Athena's embarrassment didn't last long as the scene shifted and everything was turned upside down.
A hoard of beasts rushed out from the vast plains.
Crops were destroyed, houses were destroyed and human lives were trampled without any mercy.
Humans became a source of food for the beasts who tore their bodies making a bloody mess for an instant.
Little Athena who was running with her family, was shocked beyond her wildest imagination.
The bloody smell of blood reeked around her making her suffocate and the bloody scene was too much for her soft heart to bear.
She felt nauseated and repulsed by such a scene.
Carrying her on his shoulder, his father ran through the forest along with his mother.
But it was nothing compared to the next event which almost made her despair.
While escaping, they were caught up by a beast who pounced on their group.
Athena's father reacted immediately and passed Athena to Legna.
Legna took Athena and ran behind with tears without looking back.
"Mom, father is still behind. Don't leave father, behind, mother…"
He along with others tried to fend off the beast.
Many were torn by the heart as it drew closer towards Athena's father, he slashed the sickle right into the eye of the beast.
The beast's fangs dug deep into his shoulder almost tearing a portion of flesh but he didn't give in and thrust his sickle deep into the eyes and pierced his head.
As the beast groaned in pain, everyone pounced on it and thrust their weapons killing him.
They pulled him out and carried him.
"Fatherrrrr!" Athena screamed as, under her gaze, her father that was almost bitten off by the beast was brought by her fellow villagers.
"Father, father...." Athena cried sorrowfully seeing blood gushing out from his father's shoulder.
A portion of flesh was missing from it and one could see the white bones of the girdle.
"Athena, my child. Don't cry."
"Father is still alive."
"Mom, please do something. Let us take our father to a doctor to heal him."
Her father smiled bitterly listening to her words. They didn't have food to fill their stomach so how could they afford to visit a doctor?
"We don't have any good doctor nearby and a doctor can't help him in his current state." A villager stated sorrowfully.
"Let's seek the Church's help. The Priest can use healing spells. Maybe they can cure the wound." Legna's voice quivered.
She knew that her husband might not live around to reach the church but she couldn't lose hope in front of her pitiful child.
"Father, Athena will take you to Church. Athena will beg the priest to heal you and then we will live happily thereafter." Little Athena spoke, trying to raise her family's morale.
The villagers first gave him first aid and tried to stop the blood loss.
After reaching a safe place, Athena searched for a cart to carry her father who was losing vitality slowly and steadily.
Little Athena started to get anxious every day.
"Athena, don't lose hope. Pray for god's blessing."
"If the Goddess hears your prayer, nothing will happen to your father.
"Yeah, Athena had always been a good child. She never disobeys anyone and treats everyone with courtesy. So, the Goddess will surely listen to Athena's prayer."
On their way to the city, Legna passed all the food to Athena and pretended to be full.
They never have their fill and in haste, she just bought some dried rice cakes which weren't even enough for a meal of three so pretended to be full and gave it to her daughter.
Her figure started thinning and she fell sick.
His father's condition was already bad and being treated by locals, his time seemed to be coming near but they didn't give up.
Soon Legna also collapsed with a fever leaving Athena alone to endure hardship.
Barefoot, Athena pulled the cart with her parents lying in it.
There were no horses or any domestic animals around the place so she and her mother had to pull the cart by themselves but no she had to do it alone.
Athena didn't give in.
She believed in Goddess, she believed in her benevolence. She had heard about the tales of their kindness and mercy.
She thought that all of this was an ordeal for her to overcome and reaching the Church would be the end of everything and she could go back to her happy life.
Pulling both of her parents over a cart, she finds a small shabby place near a slum and uses a bronze coin to rent a place for them after which Athena rushes towards the church.
It was the time of the afternoon, and the place wasn't crowded.
Athena knocked on the door of the Church.
Her heart was filled with hope and anticipation but little did she know all her hopes would be crushed as soon as the doors would open.
The door opened and a man with white clothes appeared.
He gazed at the dirty girl and his expression frowned.
Before he was a girl filled with filth and emitting a rotten odour. There were holes in her clothes and she was stained with mud and dirt.
He thought that she might be a beggar who came to beg.
Athena flinched as she saw the disgust on his face and wondered if he was angry because he disturbed his sleep.
"Priest, please heal my parents. My father is injured and my mother is sick." Athena spoke while kneeling on the ground.
The Priest didn't hide his contempt for the girl that reached here and said"Give me 10 silver coins and I will heal them."
Athena's body froze for a moment.
Silver coins.....
In her village, the only thing he had seen was bronze coins and she remembered, her family barely earns 30 bronze coins so how could she afford ten silver coins?
"I...I don't have silver coins." Athena stuttered and rummaged through the pocket in the dress and took out three bronze coins.
"I have this much. Can you heal my parents with this?" Athena spoke, giving him an innocent gaze.
The Priest's anger finally flared up and he shouted"Dirty swine. Are you belittling me?"
"Do you even know the status of the Priest? We are the representative of God and Goddess. Our words are absolute and with one word we can change any one destiny."
"And you want to offer me three bronze coins for healing. Get the hell out of my sight otherwise next time, you would be punished." The Priest spoke angrily and was about to close the door in her face but Athena jumped and held his legs and cried pitifully.
"Please have mercy. Save my parents. I have no one except them, they are my everything."
"I will do anything you ask as long as you save them."
"Filthy bitch. I am sure, your parents are filthy and uncivilised like you."
"Get out." He kicked Athena in her gut without any mercy.
"ARGHH!
Athena screamed and rolled on the ground holding her stomach.
" Tsk...Tsk..."
"My new clothes. My white clothes had been stained by the dirty hands of the bitch."
"Guards, take her out and punish her with 10 strikes of whips." He ordered.
"Let everyone see the fate of the people who defied the Priest's words."
The guard rushed quickly and pulled Athena.
A surge of anger rose in her heart and she screamed"How can you throw me out? We are devoted believers of God."
"Aren't God kind and merciful so how can you not have a shred of kindness? You are a demon, a demon." Athena screamed and accused the priest who just replied nonchalantly.
"Am I the priest or you are? A priest is always correct." He snorted and left flinging his sleeves while Athena was punished with whips in front of everyone.
No one had a tinge of mercy for her nor did anyone come in her support.
For the people of a city obsessed with status, seeing a dirty girl was already an eyesore.
Instead of pitying her, they gathered there just to watch the show.
In the square in front of the Church, she screamed in pain while everyone just stood motionless and soon left afterwards.
...
Athena stared at herself lying in a puddle of blood clenching her fist tightly.
Her heart churned and the anger hidden in her heart for years started to boil.
At that time, a wisp of darkness hovered around her and she heard a voice.
"The Goddess is selfish. Just look, how they abandoned you in time of need and asked you to grovel at their feet."
"Let go of the light and accept the darkness. You will rule the world and you can even bring back your parents."
"Accept my hand, Athena and became the Scion Of Darkness."
