From the edge of the nightmare, Snow finally remembered the last words Freia had whispered in front of the burning mansion.

♣ ♣ ♣

“You are pure, white snow.”

In the dream, Freia had whispered into Snow’s ear as she gasped for breath.

“You are the noble Saint Bernadette.”

Snow couldn’t say anything and just sobbed with her face buried in Freia’s chest.

“You are the reincarnation of the witch Freia who caused the one year calamity.”

Snow thought she had remembered everything at that moment, but that wasn’t actually the case. Freia had said then:

“And you are.”

She had looked down at Snow with pity, like a dying young creature.

“You are ‘God.'”

That was the last words Snow hadn’t heard.

♣ ♣ ♣

“Gasp!”

Snow opened her eyes with a start. The first thing she became aware of was the fluffy, nostalgic flower fragrance like being in a parent’s embrace.

She felt her chest with both hands. There was no wound. Her hands had also been injured from gripping the sharp ice crystal, but those wounds had cleanly disappeared too. Snow was lying haphazardly in the middle of a flower bed.

Without any thought of getting up, she stared blankly at the sky. The sky was clear as if wide open. Occasionally, pieces of white clouds floated by beautifully. Tall, neatly arranged flowering trees also came into view. Pink flowering trees. Pretty. She thought such peaceful thoughts. At that moment, petals fluttered down from the trees.

This was a world where flower petals fell instead of snow.

A petal gently landed on the bridge of Snow’s nose. Snow still didn’t move and remained still. She didn’t stir even as more petals settled on her forehead, her stomach, and the back of her clasped hands.

And suddenly, something hot welled up again.

“Ceres…”

‘Will I be able to see you again?’

“Arianne.”

‘Will I be able to be held in your arms again?’

“El… Elios.”

‘See? I really came to a place where you couldn’t follow.’

It wasn’t just them. High Priest Patrick and High Priest Verdus. Other priests. The friendly people at the temple. There were so many people she missed whom she hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to.

Snow bit her lip firmly, then abruptly sat up. She knew where this place was. It wasn’t her first time here. No, it was her first time. It was the first time in Snow’s body. But she had been here as Freia, and even before that.

This is the Garden of Beginning.

A place created to protect the humans she loved so much, and also a prison she had confined herself to. A lonely place with no one else. Humans would adorn and praise even the slightest appearance of God with all sorts of tributes, but none of them knew about this vast garden God had created. It was a place between this world and the afterlife, where neither the living nor the dead could come.

Just as when young Freia first came here after losing consciousness long ago, or a moment ago, Snow slowly walked across the garden. She wasn’t sure if this was the middle of the garden or the edge. No, such concepts don’t exist in the Garden of Beginning. No matter how far she walked, it was all flower beds everywhere. An endless garden.

At some point, a calm lake appeared. Snow walked toward it without hesitation. She saw someone sitting by the lake, splashing in the water.

That’s impossible. This is a place no one can enter.

Snow’s pace quickened. Eventually, she was almost running. A woman was sitting there. Snow could see her back. Long blonde hair flowing gently in the wind. Snow felt goosebumps rising.

The woman turned her head. Green eyes blinked, then seeing Snow, she smiled brightly. It was a pure-looking smile. The woman who had died with such a venomous expression now smiled so gently, and indeed, her face resembled Snow’s. She spoke:

“Welcome.”

The woman, Freia, gestured for the bewildered Snow to sit on the rock beside her. Snow sat down next to Freia in a daze. Then suddenly she understood.

God was one, but could also be many. Even when alone in the Garden of Beginning, God often made itself into many. But they were all ultimately one God, and so eventually the moment of realization would come, and the loneliness was never resolved.

‘I am born from Freia, and I am Freia. It’s an immutable truth. It doesn’t change. We became two, but ultimately we are the same one.’

‘…Really?’

Freia pointed to the lake, ignoring Snow who was examining her with a serious expression.

“Look over there.”

Snow turned her eyes to where Freia was pointing. In the lake that reflected all the world’s events, a scene was unfolding that would naturally interest Freia.

