Chapter 279: Prometheus’s Plea
Thanatos merely gently stroked the soft hair of the child in his embrace, quietly gazing at Prometheus.
He knew that this Second Generation Titan before him, the wise God of Foresight, truly wanted to say what next.
Sure enough, Prometheus got to the point, praying in a tone of pleading grief:
“Illustrious Thanatos! You are that great supreme Master, the compassionate great father of all living beings—the Child of God King Zeus.”
“Though you wield ‘Death,’ you must surely also be the most good God.”
“You are also that great Ruler of Night, child of the boundless loving-kindness Black Night Great Mother Goddess; tenderness and loving-kindness are hidden in your root.”
He pointed to the wooden mother on the ground, saying sorrowfully: “Respected Ruler of Death, please look at this lovely child in your embrace; and please look carefully at his pitiable mother.”
“These pitiable mortal spirits are different from us immortal gods.”
“This child grew in his mother’s womb for a full ten months before he could be born.”
“This child was borne by this mother with ten months of flesh and blood, exchanged for with ten months of pain and hope.”
“His mother wailed in the agony of childbirth for a long time before bringing him into this world.”
“And his first cry upon birth also made his mother shed tears.”
“That was not because of the pain of fertility, but because of that most sacred bloodline closeness; and because her life had continuation.”
“Because this was a piece of flesh and blood grown on her own body.”
Prometheus looked at that still wooden mother with mercy.
In that mother’s mortal soul rolled terrifying pain like a storm, which even a god like him dared not easily probe.
Thanatos listened earnestly to Prometheus’s words, and together with his gaze, looked toward that pitiable mother.
His eyes held indescribable complex color.
Prometheus’s words continued.
“When this child was just born, he was only that tiny bit.” He gestured with his hand.
“He is also not like us gods, born knowing and born powerful. At that time, he knew nothing.”
“The loving-kindness guardian Goddess and the loving-kindness nurturing Goddess, these two great Goddesses, bestowed those raw nurturing skills upon humanity.”
“They taught humans how to nurture, how to nurture, allowing this frail infant body to take shape and grow.”
“And this mother expended untold hardship and effort to finally allow a ignorant, vulnerable, tiny child to survive with difficulty on this vast earth.”
“Day-and-night ceaseless watching, sleepless all-night protection, from watching him only cry to watching him crawl on the ground.”
“From his first shaky standing to his first tooth growing, from teaching him his first mumbled syllable to him finally clearly calling out ‘Mother’…”
“The care and protection in all this, the effort and hardship expended, are hard to express in words. Every step of this child’s growth was soaked in her sacrifice and deep affection.”
“But this mother never felt the slightest boredom because of it.”
“Because when this child first called out the two words ‘Mother,’ she was already willing to devote everything of herself entirely to him.”
“She is a true mother, and for this, she gave all her love to this child.”
“As a mother, ordinarily upon seeing her child suffer even a little, she would ache endlessly. When her child was accidentally injured, her heart would break.”
Prometheus’s voice already held trembling sobs, but he still strove to maintain solemnity. He took a deep breath and continued:
“How immense the pain of nurturing a child!”
“This pain does not originate from oneself, but from her love for her child, making her place everything about the child above herself.”
“Any suffering the child receives will be reflected back onto her heart tenfold, a hundredfold.”
“And now, this lovely child has finally learned to run on this beautiful earth; finally learned to speak pleasant words; finally learned to embrace his mother with his tiny arms.”
Prometheus said in a tone nearly pleading: “Respected Thanatos, this child, under the sacred twelve-month cycle, has only passed five cycles.”
“He is still so small, this little person is only that tiny bit!”
“He has not yet had time to see all the things on this vast earth; has not yet had time to experience all the wonderful things.”
“Even his mother’s greatest love, he has not had time to enjoy for long.”
“And his pitiable mother, just like this, on such an utterly ordinary day, permanently lost her most precious treasure.”
“The continuation of her life, the anchorage of her soul, her flesh and blood… everything shattered utterly in this instant.”
Prometheus pleaded with the most devout words, his voice hoarse, nearly every word dripping blood:
“Compassionate Thanatos! Please look once more at that pitiable mother; she can no longer even shed a single tear.”
“Her daily life has thus been silently torn apart; in the long years of the future, how can you let her continue to live?”
“Please have mercy on this mother and child, bestow your precious mercy, forgive him this once.”
“He is still so small, his future is so long; he should not lose everything because of one small accident.”
Thanatos slowly and gently stroked the sleeping tiny soul wrapped in night in his embrace.
His voice was calm like the eternal unchanging wind of the netherworld: “Respected Sons of Iapetus, illustrious Prometheus, I understand everything you have said, and I understand the grief in your heart.”
“But please also believe me, no existence understands ‘Death’ more than I.”
“Because I am ‘Death’ itself.”
Thanatos’s voice was calm, yet like the echo of the abyss, causing every request of Prometheus to fold in the air.
The God of Death did not like the pain of the mortal world, but he never avoided it either. He continued:
“You should also know that the path of life’s forward progress is not born from nothing in the air, but forged together by countless pains and cruel choices.”
“I have a Mother Goddess who loved me like his mother, so I can understand a mother’s love for her child; I deeply respect this love and grieve this loss.”
Thanatos’s gaze did not evade, still firmly looking at Prometheus: “Yes, this newborn child is still very small; he originally might have had a brighter future, might have had a brilliant life.”
“But Prometheus, Death cannot be salvaged. Death is though merciless, also absolutely equal.”
“The moment a living being is born, it has already begun the irreversible march toward Death.”
“Aside from those true Great Gods existing as the ‘root,’ even Elemental Deities and those natural Nymphs will one day face the extinction of divinity.”
“The solemnity of Death arises precisely from its equality to all spirits.”
“Equal arrival. Regardless of status, age, position; regardless of what he possesses or has nothing, Death will descend equally.”
His tone grew ever firmer: “It is precisely because of this absolute equality that Death deserves awe!”
“And it is precisely this awe that constantly warns all mortal spirits to cherish every day of being alive, to live well, to maintain caution and humility toward everything, to strive to live better.”
“Today, if I can revoke this Death that has become established fact because of a mother’s love, because a child is still young,”
“Then, what about later? How many mothers in this world harbor deep love for their children? What age is not considered young?”
“And what about others? Some tribal leaders may bear even heavier responsibilities, shouldering the lives and futures of more people. Then, should I also spare them?”
“Have you ever thought? If ‘Death’ is no longer equal, if I can act on private favoritism at will,”
“Then, what would become of this entire universe?”
Thanatos looked earnestly at Prometheus, posing the most serious question.
His volume was not loud, his pace not fast, but this question was like an immovable great mountain, pressing so that Prometheus could not answer directly.
These reasons, as the God of Foresight, how could he not understand?
But reason is coldness, while the despair of the mother before them is scorching.
He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.
In the end, the fatherly love from the “creator” overwhelmed rationality.
He still persistently pleaded in a low voice: “Respected Ruler of Death, I understand your sacred duty; what you say is also the cosmic principle. But… but, can it be… just this one time?”
“Please have mercy on him, and also on his mother. Just this once, let him stay…”
“Please pity his mother, salvage her from this moment’s despair. There are many souls; you can choose those who more deserve to depart.”
Thanatos, upon hearing this, actually smiled faintly.
But that smile made his stern face instantly colder than eternal dark ice.
He said coldly: “Prometheus, the meaning of my existence is the most serious meaning in this world.”
“Death is the most solemn matter.”
“Death cannot favor private interests. It should not, cannot, not even once, absolutely not!”
