Little Pink Starfish

“Amon-nim, are you not bored?”

He never dared imagine that Amon would actually partake in such a game. Even so, somewhere in his heart, he felt quietly uneasy. Fortunately, there was no sign of boredom on Amon’s face. He pulled Nyne to sit beside him and said:

“If you are enjoying yourself, then that is enough.”

If Gwen was truly summoned just for Nyne’s amusement, then it was a relief for Nyne. Letting go of the unease he had been holding in his heart, Nyne smiled. Amon gazed at his smiling face, then suddenly kissed him.

At the unexpected kiss, Nyne flinched. He couldn’t bring himself to push Amon away and instead placed a hand on his chest. Even that brief hesitation, Amon noticed, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“What, do you hesitate even to kiss in front of others?”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that he minded kissing in front of other people. The only one who concerned him was a single individual. But he could never speak that reason in front of Amon, so he simply smiled prettily again.

“How could I, when Amon-nim cherishes me so?”

Thankfully, his voice didn’t tremble. Hoping Amon wouldn’t notice anything suspicious, he urgently returned the kiss. As he gently sucked on Amon’s lower lip to prompt him, Amon’s tongue soon entered and filled his mouth.

As they kissed, it felt like his insides were burning up, and a sensation like a strong gaze stabbed the back of his neck, raising his hairs on end. He focused on Amon to avoid whoever else was watching. The emotions swirling in his heart were so complicated, it felt like it was bubbling over with hot froth. Fortunately, Amon didn’t seem to notice anything. He bit Nyne’s neck hard enough to leave a mark, then let go.

Trying to calm his racing heart, Nyne returned to his seat, but it was no longer as fun or enjoyable as before. He wanted the moment to end quickly so he could be alone with Amon. Swallowing a sigh, he tried to listen to the game again—when suddenly, his eyes met Gwen’s. Was it just a feeling? Somehow, those beautiful eyes, slightly hardened, curved softly.

“Well then, shall we roll the dice again?”

Clatter. The polyhedral dice rolled, and the pieces moved again. The adventuring party crossed mountains and fields, dying off one by one. After passing caves and underground prisons, they finally encountered the dragon. Gwen, who was presiding over the game, as well as the priests, actively guided the story to make Nyne the protagonist. As a result, Nyne’s archer obtained the magic to kill the dragon. When Nyne looked at Gwen, he smiled gently and urged:

“Slay the dragon and claim your victory, Nyne-nim.”

Perhaps because the end was near, Nyne hesitated for no reason, but eventually moved his archer toward the dragon figure. He placed the small totem representing the killing magic onto the dragon’s chest. Then, he pushed it, knocking the dragon over. For some reason, he didn’t feel particularly happy. Perhaps it was because Gwen and the priests had overly favored him. As the hours-long game ended, Gwen boldly asked Amon:

“With this, Sha Nyne has slain the dragon and obtained glory and riches. Sha Amon, is this outcome satisfactory to you?”

The priests frowned at Gwen daring to speak to Amon without permission. Nyne too was internally surprised at Gwen’s sudden behavior. At that moment, a rumble was heard outside. When they looked out, pitch-black clouds had taken over the sky. The sky, red from sunset, looked especially gloomy.

To everyone’s surprise, Amon gave a short laugh aloud at Gwen’s question. The priests were startled, and Nyne was no exception. He couldn’t even guess what had made Amon laugh. His languid golden eyes flashed sharply.

“Yes. It is a most satisfactory outcome.”

Nyne instinctively understood that something unsaid had passed between Amon and Gwen—something he could not grasp. But in the end, he couldn’t even begin to guess what it was. Instead, he quickly gave the order to dismiss Gwen from the scene.

“Clean up this place now.”

“Yes, Sha.”

As the priests busily cleared the area, the sky rumbled again with an eerie groan. Soon after, the sound of rain began to pour from outside. With this, the flood festival had ended, and the rainy season began.

