CHAPTER 26

Lÿarah and Alex entered the hall of Hvergelmir and came face-to-face with a scene of horror. Not even in the bloodiest battles of the Nidhogg people was there such carnage and barbarity.

“For a thousand hells... What happened here?” She exclaimed.

“So, you must be the woman who defeated Surtr, right?” Said a voice coming from inside the great machine's room.

“Who are you?” Asked Lÿarah, hearing footsteps approaching.

“I am the Mathematician.” Ivan finally appeared before them. “And you?”

“Lÿarah, daughter of Igor of the Nidhogg people.”

Ivan noticed the royal family pendant hanging around her neck.

“Interesting.” He reflected. “Daughter of Igor, you say. Could you tell me more about your lineage? I believe you have a story. Before we discuss anything, I’d like to hear it.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have time... we need to...”

“I insist. Please.” The monarch said, interrupting her.

“But...”

“I insist.”

“Very well.” Said Lÿarah after a few seconds. “If you insist...”

Lÿarah spent some time analyzing those bodies and what had happened to leave them in such a miserable state. They seemed to have been sliced by something on fire. If that guy was alone in that hall, it was because he caused it. Lÿarah wondered how powerful he might be. Telling her story might really be a good idea. That would give her enough time to understand the situation better.

“My father claims he was the rightful heir to the title you now hold. Despite that, he never showed interest in claiming the throne.”

That information took Ivan by surprise. His legs trembled. Finally, he was facing his greatest sin, but was it really a sin? Had Igor been alive all these years while the Mathematician mourned his death?

Was that true? Or a lie, a new trap from Lucia. Would she torment him even after death?

That young woman would be a fraud.

It couldn't be, he thought; after all, how could an impostor mimic that accent? Or even the clothes she was wearing.

He needed to know more. Much more. His soul was craving answers.

“And how did he prove that to you, young lady?”

“His word alone would have been enough for me, but he made a point of showing the ceremonial outfit and this pendant I carry with me.”

“I see... he couldn't have obtained these items in another way?”

“Are you implying that my father is a liar?”

“That's not what I meant, but you must agree that...”

“Ma'am. I am a married woman.” She interrupted him.

“Huh? Yes, sorry... as I was saying, you must agree that such information, without solid proof, needs to be verified.”

“I understand you, but there’s no other evidence besides this. Besides, I don’t care whether you believe my story or not; I'm not obligated to convince you.” Said Lÿarah firmly.

Ivan looked at her for a few seconds. Her brother's features were clearly visible in her face. The memory of his face had haunted him for many years. It was impossible to forget. She could very easily pass as his daughter.

He remained silent for almost a minute. Analyzing her face. He reflected on the thousands of hypotheses running through his mind in those few moments.

“I’ve decided to believe you. I have some questions, if you don’t mind. First, did you come here on my mother’s orders?”

“I don’t know who your mother is.”

Ivan pointed to the body of an older woman lying near the door that led to Hvergelmir.

Lÿarah swallowed hard. That was very bizarre. She was dead. A hole in her chest made it very clear how she had died.

“Was that your mother?”

“It was.”

“Was it you who killed her?”

“Yes, I did. And I am not proud of it; quite the opposite.”

Lÿarah froze at that man's coldness.

“Not that it justifies anything, but she already killed my wife and my son. Her own grandson.” He said without hesitation. “I don’t expect you to understand, and I don’t want your opinion on this.”

“All families are complicated and have their problems, I think.” Lÿarah deflected.

“Second. Should I understand that the fact I brought her here, not on my mother’s orders, was then another reason? What could it have been, if not to claim my throne? Are you just another trying to usurp my crown?”

“I dismiss that. My father didn’t want her; I feel the same. What would I do in the role of ‘Mathematics’? I don’t even believe in your faith, let alone being its pillar. In fact, I reject everything that your society and system take as sacred.”

“If it wasn’t power, then what was it?”

“For my people. I came here to find a way to bring my people, who suffer beyond the walls, inside. The cold is intensifying; soon, they will perish if they can’t get into this city. And we know you won’t welcome us with open arms. There will be fighting.”

