Chapter Text
Each god plays an important role in order to balance their Earth. Life, Death, the Sun, the Moon— they all have a duty to bring the perfect equilibrium. But what happens when a god goes astray?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The steps of a tall, white haired man reverberated through the empty shrine. The room was dark. Only a few rays of morning sunlight delicately shone through the broken down walls. However, the shrine was illuminated just enough to see the silhouette of a large statue.
The statue was broken and covered in water damage. Leaves sprouted from the crevices and larger cracks. Although, one could make out a faint, charming face that was spared of destruction by nature. The expression was truly eloquent of a royal god, filling the viewers with reassurance and hope that their prayers would be answered. However, there was only one frequent visitor. Only one who still held their faith in this broken down god.
The tall white haired man kneels down in front of the statue and prays silently. He does not waver at the water on the ground dirtying his clothes. He does not mind the gloomy silence only interrupted by the sounds of bugs crawling around. He finishes his prayer and stands up, bowing at the pitiful statue before leaving.
This was the daily routine of Ran Nagisa, the king of the neighboring kingdom and a god of abundance. Someone as important as him does not have time for such menial tasks, so why does he decide to venture to an abandoned shrine every day?
His royal guards have accepted Nagisa's eccentric personally, letting him do as he pleases. After all, who dare doubts the wishes of a god? If his duties are fulfilled at the end of the day, then so be it.
Nagisa had always been a strange child, even before inheriting the crown. He always had an interest in nature, stopping to smell the roses and investigating rocks he found fascinating. In his palace, he had a large collection of trinkets from all over the world. They ranged from rose quartz with golden nodes to perfectly flattened sheets of aluminum. He treasured all of these items dearly, wearing a lot of jewelry to make sure all the beauty captured in the simple forms were able to be shown off to the world.
Today he adorned himself in copper earrings molded into the shape of a dragon, as well as matching rings with symbolic designs of the battles between the divine and their foes. Smiling, he looks at himself in the gold-plated mirror in his palace. His jewelry shines in the light of the rising sun, illuminating his regal clothing and long, silky hair.
Satisfied, he walks out of his room, greeting the workers with a smile. Nagisa walks with grace and elegance, making his way to the garden for a morning stroll. His days are full of boring and labored work, so the highlights of his day were spending time out in the courtyard and visiting the abandoned shrine in the mountains before the day caught up to him.
He squats down to smell the assorted flowers in the garden. They were all planted by Nagisa himself and are primarily maintained by the palace staff. He is very particular about how to care for the specific flowers and is grateful that the staff were able to keep up with his special demands. He sighs happily, taking in the scent of the garden and analyzing every plant to see if any need extra attention. This is, until one flower catches his eye.
He did not remember planting this flower, or even seeing it yesterday. He could not identify the origins of it, as it is a type he has never seen before. Its petals were short and narrow with an interesting aqua hue, and the stem was thin and thorny. The stamens were long and full of pollen, giving the flower a bit of gold in contrast to the soft blue petals.
His eyes widen in surprise, taking in the beauty of the mysterious flower. His mind races around the possible origins of it until he stops in place. It reminds him of someone. Someone he has not seen in a millenia yet sees every day.
Kagehira Mika, the ex royal god of the old kingdom in the mountains. The ruler who was driven into despair and destroyed his kingdom from the inside out. The one who has one singular abandoned shrine left in the dust. The one who Nagisa still entrusts his faith in even after many moons of disappearance.
Nagisa steps back in shock, investigating the flower more until he hears a voice beckoning for him. Perhaps he will have to ponder on the meaning of this later. Nagisa hurriedly stands up and shuffles over to the man who called for him. Another eventful day of signing papers ahead of him, he sighs and takes one good look at the garden behind him before being ushered into the palace.
.......
Nagisa tried his best to pay attention during his work, but he could not shake the lingering thoughts that plagued him. He wanted to know what the meaning of the encounter he had earlier was.
"Sir? Are you alright?" A younger man in front of his desk asked the taller white haired one worriedly.
Nagisa blinks a few times, realizing he spaced out and looks down at the document he was signing. Black ink smeared all over the paper and covered previously written words.
"My apologies, I seem to have lost track of what I was doing. Let me help you fix this." He answers, worried that he may have upset the man.
"No problem sir. I will get a fresh document copied for you." The younger smiles and runs out of the room with ease.
Nagisa sighs and puts to fingers to his temple. He will have to sort out the flower mess on his own later, he needs to focus on the important work first.
.........
Hours pass by and the sun sets in the distance. Darkness falls upon the palace and Nagisa is free of his duties. He hurriedly stands up and heads over to the courtyard to visit the flowerbeds. Of course, it is exactly where it was last. The aqua and gold flower flows slowly in the wind of the night.
Nagisa thinks for a moment and then fetches a small potter out of the garden's storage and carefully places the flower in it. He makes sure he places enough soil that the roots are neither too squished nor too loose.
Before long, he stands inside the abandoned shrine again, yet this time it is different. The sun has set and there are no rays of light to illuminate the small room. The atmosphere is far more gloomy than normal, making Nagisa shudder slightly. He places the potted flower in front of the statue and kneels down to whisper his prayers.
"Hello Kagehira, I am here once again, although early. Today I found a flower in my garden that reminded me of you, and am giving to you as an offering."
He stands up, peering at the statue, only being able to make out the faintest details in it from the lack of light. Hesitantly, he reaches out a hand to caress the face of the ex god's statue. It is such a familiar yet foreign feeling— so right yet so wrong.
"Oh Kagehira, how I miss you."
He stares into the silhouette and presses a small kiss upon its lips.
"I miss you more than you will ever know."