#what is the unpardonable sin

[sacrilegiousoul]

lmao guys it’s gotten so bad again that ive officially got my The Companion Bible Kings James Version Bible specifically that my grandpa got me and currently asking him to read me bible verses and shit and what he believes alright light bong rip for me, smoke a cigarette in my name imma need it.

[pastorjohn3]

Christian Basics Series

The purpose of this series is to help you understand who Jesus Christ is, and why He came. Jesus is ‘God in the flesh’ who came to die on the cross to atone for our sins, so that by placing our faith in Him, with a humble, repentant heart, we have eternal life in Him. This series is here to help you understand how all of this fits together, and grow in your personal relationship with Christ. In order to accomplish this, there are nine major ‘doctrines,’ i.e. beliefs and teachings that are foundational – providing us with a way to understand the message of the good news (gospel), anchored in the life of Jesus Christ. These doctrines are: The Bible; God; Creation; Fall; Jesus Christ (The Lord); Sin and Salvation; The Holy Spirit; The Church; and The Last Things (End Times).

[stealth-liberal]

Whew, I have a lot to say, and I know for a FACT that not a single non Jewish person on here will give a shit... but I have to vent.

Antisemitism in America is so bad that I honestly don't know if it's safe to send my daughter off to college in 2 years. She doesn't know either. Both of us have discussed her staying home and doing as much of her university education online, so as to keep her safe. She has sensory issues and an anxiety disorder... and already she has been rejected all over the place in her high school campus since 10/7.

The Women's Empowerment Club? The club leader has made it so that no female Jewish student feels safe there, and all of them quit. The little leftist neo nazi in charge of it probably cheered as they left and patted herself on the back for her "praxis". Maybe she can start goose stepping and yelling "Heil Hitler!" while she's at it. But she's not unique. Feminist organizations the world over deny mass rape of Jewish women. Why? Because it's Me Too Unless You're a Jew. They want us all raped and in the grave. Period.

The Pride Club? Forget it. All queer Jewish kids are persona non grata there. Apparently it's cool if Jewish queers are the subject of violence... and I can't say more or I'll start wanting to kill people. I am bisexual, my husband is bisexual, our daughter is lesbian. I have been part of this community since I was 12 as an ally and since I was 15 as a bisexual (took me some time to figure out what I was). My daughter came out in 4th grade for G-d's sake. We've been there, fighting the fight and now... queer organizations all over the world are abandoning us. They honestly hope we will all die, the more violently the better.

I was a proud intersectional feminist and a proud queer woman my whole life. Or at least ever since I could make decisions about that sort of stuff and what I believed. And I have been abandoned, my daughter has been abandoned, for blood sport. Her friends are pulling away from her and we all know why... because she committed the unpardonable sin of being Jewish.

Funny part? The Muslim Student Union has done nothing to her or the other Jewish kids on campus. Ponder that thought leftists if you will.

My son is in 8th grade and for the entirety of his 6th and 7th school years he was relentlessly bullied for being Jewish. We live in a red town and it was right wing antisemitism. It was so bad that I had to remove him for his safety from the school for a while. Now? It's left wing as well, he's catching it from both sides and I don't know how to protect him.

No one cares. Frankly, if my 13 year old son committed suicide to get away from it all... they would throw a party. Another dirty Jew/Zionist down... am I right? None of you give a fuck.

I marched, I protested, I voted, I phone banked. I lived my beliefs in action, and the left betrayed me. They fantasize about me and my children being raped and murdered. The more graphically it could happen, the better for them. Frankly, I think they get off to the videos Hamas released in the privacy of their rooms at night.

There's nowhere to run. Israel isn't an option. I know everyone thinks Jews are dripping in wealth... but I frankly do not have enough money to move my family to the other side of the planet. My husband is in IATSE, the stage hand local. There are no jobs waiting for him there. There are no jobs waiting for me there. I have no family there. Neither does he.

Actually, my husband isn't Jewish. I am, our children are, but he is not. He supports us in our Jewishness 100%, but he is not a Jew and he never wanted to convert. Which is fine with me... but how the hell does that work in a country where there is no civil marriage?

I'm not Orthodox, I don't want to be Orthodox. I want full egalitarianism, so I go to Reform, Renewal, or Conservative synagogues, depending on what is closer to wherever I live. Israel is a VERY Orthodox country, and the options are Orthodox or completely secular. This is a criticism I've been laying at Israel's feet for DECADES.

