In the sky, a blood-colored giant eye watched over the mortal world, casting an overwhelming shadow on everything below.

This manifestation of divine will, accompanied by thunder and storms, glanced briefly at Silver Fish Island. In that moment, the Snake People on the island perished. The trees and ferns mutated, growing uncontrollably before withering away almost instantly.

Silver Fish Island had transformed into a desolate land of death.

Its power could promote the transformation of life, but it could also instantly kill all living things.

Boom!

The Ruhe Beast granted the mortals their wish to witness it. As a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, the giant eye closed swiftly and vanished.

With the Sky Beast God’s will fading, another figure appeared on Silver Fish Island.

Oran stepped onto the island, where the aftermath of chaos was evident. The ground was covered with the remnants of plants that had grown uncontrollably before withering, their tangled vines and decayed trees forming a haunting pattern.

Around the altar, rotting flesh was scattered in every direction.

Some of the flesh still clung to life, twitching and writhing faintly, as if resisting its inevitable end.

Yet, whatever life remained had no trace of wisdom, leaving behind only mindless remnants driven by unrelenting desire.

The entire island stood as a grim testament to devastation, a haunting vision of the apocalypse.

“Gamel.”

Taking in the scene, Oran suddenly called out Gamel’s name.

At this moment, Gamel too was completely immersed in shock. He had never imagined that directly facing the Ruhe Great God would lead to such an outcome.

Hearing Oran, Gamel responded.

“Master Oran.”

Oran asked, “Have you heard of the parable among the people of Avel?”

At Oran’s words, Gamel immediately recalled the parable that circulated among the Witch Spirits, one that had even become a common story.

“The divine being is the sun.”

“Drawing too close to the divine being or moving too far away will both bring disaster.”

“If the sun leaves the Earth, it becomes eternal night. If the sun approaches the Earth, it becomes the apocalypse.”

Gamel clutched the Cup of Desire, his gaze sweeping over the scene with a new spiritual clarity.

In that moment, everything around them seemed to affirm the truth of the parable.

Oran observed the scene and spoke, perhaps to Gamel, perhaps to himself.

“This must be the relationship between the divine and mortals.”

“The people of Avel understood this long ago, but the people of Thunderlake do not.”

Oran approached the altar. There, he found a revolting slime soaked into a piece of clothing, with a crown lying discarded beside it.

These were the remnants of His Majesty the King, left behind after he dissolved.

Nearby, a pool of rotting flesh remained.

The pool of rotting flesh continued to move, emerging from the far side of the altar and slowly making its way down, inch by inch.

It crept toward the opposite end, advancing steadily toward the edge of the island.

It struggled to wriggle its body toward the Lost Kingdom.

Gamel observed the pool of rotting flesh that was once the Chief Divine Servant. He spoke thoughtfully, “It has already lost its wisdom and can be considered dead. Yet, it seems there is still something it cannot relinquish.”

Oran followed its movement with his gaze, quickly discerning its intent. “It wants to go there,” he said, “to the kingdom of the Sky Beast God.”

Gamel furrowed his brow, struggling to comprehend. “It endured divine punishment, and still it refuses to abandon its pursuit?”

Oran watched as the pool of rotting flesh continued its slow journey forward, vanishing into the tangled vines and decayed wood before reaching the island’s edge.

Then, it slipped into the water with a faint splash.

Its fate might be to be devoured by fish or to dissolve into nothingness, becoming part of the Great God’s breath.

It could never enter the Kingdom of God, yet still it refused to give up.

“Look. This is what it means to be truly driven by desire.”

With this, Oran answered a question Gamel had once asked him.

“People may be controlled by desire, but what sets them apart from these foolish creatures is their ability to resist its pull, and even to take control of it.”

“The power of desire is overwhelming. Our resistance often creates only the faintest ripple before being consumed entirely.”

“Yet, there are always those who can rise above it.”

