Fractured God

After confirming the biggest topic on her mind, the two stood in silence, Elizabeth taking time to process the information.

“I'm not dead?” She weakly commented.

“Correct.”

“Then, why am I here?” She asked, not fully convinced. Maybe it was a dream after all. Why else would there be a weird person there with them?

“While you didn't die, you were close to it. As you drifted between life and death, I decided to bring you here in the meantime.”

“I'm not dead?” She whispered to herself while examining her hands. She felt her face and realised she still had some tears left on her face. She blushed before quickly wiping her face off and clearing her throat, pretending that the first few minutes she was here never happened.

She heard the boy snickering in the background but, for her own sake, she tried to ignore him.

“How thoughtful of you my Lady. There are a few things I'd like to discuss while we're here if you don't mind.”

“If you're asking about the Lord those cultists worship, then I have an inkling.”

The boy sitting down raised an eyebrow.

“But, it isn't important currently. Just know these cultists are something I may eventually call upon your help for in the future, so the quicker you can use my magic the better!”

“As you say, my Goddess.”

Gabriel soon had Elizabeth's cheeks in her clutches and amused herself and only herself by stretching them as Elizabeth kept a straight face.

(“Sigh, is she teasing me for my shameful display earlier?”) Elizabeth thought.

No, this was something she would have whether she cried or not.

“I assume the matter with Tibaut is something I should sort out in my own time?” She asked.

“Hmm?” She continued pulling on her cheeks, using Elizabeth as a glorified fidget toy. “Sure.”

“But how did I survive?” She asked.

“You'd have to ask those friends of yours when you leave. You drifted in and out of consciousness during that time so I have no clear idea of what they did.”

“I see.”

They heard some slurping and Gabriel couldn't look more displeased if she tried.

“Goddess?”

“Sorry, but it seems like this is important.”

Elizabeth immediately vanished and the woman turned her sights to the boy at the table. She walked over, stomping her feet with every step before forcefully dragging out a chair and sitting down open-legged with her arms crossed like a delinquent.

“I get a one in a million chance to spend time with my Saint and here you come to ruin the mood. Are you proud of yourself, _____?”

The sour expression soon faded and a smirk took its place.

“I have an inkling.” She said coyly.

"Mind telling what that inkling is, dear?”

She gagged before sticking her tongue. “Never call me that again, you miserable excuse of God. From my time being a god, I've seen the characteristics of what can make a good man and frankly, you have none of them.”

He looked at her and kicked his legs under the chair. “I don't care about this obsession with femininity Gabriel, just tell your good friend what you know about that group, please?”

He said while clasping his hands together.

“Unless you're praying to me, I'd suggest you stop that and look or ask elsewhere. I'm pretty sure you'd have this information too if you created your own church, but if you want to join, I'll accept as long as you go through rigorous training.”

He leaned his head against the table and continued kicking his feet in the air, even contacting the table.

She turned her face but didn't stop him from doing so. She knew he was trying to annoy her.

“Hahaha, you're a true comedian if you expect to interact with those things called humans so willingly, Gabriel. You all took our father's word so liberally and have formed such strong bonds with those insects. Don't you feel disgusted with how you coddle that human?”

“If we are to ensure their survival I see no problem with interacting with them. Let's stop this here, we've argued topics like this enough.”

“And I always win the arguments.” They confidently said with a smug expression.

“Will you not leave?” She asked. He remained seated.

“And have you brought that woman back? I know she's barely regained her health, so you'd snap her right back the instant I left. And why would I leave one of my best friends alone with one of those humans?”

She gritted her teeth at his words but removing him from this place would be laborious even for her. She was already imagining the look of delight on his after getting him out only to realise Elizabeth was healthy enough to no longer be summoned here. He'd done something similar with a previous Saint, which to this day remains a vivid memory for her.

Elizabeth woke up to see Tibaut, Lily and Tina resting nearby. Something seemed to have woken up Tibaut and he fell to the floor. He was resting on what appeared to be a toppled pillar of some kind.

Her initial focus was on those around her but now that she got a better look at this place… where was she?

The murals on the wall looked far more detailed than on the third floor and the walls and floor were made of a far darker material. Where were they?

And her body seemed different as well.

(“This pain…”)

She clenched her hand in addition to moving her wrist and each movement felt like it would rip her hand off.

She looked at her other hand and only the fingers felt anywhere near as damaged.

But a question came into her mind.

(“Why do I still have hands with fully intact digits?”)