Johan looked back and forth between the two.

  “Tao.” Note said breathlessly.

  The man stepped forward. “It’s you.”

  “Who is that?” Johan quietly asked Note.

  Note met his eyes. “It’s my…my brother in law.”

  What? Johan’s head snapped towards the man. What was this? Family reunion day? First Johan’s uncle, now Note’s brother in law?

  “Note…You...You’re here!” The man’s eyes shone with tears. Johan eyed him. He was young, probably in his early thirties.

  The man shortened the distance and pulled Note into a big hug. “How? How are you here? When Liya was killed you just disappeared. We were so sure you died. What happened to you?”

  “I..” Note hesitated and looked at Johan before glancing around them. “Not here.”

  The man followed Note’s gaze to Johan and his face hardened. “I see. Come with me then.”

  Weirdly enough the man started leading them up the same white-stone path they were just standing on, but the only place on this street was… Johan looked cautiously at Note.

  “Where are we going?” Johan asked quietly so the man wouldn’t hear him.

  “The palace.”

  The palace?! Johan stopped in his tracks. For a long second he stared shocked after Note. Really?! He quickly caught up and Note answered before Johan could even open his mouth to ask.

  “Tao is the crown prince.” He looked amused as Johan’s jaw dropped. He slapped a hand over his mouth before Tao could see it.

  “The crown prince?! To the kingdom?!” He hissed, making sure to stay quiet. The look Note sent him told him he was unsuccessful.

  Wait. Last time Johan met royalty… Oh no. He panicked. This couldn’t be good. Last time he met royalty ended pretty badly…

  Guilt flowed through him but he quickly shook his head. This was not the time for that. Nervously he patted his clothes and just followed along. This was Note’s family afterall. He couldn’t be making a bad first impression.

  Soon they reached the steps leading up to the palace. About halfway up there was a gate with guards on either side, both fully dressed in plate armor and were intimidatingly holding long spears. They were standing completely still as they approached, all until Tao walked past and they bowed. And then to make matters worse, they even bowed to Note and to Johan.

  Johan gave them an awkward nod back with his face hidden in his collar as inconspicuous as possible. Note made an amused noise beside him.

  A big garden opened up past the gate, covered by the short wall surrounding the outskirts of the palace. As far as Johan could see, it stretched the whole way around it.

  He looked around in wonder. It was really pretty. Tall and colorful trees, beautiful flowers, and bushes trimmed into various shapes of animals, and right in the middle was a simple stone path sticking out from the bright green grass leading straight to the palace doors.

  “My sister used to love it here. In the gardens.” Note told him with a sad smile. “There are stairs around the back that leads down to a river. I can’t even count all the times we would just spend all day down there.”

  “She loved the water.” Tao added fondly, a similarly sad smile on his face as he watched them from the entrance. Johan hadn’t even noticed they had stopped. Tao opened the doors and they followed him inside.

  “She always hated that she couldn’t go back to visit your town after we got married.” Tao reminisced as they walked. “Though she never said it out loud.”

  “She loved you too much.” Note said suddenly. “That place was a hole anyways. She shouldn’t have missed it.”

  “Of course she did, you grew up there afterall. I still remember a tiny version of you running after her at every moment. You never left her side.” Tao hummed. Johan’s eyes widened.

  “A tiny Note?” He questioned, eyes sparkling and Note cleared his throat, neck turning red.

  “Yes.” Tao gave Johan an amused smile. “Maybe you’ll be interested in hearing some stories of shy little Note?”

  Shy?!

  “I would love to.” Johan said genuinely, then to Note. “Shy, huh?” Note pointedly turned away but Johan snickered as he saw the blush deepening.

  “We should have some old paintings somewhere as well.” Tao wondered aloud and Note made a noise.

  “Tao.”

  “Ah, sorry. I’m just so happy you’re here! And you even have a friend!” Tao led them into a room with a small table and some seats and sat down furthest from the door, motioning for them to sit down across from him. He eyed Note with warm eyes. “Though you are already twenty-for years old now. An adult.”

  “Ahh...Well.” Note croaked and exchanged a look with Johan. Technically sure, but he had been dead for four of those years so did they really count?

  Johan shook his head. Tao had just relaxed a little, no need to let him know just yet.

  Still with a soft smile on his face, Tao motioned and suddenly a servant appeared with cups and by the time she had exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her, the easy atmosphere had all but disappeared. For a long time nobody spoke.

  “I...actually-” Note started but stopped. “It’s a long story.”

  Tao watched impassively as he spoke. After a moment, Note straightened up and stared right into his brother in law’s eyes. “But first of all I need you to know that I did not mean to leave.”

  Tao frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Note glanced at Johan before turning back to Tao.