Oran spoke thoughtfully as he watched the pool of rotting flesh depart.

In that moment, a realization seemed to dawn on him.

“The power to control desire…”

Oran paused, lost in thought.

If one could create a desire and grant it to a certain existence, that being would be bound by it, endlessly pursuing a specific purpose.

Just then, the distant storm began to weaken. Oran noticed the faint shapes of several ships being pushed closer by its fading power.

He glanced toward the approaching ships, then lowered his gaze to the Cup of Desire resting against his chest.

“They have returned.”

Gamel noticed the ships as well, and a trace of comfort eased his heavy heart.

With a mix of joy and emotion, he said to Oran,

“It seems the divine being punished only those who committed evil and defiled the divine name.”

“Though the divine being is like the sun, it also has the kindness to bestow grace upon all living things.”

Oran turned to Gamel. “Is there anything you would like to say to her?”

Gamel felt a sense of sympathy for Lise.

He believed the kings, nobles, and divine servants had been consumed by their own desires, which drove them to commit countless shameful acts.

Lise, on the other hand, had simply been swept along by the desires of others, unable to resist their influence.

He hoped Lise could free herself from the grip of others’ desires and discover her own true heart.

This gave him hope that mortals could rise toward a brighter civilization, rather than succumbing to the bestial instincts ruled by desire.

On the witch’s boat, the crew fought to keep the vessel steady against the raging storm. They tightened the sail ropes and secured themselves to the ship, trying to avoid being swept away.

At last, the storm began to ease.

The darkness slowly lifted, revealing a familiar island in the distance.

Grateful to have survived, they hurried toward the island and disembarked.

What greeted them was a scene of utter devastation, a landscape that looked like the end of the world.

“What happened here?” Everyone stared at Silver Fish Island in disbelief.

“Have we been in the storm for long? How could this place change so drastically?” They struggled to comprehend it. Only a short time had passed, yet Silver Fish Island had been completely transformed.

“Everyone is dead! All of them are gone!” someone shouted, running back from the altar in terror.

Lise had believed this journey would lead her to the Kingdom of God, but a storm had brought her back instead.

She had not seen the divine being. The witch’s boat had merely passed beneath the cloud mountain where the Sky Beast God resided.

By the time she returned, everyone who had sent her on this journey to the Kingdom of God was already gone.

“How could it be like this?”

Lise walked up to the altar, where she saw the silver Cup of Desire growing at the top.

An existence like a Lamp Spirit was waiting for her there. It was only a silhouette of light, and the moment Lise saw him, he spoke.

“I am relieved you are still alive,” Gamel said calmly.

Lise turned toward the voice and recognized him. “It’s you,” she replied. “You survived?”

Gamel nodded slightly. “Yes, I did.”

Lise’s voice held a mix of confusion and suspicion. “What happened here? Was this your doing?”

Gamel met her gaze, his own response firm. “Do you truly believe I could cause such devastation?”

He gestured toward the remnants of the storm. “Do you think I have the power to summon a storm like that within the domain of the Sky Beast God?”

He paused, then continued, “Or that I could command the divine attendants to descend from the heavens to this place?”

Gamel was speaking of the events Lise had just witnessed.

He explained to her, “The Sky Beast God descended here. Under its divine power, all life was extinguished.”

Lise looked around. Suddenly, she believed Gamel’s words, because only that explanation made sense.

But what arose in Lise’s heart was not fear. It was unwillingness.

“They saw the divine being?”

Lise stepped forward, questioning Gamel with excitement.

“Why?”

“Why were they able to see the divine being, when I could not?”

“They all joined the divine being’s embrace, but I was turned away?”

Gamel shook his head and told her with the utmost seriousness,

“That was not merging into the divine being’s embrace. That was divine punishment.”

“Lise, do you still not understand? You never received a divine oracle. You are not a chosen witch.”

“Everything was driven by mortal desire. This was just a farce carried out in the name of the divine, an act of blasphemy.”