“Lÿarah? Is it okay to say that to him?” Alex interrupted.

“So what? That’s obvious. He seems to be intelligent; I’d deduce that on my own.”

“So you plan to invade the city and overpower us, take our home?”

“I have no intention of expelling you from your homes. My goal is coexistence, but I know there will be resistance, since we have such different ways of organizing our societies.”

“You know that’s utopian, right? It will only result in a bloodbath.”

“From what I see here, you understand bloodbaths well... I know it sounds like a childish dream, but if I do nothing, we will perish anyway; so all we can do is try.”

“I understand. Very well, let’s move on to the third question.”

“You may ask.”

“How do you know the technique of conjuring shortcuts with BahDehToh’s command movements?”

“He is my master.” She said. “He personally taught me.”

“He is your master?” Ivan said, raising an eyebrow. “Is BahDehToh alive?”

“That would be the only way I could have learned this technique. As far as I know, his knowledge is written in a language my people don’t understand. All he taught me was oral.”

“Fascinating... I know his species can live for centuries, but I didn’t imagine the master was still alive. I would love to meet him if I had the chance.”

“He is a peculiar creature. A good person, but the quiet type.” Said Lÿarah.

“I imagine. Still, it must be very enriching to spend a few moments talking with him. I picture myself absorbing his wisdom and knowledge.”

“It’s a transformative experience. I speak from personal experience.”

Lÿarah noticed the orbs that orbited him. Whatever those things were, they were definitely responsible for all that massacre. The red light emanating from those things made it clear they were lethal.

“My fourth question. The destruction of Muspelheim? Should I understand that you and your pendant, along with the boilers, were responsible?”

“I’m not sure if it was my fault, but yes, the explosions and this entire incident started after we passed through there,” Lÿarah said slowly. “Everything started to glow green, and I saw the roots of Yggdrasil behave abnormally. I can't say for sure, but I suspect it was indeed my responsibility.”

“I think that explains why you had the audacity to invade my temple. Do you want to shut down Hvergelmir?”

“Exactly. If Mu explodes, there won’t be a safe place for my people to emigrate to.”

“Of course, of course... a matter of survival. Understandable. Unfortunately, I must disagree. Shutting down Hvergelmir is out of the question.”

“Alright, then. I figured it wouldn’t be that easy; otherwise, you would have already shut it down. My turn to ask questions.” She said.

“Fair enough. Ask.” He replied.

“First. What happened to my father? Why did he end up in the wastelands?” She asked, clenching her fist.

“He never told you?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s something... It’s a long story.”

“Since we’re talking... I answered your questions, and now I’d like to hear yours.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you... Let’s see, where do I start?”

“Take your time, as long as it’s before Muspelheim explodes, preferably.” Lÿarah shrugged.

“Then I’ll avoid rambling. I was the original sin. The primordial mistake that caused Mu’s gears to fall apart. Maybe today I have to account for my past.”

And Ivan began to tell his story, patiently and straightforwardly.

He was the youngest mathematician in all of history to have the honor of sitting on the Throne of Exactness.

When he was young, he wanted to break the chains of his destiny, just as insurgents longed for freedom. His greatest desire was to leave the city walls, free from scripts, and explore the world, to go beyond the stormy walls that rose impassively on the horizon. However, his father, the mathematician of the time, warned him that this was not written in his destiny and that the calculations indicated he should continue preparing as the second in line for succession.

Igor, his younger brother, was supposed to be the first in line to inherit the throne of exactness. Contrary to what everyone believed, even Lÿarah, Igor was not the oldest sibling.

According to his father’s calculations, the youngest child in the family was more likely to become a better mathematician than the eldest.

Discontent with his fate, whether due to lack of freedom or being overlooked by his father, Ivan fled in one of the guard ships docked at the vast city walls.

In the very same way that Alex fled decades later.

However, during the escape, Ivan discovered that his little brother Igor had followed him and secretly boarded the ship. The young man realized the consequences and decided to turn back, but to his misfortune, he was already far from the city and caught in a storm.

