Chapter 65

I look at the corpse of the corpse of God. Then I look at the embodiment of death. She looks back at me.

“I… have waited for you.” I look at her.

“You have?”

“Yes… but not like him. Itu wanted to die… but I don’t. I want to keep on living, don’t get me wrong… But you… are my enemy. You have killed everyone I loved.”

“No. I have not.

Those events back then would have happened either way. Whether or not I would have done anything, your village would have ended up being annihilated anyway. The Poems of Death do not set the future in stone. They are merely me telling humanity of a disaster which happens.”

“You say that the future is not set in stone… and yet, didn’t Itu say the complete opposite?! Isn’t you writing down this poem before it even happens exactly why it happens?!”

“Itu also said he couldn’t die. And yet he lies there.

A poem is not the cause of a disaster. It only truly does exist once the disaster has already happened. And thus, it tells the story. Only once death is sure does a poem exist. A Death Poem is nothing less than the last thoughts and feelings of the dead brought to paper properly.”

“Liar! Hanebana, Aki and the others were there when my village was destroyed!”

“They were also late. If the poems would truly define the future, would they not have been there earlier?”

“But… how else could they know?!”

“The person who managed the poems was none other than Itu. And Itu has already planned of your existence, has he not? Has he not known your name and thus concluded that you will be the final puzzle piece?”

I stop for a second. Then I regain my tempo.

“So… life is not set in stone? Free will does exist?”

“That is correct. The world is not pre-determined.”

“So… Itu’s thinking of life being meaningless is wrong… Life does have a meaning, correct?”

Lady Death smiles.

It was a genuine smile.

“I do not know.

Each and every person believes us Protogoni to be all knowing… And yet, in front of the giant question of life’s meaning or life’s true purpose, none of us have a true answer.

We all do have individual answers: Because such a truth is subjective. There is no real answer. There is not one correct answer. Whatever you believe in… must be true for you. That is the truth.

If you decide that your life has meaning, then that is the truth that you may follow. If you decide that your life is meaningless, then that is the truth you may follow.

Some questions have no answer: But that is the beauty of life, isn’t it? If there were an answer to each and every question proposed by life, then would life even be worth living? If each and everything has a correct way to do, would not everyone follow this correct way and thus lose themself?
In terms of life, there is no such thing as an objective truth. I can only give you one thing… one command. One answer. A single sentence.”

…

“You’ll be blessed if you enjoy life.”

…

As Lady Death slowly turns around and leaves, I stay behind.

And now I understand.

Questions and answers regarding life itself are not important. They never were.

It… doesn’t matter if nothing matters. It doesn’t matter if everything matters.

The only thing that is actually important in life… is enjoying life.

It does not matter what you do: If it is merely talking with people. Merely eating food. Merely sleeping. Merely living itself:

As long as you enjoy living… you will be blessed. Your life will be glad… and you will be thankful for being alive.

A sentence and message as simple as that.

If you enjoy being alive… life itself is good. You will have a good life, just by liking your life.

The past two weeks were phenomenal. I lived to the fullest. I enjoyed every second of it. And even now, I am truly blessed, for I love life itself and life itself loves me. For as long as I am allowed to live on this planet, for as long as I am allowed to enjoy life… I will. I will keep on having fun. I will keep on enjoying life. I will keep on being blessed. I will keep on living.