“You ignored the divine warning last time. This is the result.”

“If the people of Thunderlake Kingdom cannot restrain their desires, true disaster is what awaits them.”

Everyone sees only what they want to see. Everyone interprets the truth through their own thoughts.

In Lise’s eyes, this was the divine being’s summons.

In Gamel’s eyes, this was divine punishment.

In truth, it was simply the Ruhe Beast, the Sky Beast, appearing before her followers for a single moment. Mortals, however, were incapable of enduring even the briefest encounter with her presence.

The light and shadow gradually faded. The Cup of Desire rotated and shrank back into the ground.

“Lise, it is over.”

“You were merely swept along by the desires of others, which is why divine punishment fell only upon them, sparing all of you.”

“Do not go to the Lost Kingdom. Do not let the thoughts and desires of others move you forward. You must see clearly what is in your own heart.”

Lise stood frozen. The wind blew across the water, sweeping over the disheveled island.

The wind blew so hard that Lise could barely stand. As she bent down, she happened to see the “remains” of His Majesty the King.

“Impossible!”

“You’re lying!”

“You fallen one, controlled by desire! You demon of the Abyss!”

“This is all your conspiracy! I will not believe your words!”

Tears streamed down Lise’s face as she collapsed.

No matter how much she refused to believe, everything around her told her it was the truth.

It was undeniable.

She had seen the storm descend with her own eyes. She had witnessed the divine attendants stepping down from the kingdom in the sky.

Even if she tried to deceive herself, even if she clung to delusion, she could no longer maintain the lie.

Lise turned her head to gaze into the distance, where she could faintly see lightning flicker deep within the clouds.

In that moment, she thought she heard the roar and howl of the divine being.

She had never been a witch.

She was just someone who had blasphemed and defiled the divine being’s name.

In the end, the witch’s boat never reached the Lost Kingdom in the sky. It ultimately returned to Thunderlake Kingdom.

The King and the Chief Divine Servant of Thunder Temple were gone. With them vanished the figures who held divine authority and royal power in the mortal world. For Thunderlake Kingdom, it was as if the kingdom had lost its head.

Many nobles and divine servants had also vanished with them.

The entire Thunderlake Kingdom was thrown into turmoil.

In the aftermath, the kingdom descended into unrest as several princes waged a fierce war for the throne.

After a time of chaos and bloodshed, a new king emerged victorious. He was supported by vested interest groups that helped him consolidate power and restore order.

The former prince, now crowned king, made a declaration.

“The old king was taken into the kingdom in the sky. Before he departed, he entrusted the crown to me.”

With this, the new king affirmed the legitimacy of his throne and put an end to any further doubts.

In this manner, the rumors circulating throughout Thunderlake Kingdom about the king and nobles suffering divine punishment were put to rest.

It seemed that, in the end, it was not entirely a misfortune.

The King, Chief Divine Servant, nobles, and other divine servants were not seen as having perished. Instead, they were believed to have entered the Kingdom of God.

For mortals, this was the highest honor and a sign of the Sky Beast God’s recognition.

But another question arose.

Why had the witch, chosen at the beginning, not been taken away? Why had she instead returned to Thunder City?

Each day, devout believers and divine servants gathered before Thunder Temple to seek an audience with the witch. They questioned why she had not followed the others to the Kingdom of God, and their doubts about her identity grew.

“Why wasn’t she taken away by the divine being? Why did she fail to become a true witch?”

“Does this mean she isn’t the true witch after all?”

“Perhaps the divine being chose her at first, but she was abandoned because of some transgression.”

“What could she have done to anger the divine being?”

“Is a witch forsaken by the divine being still a witch?”

These rumors and speculations circulated across Thunderlake Kingdom.

Eventually, they reached the ears of Lise, the “Sky Witch.”

In the hall, Lise looked as though she had endured an endless dark night. Her eyes were void of light, her entire being drained of faith and vitality.