And Jew Haters better not use this as a way to say how awful Israel is. Not when the countries surrounding Israel are either dictatorships or absolute power, divine right monarchies who kill dissenters constantly.

So... there's really nowhere for my family to go. So I guess I'll stay where I am being a liberal Jew and waiting for the sick marriage of MAGA and Leftists to come to my door and kill me and my family.

None of you care. All of you would cheer. I'll never trust any of you again for the rest of my life. Till the day I die... I'll never trust any of you in any part of my life (online or offline) again.

1 in 5 members of Gen Z think the Holocaust didn't happen. 2/3rds of Gen Z think stories of the Holocaust are exaggerated and that Jews were somewhat complicit in what happened to us. Blame the victim...amirite? The rates amongst Millennials are not as horrific... but they're still bad. You all are going to commit a 2nd Holocaust and pat yourself on the backs. And when history remembers you all as the Nazis part 2... you will babble in your nursing homes that you were "Just trying to save the world from the Zionist/Jewish scourge."

When that happens, I hope you die in a puddle of your own shit.

[jymwahuwu]

Horny dragon thoughts... Uhnng... Being a vidyadhara scientist(or equivalent) trying to unlock the secrets of reproduction without getting yeeted into the shackling prison. Every single of your incarnations have studied this for literal eons, slowly getting closer. It isn't until Dan Feng's time does your work see results. Congratulations! Your body thinks it's pregnant! Fortunately being the High Elder's secretary usually means headaches from overwork, so the added sickness and fatigue can be excused. What can't be excused is the changes in your chest. You can't wrap them because that causes milk to leak out. Wearing layers doesn't help much, and you're desperately hoping no one realizes you've committed several unpardonable sins.

This is difficult when the High Elder is friends with the rising lieutenant and the forge master. All of whom very much notice the change in your chest area.

Let's hope they don't try and find out if you really can get pregnant. They do

People were shocked when they discovered the fabric on your chest was wet with milk. They ask you urgently what the hell is going on. Why does this happen? Dan Feng came to your defense - he said it was his idea and had been coercing you into researching the possibility of pregnancy with him. So…you're probably pregnant now 🥺

But… after the initial screaming and confusion, there didn't seem to be a huge backlash. After all, this solves a major population crisis without harming any lives. The cute little dragon cubs are welcomed by people.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Arthur Delaney at HuffPost:

Former President Donald Trump blamed Democrats on Monday for the latest attempt on his life, saying their rhetoric about him being a “threat to democracy” motivated a gunman at his property in Florida. In the same breath, he used the same rhetoric against Democrats, describing them as an existential threat to the U.S.

“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out,” Trump told Fox News Digital on Monday. Trump expanded on the sentiment in a post on his website. “The Rhetoric, Lies, as exemplified by the false statements made by Comrade Kamala Harris during the rigged and highly partisan ABC Debate, and all of the ridiculous lawsuits specifically designed to inflict damage on Joe’s, then Kamala’s, Political Opponent, ME, has taken politics in our Country to a whole new level of Hatred, Abuse, and Distrust,” Trump wrote. “Because of this Communist Left Rhetoric, the bullets are flying, and it will only get worse! Allowing millions of people, from places unknown, to INVADE and take over our Country, is an unpardonable sin.” Secret Service agents fired on a man seen wielding an assault rifle on Trump’s golf course in what authorities have described as an apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Trump was on the course at the time.

[...] Democrats call Trump a threat to Democracy largely because he has refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 election and incited a riot at the U.S. Capitol as part of a broader scheme to undo the election result. A Secret Service counter-sniper quickly killed Trump’s first would-be assassin, and investigators have not discerned a political motive for the 20-year-old shooter’s actions beyond an apparent desire to kill a high-profile political figure. The second gunman, identified as Ryan Routh, a 58-year-old with an extensive criminal history, is now in police custody. Authorities haven’t described his motive, but social media accounts apparently connected to Routh suggest he once posted favorably of Trump in 2020 but in more recent years posted favorably about President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, according to The Associated Press. Democrats still describe Trump as a threat to Democracy but have emphasized that message less since Harris became the party’s presidential nominee. Instead, they have described Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), as “weird.”

Divisive Donald delusionally claims that anti-Trump rhetoric is “causing me to be shot at”, then blames Democrats for the rise of the divisiveness in America.

No, Mr. Trump, you are the #1 root cause of divisiveness in America!