The ship began to fall, and Ivan managed to jump, but his brother was trapped. He parachuted into the snow just in time to see the ship, with the heir to the Throne of Exactness, crash to the ground.

In shock, he could only watch from afar as the wreckage exploded into a mushroom cloud of fire. Minutes later, he fainted amid the storm.

After the storm ended, calm returned, and Ivan survived, almost miraculously. When he awoke, he went to the ship's remains, which were still burning.

At that moment, he knew there was no longer any hope of finding Igor alive, so Ivan walked through the white desert toward the city for several days and, nearly dying, was finally rescued by the guards.

His father did not forgive him, but he forced himself to follow the damage remediation plan based on his calculations. He kept Ivan as his heir instead of Igor and did everything possible to keep his disobedience from becoming public.

Throughout his life, the mathematician never missed the opportunity to use this incident as an example for his son.

From personal experience, Ivan came to believe wholeheartedly that tragedies and accidents would befall anyone who dared to oppose the Temple of Exactness's guidance.

For him, maintaining peace and order and protecting the kingdom meant forcing everyone to follow the calculations and ordinances, even if it required force.

Afterward, the incident was covered up harshly. Driven by guilt, Ivan accepted his 'burden' and began to obey his father's instructions.

His mother, Lúcia, unlike his father, who started tolerating him for the sake of maintaining the crown, came to hate him with all her might, constantly blaming him for the death of the favorite son.

Your father finally passed away. Life moved on, and the day came when Ivan would become the new Mathematician. The mantra that the Mathematician was always right and that everyone should have full confidence in his calculations was repeated endlessly.

Ivan came to believe it too, as if his life depended on it.

But the crown was heavy, and the reign, thanks to his mother, was troubled.

Unaware of all this, Ivan existed without vitality or joy, focusing coldly only on the calculations.

He was never seen smiling again, even as an adult and married.

The lives of others and their unfolding events no longer mattered, because he firmly believed that if the equations were correct, everything should work out perfectly.

But one event changed everything. And life started to smile at him again.

His children, especially Lucas's sweetness, brought back his pride.

A new world opened up, and he believed that his dedication to numbers would finally bear fruit.

But he knew he didn't have the right to be happy. The universe would punish him for daring to smile again.

And the day of reckoning arrived, and it was much harder than he expected.

His beloved son, the reason for his existence, was taken from him so violently. And by the vengeful hand of his own.

Fate could not have been crueler.

Lÿarah listened to the whole story in silence and even forgot about her emergency regarding the collapse of Muspelheim.

“I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for the cousin I never had the pleasure of meeting.”

“Cousin?” Ivan said, lifting his head with a downcast look.

“Yes, my uncle.” She said.

“Uncle, right?”

“Yes, uncle. Let me try to lighten your burden a little.”

“How? What would lighten my burden?”

“My father never blamed you for what happened. I imagine he must have been very grateful to you, my uncle.”

“Grateful?”

“He was saved by BahDehToh and taken to the Nidhogg people and lived as one of them. He never wished to return. He feared telling you the truth and that the crown would force him to come back. He had found happiness.”

“He became the most respected warrior of my people and loved my mother deeply, making her a daughter. I, in this case. Unlike what you might think, I have always been grateful for the father I had and the education I received. My life was hard, full of privations and suffering, but I see that I was much happier and more fulfilled than I would have been if I had been raised within the walls of Mu.”

“I’m glad to hear that. A glimmer of light amid so much darkness.”

“My father always loved you; I truly believe that.”

“Thank you. Is my brother in good health?”

“Unfortunately, not, but his time seems to be coming soon; death will find him without regrets.”

“I wish I had the chance to see him one last time.”

“That can be arranged, Uncle.”

“I don’t believe it, but thank you anyway.”

“Uncle, I need to ask one more question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why do you oppose shutting down Hvergelmir?”

“Because it will be the end of the human race.”

“What do you mean?” Said Lÿarah, stunned.