She surrounded herself with lavish feasts, fine wine, luxurious clothing, and ornate decorations.

She allowed herself to be consumed by desire, surrendering completely to its pull.

Although her faith had crumbled, she still clung to the identity of a witch.

The title allowed her to indulge in a life of luxury, surpassing even that of the King, and she reveled in the privileges it brought.

However, the growing doubts of the people cast a shadow over her position, signaling that her time as a witch might soon end.

One day, someone brought her the rumors from outside.

“Your Highness the Witch, I hear that many divine servants are starting to doubt your identity. They plan to hold another witch selection.”

“If you fail to gain the divine being’s recognition this time, they will strip you of your title and choose a new witch for the ritual.”

Lise was leaning on the bed. The silver wine cup in her hand suddenly fell to the ground.

She had heard many doubting voices recently, but she had always ignored them.

But this time was different.

They wanted to take away her identity as the witch.

“Who is questioning me?”

“What do they want to do?”

Lise stood up, staring at the person who brought her the news.

“Are they questioning the will of the divine being?”

“They dare to question the divine apostle?”

Lise furiously flung the silver cup aside and swept everything from the nearby table onto the ground.

“None of it is true, they are all lying.”

“I am the one chosen by the divine being!”

“The divine being spoke to me and declared me His apostle.”

“You are all blaspheming the divine being! Blasphemers will face divine punishment!”

Lise reacted as though someone had struck her deepest fear. She fiercely denied everything, her voice trembling with desperation.

Her panic and erratic behavior did not go unnoticed.

Everyone around her began to exchange uncertain glances as their doubts grew stronger.

Lise felt the weight of their stares and their unspoken judgment. Unable to bear it, she erupted in anger, shouting, “All of you, leave! Get out!”

Then she shut herself away in her bedchamber.

From that point on, she only allowed others to bring things to her door and refused to let anyone inside.

This way, she could avoid the unsettling stares and the words she no longer wanted to hear.

On this day, during a new “revelation from the Sky Beast God,” a white cloud appeared above the temple’s skylight and hovered over a chosen individual.

This marked the birth of a new Chief Divine Servant.

After assuming authority over Thunder Temple, the new Chief Divine Servant’s first act was to visit her bedchamber.

He disregarded the witch’s orders and entered without hesitation.

“Who gave you permission to barge into my palace?”

Lise leaned against a chair behind the curtains, looking proudly at the new Chief Divine Servant who had forced his way in.

She still clung to her identity as the witch, habitually playing the part.

But this Chief Divine Servant held no reverence for her.

Without the witch’s halo, Lise was just an ordinary snake woman.

She had no Ability User’s power and was worthless before a divine servant.

“Your Highness the Witch.”

The new Chief Divine Servant looked directly at the “Sky Witch” on the chair. Though he addressed her as “Your Highness,” there was no reverence in his heart.

“If you cannot prove you have not been abandoned by the divine being, you will lose everything and become an ordinary fisherwoman again.”

Lise wore magnificent clothing, adorned with gem necklaces and exquisite accessories, possessing a beauty that seemed not of the mortal world.

But in the new Chief Divine Servant’s eyes, it was all utterly vulgar.

He felt that nobility was never expressed through such external things.

When people firmly believed she was the witch, she was adorned with a sacred halo. Even a coarse white linen robe seemed holy on her.

But now that people doubted her, even the most magnificent clothing and accessories felt vulgar.

“Are you questioning me?”

The new Chief Divine Servant did not yield, meeting her gaze directly.

“I am not the one questioning you.”

“The entire kingdom is the one questioning you.”

Lise walked out from behind the curtains. It was clear she had been drinking, as her face was flushed.

Her wide robe was not properly fastened, revealing her snow-white shoulders.

She raised her head slightly, lifted her wine cup, and drank the last sip.

She glanced at the silver pot on the table, picked it up, and tilted it, only to find it empty.

Clack!