[grislyintentions]

|| Shackling Prison: Commentary ||

[The Xianzhou Interlude has given me a LOT of fodder and validation over Abundance crimes and I shall be elaborating on how this will shape Da-ji's abilities as a Foxian Emanator moving forward. But before that, some interesting parallels I noticed in the Shackling Prison with ancient chinese beliefs on 'Hell':

Disclaimer: It is important to note that interpretations can vary. Ie: Taoism influenced interpretations and Buddhism influenced interpretations can differ. Even buddhism itself comprises of different branches, belief systems etc. What I am touching on is primarily skewed towards buddhist concepts.

The Shackling Prison is similar to what we chinese refer to as 地狱 (translated literally to mean 'Underground/Earth' Prison). While it is commonly interpreted as 'Hell', it's concept is similar to Purgatory in christian beliefs. This realm is where the deceased go to repent for their crimes- ie: they get fucked up. The length of their torture/punishment and sentencing is based on the nature as well as severity of their sins. In some rare cases, these souls don't get out ever.

The souls who have been deemed to have 'earned' their penance will usually be permitted freedom to enter yet another cycle of reincarnation based on Buddhist concepts (ie: Naraka)

In chinese tradition (on the buddhism end), purgatory is divided into TEN courts. Each are overseen by a different judge/Yama-King. As established in the Shackling Prison, it is overseen by ten different judges too.

The exact amount of levels in Hell as well as deities associated with it varies between different interpretations (eg: legends of 18 levels, each differing in torture methods is popularily portrayed in mythology shows, there are some who think it's primarily 4, there are also variations where there are 12,800 hells in total etc).

Common depictions of "Hell" involve multiple chambers/levels, mazes, rivers, lava etc. These themes are also present in the map layout of the Shackling Prison in game.

Based on what Dan Feng and Hoolay were subjected to within the confines, it is also safe to say that the Shackling Prison also relies on torture (physical and mental) as a form of punishment for those who have committed unpardonable sins. Which is yet another reference to Hell/Purgatory and it's...numerous torture methods.]

[shewantstobe]

The Third Commandment also has not fared well in English. Lo tissa et shem Ha-Shem Eloheikha la-shav is usually translated as "You shall not take the Lord your God's name in vain." Many people think that this means that you have to write God as G-D, or that it is blasphemous to say words such as "goddamn." Even if these assumptions are correct, it's still hard to figure out what makes this offense so heinous that it's included in the document that forbids murdering, stealing, idolatry, and adultery. However, the Hebrew, Lo tissa, literally means "You shall not carry [God's name in vain]"; in other words, don't use God as your justification in selfish causes. The Third Commandment is the only one concerning which God says, ""for the Lord God will not forgive him who carries His name in vain" (Exodus 20:6-7). The reason now seems to be clear. When a person commits an evil act, he discredits himself. But when a religious person commits an evil act in the name of God, he or she discredit God as well. And since God relies on religious people to bring knowledge of Him into the world, He pronounces this sin unpardonable.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy

[prismatic-starstuff]

sighs.

i am uhhhhhh Very Deep in my feelings about the twin princes today tbh.

prince lothric was literally born to burn. before he was even alive, his fate had been decided by people who would never see him as a person, just a means to prolong the fire. the only person who really cared was his brother; and for his kindness, prince lorian ended up cursed too, losing so much of the might he'd once had.

but they had each other.

things were alright, because they had each other.

they had each other right up until the moment the player character walks into their house and kills them.

and for what? for the terrible crime, the unpardonable sin, of - checking my notes here - wanting to live?

like... i've said it before about soulsborne games, and i'll say it again.

it's always the characters who deserve it the least, who end up suffering the most.

...sighs.

[awideplace]

Some sins are forgivable but unforgettable. I have no pain or hurt or desire to revenge, but also whenever I see her I remember it all. I sometimes wonder how she is able to watch me and not have it in the back of her mind that she’s not even said sorry. What will i do?

All sins are forgivable; the only unpardonable sin today is that of continued unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in his or her rejection of Christ.

“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25. God does not remember our sins, meaning He doesn't hold them against us when we have repented (to turn).

