The judgment and the ritual were almost concurrent.
Anos stood at the center of Lake Heart Island, waiting for the path to ascension to open.
Everything was ready.
The centuries of waiting by the Primordial Church, the long-standing expectations of her parents, the long-cherished desires of the Six Gods—these, all of them, would be realized with her own ascension.
Anos was well aware of what she would gain and what she would lose.
She would gain the identity of a divine being, and the world would tell a tale unprecedented—a mortal ascending to divinity, reshaping the old orders, revered as a king by the Gods, far surpassing the mere status of an Emperor.
And what she would lose—her innermost feelings, and Mira, were just trivial matters.
She had long weighed the gains and losses, so how could she hesitate now?
Beside Lake Heart Island, the tall figure of the Lady of Sorrows stood, statue-like.
Blood spread across the lake.
The Co-Ruling Emperor walked up to the altar.
