slaughtering humans? Even though they themselves were human…

“We offer our deepest gratitude to the Shah.”

“We shall count it as glory even in the next life.”

Nyne stared blankly at the opposite wall, away from the endlessly bowing priests. What are they so thankful for? What is so glorious? His head was fuzzy, his chest heavy like it was sinking into a bog.

After dozens of bows, the priests retreated on their knees. Soon after, other priests entered with clothes and ornaments. Bowing respectfully once, they carefully sought permission without asking it directly.

“Shah Nyne, this servant humbly requests to attend to Your Grace’s clothing.”

A few seconds later, they began to move as if receiving approval. Nyne lowered his gaze, not reacting even as they helped him sit up. They must have believed he was completely dazed from the incense. They removed his bedclothes and dressed him in a kalasir, a long linen garment that softly wrapped around his body. They combed his hair again and adorned him with ornate gold and gemstone accessories.

Lying still, surrendering completely to their hands, he felt like a doll. The expensive jewelry clasped on his arms and legs felt more like shackles than decoration. Until now, he had thought that when he was half-conscious from the ritual, it was Lu or Popo attending to him. But now he realized—it may have always been these strangers. The thought deeply disgusted him. That was when he heard another presence enter.

“How is Shah Nyne’s condition?”

The familiar old voice belonged to Osen Iyad. Nyne thought there would be no deceiving him, so he shut his eyes instead.

“He heard the scriptures just now. Though he woke a bit earlier than usual, it seems the drug took effect quickly.”

One of the dressing priests responded respectfully. Nyne felt Osen Iyad’s gaze sweep carefully over his face.

“Shall we burn more incense?”

“No. Any more and Shah Amon will be displeased.”

Nyne nearly moved his body at those words—Osen Iyad’s wrinkled hand had touched his skin. It wasn’t an obscene touch. He had simply straightened a garment the priests had failed to arrange. Even so, an overwhelming wave of revulsion surged within Nyne.

“May Shah Nyne break the egg of ignorance and emerge soon. And grant salvation to this faithful servant.”

Hearing Osen Iyad murmur this with genuine sincerity made something boil up inside. Fools… He wasn’t ignorant. He didn’t have some shell to break out from. If he were ever to become something else, it would be only after he completely gave up on himself.

Until now, Nyne had thought of Osen Iyad’s rituals as merely a way to soothe his mind. But now it was clear—there were other intentions behind it. His reason and memory blurred without his will. Priests endlessly chanting scriptures to a drugged Nyne with obsessive persistence.

How many times has this been repeated? What else has happened while I was unaware? An emotion he couldn’t name spread through his chest. Maybe it would’ve been better to be properly drugged and forget everything. Nyne let himself sink into the familiar gloom that crept in. As he sank like into a swamp, he ended up looking so convincingly dazed it was hardly distinguishable from being drugged.

Finally, after what felt like an endlessly long time, the unfamiliar priests withdrew. Only then did Nyne’s own attendants, Lu and Popo, take their place. Though the tent had already been cleaned and arranged once, they moved busily to tidy it again.

“Master Nyne…”

Thinking he was asleep, Lu approached quietly and called his name. Concern filled his voice. Nyne recalled Lu’s tear-stained face from the night before. Thinking of what followed made his chest feel crushed with sorrow. Even if they didn’t see it, they had ears…

“These clothes and accessories aren’t the ones Nyne likes.”

Even just from the voice, Nyne could picture Lu’s pouting lips. Popo scolded him as he directed the priests.

“Don’t be so frivolous.”

“Frivolous? What if Nyne wakes up and feels upset seeing himself dressed like this?”

About to protest further, Lu caught Popo’s sharp glare and closed his mouth. Instead, he quietly removed Nyne’s accessories, one by one. Whether it was to make him more comfortable for sleep or simply because he didn’t like them, Nyne couldn’t tell.

Rather than reassure Lu or Popo with words, Nyne kept his eyes closed. He lay still, passing the time blankly as if sleeping, lost in thought. Just yesterday, he had been filled with hope that things could change for the better. Now, it all felt distant.

Does anything I do even matter? Can anything change? No matter how hard he tried, if Amon merely raised a hand or spoke a word, everything would crumble. That was how absolute he was. And if Osen Iyad’s suspicious rituals truly erased memories, even the effort to resist could be wiped away.

Maybe I’m the fool, Nyne suddenly thought—not Osen Iyad or the priests. He was the one foolishly resisting instead of surrendering before such an overwhelming being like Amon.

The drug’s effects hadn’t fully worn off, and as he lay with eyes closed, drowsiness overcame him again. When Nyne next opened his eyes, Lu was arguing with Iyu.

“…If you have any conscience, how dare you show your face to Master Nyne again! You didn’t even notice until he was that badly hurt!”

“I’m here because I have a conscience.”

“What—what did you just say?!”

Lu was speechless at Iyu’s retort. Iyu didn’t look happy either. The usual lightness was gone from his expression, replaced by a sharp glare that made Lu shrink back. It was instinctive. But perhaps hurt by the reaction, Lu straightened his back proudly.

“A lowborn like you dares talk back!”

“Yes, oh noble priest. This lowborn will talk back a bit. Inside the inner shrine, I’m second only to Seinca Hoan in strength. Wouldn’t it be more shameless for someone with that kind of skill to abandon his post?”

Lu, who had only ever heard cheerful stories from Iyu, was stunned to see him so combative. Tilting his head, Iyu took a step forward and bore down on Lu.

“I am a sinner. That’s why I’ll devote my life to guarding Nyne until the end. That’s how I’ll pay for what I’ve done.”

“You—you dare…!”

“More importantly, it was Shah Amon who personally appointed me to guard Shah Nyne. If you’re so displeased, then Priest Lu Mayri, you can bring it up to Shah Amon yourself.”

As Iyu stepped closer, Lu’s face went pale and he swallowed dryly. Until now, he had only seen Iyu smiling, but the man was a battle priest—one recognized by Amon himself. As an ordinary person, Lu couldn’t withstand that fierce, sharp pressure. Nyne saw his pale face and flushed ears, and let out a sigh.

“Lu, come here.”

“…Master Nyne!”

After one last glare at Iyu, Lu rushed to Nyne’s side. As if nothing had happened, he knelt and checked Nyne’s complexion.

“Are you thirsty? Hungry? I’ll have food brought immediately.”

“No need. I don’t have an appetite.”

Nyne waved his hand, but Lu looked too anxious and signaled a priest anyway. Despite an array of drinks and dishes being brought in, Nyne touched none of them. He gave no indication of what he wanted, nor any other reaction, leaving Lu looking close to tears.

As for Iyu, he was no longer even in Nyne’s field of attention.