I am sorry you feel very hurt by someone; humans do remember the pain. What can you do? Lay it at the feet of Christ, asking Him to help you, and not mull on the hurts and bitterness. Bitterness is a root that goes deep and defiles what it touches; be careful, it is drinking a poison and yet awaiting for the one who inflicted the pain to die. It constricts your own heart and hurts, as you know. It leads to pride; to feeling like a victim whose identity is in what other people have done to them, therefore giving them the power and control. I would pray, and understand as well we hurt others/sin against God and sometimes do not take those injuries as heavily as we view the wrongs done against us. I don't say this to hurt, because I have been injured by others as well, but I see I myself need grace. Therefore I can extend it, even to one who refuses to see the wound they inflicted. And:

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: '"Vengeance is Mine; I will repay", says the Lord.'

On the contrary, 

'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 

if he is thirsty, give him a drink. 

For in so doing, 

you will heap burning coals on his head.'

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:17-21

[mihcor]

ok ok .

dan heng is an unreliable narrator who doesn't know who dan feng really was. the closest he gets is fragments of memories, like the hcq one - which depicts dan feng as a human being, with emotions, like how jy sees him.

but the dan feng manifested in dan heng's head is cold, and relentlessly pursuing dan heng to make him "accept" that he's guilty. there is absolutely no way that this dan feng is real and not a product of dh's imagination and a manifestation of the guilt that's been forced on him by everyone else.

For DH, DF doesn't have any positive associations. He's a criminal. He committed an unpardonable sin that DH had to bear. He's hated by the Luofu, the Vidyadhara, by Blade. And he's made to bear the guilt of something he didn't do with his own hands, again and again. Relentlessly. Until he's drowning in it, with seemingly no way forwards. And so it's the image of DF that his brain uses to reinforce this guilt, like the headspace where your brain keeps you in a cycle of feeling guilty, then feeling guilty for feeling guilty in the first place, and it's hard to escape from.

But DH needs to escape from the constant self-flagellation before he can begin to accept what happened to him, and properly deal with it in a constructive and meaningful way.

So I'm glad that this released before 1.3's companion quest - because we now have the proof that DH is overcoming his own traumas to be in the headspace to properly tackle the content that is the High Elder succession and Bailu.

[anushkab2711]

Yingxing talks about his mortality

It's understandable why Dan Fang committed unpardonable sins .

Got this poem from my History Textbook. It's an excerpt from a song/poem 'Love for the Lord' by Mirabai.

I doodled in the middle of studying, I couldn't resist to put it to paper, sorry if it's a bit too scratchy.

At first read, I was disgusted at the thought of smearing Ash?! Onto the limbs ,like eww ! But when I asked my mom , what it means ,she explained that it's just symbolism. Meaning , asking your beloved to not let go to waste even the last being of love they harbour, the last bits of love they have.

Hope , it's understandable. Sorry if it's a bit too long .

These are notes for the future me to look back hahah

[dalesramblingsblog]

Boom has, of course, reignited Kerblam! discourse, because we live in a cold and uncaring universe. So of course, I'm going to talk about it, because, again, apparently I don't know when to quit.

And look, if you like Kerblam!, I get it. Like genuinely, I do understand why people would like it more than me, taste varies and doctors differ as a wise man once said.

But I have seen at least one person try and push back against what they see as the undue focus on "The systems aren't the problem" by saying "Well, that scene comes before Kira has been killed by the System," to which I would like to humbly and with all the kindness in the world... no, it doesn't.

Like I don't want to come across as some sort of Ben Shapiro-esque "According to facts and logic..." edgelord because I have nothing but disdain for those fuckwits, but on a basic factual level you have made an incorrect claim about the episode. The scene in which Kira dies leads *directly* into the scene where the Doctor says "The systems aren't the problem." Ryan's first line in the scene is literally "Kira's dead." To say that the Doctor is unaware of Kira's death at the hands of the System when she says "The systems aren't the problem" is incorrect.

This isn't some unpardonable sin, and I don't wish to ascribe deliberate malice to this error because that does nobody any good and I'm sick and tired of fandom discourse. But, y'know, it's there, and it's weird.

Why can some people not just like Kerblam! without telling falsehoods about the episode in its defence, inadvertently or otherwise? It's OK to like things while also conceding that they have problems, but fandom in general tends to have some problems with this.

It's not enough to like Kerblam! even in spite of the fact that its politics might not be the most sound ever devised - and frankly, while I love it, Doctor Who has some recurrent ethical blind spots that severely limit how often it can truly be cast as anything within a million miles of "revolutionary" - no, Pete McTighe has to be the second coming of Karl Marx.

It's not enough to enjoy The Talons of Weng-Chiang on some level for its good parts while conceding that it is a fundamentally racist text. No, it must be a wholly blameless piece of art that some hissy SJWs are trying to take away from "real fans" who can see clearly that the biggest problem here is a dodgy rat costume.