  “That day.” He started seriously. “I’m sure you already know that someone broke into the house. I’m not sure what they wanted, but whatever it was, they found Liya first. I heard the yelling from my room but by the time I got out there she was on the ground, in a puddle of her own blood. As far as I know, she was already dead.” Note paused for a second. “They saw me next and as I pulled my sword out, I was killed.”

  Johan stared at the table. That’s how Note became a deity. He still remembered the wound from that day yet it never occurred to him that Note had been murdered.

  “That’s impossible.” Tao said with narrow eyes. “You are sitting right there.”

  “Yeah. That’s why it’s a long story.” Note informed gravely. “What do you know of deities?”

  “Are you saying this has to do with them?” Tao asked seriously, leaning forward. When he didn’t get a response he straightened back up. “Deities are the superior beings. They control and protect as well as ruin, all depending on what we do and deserve.”

  “Do you know how you become one?” Note asked.

  Tao stared. “I’m sorry?”

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  “How does a deity become a deity?” Note repeated. Tao opened his mouth just to close it again.

  “Nobody becomes a deity.” Tao answered finally. “They were here long before any of us ever were.”

  “No, they weren’t.” Note corrected and Tao leveled him with a silent look. “Have you never wondered about why they are always depicted differently? When a deity dies, the first fitting person takes their place.” He took a deep breath and Johan could see his fists shaking just below the edge of the table. “When I died, it didn’t take long before I woke up again. In a very different place.”

  “That’s impossible.” Tao repeated breathlessly, but his eyes flickered to Johan for a second anyways.

  Note continued like he had said nothing. “I woke up in a puddle of my own blood. Inside Heaven’s palace. The Lord of Life and Death had died and I had been picked to replace him.”

  “Note.” Tao muttered, shaking his head. “Are you expecting me to believe this? That you’re the Lord of Life and Death?”

  “Not quite. I’m only the…Lord of Life. My sis- uhm. Signe… Uhm, someone else is the Lady of Death. The old one kinda…” He glanced at Johan for help. “Separated into two.”

  “It was a very confusing day.” Johan added unhelpfully, remembering the confusion on everyone’s faces as everyone had been cleared from the crumbling palace and instead of one new deity, there were two.

  “You can’t expect me to believe this!” Tao repeated loudly. “A deity? Note, this isn’t real.”

  “I can prove it.” Note said simply and suddenly it was like a switch had been turned off. His eyes glowed purple and the room that was so cozy just a second ago turned dark, the fire in the fireplace went out. Black smoke seemed to seep in from everywhere; the cracks in the walls, the doorframe and even from the windows, they came in big waves.

  Tao jumped to his feet, alarmed and Johan followed, grip tight on his ribbons. The man stood there in shock, a stricken look of fear on his face. But he didn’t look away from Note, and he also didn’t draw his sword, his hand only clutching the hilt of it. He didn’t move, so Johan didn’t either.

  The same smoke appeared from between Note’s hands as he slowly cupped them together.

  Johan watched cautiously as Tao stared in shock and after a long moment he asked. “Are you doing that?” It came out more like a breath.

  Note didn’t answer and the smoke only grew denser.

  Then, abruptly, it stopped.

  Note opened his hands and from inside, a purple butterfly appeared. Tao stood there, still as a rock, just starting. Note lifted his hand and with a flutter of its wings the butterfly flew through the room and after making a lap it went right out the slightly open window.

  Note let his arms fall down at his sides. “Do you believe me now?”

  Tao had been following the butterfly with his eyes, and swallowed heavily as he stared at the spot it disappeared. He took a deep breath and turned back to Note, this time also looking closely at Johan. With a cautious look Tao looked him over, eyes catching on his hands holding the ribbons, before turning to Note.

  “I do.”

  -

  After filling him in on the basics, Tao sat back in his seat, looking defeated and thoughtful. Johan could understand. It was a lot to take in. Note appearing alive was probably enough of a surprise, to find out he was a deity as well was even worse.

  “You’re a deity.” Tao stated. Not questioned. Stated.

  “Yes.” Note confirmed and twitched involuntarily in Johan’s direction.

  Tao nodded thoughtfully. Then he set his eyes on Johan. “Then who are you? How do you know each other?”

  Johan froze, his heart skipping a beat. Ah, right. So he had to explain now. He glanced at Note but found absolutely no help, only mirrored panic.

  “He’s Johan.” Note said tensely. “My...”

  Johan took a sip of his drink, using it as an excuse to school his expression into something more fit for this conversation.

  “I’m Note’s dear friend Johan.” Johan started, extremely aware of how Tao was sizing him up for some reason while smiling. He cleared his throat, knowing how the next part was going to go. “Also known as Fate.”

  At once Tao’s face dropped. His eyes went wide as plates as he stared at Johan’s face and Johan grabbed onto the thighs of his pants to keep from patting his hair down further over his eyes.

  “The king?!” Tao startled.