By the Will of the God

As the rain began pouring, the people who had been enjoying the festival all cheered. The lanterns hanging at the Seventh Tower Gate were all extinguished, and the Sha and priests in the temple returned to their sanctuaries. As the Sha departed, the people dared not follow and instead bowed to send them off. They would not see the Sha again for a full year.

After returning to the sanctuary, Nyne, just in case, decided not to seek Gwen for a while. He sincerely, desperately hoped that Amon would not take any interest in Gwen. No matter how skilled a magician Gwen was, Nyne couldn’t help but keep imagining Amon harming him. Filled with anxiety, Nyne pondered night after night.

A few days later, Nyne visited the Lotus Hall and gathered all the Resha. As he watched their dance, song, and musical performances during a banquet, he called out the name of one Resha.

“Resha Jehuz.”

“Yes, Sha.”

The Resha who was suddenly called flustered and bowed her head quickly. Wondering why she was summoned, she listened as Nyne gave an unshaken order.

“I grant you the honor of seeing Sha Amon up close tomorrow. Purify yourself, wear proper attire, and come to my sanctuary.”

The unprecedented command stunned Resha Jehuz, and she couldn’t respond right away. The other Resha were just as shocked. Ruu, in particular, trembled so much she dropped her dish. Jehuz quickly came to her senses and hurriedly answered Nyne’s order.

“Yes, yes…! I shall obey your command.”

Though they were servants of the Sha, Resha only ever saw Amon during official ceremonies. In fact, the low-ranking servant priests saw him more often. Yet Nyne personally granted her the honor of meeting Amon—Jehuz couldn’t believe the dream-like reality. As all the other Resha glared at her with envy, Jehuz shed tears of emotion and bowed repeatedly.

The next day, before the sun rose, Resha Jehuz came running to Nyne’s sanctuary wearing her most splendid dress. At the entrance, waiting priests ushered her in and guided her to the bath.

“This way. You must wash yourself clean before meeting Sha Amon.”

Stepping into the sanctuary for the first time, Jehuz’s eyes widened.

It was her first time entering Nyne’s sanctuary. In the past, Nyne rarely appeared even at the Lotus Hall and almost never summoned Resha into his own sanctuary. When Resha Lan Gwen had first arrived, he’d once been whipped for offending Nyne, and even that moment was envied by others.

Jehuz still remembered how awed she was when she first entered the Lotus Hall. Though from a wealthy family, she was shocked by the beauty of the building. Every pillar and wall, adorned with lotus carvings, was impeccably maintained. The food was always fragrant and delicious. With generous funding, she could live in more luxury than even in her own home.

But now she realized—the Lotus Hall didn’t even compare.

Everything in the sanctuary looked like it had already reached the eternal afterlife. Everything was a work of art. It was hard to put into words. If this was Nyne’s sanctuary, she couldn’t even imagine how beautiful Amon’s sanctuary must be.

The bath itself was more like a finely crafted indoor garden. Flowers and trees were planted in harmony. The bath, shaped with varied elevations, gave off a subtle fragrance. Beautiful carvings adorned every wall and ceiling.

Before being dressed, a high priest in charge of the sanctuary spoke in a stern voice.

“Sha Nyne has bestowed grace like the sea and allowed you to use the bath he uses. Be deeply grateful, Resha Jehuz.”

Jehuz was shocked. To think she would be allowed to use the same bath as a Sha? She prostrated herself and offered her thanks. Then, receiving the priests’ utmost service, she entered the bath. With a glass of wine and some fruit, followed by a massage, she felt like she was in paradise.

After bathing, she was dressed in a clean, pure-white kallashiris instead of her extravagant outfit. The fabric was so fine, it felt like wrapping herself in clouds. As the priests straightened her garments, they gave her strict instructions.

“Resha Jehuz, today you will serve during the meal of Sha Amon and Sha Nyne. While serving, you must not speak without permission, nor make any sudden movements. You must not make noise placing dishes, nor even breathe too loudly…”

To serve Sha Amon and Sha Nyne at their meal!

Jehuz tried to calm her trembling heart and listened intently to the instructions. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—she could not afford to make any mistake. If she committed any offense before the Sha, she would never forgive herself.