What is my point here? I honestly don't know. I have, frankly, next to zero interest in becoming a recurring character in the Kerblam! Discourse Cinematic Universe, but I was nevertheless struck by a weird trend of (if I'm being charitable, and I generally like to be where I can) unconscious pseudo-revisionism of a controversial episode.

Alright, nothing to see here, please disperse.

[previous-high-elder]

What's your story, my new plaything?

- @the-elation

Dan Feng's jaw dropped as they saw the Aeon of Elation was right in front of them yet composed themselves "you wish to know my story?" Dan Feng found themselves taking a deep breath pondering where to begin "To put it short I'm Dan Feng previous High Elder of the Vidyadhara and previous member of the High-Cloud Quintet after committing one of Ten Unpardonable Sins trying to resurrect a friend, if you wish to know more detail about my story just ask."

[shining-gem34]

FILL IN WITH DETAILS ABOUT YOUR MUSE AS IF THEY WERE A CHARACTER IN A DATING SIM.

NAME — Dan Feng

PROFESSION — High Elder of the Vidyadhara Luofu. A member of the High-Cloud Quintet. Lastly, a highly-dangerous criminal after committing the Unpardonable Sins.

WHERE THEY CAN BE FOUND — Due to his busy schedule, Dan Feng is usually in his office in the Alchemy Commission. Otherwise, during his rare breaks, he can be found in the Exalting Sanctum/Central Starskiff Haven/Artisans Commission.

FAVORITE FOOD TYPE — High-grade seafood dishes with hot soup and a vegetable dish. His guilty pleasure? Crispy chip snacks and sweet buns fresh from the steamer.

FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK — Shaojiu!

WHERE THEY WOULD GO ON A DATE — Dan Feng is more than happy to get a chance to leave his office, especially to spend time with you. He wants to make the most of his limited free time with you as much as he can. So as long as the date location isn't anywhere near the Preceptors (or Alchemy Commission in general), he doesn't mind wherever you go.

Personally, Dan Feng likes to have a date somewhere private so do plan accordingly like a reservation at a tea house or restaurant, or make sure if you both are planning a stroll there will be no one to disturb him.

After all, Dan Feng is still the High Elder so people will approach him any chances they can get.

IDEAL GIFT — Dan Feng will accept the jewels/fabrics you give him and thank you politely for it. However, they are items he is used to seeing on a daily basis. Sure, they satisfy his draconic side but what moves his human heart is gifts of sentimental value. Any gifts you give him, especially handmade, with Dan Feng in mind, he will treasure them more than jewels.

HOW MANY DATES UNTIL THEY KISS — A LONG while unless you push his buttons and get him to kiss you on the lips. Outside of that, he'll kiss your cheek or forehead. Chu! <3

Tagged by: @memovia Tagging: YOU! Go do it if you haven't!

[yinyuedijun]

hello beloved!!!! i bear shacking prison lore from the 'undestroyed note' readable 🤓!!! the tldr is no one quite knows what the shackling prison is (lots of hearsay as to where it is located, what it looks like, etc). even the types of prisoners aren't defined (aside from those that commit any of the ten unpardonable sins). tbh its kinda?? implied?? that this is due to the nature of the prisoners being so dangerous they could be used AGAINST the ten lords if wielded which is juicy :3c

OOOHHH thank you lore (for the lore)!!! 🙏 tagging @upsidedowneye !!!!

[everlastiingiimmortals]

"General Jing Yuan of the Luofu Cloud Knights, guilty of unpardonable sin..."

The delicate voice echoes in the dark interior, cold light filtering in through the distant window in the ceiling. Jing Yuan shifts; the chains binding his form clink and sway with the movement, rocking him where he hangs suspended above the floor. Something wet drips onto the floor, impossibly loud for a tiny thing -- whether it's blood or sweat, he can't tell.

The voice pauses. There's the sound of a scroll being stretched out further. "...Ah, but there is nothing on this page. What sin have you committed, Jing Yuan?"

He has to crane his neck up, uncomfortably, to look at the figure standing before him. His vision blurs -- he is exhausted, after all, and even this small act causes more drops to patter against the stone beneath him. The figure almost seems to be radiant themselves from how they stand in the shaft of light. Clad in a shimmering white, locks of gold crowning their head and draping around them like a veil.

"What sin have you committed?"