  “Yes.” Note said at the same time as Johan said, “No.”

  Johan glared at Note but he just glared right back.

  “I’m not a king.”

  “You would have been.” Note hissed back, sending a smile at Tao before turning to Johan and hissing quietly. “He doesn’t know this stuff, it’s just easier to explain without all the baggage-”

  “So I take it, yes.” Tao interrupted. This time Johan was sure, that was a smile on his lips. “You are the Fate, then.”

  Well if he said it that way. “Yes.”

  “But not the king?” Tao asked. “Why not?”

  “It’s a long story.” Johan answered, trying to steer away from the subject. Note seemed to have different ideas, though.

  “A power hungry deity turned Heaven against us. As a result Johan fled the city after I and Sig- Lady Death, were killed.”

  “You were killed?!” Tao exclaimed, eyes turning to rage.

  “Yes,” Note answered impassively, barely giving him a glance. “But it’s fine now.”

  Unsurprisingly Johan could see that Tao definitely did not think that was fine.

  “We came back to life again and Johan saved us and got out of Heaven. We have lived peacefully since.” Note added. “Until now, at least. The man we thought did it was only the scapegoat, instead it was someone else. A man who now knows we are alive and is after us.”

  “You will not die.” Tao said, his tone deadly. “Not again. Stay here, we will keep you safe.”

  Note’s head snapped up. “You still want me to...”

  “Of course.” Tao said firmly, not even waiting for Note to finish speaking. “You are family. You will always have a home here. So what do you say?”

  There was no way…

  Johan looked at Note. Searching for anything even remotely like he was going to turn him down. That he wouldn’t just stay.

  Finally Note turned his head towards Johan and his heart dropped. He saw happiness. A childish excitement in his eyes, all hidden in a small, real smile.

  Of course. Note was going to stay, wasn’t he?

  Johan looked down at his cup. He felt cold. So this was the end, then.

  He forced a smile on his face and looked up at Tao. “It’s getting late, I’ll take my leave.”

  Tao nodded, expression unreadable as Johan got to his feet.

  Alarmed, Note called after him but Johan ignored it. Instead he closed the door gently behind him and for the first time in a long day, Johan let his expression fall.

  For a long moment he stood there, facing the door, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. It was fine. Everything was fine. He knew this wouldn’t last forever. He knew that.

  He swallowed and turned. His eyes burned, probably from the smoke. A red figure darted behind a wall. Probably a servant that wanted a front seat to the drama. He couldn’t bring himself to care whether they heard or not.

  Johan quietly walked out of the palace, then out the gate, then down the streets. The sky was already dark by now. They had spent a long time in the palace. Emil was probably waiting for them…

  He should find Signe first.

  He continued down the street, lit up in bright lights from what he had thought was decoration hanging between the buildings.

  Then Johan saw them.

  Signe and Vero were laughing by a food stall, sharing something on a stick, and somehow Johan’s heart fell further down into his stomach.

  Right. She had always wanted to see more of the world.

  He swallowed. And turned around.

  The walk back to the gallery was quiet. The beautiful city looked even more beautiful in the dark, yet Johan couldn’t enjoy it. It was a somber setting.

  Emil was waiting outside the building and was rubbing his hands together as he looked around. He caught eye of Johan and a shining smile grew on his face.

  “Johan! It went amazingly! Everyone loved my pieces!” Emil bounced over but paused halfway as he seemed to realize something. “Where is Note and Signe? Aren’t they with you?”

  Johan looked away. “Let’s just go. Where’s your boat?”

  Johan started walking in one direction, only turning when Emil finally stuttered out a response to his question. He must have noticed something was off because he didn’t say anything else after that.

  “Don’t you need to bring your paintings?” Johan asked as they reached the small boat.

  “No, they’ll be brought for me in a few days.” Emil answered silently.

  It didn’t take them long to get to the boat.

  Johan started rowing. For hours the only words were about the direction back to the village. Emil sat curled up at the helm, holding the map, and was eyeing Johan warily every few seconds, but every time he seemed to raise the courage to ask, something seemed to stop him.

  That’s when it happened. One second he was on the boat, watching the waves glint in the moonlight, and the next he was inside a house.

  Disoriented by the change he stood there for a few seconds.

  Where was he?

  He slowly looked around. It was familiar. He was sure he had been there before, but when-

  Suddenly a scream came from outside. Johan didn’t think before running for the door, ribbons ready.

  What he saw sucked the breath from his lungs. Johan looked back to the house he just came from. Odin’s.

  A burning arrow came flying past him, sticking out of the wood and Johan stumbled back as the house caught on fire.

  The arrow was just one of many. As soon as he saw the ships sailing past, arrows started raining down around him. Johan flinched as one landed right in front of him, sizzling out on the dirt ground.

  Then for a second he looked down at the village as it burned in the darkness of the night.

  Then everything went dark.