The End

Akihiko stepped out of the train—his second that week—in a station he knew more than any other, the one that looked the same for the past eight years yet somehow different each season. He walked past the school where he taught, still closed in wait of a spring that might never come. The same park, the same roads, the exact same town. Constructions on Ikehara’s house had begun, Asahi had left the house just like she was asked, and of course the teacher himself was a new person. Maybe it wasn’t the same town after all.

He barely had any time to properly think about it, but the next day was going to be his last. His chest shrank as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

“I thought we were ready for this, we had millennia after all. Or is it maybe because of them?”

Eight years, not exactly the shortest of durations. Under normal circumstances, the puny few years would pale in comparison with two and a half millennia. But these were no normal ones, and for the vessel of remains of old gods—Akihiko—experiencing parenting overwrote what was carved by the endless years. But such is immortality: you never die until you decide to live.

Akihiko looked back to see his students followed his every step. “Go without me,” he looked in hurry, more so than he actually was. “I’ll catch up as soon as I’m ready…”

He headed to a park and sat on a bench and decided to watch the world be itself, like water taking its course without intervention. He observed birds as they flew and landed to walk awkwardly—they were… flawed. He saw the leaves fall.

Awako, who’s been sitting in silence since the beginning, at long last spoke. “Why are you showing me this?”

No response—Akihiko chose to change the scene instead. He headed towards a convenience store and bought an ice cream—one he slowly enjoyed to the last bit for as long as he could. Small and trivial joy.

Just as he started running out of ideas, his fear slowly driving him into giving up. Tall and looking at least a year older than he actually was, Yuusuke ran into him and stopped to catch a breath. “S-seriously, h-how did you even get this far away?”

“Why did you follow me?”

“You’re scared, aren’t you?”

“I-”

“It’s obvious, no need to pretend.” The boy then joined him for his walk. “Hey, are you gonna die?”

The question hung unanswered for a second, the teacher then responded with a humorous smile, “We all will, one day.”

“Don’t play games.”

“I probably will. it’s complicated. I’m a part of the seal; there might be no way for me to live in a world where Awako isn’t.”

A part of the seal? The boy thought but dared not ask.

“I am afraid, all of these feelings… they’re not mine. I don’t know where they came from, they’re very old and hateful. That god—Awako, it’s different than what I knew it for. It’s full of desire for revenge, it’s far more evil than I’d thought.”

Yuusuke grabbed him by the collar, “Sensei, I’m sorry. But I have a feeling you’ll thank me for this later.”

“I’ll listen, I’ll listen, don’t punch me.”

“Shut up, you don’t know how they feel. You have no idea. I offered Himawari a way out, you know what she said? ‘If this thing matters to him more than our safety then so be it, we would all be dead if not for him anyway.’” He paused to take a breath, “They’re ready to sacrifice themselves for you. The least you can do is more of the same.”

The teacher smiled, still shaking in fear. “Let’s join the rest. Thank you, Yuusuke.”

“Here I come, Awako.”