“His Majesty the Emperor…?”

“Yes. It’s Ikanel. He’s crying. Actually, he’s been crying all along. Just without tears flowing from his eyes.”

Without tears flowing from his eyes, was that crying? Snow pondered Freia’s words. Freia spoke again:

“Don’t get distracted, keep watching.”

The lake shows the past, present, and future all at once. However, since the future can always change, it branches into many paths. But just now, all of Ikanel’s numerous futures disappeared, leaving only one. It means his future has been determined.

“Ah…”

Snow sighed. So it ends like that.

“So the witch’s curse ends too.”

“You… aren’t happy about it?”

Snow asked. That’s how it appeared to her. Saying “the curse ends too,” Freia didn’t seem particularly happy.

“For Ikanel, life itself has always been a calamity. Now at least he will no longer be unhappy.”

That was Freia’s answer to whether she was happy. It was puzzling. Snow felt increasingly suspicious.

‘Since I am Freia and Freia is me, what I think should be what Freia thinks, and what Freia thinks should be what I think. But why can’t I understand her?’

“Freia. Didn’t you hate the Emperor? He killed your brother, killed your father, and destroyed your family.”

“Hate… Yes. I still can’t forgive him. Ah, Snow. Look over there.”

Freia casually changed the subject. She pointed to another scene in the lake.

It wasn’t a particularly special scene. In the rippling water, there was an ordinary boy. He was walking down a country road, humming a tune while giving a piggyback ride to a much younger brother.

Judging by his unusual clothes and the sleek sword at his waist, he seemed to be from a noble family. The younger brother sitting on his shoulders was cheerfully tugging at his hair, shouting “Giddy up! Run!” The boy carrying his brother on his shoulders pretended to be hurt, saying “Ouch, that hurts!” but soon made galloping sounds with his mouth and ran while holding his brother tightly so he wouldn’t fall.

After running for a while, he lifted his brother up and set him down. Then he looked up at the clear sky for a moment. At that moment, Snow could see his eyes through the lake. Green eyes like sparkling forests. Without a trace of worry, overflowing with complete happiness.

“Ian Nigritia…?”

“Yes. My brother. No, now he’s that child’s older brother. It seems he sneaked his younger brother out for a look around without their parents knowing. How bold of him.”

“How long have you been sitting here watching these scenes?”

“For quite some time. I haven’t just been watching. Look at this.”

Freia put her hand in the lake and gently stirred it. Ripples formed. The largest funeral in the Empire was taking place. Dark clouds began to gather there. One drop, two drops. Soon it was pouring. People whispered that the Goddess Amir was mourning.

Ceres Martadia made the sign of the cross in front of a large coffin. The deceased’s three sons, daughter, and wife stood across from Martadia, dressed in black.

‘Rain.’

Freia had made it rain in the Empire. People were no longer wearing winter clothes. Only then did Snow truly realize that the Empire’s calamity had ended.

There, in that scene, stood many people she missed. Snow unconsciously reached her hand toward the water’s surface. Freia quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Not yet for you. The lake will freeze over.”

“Why… Your voice that shouted inside me is no longer heard, the calamity has stopped, and you, Freia, are perfectly fine like this, so why?”

“My traces still remain within you.”

Snow felt a surge of emotion.

“I, I want to go back. I miss them. They’re all standing right there, and it feels like I could easily meet them if I just reach out my hand, if I just jump into the lake, so why? Why?”

She burst into tears. Freia embraced Snow and patted her soothingly. But Snow pushed Freia away.

“I hate you. I hate you so much. Why can’t I be happy? Why do I have to be here? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“‘Snow’.”

“No matter how I think about it, I’m different from you. I am not you. I never agreed with what you did.”

Sharing memories, she naturally thought that she was Freia and Freia was her. But after hearing Elios’s words, questions arose.

‘Why do she and I want different things?’

After most of her very old memories returned, the questions grew stronger. God could be divided into many, but their thoughts were all the same. What one knew, all knew together, and one’s thoughts were everyone’s thoughts. But the current Snow and Freia were not like that.