Ininise did not remove her hand from Uriel's head; in fact, it seemed that this action helped her greatly to focus on what she had to say.
"You see, earlier I explained that there were ten gods, right?"
Uriel replied eagerly. This was a golden opportunity to earn some points with Ininise.
"Yes! Each god represented a cycle of the world, whatever that means. But the eleventh finger is supposed to represent a new one, right? Why would that be bad if there are ten? Do the other gods not want a new cycle or something?"
Ininise felt a deep guilt in her heart, something that showed clearly on her face—so much so that Uriel noticed.
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Uriel asked, genuinely concerned.
"No, you see, it's quite the opposite. The eleventh god—the god of whom I am an oracle—wants to destroy the other ten cycles so that only two remain: destruction and creation."
Oh, so her god was the kind that made fire rain from the sky and handed out sweets afterward…
For a moment, Uriel thought he saw Ininise look at him angrily, but she stopped herself.
"Hahh…"
"I grew up following his teachings, helping people. I worked harder than the rest of my sisters. At first, it was all about doing good for the world. That whole time was wonderful: I met the others, and I traveled the world helping people and spreading his word, just as any oracle would."
Her voice suddenly faltered. It was obvious that what came next upset her, angered her, and saddened her in equal measure.
"Until one day, when I came of age, I discovered the other side of the god of duality. Uriel, I want you to think—imagine what it was like for me at that moment to learn that my god, the one I had believed in all my life, the kind god who helped others no matter who they were, was also a destructive, violent, and cruel god—one who, at the same time he asked me to save people, also demanded that I kill the same number."
Uriel was shocked. Of course, he couldn't imagine this girl going around committing massacres left and right. If Soliel had asked him to kill anyone he encountered, he would have refused without hesitation… would he have? The fleeting, unpleasant thought put him on edge.
"And what did you do? Honestly, I can't see you doing anything that would harm innocent people."
Ininise stopped her hand and stared into nothingness—or perhaps at something only she could see.
"I refused, of course. But my god already knew I would; in fact, he said that was precisely why I had been chosen. Then he granted me a blessing that split me into two different people. One of them, of course, is the Ininise you know, but the other is… different."
Uriel didn't dare interrupt her; he wanted her to finish explaining her condition.
"As soon as he gave me this blessing, he activated it, releasing that other me and locking me away in a corner of my own mind, dormant. But I could see, Uriel… I saw everything I did: my friends asking me what was wrong, the believers being led by me to commit crimes across the world, and I couldn't do anything; massacre after massacre of innocent people, while my other self seemed to enjoy all of it…"
Ininise couldn't take it anymore, and tears began to stream down her face. These were undoubtedly painful memories that, with some effort, she was managing to put into words.
What could Uriel say to comfort her? He had only climbed this tower because he was hungry and wanted to help his family. Ininise, on the other hand, was fighting against everything she believed in, trapped within her own body. It was a tragedy.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's just me deceiving myself—if I'm not simply acting the way my god expects me to, while my morals fall asleep… Uriel, do you think I'm a monster?"
Uriel didn't need to think to answer her question.
"No, you're not a monster. You're just someone trying to do what she can." He brought his wounded hand up to Ininise's face. It would probably feel rough, but he hoped his message wouldn't. "You're a person who's a victim of things you can't control, and even so, you try not to hurt others, right? That's why you're here, climbing the tower like me—to save those people."
Ininise listened to each of his words as if they were some kind of revelation. She missed none of them and engraved them into her heart.
"The other you did horrible things, and you'll probably have to live with those memories for the rest of your life, but damn it, you're doing something to fix it. That's already far more than what many people are willing to do."
Ininise's tears finally stopped; however, that pain in her heart still remained.
"And if my other self comes out again, then what?"
A pained smile was all that remained of her crying. Uriel didn't like seeing her like that. He looked at her very seriously.
"If that happens, then I'll stop the other you myself and force her to bring you back."
Ininise was surprised for a moment, then whispered softly:
"Goodness… you even say the same things they did."
"Thank you, Uriel, for listening to me. Maybe another day, when I feel better, I'll tell you more about the god of duality."
Uriel was glad to see that she seemed a little better.
"Don't worry, if it's painful, you don't have to tell me."
Ininise looked at him again, focusing on his brown eyes.
"It's because it's painful that I want to talk about these things with you."
Ininise didn't fully understand it—well, maybe she did, just a little. Uriel was someone she could trust; she could tell that much. In her entire life, she had met very few people like him. To her, Uriel had already become someone incredibly valuable—someone who listened to her and validated her as a person.