Till we have Faces Blog Post

 I am Asterion, god of Hidden Paths, the keeper of journeys that twist and turn toward truths unseen. I do not rule the skies or the seas, but the quiet places where choices are made and souls are tested. I have watched you, Orual, as you stumbled through the paths of your life. I was there when you first covered your face, hiding not just from others but from yourself. I was there when you stood before Psyche’s joy and called it madness because it made you feel small. I have heard your accusations against the gods, and I am here to show you the truth you refuse to see.  You say the gods took Psyche from you, that we are cruel and uncaring. But your pain is not our doing, it is yours. Your love for Psyche was not pure. You didn’t love her as she was; you loved what she gave you. When she found happiness beyond your understanding, you couldn’t let her go. You called it love, but it was fear. You feared being left behind, being unneeded, and that fear made you cling to her so tightly that you crushed her joy. When Psyche stood on the edge of something greater, you didn’t trust her. You planted doubt in her heart and dragged her back into your pain. You thought you were saving her, but the truth is simpler: you couldn’t bear to lose her. You didn’t see her as her own person; you saw her as yours. Do you remember the story the priests told in Essur? They spoke of Psyche as a mortal so beautiful and loved that the gods gave her great trials to shape her into something divine. You called that story false because it didn’t match what you saw. But myths aren’t about telling facts. They’re about showing truths that are hard to understand. The gods didn’t punish Psyche; we prepared her. Her trials were not cruelty but transformation. She was meant for something more, something you couldn’t see through your hurt. The story from the temple wasn’t wrong, Orual it just wasn’t about you. It was about the bigger picture, one you refused to accept. Orual, you have lived your life hiding from yourself. You wore a mask to shield your face, but it also shielded your heart. You accuse the gods of being unjust, but it is you who needs to answer for the harm you caused to Psyche, and to yourself. Still, I am not without mercy. I will not cast you into torment. Instead, I give you this task: you will walk through your life again, but this time, you will see it clearly. You will see Psyche’s joy and pain as she lived it, not as you imagined it. You will feel the weight of her trust and the way you broke it. When you can look at Psyche and love her as she truly is free, radiant, and beyond your control then you will be free as well. Only then will you find peace. Go now, Orual. The hardest work is still ahead of you. Only by facing the truth can you leave the shadows and step into the light.


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