When the Night Lady's words fell, the area around the towering throne seemed to gradually dim—a formless pressure, as if night were about to descend, spread through the entire space, extending from the peak of the gray-white sky to the majestic spires of the City of Nightfall at the border. Yet when Gawain truly looked up at the sky, he realized that this "dimming" seemed to be nothing more than an illusion. The pale daylight still blanketed the land, and the Night Lady's line of sight hanging down from the clouds remained calm.
Her final words still echoed in his mind.
"Will you pray to a true god?"
After a brief daze and some thought, he realized that the Night Lady's words did not mean merely what they seemed to say. What this ancient god truly meant was something else—did they need His salvation?
Gawain fell silent. This time, he remained silent for a long while. He had originally been prepared to leave the Divine Kingdom of Shadow and conclude this unusual meeting, but several minutes later, he suddenly sat down on the ground. He sat directly before the Night Lady's throne, at the boundary between the gray-white desert and the towering, weathered altar. He let the fine sand rise and fall around him in the wind, then slowly lifted his gaze. "If one prays, one can be saved. That option exists, doesn't it?"
"...Those who seek help are saved; those who save themselves walk alone," the Night Lady said quietly. "His power cannot yet fully enter this world, but taking away some of those who seek help would not be difficult for such a great being. Given the current circumstances, He could not only take you away, but every person you care about. He could even... take away your