Human.

Maruble, the God of Fire and Son of Sight and Volcanics, was going to become human.

There would be no more expectations, no haughty gods looming over him, and—most important of all—no divine battle to give his life for. The air tasted sweet as he pedaled faster and laughed loudly into the wind.

Even still. As Maruble rode his bike through the passing shade, shadows covering and uncovering him as he went, his pace slowed. When he became human, he could only avoid war if it didn't make its way here, if the God of Death wasn't victorious, and only if Noctavius didn't seek revenge on the God of Fire for abandoning him. On the docks, that same fear had haunted Hartley's eyes.

He shook the thought and pedaled until the college campus came into view. Nearly swiping a car, he swerved into the parking lot and snapped his bike to the rack quickly. Students passed by him, unaware. For the first time since arriving, Maruble studied each human carefully.

It was unlikely that any of them would witness war. The fighting in Alta could last hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and there was a strong possibility that they would live out their lives in peace—unaware of the turmoil above.

Maruble frowned. Another if.

He pulled himself away and raced towards the science building, where Sarah was having class. As he ran, eyes fell on him one by one, followed by a few giggles. Maruble's cheeks burned. Not only was he covered in sweat from the ride, but he had also jumped into a lake and probably smelled like a wet dog. He pressed on—making a point to pretend he didn't notice—until he reached the door to the classroom.

Sarah sat at the front of the room, staring intently at her professor as he waved a piece of chalk around animatedly. Slowly turning the doorknob, Maruble crept inside. He waved in her direction, but she took no notice of him. Damning her studiousness, Maruble rubbed his fingers together until a few sparks showered from his hand. He aimed it at a plant in the corner of the room.

It went up in flames.

The teacher yelped. A couple of students stood in shock—others screamed— and more than a few just stared at the fire dumbly. In the confusion, Maruble raced down the stairs and grabbed Sarah's hand, pulling her toward the door.

"Ruby?" she asked, scrunching her eyebrows. Despite the fire, her gaze suddenly turned from confused to furious. "What the hell do you think you're—"

"I'll explain outside."

Grabbing her bag, Sarah huffed and trailed out of the room after him. By the look on her face, she would have much rather dealt with the burning plant. She crossed her arms, avoiding his gaze, and muttered, "What do you want?"

Maruble blurted out, "I was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"Right," she said with a snort.

"The way I acted and the things I said—you didn't deserve any of it." He stepped forward and continued, "The truth is, I was scared. I was thinking about leaving town for good."

Sarah suddenly paled. "What? You—You're not going to, are you?"

"At first, I thought I didn't have a choice, and so I panicked and said things I regret," he admitted—as close to the truth as he could manage. He shook his head. "If you and Jacob would have me, I think I've decided to stay."

"You idiot." Suddenly, Sarah sniffed. Tears fell in flurries around her and shimmered in the pale light. She rubbed them away, smudging mascara across her face, and frowned. For the first time in his life, Maruble thought that the human standing in front of him might have been beautiful. She shook her head and said, "I was so worried about you. When your parents died, I didn't know how to help, and I was so scared I was going to lose you like I lost Dad. I felt so helpless."

"I'm such an idiot," breathed Maruble. "I'm sorry."

"You were, but I'll forgive you." She filled the space between them and smiled slightly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

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He hesitated. "Yes—no. I'm worried Jacob hates me."

To his surprise, Sarah snickered and said, "You said the exact same thing the last time you guys fought."

Maruble searched his memories. Sure enough, one came back to him from another place and time—another world. A strange feeling bubbled up inside of him. Even though the Goddess of Memory fabricated his human memories, he was still making the same mistakes.

"This is the last time," he said. "I'm sorry again."

"Damn right, you are." Adjusting her backpack, Sarah winked. "Now, go tell that to Jacob before he comes crying to me."

With that, she walked back to class and left him standing in the hall. Maruble lingered there, the weight slowly lifting from his shoulders. He took a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay. He would be able to live out his life as a human, surrounded by friends, and Death wouldn't interfere. Placing his hand on the wall, he let the coolness of the painted brick calm his mind.