She placed the silver pot on the stone table with a soft clink.

In that moment, the pride on her face and the authoritative air of the witch seemed to fade.

“The wine is finished,” she said listlessly.

She understood that her time as the witch was over.

She put down the pot and cup and walked to a corner of the bedchamber.

She lifted her gaze to the imitation of “The Lost Kingdom,” her eyes fixed on the magnificent city faintly visible within the sea of clouds.

Once, she had yearned for that place with all her heart.

Even now, her eyes held a lingering sparkle.

“I will prove it.”

“I am the true witch.”

That day, Lise wore the ceremonial attire from her witch’s ritual. She stepped onto her boat and set out toward the depths of Thunder Marsh.

As her boat neared the waters beneath the Lost Kingdom, she commanded the other boats to halt.

Standing at the bow, Lise gazed at the mist-covered water.

Once again, she saw the old fishing boat drifting on the surface, unchanged from the last time she had been there.

“It is still here.”

Today, Lise was exceptionally beautiful, as radiant as a bride on her wedding day.

Her spirits were high and her eyes sparkled, showing no hint of her former despair or weariness.

Lise glanced at the people around her, then at the other ships trailing behind. She observed those tasked with supervising and witnessing her journey.

“I need no servants.”

“You are unworthy to enter the Kingdom of God. These mortal boats are unworthy to approach the kingdom of the Sky Beast God.”

“The divine being refused me last time because none of you were qualified.”

“This time, I will go alone to the divine city in the sky. I will present myself with the utmost devotion.”

After speaking, she climbed down a rope to the small boat that had been drifting beneath the cloud mountain for so long.

The fishing boat swayed gently but remained steady, refusing to tip.

She poled the boat, the same one Shana had once guided, and steered it into the depths of Thunder Marsh, moving farther and farther away.

As she rowed, her hands moved with practiced ease, and memories of her life as a fisherwoman came flooding back.

It had not been long, yet to Lise, that life felt like it belonged to a distant past.

Splash!

The water stirred with ripples. A silver flower bloomed, and a shadow of gathered light appeared on the surface.

Gamel watched Lise’s retreating figure and called out.

“Lise,” he said, his voice steady but filled with concern.

He offered her a choice with quiet sincerity.

“Turn back. You can leave this place. You can find another path.”

Lise did not turn back. She continued poling the boat forward.

“Another path?”

“And would I still be the witch?”

Gamel called out, “Is being the witch that important?”

Lise turned her head to look at Gamel.

She laughed suddenly. It was not a proud smile, but neither was it the simple, timid smile that had once belonged to Lise the fisherwoman.

“I could have lived without it, but I cannot accept losing it now.”

“The fisherwoman Lise could become the Witch Lise, but the Witch Lise…”

“Absolutely cannot accept becoming a fisherwoman again.”

Lise turned away for the last time, rowing the boat into the distance.

Gamel seemed to say something more, but Lise could no longer hear him clearly, nor did she want to.

The boat went deep into Thunder Marsh.

A mass of cloud mist drifted across the water, gently lifting her small boat.

She continued rowing steadily, moving along the sea of clouds toward the towering cloud mountain.

The mist swirled around her, wrapping her in its embrace. Her hands, gripping the oars, began to dissolve, becoming faint and translucent.

Yet, Lise seemed unaware, her focus fixed only on the path ahead.

Lise gazed above the sea of clouds, as if she could see the city from the painting, could see the divine being approaching to welcome her.

Her heart soared with the boat, reaching for that city.

She rowed through the sea of clouds, her voice soft as she spoke to the sky.

“I am the witch.”

“The witch… of the sky.”

The “Witch of the Sky” finally melted into the clouds, dispersing into countless bubbles.

Below, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“She has become a true witch!”

“I saw it! Her Highness the Witch entered the Kingdom of God!”

“She was never a mortal of this world! She was an apostle of the divine being, sent only to descend briefly among us!”