Chapter 2
"I hate you!" Agatha's roar full of resentment, like a curse from the Styx, echoed in Rio's ears for a long time, lingering. Since the death of her beloved son Nicky, these three simple but extremely lethal words have become the sharp blade that Agatha uses to vent her anger at Rio. Every time she speaks, she pierces Rio's already broken heart and makes it bleed.
Rio stands alone in the once warm little home. The strong wind is like the roar of a devil, whistling and sweeping past. The curtains are blown up by the wind. The floor that was once cluttered with toys is now clean as if nothing has happened. At this moment, the sharp wind is like the aftermath of Agatha's anger, still whipping her fiercely, as if to uproot the only hope she can grasp. Agatha not only turned the pain of losing her son into hatred for Rio, but even though she knew in her heart that Nicky's departure was not Rio's fault, the grief was like a surging black tide, completely blinding her reason, making her choose to repeatedly stab Rio with the cruelest and most acrimonious words. What's worse, she resolutely took away the mysterious and dangerous Darkhold and hid her own tracks. As the goddess of death, Rio tried her best to use all her divine power, searched every inch of land in this world, and shuttled between various mysterious dimensions, but still could not find any trace of Agatha, as if she had never existed in this world.
This double fatal blow made Rio's heart seem to have suffered a heavy hammer, and the cracks began to spread wildly from the smallest part until it was broken. Every weak beat was like broken glass rubbing painfully in the flesh and blood, bringing endless torture. But Rio had a determination in her heart, as solid as a rock. She would never allow Agatha to completely leave her life, even if she had to plead with her father, with whom she had a strained relationship for many years.
Rio closed her eyes and teleport herself to the door of her father's palace. The door was closed, as if silently resisting her arrival. Rio took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the heavy door.
The door slowly opened, and the father looked down at Rio, who was in such a state of humiliation, and said sarcastically: "You are here again, and this time it is related to that human being again!" Rio knelt on her knees, looked up at her father, and her eyes were full of pleading: "Father, I only ask you to allow me to open the court and give me a chance to repair my heart and save everything."
Father sighed: "Death, do you think you can open the court at will? No matter how your brothers and sisters and I persuade you to stay away from humans, you will not listen." Rio burst into tears, but still said firmly: "Father, I am willing to bear all the consequences, as long as I can keep even a trace of memory related to Agatha, please."
After a long time, the father's eyes eased a little, and he waved his hand: "Go, child." At the same time, he rang the bell for the court to summon all the gods to attend the meeting.
So, she dragged her heavy body that seemed to be cursed by the devil, and stepped step by step towards the mysterious and majestic court. Along the way, the warm scenes of her past with Agatha and Nicky flashed like ghosts: by the stream in spring, Nickyi was like a cheerful elf, chasing colorful butterflies, Agatha was smiling beside her, petals fell on her hair, beautiful as a painting from the hands of God; by the fire on a cold night, the family of three hugged each other tightly, Agatha's hand gently stroked her cheek, and Nicky's soft laughter echoed in the house, warm enough to dispel all the coldness and darkness in the world. These precious memories have now become her only motivation to move forward.
Stepping into the court where she was tried, the towering dome and the cold and hard stone pillars exuded a solemn atmosphere. Rio supported her shaky body, resisted the trembling, and knelt in the center of the court. Her voice was trembling but firm: "I beg you, great jury, to have mercy on my broken heart. I am willing to pay any price, just to make it whole again, so that I can keep even the slightest memory of Agatha."
In the court, light and shadow intertwined, as if countless pairs of eyes hidden in the darkness were examining her. After a long time, a low and hollow voice, as if from the abyss, came: "Goddess of Death, you already know that as a cosmic creature, you should not fall in love with humans, let alone grow a heart for this. We have made exceptions for you many times before, and you should be very clear that it will cost a lot to make the jury make an exception. Are you still determined to do so?" Rio nodded without hesitation, tears flashing in her eyes, but revealing her determination.
Then, a faint light flashed, and the verdict fell in front of her like a withered autumn leaf: she had to exchange endless headaches, as if being stabbed by a devil with an awl, for the opportunity to repair her heart. This headache will follow her like a shadow, drowning her like a surging tide, making her feel miserable, as if she were in an endless purgatory.
Rio did not hesitate at all, and reached out to take the verdict. The moment her fingertips touched the paper, a sharp pain seemed to be pierced into the brain by thousands of steel needles, exploding from the temple. Her body trembled violently, like a fallen leaf in the wind, but she gritted her teeth and held on, silently swearing in her heart: As long as her heart can still beat, as long as Agatha can still stay in a corner of her heart, she will be willing to endure the cruelest torture in the world.
When the piercing pain eased a little, Rio raised her head and looked into the unknown darkness deep in the courtroom, as if staring into the abyss of fate. She knew that she had embarked on a more difficult road of redemption, and the road ahead seemed to be shrouded in fog, full of unknowns and dangers. At this moment, she had only one belief in her heart. No matter what was waiting for her ahead, she would find Agatha and repair this broken relationship.
With this determination, Rio slowly stood up and walked out of the court door. The glaring sunlight made her dizzy, and her headache became more rampant, as if the devil was screaming in her ears, but Rio's mouth showed a bitter and resolute smile, as if protesting against fate. She knew that this was only the first step of a long journey, but for the love in her heart, she would never back down, even if she had to walk alone on this thorny road until the end of the world.