Human. What would such a thing feel like, he wondered.

Maruble walked down the stairs of the science building and made his way across campus, feeling lighter than before. It was one of the first warm days of the year, and the sun peeking through the clouds filled him with life. Before he reached the parking lot, he paused.

The library's pillars towered over him. Even though he had gone inside to study multiple times, Maruble had never actually paid attention to it. He had never read one of the many books that it contained. Turning, Maruble's feet moved toward the library before he could stop himself.

It would just be for a moment. Just a moment, then he would go and apologize to Jacob.

When he walked through the doors, the library felt like a new place. Large glass windows let in a generous amount of sunlight, and the smell of paper was thick in the air. He wandered to the history section, blinking up at the high shelves and feeling a twinge of guilt for all the human books he had burned.

It was odd. For so many years, his life had been on a set path—but not anymore. Maruble cradled the spine of a book and flipped through the pages one by one. Now, he could be anything he wanted, and this seemed like the perfect place to start.

The lights flickered. Maruble blinked as a quiet wind blew through the library, surrounding him in an otherworldly quiet. He closed his book and slowly turned to the end of the aisle.

The God of Death.

He stood there, waiting. Noctavius wore an antler mask and a long black robe that trailed behind him. Even the bookshelves seemed to lean away from him as dark miasma trickled into the space between them. Maruble's heart hammered. For a moment he had a good mind to turn and run, but his feet refused to move. Instead, a feeling washed over him—a feeling like he was about to die. He knew what it was instantly.

The Death Aura.

"Noctavius," he whispered. Maruble glanced around, but the library was suddenly empty. The aura had scared everyone away. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd ask you the same question."

Maruble steadied himself as Death stepped toward him. Cursing his shaking hands, he placed the book back on the shelf. "It seems like you already have an idea, or you wouldn't be here."

"Astute observation," hissed Noctavius.

Maruble took a deep breath. He thought there would be more time before Death confronted him—more time to think and formulate a plan. How had he known so quickly? Exhaling slowly, he cleared his thoughts and said slowly, "I'm done with this war. I'm leaving the godlands to become human, and I won't be returning to Alta. You'll have to find someone else to fight for you."

Noctavius growled, "Gods like you make me sick."

"What?" Maruble took a step back.

"I said, gods like you make me sick." Noctavius tilted his head until the antlers were inches away from the books next to him. "Do you think of yourself as a martyr, Maruble? Or are you becoming human because you're afraid to fight?" The God of Death loomed over him as he continued, his shadow stretching down the aisle. "There are godlings in my army with more spine than you, boy. You've already been replaced."

The words left his lips before he could stop himself. "Who?"

"You'll see soon enough," said Noctavius, the ghost of a smile in his voice. "When I win this war, these human lands are mine, and you'll be nothing but dust under my boots. I offered you everything, and you threw it back in my face. I won't forget that."

Suddenly, Maruble understood why Hartley had looked so afraid on the dock. He forced out, "There has to be a better way."

"A better way?" Death's gaze snapped towards him, and books tumbled off the shelves. Maruble covered his head as they fell. "You sound just like that entitled father of yours. Whether you like it or not, God of Fire, your part in this war isn't over."

Before he could say anything else, Noctavius disappeared. At once, the lights in the library sprang to life, and the dark miasma was gone. Maruble knelt down, robotically picking up the books that had fallen—only to drop them again. He placed a shaking hand to his face.

It had to be a bluff—it had to be. The Goddess of Sight was the only one who could use the orb. He placed the books in a pile clumsily, then wandered out of the library as if in a dream. He staggered toward his bike in the parking lot, ignoring the strange looks he was getting, and looked up at the sky.

Alta was once a place where gods could live peacefully, but now it would become a battlefield. Years of misery and bloodshed would take place, with gods dying for a useless cause—and for what? More power?

Grabbing his bike, Maruble pedaled towards the main road. There was nothing he could do about it—not yet. He would go to Jacob's house, apologize to him, and then figure out everything after. That was his only option. Maruble squeezed the handlebars.

Of course, becoming human couldn't have been that easy. Of course, of course. How much would he lose before this was all over?