Is it blood, or is it the soul? Whatever it is, it must be something that must not be lost.
Salainio felt the life force flowing out of his body in a torrent. The blood of sanity was being expelled from his body like a madman.
The warmth was gone from Salainio's body, and it was as if his skin itself had turned to cold iron. The dead snow caressed his cheeks.
He could no longer see, his vision was gone, all was darkness.
He tries to sit up against the bone-chilling cold and darkness, but he can no longer feel his limbs. The hard shell of his body was covering him, and he was unable to move.
Salainio realized what was happening to him more easily than he thought.
This is what death is all about. That cold, awful death that comes to all of us.
It was foolish, Salainio thought to himself as he lay motionless. He felt no pain, no fear.
He had lived a life of intrigue, and now he was going to die in front of an assassin. How foolish. And most of all.
"I'm sorry...
Such a voice leaked out into the void. While all his limbs were motionless, only his dry lips were wavering. It's a fate that will only collapse in a few moments.
But if fate truly exists in this world, then there must also be something that defines it.
"Yes. You must be disappointed. It must be regrettable. You must be bitter.
Instantly, there was a glow in the darkness where there should have been no reflection. I hear a sound. The sound of something approaching was ringing in my ears.
I couldn't see or hear anything else. It was strange to be able to see something when he couldn't even feel his eyelids open.
What spread across Salainio's vision was a blinding white. The darkness faded away and was covered with a shimmering white. It was as if the heavens were covered with a fabric of light and night had been forgotten.
And there, in the center of it all, was the being. He twirled his fingertips with a hand that could only be described as graceful, and the way his pale blue head of hair and eyes swayed was almost divine.
It has the shape of a man, but at least it is not a man. Salainio felt such intuition penetrate his brain.
She had a beautiful voice that seemed to glide across the silk. Her face was filled with a fearless smile.
"Years of aspiration will end in the middle of the road, and you will be driven to an unwanted death. Your will has decayed and your dignity has been tarnished. You must be disappointed. You must be in despair. But rest assured, child of man, it is to such that God will reach out his hand.
Her words, spoken so matter-of-factly, resonated surprisingly deep in my core. Her voice itself was like the sound of a loud bell.
Who was she, what kind of being was she? So near and yet so far, so small and yet so big. She was looking down at me from a great distance.
"...... Oh, what a shame. It's a shame. Who is it? Who's talking to me?
Salainio's lips quivered involuntarily. His voice was only a whisper. No strength left in his body, but his throat was still.
Rude. But then, so is everyone else. Let me answer. I am a servant of God, a believer in God, sent by God. Salainio, if you truly believe in God. I will give you an opportunity.
Now stand up and look up, she said.
Instantly, my heart pulsed. Salainio's body, which should have been in a horrible state, began to regain its color and resume its vitality.
Breathing passed through his lungs, and his muscles began to move. The pale blue in the white became clearer. A smile that could make one swoon, and an intense gaze that could pierce the flesh.
May his soul be blessed forever. The soul without blessing is defiled and corrupted into a beast.
A soul swallowed by demonic forces is no longer a person. The soul that has been swallowed by the demonic will no longer be a person, but will be reborn as the demon itself. Even if it is an untainted child.
The woman speaks to Salainio as if she were speaking to herself. With all the majesty and arrogance she can muster.
She is a messenger sent by God. In a way, this attitude was normal.
"Your enemies have spewed ruin, bloodshed, and carnage, kicked King's Landing to the ground, and still refuse to stop their evil ways. Those things will never be tolerated. You must drive a wedge between his barbarism and yours.
Enemies. Perhaps there is only one person who can be called that. I'm not sure if you've seen this before.
I'll be back. You must have faith in God and beg Him for complete happiness. Your disappointment and despair will be vindicated.
With absolute light, the apostle announced. His appearance is full of light. There was justice and happiness there for sure.
If you clasp your hands to it, you will definitely be happy. If you kneel and bow your head, the promised light is there.
Salainio understood that. No, maybe he had been made to understand. The woman in front of him smiled fearlessly again.
It was all very charming.
But unfortunately, the doctrine that Salainio believed in did not call for complete happiness. And that's not what he was aiming for either.
Salainio shakes his fingertips, opens his mouth, and clears his throat. A voice said with power.
"Ha, ha, ha. What do you say? There's nothing more. There is no more--
It was a muffled laugh. And yet, Salainio says it in a voice that's not hollow, but full of heart. The voice bounced, and the eyes that had almost collapsed distorted.
"Apostle, so help me God ......, if you have ears, listen; if you have eyes, see! I don't need your blessing, the foolish man named Salainio will die here in regret. Not for the gods, but for what he believes!
Regret, regret. Your ambition will not be fulfilled, your will will be broken, and you will die in a whirlpool of intrigue instead of dying gloriously. How can you not be sorry? Salainio is not a saint who does not feel bitterness.
But I never felt a shred of despair. It is the privilege of the victor to die without a single trace of regret. I was not worthy of that. Wasn't that all there was to it?
The woman was not enraged or saddened by Salainio's words. She just moved her eyes for a moment, and then said plainly.
"I'm sorry, Salainio. You have failed to take advantage of the grace and opportunity that God has given you. Woe to you, and how foolish you are. Ignorance is a sad thing. Breathe your last in despair.
I heard the sound of life draining from my body again. Without a moment to spare, the life of the man named Salainio was about to end.
Tormented by the pain of loss of life, Salainio struggled to clear his throat. There are so many things that I thought I would have to say if I had ever met a god or someone close to me.
Only the wisdom he had accumulated over the years, countless years, now held Salainio's soul together.
This world is still in the palm of the gods. The earth is above the rule and authority of the gods, and man and demons can only roll as they please. No one is free, and everyone can only dance foolishly on the stage.
I wanted to break them down. Using knowledge as a weapon, belief as a shield. Because I believed humans could do it.
I couldn't. I no longer had the time or the talent. I was nothing more than an ordinary man.
But I left the possibility open. I gathered facts and knowledge that no one else would even touch, and the heraldry is still breathing.
I am a shard.
I am not in despair! I am not in despair! Man is not as ignorant as a lamb! We will surpass even you!
I can taste the blood in my mouth. My throat is frayed, and every breath I take is painful. His collapsed body was screaming for destruction.
Salainio, taking it all in, lies on the ground and waits for his end. A dark curtain once again hung over his eyes, and he could no longer see a shred of light.
How long will I live? Will it be minutes or seconds? Maybe the next moment your soul will be gone.
At the end of the day, Salainio saw a few people in his mind's eye. Bernard, Largd-Anne, the saint Mattia, and the hero Lugis.
If they had truly brought down the capital, they would never be at peace. There are many fools like you and those who call themselves minions of the gods. They will never allow heraldry to accumulate knowledge. They reject anyone who tries to touch the truth.
How much hardship, how much pain.
Just a moment before his life was lost, Salainio said throatily, letting go of everything.
"Ah, time for the old man to die. Young man against the world, I wish you happiness.