"..." Jing Yuan's head drops again, a hoarse groan slipping from his throat. The gentle swinging from his chains is barely felt, but it is nauseating all the same, having been suspended in motion for so long. He wants to vomit. Any further attempts to speak are proved equally fruitless by the dryness of his tongue. His chest aches, making it even more difficult to breathe. Hanging like this, it's painfully apparent how heavy his heart is, and surely if it were not for the chains keeping him up his heart would not only drag him to the floor but drown him, too.

The figure clicks their tongue, and though he can't see their expression he can hear the pity in their voice. "Poor thing... you don't even know what you seek repentance for. Could it be that you cannot speak because the sin you've committed doesn't exist? Ah, but if that were the case, your heart would not weigh as much as it does, isn't that right?"

Jing Yuan cannot find it in himself to respond.

Suddenly he is spun around so that he is facing up, the chains going taut and grinding and pinching against his body. He has no voice with which to scream his pain, but the ragged gasp squeezed from his body as he feels a dull snap in his side from a rib cracking is evident enough.

"Let's see..." The figure steps over and reaches long fingers into his chest, sharp nails digging into his skin and piercing through muscle and bone and this time he does scream, the shriek ripped from his lungs accompanied by the empty rattling of his chains as he thrashes to no avail, his heart dragged still beating from his chest. He can feel the pull against his veins and arteries -- it is still attached, and the figure pulls him along with his heart as they lift it up. Jing Yuan isn't sure, at this point, if the chains or his blood vessels are what keep him suspended. He heaves from the pain; all that leaves his mouth is the thick taste of iron, choking him as it settles in his throat and nose.

"Heavy indeed..." The figure plucks at an artery, watching as Jing Yuan writhes against the chains. "What a sin you've committed, Jing Yuan," the figure croons mourningly, reaching out to touch his face and wipe the tears and blood from his cheek. "A sin most grave that there are no words for it to be described with. A sin most great that few even know it is one. But oh, my clever one, you do. You do...

"It is my fault," the figure bows their head, and the fruits hanging from their antlers sway. "I set you on this path, my creation, my child... You are like me. Bound to give and give and give, and abundant in that which you do. How bravely and brightly you shine. What a grave sin you have committed."

The figure lets him down gently, pushes his heart back into his chest. Jing Yuan can only twitch feebly as the gaping hole is resealed with the simple touch of a clawed finger, moss and leaves and roots stitching the wound together before falling away. The chains go slack and he falls limply into the figure's embrace, their six arms cradling him with ease.

"I know your sin," The figure coos, combing his hair away from his eyes. It burns, his right eye burns. Compared to the fullness in his chest -- it is wrong, his heart has been resealed wrong -- the familiar pain is a welcome one. The figure covers his eye with one hand and he flinches. "Nous cannot see you here, my child. I know your sin; your sin is the same as mine.

"O Divine Foresight, Arbiter-General of the Luofu Cloud Knights, Jing Yuan... Jing Yuan, guilty of unpardonable sin, your sin is mine, loving a world that does not love you in turn. Your punishment is mine, to act on that love and give and give no matter if you are given to in return. You will give until there is nothing left of you. What a grave sin it is, to love." The figure smiles, sickly sweet. Out of the corner of his eye, Jing Yuan sees a light, just a distant pinprick that approaches faster and faster.

"But it is alright... When that time comes, I will be waiting for you to return home. The world may not love you, but I lo--"

The heat from the light comes before the flash does, punching straight through Yaoshi's head midsentence and tearing it off in its path. Jing Yuan doesn't get to see it happen, because as the arrow flies through faster than lightning itself he finds himself ripped away into nothingness in the wake of the arrow's scorching heat.

Jing Yuan lurches awake and upright, only barely managing to hold himself back from screaming. His right eye burns fiercely and he rapidly pats his chest, trying to find any mark, any hole, any sign that his heart isn't where it belongs. He is unmarred. His chest aches with how hard his heart beats and his lungs are heaving, fighting for oxygen seared away only moments ago by the retribution of the divine. He is deaf to everything but the blood roaring in his ears, and the numbness in his fingers and toes is belatedly registered with the cold sweat coating his entire body. He is shivering violently. His room slowly comes into view as his eyes adjust to the darkness; it is still night. He is alone.

He slumps forward then, curling up and running shaking, clammy hands down his equally clammy face.

"Ah," Jing Yuan mumbles faintly into his hands, muffled to his own ears.

"I died."